The next day, after school, Yotsuba came to me with her finished test. I had explicitly instructed her to leave any questions blank if she'd tried them for at least five minutes without having even a clue where to start. That way, I could properly assess exactly where the line was between things she got wrong, and things she had never even learned to begin with.

As my ribboned friend handed the sheets of paper back to me, I noticed with some amusement that she'd written her name in the top-right corner, despite there being no blank line there for her to fill in. I glanced up at her, an eyebrow raised.

"I'm glad to know this is your custom-made test, and not somebody else's custom made test."

Yotsuba grinned. "Gotta make sure you don't think I'm someone else!"

I rolled my eyes, and pulled out a thick red felt pen. I grinned demoniacally, and uncapped it with a loud pop.

"Good. You, and no others, can feel the pain of Uesugi Fuutarou's red pen of death!"

Yotsuba recoiled in mock horror. "Oh no! Uesugi-san's got a red pen! That's twice as powerful as the blue pen!"

"...and half as powerful as a fountain pen," I smirked. "Alright, shush. I'm gonna mark. Get your butt to studying."

"Sir, yes, sir!"

As Yotsuba dutifully studied, I in turn worked through her test. I went question by question, making sure to carefully think about possible ways in which my questions could have been misinterpreted, rather than not understood, and also being sure to give credit for partial work. I'd decided to mark fairly harshly, but not completely unforgivingly.

I lowered my pen, and stared down at the test.

It was... bad.

I put the cap back on my pen.

...but better than Second Place-san was making it out to be.

Yotsuba wasn't ready for the midterms -- she would almost certainly fail every subject except maybe Japanese language arts.

However... based on where her answers to the questions started becoming incorrect, and then dying out entirely, she would almost certainly have been able to pass the entrance exam.

I frowned down at the paper, deep in thought. The bar for passing exams at this school was absurdly low compared to many others -- a measly thirty-percent constituted a passing grade. Unfortunately, this low bar was a result of the fact that our tests were notoriously difficult. I, of course, had no issues, but getting Yotsuba up to speed in time would be difficult.

But... maybe...

I flipped the pages, and stared at each one individually. The gap between what she knew, and the amount she needed to theoretically stand a chance of passing that low bar...

She could theoretically close that gap in two weeks. It would be brutal, but it's possible.

"That bad, huh?"

I looked up to see Yotsuba glumly looking down at the test. I sighed, and closed it back up again.

"I'm not going to lie, Yotsuba, it's pretty bad."

I could see her shoulders slump, and her ribbon droop.

"...but it's better than it could have been."

She looked up in shock.

"Wait, really?!"

"Yeah. I specifically put markers in here for the level of the entrance exam. The difficulty of the test starts at that level, and goes up to the level for the midterms. Here, let me show you -- see how you got up until question fifteen on at least every single page? I put a little cross on each one to mark the spot that was the end of the entrance exam section, usually around question ten. You would probably do quite well on the entrance exam."

"I see, I see!" Yotsuba said, perking up. "Excellent!"

"...Unfortunately, you aren't taking the entrance exam. That's an exam for middle schoolers."

"Oh. Right," she said, wilting again.

"However... ok, look. Here's the last question you got right on each subject. In language arts, you're already at the point where you could probably barely pass the midterm. However, the others are an issue. In particular, math is a problem. You would probably struggle to pass last year's mathematics midterm."

"Oh. Right," she said, looking deeply dejected.

"...but it's doable."

Yotsuba looked up at me as thought not quite daring to believe what she was hearing.

"...Are you sure?"

"You'll have to work your ass off though. I'm not joking. To even reach the point where you can barely scrape by on this midterm, you'll need to spend most of the next two weeks studying. I don't mean a couple hours every day -- I mean something like eight to ten hours every day. Do you think that's something you can do?"

Yotsuba looked at me fearfully.

"E-Eight to ten hours?!"

"I told you, you'll be dreaming of trigonometric functions."

Yotsuba looked like she was going to pass out. Then, she took a steadying breath.

"I... think I can do it. Maybe. If I have help."

I smiled. "Well, that's what I'm there for. To be a hardass, and whip you into shape."

"Won't that take away from your studying though?"

I frowned. "Yotsuba, I already study between four to six hours every school day, and then I make up for it on the weekends by working for more than twelve hours each day. This is fine -- it's just my usual study time."

"Uesugi-san, have I ever told you that you're crazy?"

"Not that I can recall...?"

"You're crazy."

I smiled. "Thank you. So... what are you going to do? Do you still want my help?"

Yotsuba sat quietly for a moment, as though contemplating how much she really needed to pass this midterm. Then, she took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and looked me dead in the eye.

"I'll be in your care then."

"Right," I said drily. "You have two weeks until midterms start. I'm going to be an absolute hardass until then. Are you ok with that?"

"Do what you've gotta do, Uesugi-san! I-I'm sturdy, I can take it!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Phrasing. Anyways, if we're going to do this, I may as well give you one last evening of freedom. Starting tomorrow, though, you'll be entering the hell that is the Uesugi Fuutarou make-a-genius bootcamp."

Yotsuba gulped. "Gotcha."

We can either do the studying at your place, or at a library. Your call."

"Eh? Why can't we do it at your place? I want to see Raiha-chan!"

I glanced aside. Part of me didn't want Yotsuba to see our tiny, ramshackle apartment, despite how much it meant to me. I knew that she wouldn't see it that way... but part of me was just embarrassed at the blatant difference between her home, and mine.

There was all of that... but there was a far more practical concern.

"My family apartment is far too small for effective group study. Also, more importantly, if Raiha's there, you'll want to play with her instead of studying. I'm vetoing it."

Yotsuba pouted. "Geez, Uesugi-san. You really are being a hardass."

"Indeed. You were warned."

Yotsuba sighed. "Well, if it's not a night when Takeda-san is tutoring us, our place should probably be fine, assuming my sisters are fine with it. I guess tomorrow..."

She trailed off, and a look of horror crossed her face.

"Eh? Eh?! Uesugi-san, what am I gonna do?!"

I frowned. "Calm down. What are you talking about?"

"I need to be studying eight to ten hours a day, right? Takeda-san's tutoring is gonna eat up four hours two days a week! I'm worried that he'll eat up too much of my time, and I won't be able to pass."

Part of me found the irony amusing -- she was worried that attending tutoring for the midterm would take away from her time with which she could prepare for the midterm. It was preposterous. And yet...

And yet... she has a point.

"So then don't go," I shrugged. "Study with me instead."

"I can't do that," she said, pained. "My dad is paying him money. Also... I don't want to abandon Itsuki... I feel bad enough having already done that once."

I sighed. "Alright, fine. Then make sure you're getting everything you can from him. Take what's useful. Discard that which isn't."

"Roger!"

Then, I scowled. "Also, make sure to keep him on track. If he goes on a long rant again, remind him that he's being paid for four hours of tutoring, not four hours of grandstanding."

"That sounds like a mean thing to say."

"Get Itsuki to say it instead. Or Nino. She'll have no problem with it."

"That's mean in a different way..."

I laughed. "Unfortunately, you don't have time to be gentle with Second Place-san. Even if you don't waste time, and you study your heart out every single day, you still might fail the midterms."

Yotsuba looked a bit uncomfortable. "I don't like being mean though..."

"Then don't. You have a problem in front of you -- you need to resolve it. But you should do it in the way that feels the most correct to you. My approach is my approach, and your approach is the Yotsuba approach. You should follow the Yotsuba approach."

She paused, and then nodded. "That seems like a good idea. Ok, so you'll come over to study on Friday?"

"Sure."

"...and Saturday? And Sunday?"

"I can do that, if that's what you want."

"...Ok."

I looked at Yotsuba's face, and I noticed that there seemed to be a half-hidden smile lurking on her face, barely visible as she looked down at her textbooks. For a moment, I wondered if there might be some ulterior motivation to getting me to come over that frequently -- but this was Yotsuba. There was no chance of that.

"Alright, well, we should probably get back to work. I'll make a study plan for you tonight."

Yotsuba looked up from her textbook with what seemed like a shy smile on her face.

"Yes, Tutor-san."

I scowled. "Please don't call me that. I turned down the tutoring job for a reason."

Yotsuba laughed. "Right, right. Sorry."

We spent the remainder of our time after school studying math. Yotsuba was still struggling mightily with it, but at least she had a solid grasp on what a variable was now. Eventually, I got an email from Raiha telling me it was time to come home for dinner. I loaded up my bags, and got ready to leave.

"You should relax this evening," I said, waiting for her to finish packing. "The next two weeks will be rough, so try to take it easy -- I don't want you to burn out too quickly."

Yotsuba nodded. "Makes sense. I'll also make sure to procure a steady supply of snacks!"

I chuckled. "Yeah, gotta ensure that the fantastic spread keeps the Yotsuba fed."

"Exactly!"

We parted ways at the front gate. The journey home passed in a blur as I thought about exactly what Yotsuba would need to cover in order to stand even a fighting chance of passing the midterm. When I walked in the door, I was greeted by the sight of Raiha splayed out on the floor next to the table, face-down on the tatami mats.

"Eh? Raiha? Are you alright?" I said, putting down my bags.

"Dad said I had to study, and so he made dinner," Raiha said into the flooring. "But I don't wannaaaaaaaaa."

"Wait... Dad made dinner?" I said. "Should I get the bottle of Ohta's Isan?"

"Hey kid," my dad scowled. "I ain't makin' anything spicy. Simmer down with the antacids."

"Should I call the hospital? Preemptively, of course."

"Oh, shut up and sit down. Food's ready, ye ingrate."

I chuckled, and then walked over to Raiha.

"You need to sit up now, Raiha. It's dinner time."

"Don't wannaaaa," she whined into the floor.

"If you lie on the floor, you become part of the floor. You don't want me to sit on you, do you?"

Grumbling, Raiha sat up and scooted over to the table. My dad brought over curry and rice, and we began to eat. While it wasn't as good as Raiha's cooking, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I didn't need to go to the hospital.

Which was good, because we didn't have the money for an ambulance anyways.

After the meal, I pulled out my textbooks and began studying -- which reminded me that I possibly wasn't going to be present for dinner for a number of days in the coming two weeks. I sighed, and opened my math textbook.

Guess I should start making that study guide...

"Hey Dad, I just remembered," I said, staring down at my textbooks. "I'm possibly not going to be home for dinner much over the next two weeks."

"Eh?" he said, looking up from his book. "Why's that?"

"I'm putting Yotsuba through a study bootcamp. If I don't, she's at serious risk of failing the midterms. That's probably going to mean I need to be at her place quite a bit, though."

My dad looked at me, and then burst into uproarious laughter. I looked up at my father, and frowned.

"What? What are you laughing?"

"Kid gets a friend, and he's immediately spending all his time at her place. Make sure you don't spend the night, you sly dog!"

I narrowed my eyes. "What exactly are you trying to insinuate here?"

"Nothing, nothing. Just use pro--"

"Alright, that's enough from you in front of Raiha," I growled.

"Eh? Ah, shoot. Uh, nevermind."

Raiha looked back and forth between us, her face innocent and pure.

"What are you talking about?"

"Dad'll explain it when you're in middle school," I said, throwing him under the bus.

"I... don't really get it, but I think it sounds romantic!" Raiha said.

I scowled at Raiha. "Absolutely not."

I then subconsciously ran my hand through my bangs, twisting and turning the strands of them as I looked back down at my textbook.

I have no time for such frivolities. As always, my concentration is absolute -- I must focus solely on the midterms. Romance is a complete waste of time and emotional resources.

I finished making the study guide for Yotsuba after a few more hours, and then went to bed. The next day at lunch, a surprising confluence of events occurred. Firstly, Yotsuba was asked to help with a mid-day basketball practice, a development that caught me completely off-guard. I'd had no idea she was such an accomplished athlete -- though the tidbit about her running track in middle school ought to have been a tip-off.

Additionally, Itsuki was asked to help the teacher with printouts, requiring her to be late to lunch, a prospect that horrified her. As she was (metaphorically) dragged away by the teacher, I could see the desperation in her eyes -- Help me, Uesugi-kun! You're my only hope!

Alas, I was no Jedi, and also I had no authority to stop the teacher. With sombre eyes, I watched her walk away like a lamb unto the slaughter.

Fare thee well, Itsuki. I hardly knew ye.

When I reached the cafeteria, I saw Nino sitting at the quints' usual table entirely by herself. To my surprise, the anxiety-ridden face she had been making two days prior hadn't abated. If anything, with her being entirely alone, it almost seemed to have gotten worse.

Ah, right. They have tutoring today. She'll have to deal with Second Place-san again.

I started walking to my seat, but there was a nagging feeling in my chest. I glanced back at her. I glanced back at my table. I wavered. Then, I made a decision. I took my tray, and I decided to walk directly into the firing line, hoping against hope to be able to minimize the damage from the hail of bullets that would surely come my way.

Yeah... this is going to suck.

"Hey, can I sit here?"

Nino looked up from her food with a dead look in her eyes.

"No."

"Cool, thanks," I said, sitting down. She glared at me, and a little bit of her usual fire flared up.

"I don't want your company, Failed Tutor-san. How about you buzz off?"

I put my hands together in thanks for my meal, and then glanced up at her.

"Can't fail at something I've never tried."

Her scowl deepened. "Whatever. What do you want?"

"You seemed upset, so I decided to come annoy you."

She raised an eyebrow. "Do you normally go around pissing people off?"

"Not if I can help it, but I suppose I don't particularly go out of my way to not piss people off either."

I took a sip of my miso soup, maintaining eye contact the entire time. Nino seemed to get a little flushed at the sustained eye contact, and glanced away.

"Oh, I see. So it's just a natural gift then. You do it subconsciously."

"That felt like an insult, so I'm going to just ignore it."

Nino scowled at me. "Believe me, I could insult you a lot worse than that, if I wanted to. There's just so much fodder to choose from."

"You know," I said, sighing. "I believe you. You seem quite adept at insulting people."

"Thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment."

"I know, but I don't want compliments from you, so thank you. Jerk."

I scowled.

"I'm distinctly aware of my flaws, Nino. My classmates work very hard to make sure of that. Regardless, I didn't come here to talk about my failings, though I'm sure you'd love to expound on them. No, I came here to talk about what's going on with you."

Nino looked at me with a dead expression. "I can't express how little I want to talk to you about my problems."

"Right, right," I said, taking a helping of rice. "Mind you, there are benefits to talking about your problems to someone you don't like."

Nino raised an eyebrow.

"After all, you can scream and yell all you want at me, since my feelings aren't something you need to take into consideration -- if anything, it's a bonus!"

Nino frowned. "Is that actually how you see me?"

"I'm not really sure what to think, to be honest. I get very mixed signals from you. One second you're treating me like the scum of the earth, the next second you're setting a table out for me on the balcony and giving me extra servings of food. It's very confusing, you know."

Nino scowled again. "I have complicated feelings. Sue me. Can we not talk about this?"

"Sure. I'm much less interested in hearing your thoughts about me, and much more interested in hearing your thoughts about Second Place-san."

Nino gritted her teeth. "Can we not talk about that either, please?!"

"If that's really what you want, then I can back off. I know you're not opening up to your sisters though. I know Itsuki's worried about you, even though she isn't saying it. You need to talk about this to someone -- you look absolutely miserable."

"Wait, Itsuki's worried about me?"

I frowned. "That's what I just said, didn't I?"

Nino was quiet for a moment, like she was thinking about something. Then, she shook her head.

"There are about fifteen people I can think of who I would rather open up to before you. No thank you."

"Wait, I'm sixteenth on the list? Heck yeah, I'm way higher than I thought I was."

She glared at me, the ribbons in her hair seeming to imitate the movement of her eyes.

"You just dropped down to nineteenth."

"Ah. Crap. Is this what they call self-sabotage?"

Nino rolled her eyes, but I thought I saw a hint of a smile on her face at that. Then, she shook her head.

"I'm not talking to you about this."

I sighed. "Alright. I did promise you I'd back off, so I will. Please talk to somebody about this though."

Nino just stiffly nodded as I stood back up, picking up my tray. I walked away from the table in retreat, having accomplished exactly none of what I'd set out to do. Scowling, I sat down at my usual table, alone, and pulled out my flash cards. I began flipping through them attempting to review English vocabulary.

Innocence. Despicable. Ambiguous. Artificial. Cognate. Cogent. Pestici--

"Heya, Fuutarou-kun."

I looked up from my pesticide card to see Ichika leaning over the table, a smile on her face.

"Hi."

"Can I sit for a little bit?"

"Uh... sure, that's fine."

Ichika pulled out the other chair, and sat. She smirked at me in that way she did, that seemed like she was reading my mind. It made me a little uncomfortable.

"So... I overheard that little exchange you and Nino had just now."

I frowned. "Wait, what? How? Where were you?"

Ichika gestured at the quintuplets' table, and I looked over to see that Miku was now sitting there with Nino. I turned back to her, still confused.

"I arrived with Miku halfway through that conversation, but you two seemed so absorbed in what you were saying that we didn't want to interrupt. You didn't notice us when you stormed off, either."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "I did not storm off. There was no anger involved -- she asked me to back off, and so I backed off. What I've basically gathered about Nino is that, if I want to get anywhere, I need to push -- but I'm not going to push too hard. That can just have a counter-productive effect."

Ichika smiled. "Ah, you have learned well, young one. I'm glad you've internalized big sis Ichika's advice."

I scoffed. "Yeah, sure. Wasn't one of your grand predictions that Nino didn't need any additional work, and would come around on her own?"

Ichika glanced away. "I... may have gotten that one wrong. I thought it was just that she didn't like you spending so much time with Yotsuba, and that she would come around once Itsuki did. I figured it was just that she liked being able to complain about you with Itsuki. Instead, you've gotten all hunky-dory with Itsuki, and Nino's still giving you the cold shoulder."

"...Hunky-dory? We're just friends."

"Oh really? I see. I seeeeeee."

There was a moment's uncomfortable silence. Then...

"Am I your friend too, Fuutarou-kun?"

Well, that came out of nowhere.

I eyed her up and down. "Do you want to be my friend?"

She gave me that smile again, like I was a toy for her to play with.

"As yet, undecided."

I shrugged. "That's your answer then -- as yet, undecided."

"Fair enough," Ichika smirked. "Anyways, I realized that Operation Twintail isn't actually completed until Nino decides she doesn't hate your guts, so I figured I ought to come over and have a little chat. Fulfill my sisterly duties."

"Yotsuba seems to have forgotten about Operation Twintail ever since I started getting along with Itsuki, so you don't really have to do that."

Ichika frowned. "You may be right, but I hate loose ends. Also, I'm bored."

"Bored, huh? Have you considered... studying?"

"Silly Fuutarou-kun. I'm not going to have a nap at school."

"That's... not what I sai--"

"Anyways!" she said, standing up. "Big Sis will come up with a new strategy. Don't worry, things will work out. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a grumpy Nino to tease."

I helplessly watched as she left to return to her table. I saw that Itsuki had arrived, and the four of them began eating lunch together, with Nino looking extremely irritable. Ichika turned back to look at me, and winked. I scowled at her, and then returned to my flashcards.

Irritating. Malignant. Petulant. Needling. Wait, why are all of my flashcards annoying me?

I put the flashcards away, and grumpily finished my lunch.

After school had finished for the day, I handed off the study guide to Yotsuba, and then bid farewell to Itsuki and her as they morosely prepared to go home to face their second tutoring session with Takeda. I then made my way to the library, and settled down at my usual table to begin my studies. I had been in the middle of learning about the endocrine system, and so I resumed there. After about an hour, I got an email from Yotsuba.

<Well, it's about to start. I'm gonna tell him to stay on subject, and get as much out of these four hours as I can!>

<Good. Kick some ass.>

<Haaaaaaiya! Ass kick!>

I snorted, and then put my phone away to continue my work. I carried on studying the various glands in the body and which hormones they produced, and before I knew it, the evening was rapidly upon me. I received a buzz in my pocket informing me that it was time to come home for dinner, and so I packed up my things and left the library.

On my way down to the footlockers, I walked past a classroom with the door slightly open, and the lights on. I idly glanced through the door, and then pulled up short. For a moment, my brain just didn't process what I was seeing.

Inside, scrolling on her phone, was Nino.

Before even having a chance to think about it, I opened the door and stepped inside.

"Nino? What are you doing still here?"

Nino looked up, and then scowled.

"Oh great. Now I have to deal with you, too."

I bristled, but then forced myself to calm down.

"With me 'too'? Did something happen?"

"Wouldn't you love to know, busybody-san."

I frowned. "You can do better than that -- that was a pretty weak insult. Regardless, why are you hiding in a classroom at like six-thirty in the evening? Wasn't your tutoring session supposed to start an hour ago?"

Nino turned away from me with a "humph," crossing her arms.

"Wow," I said, unimpressed. "How remarkably mature."

"Shut up! I just don't want to go home!"

"Why not? Isn't your room better than an empty classroom?"

Nino glared at me for a long moment. "I don't need to tell you!"

"You don't need to, but you've got to admit, choosing this place over your swanky apartment is a pretty weird choice."

"Did you just seriously use the word swanky?"

"...Yes?"

"God, you're lame."

I rolled my eyes.

"You're avoiding the question, Nino."

"Screw off. I just don't want to be in the same apartment as him again!"

"'Him'...? Oh, do you mean Second Place-san?"

"Yes, him. He's a massive asshole, and I don't want to be put through that again!"

I frowned. "Well, we definitely agree on that front. I can't say I'm too fond of the guy myself."

"If even you think he's an asshole, then he's definitely an asshole!"

I glared at Nino. "Seriously? I'm not that bad."

"Shut up. You're a massive jerk."

"Actually, I think I'm a pretty average jerk. Regardless, why would you hide out here instead of in your room?"

Nino slammed her hands on the desk in frustration. "He won't leave me alone! That's why!"

I was confused, and I was pretty sure that it showed on my face.

Is Second Place-san stalking her...?

Then, it clicked. Nino and Yotsuba must be in the same class.

Which means that she's in the same class as...

I put my head in my hands and heaved a deep sigh.

"Has he been giving you grief at school too?"

Nino gritted her teeth.

"That smug bastard won't shut up, and he won't leave me alone. Ever since the first session, he's been using every chance he can get to remind me that I need to study hard, and will only succeed under his 'tutelage', and that I friggin' bombed his stupid little test."

"So, what, he's been harassing you?"

"He keeps saying I'm the dumbest of the sisters, and that he's not going to let me escape. I'm not the dumbest! I just don't give a damn about studying!"

"Wait, who is the dumbe-- you know what, nevermind, not the point."

Nino ignored me.

"He won't leave me alone! It's been every period for the last three days! I'm sick of it! I never want to see his stupid face again. I never want to have him near me again. It's bad enough that I feel like a friggin' moron for bombing the test, but he keeps reminding me of it! He keeps finding those buttons and pressing them! Every day! My confidence is shot, I feel like a failure, and it's ALL HIS FREAKING FAULT!"

By the end, Nino was screaming. I silently listened as she slammed her fist on the table in pure frustration.

"I'm not going to go to his lectures! I'm not going to study because he wants me to study! I'm not going to do what he wants, and I'm not going to let him try and make me. I won't let him!"

Nino almost seemed like she wasn't even aware of my presence anymore.

"That bastard is so full of himself. He's high on his own supply, thinking he's the best in the world. He's NOT the best in the world. He's not even the best in our grade. Where does he get off calling me and my sisters idiots? Where does he get off sticking his nose into our lives, just because Daddy is paying him a bit? He doesn't belong! He's an intruder! He... doesn't belong..."

Nino panted, caught her breath, and then put her head in her hands.

"Ugh, this is so stupid. What am I doing? I could have done anything else instead of this. I could have gone shopping with my friends or seen a movie, instead of just hiding here and having to be listened to by you. This is the worst."

I just didn't say anything. Eventually, Nino looked up from her hands and glared at me.

"Say something, damn it."

I paused for an extra moment to consider my words. Then, I said softly,

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do. Whether you try to pass the midterm or not is up to you. Obviously, I think you should study, but what I think doesn't matter any more than his opinion. Having someone to push you to succeed isn't a bad thing... but it needs to be someone you trust. Ultimately, a tutor can only do so much for you -- and a bad tutor can actively harm you."

Nino scowled, but didn't say anything.

"If Second Place-san is giving you this much grief, then tell him to screw off. He'll figure out pretty quickly that his methods aren't working. Especially since you're not even home for him to lecture right now. If he doesn't figure out pretty quickly that he needs to change tactics, then he's an even bigger idiot than I'd pegged him for."

I paused, considering my words.

"I guess what I'm saying is that you shouldn't let him shake you. He's not the best in the world, nor even in our grade. If a jerk like me can beat him, then he has no right to be making you feel small."

Nino seemed to mull my words over for a moment.

"I... guess that's pretty good advice, coming from you."

I frowned. "You're completely incapable of saying anything nice to me without adding some sarcasm to it, aren't you?"

"It's a medical condition."

"Sure it is."

Nino got up, and put her phone in her bag.

"I think I'm going to go home. If he comes to my room to tell me to study, I'll just tell him to screw off, and that there's absolutely no chance of me joining any of his sessions going forward unless he leaves me alone at school. Not that I'm gonna go even if he does leave me alone."

"Good. The telling him to screw off, I mean."

She walked past me out the door, and then paused in the hallway.

"I'm only going to say this once, Uesugi."

"...Yes?"

"...Thanks."

My eyes widened in surprise at the brief expression of sincerity. Nino glared at me.

"I still hate you though."

"You just had to ruin it, huh."

Nino snorted with what seemed like genuine laughter. Then, she walked quickly down the hall, and she was gone, and I was left behind in the empty classroom to ponder what the hell had just happened.