This story isn't about chasing your dreams nor doing your absolute best. This story revolves around Ikeda Isshiki. The first day of school, Ishikki just arrived at his classroom class 1-A. As Isshiki entered the classroom, he immediately looked for the seat at the back close to the window. He didn't realize the commotion of his classmates because the one seating near his seat is the one and only Hina, a very beautiful and very smart student. But he didn't care about it. He is always listening to his earphones. In front of Isshiki is Haru, a silent but also a smart student, and the one seating beside him is Kenji, an extrovert and basically a delinquent. They were also recent transfers to the school, arriving in this countryside setting where nearly every student knew one another, save for these three newcomers.

After the class introduction, the class starts with their teacher Sato san giving them a special test just to gauge their overall knowledge. During the test, Ishikki was somewhat bored and very observant of the other students, including the four sitting near him. After the test, Kenji tries to talk to Isshiki.

Kenji: "Man, that was hard. I know it's just a test of our knowledge but damn my paper is so clean because I could barely answer anything."

Isshiki: "Yeah, same. I don't understand a thing and just wrote some random answers."

Haru got interested after hearing them and said,

Haru: "The topics in the question are going to be our lesson, and the teacher just wants to know if we already know it so that he can skip it or no."

Kenji: "So that's what it is. Did you manage to answer them, Haru?"

Haru: "Yeah, it was somewhat easy."

Meanwhile, Ishikki tries to sleep on his desk.

After a week passed, they became good friends to the point where Kenji and Ishikki were always passing answers during tests. Later on, Haru got influenced and started doing the same. With Haru as the source of the answers, there was no problem taking tests. For Ishikki, it didn't matter if he cheated or not, as long as it was effortless and he got a passing score. Now, the day had arrived – the midterm exams.

Haru: "We should probably not cheat during midterms, I heard they're very strict and I think we will get caught."

Kenji: "That's what I heard too. Just thinking about studying makes me tired."

Haru: "So, what's your plan?"

Kenji: "I will probably study the night before the exams." (Kenji isn't the type to study but for the sake of not failing he crams a lot.)

Kenji: "What about you, Ishikki? Haru is the only smart one out of the three of us."

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Kenji: "Ishikki, are you listening? You really always use earphones, huh?"

Isshiki: "Huh?" (Just realized Kenji is talking to him.) "Is studying really important?"

The three of them laughed. Hina glanced at them, catching a snippet of their conversation.

As the day of the midterms arrived, Isshiki was the first one in the room. He didn't study at all, just played games and watched anime, which is why he woke up early and was the first in the classroom. A few minutes later, Hina arrived. Ishikki, as usual, was listening to music and staring at the sky through the window, laid back. As Hina approached her seat, Isshiki sat down properly and their eyes met.

Hina: "I heard you guys won't cheat today, huh?"

Isshiki was caught off guard because he wasn't expecting her to know about them cheating during tests.

Ishikki: "Yeah, we won't. We don't always do that, only when the tests are difficult." (Ishikki trying to cover their actions.)

Hina: "Hmmm... If you say so."

Meanwhile, Haru saw Kenji walking towards the school gate.

Haru: "Yo, you don't look good. Did you stay up late last night?"

Kenji: "Yeah, but I think I'm gonna die."

Haru: "The exams sure cover a lot of topics, so I stayed up late last night too."

Kenji: "Yeah, I can see that." (Haru looks tired a little bit.)

Kenji: "I wonder if Isshiki studied. He messaged me last night to play games but I refused."

Haru: "Oh, you refused?" (Looks up at the sky and prays.)

Kenji: "Of course, midterms are different. It's more troublesome if I have to repeat 1st year."

Haru: "You're surprisingly a good student, huh?"

As the two arrived at the classroom, Ishikki was sleeping and the two of them thought he also stayed up late last night, so they let him sleep. Kenji asked Haru to help him review before the test starts. As the students arrived, the classroom got very serious. All the students on their own, in their own circles, were studying. They were all muttering, trying to memorize something. Ishikki woke up (still listening to music) and saw everyone trying to study in the last minute. Then Ishikki stopped his music, took off his earphones, and said, "This is annoying." Haru and Kenji looked at Ishikki and said:

Haru: "You don't usually take off your earphones. Why did you take them off?"

Kenji: "Yeah, I noticed that too. Even when we talk, they're always on. I'm surprised you can hear us even with that thing on."

Isshiki: "Oh yeah, this... It just helps me to distract myself."

Haru: "By the way, are you ready for the exam? You look ready because you were sleeping. You must have studied last night."

Isshiki: "Nope, I didn't. Anyways, have you seen the new season of 'Blue Cube'? It was really great. I binged it last night."

Kenji: "You're hopeless."

Isshiki: "Nothing to worry about, it's fine."

After a few days, they received their midterm exam results.

Haru: "Let's have a contest. We'll add up all the scores, and the lowest scorer will treat the highest." (said with pride, assuming he would win)

Kenji: "Nah, you're basically scamming us. We already know you got the highest score. No need to rub it in."

Isshiki: "Yeah, why don't you just treat us."

Haru: "Let's do it. This will serve as your inspiration to study for the next exam."

Isshiki noticed that Hina doesn't have friends. He also just realized since from the first day she has no friends to talk to. Other students do talk to her but it's like there's a line between them. They always treat her differently, a smart student comes from a wealthy family and also good looking. The students treat her like an idol that shouldn't belong to anyone hence making her lonely at school. As Haru tries to convince Kenji and Ishikki to agree on their contest Ishikki tapped hina's shoulder and said.

Ishikki: "Do you want to join?" (Ishikki asked her knowingly she's listening to them)

Hina was shocked at first and agreed.

Kenji: "Now this is good, Haru will not win now. So count me in."

Haru: "My total score is 90" (sum of the total 5 tests then divided by 5)

Isshiki: "No way that's your real score."

Haru: "It is!"

Kenji: "Mine is 81."

Hina: "I got 96."

Isshiki: "I got 95 though."

The three of them were shocked, knowing Ishikki didn't study at all.

Haru: "Did you cheat? I can't think of any reason on how you got a high score."

Isshiki: "No, I did study."

Kenji: "When?"

Isshiki: "When you were busy reviewing, I was studying too."

Haru: "But you were just staring out of the window at the time."

Hina: "Yeah, I've never seen you reviewing at that time."

Isshiki: "No, I meant I was listening to you all. Y'all are so noisy muttering words and phrases."

Kenji: "But is that really studying though? Is your memory that good that all you have to do is listen to others?"

Isshiki: "Yeah, isn't that normal though?"

Haru: "Hell no."

As they were impressed at him, Ishikki went back to sleep during class.