Faced with Kotomi Izumi's instant "surrender," Iroha Isshiki first felt a little smug.
"Hehehe… In less than five minutes, I already made Senpai surrender. Not bad, not bad. A new record. When Senpai comes back from Kyoto, I'm going to ride my little electric scooter to pick her up. Then I'll show off in front of her properly."
She even found herself getting used to using the "Jiejiejie" laugh Kotomi had taught her while muttering triumphantly to herself.
But soon, the little devil Iroha Isshiki realized something was off. She glanced at the chat history between her and Kotomi and muttered softly,
"Why does it feel like Senpai let me win on purpose this time? Even if she surrendered, that was way too fast. She didn't even resist. Normally, even when Senpai admits defeat, she'd still argue back for a couple of lines. Surrendering this cleanly… doesn't really feel like her style…"
Iroha lightly pressed a finger to the corner of her eye. Whenever she was thinking, she liked pressing her finger there.
It was currently class time, so she had hidden her phone inside her desk and was secretly messaging Kotomi.
Meanwhile, her deskmate, Aimi Izumi, had her fingers interlocked and propped against the bridge of her nose, deliberately covering everything below it as she stared intently at a physics problem in her workbook.
If Aimi were wearing glasses and white gloves right now, the lenses would probably be flashing with reflected light.
Even while thinking about the problem, she did not forget to imitate Gendo Ikari's signature pose from Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Kotomi loved watching Evangelion, and Aimi often watched it together with her. Although Aimi had never fully understood the story, she remembered almost all the characters' names and had a deep impression of certain scenes and lines.
For example, Unit-01's awakening, Asuka fighting the Mass Production Evas, Misato's kiss, Gendo Ikari's signature pose, Unit-01 going berserk, and Rei Ayanami's smile.
Thus, Aimi's clever little brain suddenly flashed with inspiration.
If she casually imitated a character from Evangelion in front of Kotomi, or slipped in a few Evangelion references while talking, wouldn't that instantly open up Kotomi's conversational floodgates? Maybe Kotomi would even praise her!
After thinking about the characters she remembered, Aimi concluded that the easiest one to imitate was Gendo Ikari's signature pose.
So while thinking about the physics problem, she began copying the gesture, interlocking her fingers and pressing them against the bridge of her nose.
Iroha had no idea what little schemes were running through Aimi's mind. She glanced at Kotomi's surrender message, then at Aimi beside her—whose brain looked like it was about to explode from thinking, yet still hadn't figured out how to solve the physics problem.
Could it be because I joked about telling Aimi on her? That's why Senpai surrendered immediately? Senpai doesn't seem like someone who's afraid of her younger sister… Or maybe… she just doesn't want her sister to know?
Still maintaining Gendo's pose while struggling with the problem, Aimi sensed Iroha's gaze. She decisively gave up thinking, turned her head, and whispered,
"Iroha, did I look imposing just now while I was thinking about the problem?"
"I-It was… okay, I guess."
Iroha froze for a moment, not understanding why Aimi suddenly asked that. She had been too busy thinking about Kotomi to notice Aimi's pose at all, but she still went along and offered praise.
Seeing Iroha's reaction, Aimi pouted in boredom.
"So lame. That wasn't sincere at all. When my sister gets back, I'll have her tutor me. She'll definitely notice right away and praise me for imitating it perfectly."
After saying that, Aimi pulled her workbook over and placed it between herself and Iroha. She pointed at the question she had been agonizing over with her pencil.
"This physics problem is way too hard. Isn't this supposed to be an extra question or something? Iroha, take a look. Can you solve it? Write the answer for me, and after school I'll treat you to crepes."
With the high school entrance exam approaching, the teachers had recently been assigning mostly test papers, workbook exercises, and repeated reviews of past mistakes and commonly tested difficult problems.
Aimi was currently using class time to finish her homework, thinking that if she completed it all at school, she could chat on the phone with Kotomi after getting home.
In the third year of middle school—especially this close to the entrance exams—the teachers understood that some students did not like strictly following the teachers' review plans and preferred reviewing according to their own schedules. If homework disrupted a student's personal review plan, it could reduce efficiency and become counterproductive.
Since that was the case, it was better to let students finish their daily homework during class or break time, giving them more freedom after school.
To ensure this, although every subject still assigned homework, it was usually only key tasks—handing out a few test papers or marking a few important problems in the workbook. Meaningless repetitive writing assignments were basically no longer given.
After all, teachers had once been students themselves. Repeatedly copying things over and over was not only inefficient but also easily affected a student's mood during review.
Although there was a saying that good memory is not as reliable as bad handwriting, who could guarantee that what they required students to repeatedly copy was unfamiliar to every single student? If some students had already memorized it thoroughly, to the point of complete mastery, making them copy it again would just be a pure waste of time.
Aimi had always been a good student. Back in her first year of middle school, she had even helped second-year Kotomi with her homework.
If she had any weakness in her studies, it was probably in the sciences—where she was somewhat dependent on her "state."
When she was in a good state: Jiejiejie! International Math Olympiad problems are nothing. Forgive me for saying this, but everyone here is trash!
When she was in a bad state: What does one plus one equal? What number was that again?
Science subjects were the only ones that could really affect Aimi's grades. It wasn't that she didn't understand—it just depended on whether she was in the right state.
Fortunately, Aimi's science grades did not have wildly unpredictable upper and lower limits.
The upper limit truly had no ceiling—even Aimi herself could not say where it was. She might complete one science test paper and feel like she was in the best condition in history. Then, while doing the second paper, she would realize that her state was several thousand times better than during the first.
It was not a matter of best—only better.
As for the lower limit, that at least had a clear number. The lowest science score Aimi had ever gotten was an 82 in math during the final exam of her second year's first semester.
So no matter how bad things got, her science score could not drop below 82.
As Aimi's best friend, Iroha Isshiki knew that Aimi's performance in science depended heavily on her "state." She glanced at the physics problem that had been tormenting clever little Aimi.
She read the question, constructed the logic in her mind, ran through a quick mental calculation—less than a minute later, she had the answer.
"Since you already said you'd treat me to crepes… hehe, then I want maple syrup flavor."
"No problem. Just write out the solution for me, and after school we'll go buy crepes first! By the way, you really love maple syrup crepes, huh? I tried it once and thought it was way too sweet. I still prefer the sweet-and-sour fruit ones," Aimi said.
Iroha picked up a pencil and found a blank sheet of paper. She explained the method step by step to Aimi. Before she even finished, Aimi understood halfway through how to solve it.
"Iroha, you're way too smart. I was staring at that workbook so hard I almost burned a hole through it, and I still couldn't figure it out." Aimi scratched her head, smiling awkwardly.
"It's not that I'm smart. You were just out of state. If you'd been in normal condition, you would've solved it faster than me," Iroha said with a light laugh.
Right now, Aimi was simply out of state. The problem wasn't particularly hard—just a small logical twist—and that was enough to stump her. Normally, when she saw this kind of question, she would scoff disdainfully and scribble out the answer in a few strokes.
After solving that physics problem, Aimi recovered a bit of her rhythm. She easily finished the remaining physics questions in one go, completing the assignment.
Then she moved on to chemistry. Once that was done as well, she had finished all of today's homework in advance at school.
It was Tuesday. The high school students who had just finished their cultural festival could freely enjoy a short break. But as middle schoolers—especially third-years who would take the entrance exam next February—there would be no more long vacations in these few remaining months aside from winter break.
After winter break, it would be the entrance exam.
And after the entrance exam, it would mean officially graduating from middle school.
For middle school students, the entrance exam was important. Even those who usually didn't study much had recently started pulling themselves together, thinking that learning even a little more before the exam was worth it. In class now, teachers mostly went over mistakes, practiced test papers, and used the remaining time for self-study.
As a result, third-year teachers would assign homework right after the first class in the morning. That way, if students encountered problems they couldn't solve while doing homework, they could go straight to the teachers' office to ask.
Students who put in a bit of effort would use the four morning periods or the two afternoon periods to finish their homework.
"Phew… finished my homework. Now that I think about it, that physics problem wasn't even that hard. It's all my sister's fault. Who told her to leave for Kyoto last night? I didn't see her this morning, and it made me feel empty inside. I didn't even have the state to solve problems."
Aimi complained softly.
Even though she had smiled and said goodbye when Kotomi left, watching her off, the moment Kotomi's back disappeared from view, Aimi's heart felt hollow. An indescribable loneliness filled her chest, and if she wasn't careful, her nose would start to sting.
Even sleeping in Kotomi's bedroom, on a bed still carrying Kotomi's scent, couldn't ease the longing in her heart.
That intense longing had made Aimi dream last night.
In her dream, she had become a scientist—not one researching biology or the Earth, but the kind who developed and manufactured all sorts of futuristic black-tech products.
In the dream, Scientist Aimi was working alone on a groundbreaking invention—an adhesive that would never lose its effectiveness.
There were many strong adhesives in the world, but none that could produce a powerful and permanent effect on a living being.
But in a dream, Aimi was the one in control. She could dream whatever she wanted. And so she smoothly invented the eternal adhesive.
After inventing it, she did not publicize it. She had not created it to shock the world, nor to make money.
She had created it for one reason only.
To keep Kotomi by her side forever.
"If I lock you in the basement with chains, you'll find a way to escape. If I lock you in a small cage, you'll keep hurting yourself just to find an opportunity to break free…"
"I can't bear to watch you hurt yourself like that. But if I don't keep you by my side at all times, you'll run away from me again—to that hateful Kato Megumi."
"So~ I came up with a perfect solution. If I use this adhesive that will never lose its effectiveness and stick you to my embrace, then we can be together forever and ever and ever, right~!!"
In the dream, Aimi caressed Kotomi's cheek, her eyes brimming with affection as she gazed at her tenderly.
Unfortunately, before she could even twist open the cap of the glue, she woke up.
Her phone alarm rang.
Although it was the alarm that woke her, Aimi—full of morning grumpiness after her beautiful dream was interrupted—habitually cursed:
"It's all Kato Megumi's damn fault!"
Aimi rarely cursed, but whenever Kato Megumi was mentioned, the words came out fluently and endlessly.
Hearing her soft complaint, Iroha smiled slightly.
"So the 'culprit' behind your lack of state was Senpai~"
"Hmph, no it wasn't. Missing Kotomi is one thing, but it's not like I'd lose my state just because I miss her. It's just that the weather isn't perfectly clear today. Bad weather affects my problem-solving state too. And it's cold today. I hate snowy days the most. When it's cold and my hands get stiff, I can't write smoothly…"
As she spoke, Aimi's voice grew softer and softer—so soft that even she could barely hear herself.
It was clearly just stubborn denial. She obviously missed Kotomi so much that she didn't even want to solve problems, but in front of her best friend Iroha, she was too embarrassed to admit it outright.
So she could only explain awkwardly, one excuse after another. Unlike Kotomi, who was eloquent and airtight with her words, Aimi could only force herself to keep talking, thinking of something new to say each time—until eventually her voice trailed off completely.
Iroha watched her tsundere act with a smile—from the initial stubborn denial, to gradually softer excuses, to now nearly a full minute of silence because she couldn't think of another line.
"In anime, tsundere girls can blush and rattle off a whole string of rebuttals to justify themselves. You barely managed a few sentences before stalling out. Hehe, looks like you don't have any talent for being tsundere at all. Just open your heart and admit you miss Senpai already~"
"Tch… my brain's just frozen from the cold weather, okay? Besides, I'm not tsundere to begin with! I hate snowy days the most."
Aimi muttered unwillingly.
But in her heart, she was thinking:
Even though I knew it would get colder these days and specially packed a few thick coats into Kotomi's suitcase, it feels like this winter is colder than previous years. I wonder if the clothes I packed for her are enough…
And honestly, Kotomi is so annoying. I sent her messages this morning—both on LINE and by text. Why hasn't she replied yet? Don't tell me she's still asleep?
"When we first got to school, you were all excited about dragging me to the playground to build a snowman. You even said that after building it, you'd take pictures and send them to Senpai. You asked me if I knew how to make one shaped like a little penguin," Iroha said leisurely, the corners of her lips curved upward.
"I don't feel like building a snowman anymore. Hmph!"
As expected, her tone was just as tsundere as ever.
Suddenly, Aimi thought of something and changed the topic.
"Iroha, I've wanted to ask you this for a long time. Why do you always call my sister 'Senpai'? Is that some kind of exclusive nickname between you two?"
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