After I Picked up a Notebook Filled With Intense Emotions, the Girls Started Acting Strange - Chapter 38

The long test days finally came to an end, even the long study days before them.

After three days of exams, all the students were walking around with bright, relaxed faces.

It didn’t matter whether they did well or not. Just being free from that heavy, tense feeling of I have to study was enough to make anyone smile.

That feeling of freedom is something only someone who has survived test pressure can truly understand.

But this time, I might actually get a really good score.

Most of the questions were almost the same as the practice tests that Sena-sna had made for me.

Even the fill-in-the-blank questions in memorization subjects were exactly the same.

In math, the numbers in the problems were completely identical to what she gave me.

Even in Japanese and English, the questions asking about the author’s feelings were a perfect match… Honestly, halfway through the test, it started to feel scary.

I could feel how seriously and almost frighteningly Sena-san had worked on this.

Of course, it was all thanks to her.

Calling this my own ability would be pretty arrogant.

I still made sure not to just memorize everything. I tried to understand the meaning too, so even if a question was a little different, I could solve it myself.

I didn’t get everything perfect, but without Sena-san’s help, I never could have done this well.

Next time, I really need to study on my own so she doesn’t have to work so hard.

As for Shindou…

“─…”

He looked empty inside.

So empty that everyone around him hesitated to even speak to him.

Did he really do that badly?

“Yuu-kun! How was the test?”

“Ah, thanks to Sena-san, I think I did really well this time.”

“I’m glad… but wow, you said another girl’s name instead of mine. I worked really hard for you, too.”

“!? Y-Yukina helped me too! See, when I explained things to you, it helped me understand them better!!”

“Ahaha! I’m happy I could help Yuu-kun!”

Cold sweat ran down my back.

“Come on, Yuki-chan. Don’t trouble Yuu-sama like that.”

“I’m not troubling him at all.”

The one who walked over to us was Sena-san.

…Yuu-sama?

Sena-san didn’t look as lively as usual.

It wasn’t test-studying tiredness… it looked more like she was exhausted from making all those tests.

“Yuu-sama did so well thanks to me!”

“Huh? That might be true for the test studying, but I worked hard for you, too.”

“Oh? What did you do?”

“I replaced all your writing tools with new ones. I massaged your shoulders, smelled your hair… I cleaned around your desk and locker, collected all the useless stuff, gave you drinks, picked up the tissues you dropped, and even did the same practice problems with you!!”

“That’s… impressive. But I stayed up making practice tests for you, too, lots and lots, just so Yuu-sama would praise me. And I’ve already made tests for the next exam’s range! I even went to the shrine, bought a charm, and slipped it in your bag. I added supplements to your lunch for energy, and changed all your drinks to energy drinks!!”

“Um…”

“Umm…”

“R-right. How about we celebrate finishing the test? I mean, we could just go eat or something. Since you both helped me so much, I’ll pay as a thank-you.”

““Really!?””

Sensing the tension between the two of them, I suggested it. Both nodded immediately.

But at that moment, I realized something shocking.

What have the two of them been doing?!

No wonder things felt weird!

My desk was unusually clean, my supplies were all new, the lunch tasted… avant-garde, and my bottle’s contents were all energy drinks.

I had suspected something strange was going on. Some things I ignored, thinking I was imagining it, but now it was obvious. Someone had been messing with my stuff.

I guessed it might be one of them… but it was both.

I’d have to calmly explain that later. They really shouldn’t be doing things on their own.

Even though I have stuff I don’t want people to see.

…And it’s not some weird book!?

The notebook was the real problem, the one in my bag.

If someone else saw it, it would be bad.

I also needed to ask them about it. That was partly why I invited them to the celebration.

Why did Sena-san lie and say she didn’t drop it?

And Yukina… is she still looking for the ethics notebook?

I had to find out.

I’d said before that if anyone saw it, they’d be in trouble, but now… it should be okay with these two. Probably… They won’t stab me, right?

“Then, shall we go today?”

“Yesss!”

“Yeah, the place is―”

As I started packing my bag to go home, I felt something was off.

“…It’s gone.”

“Yuu-kun?”

“What’s wrong?”

“The notebook… It’s gone.”

The ethics notebook that was filled with someone’s heavy thoughts had vanished from my bag.

◆

A few days had passed since the tests ended.

Even now, the ethics notebook hasn’t been found.

After that day, I apologized to the two of them, and we went our separate ways.

I didn’t always bring the notebook to school, but on the days I did, I never took it out of my bag. So it couldn’t have been lost at school.

Thinking that, I searched my house desperately, but it was nowhere to be found.

That morning, I had already decided to ask them about the notebook at the celebration.

So I remembered clearly putting it in my bag.

That meant someone must have gone through my bag and taken it. But even asking around, I couldn’t get any evidence.

I also asked Sena-san and Yukina indirectly.

I wanted to know if they had touched my bag without permission.

They gave slightly suspicious reactions, but they insisted they hadn’t touched the notebook, so I chose to believe them.

…Though they admitted to touching other things. What else could they have been messing with?

Because of all this, the celebration hasn’t happened yet.

Even if it wasn’t mine, letting someone else see that kind of dangerous notebook would be really bad.

So I’m panicking, but without any clues, there’s nothing I can do.

“Haa…”

The guilt kept building up, and I couldn’t stop sighing.

Even before the test results were returned, that worry was weighing more on me than how I actually did.

“You keep sighing. Did you do badly on the test?”

“…”

For once, a voice came from beside me. I tilted my face up from my slumped position.

Kuroe-san, usually buried in her novel, was holding back her silver hair and looking at me. Something she rarely did.

“I heard… you’re competing with Shindou for ranks.”

“Ah. You heard about that?”

“Yes. He came to me with confidence that he would win.”

He really can’t keep a secret…

I wonder if she also knows why he was so confident.

“I also heard you made some kind of bet. The loser has to obey the winner?”

“You knew about that?”

“Yes. I also made a bet with him.”

“With Kuroe-san too?”

“Yes. He said that if he made it into the top five, I would have to do anything he asked. It was his idea.”

“That guy…”

Not only Sena-san, but Kuroe-san had made a similar bet too.

Well, they’re a couple, so maybe that’s fine.

“Do you think Shindou can actually get it?”

“Hmm? I don’t care either way. If he can put in that much effort for me, that’s enough. If he can’t… hehe.”

I couldn’t help feeling that Kuroe-san really didn’t think Shindou could reach that rank.

“Well, we’ll find out today. Let’s both look forward to it.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“101st… me…?”

During the last class of the day and the long homeroom.

Shindou received the paper with the overall grades and collapsed to his knees.

◇◇◇

Afterword

Thank you for reading this far.

Regarding Chapter 37, which was released last night, I’ve made some minor edits.

I changed the part about Shindou needing to study just because Rei is aiming for Tokyo University.

I also adjusted the part where Shindou actively gets in the way. Now, his troubles lean more toward self-sabotage (increased sexual desire), which feels more appropriate.

Thank you for your understanding.

If you like, please feel free to read it again.