In the end, Eriri couldn't escape her tutoring session.
"You did amazing—huge progress!" Kyousuke praised brightly.
"R-really…?"
Staring at the big red X on her worksheet, Eriri found that very hard to believe.
"Of course! Sure, you still got it wrong, but this time you avoided making the same mistake as before. That means you were actually thinking about it seriously."
Kyousuke's tone was firm, resolute.
"You can't just focus on the mistakes, Eriri. Studying is about progress—that's what matters. Honestly, do you think these math formulas will be useful in your future?
No! Most people never touch them again in their lives. So why do we study? To train logical thinking, to cultivate a rational way of solving problems.
And you've already shown you can do that!
Keep following this train of thought, and you're not far from solving these problems for real. So, how about we try again?"
"Mm!" The blonde girl nodded hard, her hatred of studying at an all-time low.
"Ah… but this word, I keep spelling it wrong over and over…"
Her loosened golden ponytail drooped weakly.
"That's better! You even remember how many times you got it wrong—that's talent, Eriri! I must tell Aunt Sayuri right away. From now on, this word should be our club's lucky charm!"
Pulling out his phone, Kyousuke's thumbs flew across the screen, already composing the email.
"Wait, wait, wait! NO! Don't you dare! I didn't memorize it, that's just embarrassing!"
Eriri jumped up to snatch the phone away, but it was hopeless. Sitting beside her, Katou Megumi caught her arm with a gentle smile.
"This really is impressive," Kyousuke went on, sending the message with renewed vigor. "Even Megumi and I wouldn't remember how many times we got it wrong. But you do—that means you're just one step away from mastering it completely.
It's the exhaustive method! If you've experienced every wrong answer, the next time you'll recognize the mistake instantly."
"Really…?"
Eriri turned to the model student Megumi for confirmation, and though Megumi's expression stayed calm as ever, her nod seemed full of admiration.
Of course it was true—come on, it was just a six-letter word! Who else could manage to mess it up this many times?
Either way, Eriri's dislike for studying shrank even more.
But eventually, after getting the same easy algebra problem wrong three times in a row, her spirit began to crack again.
"Uu… uuuh… w-wahh…! Kyousuke explained it three times already, and yet when I try to solve it, I keep doubting myself. Then I mess it up again! Isn't that the same as learning nothing at all?!"
She sniffled loudly, wiping her tears with a green knitted hat she had grabbed at random.
Even Megumi's calm composure faltered.
She honestly hadn't expected "Miss Sawamura Spencer" to be this hopeless at studying.
To think she'd been holding a mid-tier rank in class this whole time—how much effort had that actually cost her?
"Eriri! Now I have to scold you." Kyousuke's always-sunny face turned serious.
"Uuuh… I know, I know, I'm a total idiot. Only Momotarou's dumber than me back home… uuuh…"
Her despair surged higher than ever.
If she didn't know how hard Kyousuke was working to tutor her, she would've already screamed 'I quit!'
"That's not true at all!"
Kyousuke slammed his mechanical pencil down on the desk—the one with his own laser-engraved signature.
"Crying over a math problem makes you kind and incredible in my eyes, Eriri."
"It's not one math problem—it's the same one three times in a row! I'm not kind, I'm just an idiot! Uuuh…"
Megumi almost nodded in agreement—it was true that if this happened at school, the math teacher would either have a breakdown or send someone to counseling.
But here, she simply looked toward Kyousuke, waiting to see what he'd say next.
"If a problem could be solved instantly, what would the person who wrote it think? They'd fall into self-doubt—'Is my level really that low?'
Problems are designed to test understanding and deepen memory. They're supposed to make you think hard, because that means you're truly learning something from them."
Kyousuke's voice softened into gentle persuasion.
Both girls listened carefully, especially since every one of these practice questions had been written by Kyousuke himself.
He was the test-maker, and they were the test-takers.
Eriri's tears slowly subsided, though her sniffles lingered.
"You're so careful not to waste the effort of the person who made the problem. That's why you take it so seriously—that's kindness, not stupidity. You're just… too considerate."
His lips curved into a faint smile as he looked at her with genuine warmth.
"R-really…?"
Her long lashes still wet with tears, Eriri's wide blue eyes held nothing but confusion.
"Yes. You always talk tough, but your actions are so gentle," Kyousuke affirmed instantly.
"But you know, the only way I can bring you more problems to solve is if you get through this one. That way I get to feel accomplished as your teacher."
"So… if I just stop being gentle for a second, I'll get it right?"
"Exactly!"
Encouraged by his conviction, Eriri scrubbed her face with the hat, clicked her pencil to push out fresh lead, and dove back in.
'Phew…'
Kyousuke let out a heavy breath.
If he weren't a novelist and a manga artist, Eriri's airheaded persistence might've really stumped him.
'Smack!'
Her pencil hit the desk with a triumphant snap.
"Yesss!!"
She grabbed her worksheet, holding it proudly in front of him.
"Kyousuke, Kyousuke! Look, look! I got it right this time, didn't I?!" Her clear voice rang with joy and pride.
"Mm! A perfect score!" Kyousuke's smile stretched wide.
"Heh! I knew it! Math problems are nothing—as long as I stop being 'kind' and rough them up a little, they roll over like obedient puppies!"
Eriri puffed her chest, brimming with arrogance again.
"Bring me the rest! I'm gonna bully them all into submission! Ahahaha~!"
She even pulled out some strange "three-part villain laugh" she must've picked up from anime.
No trace remained of the pitiful girl who had been sobbing she was an idiot minutes ago.
"Don't worry, there's plenty more where that came from!" Kyousuke's grin.
Honestly, after messing up the same problem three times, if she still kept failing… that would be a different kind of genius altogether.
Eriri twirled her pen with practiced flair.
The new set of stationery released to celebrate Kyousuke's Bookstore Award win was all made of metal—tiring for long writing sessions, maybe, but perfect for fidgeting with.
The weight and texture were just too satisfying.
"That's good, Eriri," came a light, cheerful voice from her side.
"Wahhh!!"
Startled out of her bliss—the joy of being praised by Kyousuke and finally conquering that wicked math problem—Eriri whipped around.
"M-Megumi?! You're still here?!"
Her voice was filled with shock and disbelief.
"Of course," Megumi replied with her usual gentle smile. "I've been here the whole time, listening to Hojou-kun's teaching… and Eriri's reflections on learning."
'Teaching… reflections on learning…'
Eriri's cheeks burned crimson at those words.
Oh no.
She had completely forgotten about Megumi, lost in basking in Kyousuke's praise.
'Ugh… so embarrassing…!'
She wasn't stupid—of course she knew most of Kyousuke's lines were ridiculously exaggerated.
For every one genuine correction, there were nine flowery ways of praising her.
When it was just the two of them, Eriri had always thought this "extra-effort tutoring" style suited her best.
But with an outsider listening in…? The shame was unbearable. She wanted nothing more than to crawl into her green knitted hat and vanish.
"Uuu…"
Her embarrassment was so intense she actually started sniffling again.
Pouting, she cast a teary glance at the girl beside her and whispered miserably:
"Sorry, Megumi… for showing you such an ungraceful side of me…"
Even as an otaku, Eriri still carried her idol pride.
For Megumi to see her this childish—it made her want to strangle Kyousuke for putting her in this situation.
Megumi only shook her head lightly, her smile softening into something that looked suspiciously like Kyousuke's own doting expression.
"Not at all. Honestly, Eriri, your emotions are… really rich."
She sounded almost in awe.
Sure, Megumi had already seen how different Eriri was beneath her glamorous, social façade—but to cry so hard over failing a problem, and then to bounce around like a puppy when she solved one?
That was beyond anything she'd expected.
If this had been "Ojou-sama Eriri," she would've just tapped her head with her knuckles, stuck out her tongue, and pulled a cute face—"Oops, I'm just bad at studying."
Among girls, that kind of "airheaded princess" act wasn't a flaw at all.
It actually made her more approachable.
If this had been "Otaku Eriri," she would've shoved the worksheets aside without a second thought and pulled out anime instead, the picture of 'a pig that doesn't fear hot water.'
"B-because…"
Flustered by the praise, Eriri's eyes flickered toward Kyousuke across the table—then snapped away just as quickly, her little lips pursing into a cartoonish chick-like pout.
She turned toward the window as if to hide.
"Because midterms are coming! If I don't do well, I'll have to take make-ups. My time's precious, you know—I can't afford to waste it on things like that!"
'Yes… it was all because of him.'
Megumi's smile deepened, her gaze bright and soft, like peach blossoms in full bloom.
After all, who else but Hojou Kyousuke could push Eriri this far? Who else understood her this well?
"A-alright! Enough distractions—let's study, Megumi!"
Eriri blurted out, her voice rising a little.
For some reason, Megumi's eyes felt like they could see straight through her heart.
"Mhm~" Megumi nodded gently.
Without anyone realizing it, the Eriri who used to get dizzy just looking at numbers was now declaring war on the smaller practice problems, determined to stomp them all into submission.
She may have slowed the group's pace to a crawl, but the truth was undeniable—the laughter and warm atmosphere had multiplied ever since Eriri joined in.
At some point, their seating arrangement had shifted too.
It had started with Kyousuke on one side and both girls across from him.
Now, the three sat in a row, with Kyousuke sandwiched between Eriri and Megumi.
"Isn't this a little cramped?" Megumi asked mildly.
"This is the best way to study!" Eriri retorted instantly.
All for the sake of studying, of course! Why, just last winter, she and Kyousuke had even crammed under the kotatsu together to review.
…
'Ahhh… so many annoying little problems got what they deserved today.'
Eriri let out a long sigh, collapsing into the sofa with her arms dangling limply at her sides.
Honestly, it was all Kyousuke's fault.
If not for his relentless explanations, the kind her would never have been so violent in beating down those problems!
Even so, his endless stream of questions was overwhelming.
No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't keep up.
Glancing sideways at Megumi, who was still diligently working through Kyousuke's worksheets, Eriri bit her lip.
No way—she couldn't let herself lose to Megumi!
"At least next time I visit your house, when Aunt Sayuri yells at me, I'll finally have some defense," Kyousuke muttered, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead.
Eriri's stamina had improved a lot under his "training."
She'd lasted through two full hours of tutoring!
Sure, Megumi had helped lighten the load, but still—back when they first met, Eriri would've thrown in the towel after twenty minutes, tongue lolling, pretending to be dead.
Studying had always been a hundred times worse than running laps in her book.
"Hmph. Don't be so sure."
Eriri wrinkled her nose. "If Mom sees you this exhausted just from tutoring, she'll think you're wasting all your energy on something else instead of training."
Kyousuke froze.
That tone—Eriri wasn't usually good at sarcasm, so it was obvious she was hinting at something.
"Shall we study together the day after tomorrow, Eriri? You can come to my place—I'll make some snacks."
Katou Megumi smiled as she invited them.
She hadn't asked Hojou about his schedule—she'd already learned in casual conversation that he was tied up these days.
"Eh?"
Eriri reflexively wanted to refuse.
After that intense study session she'd just had, her anti-study mood was through the roof.
There was no way she'd willingly sign up for more, especially without Kyousuke there.
'Hmm… maybe I'll bring my game console and indoctrinate Megumi properly.'
After thinking it over, Eriri agreed.
Without Kyousuke around, there was no way any real studying would happen anyway.
The late-April sun had warmed up; even at dusk there was a gentle warmth in the air.
The three of them left the café without feeling the chill.
"See you next time—, Hojou-kun. Bye-bye, Eriri." Megumi waved at them.
Her backpack was noticeably heavier than when they'd arrived—full of the study materials Kyousuke had handed over.
"See you tomorrow, Megumi." Eriri waved back happily.
The fierce attitude she'd had when she first came was gone; a faint reluctance still lingered on her face.
She even wished Sakura had been there—then she could've invited Megumi to stay over and used "studying through the night" as an excuse!
Well, today didn't end with Kyousuke getting tricked—though she had been forced to study for ages.
Still, she felt pretty good about it.
What a pity it was just studying… poor Megumi.
Eriri's mind buzzed with mixed feelings.
"Bye, Katou-san. If you need anything, call me anytime—don't hesitate to video call. I'm usually free at night." Hojou Kyousuke waved and smiled.
"Mhm." Megumi's eyes curved into a soft smile as she nodded, then turned and headed toward her home.
Almost the moment Megumi spun around, Eriri snapped.
Her voice, small but sharp, cut through the air:
"Hey!"
"Hm? What's up?" Kyousuke glanced at Eriri, who'd been leaning on him.
She'd used up all her energy studying and was practically being supported as they walked out.
"Why do you video call at night?!" Eriri tilted her face up and bared a little fang, clearly annoyed.
"Because we go to school during the day." Kyousuke answered matter-of-factly.
"Then why don't you video call me?!" she demanded.
"Because we only live two walls apart…" he said.
"You're just trying to ditch me and secretly level up with Megumi!" she accused.
…Kyousuke couldn't help but smile at her pouting, and he bumped her gently so she staggered a little.
"All right, all right, I get it. I'll include you in the calls." he said.
"That's more like it!" Eriri beamed, satisfied.
Even though Kyousuke's questions had drained her enough that she needed support to walk, she stubbornly refused to take a taxi—too expensive, she insisted.
So they walked together to the station, leaning on each other.
Twilight softened the world into a blur of blue-green where sky and earth met.
Kyousuke thought that dusk was called the "meeting-time with spirits" because everyone was heading home at that hour.
Walking toward houses always tugged the heart—missing family, wondering about people who were far away.
And for him, with a girl who adored him tucked into his arm, the blue dusk felt like it was drawing them into some unknowable place.
As the streetlights came on one by one, Kyousuke was about to say something when a crisp voice rang out:
"Don't move! I've stepped on your shadow!"
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