Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: End-of-Semester Performance Test (4)
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Time flew by, and the day of the exam arrived.
“I’m so nervous~.”
“How’s your studying going?”
“First place might be a stretch, right? I gave up partway through.”
Amid the carefree murmurs of tense students, those who weren’t chatting settled into their seats with serious expressions.
At first, everyone had thrown themselves into studying with a “let’s give it a shot” attitude.
But since the top spot across the entire academy was the prize, most students had given up easily.
As for me, the one directly involved?
Of course, I hadn’t given up yet.
The reason was that, unlike the other students, I had something I was confident in.
Please let it be just like in the game.
Even in [Academy of Epiris], exam events popped up every semester.
Of course, being a game, they didn’t make you take the full exam content.
High-scoring problems were handled as minigames where players figured out and wrote the answers to rack up points.
Which meant I already knew those high-score problems in advance.
The issue was the other regular problems, which came down to pure skill.
I had studied, but as someone who’d suddenly possessed this body, there were still plenty of tough concepts I struggled to grasp.
I wonder if the others prepared well?
I glanced over at Emily, who was in the same class.
She was staring intently at her memorization notes with a serious look.
Probably reviewing the last bits she needed to cram.
Then, as if sensing my gaze, our eyes met.
Whoops, I interrupted her.
Emily startled, her face flushing red.
She averted her eyes, flustered and fidgeting.
But soon she looked back at me.
‘You got this.’
She mouthed words of encouragement.
I couldn’t help but smile at the sight, waving back with a grin.
Emily, who’d been flustered, gave a shy smile in return before diving back into her textbook.
It’d be great if Emily or Mary took first, even if it’s not me…
Or even Rafne snagging it would be fine.
Though with Rafne, there was a risk she’d go berserk if she won the wish voucher, so the other two were preferable.
‘If I take first place, I’ll ask Ken out on a date.’
And suddenly, Mary’s words from a few days ago popped into my head.
“……Hmm.”
Just thinking about it made my face heat up.
…Mary, asking me on a date?
It hadn’t felt like a joke at all.
Even before that, I’d picked up on a strange vibe starting from the library.
Hesitant, cautious, yet somehow bold and forward.
“……Huh?”
Lost in thought, I suddenly felt eyes on me from somewhere.
I looked up and found someone staring right through me.
No, more like a resentful glare.
And the owner of that glare was Enzo Lotrix.
The guy with the orange hair and earrings.
Our eyes met, and he quickly turned away, focusing on his own stuff.
…Why was he staring at me?
In the game’s early story, he’d clashed with Adrian Faraday and ended up dropping out of the academy.
With Adrian’s history rewritten and gone, this guy had stayed on instead.
He had no real connection to Ken Fine Stein, so I hadn’t given him much thought.
But that look just now…
━Scraaaape.
“Alright, everyone take your seats.”
The professor entered the classroom, kicking off the exam, and I couldn’t spare another thought for it.
Not with the most crucial test right in front of me.
。 。 。
Overall Top.
🏆 OVERALL RANKINGS 🏆 [Siegfried Gardner] “Whoa~ I didn’t expect a guy instead of a girl to snag it~ You gonna go on a date or something?”
“Keep messing around and see what happens.”
Alicia teased me as I checked the overall rankings posted on the bulletin board.
The day after the exam ended.
The results came out faster than expected.
This test was unique, ranking everyone across all years.
I wasn’t sure on the exact criteria, but first place went to Siegfried.
Come to think of it, he was set up as a hard worker who excelled in academics too.
Siegfried wasn’t lacking key skills for getting stronger, but true to his role as a strategy character, his academic prowess was top-notch.
Who knows if Adrian had stayed at the academy—things might’ve been different.
“Hmm, a wish voucher for Ken, huh.”
“Z-Zeke… You’re not seriously thinking of a date or anything, right?”
Elis asked uneasily from beside Siegfried as they looked at the scores together.
No way that’d happen logically. Guys with guys?
But was that even common sense here?
I often saw girls squealing over the rankings.
From what I overheard, since they had no shot anyway, they’d rather see hot guys pair up or whatever.
Elis’s face darkened even more after hearing that.
“Z-Zeke…! No, right? You’re wishing for something else! Yeah?”
“Elis, why are you saying weird stuff since earlier?”
Siegfried shot her a baffled look, mirroring my own thoughts.
For reference, I ranked 23rd.
Not bad across the whole academy, all things considered.
Just not enough to claim first.
Checking others:
Emily at 10th, and above her… Alicia?
“How are you 6th?”
“Ugh, I aimed for first to score a date with Senior Ken, but I missed it… Sniff.”
Alicia pretended to wipe tears at my question, feigning regret.
Her acting was so obvious it just felt like teasing.
Still, 6th place? That wasn’t achievable with normal effort…
“Seriously, if I’d nabbed that wish voucher, I could’ve sold it for a fortune. What a shame.”
Money was her goal, as expected.
Let’s see, above her…
3rd was Rafne.
In the game, her grades were always top-tier too.
Top of her year in combat prowess, and neck-and-neck for academics—an exceptional villainess.
Taking the exam seriously, she’d pulled off an impressive 3rd overall.
And right above her in 2nd…
…Mary.
The name in 2nd: Mary Heidi.
She really went all out.
2nd place.
So close she might’ve actually taken first.
And that was across all years, not just her grade.
It was just a number on a list, but seeing it, I couldn’t doubt her sincerity.
‘If I take first place, I’ll ask Ken out on a date.’
Mary’s words to me days ago, right in front of the girls’ dorm.
They’d been echoing in my head lately.
But in the end, Siegfried got first…
Mary must’ve seen the rankings by now.
She’d aimed for the top with everything she had, only to fall heartbreakingly short at 2nd.
Was she feeling down?
I worried for a moment.
“Ken, come with me for a sec.”
Then Mary appeared out of nowhere, grabbing my arm and dragging me off.
“W-Woah…! M-Mary?”
How long had she been nearby?
I’d been so fixated on the rankings I hadn’t noticed.
Mary gripped my arm firmly and strode ahead.
Thankfully, she didn’t look depressed from behind, but she seemed anxious and hurried.
And our destination?
The rooftop.
Still as beautiful as ever.
Siegfried’s rooftop garden.
It was as gorgeous as the last time, blooming with vibrant flowers.
A gentle breeze rustled pleasantly.
At the center of the rooftop garden atop the main building.
Once we arrived, Mary let go of my hand.
“……Mary?”
But she just released it, still facing away, not looking at me.
Then she took a deep breath, hand on her chest, shoulders rising and falling.
She turned around with a twirl to face me.
Mary, straight on.
Her face wasn’t its usual blank mask.
Blushing with a mix of anxiety and shyness, she gazed at me cautiously.
Her timid eyes made my heart skip without warning.
It was contagious; I felt my own composure slipping.
“…Ken, …how’d the exam go for you?”
Hands clasped behind her back, she tapped the ground with one toe.
Head slightly lowered, eyes averted, she asked.
“I gave it my all, but… haha, first was a tall order.”
“Yeah… Siegfried Senior’s amazing.”
Her voice carried a hint of regret.
“S-Still, you were incredible too, Mary! 2nd across the whole academy! If things had gone just a bit differently…”
“But it’s 2nd.”
I tried to console her, rambling on.
Her short reply shut me down.
“…2nd doesn’t count for our promise.”
Mary looked down, voice tinged with disappointment.
No matter how impressive 2nd was,
the wish voucher she wanted was first prize.
Even a paper-thin margin meant 2nd got nothing.
I couldn’t offer more comfort.
I just watched her bowed head.
“That’s why, Ken.”
But unlike my thoughts, Mary’s next words weren’t gloomy or sad.
She lifted her head, meeting my eyes directly.
Trembling pupils.
Flushed cheeks.
Not the face of someone defeated.
Even in her usual stoic expression,
it was unhidden resolve, baring her heart.
She looked at me with utter sincerity.
“Regardless of the exam results, …this is a personal request to you.”
The original deal: first place gets their wish granted, risk-free.
But Mary asked anyway, promise be damned.
“Will you… go on a… date… with me?”
No promise safety net—she risked rejection.
Yet she asked.
Each word bold at first, then eyes shyly downcast, head bowed in a timid plea.
As if facing me for the answer was too much.
But Mary mustered her courage.
And told me:
Let’s go on a date.
Every action screamed her sincerity.
“Yeah, of course.”
So I smiled and answered.
“…….”
At my positive reply, Mary looked up, eyes wide in surprise.
Then her cheeks pinked deeper as she shyly glanced away.
“Th-Then this weekend… I-I’ll set the time and place and let you know.”
She rushed the words.
“I’ll… head out first.”
Unable to bear the embarrassment, she brushed past me and left.
A faint smile graced Mary’s face as she passed.
“……What now.”
After she left,
I clutched my pounding chest, leaning on the railing to gaze at the sky.