“Yo Asahi, hook me up with a way to get better grades.”
“Have you tried the controversial method of ‘studying hard’?”
“... Any other suggestions?”
“I’m not a miracle worker. Studying is the only way.”
“Y-You’ve gotta be kidding me...” Chiaki grumbled in a depressed tone.
The closing ceremony had just ended, and Asahi and Chiaki were sitting in the corner of their classroom. One would expect the latter to be over the moon now that winter vacation had officially started, but his expression was the exact opposite of delighted.
There wasn’t much that could wipe the smile off of Chiaki’s face, so there must have been a substantial reason for his grim expression. The answer lay in the paper he was holding—his report card. He’d received shockingly terrible grades—to the point that a teacher would likely faint on the spot upon witnessing it. He was easily below the average in each and every subject. Still, Chiaki wasn’t the type to get discouraged by a few low marks. The problem was the big red circle on his report card, which signified that he would be forced to take supplementary classes for the subjects he had failed.
“I never thought this day would come...” he lamented.
“On the contrary, given how much you’ve been slacking, I’m almost shocked you’ve never flunked a class up until now. You know, this could finally be your wake-up call. Maybe now you’ll spend your time studying instead of flirting around with Hanami all the time,” Asahi said.
“Might as well tell me to go jump off a bridge, man.”
“Come on, it can’t be that bad,” he tried to assure his friend. Chiaki was having none of it, though, as he practically melted into a dejected heap on his desk. He looked depressed and genuinely regretful that he’d failed a class. Still, these were the consequences of his actions—or lack thereof—so Asahi didn’t feel a particular reason to comfort his friend.
“You’ve gotta put in the effort if you want to get better grades. There’s no other way around it,” he stated.
“I guess you’re right... Can’t argue with someone who broke into the top 10,” Chiaki replied.
“I’m going home if you’re just gonna make fun of me.”
“Nonono, wait! I’m just takin’ the piss, you tosser! I’m impressed,” he joked with a ridiculous fake British accent. Chiaki had taken a peek at Asahi’s sheet and noticed his excellent marks—they were well above the class average. The marks that had particularly stood out to him were the impressive ones Asahi had managed to get in two of his weakest subjects: Math and English. It was obvious that his average had significantly increased thanks to those two improvements. He’d even managed to break the record he had set for himself from the previous exams. And this could all be traced back to his great tutor.
“Do people get better grades if somebody helps them out with their studying?” Chiaki mused.
“What do you mean?” Asahi asked.
“You were the one telling me about it back when I asked you about the secret of getting good grades, remember?”
Asahi was momentarily stunned at Chiaki’s incredibly perceptive question, but he couldn’t deny that his friend’s spirits seemed lifted compared to just a moment ago. Finally, he replied, “Wipe that smirk off your face.”
“Why so serious? I’m just wondering how my good pal Asahi started getting great grades, is all.”
“I’m going home,” he muttered after a pause for dramatic effect.
“Come on, dude! Hold up—“
“Chii-pie, I’m here! Wha? Didn’t know you were here too, Asahi.”
Asahi was about to stand up and leave until a bright and cheerful voice echoed throughout the room. The few remaining stragglers in the classroom—all of them boys—threw jealous and resentful glares at the couple.
“You got plans for later, too? Like, oh, I don’t know... a date?” Hinami asked.
“Nah, he was just chilling here with me until you came along, Hina.”
“You sure? But there’re rumors that—“
“Hold the thought, Hina! He ain’t exactly in the greatest mood today!” Chiaki yelled as he covered her mouth, rendering the remainder of her sentence a jumble of incoherent mumbles. This innocent display of intimacy attracted even more intense glares from the onlookers. Although Asahi had grown accustomed to such a scene, he could still slightly sympathize with his classmates.
There was a reason behind the spike in hostility. It was the day of the closing ceremony and the day their exam results had been handed back, sure... But most importantly, it was the day of the holy night—Christmas Eve.
“Welp, this is it. See ya next year, Asashi,” Chiaki said.
“For sure,” Asahi replied.
“Let’s go visit the shrine together at the start of the year, okay?”
“Sure, I’ll keep my schedule free,” Asahi replied. And with that, the obnoxious couple went their own way. It wasn’t even noon yet, but the two had already made plans to wander around the city until the sun had set. They left still wearing their school uniforms. This was apparently so they could make something special out of wearing their normal clothes on Christmas Day.
A date, huh? Asahi thought to himself. The word briefly sprang into his mind before it vanished just as quickly. What Hinami had said to him wasn’t entirely false—he did indeed have plans for that evening. Unfortunately for his two friends, it wasn’t by any stretch of the imagination a genuine date. It was an unwelcome dinner reservation pushed onto him by his parents. Such were Asahi’s musings as he gazed upon the clear sky. His mind swirled with a variety of thoughts as he set home so that he wouldn’t be late for the “date” with his “friend.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Asahi returned home and took a quick shower. After that, he opened his wardrobe to choose his attire for the evening. He picked out a white shirt with a standing collar, a tailored navy jacket, trousers made of chino cloth, a heavy coat to protect against the harsh winter winds, and a pair of brand-new shoes. When he looked at himself in the mirror, he was—dare he say it?—looking rather dapper.
I don’t look weird in this, do I? he thought to himself as he styled his hair with some hair gel. He was just finishing adding the final touches when the doorbell rang. His “date” had finally arrived.
The chime of the bell, a sound he was all too familiar with, struck anxiety in his heart. He placed his hand on his chest and felt his heart racing a mile a minute. It was clear he was nervous. No matter how hard he tried, he was unable to calm himself down. After a series of deep breaths, he was able to regain at least a fraction of his composure. He walked up to the door and opened it, only to find Fuyuka in a dress that was in stark contrast to her standard attire.
“Sorry to have kept you waiting,” she said in a clear voice which was carried along by the soft gust of the night breeze. Asahi was at a loss of words; he was unable to look away from the beauty standing in front of him. She was wrapped up in a gray fur stole around her neck and a collarless pink coat. Underneath that, she had properly adhered to the restaurant’s dress code by donning an elegant satin dress. The garment was stunning—brilliant, yet so subtle that it blended perfectly with the curtain of the night. It contrasted quite well with her porcelain skin, which was as mysterious as unchartered snow. The hem of her skirt swayed gently against the mischievous gusts of wind, which occasionally allowed one to get a peek of her long, slender legs.
“Beautiful,” he said, unable to hold in his true thoughts. Her splendor was truly a sight to behold. As befitting of someone nicknamed “The Ice Queen,” she boasted a mature beauty with a touch of youthful cuteness. Asahi, despite his best efforts, was left completely slack jawed by her elegance.
“Th-Thank you very much...” she whispered in a trembling voice as she looked downward. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her hands, which contained her purse, shook faintly. Her innocence served as an arrow that had pierced Asahi’s heart. There was only one word that occurred to him when he saw how flustered she was: adorable. Before he could tell her as much, though, she hesitantly spoke up again.
“I-I think that you look quite fashionable, as well, Asahi...” she complimented him with the same quiet hesitation as before. Her cheeks were now visibly flushed.
“Thanks,” he mumbled after pausing for a second. He hadn’t expected a compliment from her, so his reply came across as rather clumsy and blunt... Although it was true that he struggled to find a way to respond to it. It wasn’t long before the realization of what he had just told her hit him. He was washed by a wave of embarrassment.
This isn’t a romantic date. We’re not a couple. I’m only accepting this invitation so I can get my parents off my back, he assured himself in an attempt to calm himself down. “Shall we go now?” he added.
“By all means,” she replied after a short pause. It had only taken her a few seconds to respond to his question; though, for some reason, they had felt like an eternity for Asahi.