My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

But even so, there are limits.

In the end, I was just cramming at the last minute. A girl who is naturally timid and not good at speaking, and who is unable to make friends, cannot suddenly become both smooth and adept at dealing with people, even if she consciously changes herself to some extent.

That's why added value is needed.

That's why we need a kind of added value that, even if we are a little clumsy and not good at speaking, can be forgiven and can make up for it more than enough.

The role of an excellent student.

That's why I need this added value, which is most effective in a top-tier high school.

"You probably don't understand... Someone like you who lives without caring about how others see them, someone who considers themselves aloof, would never understand..."

Perhaps it was because I was tired, but I felt like I said some things that I could have kept quiet.

However, spending energy on regret would be a waste for me right now.

I walked past the sink and went up the stairs.

I must learn it.

"...That's certainly true."

I had a feeling that I heard a whisper coming from behind me.

Then, the first day of the midterm exams finally arrived.

"Everyone, please put your pencil cases in your backpacks!"

I looked at the answer sheet that had been turned over and read the content I had learned in my review again and again in a low voice.

The first day of the exam, the first subject: Modern Chinese.

As a member of the academic community, I am by no means bad at this subject; on the contrary, I am quite good at it. However—in this subject, there is an exceptionally formidable opponent.

I turned my attention to the seat behind me.

Sitting in that seat was my adopted younger brother.

My best subject is modern Chinese literature.

Achieving double-digit rankings in national mock exams—that's a topic from my junior high school days when I didn't study much. But after the hellish high school entrance exam preparation, I could probably easily get into the top ten.

This man's interpretation of the modern Chinese text exercises was so accurate that it was as if he could read the mind of the question setter—and if he were to take a regular test, which doesn't have a particularly wide range of questions, he could almost certainly get a perfect score.

If we want to suppress this man and get the highest score overall, it is very important not to create too big a gap in the score of modern literature.

Not a single point can be missed...

"—Then, let's begin."

At the teacher's command, dozens of sounds of papers being turned over echoed in the classroom at the same time.

"……Uh-huh--……!"

The night before the exam. After estimating my score using the notes I wrote on the questionnaire, I frowned, filled with regret.

All subjects on the first day scored above 90 points.

However, I only got 94 points in the modern text section—if Shuidou got a perfect score, according to the calculation, I would be 6 points behind him.

I can't believe I lost two points because of such a basic mistake in writing Chinese characters...! In this battle where the baseline is 90 points, being 6 points behind is just too huge...

However, that was on the premise that the man achieved a perfect score.

"........."

I tiptoed out of the room.

He looked at the living room on the first floor with extreme caution.

Mizuto was sitting on the sofa reading a book.

In other words... that man's room is currently empty...

That man may have also taken notes while answering the questionnaire.

As long as you can see this, you'll know whether he got a perfect score or not...

...Although I felt a little guilty, it wasn't exactly despicable, was it? After all, even if I found out whether that man got a perfect score or not, my score wouldn't change at all.

However, if I'm found out, I'll definitely be blamed by that awful man... Let's quietly check it out now.

I went back upstairs, quietly opened the door to the sink, and then turned the doorknob to close it.

Turning on the lights reveals a room that is extremely messy, piled high with books.

The backpack that the man brought to school was casually tossed on the bed.

I looked at the door again and again to make sure the man hadn't returned to the room, then reached for the backpack.

After unzipping the zipper, I immediately saw white paper.

This is it.

A few questionnaires were casually stuffed into my backpack. ...As expected, they contained the answers to the questions.

Feeling slightly nervous, I pulled out the questionnaires.

...The most important of these was modern Chinese. Did he actually get a perfect score...?

I closed my eyes tightly, prepared myself mentally, and looked at the questionnaire for modern texts.

I will compare the answers recorded on that piece of paper with the answers I brought with me.

...It was so correct it was infuriating. Even the parts where I answered incorrectly were easily written out as the correct answers, without even a single eraser mark.

They maintained their undefeated record and made it all the way to the final, most challenging question.

It was a short-answer question worth 10 points. If the time wasn't allocated properly, it was a terrible problem that you'd lose 10% of the total score due to insufficient time.

While there's a possibility I might only lose a portion of the points, at least I answered correctly. It's hard to imagine that man was actually hampered by time constraints; so, it really is still 100 points—somewhere deep down I realized this, and I looked at the left side of the questionnaire—

“…Huh?”

I once thought I was seeing things.

There is no answer.

The answer to this last question was not written on the questionnaire.

Because it was so simple that there was no need to even estimate the score, so he didn't take notes...? No, that's not it. There are eraser marks there. He erased the answers he had already written. Why...?

The wiping technique was rather perfunctory; the original writing was still faintly visible. I squinted and read the passage.

correct answer.

He erased the correct answer.

...Could it be that he mistakenly thought the answer was incorrect and that's why he erased it? So, he lost time to redo it...? Impossible! How could a question that even I could answer possibly stump him!

In this case.

That is.

"...Intentionally...?"

The answer was deliberately erased.

He deliberately submitted a blank exam paper.

These unnatural wiping marks can only be explained by this...

When I came to my senses, my hand holding the questionnaire was trembling uncontrollably.

I felt it; something boiling over filled my mind.

I noticed it.

I noticed.

I understand now—that's why that man did such a thing.

—Of course it's important…

—After all, it's precisely because I was the top student in my grade that I am who I am today…

Because of me.

Is it because I said those things?

"...Waaaaah... Waaaaah...! Waaaaah...!!"

I don't feel happy at all, not even in the slightest.

Before I knew it, I had rudely walked out of the room and run down the stairs.

As I casually flung open the sliding door to the living room, the man sitting on the sofa shuddered and turned to look at me.

"W-What's wrong? It's so noisy—"

"Don't treat me like a fool!!"

I threw the questionnaire I was holding tightly at them.

After receiving and confirming the questionnaire, Mizuto frowned slightly. I definitely caught a hint of embarrassment in his expression.

"Are you trying to give me your spot...!? You think I'd be happy doing that!? Don't be ridiculous!! You were so confidently provoking me before!! Are you saying I'd lose if you just had a normal match!? Don't treat me like a fool!!!!"

"Wait, wait... what's that sound!? Yume!?"

I heard my mother's voice, who should have been taking a bath. But it didn't matter. I slowly made my way to the sink on the sofa.

"You think sacrificing yourself is cool?! Not at all!! You're just treating me like a fool!! You're just underestimating me!! I never expected you to do anything like that—!!!!!"

"Stop! Even though we don't know what's going on, let's stop for now!!"

Just as I was raising my right hand to slap him, my hand was grabbed from behind.

My mother grabbed my hands from behind. I struggled desperately, but I couldn't break free.

"Hey, what happened?! What's going on?! Tell Mom!? Water, Water Lord, what is this—"

"—What the heck…"

"Eh?"

Shuidou stood up.

He crumpled the questionnaire in his hand into a ball and stared intently at me.

"Isn't it troublesome not being the top leader...? Isn't that what you said? That's why I was planning to give it to you!! What's wrong with that!! Just accept it obediently, okay?!"

"Eh, eh, eh—!? Even you, Mizuto-kun!? Mine, Mine Aki-kun—!! Come here for a second—!!"

As I watched my mother rush out of the living room in a panic, Shuidou stepped closer to me and grabbed my shoulders tightly.

"It doesn't matter to me if I'm not the top student in the grade! You're right, what other people think of me is absolutely irrelevant to me!! That's why I gave it to you! What's so strange about that!? What's strange about what I said from beginning to end!!"

"...Waaaaah...!!"

No.

There was nothing strange about it, not even a single one.

That was a perfectly reasonable judgment that pieced together the stakes like a jigsaw puzzle.

but.

but.

"...That's strange..."

My vision was blurry.

Even though I know it's despicable, the turbulent emotions in my mind and heart can't be put into words. They just keep turning into tears, overflowing from my eyes.

"This kind of thing...it's totally not like Irito-san's style..."

At that time, feelings of regret welled up within me—

That's when I glimpsed my indomitable spirit—

—I once thought that I could understand Mizuto Irito's heart, but he's not like that at all.

"...Why would you...?"

Mizuto was anxious and wanted to say something, but he swallowed the words back and just sighed heavily.