Seems Like I Might Like You a Bit

"Kamikawa-san, who do you think is the right person for me to talk to?"

Ichika didn't answer his question but instead asked.

"Your sister?"

After thinking for a moment, Ren answered hesitantly.

Although he didn't know where her stress came from, it wouldn't hurt to talk to her family.

"Impossible, I don't want them to see me looking so weak." Ichika shook her head, rejecting his suggestion.

As for the source of stress, it was even more impossible to tell her sisters.

"A psychologist?"

"I haven't reached that level." Ichika chuckled at his suggestion, "I just want to find someone to talk to."

"I'm not good at chatting."

This was what Ren was worried about.

"It's okay; you just need to listen, whether you talk or not." Ichika naturally considered this when she expressed it to him.

"Okay, then just say it."

If he's just a spectator, this is his best skill, and Ren thinks he won't be much different from anyone else.

After all, during this period, the most common thing she did while talking to others was listening.

"I suddenly don't know what to say."

Seeing Ren sitting across from her, Ichika felt she didn't know where to start.

Before he came, she wanted to say a lot, but when he actually sat in front of her, she found it difficult to speak.

"Why are you so stressed?"

After thinking for a while, Ren took the initiative to find a topic.

"Um, maybe because of the final exams and the office."

Seeing him ask, Ichika smiled and answered.

"What's the pressure on the final exams?"

Ren didn't know much about the firm, but he knew a lot about final exams.

Isn't it just an exam? How stressful can it be?

Ichika sighed and said seriously, "Of course, because of you!"

"Me?"

Ren was full of doubt; what does the final exam have to do with him?

"Yes, it's you." Ichika nodded, "Think about it, have you been helping some of us with lessons all this time?"

"Yes." Ren admitted.

Ichika then asked, "What do you think if I don't do well in the final exams this time?"

"No idea."

After imagining the situation, Ren gave his answer.

"?"

Ichika was confused.

His answer was a bit unexpected.

"Don't you feel angry or disappointed?" Ichika was very uncertain. "You've worked hard to teach me for so long, but my grades are still very poor, and there's no improvement at all."

"Did you not make any progress in your grades?"

Ren asked with concern.

"It can't be said that there is no progress at all. At least, I feel my results should be much better than before."

Seeing his appearance, Ichika's expression became slightly more serious.

"As long as you make progress."

After hearing her answer, Ren's worries disappeared instantly.

"What do you mean?" Ichika felt she couldn't understand his thoughts. "Does progress alone suffice?"

"That's what it means."

Ren didn't know what to say, so he could only explain it like this.

"Is improvement from the last results what you expect from our results?" Ichika understood his meaning.

"Yes." Ren admitted, "As long as there is progress, there will be no problem."

"Do you have low expectations for us?" Ichika asked seriously. "Or do you have no expectations at all, so the results just need to be higher than before?"

She would never worry about the previous final exams; besides, her grades were so bad that she would definitely not get a good grade, so she could only wait for the retake.

But this time was different because Ren had been tutoring them seriously for a long time, coming every afternoon from Monday to Friday, except in special circumstances.

With this level of tutoring, she could clearly feel her progress.

However, she also worried about the final exams; she worried that she wouldn't succeed in this exam, worried that her progress was just an illusion, and worried that Ren would be disappointed because she didn't do well in the exam.

After trying her best but not getting the desired results, it's reasonable to be disappointed.

But Ichika never thought that Ren would have low expectations for them, as long as they made progress.

Does this mean he never had any expectations for them?

"No." Ren answered honestly.

"Then why did you just say that?" Ichika took a deep breath. "Do you lack confidence in us or in your teaching level?"

"I trust you and my teaching level."

Ren wanted to explain clearly in one breath, but unfortunately, his language ability was limited, and without time to think, he couldn't express his thoughts clearly.

"In this case..."

As Ichika was about to say something more, she was interrupted by Ren.

"Wait a moment; give me time to finish it."

"Go on."

Seeing this, Ichika had no choice but to stay silent and wait for his speech.

"By that, I mean you don't need to worry about not being able to do well on the exam. However bad you are, even if your final exam grade only improves by one point, I think that's enough."

With time to think, Ren could finally express his thoughts fully.

"My expectation is definitely progress, no matter how small the progress is, as long as there is some progress, no matter how trivial."

"Just a little progress is enough?"

After a long silence, Ichika asked this question.

"Enough. Because I make progress little by little, no matter how much I improve."

Since then until now, Ren never thought he would suddenly become an ordinary person.

Learning a little bit of common people's knowledge was what he did most often.

Even small progress would become significant progress over time.

That's what he did.

"In what aspect is your progress just a little?" Ichika was a little worried about this issue.

"Keep it a secret."

Ren's tone was quick; he didn't want people to know the fact that he wasn't an ordinary person.

"Suddenly, my stress has decreased."

After staring at him for a while, Ichika lifted the corner of her mouth a bit and said with a smile.

"Also, Ren-kun, it seems like I might like you a bit."