Time to wake up.
Slowly, but surely, Shujinkou opened his eyes. Golden beams of light spilled into the room, illuminating the room to a near intolerable level.
Ugh… What happened?
Once his eyes adjusted to the light, Shujinkou was surprised to discover that he was not in his room. Adding to his confusion, he found his friends sleeping all around him.
Oh that's right, too many milkshakes… Still can't believe I lasted as long as I did.
A yawn slipped out of him as he reached for his phone. The first day of the final exams have arrived.
It was finally time to see if all of their efforts would pay off.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
His horrified scream shattered the tranquil atmosphere, awakening the others in the process.
"Shiko, why are screaming so early!?" Sayori cried.
"We slept in!"
Three words. It only took three words for everyone to realize what was at stake. Their school, like most others, have a strict policy on attendance and their exam days were no different.
An absence would automatically cause them to fail their missed exam. Failing their exam would significantly impact their overall grade and may lead to them requiring to attend cram school. And if their overall grade for a class is low enough, they may have to retake it – or even worse repeat the year depending on individual circumstances.
"Ah, you're finally all up." Mali stepped into the room, already dressed for school. The panic she found on most everyone's faces was such an amusing sight; she couldn't help but smile. "And here I thought you were going to sleep all day."
"Why didn't you wake us up?" Natsuki wasted no time demanding an answer from Mali.
"Because I thought the morning would be more interesting like this." Mali's response was instantaneous and shockingly honest. She didn't even bother pretending to care.
Natsuki opened her mouth, ready to retort, but she was swiftly stopped by Monika. "Natsuki, we don't have time for a back and forth. We need to get ready!"
Following her lead, the group scattered to collect all their possessions while finding the time to take care of basic hygiene. Some handling both tasks at once to mixed results.
Mali watched the chaos unfold, relishing the anxiety directing every desperate movement.
Moments later, everyone was ready to depart, but there was still a lingering doubt in the air.
"How are we going to get to school on time? We're not exactly close." Natsuki said.
The answer came from an unexpected source.
"…We're going to have to run." Shujinkou was surprisingly frank, something the others saw as another sign of how serious their predicament was.
"Even if we broke into a full sprint, would that really be enough to make it in time?" Yuri wondered.
"Only one way to find out," Kiyoko said.
"RUN!" Sayori cried.
They took off, dashing for school with reckless abandon.
They ran and they ran. There was no time to catch their breaths and no time to worry about the attention they drew.
All that mattered was making it to their exams in time.
"Ugh…!"
From the corner of his eyes, Shujinkou noticed a woman fall to the ground, hunched over in pain.
There were plenty of other people around. Surely they could check what was wrong with her.
That option didn't register in Shujinkou's mind and he came to a screeching halt to tend to the stranger.
"Are you okay?" Shujinkou kneeled down next to her, wanting to help her to her feet, but she didn't have the strength to do so.
Upon closer inspection, Shujinkou noticed the large, round shape of her belly. Along with her quiet cries of pain, it was clear what he had stumbled upon.
Gulping hard, Shujinkou wondered what he could possibly do as his companions jogged up to him.
"What's going on, Shujinkou?" Fuyu asked.
"I… I think she's having a baby!"
It was a shocking statement. The miracle of life would normally be a grand sight to witness, but now was the worst time to get involved.
"Ma'am, are you with anyone right now?" Monika kneeled down next to Shujinkou and asked the stranger this question.
The woman shook her head.
"…She needs to get to the hospital. I'll call an ambulance." Monika reached for her phone, but Shujinkou stopped her. "Shujinkou, what're you-?"
"…Guys, we can't afford to miss this exam. If we do, forget just the past weekend, everything we worked hard for the entire year could be for nothing," Shujinkou said.
"But Shujinkou, are you saying we should just leave?" Yuri questioned.
"Yeah…" Shujinkou nodded. "You guys are going to be late if you don't hurry."
"…Shiko, are you saying what I think you're saying?" Sayori said.
"Someone has to stay here. It might as well be the guy who had the highest chance of failing in the first place, right?"
"But Shiko, you worked so hard."
"And so did you guys. I wasn't supposed to take the exams anyway. The only reason I was allowed was because Fuyu vouched for me. And when you think about it, the only reason we're here right now is only because you guys set up a study sleepover to help me. The only reason we're here is because of me and the last thing I'd ever want is to drag you all down with me."
"…Shujinkou, is this really what you want?" Monika asked.
Shujinkou once again nodded. "Yeah, don't worry about me. I'm used to missing things."
It was clear that nothing said would make Shujinkou budge. With no choice but to accept his decision, the rest of the group continued their sprint to school.
…
"Made… it…!" Sayori clenched her fist, performing a tiny gesture of victory upon entering the school.
"I never… wish to do this… again…" Yuri said along her heavy pants.
"Really, Oppai Lily-san? You don't think a nice, brisk jog was exactly what the brain needed on a day like this?" Mali whistled a short tune before walking off, presumably to her own class.
"Does it not bother her that it's partially her fault her 'precious Senpai' is going to miss the first day of exams…?" Natsuki recalled the conversation she had with Mali in the hospital room. It sincerely hurt her head how her words back have been contradicted by her action since Shujinkou's awakening.
The morning bell didn't leave her much time to ponder, however. Everyone went to their class, taking their seats just in in time for attendance.
As usual, Kiyoko's homeroom teacher, Chika-sensei, took attendance. She called out her students names and they responded until she reached a certain one.
"Shujinkou."
There was naturally no response.
"…Shujinkou?"
She looked away from her sheet, directing her gaze to where Shujinkou would normally be sitting.
"Has anyone seen Shujinkou?" Chika asked.
Kiyoko raised her hand. "Sensei, Shujinkou couldn't make it because he's helping someone about to give birth."
The tone of her voice was completely serious, leaving no chance for the news to be taken as a joke or a lie. Despite that, the entire class erupted into loud debates over the validity of her claim.
"Eh? Shujinkou's helping a pregnant lady?"
"He's just ditching! It's the oldest excuse in the book!"
"I know he somehow raided a criminal hideout, but the timing's just-"
"Wait, he's not the father is he!?"
The discussions continued on, until their teacher clapped her hands loudly.
"Okay, okay! We're already getting distracted." She picked up her clipboard and looked down at Shujinkou's name. "…So, Shujinkou's absent."
After marking his absence, she finished taking attendance before distributing the first set of exams for the day.
…
The school bell chimed again, granting the students a brief reprieve. Kiyoko stood in front of one of the vending machines, mindlessly drinking a bottle of water until she heard a groan.
Sayori lurched towards the vending machines – Her slow walk and moans giving her the appearance of a zombie.
"You okay there, Sayori?" Kiyoko asked.
"Oh, Kiyo…" Sayori softly patted her stomach. "All that running and test taking with no breakfast."
"Ah. That's right, we didn't eat this morning."
Sayori stood in front of the snack machine. She stared at the money she had on hand, thinking back to how she got it.
"Hey, Sayori, stick out your hand." Shujinkou said.
"You mean like this?" The moment Sayori did as she was told, Shujinkou placed some money in her hand. "What's this for, Shiko?"
"Snacks."
"Snacks?"
"You know for in-between the exams in case you get hungry. It's… It's kinda just my way of wishing you luck."
"I get it. You're the best, Shiko!"
"Hey, Kiyo… Shiko still isn't back yet right?" Sayori asked.
Kiyoko shook her head. "I told our homeroom teacher exactly what happened but I'm not sure what's going to happen. After all, it is one of the most out there excuses in the book."
"But it actually happened. Shouldn't the teachers know that Shiko wouldn't be the type of person to make an excuse like that?"
"Not exactly." Fuyu stepped in between the two, ordering a hot chocolate from one of the machines.
"What do you mean?" Sayori questioned.
"We all know the type of person Shujinkou is, but that's because we actually know him. The teachers here only know him by his record."
"His record…? …It's not that bad though, is it?"
"To summarize, Shujinkou often doesn't pay attention in class and is unresponsive." Fuyu explained succinctly.
It was obvious that Shujinkou's emotional state wouldn't afford him a sterling reputation among the school's staff, but that brief summary made him appear to be an educational delinquent.
Sayori shook off the initial shock and continued. "Okay, but at least his grades showed that he was serious, right?"
"His grades were all over the place. Typically, they would sink before he'd pull them up around the end of a term," Fuyu answered.
"Oh…"
These facts, along with the obvious fact that Shujinkou had never communicated the issues he faced last year, made it clear that they couldn't rely on his reputation.
And I don't think one good semester plus getting into the newspaper is going to help.
"Can't we just tell everyone we were there though?" Sayori proposed.
Fuyu shook her head. "The moment it's discovered that we're friends with Shujinkou would make people wonder if we're just trying to cover for him. Without any discernable proof, it may not be enough."
"But shouldn't we try? We could tell the principal about it."
"…I already tried that."
"Really?" Sayori's eyes were wide with surprise. "What happened?"
"Principal Taiki had to leave because of a 'personal emergency.'" Fuyu replied.
"Personal?" As Sayori wondered what could have pulled their principal away on such an important day, the school bell chimed.
"Welp, time for another exam," Kiyoko said with a yawn. "Better do our best so Shujinkou doesn't worry."
"…Okay…" Sayori pouted. "Sometimes it feels like Shiko's the only one who gets to worry though…"
…
"Hey, I'm back."
After the others had left him, Shujinkou called for an ambulance, insisting on riding along to help keep an eye on the stranger.
At the very least, he figured he could offer a hand to squeeze if she needed one.
Once she was admitted to a hospital room, he wondered if there was any way to offer emotional support while waiting for a family member to take his place.
I got it!
Promising to return, he stepped out to find the nearest convenience store. There, he found everything he needed.
"Sorry, I'm late. There was a lot of traffic outside."
Shujinkou had returned with balloons and a card.
"Sorry I couldn't get any flowers. Only two hands."
"Don't apologize. You've already done a lot for me."
Shujinkou set his gifts down and scratched his right cheek.
"I'm sorry for inconveniencing you," the woman apologized again.
"You're not inconveniencing me," Shujinkou insisted.
"But aren't you you missing an important exam?"
"It's fine. I'm sure I can retake it later."
Though he said that, Shujinkou had a hunch he wouldn't get a second chance. He was the one who insisted that he should start the exams at the same time as the others – he promised the man who gave him that chance that he'd be ready.
Being here now meant he had to deliberately break that promise. Failing his exams after asking was one thing, but not even showing up was very disrespectful.
"…Anyway, were you able to get it touch with anyone?" Shujinkou asked.
"Jin's still hours away, but I was able to reach my older brother. Hopefully, he'll be here soon so I don't have to burden you anymore."
"You're not a burden. Besides, I'm the one who made the choice to come here – you had no control over that."
The woman chuckled. "You're very stubborn, you know that?"
"I… Don't think I've ever been called that much."
"Really? What have you been called then?"
"Well… One of my friends calls me 'Dummy' a lot. But it's only because she wants me not to repeat the stupid stuff I do sometimes. Though, I also think she just likes calling me that sometimes."
"That so?"
Shujinkou began to wonder how his friends were faring on their exams. He was sure that he did the right thing even if it meant he had to break his promise with the principal – at the same time, he hoped his absence didn't distract the others.
Knock, knock.