Now that it was after school, Hakuta didn’t have much else better to do other than head home. So he had planned on waiting for Shiuka to leave first so it wouldn’t look weird to the outside world when he went in a similar direction to her. However, it was her to went up to him.

“Summer break’s coming up soon, you know that, right?” She spoke in a rather coy fashion.

“Yeah.” He replied, unsure of where she was taking this conversation. “And when that rolls around we all know what I’m going to do.” Hakuta didn’t care for sweating under the immense summer heat. “Look, there’s no reason to invite me to some pool or beach or anything.”

“Good, cause that’s not what I’m asking for.” She surprised him with something else instead. “That also means the quarters about to end. And I kind of need some help getting my homework done.” As they wanted to enjoy themselves during the summer break. Shiuka also didn’t want to bother with any extra work the teacher likely would assign her considering her current standing gradewise.

“I’m surprised you’re asking me that here.” They lived together, so he couldn’t tell why she would want to bother him at school. This conversation could’ve easily been saved for later.

“Well, what’s wrong with talking to a friend after class?” She responded, playing dumb. It was evident she was hiding something. A secret that was easily exposed once another person approached his desk.

“Yo, Hakuta.” Ninka slammed a hand onto his desk, shocking him towards her attention. “What say you and me go and study together. The teacher says I gotta get my grades up or else I might have some extra work during the summer.”

“I don’t know why you’re asking me.” He responded, despite knowing exactly why she went to him of all people. “In fact, why can’t all you girls just go study together? You already spent a ton of time doing a bunch of other things. What’s wrong with a little bit of homework?”

“Actually…” Iruka spoke up behind him, still sitting at her desk. “I was going to ask for your help too.” She had been respectfully waiting for the other two to finish talking. The girl hadn’t expected them to make the same suggestion as her, but she wouldn’t be deterred.

“You all want my help?” He shook his head. There was no reason outside of Shiuka to want him of all people. “Are you all judging me because I got glasses? We’re not all super smart geniuses or anything.”

“You mean you’re not a 4-eyed nerd?” Ninka asked, somehow shocked her belief in him was incorrect.

“I’m sitting right here.” He spoke, offended at the terminology used. Hakuta stood up and hastily placed his stuff into his bag. “You know, I don’t have to agree to anything just because you ask, right?”

“But can’t you this time?” This time it was his friend Itsuki making the request. “We used to study together all the time back in junior high.” It was true that Hakuta had helped his pal Itsuki. Though Yuusen never needed it. In fact, if anyone needed help, then that boy would’ve been a better option. Of course, he had an idea as to why they preferred him instead of his friend.

“Why couldn’t I just have been another idiot?” He lamented to himself, laying his face down. Though he did leave enough room to peek over at Ino, who had gotten all her things together and was about to leave the classroom. She certainly was smart, he could tell seeing as she never had issues with turning in homework and usually had better test scores than anyone else in class.

It was a shame, he thought. She didn’t seem to want anything else to do with him. Probably to do with him choosing to stick with Shiuka and her group of friends. Hakuta never realized there was an ultimatum for their relationship. But it was likely the realistic outcome after what she said to him. “Fine.” He could tell there was no choice in this for him. Peer pressure from his so-called friends had prevailed yet again.

“Great, so where should we all go to study together for the weekend?” Asked Yuusen.

“Maybe we can just go to Shika’s house again.” Rouko, who had only walked in as if she was a part of this conversation the entire time, made the suggestion.

“When did you…” Hakuta was too shocked to see her insert herself so easily. Even if to be fair these were all her friends.

“I don’t think we should.” Shiuka declined the offer. “We all went to my place last time. We should change things up.” Of course, it wasn’t to avoid a routine as to the reason why she didn’t want to do it. That much was obvious for him to see.

“What about Hakuta’s” Said Itsuki. “It’s been a while since we’ve hung out at your place.”

“You all know there’s no room for all of us.” Hakuta used the advantage of them believing him to be poor as the excuse to avoid telling them the truth. His old room was enough for the boys, but it would’ve been unfeasible with the girls added onto the equation.

“Maybe I have an idea.” Said Ninka, giving them something else to work with. “We could all just go to my place. There’s plenty of room for all of us.” Her suggestion went through quite well for everyone involved. This included Shiuka and Hakuta as they wouldn’t have to worry about their situation either. Though the latter did have his own concerns.

This was Ninka they were talking about. He knew she still seemed to be targeting him. Though things had changed and she wasn’t acting all intimate with him. Something she learned about him led her to change her strategy, which worried him on what she might have in mind with him now going to her home.

“That’s perfect.” Said Iruka, clapping her hands in excitement. “I’d love to check out your place!” And that was all planned out. They would be heading to her house on the weekend to study together. With one more week of school left before the break, there was a ton of things to talk about. Most of which wouldn’t actually be about their academic endeavors.

“You think we’re doing the right thing?” After their lovely conversation had ended, everyone headed home for the day. Once they had gotten home, Hakuta brought the subject of what they went through before again. “I mean, should I have just said no?” He wasn’t forced to do anything with them, even if it felt that way.

“Eh, it’s not like we’re risking anything.” She didn’t share his concern. “We’re going to Ninka’s. No one’s going to ask any questions.” She trusted her friends to not get to close to him. Obviously she was aware neither of them planned on spilling any secrets to them either. “Plus I really do need some help with my homework.”

“I swear, you all are some real idiots sometimes.” He remembered the first time he had to help her with homework. She should’ve already known he wasn’t a master of knowledge like they always assumed because of his appearance or something. “Hopefully I can be enough so you won’t need to do summer work.”

“You know it’s studying’s not all about getting good grades.” She told him. “We didn’t just ask you because you were smart.”

“I would’ve hoped that was the case.” He thought it was pointless to want to study if they didn’t believe they’d get better grades. Plus even though he was the one who took offense by the sterotype, he was glad to have some compliments his way.

“I thought you’d have gotten the hint when both Ninka and Iruka asked you.” She explained her position. “I know you would’ve rationalized me as just because we live together. But Ninka’s into you and your Iruka’s first real friend here.”

“Can you just get to the point?” He was dense to the concept she tried explaining to him without saying it directly. Hakuta wouldn’t call himself wise either. The boy was a gamer and he was also young.

“You really used to be a loner back then.” She laughed. “I’m telling you that everyone wanted a chance to study with you because they want to spend time with you.” The same went for his two friends, Yuusen and Itsuki. As one of them had mentioned before, they hadn’t been to his house in ages. So it would’ve been nice before the summer break began that they could visit again to enjoy time with their buddy.

Of course it was easy to miss that in the part where they wanted to study because it meant spending time with the girls as well.

“That’s a real nice way of putting it.” He responded, nodding his head in realization. Hakuta hadn’t looked at it in that manner, but the idea did make him feel a bit more joyful over the situation. “Yeah, studying together should be great.”