HS Chapter 48: The hopeless sister prostrates herself.

“—- So, Nee-sama? So to sum up everything Nee-sama just said… You fell asleep during the math exam which you studied the hardest for, and you couldn’t wake up until the end of the exam and got a zero?”
“… You got it.” ← While Mako is dogeza

“Good grief. When I heard ‘I’ll study for the finals’, I was wondering what you were doing… You made such a blunder at the crucial moment, you really are hopeless, Mako.”

“… It is as my Aunt says.” ← Still in a dogeza

I safely (?) finished all the exams. and all the answer sheets were returned to me that very same day.

I call Koma and Aunt Meiko into the living room and apologize to them, getting down on my knees on the spot and explaining what happened.

“Jeez… Koma had warned you the day before ‘Staying up all night is a bad idea’ but you ignored her and this is what you got. What a shame, really… You got above average in all subjects except math, right? Although you studied so much for math, in the end you fell asleep.”

“Guh…”

While looking at my returned answer sheets, Aunty daggers me with her words to me and sighs.

That’s right… As Aunty says, thanks to Koma’s tutoring and the help of my aunt and other teachers, and my own study, I was able to amazingly avoid red marks in all subjects except math, and even exceed the average score in all subjects—- But.

The crucial math… In the math exam, which I have worked the hardest on, I fell asleep until the end of the exam. So due to that I’ve gotten a 0 on math. Even if I say it myself, I’m too much of an idiot…

“Generally, the exam itself… I could have avoided red marks if I’d solved it normally…. I’d feel pretty good this time, if only I didn’t fall asleep… If only…”

“Idiot. That makes it even worse.”

“… I have nothing to say back…”

I couldn’t help but make an excuse, but Aunty hits me with a dumbfounded look. Guu, I’m at a loss for words…

“Look here, Mako. As your guardian, I’ve been telling you this regularly. It doesn’t matter how many problems you can solve before or after the exams, it won’t matter if you can’t show your ability on the exam itself.”

“That’s right… isn’t it…”
“It’s true that you studied hard this time. In fact, except for math, you did better than I’d expect from the usual Mako. I’ll give you credit for that. Unfortunately, If you can’t get results where it matters most, your hard work is meaningless.”

“…. Un.”

“…. (*Mumble*)… Meaningless, is it? I wonder if that’s really true…?”
“This is not just about math. It also can be said for the important examinations that will determine your future that lie ahead.”

“… Right?”

It’s frustrating but she’s right. For example, high school entrance exams, college entrance exams, employment interviews and certification exams— No matter how much effort I put in beforehand, if I don’t pass them in the end, it doesn’t mean anything.

Even if I say to them ‘I studied hard enough to pass the exam, but I fell asleep during the exam! Please let me retake it!’, they wouldn’t listen to my complaints…

“Well, I’ll say this much to you. I can’t scold you much, so I’ll leave the rest to Koma’s sermons. I’ll return to my work. Koma, I leave it to you!”

Then, with a sigh, Aunty leaves the living room. The only ones in the room are me who’s in a dogeza, and… Koma who was silently staring at my math answer sheet since earlier.

“… Fumu.”

“… Err. Koma…?”
“….. Uu~n?”

“Uuuu…”

First of all, I try to apologize to her, but she doesn’t seem to hear me or respond with a thoughtful expression…. Koma is definitely mad, isn’t she…?

Well, it’s only a given. After all, Koma was so kind as to help me study for the exam, even cutting down on her own study time, but I was so blinded by the reward that I didn’t listen to her advice and stayed up all night…. I’m so pathetic, I want to disappear…

Originally, my friends had warned me ’If I get any more red marks, I would be in danger of repeating a year in school, and more importantly, Koma-chan would be disappointed in me and might break up with me’… Right now, ‘Nee-sama, I want to break up with you. Please don’t speak to me from now on.’— It’s possible that Koma might declare something like that.

“… Nee-sama.”
“Y-Yes!”

It seems Koma has thought of something and decides to call me. Aaah, I’m done for. It’s the end… Koma definitely called me to tell me ‘Nee-sama, I want to break up right now.’.

“I’m sorry, Nee-sama. Can you wait for me for about 10 minutes?”

“Huh…?”

“Ah, is it a no?”

“Aah, no it’s okay… Don’t be shy… Go ahead.”

“Thank you very much. I’ll make it immediately♪”

….I wondered what she’ll say but Koma’s unexpected words struck me as a bit of a surprise. While I’m confused, Koma rushes right away to her room.

…. Eh? I thought she was going to ask to break up with me… Was I wrong? Rather, she said will make it… What will Koma make?

“… Ah. Maybe… it’s the break-up letter…?”

I get it… That’s a very high possibility. I don’t know much about it, but if she wants to legally disassociate herself from me, she’ll need to make sure she has it in writing. As expected of my lovely Koma… My little sis is so smart that’ll make Onee-chan cry.

…. Haa. Break up. Break up… If I’m detached from Koma, I don’t know if I’ll survive the rest of my life…

…. Un, it’s impossible!… Impossible… Probably, I’ll die…

“Sorry, thank you for waiting for me, Nee-sama.”
“No, I didn’t wait long… It’s fine… It’s fine…”

“Is that so? I’m happy then.”

I sat there for a while, my stomach churning in pain, waiting for Koma to come back. After exactly ten minutes, Koma comes back to the living room with a sheet of handwritten paper.

… As I thought, she came back with a break-up letter… It’s over for me. My life is gone…

… It’s inevitable. I need to prepare myself for the worst. If she gives me an insulation letter, I’m sure I’ll never be able to speak to Koma again…

If that’s the case, let’s at least carve every last word of Koma into my heart, and then I’ll leave this world….!

Now, come at me, Koma! Any kind of verbal abuse would be a reward for me right now…!

“Here, Nee-sama. Anyhow, would you first… Accept this?”

“U, un…”

Then Koma hands me a sheet of paper she’s brought that appears to be a break-up letter. I take the sheet of paper nervously… I open my eyes fearfully and glance at the very first sentence that was written—

【Please solve the following simultaneous equations】

“……Ha?”

…. Simultaneous, equations….? I hurriedly look at the entire paper and somehow it has been packed with questions handwritten by Koma and they are within the scope of the math exam.

What is this…? Actually… This isn’t a break-up letter…?

“Errr… Koma-san? What is this…?”

“I’m sorry that it’s right after the exam, but I’m going to ask Nee-sama to solve these problems. If it’s possible, can we do this now?”

“Eeh!? … Ah, un… It’s all right…”
“I’m glad ♪ Please solve them with the intent like you’re doing an exam. Naturally, I’ll time it too.”
“I-I got it…”

Etto. What’s the meaning of this…? Why am I being given math problems instead of a break-up letter…?

I have no clue whatsoever… In the meantime, I’ll just do what Koma tells me to do and solve the problem… shall I? Rather, why do I have to solve math problems…?

“The time limit is 60 minutes. Let’s start right away. —– Start!”

“Yes!”

That’s how. Although I didn’t understand what was going on, I was half-heartedly pushed by Koma to solve the problems I received from her.

I don’t know what Koma’s intentions are, but… I have no right to object since I’ve made a blunder. Then, I shall at least show the great lesson of Komal here and now that I couldn’t demonstrate in the final exam.

　◇　◇　◇

*Beep*, *Beep*!

“—- Okay, it’s over, Nee-sama. Good work!”

Exactly one hour passed since then, and Koma, who had been watching me answer as the exam proctor, announced the end.

Fuu… I did good. There were a few difficult problems but I managed to solve them in the end…

“Good work to you too, Koma. Sorry… Making you wait for me. It would’ve been fine if you were watching TV or something rather than me. You must be bored, right?”

“No, not at all. I didn’t wait at all. And you don’t need to worry since I’m not bored at all… (*Mumble*)… After all, it was a lot of fun for me to watch Nee-sama working hard to solve the problems in a dignified manner.”

Koma frame responds to me with a smile, telling me not to worry about taking up so much of her time.

“Well, shall I start the grading immediately? Nee-sama, please give me a bit of time again.”

“Ah, un… You’re free to do so.”

“Nee-sama must be tired, so why don’t you rest for a while?”

After receiving the completed answer sheets from me, Koma begins grading them quickly and carefully. I, on the other hand, am just confused, not knowing why Koma made me do this, what happened to the break-up, or rather, why she wasn’t angry. I don’t think I’ll be able to rest properly due to this situation…

While I’m waiting for a favourable judgement, I’m fidgeting and looking sideways at Koma grading at great speed. Whether or not she knew what was going through my mind, Koma finished grading in less than a minute.

“Thank you for waiting… Nee-sama, you did magnificently.”
“He… What…?”
“I’ve created problems that are extremely close to the exam… You’ve magnificently surpassed the average score of the math exam♪! Congratulations, Nee-sama!”

“Huh…?”

When Koma handed me back my answer sheet, she started praising me for some reason with a big smile on her face.

“Er, Koma…”

“Fufufu… That’s my Nee-sama. This is evidence that you’ve studied properly. You’ve studied hard to get to this point. I’m deeply moved as Nee-sama’s tutor!”
“No, just that…’

…. Slow down, Koma… What’s with this reaction…? She’s not mad at me… Instead I’m being praised by her…?

“With this, I’m certain that you’ll pass the re-examination next week. Believe in yourself, Nee-sama~”

“Hey, Koma…”

“Ah, of course, just to make sure, we will continue our study session for the math retest tomorrow, so if you could study with me for a little while longe—-”

“Wait, Koma! Slow down, please!”

“….. Yes? What happened, Nee-sama?”

Koma is not scolding me and I try to stop her from continuing to talk with a smile on her face.

“Er, you see… Koma. You’re not angry…?”

“…. Eh? Angry…? Etto… What do you mean?”
“Because… You took time out of your precious study time to teach me so diligently… And yet, I got a zero? Then, Koma warned me ‘Staying up all night was not a good idea’, I ignored your advice, and that’s the main reason for my zero, right? However… Why is Koma not angry at me at all… I wondered…”

“…”

I honestly don’t understand how Koma feels. I wonder why… Why is Koma smiling so wonderfully at me even after I made such a blunder…?

“Being disappointed or scornful… I was scared since it wouldn’t be strange to break-up with me or hate me… I’m a pathetic sister who couldn’t live up to Koma’s expectations, since I made a ridiculous mistake. Why… Why is Koma… not angry with me…?”

I boldly ask Koma that, while weakly expressing my feelings to her,

“… Because I have no reason to be angry at Nee-sama.”

“Eh…?”

Koma tells me that, as if to say everything is fine.

“I know very well that Nee-sama studied very hard this time, as I taught you next to you. You did really great in everything except math… Even in mathematics, the answers you have just given me are proof that you have been studying hard.”

“Is that so…?”
“That’s right…. As your tutor, I am delighted with your effort and the results you achieved so far… How could I have a reason to be angry? … (*Mumble*)… And then I hate Nee-sama? What’s more, breaking up with Nee-sama? If that ever happens… I’ll certainly die…”

Koma says so, but I remember Aunty’s words from earlier. No matter how many questions I can solve before or after the test, if I can’t show my ability on the actual test, then there’s no meaning to it…

“But… As Aunty said, no matter how hard I study, it’s useless if I can’t produce results… “

“…. That’s true. Effort is meaningless if it doesn’t produce results. What Aunt-sama said was definitely not wrong.”
“I know, right? I’m sorry…”
“But… I think your effort and studying hard is never wasted…”

“… Eh?”

Then Koma gently unclasps my fingers, which were gripping the answer sheet tightly, and puts her own hand on top of mine.

Ah… Koma’s hand… it’s soft and warm…

“… I’m sorry for making you solve these problems without any explanation, Nee-sama. Just that, I… I wanted to make sure Nee-sama understands. I want you to know that Nee-sama’s efforts were not in vain.”

“My efforts… weren’t useless…?”

“Yes. You had to solve these problems without any preparation, and as you can see, Nee-sama got the results magnificently done.”

As I look at the problems I just solved, Koma speaks to me affectionately, word by word.

“It’s proof that Nee-sama has learned a lot from studying with me, isn’t it?… After all, that’s proof that Nee-sama’s efforts up until today were not in vain.”

“….!”

“The exams… If you ask me, it’s simply an easy-to-understand way to score your understanding of the class. I think what’s really important is how well you’ve learned. That’s why I’m happy. I know that Nee-sama never wasted the time studying with me, and that you studied very hard.”

Gentle and warm words, like the warmth of Koma’s hands, slowly seep into my mind.

… Not good, this is… scary. It tears me up a bit. I can’t believe she is saying things that make me happy instead of being angry at me for being such a hopeless person…. I’m really going to cry…

“In a limited period of time, and with various problems along the way that we had… Nee-sama did a great job, regardless. Nee-sama has exceeded my expectations and I am very proud of you.”

“No… It’s all thanks to Koma that I’ve done so great… If Koma wasn’t there, I never would’ve studied so hard. Thank you a lot, Koma!”
“….. Nee-sama’s sister’s words alone are enough to make me truly happy that I was able to tutor her… Now, let’s make use of Nee-sama’s persistence in the next exam. I’m sure Nee-sama will pass it!”

“Un… Un! I’ll do my best! I… I’ll do my best to live up to Koma’s expectations…!”

“Yes♪We’ll do our best together, Nee-sama.”

… I think to myself while Koma encourages me. I’ve learned a lot this time. I’m still far from my ideals of Onee-chan. I need to study, exercise more and more— I’m a hopeless person in my heart, and there’s lots of things I need to work on.

That’s why… I’m going to work towards my ideal little by little. I don’t want what Koma said about my efforts not being in vain to be a lie.

“I think my goal is a little low, but my immediate goal is to avoid red marks in the subjects on the next exam… I have to study hard.”
“Fufu♪ Nee-sama, before that you have to retake the exam.”

“Ah, that’s so. You’re right… I forgot about it but there’s also a 3-day make-up class before the re-exam if you got a red mark…  I don’t like it, since it’s finally summer vacation.”

That’s how we, the Tachibana sisters, enjoy talking about the future while holding hands.

“Eh? Make-up exams… Is it? Aah, now that I remember, there were make-up classes for those that got red marks… That’s right. It’s summer vacation… If I take classes together with Nee-sama… I think I’ll voluntarily participate in the make-up class.”

“Eeeh!? Koma, how much do you love studying!? Voluntarily participating in make-up classes during summer vacation… If it were me, I wouldn’t do it…”

“Ah… No. It’s not that I’d go for studying or make-up class…”

Now, the fun summer vacation is just around the corner. First of all, I have to study hard for the retest like Koma said, so that I can have that summer vacation successfully.

“Ah… By the way, Nee-sama. The promise you made with me on Sunday… Do you remember it?”

“Hn? Promise on Sunday? Ettoo…. Aah, is it the reward thing?”

In the middle of the talk, Koma brings up such a topic as if she remembers something.

I remember now, while in the train with Koma, we said  ‘The one who achieves the requirements will have the other listen to any single request.’, if the requirement is achieved—- We promised each other a reward.

“Yeah, that one. If Nee-sama achieved her goal ‘Avoid red marks on all subjects’, was part of the promise… Unfortunately, I can’t give you the reward, Nee-sama… I’m sorry, I know you hoped for it, Nee-sama…”

“What, so it’s about that. It’s fine, Koma. It’s my fault for not achieving my goal. Don’t worry about it.”

As for me, Koma didn’t break up with me and that she was encouraging me was reward enough for me.

… After thinking about it, I realize that if I have indeed achieved the condition, I would have been rewarded with an erotic response from Koma— Rather, I’m afraid that I might’ve asked her to do something so great that she would be turned off or even hate me… I think this was for the best.

“Hm? By the way, Koma. Why did you bring up the promise now?”
“…. Etto, about it. This is the main point for me…”

“Point?”

“Ne-Nee-sama, that… Have you remembered my goal…?”

“Koma’s goal…? Un, of course I remember. I’m pretty sure it was ‘First place on all subjects.’”

“Yes! That’s it!”

Unlike me, Koma’s goals were set high… I remember since I was so surprised. I’m impressed by how high Koma’s goals are. And in the case of Koma, it’s not just that her goals are high, but that she has the academic ability to achieve the— Hm?

….. Oh? Wait one moment. I finally remembered when Koma said so much. Now that I remember, I’m certain Koma’s ranking for this final exam was…

“…. So… About it. I’d like for you to look at this, Nee-sama…”

Then Koma takes out nine answer sheets from her bag and shows them to me with a bright red face. 

There was the name “Tachibana Koma” written in the beautiful handwriting of Koma and then the answers to her name…

“… As Nee-sama declared… I too, have been studying hard just like Nee-sama… I ranked first in all subjects… Or should I say, I got a perfect score in all of them… As for the reward, may I do whatever I like with Nee-sama?”

“…. Eh?”

There was… The 100-point flower circles that were given by the teachers of each subject were vividly drawn.