After breaking up, my ex asked me to win her back

At the end of July, Yuqiu High School conducted their mid-term exams before the summer break.

The ranking of the results was posted on the bulletin board in the classroom corridor, which was usually plastered with various school activity and club promotion posters, but today, it was covered by a large sheet of white paper filled with the mid-term exam results.

It recorded the grades of the one hundred and twenty students in the second year.

The results were as follows—

First place: Kagura Hikaru.

Second place: Kiryu Hina.

Third place: Ayakoji Chiyoko.

Fourth place: ...

Just like the results from the last final exams of the previous year.

Many students crowded in front of the bulletin board to check their own results, those with disappointing scores began to clutch their heads and wail over having to take make-up classes during the summer, while those without these concerns laughed and discussed the top-ranking academic achievers among themselves.

"Who is this Kagura Hikaru, managing to beat President Kiryu?"

"Isn't that the new vice president of the Disciplinary Committee?"

"Since first year, their grades seemed to have been above President Kiryu's."

"Impressive, they must have put in a lot of effort."

"I wonder which cram school they attended."

On the outskirts of the crowd, Kagura Hikaru, with his hands in his pockets, stood there, looking up at the results just like everyone else.

Actually, he didn't need to come at all.

He could know his ranking even with his eyes closed.

Chinese, mathematics, chemistry, physics... For someone like him, who was a theoretical genius, it wasn't so much that these elementary courses were not challenging but rather that he couldn't even feel the presence of any difficulty.

He could even bet with someone that if he didn't get full marks on any of the papers, he would eat that exam paper right there and then—such was his level of confidence.

So in a sense, he could be considered the first person in the school to know the ranking of the results.

His appearance here now was purely because he had been dragged along by someone.

"As expected, I didn't surpass her this time either," Ayakoji Chiyoko, with her arms folded, stared at the irritating name 'Kiryu Hina' ranked above her on the results list, tapping her toes discontentedly.

In terms of studies, the two had been vying with each other for over a year, yet Ayakoji Chiyoko had never won once.

Just as Kiryu Hina had never beaten her in physical activities, she had never beaten Kiryu Hina in academics.

In their first year, Ayakoji Chiyoko used to be ridiculed by her for being the perennial second place.

And now, she could not even claim the position of second place, having been demoted to third.

Thinking of this, Ayakoji Chiyoko cast a satisfied glance at Kagura Hikaru, who was standing beside her.

He was indeed worthy of the person she took a liking to.

No, no, she almost let her true feelings show.

Ayakoji Chiyoko put on a stern face, "I remember before the end of last semester, your grades were still way beyond the top ten, how did you suddenly jump to the top?"

If you have any tips or secret martial arts manuals, teach me now!

Kagura Hikaru could read this sentence from her fervent gaze.

As if there could be such things.

"Just study seriously and spend time working on practice papers, that's the only way."

"Nonsense."

"Hey... that's actually solid advice, you know."

"If effort alone guaranteed success, the world would be full of rich people by now," Ayakoji Chiyoko sized him up, "I think, given your personality, you must have been hiding your abilities, deliberately lagging behind on the ranking list."

Kagura Hikaru thought to himself, she saw right through him.

Back in the first year, in his mind, he had been considering how to pass his three years of high school inconspicuously.

Many people know which is the tallest mountain in the world, but who knows the name of the sixteenth ranked mountain?

Kagura Hikaru sought that kind of anonymity.

At least, that was the case at the time.

After Kiryu Hina approached him, his life changed.

Ayakoji Chiyoko tended toward social Darwinism, subjectively categorizing people she encountered as either capable or incapable.

Towards the incapable, she wouldn't even spare a glance.

That was the arrogance, or rather, the pride, rooted in her heart.

To cater to Ayakoji Chiyoko and become her friend, Kagura Hikaru had to display a side of himself that was impressive enough to catch her attention.

After that, he did many things to reach their current level of relationship.

Actually, from an ordinary person's perspective, Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko could already be considered friends.

They would chat and work together, help each other out, and occasionally joke around.

You see, if someone with Ayakoji Chiyoko's aloof personality would joke with you, that's already a pretty close relationship, right?

But Kagura Hikaru felt it wasn't enough.

At least he still hadn't found an appropriate excuse to visit her home.

If he brought it up rashly, it would only make Ayakoji Chiyoko suspect he had ulterior motives.

They weren't that close yet.

However, he wasn't in a rush, after all, there were almost two years left to spend time together, and the current progress was satisfactory. There was no need to overdo it; taking it slowly would suffice.

"Hey, are you even listening to me?"

"What?" Kagura Hikaru turned his head, "Sorry, I was thinking about something, say it again."

Ayakoji Chiyoko sighed with her hands on her hips in resignation, "I was saying, for the summer vacation, if you're free, could you tutor me..."

"Tutor you at your house? I can do that," his eyes lit up.

"Huh? My house... it's not convenient to go there, someone from my family might come back at any time," Ayakoji Chiyoko said, somewhat awkwardly avoiding the subject, glancing aside, "It's fine if it's outside, like a cafe, family restaurant, or the library, or something."

That's right, since they couldn't be intimate at school, then going off-campus was the option!

Just like last time, listening to music at a live house, or drinking coffee in a cafe, those things were enough for Ayakoji Chiyoko to feel content.

Plus, she really wanted to see Kagura Hikaru over the summer break.

More than ten days of vacation, she would feel lonely if she didn't see him for too long.

"Oh, I see," however, Kagura Hikaru completely missed the point, and his interest faded when he realized he couldn't go to her house, "Sorry, I could during school, but not over the summer holiday."

"Why not?"

"I have to go back to my hometown, it's been a tradition for many years."

"Oh, I see..."

Ayakoji Chiyoko's shoulders drooped slightly.

Suddenly, there was an uproar from the end of the hallway. Experience more on empire

"Ah, it's the President."

"Where? Where?"

"President Kiryu, good morning!"

The girl floated over.

With neat black long hair, white tights, and a gentle, perfect smile, the ordinary school uniform looked like a princess's attire on her.

She stood out from the crowd with an air of elegance that seemed out of place.

The current Student Council President of Uka High School, Kiryu Hina.

"Good morning, everyone."

She moved through the middle of the hallway, responding to greetings from students on either side as if she were a woodland sprite surrounded by flowers and deer.

Aside from her, nothing else entered one's field of vision.

"If you could pull off that kind of effect, you'd easily win the Student Council election," Kagura Hikaru tilted his head a bit towards Ayakoji Chiyoko and said.

With a disdainful snort, Ayakoji Chiyoko didn't say anything.

Kiryu Hina approached and their eyes met.

Their gazes locked together as if electrified, and after a deep second of eye contact, Kiryu Hina shifted her focus to Kagura Hikaru, this time for two seconds, longer than before.

Noticing this subtle change, Kagura Hikaru glanced at her strangely.

Had he done anything lately to warrant special attention?

Kiryu Hina wasn't looking at an academic leaderboard, so it seemed she was just passing by on her way to work and floated by.

This was the last time Kagura Hikaru saw her before the break.

At the end of July, Uka High School's first term came to a close, and they smoothly transitioned to summer vacation.

Then, the holiday slipped away in a flash.

The Student Council election began.