If anything, it was the first time the five of them were so excited to see results.
They used to pretend they didn't take the exam, or throw the report cards in the trash.
They don't prepare hard, or enjoy the process, or expect results. For those in the past, the test was to force them to go to the battlefield empty handed, with no other choice but to surrender or lose.
But now, not only Miku and Itsuki, but also Ichika and Nino stared at the list with anticipation.
Soon, they found Nino's name in the bottom ten. No one thought that was strange, after all, Nino put all her energy into the committee and had no time to care about the midterms.
Nino also said that it didn't matter if the midterms were bad, as long as she could pass it, so no one would care about her expression after seeing her score.
"Sure enough, it was only three days ago that my legs cramped…"
Nino frowned.
She used to take the re-examination, and the re-examination paper was relatively simple. It's okay to pass.
However, this time was completely different.
Obviously not interested in studying, Nino chose to hide from everyone's eyes and hide in the room for the purpose of studying.
She endured like this for three days. After she went into the exam room, she knew that history would repeat itself. The effort during this period seemed to have wasted nothing, and she was completely negated by the extremely difficult test paper.
Even though she had been mentally prepared for a long time, when she actually saw the ridiculous rankings, she still felt resentment in her heart.
(Study, why not help that guy deal with things...)
Nino begins to regret this sudden decision.
Not only was it a waste of time, but it also made her feel extremely frustrated. Yotsuba was previously at the bottom of the family, but now she can't even keep up with Yotsuba, officially being the lowest grade among the quintuplets.
There's nothing wrong with that, however, she doesn't care about her grades, she has something she wants to do, as long as she can pass high school.
However, this shows one thing. Everyone moves forward, only she steps back.
Everyone changes, only she remains the same.
With anxiety burning in her heart, Nino didn't want to look at the list again.
Because it would make her more blatantly aware of the difference between herself and her family, and the distance would gradually become clear.
Nino pulled away from the crowd while the others were still searching for it name, and stood alone.
Nino stared at the four inconspicuous pink-haired heads among them.
This corridor was filled with cacophony, cheers and sighs, but she seemed to be in a different world, and all the sounds and sights became extremely blurry and distorted.
"...Very stupid."
Holding her slightly trembling hand, Nino made her way through the crowd.
She raised her head and glanced at the top of the list, and a familiar name appeared.
"That guy, his score is almost perfect..."
She hated academic bullies like this the most. How did he study?
He obviously had more things to do than her, and he kept saying that he had to go to bed on time at 10 pm, why did he still have time to study, and why did he still score high on the exam?
Is this the difference between genius and ordinary?
Nino hates this gap the most, just like the numbers on the list, it's definitely annoying.
Is the gap between 137 people that long??
Nino lowered her head.
After returning on Monday, Nino thought a lot, and made many excuses for herself, to support her desire to not see clear boundaries, and to cloud her selfishness in not wanting to be taken away.
Finally, she thought of a way.
As long as she studied a little seriously and showed him that she could learn, maybe she could use this as an excuse to cross the line and let him join another camp.
Maybe a little different from the initial reason for wanting to prove yourself? But who cares, who has time to deal with the past.
The others were already one step ahead of her. Leaving Ichika aside, the remaining three had already stepped forward.
As for Nino, she hates being ostracized by her family the most.
Nino kept saying she hated him, but she couldn't hate him that much.
She wanted to chat with him about studies and grades. It didn't matter if she was called stupid, as long as she scolded him back, this was her unique way of getting along with him.
She just wanted to be like everyone else, no matter where she was, she could talk to him naturally.
Nino sighed.
(It doesn't matter if I fail this time, the exam was so bad I don't have the face to talk to him, just pretend it never happened.)
Nino stared at the name carefully.
(But next time, wait for me!)
(Not because I like you, not because I want to be with you.)
(Purely, I don't want to be left behind by you and them.)
(So wait for me...)
(Even if this midterm is over, don't think that you and I are very different.)
(Even if forest school ends, don't think that you and I have nothing to do from now on.)
(There will always be a path for me to follow you, no matter how far you run, I will always be by your side.}
(Do you have any opinion? Anyway, from now on, this is what I want to do the most!)
"Hmph."
The confidence and pride before returned to her face.
Nino stopped looking at the list.
She walked towards where her sister was.