The Beautiful Girl I Accidentally Helped Who Has Somehow Become Attached To Me. - Chapter 48: Giving The Spare Key.

Giving The Spare Key.

I returned to my seat, clutching the returned test paper.

The score, though just shy of three digits, was a respectable 97—just barely missing the 100-point mark.

I had been relatively confident about the Japanese test, but a careless mistake kept me from scoring full marks.

The competition with Mikami-san was based on the total points across the main subjects.
There were seven subjects—Japanese, English, Math, Japanese History, World History, Basic Chemistry, and Basic Biology—totaling 700 points.

I had already received three test results back: perfect scores in Japanese History, Basic Chemistry, and Basic Biology. But with this Japanese test, I had missed the chance for a perfect score across all subjects.

Just three points.

I wasn’t fooling myself into thinking that the outcome of my competition with Mikami-san was still uncertain.

I sat down, opening the crumpled test paper, staring at the one question I had missed, the only one that hadn’t been marked with a check. No matter how hard I stared at the paper, the score wouldn’t change.

The teacher had taken copies of everyone’s answers, so any attempt to change the answers would immediately be discovered. Not that I would ever do something like that.

Well, what I’m trying to say is that those three lost points were likely a fatal blow.

Both Mikami-san and I were supposed to get the rest of our tests back today. By the end of the day, the results would be clear, but at that moment, I already had a vague sense of impending defeat.

After the test papers were returned, there were explanations of the more difficult questions, but I found myself more consumed by frustration than I expected. I half-heartedly listened to the valuable explanations, my mind drifting as I waited for the class to end.

***

Lunch break went as usual.

Since we were both going to reveal the results of our competition at my place after school, Mikami-san and I didn’t bring up the topic of the tests.

However, there was something about Mikami-san that radiated confidence—or rather, an aura of beauty and positivity that seemed to shine brighter than usual. If I were still the same shy, withdrawn person I had been before meeting her, I thought I’d probably be completely cleansed by her presence in about two seconds.

The day passed, and after school, we headed home together. We entered the living room, now in full battle mode.

Our hands were dealt—seven cards each. This was going to be an all-out war.

“Shall we reveal the results one by one?” Mikami-san asked.

“Do we really need to do it one by one? Why not just reveal the total score?”

“You don’t get it, do you? This kind of thing is all about revealing each one individually, savoring the thrill of seeing the points gap widen, feeling the suspense as the gap may or may not close.”

“Is that how it works?”

“Yes, that’s how it works. Let’s start with Japanese.”

With that, Mikami-san flipped over her Japanese test. The perfect score of three digits proudly declared itself.

As expected, or maybe more accurately, I had anticipated this. Still, even knowing the outcome in advance, seeing it laid out in front of me left me with a complicated feeling.

With a sigh, I opened my own Japanese test. At this point, the gap was already fatal.

I had a feeling, though, that Mikami-san had aced every subject. If that prediction turned out to be true, my loss was already sealed. But I wondered how she felt seeing my 97-point score.

“Ah, um… well, you know, there are days like that, right?”

“You’re bad at comforting people.”

They say there are no words of consolation from the winner to the loser, but hearing it from Mikami-san while she looked around awkwardly didn’t really strike a chord. Not that a score in the high 90s needed consolation anyway. Her reaction only confirmed my suspicions about the outcome.

“Let’s just get this over with. No need to drag it out. Mikami-san, did you get full marks in all subjects? Just answer yes or no.”

“There’s no other option, is there?”

“No need for any other choice.”

“Well, I suppose not.”

With that, Mikami-san revealed all of her test results. Each one was perfect—triple-digit scores across the board. I was genuinely impressed by her intellect and competitive strength, and it really made me respect her even more.

She was the epitome of perfection—beautiful, talented in both academics and sports, and a perfect girl in every sense.

On the other hand, I couldn’t help but wonder, what could she possibly lack? Shame?

“You’re amazing… You’re probably number one in the grade, right?”

“I worked hard for the spare key.”

“Ah, so you doped, huh?”

“It’s not doping. It’s legal.”

“Even so… you really do live up to your words.”

I knew Mikami-san was strong when it came to bets, but I never expected her to bring in a perfect score across the board, securing at least a draw for herself.

With the Japanese test being revealed first, my loss was already sealed, but there were still a few subjects where I had missed a perfect score, so I already knew the chances of me winning were slim.

“Now then… The loser, Kirishima-san, has an obligation to praise the winner, which is me,” Mikami-san said with a triumphant smile.

“Well, it’s true that you’re impressive, so I don’t mind praising you,” I muttered.

“Thank you. Now, please proceed with ‘Atama Yoshi Yoshi, Kyori Chikame, Gyuu Tsuyo Me.’”

“That sounds like one of those ramen shop calls,” I laughed.

Her request, though, reminded me of something, and I almost chuckled despite the absurdity of it. Still, the whole thing felt so awkward that I didn’t know how to respond.

I decided to push that aside for later and focus on the task at hand—handing over the key to my house, the source of Mikami-san’s motivation.

“Here.”

“This is…?”

“My house key,” I said.

“Eh… Are you really giving this to me?” she asked, wide-eyed.

“…If you don’t want it, I won’t give it to you,” I replied.

“I’m not saying I don’t want it,” she said, flustered.

To be honest, whether I won or lost, I had always planned to give her the spare key. I knew Mikami-san had worked hard for it, and now that I had lost, there was no reason not to follow through.

However, seeing Mikami-san hesitate, glancing between me and the key, I couldn’t help but feel a little surprised.

I had imagined that, knowing Mikami-san, she would eagerly take the key, maybe even make a copy of it out of excitement. But instead, she was hesitating in a way that I hadn’t expected.

She seemed almost shy, uncertain, as if she couldn’t quite believe it was real.

“Kirishima-san… Do you really think it’s okay for me to have this?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

“Well, if you’re asking whether I think it’s okay to give it to you, I’d say it’s about fifty-fifty,” I answered honestly.

“Fifty-fifty!?”

“Well, can you promise you’ll only use it within reasonable bounds?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“First, we need to align our definitions of ‘reasonable,'” she said.

“…That’s exactly what I mean.”

The fact that Mikami-san was already trying to find a loophole instead of making a straightforward promise made it clear why I rated my chances of her respecting the “reasonable” boundaries at fifty-fifty.

Mikami-san’s sense of “common sense” is a bit out there, so I had stopped trusting her on that front. No, maybe I had trusted her, which is why I had given up on pushing for it.

“But, living alone… if something happens to me, it might be a good idea to leave the key with someone I trust,” I said.

“Someone you trust, huh… Ehehe…” she giggled, in a way that made me slightly uncomfortable.

“If something happens, I’m sure you’d notice right away. You’ll help me out, right?” I added.

“If it’s like that, leave it to me,” she said confidently.

Well, the main reason I gave her the key was for peace of mind in case something happened. If I gave it to Mikami-san, someone I trusted most right now, then that would help ease my worries—at least that was the excuse I told myself.

Once I gave her that justification, Mikami-san eagerly took the key, her face lighting up.

“Well… I’ve received my reward for winning the bet. I’ll take good care of it.”

“Yeah. Seriously, just keep it within reasonable limits, okay?”

“By the way, does night visits count as a reasonable limit?” she asked, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“Of course not,” I replied, a little too quickly.

“I see… so it doesn’t? That’s a relief,” she said, looking like she had gotten exactly what she wanted.

I couldn’t help but feel an immediate sense of dread. Why did I even ask? Mikami-san had this knack for bending the rules to fit her own version of “reasonable.”

“Maybe I should take it back…” I muttered.

“Ah! That’s not possible! No returns allowed!” she protested quickly.

“Then, please, just keep it within reasonable limits,” I said, feeling the weight of my own words.

“I’ll do my best,” she said with a smirk.

“You’re not going to though, are you?”

“Well, my idea of ‘doing my best’ means planning a visit at 2 AM,” she said with a wink.

As she said that, Mikami leaned in closer, eagerly prompting me for the head-patting.

I knew it was coming… but still, it felt like communication had completely broken down.

I couldn’t tell if she was joking or serious, but with Mikami’s track record of following through on her words, there was no stopping her now.

Well, I suppose this was my own fault. I had anticipated this outcome when I handed over the spare key.

Now, I had no choice but to accept it. I would have to let go of my hesitation and brace myself.

With a sense of helplessness creeping in, I gently patted Mikami’s head.

At this point, it was the only thing that brought me any relief.