My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

Page 46

But the trap set by the god who bound me to him was not the event of being spoken to in that way.

What he whispered after that, his soliloquy that he never intended for me to hear, was the true form of the trap that the gods had set for us.

—Oh, I see. That's why your math scores are so good.

His soft voice pierced the depths of my heart.

I have no idea how he came to combine detective novels and mathematics.

My interest in mathematics stemmed from my admiration for the characters in mystery novels, and it's highly unlikely that he would have noticed it simply because of a single book.

Even so, even so.

My ears definitely caught it.

I caught a glimpse of resentment seeping from the depths of his soft voice.

—Ahhh…

It turns out that my competitive spirit wasn't some pathetic one-man sumo wrestling.

He was just pretending to be nonchalant... but actually, he was watching me.

She puts on an act of calm and collected demeanor, but in reality, she's far more competitive and loves to show off than I am.

...Really, this man, could he have done it on purpose?

What's with this whole "wardrobe malfunction" thing you're talking about? If you feel regret, why not express it more clearly? If you want to hide it, why not do it more discreetly? Why do you have to leave such a tiny flaw, letting everyone hear your true feelings?

It was because of that one sentence you said that I misunderstood.

I misunderstood—I thought I was the only one paying attention to you, and you were the only one paying attention to me. If it was intentional, you're a scoundrel who seduces girls; if it wasn't intentional, then you're a born heartbreaker, aren't you?

because--

—It was because of this sentence that I gave up my first love, which I only had once in my life.

◆

Only the sound of the mechanical pen moving across the notebook drifted through the silent space.

This is a study room where even the seats next to each other are separated by screens to help students concentrate better. Normally, there aren't many people here, but now, especially during this time, the study room is packed with people every day.

Midterm exams are just around the corner.

Perhaps, in a regular high school, when the exam preparation period arrives and club activities stop, some people might feel relaxed, thinking, "Great! Now I have time to play!" But this school is different.

This is a top-tier high school.

Aside from idiots like me who enrolled for the ridiculous reason of 'not wanting to go to the same high school as my boyfriend,' everyone else was a so-called academic superstar. For them, regular tests were a battlefield for vying for the throne, not something they could just cram for all night and get through.

Me too.

No… perhaps I should say that I am the one who desires the throne of first place in the midterm exam more than anyone else.

With the school closing time approaching, students are gradually starting to pack their bags and prepare to go home.

Just as I was thinking it was about time to finish and putting my mechanical pencil back in its case, I heard a voice behind me.

"Yume-chan, let's go home—♪"

I turned around and saw three of my classmates behind me, led by Xiaoyue.

Although I almost never talk to everyone about academic matters normally, during exam preparation periods, studying together until closing time becomes the norm. Everyone usually pretends to be well-behaved, but after all, our class is full of people who excelled in entrance exams, and everyone is fundamentally very serious. Except for that man.

After quickly packing up my things, Xiaoyue and I walked out of the study room together.

Walking down the corridor, after changing our boots, we chatted and laughed on our way home from school. Because we were in the midst of intense exam preparation, this walk home was one of the few moments we could catch our breath. Even so, since everyone was too busy studying to watch TV, videos, or browse social media (I had completely shut down my phone), our conversations inevitably drifted to exams.

"Ugh, I have absolutely no confidence in this exam. What if I fail?"

"Irito-san is definitely aiming for first place, isn't she?"

"...Yes. Since we're going to study hard..."

I suppressed a fleeting sense of nervousness and answered in this way.

"So handsome~. We'll be satisfied as long as we get above average~."

"What a lack of ambition! Just aim for first place if you're going to study hard!"

"No, no, the head seat is Irito-san's designated seat."

As I responded to their laughter, I felt my expression stiffen.

Yes—the class leader position is my designated seat.

The top student in her grade, a truly talented girl. This is Irito Yume.

"........."

I had a feeling that Xiaoyue had secretly glanced at me.

Just as I felt her gaze, I heard a loud slap as she clapped her hands as if to sweep away the previous silence.

"Instead of that, let's talk about plans after the exams! Talking about exams is more likely to perk us up, isn't it?"

"Oh! Not bad, not bad!"

"Let's go somewhere fun!"

I was immersed in that gentle atmosphere and accepted their invitation.

"I'm back--."

After parting ways with Xiaoyue and the others, and stepping into my own home, my nerves tensed up once again.

I need to hurry back to my room, change my clothes, and continue studying...

It would be better to prepare some coffee before going back to my room. With that thought, I went into the living room.

Then I saw Giri's younger brother lying on the sofa reading a book.

……what?

I almost doubted my own eyes.

It's supposed to be the final review period right now...? How come this man is just slacking off like that?! I'm trying my best to study...!!

"...Aren't you sure you're okay not studying?"

Hearing my slightly lowered voice, Mizuto answered without looking up.

"The review is mostly finished. Now you just need to make sure you don't forget what you've reviewed until the day of the exam."

It's over? Can exam preparation ever truly end?

I'm so angry!

This man has always been like this. People probably call this kind of person a genius; he almost never spends time studying before exams. He's the complete opposite of me, who just desperately tries to make sure I have enough time to study. How infuriating!

I poured all my disgust into my words.

"...That's why you lost to me."

"What did you say?"

"nothing."

If I continue talking to this man, all my motivation will be wasted.

Just as I was postponing the preparation of coffee and preparing to turn around and leave,

"Recently, there's something that's been bothering me."

When Mizuto suddenly said that, I couldn't help but narrow my eyes.

"...What? Is it about some new work?"

"Top student of the academic year,"

Shuidou rolled off the sofa and gave me a mischievous smile.

"What does it feel like to sit on this throne?"

Oh, I see. So that's how it is.

My gaze met Shuidou's gaze head-on.

"Unfortunately, the top spot in the academic year is my reserved seat."

"Then all you need to do is reserve a seat for the next train in advance."

After giving a cold snort, I looked away.

"...Why don't you try and see if you can do it? It'll probably be a waste of your time."

Then, I turned around and walked out of the living room.

...You really have guts, really.

You're the first person to dare challenge me head-on.

I devoted all my time to studying.

I would get up early every morning to study before school, use the breaks between classes at school, and work hard in the library and study room after school. After the school lockdown ended, I would lock myself in my room and go straight to my desk when I got home. To cut off all temptations, I put all the books on my bookshelf into a box and sealed it away in the warehouse.

After finishing meals and taking a bath, I would immediately return to my desk until I became sleepy and could no longer concentrate, at which point I would reluctantly go to bed. This continued day after day.

"—Yui! Chopsticks!"

"……ah."

Hearing my mother's voice, I quickly gripped the chopsticks that had almost fallen to the ground.

That happened at the dinner table.

It seems he accidentally dozed off while eating—that's too dangerous, he needs to be alert again.

Uncle Fengqiu looked worried.

"...It seems you're working quite hard. While studying is important, if you keep pushing yourself and end up not performing to your full potential during the actual exam, you'll lose everything, Yume."

"No, it's no problem. I'm learning within my own capabilities."

"If that's really the case..."

I gave a perfunctory smile.

As for showing off, of course I was showing off.

I was never cut out to be the top student in my grade. Even so, I wanted to get to this position, so how could I do it without pushing myself? It's only natural.

Meanwhile, Shuidou, sitting directly opposite me, looked at me with eyes that held no emotion.

After dinner, to clear my head, I quickly took a bath. I hastily dried my hair with the hairdryer, then left the dressing room in my pajamas. Alright, time for evening study.

I forcibly suppressed the urge to stretch and headed for the stairs.

There, the water bucket sat as if it had been waiting for a long time.

"You look really tired."

His eyes, which revealed no hidden thoughts, were fixed on me.

Now, I feel it's a waste of energy to even bother with him.

I didn't make eye contact with him just before I was about to walk past him.

Mizuto suddenly stood up and blocked my way.

"Is it that important? The top spot in the academic year."

Faced with that gaze directed at me from such close range, I couldn't even manage a single glare back.

The strength to disguise oneself, the strength to confront one's natural enemy. All of this must now be poured into studying...

"...Of course it's important..."

So, I couldn't even manage to do a perfunctory job.