Time flew by, and the day of the exam arrived.

“I’m feeling nervous~.”

“How about you? Did you study well?”

“I still think getting first place will be tough. I gave up midway.”

Amid the chatter of students who showed no signs of nervousness, some took their seats with a serious demeanor.

Initially, everyone put effort into their exam preparation with the mindset of giving it a try.

However, since the requirement is to top the Academy, most students easily gave up.

As for me, the person in question?

I haven't given up yet, of course.

The reason lies in having confidence in areas others don’t.

‘I hope it’s just like the game.’

In [Epiris Academy], exam events happen every semester.

Though it’s a game, it doesn’t cover the entire exam content.

Instead, higher-scoring questions are tackled in minigames where the player figures out the answers to gain high scores.

Thus, I already know the high-scoring questions.

The issue lies with the general questions, which rely purely on skill.

Though I studied, there were still many difficult questions for me to understand since I suddenly found myself in this situation.

‘I wonder if the others are well-prepared?’

I turned my head slightly to look at Emily, who was in the same class.

Emily was intensely focused on memorization problems with a serious expression.

It seemed like she was reviewing the last bits she needed to remember.

Then suddenly, perhaps because she sensed my gaze, our eyes met.

‘Oops, I ended up distracting her.’

Surprised, Emily blushed as our eyes locked.

Then she averted her eyes, flustered and fumbling.

Soon she looked back at me.

“Good luck.”

She mouthed the words to cheer me on.

Her expression made me smile, and I waved my hand in response.

Emily, who had been embarrassed, also smiled cautiously and returned to her textbook.

I hope Emily or Mary gets first place, even if it’s not me…

Or it’d be nice if Raphne takes the top spot.

Of course, if Raphne gets the Wish Ticket, she might go wild, so I’d prefer it to be one of the other two.

‘If I get first place, I'm going to ask Ken out on a date.’

Suddenly, Mary’s words from a while back came to mind.

...Hmm.

Just recalling that moment made my face heat up.

‘…Mary wants to date me?’

It was clearly not a joke.

Back in the library, I sensed something strange even before she said that.

There was a hesitant, cautious feeling, yet she had a determined heart.

“...Huh?”

Lost in thought, I suddenly felt a gaze from somewhere.

When I looked up, I found someone staring piercingly at me.

No, it was almost like a resentful look.

The owner of that gaze was none other than Enzo Lothirix.

He was a man with striking orange hair and earrings.

His eyes met mine, and then he quickly turned his head to focus on his own matters.

‘...Why is he looking at me?’

In the early stages of the game, he was a character who, due to issues with Adrian, withdrew from the Academy. However, with the changes in Adrian's history, Adrian disappeared, and in contrast, he remained at the Academy.

He doesn't have much connection with Ken Feinstein, so I didn’t think much of it. But that look just now….

Creaaak.

“Alright, everyone, please take your seats.”

As I was lost in thought, the professor entered the classroom, and the exam began, preventing me from dwelling any further on the issue.

The crucial exam was right before us.

Top of the class.

[Siegfried Gardner]

“Wow~ I didn’t expect it to be a guy and not a girl~ Are you going on a date?”

“Do you want to keep messing around?”

Alicia teased as she stood next to me, looking at the bulletin board displaying the overall rankings.

The exam results were released the day after the tests were finished, much sooner than expected. This exam was unusual in that it ranked all the grades together. I’m not sure what the criteria were, but Siegfried was at the top of the list.

‘Come to think of it, he was portrayed as a diligent student who studies hard.’

As a character meant for strategic use in the game, Siegfried was excellent academically, lacking only crucial skills needed for becoming stronger. If Adrian had still been at the Academy, who knows what the results might have been.

“Hm, a Wish Ticket for Ken, perhaps?”

“S-Sieg... Surely it can’t be a date... right?”

Next to Siegfried, Elise asked anxiously, also looking at the rankings.

No, of course not. That’s just common sense.

But is it common sense to not have those thoughts?

I often saw female students giggling while looking at the report cards.

Listening in, it seemed they thought, since they wouldn't get it themselves, maybe it's better for good-looking guys to pair up or something.

Hearing this, Elise's expression turned even darker.

“S-Sieg! It can't be, right? You're going to wish for something else, aren’t you?”

“Why is Elise talking so strangely all of a sudden?”

Siegfried, perhaps sharing my thoughts, looked at Elise with confusion.

For reference, my rank was 23rd.

Considering it was a ranking among all grades, it was actually a remarkable score.

However, it seemed it wasn't enough to take the top spot.

Looking at others' rankings,

Emily was 10th, and above her… Alicia?

“Why are you 6th?”

“Oh, dear, I aimed for the top spot to go on a date with Senior Ken, but I just missed it… sob.”

In response to my question, Alicia pretended to wipe away tears and spoke with regret.

The problem was that her acting was so bad it was obvious she was teasing me.

Still, being 6th is something. It's not a rank you achieve with just ordinary effort....

“Really, if I had secured that Wish Ticket, it would've been sold for a good price. What a pity.”

As expected, money was her goal.

'Let's see, above that...'

In 3rd place was Raphne's name.

Indeed, Raphne's grades were also shown to be quite high in the game.

A top-ranking villainess known for her academic prowess, both in combat and in studies.

Because of her dedicated efforts, Raphne managed to secure the impressive position of 3rd place overall.

And above her, in 2nd place...

‘...Mary.’

The name written in 2nd place was Mary Hyde.

‘She really worked hard.’

2nd place.

It was so close, almost to the point where she might have actually taken 1st place.

And this was her position among all grades, not just among the sophomores.

While it's just a number, it was hard to think that her feelings weren't genuine after seeing this result.

‘If I achieve 1st place, I'll ask Ken out on a date.’

That was what Mary had told me a few days ago in front of the girls' dormitory.

Lately, those words had been echoing in my mind.

‘But in the end, Siegfried took 1st place...’

Mary probably checked the rankings on the bulletin board as well.

She aimed genuinely for 1st place, but very narrowly ended up in 2nd.

I wondered if she might be feeling down about it.

I was lost in these concerned thoughts when suddenly...

"Ken, please follow me for a moment."

Mary appeared out of nowhere, grabbed my arm, and led me somewhere.

"Wah! Mary?"

When did she arrive nearby?

I was so focused on the rankings that I failed to notice her presence.

Clutching my arm, Mary walked briskly.

Thankfully, she didn't look dejected, but there was a sense of urgency and anxiety about her.

And the place we arrived at was the rooftop.

‘This place hasn't changed.’

The rooftop garden managed by Siegfried.

It was as beautiful and filled with vibrant flowers as the last time I visited.

A gentle breeze pleasantly swept through.

At the center of the main building's rooftop garden, our intended destination, Mary finally let go of my hand.

"…Mary?"

However, she didn't turn to face me, only letting go of my hand while facing away.

She placed her hand over her chest, took a deep breath, and her shoulders rose before settling down again.

Then, with a spin, she turned to face me.

Standing before me, Mary’s face wasn't as expressionless as usual.

Her face showed a mix of unease and embarrassment, her cheeks faintly red as she carefully looked at me.

Her shy gaze made my heart skip a beat without me realizing it.

It felt like the tension was contagious, making it difficult for me to remain calm.

"…Ken, how was the exam?"

She clasped her hands behind her back, tapping the ground lightly with the tip of her foot.

Mary then lowered her head slightly, avoiding eye contact, and continued.

"I did my best, but... haha, reaching 1st place is tough, isn't it?"

"Yes, he really is amazing. Senior Siegfried is."

Her voice carried a hint of disappointment.

“Even so, Mary, you're amazing! You're 2nd in the whole Academy! If the situation had been just a little different…."

"But I'm 2nd."

I tried my best to comfort her, thinking she might be feeling down.

But her short reply left me at a loss for words.

"…2nd isn't what we promised."

Mary spoke regretfully, lowering her head.

Even though 2nd place is an impressive score.

The Wish Ticket she wanted was the prize for 1st place.

Even if the difference between 2nd and 1st was as thin as a single sheet of paper, 2nd place meant she wouldn't get the Wish Ticket.

Knowing this, I couldn't offer any more words of comfort.

I could only look at Mary as she bowed her head.

"So, Ken."

However, contrary to my thoughts, Mary's voice wasn't gloomy or sad when she spoke again.

She lifted her head to look directly at me.

Her eyes were trembling.

Her cheeks were flushed.

It wasn't the face of someone who had lost.

Though she wore her usual expressionless face.

She had a look that showed she wasn't giving up and wasn’t hiding her feelings.

She was earnestly looking at me.

"Regardless of the result of this exam… It's a personal request to Ken."

Initially, if Mary secured 1st place in the exam, she could ask for a favor without any risk, as was promised.

But Mary asked me regardless of such promises.

"Will you... go on a date with me?"

It was a request that could be declined since it wasn't related to the promise.

Even knowing this risk, Mary bravely asked me out on a date.

As she spoke each word, her confident gaze slowly lowered, and eventually, she bowed her head, cautiously making her request.

It was as if hearing my response directly was too much to bear.

Yet, she gathered the courage to speak to me.

To ask me out on a date.

It seemed like every action of hers conveyed sincerity.

"Yes, of course, that's fine."

So I could only smile and respond.

"......"

Upon hearing my positive answer, Mary lifted her bowed head and her eyes widened in surprise.

Then, with a blush on her cheeks, she shyly averted her gaze.

"Th-Then this weekend... I'll decide on the time and place and let you know."

Mary, hastily continuing her words.

"I'll be going now."

As if unable to bear the embarrassment any longer, she brushed past me and left.

As she walked by, there was a faint smile on Mary's face.

"…Oh, what should I do?"

After Mary left.

I clutched at my rapidly beating heart and leaned against the railing, staring up at the sky.

Please support the series on NovelUpdates

Read Here for premium chapters