"Now, all of you may begin."

The teacher declare.

All of us simultaneously flip the paper and start working on the exam.

The questions? not so bad, at least compared to the material that I used to study.

For this past month, I didn't do anything but studying.

Usually, I would hang out with Yamato and Kuji somewhere and have fun together.

But I do none of that recently, I just straight up go home and study.

I didn't want to left things to chances and let Aoi hog the top spot yet again.

I want to best Aoi no matter what.

Why I am so fixated in surpassing the number one in my class, you ask?

Simple.

I take a glance on the seat behind me.

There, sat a girl, basked in the sunlight with her rather small stature radiating the sunlight that hit her back to her surrounding.

Her blond hair spark brightly with two ringlet curls on the sides, her amethyst color eyes sparkles like a diamond.

Kiroi Konoe, the girl that I have a crush with.

She transfer here right when I start my 2nd year of high school and immediately fell in love with her.

It was love from the first sight.

Nonsense, I know, but that's how it is.

And Of course, I am fully aware of the difference between our status.

I personally do not know much more about Kiroi outside of school, but I do know that came from a wealthy family, possibly a noble even.

While me on the other hand is nothing but a commoner on the side of the street with no magic whatsoever.

Needless to say, my chance to date someone like her is near 0.

But that does not mean I will just give up without doing anything.

I proof it by having the best grade possible, I do whatever I can no matter how small to gain even the smallest recognition in her eyes.

That's why, Aoi.. you're going down no matter what...

I glance at Aoi in the front seats with eyes full of determination.

Aoi appear to had somehow notice me staring at her and look back at me.

I quickly lower myself down to the table and resume my work as to not arouse any suspicion.

And the day continue.

...

.....

.......

The school bell rang, signalling the afternoon break.

Some of my classmates are having their bento together, some talking with each other, and the rest are doing whatever they wanted.

Me on the other hand simply staring on Kiroi from my seat.

I am waiting for the announcement for when the grade is announced, I wonder what kind of expression Kiroi will make when I bested Aoi and became the number 1.

Or I simply failed and Aoi stands on top yet again as the best student in the class.

..No.. no.. I shouldn't think about it like that.

I spend all of my time studying to the point sacrificing all of my valuable time to hang out with my friends.

I do not want to imagine what I might think and do if it didn't turned out well.

"Yo, Aito!"

Yamato shouts and approach my seat with Kuji besides me.

"Wanna go and hit the arcade today? been a while since we last go together."

"The exams is over, no more reason for you to study hard anymore for now, right?"

Yamato invited me and unlike me, he doesn't seems to have any worry on his face.

"How are you doing with the exam?"

I curious asks.

"C'mon man, do you even need to ask?"

Yamato scratches the back of his head and little annoyed.

Yup, as I suspected.

"Try and mimic Aito a little bit, will you? at least on his enthusiasm in studying." "At this rate, you're going to be left behind."

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Kuji fixed his glasses and commented.

"Hey, it's not my fault for not understanding the topic well, it's the topic that's too convoluted!"

Yamato get annoyed and look back at Kuji.

"Hey, the grade is up already!!"

Suddenly a classmate of ours walked into the classroom and shouts.

Needless to say, her words prompt all of us to stands up and rush into the first floor where the bulletin board is.

The teachers would usually post the result of the exams over there.

When the three of us arrive, a bunch of students has swarms the bulletin board already.

"They're quick as usual..."

Kuji mumble to himself.

Me on the other hand desperate to know the result of my effort and rushed in into the crowd.

"Excuse me, excuse me!"

I pushed everyone aside and walking closer and closer to the bulletin board.

I can hear people complaining of how rude I treat them, but I didn't care, I want to know the result so badly.

I succeed in reaching the bulletin board and desperately looking for the grade of my own classes.

Where.. where is it..!?

I desperately looking and finally find it.. only to be crushed by the reality.

Aoi name rule the entire board.

From one subject to another, Aoi stood as the best while I always ended up right below her.

I try and look really hard into each of them, trying to deny the reality but to no avail.

Her perfect grades one after another sent a blow in my heart, like that of a consecutive strikes.

I try and study really hard for all of this and yet it still not enough...?

It is impossible after all..?

"Whoa, what's with the crowd?"

Aoi voices came from behind following her arrival.

Her appearance immediately catches the attention of the crowd, they praise and congratulate her for being the best yet again.

"Aoi, tell us the secret for getting perfect grade!"

One of the girl students asks.

"Secret for getting perfect grade..? I do not know any of such things...haha.."

Aoi weakly laugh and scratch her left cheek with her fingers.

"Hey, Aoi! I won't lose next time!"

One other student shouts in enthusiasm.

"Ehh? please have mercy..."

Aoi weakly voices her beg for mercy.

While they're having so much fun together, me on the other hand was frustrated.

Hearing Aoi voices causes me to hate and despise her more and more.

My bitterness slowly turn into pure hatred and loathe.

"Hmm.. let's see.."

While I lost in my own thought, Aoi approach the bulletin board and stood beside me.

I do not know nor care what's she looking for, it's already obvious that she's the one on top.

Hell, her polite attitude completely pissed me off.

Just fuck off and left already!

"See? you're the best, Aoi!"

The previous student girl approach and talk with Aoi.

"Hmm.. I am not quite sure of that."

Aoi sounds not very sure for some odd reason.

"Eh? what do you mean?"

The girl get confused.

"There, see? in the math subject, the one on top is not me."

Aoi point at the bulletin board.

Hearing her pointing that out, drove me to check it myself, alongside many other.

It just does not make any sense for Aoi to not take the top spot, we just couldn't believe that.

And as it turned out.. Aoi herself is not lying after all...

It was my name.. the one who stood at the top.

It's my name.. it's really my name...

I was so surprised that I can't say anything nor know how to react.

I.. just do not know what to do in this kind of situation.

"Whoa, Aoi is right, it's Aito!"

"Hey hey hey, seriously!?"

Everyone shouts and express their disbelief.

"Congratulations, Aito!"

"How did you do it!? are you cheating!?"

Everyone left Aoi side and swarm over me, throwing questions and congrats one after another at me.

"Hey hey hey, don't pushed me around!"

I shouts in complaint.

I do not know how did I manage to do it, but it happens...

To my own disbelief, it actually happened...

All of my hard work and study had not all gone to waste.

I can see Aoi smiles at me and gave me a thumb up.

I return her smile and thumb up back at her.

Even if it only for a brief moment.. I want to savor this feeling of small victory until the very last bit of it.

...

.....

.......

*Interlude*

The school evening bell rang, signaling the ending of today lesson.

The students left the school one after another and walked out from the school gate.

Aoi and a pair of girl walk together on their way home and were having a good conversation together.

"Ah, my home is here, see you guys later."

Aoi smile and waves at them.

"See you later, Aoi~!"

The girls wave back at her before they split and walk their own way home.

Aoi slowly walk toward the apartment in front of her and climb the stairs one by one until she reached the second floor.

She keeps on walking towards the furthest room and stop in front of it.

She grab the key in her pocket and insert it inside the keyhole and twisted it.

A loud click noises echo in the air as the key matches the keyhole, unlocking the door.

Aoi open the door and walked in before closing and locking the door back.

She take off her shoes and walked toward the living room.

In the living room, a pair of girl has been expecting her return.

One of them was a girl with long silver hair with strings of pink color hair in between, her long hair follow the curve of her revealed back, her eyes are bright pink in color.

She was watching things happening outside though the window in the living room while wearing nothing but a towel to cover her voluptuous body.

She was elegant beyond words, even a real goddess would envy her beauty.

The other one sat on the couches with her legs crossed on top of a glass table while enjoying a simple chopstick.

She wore a simple white T shirt and nothing but underwear underneath.

As for how she's look, she bear a strong resemblance with Aoi, from her blue hair and face.

Had it was not for her ponytail hair style and red-eyes, it would be difficult to differentiate them.

"Quite a friendly friend you have there, Aoi~"

The pink eyes girl remark and smirk.

"...Friend.. you say?"

Aoi attitude changes and her voices deepened.

Her smiles wore off and her previous cheerful personality is nowhere to be seen.

"What's that? from which dreamland did you picked up that word from?"

She take her off uniform, leaving nothing but her underwear and walked into the glass table and grab the bottle spray on top of it.

She spray the content all over her body, cleaning herself from the virus she came in contact with from bunch of other "viruses" out there.

"Do you really have to spray yourself everytime you returned home?"

The pink eyes girl left the window and walk closer to Aoi and stop in front of her with her left hand resting on her hips.

"Do I really need to explain that?"

Aoi glance at her and put the bottle back to the glass table.

"Right, for all of us, people out there would be no better than a colony of virus indeed~" "Wait, on a second thought, won't considering them even a living being in the first place is giving them too much credit..?"

The pink eyes girl giggle and then came to a halt as another thought passed her head.

She put her left hand under her chin and went into a deep thinking.

"..That man look at you with such contempt.. should I go and kill him?"

The red-eyes girl suddenly spoke and join in the conversation.

"..You were there?"

Aoi look at the red-eyes girl.

The red-eyes girl answer with a simple nod.

"Who gave him the right to look at you like that, who does he think he is..?"

The red-eyes girl speak calmly, yet her face express a deep and visible anger as she crush the ice stick in her palm into bits.

"..Don't, I still need to keep up appearances, not yet at least." "Look things out for me while I take a bath."

Aoi walk to the bathroom and close the door.

"Understood~"

The pink eyes girl sat next to the other girl with a glass on her hand and a bottle of wine on the other hand.

"..You're drinking already?"

The other girl commented with a low tone voice, expressing her disinterest.

"Yes, you want some?"

The pink eyes girl offer her glass to her.

"..Sure."

The red eyes girl toss the broken stick to the trash bin behind without looking and it went in.

The two then have a drink together as the night finally arrive.