Under Yukinoshita Haruno's precise planning, the study sessions in class progressed in an orderly manner.
Since the tutoring was based on the actual midterm exam questions, even Sudo, Yamauchi, and Ike—the infamous idiot trio—began showing visible improvement.
Seeing progress naturally fueled their motivation, and overall, everything was heading in a positive direction.
For three days straight, I had to rush to the library for study sessions right after lunch. But finally, the weekend arrived—a much-needed break.
Although I had already planned a weekend outing with Kure Ragna on Wednesday, Karuizawa Kei reconfirmed the time with him the night before, just to be sure.
---
It was Saturday afternoon.
When it comes to dates, most people choose a meeting spot like a café or a movie theater—somewhere with a clear landmark. But Kei, being Kei, decided on something far more practical.
She picked the dormitory.
It might seem unconventional, but considering they lived in the same building, meeting at the dorm was the most convenient option. Just an elevator ride away.
So, when a knock echoed at Kure Ragna's door at exactly one o'clock, the expected visitor stood outside.
—Or rather, someone who had clearly just scrambled to get ready.
After staying up late watching dramas until 2:30 AM, Kei had only dragged herself out of bed at 10:10 AM. Too lazy to get up right away, she lazed around, snacked on whatever was within reach, and before she knew it, noon had arrived.
With time running out, she rushed through a thirty-minute prep session, applying makeup in a hurry and picking out her outfit at the last second.
She made it just in time, catching the elevator just before the doors closed.
"Hello~ Are you ready?" Kei asked cheerfully.
Since it was the weekend, she had swapped her usual school uniform for a blue off-the-shoulder dress, layered with a sports vest underneath for safety. A matching blue headband completed her look, giving her a quiet yet mature vibe.
But despite her efforts, Kure Ragna noticed a few telltale signs.
A faint trace of eye gunk at the inner corner of her eye.
A tiny waffle crumb at the edge of her lips.
And red-tinted eyes, betraying a lack of sleep.
If she had done her makeup properly, she wouldn't have missed these small details. That, combined with her slight drowsiness, made things obvious.
"...Stop staying up late. Go to bed early."
Kure Ragna withdrew his gaze and stepped out, closing the door behind him.
Kei, however, simply grinned, brushing it off.
"Got it~ Let's go!"
"Yeah, let's go."
---
Shopping District
The market was packed—unsurprising, considering it was the first weekend after the monthly points had been distributed. Students from all grades swarmed the area, eager to spend.
As the saying goes:
When you have money, you spend. When you don't, all the discounts in the world mean nothing.
Kei wasted no time heading straight into a women's clothing store, instantly grabbing a pink sweater from a hanger—so fast that the clerk didn't even have a chance to greet her.
"You're buying this?" Kure Ragna asked, glancing at the sweater.
"Yep! I wanted it last month," Kei said, sticking out her tongue. "But I kinda went overboard with shopping, so I didn't have enough points left for this one."
"...So you waited a whole month just to buy it?" Kure Ragna raised a brow.
"Of course! That's why I came rushing here right after getting my points!" Kei said proudly, hugging the sweater.
"Alright, I'll go try this on! Wait here and tell me how it looks!"
"Sure."
As she dashed toward the fitting room, Kure Ragna casually looked around for a place to sit. But just as he turned, he caught a glimpse of someone peeking out from behind a rack of clothes.
Coincidentally, it was Kushida Kikyo.
---
"Hello, hello~ What a coincidence!" Kushida greeted in her usual sweet voice. "I saw you while passing by and figured I'd drop in to say hi!"
Her gaze flickered around.
"Wait, where's Karuizawa-san? You came together, right?"
"If you mean Kei, she's in the fitting room," Kure Ragna replied, gesturing behind him.
"And you? Who are you here with?"
"Ugh... someone annoying."
Kushida's charming smile quickly vanished, replaced by a tired, world-weary expression. She lowered her voice.
"Look behind me—outside, at the ramen shop across the street. See those two idiots standing there?"
Kure Ragna glanced through the store's glass window.
Sure enough, Yamauchi and Ike Kanji were standing outside the ramen shop, deep in discussion.
"You're shopping with them?" he asked, genuinely surprised.
Kushida let out a dry laugh.
"Hah. Not willingly. That idiot Yamauchi wouldn't stop pestering me. He even showed up at my dorm and dragged me out."
"...That persistent, huh?"
"You have no idea," she groaned. "Guess how he asked me out?"
"Alright, I'll bite. How?"
Kushida leaned in slightly, lowering her voice further.
"He messaged me at three in the freaking morning."
"Three... AM?"
"Yeah! And you know what he said?!" She took a dramatic pause.
"'The game I've been waiting for is finally in stock at the mall! Can you come with me to pick which version to buy?'"
Kure Ragna blinked.
"...What?"
"He literally dragged me out here just to help him decide which edition to buy! Like, why?! If you already know you want the game, just buy it!"
Kushida was seething, her frustration evident.
Even the way she referred to him as "that thing" instead of his name showed how done she was.
Kure Ragna stifled a chuckle.
"Yeah, I can feel your anger."
"Ugh, I really should've just ignored him..." She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. A second later, her usual cheerful mask was back on.
"Anyway, I should head back before they get suspicious. Enjoy shopping with Karuizawa~!"
"Yeah, yeah. Later."
As she turned to leave, Kure Ragna suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, wait a sec."
"Hm?" Kushida paused.
"Do you know if this mall sells tattoo stickers?"
"Ah... I think I saw some near the east exit," she replied after a moment of thought.
"Got it. Thanks."
With a small wave, Kushida slipped out of the store, seamlessly switching back to her bubbly persona before rejoining the two waiting idiots.
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