After school, the rain fell in earnest, a thick curtain against the window. Sakurai Saki watched Hayasaka Ai leave; she wasn't one for lingering on campus. Going home together was a logistical nightmare—he had a part-time job, and she had her own routine. Their connection seemed confined to school hours and digital space.
He found Shirogane Miyuki in the Student Council room, already deep in study under the artificial glow of the overhead lights. Outside, the premature dusk of the storm pressed in. Shirogane's face was a mask of pure concentration.
Sakurai understood. He understood the absolute, almost violent dedication it took to cling to that #1 spot.
"Hm? Sakurai, no tutoring at the library today?" Shirogane glanced up.
"In half an hour. Waiting for the rain to let up. Gunning for first place again?" Sakurai asked, moving to the coffee maker.
"Honestly? I don't really care about rankings. There's not much difference between first and second." Shirogane's tone was breezy, dismissive.
…A lie!
This man! He'd shed all shame in his pursuit of victory! Exams were war! Every point was a trench, every mistake a casualty! If you didn't fight with everything you had, you'd be crushed beneath the boots of the diligent! There was a difference! Who remembered second place? Who remembered third? Shuchiin's academic battlefield was merciless, and Shirogane Miyuki was its most disciplined, relentless soldier.
"I feel the same. Grades just need to be 'good enough,'" Sakurai said, measuring coffee grounds.
…Also a lie!
This Superpower User had spent Golden Week in a dual-purpose cram session, using his tutoring gig to review! He planned to continue the covert grind later! The hypocrisy was staggering!
"Yes. 'Good enough' is fine," Shirogane agreed, his voice calm. But the pen in his hand trembled slightly. The pressure on the defending champion was a unique and terrible weight. When it came to exams, he would show no quarter, not even to Sakurai Saki. The gap between #1 and #3 was perilously thin.
A few minutes of tense, studious silence passed.
"Hiiii! Everyone~! What're we talking about?" Fujiwara Chika bounded into the room, a splash of color against the gray mood.
"Exam strategies," Sakurai replied, pouring hot water.
"Eh~" Chika's face fell. She'd hoped for gossip, not academics. As a comfortably above-average student with no particular scholarly ambitions, this topic held zero appeal.
Still…
"How do you two usually handle exams, President? Saki-kun?" She plopped onto the sofa and produced a deck of UNO cards. Entertainment for later.
"Relaxation," Shirogane stated without looking up from his practice sheet. "I stop studying two days before the exam. Let the brain rest. Cramming at the last minute is counterproductive. Better to enter the test with a clear, calm mind."
"Really?" Chika was half-convinced. This was the top student's advice, after all.
"Really," Sakurai confirmed, bringing over the coffee. "Pre-exam relaxation is proven to enhance performance."
They were in perfect, synchronized deceit.
Perhaps feeling a twinge of guilt, Sakurai added, "It's not for everyone, though."
Shirogane nodded sagely. "But it works for both Sakurai and me."
The audacity! The sheer, brazen fraud!
"Does anyone actually cram the day before? I can't even imagine what such a person would be thinking," Sakurai mused, stirring his coffee.
"Me neither, Sakurai. Truly baffling," Shirogane agreed.
Chika tilted her head, the gears turning. It all sounded so logical. So… advanced. The naive secretary was completely taken in.
Alright then! No last-minute review for me!
Just as she reached this catastrophic conclusion, another voice, cool and precise, cut through the room from the doorway.
"Everyone. I believe I overheard you discussing… exam preparation?"
Kaguya Shinomiya stood there, her expression unreadable, her eyes sharp enough to dissect the layers of their lies.
She stood in the doorway, posture regal, her gaze sweeping the room with icy pride.
The Ice Queen made her declaration: "This monthly exam… I will reclaim the top position in our year."
Sakurai General Affairs? A defeated rival. Not a concern. Shirogane Miyuki was the true obstacle. For half a year, Kaguya Shinomiya had tasted academic defeat. This semester, she refused to lose again.
"…Oh? Does Shinomiya-san engage in pre-exam review?" Sakurai inquired, feigning innocence.
"Of course…" Kaguya's eyes flicked between Shirogane's practiced nonchalance and Sakurai's bland expression. She made a snap decision. "No!"
"It's merely a monthly test. Even for finals, I wouldn't deign to 'cram.'" She took a seat beside Chika, the picture of effortless superiority.
"But Kaguya-san, you just said you wanted first place…"
"Securing first place requires strategic aptitude, not last-minute desperation. Reviewing is entirely unnecessary." Her affirmation was absolute.
…A lie!
This woman's dark circles were a testament to her deceit! She'd spent Golden Week in a near-continuous study marathon, pausing only for obligatory family appearances!
"Eh~ So no one reviews? And some people stop looking at books two days in advance?" Chika's worldview was being rewritten.
"Mm." Kaguya gave a single, decisive nod.
Sakurai Saki, carrying two mugs of coffee, handed one to Shirogane. "Your coffee."
"Thank you."
Returning to his seat, Sakurai took a deliberate sip. "Shinomiya-san. It's time to settle our personal score."
"Are you implying… you intend to surpass me this time?"
"Naturally. Perpetual third place grows tedious. While first may be out of reach, losing to you is no longer acceptable." He set his cup down with a soft click.
"People are often blinded by confidence, forgetting they have never bested me."
"That statement applies equally to you. It's not as if you've defeated Shirogane since last fall."
"Still preferable to perpetually trailing behind me." Kaguya glanced down, noticing a third mug had been placed before her. She was parched. After a sip, she launched her probe.
"Sakurai General Affairs. Why are you still in the Student Council room after school?"
Shouldn't he be on a romantic, rain-soaked date with Hayasaka by now? They were officially a couple, weren't they?
"My tutoring session is later. And it's pouring. I'm considering canceling it."
'That's not what I meant.' Kaguya's mind whirred. A small, tactical diversion was in order. She was genuinely wary of Sakurai Saki; their scores were separated by a whisper. If he clinched a victory this time, the blow to her pride would be severe.
…
Ten minutes later, Kaguya Shinomiya made a show of leaving the Student Council room. The moment she was out of sight, she pulled out her phone.
"Young Mistress? What is it?" Hayasaka Ai's voice answered.
"Go on a date with Sakurai Saki! Immediately!"
"Eh?! Are you insane?! It's a monsoon out there!"
Kaguya peered out a nearby window. The rain was indeed apocalyptic.
"…Then go on a date tomorrow!"
On the other end of the line, Hayasaka Ai fell into a profound, exasperated silence.
She was seriously considering throttling her meddlesome, romance-obsessed mistress.
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