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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Nekorune
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What good was understanding Japanese if I couldn’t understand the formulas themselves?
I wanted to start studying with Miyuki as soon as possible.
Resisting the urge to rip up the math test, I filled in all the multiple-choice questions randomly and slumped onto my desk.
With five more exams to go, it was better to rest up and prepare for the next one than to dwell on what couldn’t be changed.
Though, given my abysmal academic abilities, I am certainly doomed anyway.
Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
I was sound asleep when the bell jolted me awake.
The girl sitting to my right giggled as I sat up.
My dazed eyes and the imprint of my arm on my cheek must have looked funny.
“Something funny?”
She flinched at my gruff tone but nodded slightly.
“No… Sorry. Your face was just a little… You must have been really sleepy. Want some gum?”
Thanks to my recent attempts to appear less hostile, even students who would normally avoid me now occasionally spoke to me.
I smacked my lips tiredly and held out my hand.
“Give me one. I mean… sure, I’d like some.”
“Okay. Here…”
Her hand trembled as she offered me the gum.
I popped it into my mouth and chewed. It tasted like blueberry.
Wait, had I ever even tasted a blueberry before?
Whatever, as long as it tasted good.
Deciding to keep things simple, I thanked her.
“Thanks. Let’s get along.”
The girl’s face went pale.
That certainly caught her off guard.
She didn’t think I was hitting on her with that, did she?
As I was wondering, the middle-aged professor approached and collected my test paper.
“Matsuda-kun, you shouldn’t be chatting until all the tests have been collected.”
“Yessir.”
Perhaps because I had been so obedient lately, the professor’s gaze was kind, even though I had made a mistake.
I had a feeling he would turn pale and start cursing me out if he saw my score. It made me anxious for no reason.
Break time after all the exams were over.
I gestured towards Miura, who was diligently studying his textbook.
“Hey, Miura.”
“Yeah?”
“How’d you do?”
“I think… I got about half of them right.”
This guy wasn’t particularly good at studying.
That’s why one of the events in Doki Doki Academy involved studying with Miyuki.
“Half? That’s pretty good. Wasn’t expecting that.”
“Really? I think only half is pretty bad…”
“So, does that make me brain-dead since I just threw answers randomly?”
“No… That’s not what I meant. Sorry.”
Ever since Miyuki told Tetsuya to apologize to me and be friends back in the nurse’s office, I had been talking to him somewhat regularly.
Of course, I never apologized.
Despite that, Tetsuya seemed to hate me a little less than before.
He must have felt that way because I stopped bullying him every day and started making small talk with him, but talking to this guy was driving me crazy.
I also couldn’t stand his shaggy hair, even in the middle of summer.
But I would endure it for the sake of improving my relationship with Miyuki.
Glancing ahead, I saw Miyuki discussing the exam questions with her friends.
She was probably going to be the top scorer, as always.
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“How were your exams?”
The principal asked.
I scoffed and retorted,
“What do you think?”
“Not good.”
“You already know, so why ask?”
“You’re as sassy as ever… Today’s your last day of cleaning duty, right?”
“Yes.”
“I thought you’d give up after a few days, but you actually came even on the weekend. Honestly, I’m surprised. I suppose that goes to show how dangerous prejudice can be.”
“Is that a compliment?”
“It’s a genuine compliment. Good job. Study hard next semester, and maybe join a club or something.”
A club? Of course I’m joining one.
I’m going to join the kendo club, where Renka, one of the main heroines and a second-year, is a member.
Poor Renka, she’s going to have a delinquent freshman joining her club as soon as she recovers from her shoulder injury… I can’t wait.
“I’ll think about it. The problematic student will be taking his leave now.”
“You’re self-aware, at least. Alright, go on.”
Would it kill you to say something positive?
Grumbling, I left the faculty office and headed towards the bathroom.
That’s when I ran into Miyuki.
She was walking towards me, carrying several books in her arms, and she smiled when she saw me.
“Hello, Matsuda-kun.”
It made me happy to see that smile so often these days.
“We already greeted each other this morning.”
“Is that a problem?”
“Not really, but it’s a pain to respond all the time.”
“It’s not hard to say hello. Talking to you, Matsuda-kun, is like talking to someone from a different world. We’re so different.”
“So we wouldn’t get along?”
“See? You’re being sarcastic again. You should try to fix that too. How were your exams?”
“Are you seriously asking me this question?”
“Ah… My bad. Sorry. Of course you didn’t do well.”
Well, just because I’m bad at studying, doesn’t mean you have to assume the worst.
Though, I did do pretty badly.
But we seemed to be getting pretty close, didn’t we?
Close enough to have casual conversations like this.
Should I just say it? This might be my only chance.
Scratching the back of my head, I carefully spoke to Miyuki, who was staring at me with wide eyes.
“Hey, Hanazawa.”
“Yes?”
“Would you… maybe tutor me?”
“Huh…? Tutor…?”
Miyuki’s already large eyes widened even further.
She was speechless for a moment, then, seeing my serious expression, she mirrored it.
“That’s admirable, but… are you serious?”
I am serious.
And think about it carefully. Summer break is long, you know?
For two months, without a mentor to guide me on the right path, what do you think I’ll be doing?
I’ll be hanging out with my delinquent friends, drinking, smoking, and causing trouble.
By the time summer break ends, there’s a high chance I’ll revert back to being the good-for-nothing Matsuda Ken.
Consider all those factors, okay?
You’re smart. You can figure this much out.
“Yeah. Like private tutoring. I’ll pay you.”
“N-No… It’s not about the money… Were the midterms that much of a shock to you?”
“Y’know what, forget it. I’m leaving. You’re making fun of me even when I’m being serious… So annoying.”
As I furrowed my brows and walked past Miyuki, she quickly caught up to me and said,
“I-I wasn’t making fun of you. I was just thinking about it. Why are you leaving?”
I stopped in my tracks and turned back to Miyuki.
“So you’ll do it?”
“I just said I’m thinking about it. One of your problems, Matsuda-kun, is your lack of patience. So wait.”
“How long?”
“Matsuda-kun…”
“Alright, alright. I’ll wait.”
Grumbling, I leaned against the wall.
After waiting for about a minute, Miyuki, who had been deep in thought with her head slightly tilted, asked,
“Are you sure you’ll be serious about this?”
“Probably.”
“Give me a straight answer. I don’t want to waste my time on someone who’s not willing to improve.”
“What do you think? Do I look like I’ll be serious about it? Give me an objective evaluation.”
“Why should I be the one to evaluate you? You should ask yourself that question.”
She wasn’t giving me an inch.
Of course, I understood her hesitation, considering my sudden request.
I stood up straight and looked down at Miyuki.
Then, I said firmly,
“I’ll be serious.”
“Really…? Okay.”
She accepted surprisingly easily, considering the circumstances.
I barely managed to suppress a smirk and asked,
“Where should we study? Should I go to your place?”
“Hmm… It would be nice to meet somewhere in the middle… Where do you live, Matsuda-kun?”
“Lower Nerima Ward.”
“Really…? That’s close…? I live in upper Suginami. Then should I tutor you at a cafe in the middle? Libraries are too quiet…”
She would never invite me to her house, even if her life depended on it. How sad.
“Aren’t cafes supposed to be quiet too?”
“That’s true. Hmm… Parks are out of the question with this heat…”
“Why don’t we just study at my place? It’s empty anyway. Take a look at the map, it’s not that far away.”
“Huh…? That’s a bit… Your parents might be there…”
“They’re dead.”
“…”
Miyuki’s jaw dropped as I said it casually.
Judging by her wide, trembling eyes, she was quite shocked.
“I-I’m sorry… I…”
“Why are you apologizing? I don’t care. They’ve been dead for a long time. I don’t even remember their faces.”
“M-Matsuda-kun…! You should… maybe try to… phrase things a little differently…”
She looked so cute, fidgeting nervously.
I chuckled and held out my phone.
“Just give me your LINE ID. We can talk about the details later. I have to go clean the bathroom.”
“Ah, right… Okay…”
“You’re really going to tutor me, right?”
“Yes. I’ll tutor you… but you have to be serious about it. If I see you slacking off even a little, I’m stopping.”
“Alright, alright.”
Tetsuya would also ask Miyuki for the same favor.
Miyuki would naturally accept and suggest that the three of us study together.
While I was disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to spend time alone with Miyuki, it didn’t really matter.
All sorts of events would be happening during summer break.
And I would be there instead of Tetsuya.
Or maybe the three of us would be together.
As long as Tetsuya didn’t get to be alone with Miyuki, it was fine.
The early stages of Doki Doki Academy are all about earning money and gathering information about the game.
In other words, it was a tutorial.
And I had just completed that tutorial.
It was time to truly start enjoying Doki Doki Academy.
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“Wow… This house is amazing… Right, Tetsuya-kun?”
“Yeah. It’s huge…”
Tetsuya and Miyuki were chatting as they walked up to the front gate.
In the end, we decided to study at my place.
The advantage of having an empty house where we could talk freely was significant, and our houses were close by.
As expected, Tetsuya joined our study group, and so both of them ended up coming to my house.
With the AC blasting, I emerged from the living room in my slippers.
I was about to open the front gate, walking past the weed-infested stone path, when,
“Matsuda-kun! We’re here!”
Miyuki called out in a loud voice.
Letting out a chuckle, I opened the gate.
Then, I chided the two of them, who were looking around curiously.
“Why are you shouting when there’s a doorbell? Oh, you’re here too, Miura?”
I gestured towards Tetsuya, and he awkwardly raised a hand.
“Hey, Matsuda.”
‘Hey’ my ass… You indecisive loser, wavering between three heroines.
I cursed him under my breath and stepped aside.
“Come in.”
Miyuki entered the house with a bright smile.
Today, she was wearing a white t-shirt and a skirt that reached just above her ankles.
Her white, slender ankles, revealed with each step, were incredibly alluring.
“Where should we go?”
Miyuki asked, looking around.
I snapped out of my daze and answered,
“Just follow the path, it leads to the living room.”
“Shouldn’t the homeowner lead the way? And Matsuda-kun, don’t you take care of these weeds?”
“Do I have to?”
“Classic Matsuda-kun. But…”
Miyuki trailed off and looked towards the flower bed.
Seeing the wilting plants, she gasped and scolded me,
“Matsuda-kun…! How can you just leave them like this? They’re dying…!”
Dying? Weren’t they already dead?
“What else am I supposed to do with them? Throw them away?”
“That’s not what I meant…! And why is the watering can so tattered?”
“Because I don’t use it?”
“I just don’t understand you…”
Miyuki looked around and found the outdoor faucet. She grabbed the watering can and headed towards it.
She meticulously washed the watering can and checked the condition of the plants.
It felt strange, seeing her act like a girlfriend who had just moved in.
If only I could get rid of this bug being a third wheel here… but it couldn’t be helped.
“What are you standing there for? Let’s go inside.”
“Ah, okay.”
I led Tetsuya to the living room and we started setting up the round table where we would be studying.
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Love how Ken just hates Tatsuya’s spinelessness