My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

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"In that case, you should focus on preparing for the exam first."

"what?"

"Just try it and you'll see. Give it your all. That way you'll find out... who's right."

It's rare to hear Shuidou give such a simple answer.

No... perhaps it's more like Mizuto's style.

The winner takes all—he spent so much time and effort developing such a simple theory to arrive at this conclusion.

Tomorrow, Ye Yuan will definitely have no choice but to prove himself right by outperforming me in the exam.

Since that's the case, I'll stop her, stop her, and stop her again—maybe one day she'll be almost discouraged and re-examine her approach, and only then will she be able to listen to other people's advice.

Until then, all I need to do is protect her as a friend.

While it may be frustrating... that's probably all the influence a person can have on how others conduct themselves.

"Tell me if you get tired. I can hold onto the top spot for you."

I went all out to respond to that deliberately provocative remark.

"Don't worry about it. Anyway, I think you're more comfortable being second."

"snort."

I think I know why I feel more at ease being with him now than before.

Because just as I chose to silently protect Asuhain-kun—he must also be silently protecting me.

Irito Yume ◆ Learning Methods of Conduct

And just like that, the midterm exams for the next semester were over.

In conclusion, I confidently finished the two-day midterm exams. I don't know how Shuidou did, but none of the members of the remote reading group looked despairing, so it should be alright.

The problem is with Asuhain-kun.

After all the midterm exams were over, I went to the student council room, where not everyone had been present for a long time. This was the first time I had met Asuhain since then.

"I can do it with ease."

Asahi-no-Yuan, with her petite frame and large breasts, looked up at me with a confident smile.

"This is the most confident I've ever been. It's even a bit difficult to find a question I can't answer. Irito-san—it seems your reign has come to an end."

Hearing her confident tone, Senior Sister Ya Shuang said:

"The standard loser's lines are hilarious."

"Senior! Please don't confuse fiction with reality!"

"No, that's not it!"

Senior student Ya Shuang ate a pudding from the convenience store with childlike enthusiasm, saying it was a reward for herself after finishing her exams.

I looked back at her radiant, confident expression.

"Since you're so confident, how about we make a bet?"

They decided to use a plan they had already devised.

Asahi no Yein didn't seem confused at all, and just snorted loudly.

"Okay. If I lose, I'll do anything for you!"

"Hmm? You mean you can say whatever you want?"

"Aisa, speak according to the occasion."

President Hong took over the reins from senior student Ya Shuang, who was leaning forward.

"In exchange, Irito-san, what will you do for me if you lose?"

"Well... how about I show you my notebooks and textbooks? They should be quite useful for reference."

"...I see, so you'll just share your secrets then. Okay. Even though we're enemies, there might still be things we can learn from each other. How about we agree that the loser has to share their notebook and textbook?"

"No need. If I win, Tomorrow Ye Yuan-kun—I want you to get eight hours of sleep every day."

These words silenced the student council room.

Senior Sister Ya Shuang tilted her head blankly.

"...Huh? That's it? It's pretty ordinary."

Yes, it's very ordinary.

If it were an ordinary person.

"How could you make such a request!"

Asahi-no-Yuan took a step back and stared at me with an expression as if she had seen a ghost.

"Eight hours...! Isn't that a waste of time? You're planning to steal my study time, aren't you! And then use that to maintain your unshakeable ranking...! You're cheating! You're being opportunistic!"

"Huh?...No, wait a minute. Lanlan, how many hours do you usually sleep a day?"

"About four hours!"

Hearing her straightforward reply, Senior Sister Ya Shuang was shocked and opened her mouth wide.

"Four hours? Every day? Really? You'll die!"

"Don't worry. Because I'm a short sleeper."

……Yeah?

Do true short sleepers doze off?

In short, I completely played the villain in the wrestling match.

"That's it. It'll be fine until the next exam. Then we'll make another bet. If I win again, I'll make sure you get eight hours of sleep before the exam after that. That'll mean you lose four hours of study time every day, and my graduation as the top student is practically guaranteed!"

"...It doesn't matter. I'm already going to win anyway, your despicable plan won't work. You might as well prepare the notebook you're going to offer me!"

I came in first place.

"...Huff...Huff...Mmm..."

On the day the midterm exam results were announced, after school—I, Senior Sister Asahi, and President Kurenai were in the student council room, peeking at Asuhain, who was sleeping soundly on the sofa.

Senior Sister Ya Shuang poked her adorable, soft-skinned sleeping face and said:

"Wow~ that really scared me~... She collapsed as soon as she saw the list, I thought she had fainted."

"Perhaps my tense nerves snapped. The fatigue just exploded all at once."

As President Kurenai said this, she quietly covered Asuha-in with a blanket.

I came in first place, Mizuto second, and Asuhain third again. The difference in total score between second and third place is as much as ten points, which can hardly be explained by chance.

Mizuto's saying is, "Lack of sleep is like putting shackles on the brain."

That makes perfect sense. We can't afford to lose to people who limit their own abilities.

"I just hope she keeps her promise and gets eight hours of sleep every day..."

"She'll keep her word. Right, Uncle?"

When asked by the president, senior student Yuba looked over from the conference table and nodded at us.

Haba-senpai usually stays completely in the background, rarely even speaking, but perhaps he's worried about Asuhain-kun, who's clearly putting on a brave face. Besides, the student council president said... he has a keen eye for people better than anyone else.

"Lanlan is so small, could it be because she doesn't sleep enough? Aren't they saying that kids who sleep a lot grow faster?"

"I see, that makes sense... In other words, this might be why I haven't grown taller. This is a real headache."

"Huh?...President, how many hours do you usually sleep?"

"Three hours. I'm a short sleeper."

Hearing President Hong speak so nonchalantly, both Senior Sister Ya Shuang and I gave her a cold look. She showed no signs of fatigue; in fact, she looked healthier than most. Was she Napoleon?

Mizuto is right; sometimes you really do encounter people whose brains are malfunctioning.

However, unfoundedly believing that one is the same way will unnecessarily shorten one's lifespan. Everyone has their own way of dealing with the world—but the body cannot fathom its owner's thoughts.

"...Oh. What's up? Is everyone here today?"

As the three of us were looking at Asuhain-kun sleeping soundly, Hoshibe-senpai arrived.

Seeing his junior sleeping soundly on the sofa, which he usually used as a bed, he felt a little embarrassed, but also breathed a sigh of relief.

"It seems you did a good job, Irito."

"That's hard to say. Whether what senior says can move Asuha-in-san depends on her own efforts."

"I see...you're right."

To be honest, Senior Xingbian told me to "keep an eye on her." I just did as he said and became an observer.

"Ouch~?"

Hearing our conversation, Senior Sister Ya Shuang giggled and leaned closer to Senior Brother Xing Bian.

"Could it be that he's acting up again? That nagging senior of his! He must have made Lanlan angry. Who taught him to be so clumsy with words, yet so caring towards his juniors!"

"You're so annoying...! If I don't meddle a little sometimes, won't I just become a useless observer who gets in my way?"

"Isn't that how it is?"

"Does the senior think he isn't?"

"Speak more politely, you two are in second grade!"

Xingbian, the senior student, swaggered in, cursing like an unreasonable senior, and placed the paper bag on the table in front of the sofa.

"This is?"

When I asked him, Xingbian awkwardly looked away and said:

"...Apologize for offending her with your words. Please give this to Asuha-in for me."

"Huh? What's inside, senior?"

"Dorayaki. Nobody dislikes red bean paste filling, right?"

"...No, that's not necessarily true, senior."

"Huh? You're kidding me, right?"

"It's hard to say, but my stepson doesn't really like red bean paste..."

Upon hearing my example, Senior Xingbian immediately became anxious.

Senior Sister Ya Shuang seized the opportunity, peeking over to look at the senior's face while adding insult to injury.

"Senior, you're really... oblivious when it comes to the most fundamental things, aren't you?"

"...Ugh, damn it! Oh well! If she doesn't want to eat, you guys can eat it! I'll go buy her something else!"

"Ugh, we're having a tiff~♪"

Senior Xingbian shook off Senior Yashuang, who was pestering him for amusement, and quickly left the student council room.

Even if Tomorrow Ye Yuan ignores the agreement and tries to stick to her word again, these kind senior students will definitely correct her.

Repeated corrections will teach Asuhain the correct way to grit her teeth. Even if this is the only way she can cope with life, she can learn a way to grit her teeth without harming her health.

No matter how firmly Asahi-no-Yuan refuses, these senior students—and I—will never let her slip away again.

Because we've all grown to love this earnest, stubborn, and adorable girl so much.

...By the way, Asuka-in is a big fan of red bean paste.

Asuhain, with his mouth stuffed full of dorayaki and chewing non-stop, is so cute and adorable to watch, like a little animal. I would like to make a special note of this postscript.

Irito Yume ◆ Three words are not enough...

That night.

I felt that since I had asked for their opinions, I had an obligation to report back, so I told Mizuto what had happened.

The book in Mizuto's hand changed from a textbook to a paperback book after hearing the whole story...

"That's it."