Leaving a Mark in History

Admired by others?

Hearing Megumi Kato's comment, Kotomi couldn't help but think about her relationship with Aimi. It was true—they were very close.

Maybe even a bit too close at times.

But at least Aimi wasn't like the "tsundere little sister" types you'd find in anime or galgames, the ones who start with disdainful phrases like, "Huh? You're annoying, big brother, don't talk to me!" or "Can't you stop pretending you're doing this for me? It's disgusting and makes me want to puke!"

Kotomi felt a surge of gratitude that she didn't have to deal with that kind of sibling character.

Although she'd been a pro at dating sims and romance games in her previous life, Kotomi knew she wouldn't have the patience of those saintly protagonists who endure constant abuse and still try to thaw their sister's cold heart with love.

No, if she'd had that kind of sister, she'd show her what she called "Onee-chan's Loving Discipline" with a good smack, giving her a "proper upbringing."

A sweet, thoughtful, and considerate sister was a true blessing! Kotomi thought, deeply touched.

Feeling a surge of emotion, Kotomi glanced over at Megumi and said, "I feel like my little sister is a gift from the heavens."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Kotomi froze. She'd said something pretty outrageous in front of Megumi.

Megumi blinked at her, then, as though understanding everything, gave Kotomi an amused look and replied, "Ahahaha… Kotomi, you really do love your sister, don't you? You must be a very caring big sister at home."

"Y-yes, that's me…" Kotomi laughed awkwardly, hoping nobody else had heard her. Otherwise, she'd be mortified.

Proclaiming her sister obsession in public? It'd definitely become a new urban legend across Japan, leaving a bold mark in the history of embarrassing moments.

Once she arrived at school, she headed straight for the Class 1-A exam room.

As soon as she walked in, the elite students already reviewing inside looked up, subtly or openly. Their gazes were a mix of respect, admiration, doubt, and determination—not to mention pure awe.

Yesterday's exam day had certainly made Kotomi's name unforgettable among these top students.

Of course, some stubborn ones refused to accept it. Deep down, they thought she was bluffing, and expected her results to end up embarrassingly low.

But whether they were intrigued by her abilities or suspected she was guessing, everyone who'd witnessed her performance was now eagerly anticipating her test scores.

Ignoring all the stares, Kotomi made a beeline for Seiko Kirigiri's desk and snagged a few mini-cakes from her stash.

The soft, fluffy vanilla cakes practically melted in her mouth, instantly lifting her spirits.

"Kotomi, did you know? Watching you turn in every exam paper at lightning speed yesterday completely blew those Class 1-A honors students' minds!" Seiko laughed, "Serves them right for always looking down on students from other classes."

"Hmm? They were shocked?" Kotomi muttered, barely paying attention. "Hey, this cake is so good! Where'd you get it? Got any more?"

Class 1-A was the school's crown jewel, with special privileges like lenient dress codes and freedom to bring personal items. Still, the intense competition within the class meant some students got transferred in or out after each exam period.

Students who managed to stay in Class 1-A for all three years had an almost 100% success rate in achieving their academic or career goals.

So, naturally, a sense of superiority flourished. Some of the honor students had an air of arrogance that was impossible to miss.

Of course, Kotomi had her own style. She usually ignored the students who wore their arrogance like armor, as long as they didn't bother her. But once provoked, she'd happily demonstrate her skills, thoroughly eroding their egos.

And if it came to it, she'd rely on more direct methods. A few had already met her "educational" fists.

"Got them at the snack shop; it's a new addition. I usually prefer cream-filled cakes, but every once in a while, these plain ones hit the spot."

"I really like plain cakes," Kotomi replied, munching and savoring the last bite before heading back to her desk. Not forgetting, she also sneaked a waffle off Seiko's desk.

"Kotomi, didn't you eat breakfast?" Seiko asked, unable to help herself.

She'd only bought six mini-cakes and two waffles, and Kotomi had already gone through half of them.

"A little, but not much."

"Well, from now on, make sure you eat a proper breakfast," Seiko said with a motherly concern.

Ding-ding-ding!

As the exam preparation bell rang, Shizuka Hiratsuka entered with the sealed exam papers. Standing at the podium, she opened her mouth to repeat the rules, but then her eyes landed on Kotomi, who was casually munching on her waffle. Her eating was so lively that it almost made others hungry.

But this was an exam room, not a cafeteria… Hiratsuka sighed, grabbed a piece of chalk, and threw it with pinpoint accuracy, hitting Kotomi square on the head.

"Ow—!"

The sound of impact rang out, bringing a sting of nostalgia with it. Hiratsuka's chalk missile had granted Kotomi a classic high school experience.

After reiterating the exam rules, the bell rang, signaling the start of the test, and Hiratsuka began handing out papers.

Holding her sore forehead, Kotomi waited for Hiratsuka to reach her desk.

"Skipped breakfast? Starving to the point of eating in the exam room?" Hiratsuka muttered, leaning down as she handed Kotomi her paper.

"I had breakfast; it's just that snacks taste better in the exam room," Kotomi answered, her honesty shining through.

"Tsk—you know, I was almost starting to feel guilty for hitting you. I was wrong; I should've aimed to knock some sense into that head of yours."

"Mercy, please."

"Alright, just write your name and focus. No rushing to hand it in today," Hiratsuka said, moving on with a sigh.

When she finished distributing the papers, the students began. Since it was a back-to-back physics and chemistry exam, there would be no break in between, and early submissions weren't allowed.

While flying through the questions, Kotomi found herself musing about what she'd do after finishing the chemistry paper.

Having napped earlier, she wasn't tired, and besides, sleeping during a morning exam would be too disrespectful to the school.

After some thought, already three-quarters through her physics paper, Kotomi's eyes fell on the unmarked, blindingly blank scratch paper on her desk.

"Oh, I haven't touched the scratch paper yet. It feels wasteful to leave it completely blank."

Inspiration struck—she'd use it to draw stick figures in a massive battle between One Piece and Naruto!

The physics test... was it difficult? For others, maybe. But for Kotomi, it felt as straightforward as the previous subjects.

Having the system's learning ability meant you could do as you pleased, right? Well, yes, actually—it really did mean that.

In twenty-nine minutes, a hair shy of half an hour, Kotomi set down her pen, the physics exam completed.

"Not bad, pretty simple overall. But the final question did have a tricky twist, almost threw off my answer," Kotomi mused, twirling her pen thoughtfully. "I wonder if Yui caught that detail when she was solving it."

Ever since Kotomi saw Yui deftly solve most of an advanced problem during their study sessions, she'd grown increasingly curious: how far could Yui's true potential go?

With her previous scores, Yui's placement for the midterms would likely reach Class 1-C—a solid improvement in itself. But Kotomi had an inexplicable confidence in her, believing Yui could rise through her own efforts all the way to Class 1-A.

But why do I have such unwavering confidence in her? Kotomi wondered.

Ding-ding-ding!

The end-of-test bell rang.

The honors students raced to finish their last few answers, while Kotomi casually finished sketching three stick figures on her scratch paper.

One wielded a spear, one had a halberd, and the other wielded dual swords. It was a fierce, evenly-matched fight.

With that, Kotomi submitted her test and picked up the chemistry exam paper.

As the test was distributed, some students let out low whistles at the difficulty. The challenging chemistry questions clearly didn't sit well with the honors students.

Although Kotomi hadn't felt the difficulty herself, the sporadic groans around the room painted a clear picture of the headache-inducing questions.

Kotomi wasted no time. She had plans to sketch a Bleach vs. Naruto showdown scene later on her scratch paper, so finishing the chemistry test quickly was the priority.

Scratch, scratch, scratch—

The steady, unbroken sound of her pen strokes flowed smoothly, creating a quiet melody that, to the other students, felt almost oppressive.

Few honors students maintained a carefree attitude toward academics. Instead, they thrived on competition, pushing themselves to catch up to anyone academically stronger than them.

But Kotomi's level was so far beyond theirs, some students were already losing heart. The gap felt insurmountable.

Take Yuuma Matsutou, for example. Yesterday, he'd been determined to outperform her, but by now, his pride and confidence lay in tatters, ground to dust by Kotomi's relentless skill. As he worked, his only remaining motivation was a silent chant in his head: Izumi Kotomi isn't in Class 1-A. Izumi Kotomi isn't in Class 1-A...

Meanwhile, Shizuka Hiratsuka descended from the podium to check in on the students' progress, naturally stopping by Kotomi's desk first.

To her surprise, Kotomi had already finished the final chemistry question. She was giving the paper a once-over, and it was clear she'd soon be back to drawing.

Hiratsuka glanced around and noticed the other honors students had just finished the sixty multiple-choice questions.

While they had completed the section at a commendable pace compared to students in other classes, there was no denying that Kotomi was miles ahead of them.

Kotomi quickly scanned the paper, checking to make sure she hadn't missed anything.

"Whew!"

She let out a small exclamation as her once-bored expression shifted to slight satisfaction.

Hiratsuka raised her eyebrows, curious. "Did she forget something?"

Kotomi muttered to herself, "Good thing I caught that missed question—otherwise I'd have thirty-five whole minutes of doodling ahead of me."

Her words hit the honors students like a bombshell, turning heads and sending shocked looks her way. Hiratsuka herself felt like her brain had been leveled.

After filling in the last answer, Kotomi pulled her three-stick-figure sketch closer, now fully prepared to add Ichigo Kurosaki with Tensa Zangetsu against Sage Mode Naruto in a duel.

Hiratsuka couldn't help but cover her face. Despite her urge to remind Kotomi to stay focused, the test itself seemed to prove Kotomi's answers were terrifyingly accurate.

Chemistry might not have been Hiratsuka's strongest subject, but she was confident enough in her high school chemistry to know that the five answers she'd checked were all correct.

And those five were not easy questions.

Hiratsuka's amazement deepened, leaving her wondering what Kotomi's final score for this exam would be.

The ending bell finally sounded.

Startled, Hiratsuka gathered herself, then began collecting the exams.

With the chemistry exams gathered and tallied, Hiratsuka dismissed the students to clear their desks and leave the exam room.

With two back-to-back exams taking over two hours, it was only eleven o'clock—earlier than their usual lunch break.

It was also an opportunity for a longer lunch.

"Lunch, a nice walk to the rooftop, Azur Lane gaming on the benches... If only I had a pillow," Kotomi daydreamed while dashing toward the school store.

Reaching the store's floor, she found a long line already forming, causing her to sigh internally. She'd probably missed her chance for yakisoba bread.

Just then, Yui's familiar voice called out from behind.

"Kotomi!"

Turning, she spotted Yui holding a bag stuffed with food, standing a short distance away.

"Yui, you already bought lunch?" Kotomi walked over.

"Mhm! I even bought yours too! I didn't have time to text and ask what you wanted, so I just bought two yakisoba breads and a fried chicken leg. Want to head to the rooftop to eat?"

"Yui, are you an angel?"

"Huh? That sounds kinda familiar..."