Tonight, compared to the lively gathering of the girls, Kazuo's side was much quieter.
Desk lamp, books, notes, paper and pen, test papers—
Alone in a quiet room, accompanied only by the rustling sound of paper and pen.
When he settled down to review, his thoughts were concentrated on solving problems.
The current review situation had almost reached its final stage.
Basic knowledge and key difficult points had all been re-evaluated with new insights and understanding through systematic review.
Especially now that he had almost finished reading the notes and textbooks, Kazuo was currently reading some articles and overviews that Toujou Hana had written in the past. While reading these, Kazuo couldn't help but admire Toujou Hana's accumulation and refinement during her four years of high school study.
Among them, there were many condensed insights of Toujou Hana on the system, as well as race and running methods.
In particular, many of the training methods and approaches to cultivating trainees, especially methods for guiding their abilities, were considered ahead of their time even now.
In addition, he found past exam papers online. Kazuo planned to do one set of past papers every day in the remaining time, with strict timing, for mock exams.
However, just as Kazuo was about to set the time and begin the mock exam—
"Knock, knock, knock—"
The door was knocked on.
.
In the living room on the second floor, it was now brightly decorated with colorful lights, adorned with ribbons, and the table was filled with various snacks, sodas, and desserts like cake.
They say girls have another dimensional stomach when it comes to desserts, and this statement was truly no exaggeration.
At this time, several people were sitting on the floor playing games together, while the TV in the living room was playing a popular variety show.
The so-called girls' night was just such a relaxed, cheerful, and lively atmosphere.
"UNO!"
Aoi shouted loudly, proudly showing off the only card in her hand to everyone.
It looked like Aoi would win this round again. The others were unwilling, but there was nothing they could do.
According to the current score, Aoi was first, Daijin second, Miko third, and Rice Shower fourth.
As for Xiao Hai Wan, she had politely declined from the beginning, saying she wasn't good at these things and would just watch them play.
Here, Aoi put down her cards, stretched, and said, "Easy peasy! Besides UNO, we can also play Old Maid, and Daifugo!"
Aoi had been good at these games since university; otherwise, she wouldn't always have them in her room.
...One more round.
Daijin pursed her lips. When it came to games, she had strong self-esteem.
Losing to Aoi's incredible luck several times in a row had ignited her competitive spirit.
Aoi also felt like she had finally met her match, and she laughed with even more fighting spirit, "Alright! Whatever game it is, I'm ready anytime!"
Two invisible flames burned in opposition between the two of them.
Miko and Rice Shower held their cards, looking at the two of them, unsure of what to do.
Miko simply didn't play these types of games much, and she was slowly catching up purely by relying on her comprehension skills.
Rice Shower, however, missed many good opportunities because she was sometimes a half-beat slow to react.
Earlier, because she didn't call out, she was penalized two cards and eventually lost to these two.
However, as a new round was about to begin, Rice Shower suddenly spoke up:
"Speaking of which... where did Xiao Hai Wan go?"
As soon as she said this, everyone immediately realized that, at some point, Xiao Hai Wan, who had been sitting on the sofa watching TV, had disappeared from the scene.
"Huh!? Wasn't Xiao Hai Wan just here?"
Aoi was completely engrossed in the game and hadn't noticed the situation.
Daijin also looked around a bit confused, pondering what had happened earlier.
Only Miko, while shuffling the cards, said:
"Just when you all were playing so enthusiastically, she went out alone, seemingly—"
"—went to Asama-kun's room."
As soon as this was said, everyone present immediately changed their expressions. Clearly, this sudden turn of events had made it the special program of the girls' night.
.
"Um... Asama-kun, may I come in?"
Xiao Hai Wan's voice came from outside the door. Kazuo put down his pen and stood up, saying, "Of course, I'll open the door for you."
He opened the door, and Xiao Hai Wan stood outside, seemingly holding a supermarket plastic bag. She curiously looked inside and asked somewhat uncertainly:
"Hmm... I'm not disturbing you, am I?"
"No... not at all? But I was just about to set a time to practice mock exams. Now is a good time for a break."
Seeing that it was Xiao Hai Wan, Kazuo couldn't help but smile comfortably.
During this Golden Week holiday, the two had been chatting online. Now, talking offline felt very strange.
Xiao Hai Wan smiled and entered the room, curiously looking around the place where Kazuo had been living these past few days, as if she had arrived in a new world.
"So, Asama-kun has been living here these past few days?"
"Yes, during the day I help out at the shop and learn things from Manager Kiryu-in, and at night I study in this room."
Kazuo closed the door, turned around, and asked curiously:
"Xiao Hai Wan, aren't you playing with them?"
Logically, she should have been having a girls' night with them.
So, Kazuo hadn't expected Xiao Hai Wan to appear here.
Seeing Kazuo ask this question, Xiao Hai Wan smiled, turned her head, put her hands behind her back, bent down, and laughed, "Heh heh, I snuck over here! I'm here to visit Trainer-san, who's working hard!"
After a bath, a girl always has a pleasant, soft body scent, a blend of shampoo and a maiden's delicate fragrance. At this moment, Xiao Hai Wan also looked like a lotus flower emerging from water, as if she could be squeezed for water.
A pool of spring water contained within—this describes an intelligent girl as gentle as spring water, and Xiao Hai Wan was precisely such a representative.
As she spoke, she also held up the plastic bag in her hand, cutely making a "cha-ching" sound effect.
Originally, it was a girls' night, and Kazuo hadn't intended to disturb them, but he hadn't expected Xiao Hai Wan to come over herself.
Hearing Xiao Hai Wan call him that, Kazuo also chuckled, "Honestly, it's quite novel to hear Xiao Hai Wan call me Trainer..."
Having always been called Teacher or Asama-kun, hearing the title "Trainer" from her lips further reminded him that his current identity was gradually approaching that role.
It was an exciting yet reassuring title. Compared to "Teacher," their relationship seemed to have undergone a more substantial change with this.
After all, as an athlete, one entrusts one's professional career (one's life) to their Trainer.
"Hmm, after all, if nothing unexpected happens, Asama-kun will become my Trainer-san, right? This was agreed upon earlier!"
Looking at the girl's innocent and cheerful appearance, Kazuo felt as if he was healed, and he smiled, "Yes, no matter what, I have to persevere for the sake of the promise!"
"Speaking of which... what's in here?"
Earlier, when they went to the supermarket, several people bought things separately. These items seemed to have been purchased by Xiao Hai Wan alone, but they didn't look like things for a girls' night.
"These are things I bought for Asama-kun. There's chocolate, refreshing balm for staying awake, then energy drinks, mint lozenges, and an ancient herbal patch I brought from my hometown. They say it's a very effective external application called Shikakusan from the Meiji era. You hurt your back before, Asama-kun, so I brought it... but it looks like you won't need it now."
What a—good girl... Looking at the things Xiao Hai Wan brought, Kazuo could tell that these were all specially prepared for exam preparation, and the external herbal patch brought from her hometown was clearly also in consideration of Asama-kun's back injury from a few days ago. If it weren't for the patch given by the president, Kazuo's back injury might not have healed so quickly.
However, this kind intention was indeed conveyed.
"Thank you, you really went to a lot of trouble!"
Kazuo expressed his sincere gratitude. Xiao Hai Wan, however, smiled softly, "Mm-hmm... it's nothing, these are all things I should do. If I can help Asama-kun, then that's enough."
"Oh, and this is an omamori for good luck in your exams that I specifically got for Asama-kun at the shrine."
Taking out an embroidered cloth bag from his pocket, the girl's feelings were truly profound.
Seemingly recalling Xiao Hai Wan's past actions towards him, Kazuo, at this moment, felt as if driven by something, slowly reaching out and gently stroking the girl's soft hair. The gentle and loving caress left Xiao Hai Wan rooted to the spot.
Soon, however, her face flushed slightly as she closed her eyes to enjoy this tranquility and tenderness.
Her delicate ears twitched slightly, and her fair skin was tinged with an intoxicating red.
The whole room was quiet, the rustling of paper and pens replaced by the soft, rhythmic sound of the girl wagging her tail.
The occasional role reversal seemed to bring a sense of peace to her heart.
Just then, a loud thud echoed from the door, abruptly pulling the two out of the tender atmosphere.
Kazuo gestured for Xiao Hai Wan to remain silent, then with a strange expression, tiptoed to the door, pressed his ear against it, and held his breath, seemingly hearing from the other side.
"Why can't I hear any sound?"
"What on earth are they doing..."
Words of that nature.
Kazuo shook his head speechlessly, then turned to look at Xiao Hai Wan, before slowly turning his body and opening the door directly.
This sudden action caught the people outside off guard, and those who were leaning against the door lost their balance and fell to the ground.
Especially Aoi, who was at the bottom, making a sound like a frog being stepped on.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch..."
Rice Shower, Daijin, Miko, and Aoi, the four of them were actually eavesdropping on every move inside the room.
Although they were the ones caught in the act, the girls showed no panic whatsoever. Instead, they all wore intriguing expressions, their gazes constantly shifting back and forth between the two.
Xiao Hai Wan, who had been standing there in a daze, snapped back to reality, her smile freezing on her face. Then, slowly, little by little, a blush of intoxicating crimson crept up her cheeks. Even Xiao Hai Wan couldn't withstand such a scene; the feeling of being discovered always brought a sense of guilt and unease.
Right now, she was like a boiling kettle, steam constantly rising.
"Ah, Xiao Hai Wan (kettle) is boiling—"", Miko retorted expressionlessly, actually using a gag that only comedians would say, and this retort was incredibly lethal.
It directly made Xiao Hai Wan cover her face and shout: "Yaaah... Don't say it, I just came to visit Asama-kun! ! No other meaning! !"
The problem was, the way she said it gave it a hint of trying to cover things up, making the expressions of the others even more intriguing.
Aoi said with a mischievous smile: "I seem to have heard 'Trainer-san' oh?"
So they heard everything?
Silently complaining in his heart, Kazuo was helpless against them at the moment.
He could only stand there with a wry smile. He felt that if he intervened in the current atmosphere, it would definitely become even more chaotic.
"No, that's not it!"
How could Xiao Hai Wan be a match for these girls at this time? Under Aoi's lead, they escorted the secretly sneaking out Xiao Hai Wan back as if they were detaining a "criminal."
One could imagine that today's girls' gossip time would probably be Xiao Hai Wan facing Aoi's bombardment-like questions from all directions.
After all, she didn't know how the two met, what happened, and how it made her become Kazuo's contract horse girl, a Trainer who wasn't even a newbie—
To this, Kazuo could only helplessly watch Xiao Hai Wan being forcibly dragged away by them.
Before leaving, Daijin, who was walking at the end, stopped, turned around with a subtle expression, and specially paid attention to the fact that the other girls had already left.
Seeing that no one else was around, her rare expression seemed a little flustered and unnatural. She took something out of her pocket, strode over, and placed it in Kazuo's hand.
"This, this is a good luck charm for passing the exam, don't get the wrong idea, it wasn't bought specifically for you... Just, just when I went to the shrine with Xiao Hai Wan to pray, I drew it... I don't need it, so I'm giving it to you!"
Daijin said while forcibly stuffing the thing to him, and then left the room as if she was running away without even daring to look at him.
But in the blink of an eye, it seemed that Daijin's somewhat insincere voice was heard again.
"In short... Good luck with the exam!"
The sound of footsteps gradually faded away, leaving Kazuo alone looking down at the embroidered good luck charms in his hands, and couldn't help but shake his head and show a wry smile, saying:
"This is really..."
But no matter what, this was the other party's intention, and he slowly put it into his pocket as if he was cherishing it.
Closing the door again and sitting back at the table, Kazuo adjusted the time and patted his cheeks.
"Alright, I have to keep working hard!"
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