My beloved sister Koma has agreed to tutor me for the next week in order to help me prepare for the final exams.
“Ne, Nee-sama… Go ahead. It’s my room.”
“Un. Excuse me…”
“You can sit wherever you want, Nee-sama. I’ll prepare things for you in a moment so that we can both study it now.”
So, after finishing dinner and cleaning up, I was immediately invited to Koma’s room.
I’m in a situation where I have intruded into my beloved sister’s room whom I also have secret feelings (?) for… No, honestly speaking, this is making my heart beat fast…
“Thank you, Koma… Fuun, so this is Koma’s room? Somehow… I feel like it has been a while since I’ve last entered Koma’s room.”
“Aah… You’re right. My room is next to my Nee-sama’s, and now that you mention it, I haven’t had many occasions to welcome you in my room.”
“Well, if we want to get together, we just go to the living room as usual.”
I used to share a room with Koma, but ever since we started junior high school and we were given separate rooms, I rarely visited her room.
This makes me feel fresh, even though we’re living under the same roof. I can’t help but take long, hard looks at Koma’s room.
“… Ehm, Nee-sama… Please don’t look around too much… It’s a boring room with no interesting decorations or features…. On top of that, it’s a little embarrassing to have a girl’s room full of workout gear because it’s not very feminine!”
She must’ve noticed my gaze. Koma blushes and says such cute things while taking a round table out of the closet. Certainly, Koma’s room is not overly decorated and it’s simple. I can see dumbbells and other muscle training goods hanging in the corner of the room.
As a maiden who makes even flowers blush before her beauty, I don’t really understand why she’s ashamed… But, but, I can’t say that.
“No,no,no, what are you saying Koma-san. It’s a very nice room with a Koma-like atmosphere. How do I put it… It looks like a grown woman’s room, I like Koma’s room, it’s cool. It’s also good to know that you’re always working out hard.”
“R-Really?”
“Yeah. Also… I particularly like how your room is tidy and neat. Onee-chan is moved by how well you clean up and tidy the room.”
“Hearing you say that makes me happy. Thank you very much, Nee-sama… (*Mumble*) I’m glad that I’ve been cleaning my room every day in case something like this happened…”
I have a motherly disposition, so I can’t relax unless the room is clean. Unlike Aunty’s messy room, Koma’s room is really well organized and clean, just like Koma’s neat and clean image.
“It’s nice… Really… ni…ce…”
… The freshness of the air seemed to enhance the lovely floral aroma of Koma that filled the room.
When I take a deep breath, the scent of the Koma spreads and fills my chest. Aah, I feel like this is enough to fill me up.
“… What a good smell… Good smell…!”
“…? Nee-sama, why are you taking deep breaths?”
“Ehu!? Ahh… It’s… I take deep breaths… for mental concentration”
“Aah, I see… Fufu♪ You’re wonderful. Nee-sama is very enthusiastic about this. Now… Nee-sama seems to be in high spirits, let’s start studying. Are you ready, Nee-sama?”
While I was taking deep breaths, trying to take in all of Koma’s scent in her room, Koma set up a round table in the center of the room, cushions for two people, various study tools, writing materials, loose leaf notebooks, etc.
“Yes, I’m okay to go. Well then, Koma-sensei, you’re well aware that I’m a troublesome student, but I’m looking forward to studying with you from today.”
“Yes, I’m just a novice tutor, but… Please treat me well, Nee-sama.”
This is the beginning of the study sessions for the final exams by Koma-sensei.
“Then, Nee-sama. Before we start studying, I want to check a few things, is that okay with you?”
“Hm? What do you want to check?”
I thought she was going to make me do a lot of exercises right away, but then she told me. Check…? What does she want to check at this stage?
“Yes, confirming. First, Nee-sama in this final exam— Is it ‘You want to avoid red marks’? Or ‘You want to aim for high marks’?”
“…Un?”
‘Avoid red marks’ or ‘Aiming for high marks’… ? Umu. I don’t understand the intent of Koma’s question. What’s the point of asking me that…?
“Etto… That’s right. Of course I want to get a good score and improve my grades, but for now ‘I want to avoid red marks’ at all costs…”
“That so? I’m glad then.”
For now, I’ll just say what I’m honestly feeling right now, and Koma says she’s glad with a relieved expression. I still don’t know what she meant by her question.
“I apologize for asking a bit of a strange question, Nee-sama. I wanted to decide the course of action for studying…”
“Course of action…?”
“Yes… I’ll say it honestly, I was worrying about what I should do if Nee-sama said “I want to aim for high marks’ one week before the final exams. As you can guess, aiming for a high score now is quite difficult, both in terms of time and the burden on Nee-sama.”
Koma says that with a bitter smile. I thought so… I didn’t expect to be a high achiever in such a short time either.
Now, I’m just trying to avoid red marks and repeating a year in school so that Koma won’t be disappointed by me… And then, scoring enough points to not get ditched by Koma, that’s what I need.
“Then, I’m glad. If Nee-sama’s only goal is ‘Avoiding red marks’, we can take measures even now.”
“Really? You think I can do it?”
“Yes, naturally.”
She writes “study plan” in beautiful handwriting on the loose-leaf notebook in her hand and continues talking with me.
“Next. What subjects to study and how to study them…. Nee-sama. Just to know, how did Nee-sama study before the exam?”
“How did I study till now? Hmm… That’s right, I’d just look at the textbooks and reference books and memorize everything.”
“I see…”
My approach to studying for exams till now was to stare at the textbook the day before the exam, cram it into my head, and then take the exam.
… Naturally, I’ve never been able to get good marks.
“Nee-sama. I’m sorry if I’m complaining about the way you’ve been studying. I’ll say it frankly, avoiding red marks with that study method… It’ll be difficult.”
“Ahaha… I knew it…”
“That’s why this time Nee-sama, you’ll study as I teach you…. I know you don’t like to be told what to do by your little sister, but please trust me!”
“Un! That’s obvious!”
I respond vigorously to Koma’s words. There’s no point in me trying to come up with a study plan anyway, and if Koma says it, I can believe anything she says, no questions asked.
“Thank you very much. Now, with that decided in mind, let’s get back to the subject of which subjects to study and how to study them. As Nee-sama knows, the final exam consists of nine subjects; Japanese, mathematics, science, social studies, English, and the secondary subjects of art, music, health and physical education, and home economics.”
“Uhee… Even if I know, that’s still too many of them….”
She wrote the 9 subjects in the notebook. I feel depressed again when I see her writing them. Why do I have to study so much? Aah, I want to become an adult faster.
“But… Out of these nine subjects, I have nothing to teach Nee-sama about home economics.”
“Huh? Nothing to teach me…?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Even without studying, Nee-sama always gets 100 in home economics.”
“Aah… Un. Well, it’s the only thing I excel in.”
She then marked the home economics on the loose-leaf with an X. Certainly, Koma is right about this subject, it’s something I study on a daily basis, and I don’t need to study it again now.
“So, this time, Nee-sama has to study 8 subjects… And then these 8 subjects with the exclusion of one… And this time’s final exam, it’ll be no problem if we think of all of them as memorization subjects. If Nee-sama memorizes the instructions and points I’m going to give you for each subject, Nee-sama will never get a failing grade.”
“Huah!?”
I can’t help but let out my voice in surprise at Koma who assures me of this. If what Koma is saying is true… This means that all seven subjects are learning by memory subjects?
And to think I can avoid red marks if I just memorize her instructions… How can Koma be so sure of that…?
“You look very surprised, Nee-sama.”
“Un. I’m a bit confused as to why Koma is so sure about it…”
While I’m confused like that, Koma chuckles and continues talking.
“The truth is. There are certain prerequisites for regular exams, both midterms and finals, Nee-sama. First, of course, there won’t be questions within the scope of the exam. And then within the scope of the exam, there are some questions that the teachers just have to give. The exams are based on this assumption.”
“Un…? Wait a bit. I know that they don’t only give questions within the scope of the exam… But, what do you mean they just have to give questions?”
“Yes, that’s because. The teachers… They want the students to understand certain parts of each unit.”
According to Koma, she heard that junior high school teachers, who teach compulsory education, have certain information they want their students to acquire throughout the class, and if the students don’t acquire that knowledge, the higher-ups get angry. So every day, teachers make us students study hard and instill that knowledge in us.
And then they’ll give you an exam to see if you’ve understood the content of the class properly. I see… It’s easy to find out who’s acquired the knowledge and who doesn’t by taking a test.
“The teachers want to make sure that the students will be able to solve these problems and get the correct answers. That’s why the teachers often emphasize the importance of these points in class before exams by saying ‘This is important’, right? Or possibly ‘This point is very important, it might appear on the exam!’, like they’re trying to teach us what’s important.”
“…..Ah! I’ve been hearing that a lot!?”
She’s right, the teacher was oddly nagging and emphasizing things in class, and I thought it was strange… To think those were hints… I didn’t know at all….
“They can also use different colored chalk to emphasize important points while writing on the board, or have the students draw a line through the words in the handout… The teachers are using all sorts of methods to tell us students, ‘You need to understand this, and it will be on the exam’.”
“Heeeh…?”
So that’s what the teachers are thinking when they’re teaching class. Good grief. They could’ve just told us directly…
….. Hmm? Wait just one moment!
“Then, maybe… I didn’t take many notes in class, I missed almost all the important parts, and I even lost the handouts… Aren’t I in a tight spot…?”
“Ah, don’t worry about that, Nee-sama. My class B and Nee-sama’s Class A, have the exact same scope and questions. I understand which parts are important, and I’ll copy from my notes and materials the parts that will be on the exam, so don’t worry.”
“Thank you… Really, thank you, Koma…!”
Once again, I’m wondering if my beloved sister is an angel sent from God? Onee-chan is unbelievably grateful that I have such a reliable and talented little sister.
“Now, with that being said. If you can memorize the parts that are sure to appear, and if you can control the trend of each subject… I think you can get a score in the 60s or 70s at best, and 40s or 50s at worst. At our school, a score below 30 is considered a red mark… So I think it’s possible for you to avoid red marks completely even now… Well, originally you should study extra hard for higher marks since it’s a graded exam, but…”
Then she interrupted herself and while apologetic she continued ‘The large exam is large in scope and has many subjects and then there isn’t enough time. That’s why we’ll study the parts that’ll appear at the very least.’
I see. That’s why Koma asked me earlier whether ‘I want to avoid red marks’ or ‘I want to aim for high marks’ so she can decide on a course.
If I want to get a high score, I’ll have to study extra as Koma says… If I cut out those feelings and do the minimum amount of studying… I’ll avoid red marks. Umu, Koma thought it well…
“It’s OK, Koma. As for me, I don’t want to be greedy, and as long as I can get a score that avoids red marks, I’m fine with Koma’s plan.”
“… That’s good to hear. Thank you very much, Nee-sama.”
Of course, I would like to continue my studies and become an excellent sister who Koma can be proud of… Right now, I just have to do what I can do.
And then the only things I can do are study hard and believe in Koma…
“Finally. How to deal with that one subject that can’t be done by memorization alone.”
“A subject that can’t be solved with memorization…? Aah, you said that except for one subject, the rest are all rote subjects. Is that one you’re talking about?”
“Yes. This is probably the most difficult subject for Nee-sama in this final exam. This is the only subject where memorization is not enough to get you through the exam.”
“What subject is that?”
“Etto… It’s math.”
“……. I see.”
…….. Math? H***, isn’t that my most dreaded subject?
“In this subject, you can’t solve problems just by memorizing formulas. You need to understand the meaning of the formula and be able to use it to have a chance of passing. Also, this subject… Nee-sama, certainly…”
“Un, I understand it myself. It’s my worst subject. Math, you see, I’m in trouble because I don’t understand how to use the formulas… I can’t get points just from reading the textbooks”
“That’s right. For that reason, I would like you to focus on studying mathematics for now, Nee-sama. You’re going to spend more time studying than any other subject, and I’m going to make sure you include time to study math every day…. Please be prepared since I may have to be really strict in math for Nee-sama’s sake.”
“uuuuu….”
I can’t help but tremble at Koma’s words. Of course, this is true for other subjects as well, but I’m especially bad at math in particular. That’s why I’m worried that I won’t be able to keep up with Koma’s teaching.
If I can’t keep up with Koma’s teaching and fail to meet her expectations…
Koma might become disappointed in me…?
“It’s fine, Nee-sama.”
“Huh…? It’s fine… What is?”
I wonder if my thoughts showed up on my face. Koma calls out to me with a compassionate expression.
“I told you that I would be strict with you, but that is because I know that you will be able to follow my instructions. I will only teach you only what you can do, Nee-sama. I’ll only ask what I know Nee-sama can do.”
“Koma…”
“That’s why you can be relieved. I think that Nee-sama can definitely overcome this. I believe that Nee-sama can easily do the final exam ♪”
With a smile full of brilliance, Koma encourages me. This is… I think Koma is expecting from me.
“Is that so… Un. Thank you, Koma. Thanks to Koma, Onee-chan is feeling a bit more confident! I’ll study hard!”
“Yes, I’ll do my best teaching you!”
The two of us laugh together and declare our commitment to working together. Okay… I’m fired up!
“… So, we’ll start the first hour today with English. P.E. will be 30 minutes. And finally, let’s start studying on a schedule where we’ll do an hour and a half of math. I’ll give you the study schedule later. Of course, I’ll adjust your study time as needed depending on your progress… Is it okay with you doing it like this?”
“I understand! Please, Koma-sensei!”
“Then, shall we start studying English?”
After carefully making a study plan, the study session begins in earnest. Studying a subject I’m not good at, so many things I have to remember… There are so many things that I honestly don’t know if I can remember them all… But, I have Koma with me. No matter how difficult it gets, I’ll get through it with her!
With such enthusiasm in my heart, I opened my textbook and notebook
—–However.
~5 minutes later~
“Waaa…! Look, look, Koma! Is this a photo from the cherry blossom viewing party in April? It’s a really good shot.”
“Yeah, it is♪ This picture of Nee-sama is especially beautiful, isn’t it?… This one is my favourite ♡”
“No, no. I think Koma in this picture is too artistic…. Hey, Koma. This picture, if it’s fine with you can I take it?”
~10 minutes later~
“Here, Koma ♡ Thank you for waiting! I brought you dessert while taking a break! It’s a delicious cold jelly that I made yesterday!”
“Waaa…! It looks delicious. Then… Is it fine for me to take it?”
“Un, un! Don’t be shy, eat it up! I made a lot of it, so you can ask for seconds!”
“Then, thank you for the jelly. Also… Nee-sama. Before eating, as usual… That. Can I request it… from you?”
“That? That… Ah… Un… You can. If you’re going to eat you have to get your taste buds back. Then, Koma… Come”
“Yes… Excuse me…”
~30 minutes later~
“Nee-sama, how is it? Does it feel good?”
“Un… Aah…. It feels…. amashing… Please go weeper, Kwoma…!”
“Leave it to me. I’ll slowly go in… Please let me know if it hurts”
“Aih. un…! There! It’s nice… right there!”
“…. Fufu ♪ Nee-sama’s face has melted… So cute!”
“Koma… Once you finish…. Onee-chan… will do ear-cleaning… to Koma next ….”
“Yes! I’m looking forward to it!”
*Bang*!
“Stop flirting around you two, and get back to studying, idiot lovebirds!”
“”A…””
Where did my initial enthusiasm go? I found myself playing and flirting around with Koma. Thanks to this, Aunty who came into Koma’s room and watched the whole thing, gave me a fist bump and to Koma.
…. The most important thing I learned this day was that when I study with Koma, I don’t learn anything at all.
【Remaining days till final exams: 7】
Tintan 