I, Aki Tomoya, will not be a simp.

"Cough cough cough, I've only heard a little about this. Even during Golden Week, that kid An Yi still has to prepare for his exams. It's not a wise choice for you to come looking for him at this time."

Sawamura Sayuri certainly couldn't say she had done a special investigation. Not only did she know that Aki Tomo wasn't home, she had even found out which cram school the kid was attending. But such things were just a piece of cake for her.

But in front of my daughter, I'll just describe it as everyday gossip.

And right now, the most important thing is to help my lovely daughter resolve her friendship issues.

Having always worn a mask at school, Eriri doesn't have many truly close friends. Her childhood friend, Tomoya Aki, who is also an otaku, holds a special place in Eriri's heart.

Sawamura Sayuri knew very well that their friendship could become more hostile or more intimate than ordinary.

However, it seems that since Aki Tomoya has lost interest in maintaining this secret friendship and is now focused on preparing for his exams, Eriri no longer has any friends at school with whom she can reveal her true self in private.

Even though Kasumigaoka Utaha is indeed someone who knows Eriri's true nature, the opportunity for the two of them to be honest with each other has not yet arisen.

After seeing Eriri's predicament, Sayuri Sawamura, who had been racking her brains over her daughter's friendship issues, knew it was time to step in. Otherwise, Eriri would have to take a break from this year's summer commercial, as she wouldn't be able to produce anything good in her current state.

"Listen to me, Eriri, before you want to continue being friends with that Aki kid, you need to make sure there's one thing: whether he still considers you a friend!"

Sayuri Sawamura pressed Eriri's shoulder and spoke seriously to her daughter.

In her eyes, her daughter's only worries were about friendships.

Even so, Eriri must be clear about one thing: when she wants to repair this relationship, she has to consider whether the other person in this relationship still considers her a friend.

If Aki Tomoya already considers Eriri a complete stranger, then no matter how much Eriri tries to repair things, it will be in vain.

Sayuri Sawamura would go out herself to help her daughter with her friendships, but she would never want to see her daughter get hurt.

"If you dare to hurt my daughter, be prepared to be filled with cement and sunk into Tokyo Bay!"

Of course, it's just a matter of friendship; it hasn't come to the point of drowning someone.

But if possible, Sayuri Sawamura still hopes that Eriri will make things easier for her.

"Look me in the eyes. I am your mother, and I will definitely help you!"

"But……"

From Eriri's evasive gaze, Sayuri Sawamura realized that it wasn't that Eriri didn't trust her, but rather that Eriri herself lacked confidence.

Now that things have come to this, Sayuri Sawamura can't help but wonder what happened to the Tomoya Aki she remembered, that made Eriri so afraid to face him.

"An Yilun too!"

……

"hiss--"

At the Qingfeng Academy, Aki Tomoya shivered for no reason.

A sense of resentment arose from nowhere, and the chilling feeling was quite eerie on such a bright sunny day.

The palpitation I just felt distracted Aki Tomoya.

After finishing the Chinese exam in the morning, I bought a sugary fast food bento box at a supermarket during my lunch break to replenish my energy. Not long after, it was time for the math mock exam in the afternoon.

"We can't panic! We can't panic!"

Aki Tomoya slapped his cheeks hard. Even though it wasn't a formal exam, but just a placement test arranged by the academy, he couldn't get distracted.

And frankly, that feeling was so inexplicable. How could I suddenly feel a pang of anxiety during the exam?

supernatural event?

"Forget it," Aki Tomoya shook his head, deciding it was best not to overthink it. "Maybe it's just that I've been sleeping too late lately and my body is a little weak."

He doesn't have time to think about anything else right now. During an exam, there's no time to be distracted. He's still not focused enough!

Aki Tomoya attributed the previous incident to his lack of focus, and he roused himself again, reminding himself not to let his guard down.

His previously slowed mind started working again.

Aki Tomoya had no idea that while he was diligently studying at the academy during Golden Week, his childhood friend Eriri would be outside his house at that very moment.

=

P.S. Thank you to the customer who sent the panties yesterday, the customer who sent 50 razor blades, and the customer who sent the soap. Also, thank you to all the customers who sent items.

The boss is so generous and in good health!

By the way, here's my book club: 417548317. If there are a lot of people there, I'll put it up for sale and show off my amazing ability to update chapters in bursts!

Chapter 31 Please teach me! (Updated with apologies!)

"First question!"

At Eriri's house, after forcibly dragging Eriri home, Sayuri Sawamura was about to give her daughter a serious talking-to.

Facing Eriri, who was sitting on the bed as if on pins and needles, Sayuri Sawamura was more serious than ever before.

Do you know anything about that kid Aki?

The first rule of making friends is to understand your friends' basic situation, which can be simply called intelligence gathering.

Eriri pursed her pink lips and said hesitantly, "Preparing for the exam..."

That's right. According to Eriri, her childhood friend Tomoya Aki, who has decided to quit being a homebody, is currently studying hard for his exams.

The moment Eriri uttered the words "preparing for the exam," Sayuri Sawamura's eyes lit up, casting a gaze that made Eriri feel immense pressure.

"Unqualified!"

Sawamura Sayuri pulled out a large paper fan from somewhere and slammed it heavily on the bed. The loud bang rang in Eriri's ears, causing her to tense up.

"Eri, do you know how important the college entrance exam is for a student?! Do you understand how serious it is?!"

Sawamura Sayuri yelled at Eriri, as if afraid Eriri wouldn't understand the reasoning behind it.

“Students in Japan can be simply divided into two halves. One half chooses to enter the workforce after graduating from high school, or some of them are active in high school life, choosing sports, arts, or music. The other half of students aim for university. In Japan, what is taught in schools is only enough to pass the national exams!”

The statement is impressive. Perhaps Eriri only knows the tension she felt when rushing to finish her manuscript before the doujinshi convention, but she can't understand that a group of people have been competing since they started choosing schools in junior high.

In Japan, studying equals money; schools will provide you with tutoring.

You might get tutoring to pass if you fail, but that's about it.

In any country, education is linked to money, and this is especially true in Japan, a place that supposedly implements a relaxed education system.

But China is different. Many schools provide tutoring for students, but the teachers don't get any benefits. The exam-oriented education system in China has already given students without resources as much opportunity to compete!

However, if you're not a genius when it comes to university entrance exams in Japan, expensive tutoring classes become a necessary option!

"Aki Tomoya is currently a sophomore in high school, and as far as I know, his grades were mediocre before his sophomore year. He was completely immersed in anime and manga. Putting aside whether his goal of getting into the University of Tokyo is too far-fetched, my second question is, do you know what it takes to get into the University of Tokyo?"

Like a teacher, Sayuri Sawamura explained Aki Tomoya's current situation to Eriri step by step, trying her best to make Eriri understand the pros and cons.

Faced with her mother Sayuri Sawamura's questioning, Eriri felt immense pressure. She instinctively gripped the bedsheets tightly, her bright eyes filled with confusion, and she couldn't help but avoid her mother's gaze.

"I...I don't know..."

Of course she didn't know. Eriri and Tomoya Aki had always attended public schools before high school, so she couldn't experience the pressure of attending a private school that was geared towards higher education.

Moreover, further education is not her way out. Her family background and ideals are the biggest differences between Eriri and Aki Tomoya!

Sayuri Sawamura's lips curled up slightly as she secretly chuckled at her daughter's current predicament, but she maintained a serious expression on her face.

"Let me tell you, before Aki takes the entrance exam for the University of Tokyo, the first thing he needs to review is the first national exam, which is the seven subjects. Whether he applies for the humanities or sciences at the University of Tokyo, the first thing he needs to solve is the score on the seven subjects in the national exam!"

To be honest, Sayuri Sawamura was a little worried about Tomoya Aki choosing the University of Tokyo, especially since he was a science major.

Starting from the second year of high school, this starting point is already a headache.

But this was Aki Tomoya's choice, and Sawamura Sayuri didn't want to comment further. What she needed to do now was to let her daughter Eriri understand Aki Tomoya's situation at this moment.

"In less than two years, his most important task is to prepare for the national college entrance examination, review seven subjects, and improve his score to above last year's cutoff score!"

Compared to her daughter, Sayuri Sawamura understood perfectly well how important it was for Tomoya Aki to sprint within the limited time available.

This was an incredibly stressful period for Aki Tomoya.

Golden Week?

Stop joking. For test takers, the holidays are a crucial sprint period, especially when there are no teachers to plan for you. How you plan your time yourself is very important.

"What were you thinking when you went to see him at a time like this?"

Here, Sayuri Sawamura poses a question that can torment Eriri's soul.

Everyone knows that he's preparing for exams and doesn't have time for romance or hanging out with friends right now!

Be more careful. Do I have to worry about this kind of thing? Is it really that complicated for teenagers to make friends?

However, when Eriri mustered up the courage to go find Aki Tomoya, Sawamura Sayuri, who knew that Aki Tomoya wasn't home, didn't immediately stop her.

Eriri was speechless at this moment, and could only look pitifully at her mother, Sayuri Sawamura.

A single conversation with you is worth more than ten years of study!

It's incredibly foolish to disturb someone who's busy preparing for an exam.

"If that kid An Yi relaxes even a little, he might fall into an abyss. Even if he passes the preliminary exam, the re-examination within the University of Tokyo is not so easy to pass, especially the science exam. Now we just need to see how long he can finish reviewing the seven subjects of the national exam and then train for the University of Tokyo's exam."

Seizing the opportunity, Sayuri Sawamura reminded Eriri that even though Tomoya Aki had passed the preliminary national exam and was qualified to enter the Tokyo University entrance exam, the real competition would begin there.

The biggest enemy that Sawamura Sayuri saw opposite Aki Tomoya was none other than time!