The moment the bell rang, it was as if an invisible switch had been flipped inside the classroom.
The suffocating pressure built up over the past half-month of high-intensity training and studying was instantly released.
At the front of the room, Joachim pushed his glasses up his nose, smiling warmly.
He stood off to the side, letting Theresa, who was standing on a small footstool, take the center podium.
"Ahem! I won't be assigning any holiday homework this time! The Principal has seen how hard you've all been working, so I want you all to relax and recharge for the next phase of your studies!"
"Woohoo! Auntie Theresa is the best!" Kiana was the first—and only—one to actually cheer out loud.
Nobody found it weird, though. Kiana and Theresa's relationship was public knowledge, and seeing Kiana so excited brought a smile to everyone's faces.
"In the classroom, you call me Principal!" Theresa scolded Kiana with her hands on her hips. However, she quickly waved it off and delivered her next announcement.
"But! When you get back from the holiday, Mr. Joachim and I will be holding your first official exam! The person who gets first place will receive an exclusive, special reward personally prepared by the Principal!"
"Ughh~?!" Once again, it was Kiana. Her joy instantly vanished, replaced by a look of sheer despair, as if the sky had just fallen.
She didn't care about some "first-place reward."
All she cared about was the very real possibility of coming in dead last again, which probably meant remedial classes...
And worse, exams had to be signed by a parent or guardian. If her stupid old man saw her test scores, he would absolutely mock her mercilessly!
He definitely would!
And Kiana wouldn't even be able to fire back with, "Like you were any better at my age?!" Because she knew for a fact that Siegfried had been viciously tutored during his time in Arc City.
Should I ask Mom to sign it?
That was an option. Kiana knew Cecilia wouldn't yell at her. Instead, she'd cheer her on, patiently help her analyze her mistakes, and then personally tutor her.
But precisely because Cecilia was so unconditionally loving and supportive, Kiana felt way too guilty to subject her to that.
What if... I ask Shu to sign it?
Bronya, Seele, Sin Mal, Rozaliya, Liliya, and even Sirin could all ask Shu to sign their tests! Why couldn't she?!
...Forget it. I just need to study harder... and then ask Mom...
Ultimately, Kiana's conscience won out over her desire to slack off, immediately followed by a profound sense of self-pity.
Pity for herself.
She never thought the day would come when she actually had such alien, responsible thoughts. Growing up really did change a person...
"Aren't you curious about what the Principal's reward is, Kiana?" Seele, currently ranked second in the class, asked.
The academic gap between Seele and Mei wasn't actually that large; the only real difference was that Mei had two more years of formal education under her belt. Seele genuinely had a shot at first place this time.
While Seele didn't particularly care about the Principal's reward, she figured it couldn't hurt to ask.
"What kind of reward could Auntie Theresa possibly give...?" Kiana muttered, her face squished against her desk. "Probably just some rare HOMU manga, or maybe a certificate she drew herself..."
A terrifyingly intense light suddenly erupted from Bronya's eyes. In the next instant, a blazing aura of pure, unadulterated motivation engulfed her entire being.
HOMU manga?! It seems Bronya must take this seriously!
Bronya slowly turned her head, fixing Mei with a stare filled with unwavering, battle-hardened resolve.
Apologies, Sister Mei. Your reign of uncontested dominance ends now!
Mei felt the burning intensity of Bronya's gaze. She found it endearing. If Bronya wanted to study hard and challenge her, Mei was more than happy to encourage her.
Wait. What do you mean I'm supposed to say: "You know the rules. If you want it, come take it?"
What does that even mean?
"Alright, class dismissed!" Theresa finally concluded her holiday speech, waving her hand to officially kick off the break.
Before the word "dismissed" even finished echoing, Lyle, seated in the back row, launched himself out of his chair like a coiled spring. Grabbing his pre-packed bag, he bolted out the door.
Adam, right beside him, instantly followed suit. The two boys vanished down the hallway like twin tornadoes.
Sora sighed helplessly, in no rush to chase after them. They were all heading back to Ms. Natasha's place anyway; there was no need to run.
The other two members of the Back Row Big Four were also making their moves.
"You packed your bag early?!" Rozaliya stared in shock at the fleeing boys before frantically shoving textbooks into her own bag. "Liliya! We're falling behind!"
Liliya didn't respond. Sensing something was wrong, Rozaliya turned around. Liliya was already wearing her backpack, staring blankly at her older sister.
Rozaliya's eyes widened in horror.
She looked at Liliya's perfectly clean desk, then at Liliya, who was clearly ready to turn around and leave at a moment's notice. Suddenly, Rozaliya felt a profound sense of betrayal.
"How could this be..." Rozaliya clutched her chest, looking utterly heartbroken. "Why didn't Liliya warn me? Does Liliya not care about her older sister anymore?!"
"Liliya did warn Rozaliya. Rozaliya is just forgetful," Liliya sighed in exasperation.
She genuinely had warned her. Furthermore... looking around the room, it seemed Rozaliya was the only one who hadn't packed up early. Everyone else was already walking out the door.
Rozaliya no longer felt betrayed; she felt abandoned by the entire world.
"You guys... you guys..." Rozaliya was heartbroken.
Stepping out the school gates, Bianka and Azhar immediately spotted Rita waiting for them.
Nearby, Rin spotted Yae Sakura waiting for her.
Currently, both Rita and Sakura were holding plastic bags stamped with the HOMU logo. Judging by the shape, they contained milk tea from Home Random Play.
"Rita!" Bianka and Azhar, both currently in their energy-saving child forms, waved excitedly and ran over to her.
Watching the two adorable little girls running happily toward her, Rita couldn't help but subconsciously tighten her grip on the plastic bags.
This sight...
Pure bliss!
However, the two girls simply stopped in front of her, leaving Rita feeling slightly disappointed. Glancing over, she saw Yae Rin completely ignoring personal boundaries and diving straight into Yae Sakura's embrace.
"Big Sis!" Rin hugged Sakura tightly, making Rita burn with envy.
But she didn't let it show. She smiled warmly, gently patted both their heads, and handed them their milk teas.
Stretching lazily, Sin Mal yawned as she walked out the gates. She was fully prepared to walk home alone, but the moment she turned her head, she spotted a very specific person standing by the side of the road, holding seven or eight cups of milk tea in both hands.
Looking at his face... she didn't recognize him.
But just because she didn't recognize his face didn't mean she didn't know who he was.
Sin Mal narrowed her eyes. She glanced back toward the school gates, watching Kiana and the others walking out together, and raised an eyebrow.