51. You Have to Work Hard When You're Young
51. You Have to Work Hard When You're Young
##
"Noah, are you studying?"
"Yeah."
"...Aren't there no more exams today? You're not going to rest even though it's break time?"
"I want to get a better grade this time."
"Oh...?"
After finishing one exam, Noah didn't even get up from his seat; he just kept studying while sitting there.
Even though there were classes left for the day.
Clearly, there were no more exams to take today.
Nevertheless, Noah just kept sitting still and studying.
Since he hadn't even gotten up during the previous break, Iris, in the seat next to him, couldn't help but look at him with curiosity.
"Then, study hard...? If you have any questions, ask me...!"
"Yeah."
Even though his childhood friend was talking to him from the side, Noah continued to reply without even looking at the girl.
His eyes were focused solely on the notes he had organized and his textbook.
His hand kept underlining with a pen, adding note after note, and covering up words or sentences with his hand.
He really was focused only on studying.
It wasn't that Noah never studied normally, and he did tend to study in his own way during exam periods.
Although he didn't usually dedicate all his time to studying like this.
But since a reason to do so had arisen for this Midterm Exam, Noah was pouring all his attention into studying as hard as he could.
Scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch.
What was being engraved onto the notebook were sentences and content that Noah had memorized over and over again.
At the same time, it was what he had relearned over the past few weeks.
"......."
'Nuna taught me how to study, too. And she even called Iris and Katrina over to help me more.'
The reason the boy had started working this hard was ultimately because of one person.
Basically, there was definitely a need to study hard.
He wasn't going to fail, and since he received such high scores in the Swordsmanship Department's major exams... like Swordsmanship, there wasn't a big problem.
He didn't really need to study this hard for the common subjects that people usually talk about.
But Skadi, who had started teaching Noah by chance, and although her intentions were different, had even created an environment for him to study with his peers for his sake.
On top of that, since the chance to have a meal with Skadi had appeared if he did well on the exam.
"......Hoo."
It was only natural to prepare for the exam while gritting his teeth.
It was a situation where he was studying until his head hurt for the first time in a long while.
But even so, the boy who chose to read one more time rather than rest was looking forward to the date with Skadi that would happen later, while also worrying.
'No matter how much of an age gap there is, she treats me too much like a kid....'
Treating him like a kid.
Aside from everything else, this was the part Noah had been worrying about the most lately.
His relationship with Skadi had become quite, normally close.
It wasn't bad at all, and he hadn't even made any mistakes over the past few weeks, and there were more occasions where they met privately.
But even in that situation, Skadi always viewed Noah as a child, not as a romantic interest at all.
"Haa...."
Even while focusing on his studies, that part was his concern.
He wished she would at least feel uncomfortable and see him as a romantic interest.
Skadi clearly wasn't seeing Noah as a romantic interest.
"......."
Noah, whose thoughts had drifted back to Skadi, and to his relationship with Skadi, eventually had no choice but to stop studying for a moment.
It was obvious he would just sit there and think.
It was only natural for Noah to get up from his seat.
Since he had decided to go to the bathroom naturally and had gotten up from his seat for once, it was also extremely natural for him to plan to head straight to the Convenience Store.
"Noah, where are you going?"
"Ah. Just... going to the bathroom for a bit."
"Oh...?"
Although their classes were different, they shared the break time, so it was also natural to meet Katrina, who had come to the classroom to see Noah in the process.
They had taken the common subject exam.
And Katrina had taken the same one.
Katrina naturally intended to talk about content related to that.
It was normal to talk to Noah while naturally asking questions like whether he did well on the exam, if the parts he studied went well, or what happened with the parts he found difficult last time.
It was a topic where the other person, Noah, wouldn't feel burdened, and Katrina's intentions wouldn't be too obvious.
That was why she tried to talk naturally.
"Noah, how did the exam go? The difficulty seemed reasonable a little while ago."
"Ah, I did well on the exam."
"Hmm, really? What about the part you were struggling with over the weekend? You kept saying you didn't understand it properly."
"It was a part I studied until the very end. Thankfully, I solved the problem. The answer was number 3."
"Oh.... That's a relief? I taught you hard, so I wanted you to do well."
"Yeah, thank you. Thanks to you, I did well."
But Noah's attention had already been focused on one thing since a moment ago.
He couldn't focus on studying, so he got up from his seat, headed to the bathroom, and was in a state where he naturally planned to go to the Convenience Store.
"Katrina, the break is almost over, so. Would it be okay if I went to the bathroom?"
"Ah, yeah. That... can't be helped. Sorry for holding you up."
"No. Thank you for teaching me how to study, and have a good next class."
"...Yeah."
Noah asked for her understanding and headed straight to the bathroom.
Of course, out of the 1st goal and the 2nd goal, the 2nd goal was overwhelmingly more important.
The bathroom was just an excuse.
And so, Noah left his seat first, and Katrina had no choice but to swallow her disappointment in the hallway.
Since most of the times she had met Noah recently were when other people were around, it was a situation where she could talk to him alone for the first time in a while.
But it ended without being able to do anything.
"......Tsk."
She had no choice but to feel disappointed alone.
But it made even less sense to stop him when he said he was going to the bathroom, especially when it was a member of the opposite sex.
Katrina had no choice but to let him go.
"......Hoo."
Leaving the noble lady of Valerance behind, Noah entered the bathroom.
The 1st goal was the bathroom, the 2nd goal was the Convenience Store.
But since the real goal was to go to the Convenience Store and meet Skadi anyway, he checked the mirror as soon as he entered the bathroom.
"I ended up sleeping for nothing after finishing the exam...."
Because he couldn't do anything else during the exam time.
After solving all the problems on the exam paper, Noah had laid his head down and slept for a bit.
Because of that, his hair was slightly sticking up, and some parts were flattened... so he had no choice but to stare at the mirror alone and work hard to fix his hair.
"......This should be...."
He just hoped the state would improve by wetting his hair a little, pulling it straight, or pressing it down toward his forehead.
Since there really wasn't much break time left while he was setting it like that.
He had no choice but to head to the Convenience Store, even though he wasn't fully tidied up.
As always, Noah took a light deep breath before opening the door, and as soon as he went inside, he looked at Skadi, who was at the counter on the left side of the store.
"Noah, you're here?"
"......Yes, Nuna."
Today, too, they started talking normally.
It was so normal that it was almost disappointing.
##
"How was the exam earlier?"
"Hmm... I think I did well. There are still some liberal arts subjects left, and some major subjects too. But the one just now was easy."
Noah, who came after some time had passed since the bell rang for the end of class.
He looked a little more tired than usual.
It must be because of the exam.
It was like that during the last exam too, but since Noah was studying harder for this exam, it was only natural.
"Really? Then that's a relief. Are there no more exams today?"
"Yes, there are no more today, and tomorrow... I have one major subject, and one easy one."
"When are the exams for Literature and History?"
"Those two are the day after tomorrow. That's the day I have 4 exams, those two and two major subjects. Once I finish those, the Midterm Exam is over."
"Hmm, then should we go eat together when that time comes?"
"......Yes."
Since they had already talked about it.
He had promised to have a meal together after Noah did well on the exam.
Naturally, they decided to do it after the day after tomorrow.
There wasn't really a need to do well on the exam, but there was nothing bad about doing well.
And it's good to produce results as much as he prepared hard for the exam this time, right?
So I decided to cheer him on for the exam a bit more.
"If you do well on the exam, I'll buy you something really delicious. Do well on the remaining exams."
"...I'm just happy enough eating at Nuna's place...."
"Hey, I have to feed you something delicious for your hard work. If the fruit of your effort is just the food I make, isn't that too disappointing?"
"It's not."
"Hey, don't be so stiff. I know a really good restaurant. Study hard for the remaining exams too."
"......Yes."
Because a student's duty is to study.
First of all, it was important to study hard and get good grades.
Although there were various things related to Noah, starting with Katrina.
I also did various troublesome things when I attended the Academy in the past, but there was a time when I only focused on the exam during exam periods.
"You have to work hard when you're young so you don't suffer later, okay?"
"Yes, Nuna."
Noah, who answers my words easily.
Yeah, since he listens so obediently like this.
Isn't it great?
Noah, that kid, actually had quite a stubborn side to him.
Compared to his size, he was quite gentle and was a kid who listened well.
But the fact that he acts frustratingly like just now in ambiguous, useless parts... was truly a look that suited his age.
"Anyway, you have to study hard for the remaining exams, okay?"
"Yes, and after the exam, Nuna...."
"Why would I go back on my word? Of course I'll buy it for you. Don't worry, just study hard."
He should be able to trust adults a bit more.
I wondered if I really couldn't give him that much trust.