On the day of the national mock exam, Aki Tomoya put on his uniform and planned to leave early to rush to the test center.
"Aki Tomoya, you're up too early."
His movement downstairs caught the attention of his Mother in the kitchen.
His Mother quickly walked out, looking at her son coming down the stairs with some helplessness.
On the seventeenth, the first national mock exam of the year began, and Aki Tomoya didn't slack off at all.
"I have to rush to the mock exam, so I have to get up early."
He said as he walked into the living room.
On the dining table, his Mother had already prepared breakfast for him.
After eating a simple meal, Aki Tomoya hurried out and went to the entrance.
"Wait, don't be in such a hurry!"
His Mother chased him to the entrance and tapped Aki Tomoya's head as he was putting on his shoes.
"Don't push yourself."
"Mom, I never push myself. Thank you for breakfast."
Aki Tomoya, who had finished putting on his shoes, stood up and smiled at his Mother, then picked up his school bag and left.
"Slow down, it's okay if you don't do well on the mock exam!"
However, Aki Tomoya, who was in a hurry to get to the subway station, couldn't hear what his Mother was saying clearly. He just heard her voice from behind him and raised his hand to wave.
He walked quickly all the way to the subway station, and there were many students like him who left early.
About forty minutes later, Aki Tomoya arrived at the test center.
First National Descriptive Mock Judgment Exam, Aki Tomoya saw the notice board at the entrance and the people guiding students to the venue in front.
Students from different schools came to the same test center to take the exam. Around Aki Tomoya, there were various uniforms.
Compared to entrance judgment exams for specific schools, such as the Tokyo University entrance judgment exam, the national mock exam is based on the first-stage center exam.
The entire mock exam lasts for two days, with liberal arts and science subjects on the first and second days respectively.
Because Aki Tomoya had to ensure his total score rate in the first-stage exam next year, he had to take all subjects, so he had to participate in the mock exam for both days.
As for Kudo Sayaka, who was taking the exam in another area, she only took the liberal arts subjects today.
Following the instructions and his test admission ticket to find the test room, Aki Tomoya found the seat with his test number and sat down.
Shortly after he sat down, all the test-takers entered the room, and the time for the exam was getting closer and closer.
The atmosphere in the test room also carried a sense of urgency. Aki Tomoya saw that many people had a slight look of nervousness on their faces.
Although it was just a mock exam, many people still attached great importance to the mock exam's judgment.
The exam time arrived without realizing it, and the test papers were distributed to everyone.
The invigilator standing at the front timed it precisely and shouted, "Begin answering!"
The first mock exam on the seventeenth began. Aki Tomoya opened the test paper and started answering on the answer sheet according to the questions.
...
The mock exam lasted for two days and ended on the afternoon of the eighteenth.
Test-takers who had finished the last subject came out of the venue. Aki Tomoya, who was one of them, could occasionally hear sighs from those around him.
"It's over."
Standing in front of the venue entrance, looking at the notice board, Aki Tomoya let out a heavy sigh.
After finishing the first mock exam, Aki Tomoya's slightly tense nerves relaxed a lot.
But it was already March 18th, the first mock exam was over, and almost a quarter of the year had passed.
Lingering at the entrance of the venue, Aki Tomoya could already feel the temperature warming up because spring was coming.
"Phew, Grade C, a Grade C judgment is enough for the first time!"
Aki Tomoya thought as he looked at the slightly darkened sky.
Although he had tried his best, he wasn't greedy. A Grade C judgment for the first mock exam was probably sufficient.
Among the people Aki Tomoya was familiar with, Kato Megumi and Kamigō Yoshihiko from the same school and class had finished their exams yesterday, and Kudo Sayaka from the same Academy had also finished her liberal arts subjects yesterday.
Among the people he knew, he remembered that Furuhashi Fumino, the liberal arts genius from Ichinose Academy, also had to take science and math today.
But everyone was not assigned to the same area.
"Let's go back."
Noticing that the grey sky looked like it was going to rain, Aki Tomoya prayed in his heart that he could get home before it rained.
After leaving the venue, he quickened his pace towards the subway station.
Beep beep—
Just then, a car horn sounded, as if it was honking at Aki Tomoya.
He instinctively turned his head to look at a black commercial van by the roadside, and just as he was about to look away, he saw a familiar face through the rolled-down window.
"Harumi Sensei?"
Aki Tomoya looked in surprise at Harumi Junko who was waving at him.
To think he'd run into his Academy Teacher after the mock exam.
Harumi Junko pushed open the car door and got out. At the same time, Aki Tomoya saw the person in the driver's seat, someone around Harumi Junko's age, handsome, and exuding an elite aura completely different from Harumi Junko, practically the opposite extreme of the Harumi Junko Aki Tomoya first met a year ago.
"Harumi Sensei, have you finally learned how to pick up guys?!"
As Harumi Junko came up to him, Aki Tomoya asked in a surprised whisper.
Was this still the same oblivious Harumi Junko who had no luck with romance?
Harumi Junko was startled for a moment, then replied with a wry smile, "That's my relative! What are you talking about, Aki-kun, picking up guys!"
Work comes first right now; Harumi Junko had no time to think about romance.
Moreover, Aki Tomoya's misunderstanding was quite significant. The person in the car was her cousin, who didn't fall within the scope of the opposite sex as understood by Harumi Junko.
"I misunderstood, sorry."
While apologizing, he also looked at the other person with curiosity.
Likely seeing Aki Tomoya's confusion, Harumi Junko explained, "The mock exam finished today. I came to check on Aki-kun and Furuhashi Fumino."
"You don't need to worry about me. As for Furuhashi Fumino, she didn't take the exam in the same area as me."
"It's fine. I'm treating you guys today so you can relax. We'll go pick up Furuhashi Fumino now. Kudo Sayaka and the others are waiting for you. Also, we should officially celebrate Miki and the others achieving their first choice. Relax well today!"
"Thank you very much."
"Hurry, hurry, hurry!"
The offer was hard to refuse, and everyone else from the Academy was going. Even the three seniors who had already achieved their first-choice University were there, so he had no reason to decline.
And since the mock exam had just finished, Harumi Junko's suggestion to take the opportunity to relax was also good, especially since she was treating.
Pushed into the back seat by Harumi Junko, Aki Tomoya politely greeted Yakumo Masashi in the driver's seat: "Hello, I'm Aki Tomoya. Harumi Sensei has always looked after me. Thank you."
"No, no, no, it's she who is looked after by you. My name is Yakumo Masashi, Junko's cousin."
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