The classroom was filled with the soft scratching of pens and the quiet hum of air conditioning. Reina sat near the window, her pencil moving in steady rhythm. It was the final test of the semester, and unlike the last time, she didn't glance around to help anyone. Instead, her gaze occasionally flicked toward Hana and Kaito. Both of them looked unusually focused—eyebrows furrowed, biting their lips as they worked through each question carefully.
Reina smirked slightly. "Finally taking it seriously, huh…" she muttered under her breath. She returned her attention to her own paper, finishing the last section far earlier than everyone else, and spent the remaining minutes quietly observing her classmates.
When the bell rang, everyone stretched and sighed in relief. Hana dropped her pen dramatically on the desk."Ugh, I think I actually used my brain this time…"Kaito chuckled beside her. "Yeah, I saw. You didn't even ask Reina once."Reina just gave them a faint, teasing smile. "Maybe miracles do happen."
—
A week later, the results were posted on the school board. The hallway buzzed with voices—students rushing to see their ranks. Reina stood at the crowd's edge, expression calm as ever. As usual, her name sat neatly at the very top. She didn't even bother smiling; it was nothing new. But then her eyes drifted downward, scanning the lists.
Hana: 15th place.Kaito: 17th place.
Higher than average. Much higher. Reina tilted her head, a faint, genuine smile touching her lips. Not bad at all. Just below their names, she found another familiar one—Himari, now ranked among the top of the underclass board. The quiet girl must've been studying late again, Reina thought, amused.
Then, out of curiosity, she glanced at the upperclassmen board.Arisa. Sei. Ren. Mei.
The Four Horsemen of Monsters. Perfect scores, again. Reina couldn't help but grin. "Still unbeatable," she murmured. Soon, they'd graduate. The thought tugged at her chest slightly—she'd miss the subtle competition they shared, even if they never said it out loud.
At least they'd already exchanged contacts. That was enough.
—
Later that evening, Reina returned to her new home—a sleek, modern house where every system was linked to ANIER. The AI greeted her softly the moment she stepped inside."Welcome home, Reina. Your heart rate suggests mild fatigue.""Yeah, I know," she replied lazily, tossing her bag onto the couch and collapsing beside it. She didn't even bother changing out of her uniform.
A few moments later, ANIER's voice came again."Reina, someone is at the door.""Let them in," she said, too tired to move.
The door opened automatically. The sound of chatter and laughter immediately filled the quiet space. Ayumi, Hana, Kaito, Sei, Ren, Arisa, Mei, Himari, and Shion—all walked in like it was their second home.
Reina tilted her head slightly and groaned, "You guys really don't know what privacy means, huh…""Don't act like you don't enjoy the company," Ayumi teased, placing a bag of snacks on the table.
Ren flopped onto the floor, pulling out a game console, while Arisa and Mei started helping themselves to drinks from the fridge. Himari wandered curiously around the house, fascinated by the way everything responded to voice commands."It's all synchronized with ANIER?" she asked."Mm-hm," Reina mumbled, closing her eyes. "Complete control. I barely have to move anymore."
Shion sat beside her on the couch, his calm demeanor contrasting the noisy group. Reina shifted slightly, then rested her head on his lap. He blinked, startled, but didn't protest."Comfortable," she murmured.Shion sighed softly, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. "You're hopeless."
Hana and Kaito soon approached her with shy smiles."Hey, Reina," Hana began, holding a small wrapped box. "We… just wanted to thank you. For tutoring us."Kaito nodded. "Seriously. Without you, we'd still be stuck in the bottom half."Reina opened one eye. "You did it yourselves. I just gave hints. You two actually studied this time.""Still, it means a lot," Hana insisted.
She smiled faintly again, her expression softening. Shiro, her small white cat, leapt gracefully onto her chest, curling up and purring. Reina stroked her fur absentmindedly as her friends began talking, laughing, and filling the room with warmth.
Ren was telling some ridiculous story about their last chemistry experiment. Ayumi and Mei were arguing over which snack flavor was the best. Sei and Arisa were quietly solving a puzzle in the corner, competing silently as usual. Himari sat near the window, smiling to herself as she listened to everyone's voices.
It was noisy—chaotic, even. But Reina didn't mind.
For someone who once spent most of her time locked away in a lab, this kind of noise was… nice.
Her mind wandered to the upperclassmen again. Soon, they'd leave, and the classroom would feel emptier. But maybe… that was okay. Life would keep moving forward, and so would she.
For now, this—this laughter, this warmth, this peace—was enough.
She closed her eyes as Shion gently patted her head."Sleepy already?""Just resting my eyes," she murmured."Sure."
Outside, the evening sun painted the windows in soft orange hues. ANIER dimmed the lights slightly, adjusting the room's temperature. The group continued chatting deep into the night, unaware that this moment—ordinary yet perfect—would become one of Reina's most cherished memories.
And somewhere in her heart, amid the comfort of friends and the purring warmth of Shiro, she silently promised herself—Next time, she'd aim even higher. Not for grades or fame, but for the quiet joy that came from connection.