Midterms ended like a storm that had finally run out of anger.
For days, the school had been suffocating. Classrooms were filled with silence, students buried in books, eyes dull, minds exhausted. Even laughter had felt out of place, like something forbidden during exam season.
But now everything had changed.
The air felt lighter. Voices returned. Laughter spread through corridors like it had been waiting outside the gates all this time.
Because the exams were over.
And that alone was enough to bring life back.
Students crowded around the notice board, forming a noisy circle of curiosity and fear. Some stood on their toes, some pushed forward, some just waited, pretending they were not nervous.
"Oh man, finally… finally we got free from hell," one boy said, pressing his hands together like he had just survived something sacred.
"You're acting like you fought a war," his friend replied.
"I did. With math."
A few nearby students laughed.
"Same here. I think math personally hates me."
"Math doesn't hate you," someone added from behind. "It just doesn't know you exist."
More laughter.
"So who's the winner this time?" another voice asked.
A boy near the board leaned closer, scanning the list carefully.
"Hmmm… ah, as always… our dude Hitori."
Groans spread through the crowd.
"Of course."
"No surprise there."
"Does he even study?"
"I think books study him."
"And second is…" the boy paused.
"…Huh?"
"What?"
"…Takahashi?"
"Who?"
"Wait, who the hell is Takahashi?"
"Dude, that quiet guy who's always with Hitori."
"Ohhh… him?"
"No way, he got second?"
"Hidden genius…"
"That's scary."
Whispers started moving faster now, curiosity rising.
"Hey, look… Hitori is coming," one of the girls said softly, her voice filled with excitement.
Heads turned.
Shin Hitori walked toward the board, calm as ever. His steps were steady, his expression unchanged. The noise around him didn't seem to reach him.
People made space without realizing it.
He didn't look at the notice board.
Not even for a second.
He simply walked past it.
Because he already knew.
Behind him, Kei Takahashi pushed through the crowd, slightly breathless.
"Hitori, wait," he said.
Shin stopped and turned slightly.
"You should look at it," Kei said, pointing toward the board.
"I don't have to," Shin replied calmly.
Kei blinked, then gave a small nod.
"…Right."
That answer somehow made sense.
They walked away together.
Behind them, the whispers continued.
"Wow… as cold as always."
"I don't know if he's a genius or just overconfident."
"Maybe both."
Back in the classroom, the noise hadn't settled at all.
Students were talking loudly, comparing marks, exaggerating their struggles.
"I passed!" one boy shouted.
"Relax, you passed by one mark," his friend replied.
"A pass is a pass. Respect it."
Kei sat quietly at his desk, looking at his result sheet again, as if confirming it would not change.
Second place.
His fingers tightened slightly on the paper.
Not out of pride.
Not fully.
There was something else mixed in it.
Something he didn't name.
Beside him, Shin flipped through a book as if nothing had happened.
Kei glanced at him.
"…You knew," he said quietly.
Shin didn't look up.
"Yes."
Kei hesitated for a moment.
"You didn't even check."
"I didn't need to."
Kei gave a small, almost invisible smile.
"…That's like you."
A brief silence settled between them.
Not heavy.
Not awkward.
Just quiet.
The classroom door opened.
The teacher entered.
The noise dropped quickly, though not completely.
"Alright, everyone, take your seats," the teacher said.
Chairs moved. Conversations lowered.
The teacher placed the result sheets on the desk and looked around.
"I hope all of you have learned something from these exams," they began.
A few students nodded seriously.
Others avoided eye contact.
Kei looked down at his desk, then back at the front.
His thoughts drifted, but not far.
"I learned…" he murmured softly, almost to himself.
Shin glanced at him.
"What?"
Kei hesitated.
"…That I can do it."
A pause.
"…If I try properly."
Shin looked at him for a moment.
Then simply said,
"Yes."
No praise.
No exaggeration.
But it was enough.
The teacher continued speaking about improvement, effort, and consistency. The usual words, serious and steady.
Some students listened.
Some just waited for it to end.
Time moved slowly, then suddenly fast.
And finally, the bell rang.
Students stood up immediately, conversations rising back to full volume.
Plans were being made, jokes continued, energy overflowing again.
Shin quietly packed his things.
Kei watched him for a second.
"…Library?" he asked.
"Yes."
Kei stood up as well.
They walked out of the classroom together.
The corridor was still filled with voices, but it felt distant.
Kei walked slightly behind him at first, then beside him.
"So, going to duty?", takahashi asked.
"Yes"
He didn't say much.
Takahashi went to out the school.
Hitori went towards the library.
Shin opened the door and stepped inside.
Silence greeted him.
Calm.
Still.
The same as always.