After I Started Living Alone, My Place Turned Into a Hangout Spot for Beautiful Girls - Chapter 33: End of Final Exams

Chapter 33: End of Final Exams

The final exams had ended without incident.

Since then, nothing in particular had happened with Sato or Mizutani.

As expected from an elite prep school, there had been no time for romantic distractions right before the tests.

The day after the exams ended without issue.

During the end-of-day homeroom, sheets of paper listing test scores and class rankings were handed out.

I already knew my test scores from when they were returned, but the rankings were the real issue.

I checked mine with trepidation.

After all, if I didn’t make the top ten in the class, my allowance would get cut, and if I didn’t make the top twenty-five, I might get dragged overseas.

My heart pounded like never before.

The result was—

Twenty-fourth place. My allowance would get cut, but I had narrowly avoided the overseas trip.

I had worked really hard on this test and hoped for a better spot, but the special advanced class was full of kids who always gave their all, so things hadn’t been that easy.

Still, as I breathed a sigh of relief that I had at least dodged the overseas trip, Kato, a guy friend whose seat was nearby, struck up a conversation with me.

“How’d you do on the test this time, Teruaki?”

“I improved. What about you, Kato?”

“Eleventh in the class. Pretty much par for the course. So, what’s your rank?”

“Twenty-fourth. Last time was thirty-third, so I really busted my ass.”

“Whoa, you really did.”

That was when it happened.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Mizutani’s face twisted in despair.

I knew she always did poorly, but seeing her like that made me think this time had been rough too. Then, as she picked up her test results and we all buzzed with odd excitement, the teacher announced something to us.

“Um, based on this test’s rankings, we’ll be doing one-on-one career counseling sessions. So, please think carefully about your future paths. That wraps up today’s homeroom. If you have any questions about the rankings, come find me in the staff room.”

The teacher said that and left the classroom.

After that, Kato and I chatted a bit more, but midway through, I noticed Sakuya glancing my way now and then.

Come to think of it, I was supposed to head to Sakuya’s place after this.

“Sorry, Kato. I’ve got something to do, so I should head out.”

“Exams are over—thought I’d invite you to hang out, but oh well.”

“Tomorrow would be great.”

“Sure thing. See ya.”

With Kato seeing me off, I left the classroom.

By the time I reached the school gate, Sakuya, who had left the classroom around the same time as me, called out to me.

“Seriously, how long are you going to chat?”

“If you’re gonna talk to me where everyone’s watching, aren’t you worried about people finding out we’re relatives?”

“It’s already out. Thanks to Chieri.”

“Then you could’ve just called out to me in the classroom.”

“W-Well… it’s kinda embarrassing, okay?”

I totally got that. We’d been pretending to be strangers not long ago, so suddenly acting chummy in front of everyone felt weirdly itchy.

“So, what time’s Uncle getting home?”

“Around eight, he said.”

“Man, though… Sakuya, you’re a good kid. Throwing a proper birthday party for your dad like that.”

Right—I was going to Sakuya’s because Uncle’s birthday party was tonight.

She had asked me to help out if I had time.

“He’s so busy with work, but as a single parent, he’s always done his best to raise me right. The least I can do is throw him a birthday party, don’t you think?”

“So, what’s the plan for this birthday bash?”

“I’ve ordered takeout from the sushi place. It should arrive at seven. But the special assorted seafood rice bowl I got won’t be enough on its own, so I’m planning to pick up some tasty prepared foods and a cake from the department store basement on the way home.”

“By the way, why’d you invite me this year? You guys usually keep it family-only, right?”

I asked why I had been roped into helping this year.

Sakuya answered with a wry smile.

“You started living on your own this spring, didn’t you? Dad was like, ‘We hardly see our nephew anymore—let’s invite Teruaki to the birthday party.'”

“Now that you mention it, I haven’t shown my face there lately…”

“Yeah, exactly. He’s worried about you, you know? He even asks me, ‘How’s Teruaki doing?’ It’s not like you hate Dad or anything, so come by once in a while, okay?”

“…Nah, I don’t hate him. But I’m scared.”

“Of what?”

“If I get too chummy with Uncle, he’ll be all, ‘Alright, Teruaki—why don’t you move in with us starting tomorrow?’ and take away my easygoing solo life.”

When the rest of the family went overseas, they had left me behind under the excuse that it would be awkward, but there had been talk of me crashing at Sakuya’s instead.

If Uncle and I got close, it could still happen anytime, so I was on high alert, totally spooked.

“If anything, it’s weirder that you didn’t just move into my house with the spare room from the start.”

“I fought tooth and nail against it.”

“Jeez, living alone in a fully paid-off house? Do you even realize how luxurious that is?”

She hit me with such airtight logic that I had no comeback, and I fumbled for a response.

Alright, time for a classic pivot.

“By the way, did you get a present for Uncle?”

I abruptly changed the subject to dodge it.