Chapter 53: Too many girls are paying attention...

Afternoon.

Kasumigaoka Utaha was still pondering over the bento box incident when a memory flashed in her mind.

"The bento box… it was Rei Ao's?!"

Utaha was immediately filled with regret. How could she have forgotten something so important? Not only had she eaten all of it, but she had also taken his bento box without asking.

"I should wash it and return it to him… and apologize."

However, Rei Ao wasn't particularly bothered by the bento box. After all, compared to the bento, Mai was far more delightful. Unfortunately, the rooftop wasn't the ideal place for their first "meal." Mai, limited by the setting, had fled after their time together, saying she'd rather be at home.

Rei Ao understood that things had been a bit too intense for her, so after she helped clean up, he let her return home. For Rei Ao, the afternoon seemed dull in comparison. He would have much preferred to be at home, cuddling with Mai. To him, Mai was always the best.

For the rest of the school, however, the afternoon was significant, as the midterm exam results were announced.

Megumi Kato returned from outside the classroom and walked up to Rei Ao's desk.

Tilting her head slightly, she asked, "Rei Ao-kun, it seems you didn't check your results."

Rei Ao yawned. "No need, I'm in first place."

"So, you already knew, huh?" Megumi didn't seem surprised by his answer.

Suddenly, she shifted the topic. "By the way, I saw Mai at school today."

"Hmm?" Rei Ao glanced at her.

"She came to bring me lunch."

"Oh, I see."

Megumi seemed curious as she asked, "It seems like you and Mai get along really well. Are you two dating?"

Rei Ao didn't hesitate and answered directly, "Yeah, we just confirmed our relationship these past few days."

"..."

Megumi fell silent at his response, her gaze dimming slightly. Yet, despite feeling unsettled, she couldn't help but press on. "And… how far have you two…"

Rei Ao pointed upward. "We just did it on the rooftop earlier today."

"..."

Even though Megumi had mentally prepared herself, she was still thrown off by his bluntness.

'The rooftop…' Had they really progressed to that level of boldness?

Megumi bit her lip, struggling with her thoughts. "Well, congratulations on your relationship. Class is about to start, so I'll head back to my seat."

She turned around, and Rei Ao watched her retreating figure, deep in thought.

...

"He really did get first place…"

Yukinoshita Yukino stood in front of the posted results, seeing Rei Ao's name at the top of the rankings. She felt both surprised and contemplative.

It turned out that Rei Ao hadn't been bragging after all. It seemed she had misunderstood him. Whether it was his keen senses or his academic abilities, everything he said had been proven true.

Yukino had always believed in the painful truth and that honesty could be a sharp blade. She had held firm to these principles, often being hurt by them. Yet, this was the first time she had encountered someone who used the truth to make things better.

Take Yui Yuigahama, for example. From Yukino's observations, Yui hadn't been discouraged by Rei Ao's blunt honesty. On the contrary, she was determined to make even better cookies to surprise him.

"Rei Ao, what kind of person are you, really?" Yukino couldn't help but feel a growing curiosity about him.

...

It wasn't just Yukino who was intrigued by Rei Ao. Another person had developed a sense of competition with him.

"Perfect scores in all subjects—how is that even possible?"

In the student council room, Kaguya Shinomiya was shocked. Someone had actually surpassed her with perfect scores. Since enrolling, her position as the top student had never been challenged. But now, she had placed second!

"Kaguya-chan, I just looked at Rei Ao's previous results. He hadn't even cracked the top 100!" A pink-haired girl with a ribbon, Chika Fujiwara, exclaimed in surprise.

Chika leaned in and whispered, "Kaguya-chan, do you think he cheated?"

Kaguya shot a cold glance at Chika's overly curvaceous figure, which was pressing against her arm. She couldn't help but feel a pang of envy as she glanced at her own… much more modest proportions. Still, her tone remained icy.

"No, he didn't."

"The teachers aren't fools. They would've checked thoroughly before posting the results."

"Wow! So, does that mean he's a sudden genius?"

"I'm so jealous~"

Chika was beyond envious. If she could become a genius overnight, she'd have so much more allowance to buy all sorts of snacks and board games. She was practically drooling at the thought.

"..."

Kaguya stared at the results, her mind filled with thoughts as she tried to make sense of it all.

~~~

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