The sun had long since dipped below the horizon, casting the Kageyama estate in the warm, amber glow of its evening lights.
On the massive table, the once-pristine practice exams were now covered in red ink, scribbled notes, and a few stray crumbs from Touka's pastries.
"Ah, finally finished!" Suzune groaned, her spine letting out a satisfying series of pops as she arched her back.
She stretched her arms toward the high ceiling, her face a mask of weary triumph. "I feel like I've been sitting here since the Meiji era. My brain is officially liquid."
"God, I just want to die. Just leave me here to become part of the rug," Yukina muttered, her forehead hitting the mahogany table with a soft thud.
Emi, whose stamina for reading was usually legendary, didn't even reach for the stack of manga sitting tantalizingly close to her elbow. "I'm too tired... I don't even want to read my new volumes. The words are starting to look like ants."
