Whether his brief encounter with Hoshino Aqua had any impact on the boy himself, Hachiman didn't particularly care. He honestly thought Aqua's appearance and temperament were perfectly suited for playing Watanabe Shuya, and since he was already in the entertainment industry, Hachiman simply wanted to give him the opportunity.
If he refused, Hachiman wouldn't lose any sleep over it. But for a teenage actor, who could possibly resist the temptation to star in the movie adaptation of Confessions?
Back in the present, Hachiman felt his own exam had gone very smoothly. After the Japanese language test on the morning of the first day, he felt a lingering desire to keep writing, so he stepped out of the examination hall and immediately called Yukino to check answers.
"...Hikigaya-san," came Yukino's usual charming voice, though tinged with complaint, "even if you don't consider the cost of the phone call, please refrain from doing something as inhumane as asking for answers right after an exam. I've only just finished the first test." Hachiman found her tone very pleasing to the ear.
"What's the big deal? You're taking this too seriously, Yukinoshita-san. We're both sure to get into Sobu High, so why do you have to fight for the top spot in the grade?" Hachiman was well aware of Yukino's goal, and he still couldn't understand it.
"Ah. You don't have to care, Hikigaya-san. It wouldn't really matter if you didn't go to high school at all, right? But I'm different. Apart from my test scores, I can't find anything else that helps me realize my own potential," Yukino sighed, her tone now filled with a hint of envy and resentment.
"Besides," she suddenly added, "thanks to you, I wasn't able to give the exam my full attention, Hikigaya-san."
"Oh? What's that supposed to mean? Were you thinking about me during the test? No way, Yukinoshita-san," Hachiman teased.
"Yes."
"Eh?"
"I was thinking about you, Hikigaya-san," she said, her voice remaining perfectly level.
"You're not playing truth or dare, are you, Yukinoshita-san?" He was the one who felt embarrassed. Such direct words were a bit too stimulating for a pure little virgin like him.
"What are you thinking about? Hikigaya-san, when I said I was thinking about you, I meant our post-exam celebration party. You remember, don't you?"
"Of course I remember. Your sister will be there too. The three of us, together at my new home," Hachiman replied.
"I'm feeling a little regretful now, Hikigaya-san. Can you call my sister right now and tell her not to come? If you're willing to do that, I'll check the answers with you, okay?" Yukino asked.
"That's not an equal exchange at all, Yukinoshita-san..." Hachiman was speechless.
This little incident at noon didn't cause any major waves between them, and they both got through the following exams. The two-day entrance examination ended quickly, which officially marked the end of Hikigaya Hachiman's junior high school career.
"In the end... I still have to go over the answers with you," Yukinoshita Yukino said with feigned helplessness.
A few days after the exams, Hachiman, Yukino, and Haruno were gathered around the table in the main hall of the Yukinoshita residence, reviewing their answers. Although Yukino complained, she was far more serious about it than Hachiman.
"It's difficult to recall all the details, but I probably scored around 800 points," Hachiman concluded. Out of a total of 900, a score of 800 was already at the top tier. At a private school like Toyosaki Academy, where Kasumigaoka Utaha and Eriri attended, such a score would likely put him leagues ahead of second place. At Sobu High, however, it would only place him somewhere between third and fifth.
"Hmph, is that all? If nothing unexpected happens, my score will be over 820. I suppose I've crushed you, haven't I, Hikigaya-san?" Yukinoshita Yukino announced her own conclusion, clearly pleased at the idea of surpassing him.
"Well, you're only ahead by about twenty points. Can that really be considered a crushing victory?"
"Hikigaya-san, it's extremely difficult to improve your score once you're above 800. At this level, even twenty points can become an insurmountable gap," Yukino said proudly, spinning her pencil like a baton.
"Well, you're both better students than I was back then. It's true that the new generation surpasses the old," Yukinoshita Haruno sighed. Although her academic performance had been excellent, the demanding regimen of the Yukinoshita family's training meant she hadn't been able to devote all her energy to studying, so her scores were naturally not as high.
Speaking of which, the scene in the main hall was highly unusual. The room was typically a place of solemn formality. Yet, at this moment, Hachiman was sitting cross-legged, and the two Yukinoshita sisters were sitting in a relaxed "duck-style," with their legs folded back on either side of them. In the past, sitting so informally in the main hall would have earned them severe punishment from their mother.
Since Hachiman's appearance, however, everything had changed. Mrs. Yukinoshita operated on the principle of "do whatever makes Hikigaya-kun comfortable," and the atmosphere had shifted dramatically. At least when Hachiman was visiting, Haruno and Yukino felt free enough to sit as they pleased in the main hall.
"Hikigaya-kun, I didn't expect you to be able to maintain such good academic performance while also creating your literature."
Mrs. Yukinoshita, who had been observing from the side, entered the room at that moment, praising Hachiman. Haruno and Yukino were so shocked they immediately snapped back into a formal sitting posture.
"Yukino, I don't think you have anything to be proud of," Mrs. Yukinoshita said, turning her attention to her younger daughter. Her voice and expression turned cold in an instant; the warm, gentle look she'd had for Hachiman vanished as if she were a different person. "You've spent the last few months studying at home, so this is the result you deserve. If Hikigaya-kun put in the same amount of effort, could you guarantee you'd still beat him?"
Yukino lowered her head and remained silent. She didn't have the courage to talk back to her mother, especially with Hachiman sitting right there.
"And Haruno," she continued, her gaze shifting to her elder daughter, "getting into Chiba University was merely what was expected of you. Why are you so relaxed lately? Don't even think about asking me for leave to go out and play all day before university starts. You will study more at the company."
Haruno was, naturally, also criticized. Mrs. Yukinoshita believed that ever since Hachiman had become an honored guest in their home, her two daughters had grown more and more presumptuous. They dared to sit so casually in the main hall—that was a privilege granted to Hachiman. When was it their turn to benefit from it?
"I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Hikigaya-kun," Mrs. Yukinoshita said, her smile returning as she addressed Hachiman again. "I have other matters to attend to, so I will excuse myself for now."
"Goodbye, Mrs. Yukinoshita."
Hachiman stood up, watched her leave, and then sat down cross-legged again. As he did, however, he sensed an ominous aura in the room.
"I say, why are you two looking at me like that...?" he asked with a trace of fear. At that moment, the gazes of the Yukinoshita sisters seemed to have condensed into ice daggers, ready to be launched at him at any moment.
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