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That night proved to be quite an ordeal, as Shion finally managed to quell Ayane and Rie’s fury, while also explaining the truth of the matter to Nanami, albeit with a generous dose of embellishment.
Or so she hoped, that it had been explained clearly enough.
****
Yet, it wasn’t until the afternoon of the following day, after school hours.
Inside the A-class classroom, six girls from various classes sat in a circle, with the attention of the other five girls largely focused on Shion.
Of the six, only Shion and Shigure were from Class A.
Ayane, Nanami, Sakuya, and Rie were not, and Rie wasn’t even a first-year student.
Any Class A student walking in on this scene would undoubtedly exclaim, “Who exactly are all of you?”
The atmosphere in the room was presently quite tense, almost chilling.
Rie placed her hand on the table, her fingers tapping rhythmically in a wave-like motion, producing a crisp sound.
Typically, such tapping served as a subtle cue, a sign of impatience regarding a particular matter.
Yet, the discussion hadn’t even begun.
The senior student’s grave expression likely contributed significantly to the prevailing tension.
This sensation… it felt as if even King Arthur’s Round Table wouldn’t have been much different.
Nanami, seemingly oblivious to the situation, was munching on a bag of potato chips.
The crunching sound from her mouth, however, offered Shion a slight sense of calm.
Nanami even offered chips to Sakuya beside her, who politely declined, though Sakuya secretly yearned to ask, ‘And who exactly are you?’
Meanwhile, Shigure, completely bewildered by the unfolding events, could only discreetly tug at the hem of Shion’s school uniform skirt, seeking a small measure of reassurance.
“Sister, your social skills are truly impressive.
To think you could gather so many people to help you, all for a mere routine academic test.”
Ayane, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke, her words laced with a strong, biting sarcasm.
Indeed, Ayane’s perpetually stern expression was undeniably one of the main contributors to the current somber mood.
Shion, at the center of this swirling vortex of tension, dared not utter a single word.
She merely nodded silently, her movement so minuscule it could only be described as a thief’s guilty concession.
“I have a question,” Rie stated, raising her hand.
While she adopted the posture of requesting permission, her commanding aura made it clear that her question would be asked, regardless of any opposition.
“So, all these people present are here to tutor Shion-san and help improve her grades?”
Sakuya hummed in acknowledgment, crossing her arms.
From behind her black-framed glasses, she cast a somewhat distrustful glance at Shion, causing Shion to break out in a cold sweat.
“I’m here to tutor Shion-san in Japanese.”
The timid Shigure quickly raised her hand as well, saying, “I-I’m here to tutor Shion-san in math, and it was decided a long time ago.”
Despite her timid demeanor, Shigure’s final remark carried a surprising sting.
Ayane, sounding as if a balloon had just been pricked, retorted, “Um, Iori Shigure-san, I can directly tutor my sister in all subjects, including math.
I had no idea she’d come to you!”
Ayane’s somewhat angry words immediately deflated half of Shigure’s recently mustered courage.
Feeling Shigure’s grip on her skirt hem tighten, almost painfully, Shion quickly stepped in to mediate, saying, “Ayane, let me explain.
Shigure is really good at math problems and very patient.
I asked her to help me tutor.”
“Huh?! Sister, you can’t even finish the problems I give you at night.
And you’re still looking for Iori-san to tutor you?”
Shion nodded.
“Ayane, you were so tired you fell asleep last night.
I asked Iori-san to help lighten your burden, so you wouldn’t have to constantly watch over me every night and could watch your favorite evening dramas instead.
You haven’t seen them for two days.”
Hoshimori Shion had come up with a rather grand and plausible excuse.
“Sister, you—!”
Ayane wanted to retort further, but the excuse effectively silenced her.
Nanami, too, raised her hand at this point, saying, “Oh, I’m not.
It’s just that Shion-san came to ask me about a math homework problem last night, and that’s how I found out she was looking for tutors.”
Rie shot Nanami a glare, though the chip-munching Nanami completely ignored it.
Rie had genuinely believed yesterday that Shion was flirting with another girl, and while balancing accounts at her family’s inn, she had nearly snapped the pencil in her hand.
“Shion-san, I told you, if you ever needed anything, you could always come to me.”
Rie tapped her right index finger on the table, as if emphasizing her words, “My grades were excellent in my first year, and I’m currently studying to advance my education.
Helping you pass an academic test is absolutely no problem.
We’ve discussed this before, haven’t we?”
They had indeed discussed it, but who would willingly undertake something they found troublesome, especially for a poor student like Shion, for whom studying was an absolute chore.
“Igarashi-senpai, I haven’t mistaken your name, have I?”
Sakuya interjected quickly, “Well, there’s also the matter of ‘first come, first served’ when it comes to tutoring Shion-san.
It was already agreed upon with Shion-san that I would handle Japanese.
I’m perfectly capable, whether it’s extracurricular essays or in-class exercises.”
“Um… for math and such, I can… and it was also, agreed upon with Shion-san.”
Shigure’s voice remained timid amidst the group, but sitting next to Shion gave her a little more courage.
“Then I’ll tutor Shion-san in English.
After all, my grades are good in every subject.”
Even though Rie was typically assertive, she had to concede at this point.
Since it was about tutoring Shion, any subject would do.
“Wow, Shion-san, you really asked so many people for tutoring?”
Nanami was somewhat shocked, but still offered the bag of chips to Shion.
“Want some?”
Shion, without hesitation, grabbed a handful from Nanami’s chip bag, stuffing them into her mouth one by one.
It was as if she didn’t need to worry about the turbulent arguments around her, focusing solely on crunching her chips.
Indeed, for Shion in that moment, eating potato chips was an incredibly stress-relieving activity.
“Why did you all decide so quickly?
Did anyone ask for my opinion?!”
Ayane pounded her small fist on the table.
“I can tutor Sister in all subjects by myself!
Everyone… don’t you all have your own exams to prepare for?
You can just study on your own!”
“Ayane, you need to study too, and after you finish reviewing at night, you’ll have more time to watch your dramas.”
Shion, using the hand not holding chips, ruffled her sister’s soft hair, then popped a chip into her mouth.