Left alone, I refocused on my book, my fingers idly resting on the same page they’d been stuck on all morning while my mind incessantly combed through exam materials.
✦ ✦ ✦
UNLIKE the intense pressure I experienced during the entrance exams, I felt considerably more relaxed this time around. Having improved in most subjects, my focus was primarily on the few I had previously neglected. The first two days of exams went by smoothly until an interesting event happened on the third.
I calmly filled in the final answers on the last exam of the day. Once our papers were collected, I glanced over at Nonoka. She seemed exhausted, meticulously organizing her question booklet and textbooks, when suddenly, my view was blocked by a barrier of students—girls who had grown fond of Nonoka—forming between us. Their hands clutched at their skirts, betraying a nervousness, yet they stood firm, shielding her from me.
Well, it seemed Nonoka was getting along just fine without me. Maintaining an air of indifference, I turned away and started to pack my things. Soon, I overheard some classmates inviting Nonoka to the library for a study session after school. As she left the classroom with her new friends, she cast a brief, indirect look in my direction. After watching them depart, I too gathered my belongings and left the classroom.
The remaining two exam days also ended without incident. As the final test papers were collected and I saw the teacher exit from the corner of my eye, I took the opportunity for a brief stretch. That was when Ruki suddenly appeared in my line of sight, causing me to almost choke in surprise. His gaze was fixed on me, prompting me to abruptly cease stretching and act nonchalant, though I was already caught off guard.
“You ever think about becoming a less difficult person?” he asked abruptly, approaching me.
“What, is that supposed be an insult?” I shot back. My words were sharp, but inside, my mind raced at the uncertainty of his meaning. Was he referring to the gymnasium incident? Kind of a late intervention, considering Ruki’s personality. But if not that, then had Rikka said something to him?
I braced myself for more, eager for any hint that might confirm my suspicions, but Ruki simply shrugged and walked away, leaving me in confusion. Huh? Did he not have something to say to me? I fought the urge to call after him, demanding an explanation, but restrained myself, letting him walk away in silence.
Talk about frustrating. Part of me wanted to chase after him and demand clarification. Unless that was his intention? Whatever. I had more important things to do today than worry about him. Midterms were over, which meant it was time to go see Shizuku! Clinging to this uplifting thought, I hastily packed my pencil case and made a beeline out of the classroom.
✦ ✦ ✦
“SHIZUKU, I’m here~!” I called out in a sing-song voice, swinging open the door to her hospital room.
“You’re early today,” Shizuku observed with a hint of surprise. “Was it Foundation Day at school or something?”
“Nope, just the last day of midterms,” I replied cheerfully.
“Midterms?” She gave me a curious look, eyeing my attire. I had donned one of the outfits from the magazine photoshoot, a chic summer ensemble featuring a breezy cardigan and blouse paired with a high-waisted skirt and thigh-highs, straight from the summer catalogue. Since Shizuku still thought I attended the local public school, I had made a quick stop at home to change before visiting her. Actually, I had brought the clothes with me and changed right here in the hospital.
“You changed before coming?” she asked, a little incredulous.
“Yes, I did. And for a good reason,” I said, presenting the cardboard box I carried. “This is for you.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Which is?”
“Your new laptop. A present from yours truly. I got two, actually—one for you and one for me.”
“You bought me a laptop? And— Woah. Isn’t this the high-end model that was released last winter? How much did you pay for this?”
“Not that much. Here’s the receipt if you don’t believe me.”
I knew nothing about computers, so I sought advice from the geniuses at the Sakurabana Plaza electronics department. I gave them a budget and explained my purpose—a video call setup for Shizuku—and they suggested a model that was surprisingly affordable, well within what a high schooler could afford.
Shizuku examined the receipt with a raised eyebrow. “Is this really all you paid?”
“Yes? What am I, faking receipts now? But aren’t you excited? Now we can have video calls!”
“Of course, I am, but…”
She didn’t look convinced about the price, but I didn’t know what to do—I wasn’t lying about the price. “You know how to set it up, right?”
“I think I can manage. What about you?”
“I’m all set. A friend already helped with mine.”
That friend was Shannon, a detail I omitted for obvious reasons. As Shizuku started fiddling with her new laptop, I took out the apples I had brought and headed to the room’s kitchen.
You heard that right. Shizuku’s hospital room had a kitchen, and a living room at that. Peeling apples and cooking weren’t skills taught in my “villainess training,” but rather ones Mio Sato had learned over time. Lately, though, I hadn’t had many opportunities to practice. Picking up a small knife, I began peeling the apple, skillfully rotating it in my hands.
I was humming a cheerful tune, buoyed by a good mood, when Shizuku called out to me. “What’s up?” I responded.
“What have you been up to these days?” she inquired.
“Just the usual stuff, I guess? Like school? And my job.”
“Your job at Kaede’s café?”
“No, actually… I started a new job when high school began.”
Shizuku lapsed into silence. “A regular job, right?”
Her question made me tense up. Taking a deep breath, I forced a relaxed smile. “What other kind of job would there be?” I quipped lightly. Glancing at her, I noticed she was engrossed in a magazine; the cover was flipped over, hiding it from me “Whatcha looking at there?” I asked curiously.
“Nothing,” she replied curtly.
“Nothing?” I asked.
“Nothing.”
Strange. But if she wanted to drop the subject, then all the better for me. Finished with the apple, I placed it on her bedside table.
✦ ✦ ✦
A few days after my visit, the day to announce exam results arrived. The names of the top fifty students in the grade were displayed in the hallway—I quickly stepped out of the classroom to take a look. In the top ten, I noticed Ruki and Riku. After a series of unfamiliar names, Rikka appeared at twenty-seventh. Then, farther down the list, Mio Sakurazaka at forty-four.
I had narrowly made it, fulfilling both Shizuki and Rikka’s expectations. A sigh of relief escaped me. To complete the picture, my gaze drifted to the bottom of the list. There, the name “Hiragi, Nonoka” caught my attention.
Huh?
I looked again. Indeed, Hiragi, Nonoka was at fiftieth place. While Nonoka’s potential was unquestionable, her journey was meant to begin modestly. According to my memory, her first appearance in the top fifty was supposed to be in the second semester. Seeing her name now, even at the last rank, was unexpected.
Absorbing this surprise, Rikka’s voice interrupted my thoughts. “Congratulations on your achievement,” she expressed, her smile warm.
“Thanks, though it seems a bit ironic coming from rank twenty-seven,” I replied.
“I appreciate it, but what you’ve accomplished is more commendable.”
For a moment, I wondered if she was being sarcastic, but that wasn’t Rikka’s style. My puzzled expression must have been obvious, prompting Rikka to laugh and explain, “Considering your showing at the entrance exam.”
Ah, that made more sense.
But hold on a second—weren’t those results supposed to be confidential?
Yeah, right. Shizuki had already managed to access my exam results once. This shouldn’t have been surprising. But then something else caught my attention. “Ms. Sayaka and Ms. Asuka aren’t with you?”
“They are not,” Rikka responded, her tone neutral. “I neither caught wind of an apology, nor saw their names on that board.”
Rikka was a woman of integrity, it seemed. Sayaka and Asuka had failed to align themselves with the villainess and now, it seemed, lost Rikka’s friendship as well. Their future was uncertain at this point, but it was likely still better than if they had sided with the villainess.
“Though I must admit, I do feel a smug sense of satisfaction, knowing my suspicions were correct,” Rikka continued, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I looked at her, not understanding. “Suspicions?”
“That you, Ms. Mio, are more than meets the eye. For someone who seems so absorbed in casual reading, your results speak for themselves. You’ve clearly worked hard behind the scenes, haven’t you?”
I couldn’t say anything in response. Rikka only smiled at the dumbstruck me before she declared, “I eagerly anticipate your induction into Setsugekka,” and walked away.
I wholeheartedly welcomed this moment of respite, having just triumphed over numerous challenges. Of course, I still had the field trip waiting in the wings, but at least my induction into Setsugekka started to seem more and more like a mere formality—as long as I controlled my shows of power.
Thus, after the exams, my entire focus shifted to the upcoming field trip. Within days, however, whispers circulated that I had changed my surname and falsified my background, that I wasn’t a true Sakurazaka. The timing of these rumors seemed too deliberate.
And unmistakably malicious.