The hellish end of term exams are finally over… It took so long…! And it was so harsh!

The instant the last exam ended, all the formulas and memorized materials I crammed into my brain disappeared with a whoosh out of my head. Burned out, truly. Nothing but ashes left.

These past few weeks, it was truly excruciating. Slammed by the silent pressure from Kaburagi, working on his handouts on the verge of tears until late at night, every night. Even had nightmares. Right before the test, I flee from something but the stairs crumble away and I fall… and I awaken. I was subjected to a fear I couldn't flee from.

Of course, I undertook the forbidden doping. Since I had built up a resistance, the cheap stuff no longer worked, so I gulped down my expensive energy drink collection. Onni-sama was speechless when he saw them.

But Aoi-chan in public school said that she studies most of the time that she's not taking a bath or eating. If everyone who's trying to get ahead is studying that much, I won't beat the exceptional students with my brain. I convinced Onii-sama that the doping would only be for this exam, and I went on with my addiction.

The Pivoine sophomores who were in the same boat mailed me, "It is just me, or does everyone look smarter than me?" Sorry, that's not your imagination. Chugging down energy drinks, and having stomach problems from stress, I wondered what sweatshop I was working in, and checked for hair falling out every morning. It's okay. I don't have any bald spots, yet…

I can finally say good bye to those days that bring tears to my eyes just remembering about them!

"Reika-sama, do you want to go somewhere after this with everyone?" asked Serika-chan as I was celebrating in my mind while putting away school supplied, holding back my urge to lie down on my desk.

"Oh! That sounds nice. I'd like that." A party to celebrate! Let's go! Kikuno-chan had found a store that makes delicious tarts, so we decided to go there. What should I have? What fruit is in season? Then the cell phone vibrated. A sharp pain ran across my stomach. Ugh… I don't want to see this. I looked, and as expected, a bothersome mail had arrived.

"Holding a review meeting to check test answers."

UGH! We just got through the hellish tests! You want to drag me back there!? No! It's over! I don't need to check my answers!

Does Kaburagi have that much spare time? He really must not have any friends other than Enjou. Haha. I know from experience that he'll mail me until I reply, so I quickly type, "I already have a prior engagement with friends, so I won't be attending." I then turn it off after sending.

Even though I'm slightly scared that Kaburagi would get angry, I lead everyone out saying, "Let's go." Please, don't be angry, Kaburagi…

"I guessed wrong on what would be on the test…"

"As long as you don't flunk, you're fine."

"That's true."

We talk about the just ended tests as we taste the delicious tarts.

"It must have been easy for Reika-sama."

"That's not so."

Within the Pivoine, there's been an unspoken agreement not to reveal that we've been studying having been ordered to be in the top 50. The Pivoine must remain the elegant nobles, so we can't be seen as desperately studying like the external students. No matter how hot and difficult, a great actress doesn't sweat and acts cool.

"So, does anybody else want to go somewhere this summer together?" asked Serika-chan.

"Sounds good!"

"I'd like to go overseas!"

"Wonderful!"

Wow, sounds fun! Everyone got excited.

"I want to go to a tropical island and stay in a cottage over water."

"I'd like somewhere cool. How about Scandinavia?"

"Shopping would be nice, too."

A cottage over water… Sounds nice. It would be fun chatting while we look at the ocean through the night. I want to snorkel, too. Fiji, Anderson's country, America are mentioned.

"Why don't we match up our schedules? What's everyone's plan for this summer?"

I'm studying this summer, attending cram school, and attending supplemental classes at Zuiran when possible. Zuiran's optional classes are substantive with first rate teacher. Excluding Pivoine members tutored one on one and students who simply want to advance to the university, some motivated student attend every year.

Hmm… That doesn't leave much time free. The others have plans of family trips, so we only have a few days free together.

"Overseas would be impossible with so few days."

"Seems like it."

Our excitement became muted.

"But somewhere in Japan would be fun, too." Overseas is nice, but being with friends is what's fun, so I don't care much about where we go.

I then realize, that Fuyuko-sama was only listening. What does she think? She doesn't (can't?) speak in these times. But maybe a Pivoine member like her doesn't think much of a trip inside the country. Maybe she doesn't even want to go on a trip…

"How about you, Fuyuko-sama?" I asked and she smiled.

"Sounds nice. I have many places that I wish to visit inside Japan." …Places that Fuyuko-sama wants to visit. Is it Mount Osore (Terror) or Monobe village?

"For example…?" I ask out of curiosity. Please let it be ancient ruins…

"Let's see… Like Aomori…" It is Mount Osore! The occult-loving Fuyuko-sama lives up to expectations. She draws near me. "Did you know, Reika-sama? Herai village is said to have Christ's grave?"

That's more hardcore that Osorezan!

"Ah…" I repeatedly reply reluctantly as Fuyuko-sama recites dubious accounts of Christ coming to Japan with bright eyes. A nice, short vacation unrelated to the occult was chosen for the short trip this summer.

Zuiran has a short break after exams before summer vacation starts. Students that failed are notified of supplemental classes and a re-test, but I should be fine after all that studying. I do plan on going to school for club activities, though. I'm here the day after exams to help on the wedding dress for the handicrafts club, not that I'm much help, but I am the president.

"Oh?"

"Ah." I ran into Fellow Stalking Horse in the hall by the stairs. I greeted him with a nod, and he raised his hand in answer.

"Gokigen yoh."

"Good morning. What are you doing here on a holiday?"

"I have club activities."

"Oh, the handicrafts club…"

"So you knew?" I asked in surprise.

"After you terrorized the sports clubs at last year's school festival financial meeting? Of course." Oh. There was that. But terrorize? Don't exaggerate. All I did was ask very nicely while tapping them with my fan. "Please don't do anything for this year's meeting."

"That depends on the sports teams."

"I'm getting a headache," muttered Fellow Stalking Horse, putting a hand to his head.

"So what brings you here, Mizusaki-kun?"

"I have work with the student council."

"So much work…"

"I'll have a successor after summer vacation. There's tons to do." That's right. There's a student council election second term, and Fellow Stalking Horse will be stepping down. I feel graduation is approaching. Kind of sad. "The Pivoine doesn't change until the end of the year?"

"That's right." The president of the Pivoine doesn't do much, so the successor isn't chosen until late this year.

"Then the Emperor's still the president of the Pivoine the rest of the year… That's too much for the new student council president…" I think of the juniors in the student council. I can't picture any of them standing up to Kaburagi. There's only a handful of people who could do that in the entire school.

"The next president will be fine, as long as Mizusaki-kun can assist him. Probably…"

"I guess… At least let the next Pivoine president be peaceful…" he sighed. "Oh, speaking of the president, can you thank him for me?"

"Thank?" Fellow Stalking Horse to Kaburagi?

Seeing me puzzled, he explained, "For settling things down that day. Thanks to the Pivoine's president scolding them, I haven't gotten any reports of them acting up since then. Not much time has gone by, but the Emperor seems to have much influence on them."

"I see."

"To be honest, I was waiting for the external student involved to be a target by the Pivoine." After undergoing Kaburagi's Spartan study regimen, they probably don't have anything left for revenge… "I couldn't bring the Pivoine and student council together, but I hope the next generation can get along." Huh!? You really wanted that!? Fellow Stalking Horse smiled wryly at my reaction. "I wanted to follow in Tomoe-senpai's footsteps and tried to find a way, but it was no good," he revealed. "I let emotions get in the way, and couldn't handle the problems as well as he did."

He's putting himself down! What should I say to him!?

As he says, when Tomoe-senpai was the student council president, there were no major clashes with the Pivoine, so it was peaceful, but the Pivoine's president at the time wasn't belligerent, either. However, it's not easy to be like Tomoe-senpai, who was as bright as the sun and could easily speak with anybody.

"Tomoe-senpai was special…" Oh, no! I didn't explain well enough! Fellow Stalking Horse clearly looks dejected! "Uh, but Mizusaki-kun worked hard, too! You fought hard to protect the external student from the Pivoine, and acted to settle things with Ikoma-san with calm. You've done well as the student council president. And concerning the Pivoine, just between the two of us, the last president, Youko-sama, would have been impossible to handle by anyone. You were unlucky." And the one who followed was Kaburagi. You were far too unlucky.

"Thank you." He smiled. Good. I wouldn't want him hurting because I didn't state something well.

"As a way of apology for the Pivoine causing problems, I'll give you a model of a castle that you love."

"No thanks." He didn't even think before rejecting it. What's with you? I was trying to be nice. He chuckled looking at me. How rude.

"If Kisshouin were the president of the Pivoine, things may have turned out better."

"Impossible!"

He looked stunned at my declaration. "Why?"

"If I became the president, I'd be hospitalized from stress related gastritis before the Pivoine and the student council got along." Look at how much trouble I'm in when I'm not even the president. I'm dragged into Kaburagi's problems and whims, and help him. Recently, I've been getting whiny mail every night from the sophomores being forced to get into the top 50, and my sleeping time is reduced as I reply with encouragement. And the mail hasn't stopped with the exams, since they still worry about the results. If I reply, I get another. How do I end this?

If Kaburagi wasn't the president, he'd probably be worse than he currently is, and I wouldn't be able to stop him. Hey! Most of my problems are due to Kaburagi!

"Oh… Kisshouin. Hang in there…"

"Thank you…" The look of pity from Fellow Stalking Horse hurts…