As the exam began, the once somewhat noisy classroom quieted down.
The test papers were distributed to everyone, and whether they knew the answers or not, everyone seriously looked through them once.
Tanaka Masao had no particular order for doing things; he simply started answering the questions diligently from the first one.
He worked very smoothly, and for the multiple-choice questions, he only needed to read them once to know the correct answer.
The later questions didn't stump him either; the pen in his hand seemed to automatically generate the answers.
For the one-hour exam, he finished the paper in less than half an hour, and he was confident he would get a perfect score.
"Oh, is this what it feels like to be a top student taking an exam? It's so satisfying."
Tanaka Masao felt like an emperor and began to observe the other people in the classroom.
"That classmate, stop scratching! Even if you scratch your scalp raw, what you don't know, you still won't know.
Why is this person so distressed, like he's constipated? Is this question really that hard?"
After observing for a while, Tanaka Masao found it boring and started observing Kawasaki Saki in front of him again.
Kawasaki Saki was the type who had good grades and was diligently answering the questions.
Tanaka Masao felt bored and could only continue looking at his own test paper.
While checking his paper, he felt something drop to his feet.
He looked down and saw an eraser.
Seeing Kawasaki Saki in front of him looking down and searching, Tanaka Masao knew it was hers.
He bent down, picked up the eraser, and placed it on the upper right corner of his desk.
Then, with the pen in his hand, he gently poked Kawasaki Saki's back.
Receiving the signal, Kawasaki Saki turned slightly and reached out to take the eraser.
The teacher on the podium glanced over, then turned his gaze elsewhere.
He had clearly seen what happened, but since it wasn't a major, formal exam, the teacher deemed it fine and didn't say anything.
After a while, the exam ended, and the teacher told everyone to stop writing and pass their papers forward from the back.
As if by some inevitable setting, in every exam, there would always be someone who hadn't finished.
In such cases, the teacher would first issue a warning; if they still didn't stop, the teacher would personally go down.
At that point, almost the entire class's attention would be focused.
In Japan, not everyone can withstand being watched by so many eyes.
"Ah, this exam was so hard."
"Oh no, there were so many things I didn't know; I definitely bombed it."
"How did you do?"
"Average."
As soon as the teacher took the test papers, the classroom became noisy, with people discussing the exam and the questions on the paper.
Just as Tanaka Masao was about to get up to go to the restroom, Kawasaki Saki in front of him turned around and said to Tanaka Masao,
"Thank you for helping me pick up my eraser just now."
Tanaka Masao's body paused, and he instinctively replied,
"No problem, it was nothing."
Then the two just stared at each other. Tanaka Masao felt he should say something, but for a moment, he didn't know what to say.
He couldn't possibly say, "Want to go to the restroom together?"
After thinking for a moment, Tanaka Masao finally spoke.
"Good luck with your exams."
Kawasaki Saki nodded.
"You too, good luck."
Their conversation ended there.
Tanaka Masao watched Kawasaki Saki turn around and scratched his head.
"Should I have taken that opportunity to get to know her better? After all, it's rare to be able to talk to Kawasaki."
He began a post-mortem analysis, thinking he should have asked how the exam felt and then discussed how well she studied for the next subject and what might be on the test.
Wouldn't that have opened up the conversation naturally, instead of ending after just two sentences like before?
"Why didn't I think of that just now?"
Tanaka Masao was annoyed at his slow reaction time in an emergency.
"Still, I did manage to talk to Kawasaki.
Based on my recent observations, besides the teachers, I'm the only one who talks to her twice a day.
I can try greeting her every morning and evening after school."
…
Three subjects in the morning, two in the afternoon, the first day of exams finally ended.
Tanaka Masao also breathed a sigh of relief.
It must be said, being highly focused was quite tiring.
After collecting the last subject's papers, school was dismissed. Tanaka Masao packed his things and saw Kawasaki Saki in front preparing to leave.
After thinking for a moment, he spoke.
"Kawasaki-kun, see you tomorrow."
Hearing this, Kawasaki Saki paused, turned to look at Tanaka Masao, hesitated, and then nodded.
"See you tomorrow."
With that, she turned and left.
Tanaka Masao clenched his fist; his guess was indeed correct.
Using the opportunity of picking up the eraser, he successfully connected with her.
Although it might not have reached the level of friendship yet, there was hope before, wasn't there?
"Successfully promoted to the closest person to Kawasaki Saki in the class."
Meanwhile, Kawasaki Saki, walking out of the classroom, thought to herself,
"What was that guy's name again? Tanoue? Tanoshita? Or Tanonaka, Tanosoto?"
She scratched her head and let out an annoyed click of her tongue.
"I'll pay attention next time."
Tanaka Masao: Hey, you went all around, up and down, how come you didn't go to the middle?
Kawasaki Saki: So his name is Tanada, right?
Tanaka Masao: …
…
Because it was exam period, club activities were temporarily suspended for one day, and would resume only after the exams ended tomorrow.
The Service Club's activities were also suspended today.
Though, there hadn't been any club activities in the Service Club for a week anyway.
Tanaka Masao arrived at the base of the school building and saw Yukinoshita Yukino standing there quietly waiting.
A gentle breeze stirred her long hair, and with one hand holding her bag, she used the other to tuck her loose hair behind her ear.
Tanaka Masao couldn't help but mentally change the background for her.
"If Yukinoshita were standing under a cherry blossom tree right now, with cherry blossoms falling around her, she would definitely be even more beautiful."
A scene perfectly befitting a heroine.
"Unfortunately, it's already late May, and the cherry blossoms are long gone. I'll have to wait until next year."
"Yukinoshita Classmate, good afternoon."
"Good afternoon."
After greeting each other, the two walked out of the school.
It seemed that because Tanaka Masao had been going home with Yukinoshita Yukino so often recently, the people around them had become somewhat accustomed to it.
Tanaka Masao had originally expected someone to come and bother him.
But after waiting so long, no one came, which left him a little disappointed.
The classic plot was missing.
The reason for this was that many people had a crush on Yukinoshita Yukino.
However, very few actually pursued her or even managed to speak to her.
Coupled with Yukinoshita Yukino being in a somewhat isolated state,
To fit in and not be seen as an outcast, their own social circles would be affected.
Most of these people would only discuss it verbally and were unwilling to compete for an ultimately meaningless relationship.