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"The midterms are coming up soon."
"The school will be holding an exam to check how well students have grasped what they've learned over the past half semester."
"You know this already, of course. Our Class 2-B always ranks in the top three for average scores in the grade."
"But you don't need to put too much pressure on yourself. You only transferred here two days ago. It's perfectly normal if you haven't adjusted to the class pace yet…"
Hiratsuka Shizuka hugged a stack of materials to her chest as she walked alongside Asher speaking in a voice that was unusually gentle for her.
This was exactly why she had called him over to help. The real purpose was to talk to him like this.
She clearly wanted to reassure him, to keep him from stressing too much over the midterm exams.
After all, he had just transferred in, and his coursework hadn't fully lined up yet.
Normally speaking, in a big exam like this where averages mattered, Asher's grades might very well drag the class average down. That would be understandable.
Listening to her words, Asher glanced sideways at Hiratsuka's profile, his gaze a little different than before.
No wonder she was so respected by her students.
It wasn't because she was strict as a homeroom teacher, but because she genuinely cared.
The extracurricular materials she was holding right now had been bought with her own money, all to help reinforce the class's knowledge.
She had even worried that he might feel pressured and called him in for a private talk.
"I understand," Asher replied.
Hearing that, Hiratsuka nodded.
"Mm. Just do your best."
With that, the two of them continued carrying the materials toward the stairs leading up from the basement.
However, perhaps because the stack in her arms blocked her view a little too much, Hiratsuka misjudged a step as she started climbing.
Her foot slipped.
Her whole body lurched forward, instantly losing balance.
This was a staircase. If she fell face-first like this, she would at the very least knock out a few teeth. If it was worse, she could even be disfigured.
As the steps rushed closer to her face, Hiratsuka's eyes widened.
But just as her face was about to collide with the hard stone stairs, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her.
The weightless panic vanished in an instant.
Her body steadied, settling into something warm and solid.
When Hiratsuka opened her eyes again, what filled her vision was Asher's handsome face, right in front of her.
"Hiratsuka-sensei, are you okay?"
Looking down at her wide-eyed expression, still clearly stunned, Asher asked in a low voice.
His voice echoed in her head.
Hiratsuka snapped out of it at once.
"Ah… I'm fine!"
She spoke in a flustered rush and immediately pulled herself free from his arms.
Standing there in the stairwell, she took several deep breaths.
It was hard to say whether it was relief from being saved, or nerves from how close they had just been.
Seeing her completely flustered state, Asher smiled faintly, so subtly it was hard to notice.
"I'm glad you're okay."
With that, he crouched down and began picking up the materials that had scattered across the floor when he rushed to catch her.
Hiratsuka stood there dazed for a moment, as if something had just occurred to her. Then she hurriedly bent down as well, helping him gather the books.
A few minutes later, they finally had everything picked up and stacked again.
"Class starts in a few minutes. Let's hurry back," Hiratsuka said.
By now, she clearly had no interest in continuing any small talk. She urged him forward and headed back toward the classroom.
Asher shrugged and followed behind her.
They made it back just before class began.
After distributing the materials to each group leader, Hiratsuka left the classroom.
As for Asher, he returned to his seat and waited for the next lesson.
…
Noon arrived quickly.
Since he had brought a bento with him, Asher planned to eat lunch in the classroom.
He also figured he'd use the lunch break to properly chat with his classmates.
After all, unless something unexpected happened, he'd be staying in this class for the next two years.
He couldn't exactly keep isolating himself and never talk to anyone, could he?
And for the girls in the class, the idea of having lunch together with such an absurdly handsome guy was incredibly appealing.
Quite a few of them had already pushed their desks together and sat around Asher.
As for Akizuki Marina at the front, she grabbed her lunch and left the classroom as soon as lunch break started.
She was probably going to find her little sister Airi in the first-year classes.
Asher didn't pay it much mind.
However…
Just as he was eating and chatting with his classmates about all kinds of random topics, his pocket suddenly started vibrating.
Buzz buzz buzz—
Asher frowned slightly and pulled out his phone.
The caller ID showed Yotsuya Miko.
He answered immediately.
The moment the call connected, Miko's voice burst through the speaker, tense and panicked.
"A-Asher!"
"This is bad. Really bad. Can you come to the garden behind the school building right now?"
Just hearing how frantic she sounded, Asher already understood that something was wrong.
"I got it. I'm on my way."
He hung up and stood up at once, apologizing briefly to the girls who were still chattering and asking him questions, then rushed straight out of the classroom.
What Asher didn't know was that as he ran past the classroom of Class 2-G on the same floor, he caught the attention of someone inside.
…
Only a few minutes later, Asher arrived at the garden behind the school building.
Wealthier schools often had decorative scenery like this on campus. A garden was common enough. Some even went as far as building private museums.
As Asher entered the garden, he was just wondering where Miko might be when a voice reached him from the distance, deliberately kept low.
"Asher!"
He immediately turned toward the sound.
Inside a pavilion not far away, he spotted Yotsuya Miko.
"Yotsuya, what exactly happened?" Asher asked as he walked up to her.
Miko suddenly reached out and grabbed his arm with both hands. Her expression was tense and pitiful as she looked up at his face, eyes filled with anxiety.
"Um… Asher, please help Hana Yurikawa."
"She… she's been targeted by an evil spirit."
"....."