As the bell rang, signaling the end of homeroom class, Mizuha and her classmates let out a collective sigh of relief. Summer vacation was just around the corner, and excited chatter filled the room as students shared their plans.
Mr. Akihiko cleared his throat.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0pbAoiNKA
"I know you're all excited about the upcoming summer vacation, but don't forget about the mid-term exams next week. Make sure you're prepared."
The classroom fell silent, all eyes on Mr. Akihiko. As he turned to leave, he paused at the door. "Oh, I almost forgot to mention—anyone who fails a subject will be attending remedial classes during summer vacation. Better not fail anything!" With a smirk and a chuckle, he left the stunned students behind.
Panic spread through the classroom. "Remedial classes? That can't happen!" "I can't fail any subjects. It'll ruin my entire vacation!"
Mizuha couldn't help but laugh at her classmates' reactions. "Looks like everyone's a bit panicked about the exam." She walked towards Eri's desk. Shimizu joined them.
To Mizuha's surprise, both Eri and Shimizu wore worried expressions. "What's wrong with you two? Don't tell me you're panicking about the exams too?"
Shimizu frowned. "Of course we're worried. Unlike you, who scored perfectly in most subjects during our mock exams, both of us have subjects we're weak in, you know."
Eri nodded. "Japanese literature for me and mathematics for Shimizu-chan."
"Oh, right. I forgot about that. You two did struggle with those subjects."
"Please help me, Mizuha-chan. I don't want to go to remedial class."
"That's right, please help us. Don't you feel sympathy for your poor best friends?"
Mizuha grinned mischievously. "Alright, I'll do it for Eri, but Shimizu... are you really my best friend?"
"That's so mean, Mizuha! Are you trying to get revenge on me for always teasing you and Hikaru? What a cruel person you are."
Mizuha laughed. "Sorry, sorry, I'm just joking. Alright, I'll teach you too."
Shimizu’s face lit up. "Really? Thanks so much, Mizuha-sensei!"
Mizuha groaned. "Stop calling me that. It feels weird."
"By the way, Eri-chan, why do you want me to help you? Besides me, Zul also has perfect grades, right? Why not ask him, since you two are so close?"
Eri looked a bit sheepish. "Actually, Zul has already been helping me. He managed to help me understand all the other subjects, but not Japanese literature. Also, I didn't want to rely on him too much. He's already done a lot for me."
Mizuha nodded, understanding. "I see. So that's your reason."
As the three friends discussed their study plans, Eri's eyes suddenly lit up with an idea. She clapped her hands together, drawing Mizuha and Shimizu's attention.
"I've got it! Why don't we have a sleepover at my house tomorrow night? That way, we can study together with Mizuha-chan as our instructor."
Shimizu grinned. "That's a great idea, Eri! We can motivate each other and take breaks together. What do you think, Mizuha-sensei?"
Mizuha looked thoughtful. "That's a nice suggestion. But are your parents okay with this? Won't we be burdening you and your parents?"
Eri waved off her concern. "Oh, don't worry about it. My parents won't mind, and we have plenty of space to study together."
Mizuha nodded, relieved. "If you say so, let's go ahead."
Shimizu was excited. "Yeah, so it's decided, right?"
"Yes. Then, we'll meet at my house tomorrow after school, okay? Don't forget to bring your study materials and pajamas!"
After that, they continued their classes until lunch break arrived, and they assembled at the cafeteria as usual.
Hikaru leaned in. "I see, you guys are planning to have a sleepover to study for the upcoming exam, huh?"
Mizuha chuckled. "Yes, both of them were begging me to help them with their weak subjects."
"That must be nice, having a sleepover. I envy you guys. I wish I could join you too."
Shimizu smirked. "Unfortunately for you, Hikaru, this was for girls only, and you were not invited."
"Tch, again with your teasing, Shimizu."
Shimizu couldn't resist pushing the joke further. "But, if you really wanted to join us, why not dress up like a girl? Maybe we would consider it then."
Hikaru’s face turned red, embarrassed. "What? You think I would do that? Cross-dress just to join you guys? That's never going to happen!"
The girls burst into laughter at Hikaru's flustered reaction, the tension of the upcoming exams momentarily forgotten. Even Hikaru, despite his initial indignation, couldn't help but crack a smile at the ridiculous suggestion.
After Hikaru's flustered reaction, Mizuha's eyes suddenly lit up.
"But I can imagine how Hikaru would look in girl’s clothes."
Eri's gaze turned distant. "Takamiya-kun in girl’s clothes..."
Both Mizuha and Eri fell silent for a moment, lost in their own imaginations. Their eyes widened.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUytrwx0te
"That must be so cute...!!!"
They burst into giggles, sharing knowing looks with each other.
Hikaru's face turned an even deeper shade of red. "Wait, what are both of you thinking about me? Stop it!"
Shimizu burst into laughter. "That was funny! Both of you really got Hikaru this time. He totally lost it today."
But to Shimizu's surprise, Eri tilted her head in confusion. "What's funny, Shimizu-chan?"
Mizuha nodded. "We were being serious about this."
Both Mizuha and Eri turned to Shimizu, fixing her with an intense, almost scary glare. Shimizu's laughter died in her throat as she took in their expressions.
"W-what kind of fetish do you both have? Also, that glare is scary, you know."
The atmosphere shifted, leaving Hikaru even more flustered and Shimizu thoroughly confused. The girls' unexpected seriousness about Hikaru in girl clothes had turned what was meant to be a light-hearted joke into a slightly awkward moment.
Hikaru turned to Zul. "Hey, Zul, let's have a sleepover too, like they’re having. I envy them."
Zul looked confused. "Huh? What's with that suddenly? Also, your grade is good, right? We don't need to do that."
Shimizu looked surprised. "Huh, Hikaru, your grade is good? I thought we were in the same boat!"
Hikaru smirked. "That's right, shocked, aren't you? You underestimated me, Shimizu."
"Tch, this is so irritating, you traitor."
Shimizu’s words made everyone burst into laughter at the exchange.
Zul then turned to Eri with a concerned look. "Eri, make sure you get permission first for the sleepover at your house."
Eri smiled. "Yes, I'll ask my mother after school today."
Oh, that's right, I also need to tell my mother about this, Mizuha thought, realizing it.
Later that evening, Eri approached her mother about the sleepover plans. She explained about studying together with Mizuha and Shimizu for the upcoming exams.
"So that's everything about the sleepover. Can I have it at our house?"
Her mother smiled warmly. "Sure, why not, my dear. By the way, this is your first time bringing other friends here besides Zul, right?"
"Bring them here, my dear. I'm also glad to meet them."
Eri's face lit up with joy. "Sure, thanks, Mom! I'll text them now." She then headed back to her room with a bright smile.
After Eri left, her mother's expression turned gentle and slightly wistful.453Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00wXB5xyso
"That girl, she seems really happy recently. I'm pretty sure she's made good friends at school."
She paused for a moment before adding in a quieter voice, as if speaking to her late daughter, "What do you think, Arisa?"
A day passed, and the day of the sleepover arrived. Mizuha and Shimizu made their way to Eri's house as promised. Mizuha pressed the bell of the Sakamoto residence.
Mrs. Sakamoto opened the door. "Yes?"
Both of them bowed slightly. "Good evening."
Mrs. Sakamoto greeted them warmly. "Good evening. Umm... Mizuha-chan and Shimizu-chan, right?"
She called into the house, "Eri, your friends are here!"
"I'm coming...!!!"
Mrs. Sakamoto gestured for them to enter. "Please, come in. Eri will be here shortly."
As they stepped inside, Shimizu bowed politely. "Sorry for disturbing."
Mizuha offered a bento box containing food her mother had prepared and gave it to Mrs. Sakamoto.
"Umm, this is from my mother. Please share it with your family."
Mrs. Sakamoto accepted it with a grateful smile. "Thank you for this. Please thank your mother for me, okay?"
Just then, Eri came rushing down, her face lit up with excitement.
"Mizuha-chan, Shimizu-chan, you're finally here!"
"Come on up! My room is on the upper floor. Let's put your belongings there first."
As Mizuha and Shimizu entered Eri's room, both girls stopped in their tracks, taking in the spacious interior.
Mizuha looked around the room in amazement. "Wow... so pretty."
Shimizu spun around, taking in the room. "This is huge! It must be double the size of my room at home!"
Eri's expression softened slightly. "Actually, this used to be both mine and my sister's room. After she passed away... well, it became just my room."
A brief moment of silence fell as both Mizuha and Shimizu processed this information. They quietly moved to place their belongings against the wall.
As Mizuha set down her bag, something caught her eye. On Eri's desk were two framed photographs. In one, two identical little girls smiled brightly at the camera. In the other, the same two girls were pictured with a younger Zul.
"Is this you and your sister? Both of you look so cute."
Eri nodded. "Yes, that was during elementary school."
Shimizu observed the childhood photo. "Your sister looks exactly like you do now."
A small smile crossed Eri's face. "Many people say the same thing. Well, we were identical twins after all."
Mizuha turned to Eri. "So, you guys were really close back then."
"You're right. By the way, look at this, Zul. He could actually smile like others back then, so different from how he is right now."
"But I've noticed he has started to smile like that again recently. I think he's happy now because he's friends with all of us."
Mizuha nodded. "Yeah, I noticed that too."
Mizuha then began to arrange her study equipment and put on her glasses.
"Well, since we're all here already, why don't we start our lessons?"
"There she is, Glasses Mizuha!" Eri and Shimizu said in unison.
Mizuha groaned. "Stop it! Why do you two always say that when I wear my glasses?"
"Because something seems different when you wear them. You look so different with them on!"
"But why aren’t you wearing contacts like usual, Mizuha-chan?"
"Well, I can't use my contacts all the time. They sometimes make my eyes feel uncomfortable, so I switch to glasses."
"Okay, enough talk. We shouldn't waste our time. Why don't we get started?"
"You're right. Let's begin our study session."
"Eh, let me rest first. I'm too tired."
Mizuha touched Shimizu’s shoulder and threatened with a scary smile. "So, you want to rest? What if your grades turn bad? Wouldn't that ruin your upcoming summer vacation?"
Erk, Mizuha’s turned into her yandere mode. This isn’t good, Shimizu thought.
"Okay, okay, I'll start studying now too! Mizuha sensei."
As she taught her friends, Mizuha studied alongside them. Despite excelling in most subjects, she still needed to improve her own studies.
Eri came closer to Mizuha. "Mizuha-chan, can you check my answer? Is this correct?"
"Sure, let me check it." Mizuha leaned over to look. "This is good! You seem to have improved a bit. Keep it up."
Eri nodded. "Understood. I'll continue as you taught me earlier."
Mizuha glanced at Shimizu’s work. "Let's see how you're doing, Shimizu."
Mizuha knocked Shimizu's head with her book.
"Hey, this answer is wrong!"
Shimizu rubbed her own head. "Ouch! What was that for, Mizuha? It hurts!"
"This is not the solution for that. It's supposed to be like this..." Mizuha then demonstrated the right way to solve the math problem.
Mizuha gave Shimizu stern looks. "How many times do I need to tell you this? Keep at it, okay?"
Shimizu groaned. "I know, I know. Why is this subject so hard?"
"It's actually not hard if you keep practicing and studying properly. Here, I'll teach you how to solve another problem using this formula."
Even though she's a bit angry with me, she still keeps teaching me properly. She never leaves her friends behind, Shimizu thought.
"That's more or less it. Do you understand now, Shimizu?"
"I think I understand a bit better now."
"Then try to solve this problem using the same formula from earlier."
Shimizu nodded. "Alright, I'll try to do that."
About one hour later, they all took a twenty-minute break.
Shimizu yawned, immediately jumped onto Eri's bed.
"Ah, I'm so tired. Let me lie down for a bit."
"Ah, it smells so good."
Mizuha frowned. "Hey, watch your manners, Shimizu! It's not your bed, it's Eri's."
Eri smiled. "Don't worry about that, I'm okay with it."
Shimizu grinned. "See? Eri said she's okay with it."
Suddenly, Mrs. Sakamoto opened the room door. "Are you girls taking a break? Here, I brought some cookies for you."
"Oh, cookies! They look delicious. Bon appétit!" Shimizu grabbed the cookies and started eating.
Mizuha turned to Mrs. Sakamoto. "Thank you very much. Bon appétit."
"Wow, these cookies are delicious! Are these homemade?"
"Yes, those are homemade cookies. Are they delicious?"
Mizuha nodded. "Yes, they're so delicious."
"Thanks, I'm glad you all like them."
"Um, Eri, sorry to disturb your study session, but could you run an errand for me right now?"
"Sure, what do you need?"
Mrs. Sakamoto gave Eri a list of groceries, and before leaving, Eri said, "You guys please wait a moment, I'll be back."
Shimizu stood up. "Wait, I'll go with you! Mizuha, you stay here. We'll be back soon."
Both Eri and Shimizu left the house to run the errands for Eri's mother. Mizuha felt awkward being left alone with Eri's mother.
"They left, huh?"
"Seems like it."
Suddenly, Mrs. Sakamoto turned to Mizuha. "Mizuha-chan, right?"
"Yes, what is it, Sakamoto-san?"
"I heard from Zul-kun that you and Shimizu-chan saved Eri from the bullies. Thank you for that. I really appreciate it." Mrs. Sakamoto then bowed her head to Mizuha.
Mizuha waved her hands frantically. "Please raise your head! I just helped her because Shimizu and I happened to be in the bathroom that day. I'm glad we were able to save her."
"You're really as kind as Eri said. Thank you for being friends with her."
"I'm glad to be friends with her too."
"You see, I was really worried that she wouldn't be able to make any friends in high school besides Zul, especially after she decided to change herself to become a good person like her late sister."
"Yes, I heard about that. Eri-chan decided to change herself to be like her sister, but was her sister shy and timid? When I first met Eri, she was scared to talk with anyone other than Zul."
"Arisa wasn't shy like that at all. She was very talkative with others. I think Eri tried so hard to adopt Arisa's positive traits that she ended up overwhelming herself."
"I see. She forced herself too much. That's why..."
Mrs. Sakamoto chuckled. "I think her decision to change might have been the right choice, as she promised Arisa she would become a better person. She used to be quite a naughty girl in the past.
Also, her change has made me feel better and helped heal my sadness from losing Arisa. From that, I can see Arisa's will staying alive inside Eri."
"Yes, I heard about that from Eri."
"Recently, I've seen her become more cheerful and a bit more confident than before."
"I think it's thanks to you girls. Please continue being friends with her, okay?"
"I understand, I promise I will continue to be friends with her."
"Thanks, Mizuha-chan. I'm glad I was able to talk about my daughter with you." Mrs. Sakamoto then excused herself and left the room.
Left alone, Mizuha reflected. I see. Now I understand why Eri became like this; she pushed herself so much.
But Eri is doing well now, so her change was successful, I guess.
I wonder if I could change myself like that.
I'd better not waste time, she thought. I should study while waiting for them to return.
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To be continued………..Part 2
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