The tension in the school hallway was a physical weight. It was the morning of the mid-term results posting, the day the "Hierarchy of 3-A" would be set in stone once again. Usually, Rika and Rentaro would be standing on opposite sides of the bulletin board, radiating a cold energy that kept other students at a distance.
But today, they walked into the school gates at the exact same time. They had both worked the late shift, and despite the "no studying" rule, they had spent the walk home debating the merits of different economic theories.
"I'm telling you, the supply-side argument in Question 6 was flawed," Rentaro was saying, his hands in his pockets.
"Only if you ignore the historical context of the 1980s," Rika countered, her eyes bright. "Logic dictates—"
She stopped mid-sentence. Standing by the shoe lockers was Kenji, a boisterous classmate who was notorious for being the school’s unofficial news reporter. He was staring at them, his mouth slightly open, his gaze darting from Rika’s messy bun to the way Rentaro was leaning toward her.
"Shinozaki? Hanamachi?" Kenji blinked, pointing a finger. "Since when do the 'Ice Queen' and the 'Ghost of 3-A' arrive together? And... wait. Are those matching 7-Eleven keychains on your bags?"
Rika felt the blood drain from her face. She looked down. In their exhaustion, they hadn't noticed that the promotional "Nanako-chan" charms they’d both received as employee gifts were swinging prominently from their zippers.
"It’s a coincidence," Rentaro said, his voice dropping an octave into his "don't mess with me" tone.
"A coincidence? You guys look like you’ve been up all night together!" Kenji grinned, his voice rising enough to attract a small crowd. "Wait, I heard a rumor someone saw a 'Power Couple' at the convenience store on 4th Street. Was that you two? Are the top rivals actually... dating?"
The word dating echoed through the locker area like a gunshot.
"Don't be ridiculous," Rika snapped, her voice trembling. "We are competitors. Nothing more. Hanamachi-kun was simply... clarifying a point from our study session."
"A study session? Together?" Another student chimed in. "The Ice Queen actually let someone near her notes?"
The whispers started immediately—a low, buzzing sound that followed them all the way to the classroom. For the first time, the "perfect" image Rika had cultivated was being picked apart by gossip. She sat at her desk, staring straight ahead, feeling exposed.
When the results were finally posted at noon, the crowd was larger than usual. Everyone wanted to see if the "distraction" had affected their scores.
1. Rika Shinozaki - 498/500
2. Rentaro Hanamachi - 497/500
A single point. Rika had won, but she didn't feel the usual rush of victory. She looked at Rentaro, who was staring at his score. He looked up, and for a split second, he gave her a tiny, private nod—a silent congratulations.
But Kenji was right behind them. "One point difference? Man, if you guys are spending your nights 'studying' together, I guess the rivalry is just for show now, huh?"
Rentaro turned, his expression darkening. He looked like he was about to say something that would get him suspended, but Rika reached out—not to his hand, but just catching the sleeve of his blazer.
"The rivalry isn't for show, Kenji-kun," she said, her voice loud enough for the onlookers to hear. "It’s the only reason we both got these scores. We push each other. If that’s hard for you to understand, perhaps that’s why you’re sitting at rank fifty-four."
The crowd "oohed," and Kenji turned red, retreating into the hallway.
But as the crowd dispersed, the weight of the secret being "out" remained. They weren't just the Top Students anymore. They were "The Pair."
"You okay?" Rentaro asked as they packed their bags at the end of the day.
"My parents are going to hear about it," Rika whispered. "Gossip like this travels. They’ll think I’m 'distracted' by a boy. They’ll use it as an excuse to say I can't handle living alone."
Rentaro zipped his bag and stood up. He walked over to her desk, ignoring the few lingering students. "Let them talk. If they come for you, we'll just show them the scoreboard. You're still the Queen, Rika. And if they try to take your 'crown,' I’ll be the one they have to go through first."
He walked toward the door, pausing just long enough for her to catch up.
"Now come on. We’re late for the shift change, and Tanaka-san said the new shipment of seasonal ice cream arrives today. If we're quick, we can snag the first two 'waste' samples."18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAz2HTRwVSR
and then Add to home screen.