Aaaaaaand... we're back. It's been a couple of weeks, but it's not like I was in the middle of anything when I left off. End of the exams, was it? Well here we go.
FRIDAY 9TH
A bell rings as Mrs. B calls for the exams to be passed up, leading Rin to consider whether it is a bell from heaven to lead to a sanctuary, or a bell from hell to lead to an abyss. Considering Lisianthus & Nerine, I'd say they're both pretty nice options. :P
Ah, and here we have an explanation of why they were the "final exams": "the biggest challenge of the first trimester, the final exams before summer vacation." I guess that works.
Nerine, the first person to talk to me after the exams, asks how I did. Rin replies saying he did average, but thinks - almost certainly correctly, if I know my tropes regarding plot progression - that he won't need to do any extra lessons. Odds are that Mayumi will be the only one unlucky enough for that. Nerine however is worried that she might get less than 90% on two subjects... she needs to get some more pressing worries.
And with that, we leave with declaring that there should be a party celebrating this end. Mayumi very much agrees. (Interestingly, Itsuki is also in this single-phrase scene, arriving with Mayumi)
SATURDAY 10TH
If I'm not mistaken, I believe that this is the first Saturday thus far, or at least the first at the school. The last bell rings, and Rin oddly monologs that "we even have classes on Saturdays". Odd due to - as far as I am aware - school on Saturdays being standard for Japan... and it's not like they bothered to explain why we've been in the same classroom every time. :/
Mayumi pops up, curious about Rin seeming happy, and wonders whether it was because of the test results we just got back. I reply with a null-answer, turning the question back at her and her almost-certain fail. And I was right - she replies saying that she's still got two more chances. Two chances out of the seven remaining exams? I'm not liking the odds, and neither is she.
Next up are Lisianthus & Nerine. Lisianthus, very accepting of her bad grade in English, says that if everything goes according to plan she'll pass with all her chances used up... I'm not sure whether to call that optimistic or not. Nerine congratulates her.
SUNDAY 11TH
Another day? These are rather short indeed...
By the CAFFE, apparently on my way to meet up with Itsuki, Lisianthus' father calls out to me. He says he's carrying groceries for Lisianthus, as well as once again being far too protective of her. Sure she'd be somewhat vulnerable carrying all that stuff, but she's got magic, right? :/
And here she is, being accosted by two delinquents, as they're called here. I've always considered it an odd term. As she comes into view she tells the delinquents that she's with someone - probably referring to me - but they don't believe her. Her father is impressed at seeing the "brave young men" and while he looks normal to me, he is apparently talking through his teeth. Figuratively or literally makes no difference, those two guys are not going to be so forward soon... I warn him not to murder them, while he asks me to hold the bags.
MONDAY 12TH
I don't even get to see the end of that scene? What a... Ugh. That's no fun.
New scene: The classroom, where everybody has gotten their results back. Rin looks at his results with pride, and Itsuki has come up to me to try to make good on our bet. A pity I accidentally read a spoiler regarding this incident a few days ago.
Itsuki, feeling just as confident as me, now and before, is impressed at mine, despite knowing that I've seen my result. When Itsuki & Rin slam their results on the desk we can see...
Itsuki 91pts VS Rin 92pts
Yeah, this is the bit I knew: Rin won. I think I would've preferred the surprise. :/
With satisfaction over Itsuki's shocked expression, I decide to head over to the school store to get a drink... before which, Itsuki decides to get some revenge by tripping me up, leading me to fall face-first onto the...
Ample-cushioning of Nerine's boobs? Took a while for what I would've considered the obligatory Accidental Pervert scene to happen. Lucky Rin gets his Funbag Airbag, and I get to see his crash in a unique scene, the first one so far to show Rin's face beyond his chin (back when Asa was first shown).
While Nerine is suitably surprised, Itsuki's revenge has gone horribly sour. More like a gift than like revenge, what he's done. The rest of the class, however, is almost as shocked as the failure. As the scene drags on, Rin monologs about the nice feeling, the heartbeat, and as he looks up, the embarrassed and surprised look on Nerine's face, before an awkward silence. Just as Rin tries to call her name however, the scene changes again, this time a very small change to Nerine hugging Rin. Awwww.
Rin continues monologing while being hugged tighter, causing the entire class to yell "What!?" in shock. Heh heh; did they all forget how Nerine feels? Lisianthus & Kaede especially, who yelled the loudest (supposedly; it's hard to distinguish voices when all I could hear was a short "Na-!?").
As I try to get Nerine's attention, I can see her happily hugging me. Sure Rin says he has the strength to push her away, but he clearly doesn't have the willpower to. Mayumi calls out, "Picture time!", leading Rin to decide to just enjoy the whole thing.
After school...
Outside, Nerine comes up to me, asking if we could head home together. Remarking that usually she'd head home earlier, Rin asks why she's still here, which turns out to be because she was talking to Mayumi. Rin warns her against being "dragged on to the bad road", but Nerine doesn't seem to know what I mean.
As if she only just thought of it now - I bet she's been planning this for hours - Nerine suddenly claps her hands, asking if there's anything I need to be doing today. I reply in the negative, so she offers to take me to a place Mayumi suggested to her. Curious.
A cafe - this time spelled correctly even in the background image, albeit still without an accent over the e. Seems normal enough. In idle conversation, I mention that Itsuki always orders sweet stuff at places like this. Weirdo. Nerine seems to be similar, although obviously not picking one place over another due to the waitresses. Rin muses to himself about this situation, seeing the princess of the Devils behave in a rather ordinary way. Doesn't he realise I Just Want to Be Normal is rare because most people already are? Nerine asks about his expression - one of a happy contentedness, I'd bet - and is told "I like you that way too". She's embarrassed, but Rin (understandably) thinks that's cute.
And thus we end today. I get the feeling that today could very well have been rather different if a few of my choices earlier were also different.
おわり
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