Chapter 40: Volume 1 - CH 40

“Absolutely impossible!”

I had come to the rooftop to use my lunch break to report the results of my mission.

And the man shouting right in front of me, his name was Yuuki Takayama.

He was the boss who was sitting behind me, messing with me in some way or another, and gave me this ticket mission.

“I’m sure you can handle just one subject. Good luck.”

“I can’t do it. Tendo, you are my only hope. You must complete the mission at all costs!”

You want me to go that far?

“It was Takayama who invited Himekawa, wasn’t it? If that’s the case, then Takayama should do his best on the test.”

“That Himekawa! It’s absolutely impossible for me! Tendo has a better chance! I’m sure of it!”

“Then, shall we turn down the offer?”

“I can’t do that either! We’ve just seized this opportunity! We must seize it with our own hands, no matter what it takes!”

I see. With “our hands”.

Oh, what a pain in the ass. But, well, it’s a boat we’re getting on, and Himekawa said she wanted to see the movie too.

No, no, studying is for your own good. I’m going to take it a little more seriously here and try to improve my basic skills.

I’ve had a lot going on lately, so I’ve had a little less time to study.

“I think I might be able to manage just one subject, and I’ll study too.”

As soon as I said that, Takayama hugged me.

Please don’t do that. I’m not into that.

“That’s my best friend! I’m glad you’re a man who knows what he’s talking about! Well, I’ll think of a plan for the day, so Tendo, please study the subjects you think you can handle!”

Takayama says what he wants to say and leaves from the rooftop.

I think I split the workload well with Himekawa, but the difference in workload between her and Takayama is too great.

In order to beat Himekawa’s score in even one subject this time, I think we need to take countermeasures.

I’ll take care of that, too. Maybe I should seriously study a little more.

And then after school, I go home for the day without incident.

Apparently, I was the first one home today.

I open the front door, throw my bag into my room, and roll onto the couch.

As I close my eyes, I think about the measures I’m going to take.

First of all, Himekawa has no weak areas. She scored an average of 96 on the exam the other day.

The teacher said that she got a perfect score in the Japanese language, so I won’t attack that subject this time.

Considering the rest of the subjects, the key point is where she got the lowest score.

If there is an overlap with my strong subject, I don’t feel that I can manage by concentrating on a single point.

Hmm, Himekawa’s weakest subject… I wonder what it is?　Maybe I should ask her directly.

I spread out my study materials in the living room for the time being and review them.

Notebooks, textbooks, reference books. And candy.

As I was crunching away, I heard the front door open.

“I’m home!”

It was Himekawa’s voice. Unlike this morning, her voice is a little brighter.

I was a little relieved to hear that her mood had improved.

At any rate, I put away my pen and went to the front door.

“Welcome home.”

For some reason, Himekawa is standing at the entrance holding a large plastic bag.

She didn’t have it with her this morning. So did she buy something on her way home?

“Here, this is for you.”

The plastic bag he handed me was heavy.

What is this? What kind of present is this?

I looked into the bag and saw a green leaf.

Cabbage? Why cabbage?

I stared into Himekawa’s eyes with a puzzle in my head.

“The man at the grocery store wanted me to take it with me just now. I refused, but he forced me to take it.”

Hmm? I feel uncomfortable. That uncle offered it to her for free? That’s absurd!

Did he put something in the bag again? I’m sure he must have.

I’d be fine if it was me, but he did that to Himekawa!

“I see, I’ll go put them in the fridge now.”

With Himekawa by my side, I dash to the kitchen.

Then I dash to take the cabbage out of the bag and check the contents.

There’s definitely something in here!

—There’s nothing! Nothing in it but cabbage!

I know it’s obvious, but there is no way it’s a lie.

I thought for sure there was something strange in it.

With a terrible feeling of discomfort, I put the cabbage back in the bag and throw it in the vegetable compartment.

Yeah, that’s what happens when you put two cabbages in a bag.

The vegetable room was almost completely occupied with cabbage.

Leaving the fridge aside, I head back to my desk to study.

While eating crunchy snacks and candy.

“Are you studying?”

Himekawa, sitting on the sofa behind me, peeks at my notebook.

She has changed from her school uniform to her casual clothes and is in a relaxed mood with a mug in her hand.

The test is coming up, and as expected, she is at the top of her class. She’s got plenty of time to spare.

“Well, I have that movie thing going on, and I can’t afford to drop my grades.”

“Are you, by any chance, serious about the movie?”

What? Was that perhaps a joke?

Or maybe you have no intention of going to go from the beginning.

Okay, she said. if I have a better grade, I will not lose.

All right, I’ll do it seriously!

“Of course, I’m serious. As long as I score higher than Himekawa in even one subject, right?”

“Indeed it is, but… By the way, Tendo-kun, what subjects are you good at?”

“I think I did best in math on the test the other day.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I did worst in math on the test the other day, didn’t I?”

Hmm? Something felt off about Himekawa’s words.

What do you mean? I thought about Himekawa’s words again.