Sobu High School welcomed the final exams of the first semester of the first year.
Tenya, relying on the skill [Practice Makes Perfect], plus occasionally going to Mafuyu for all-night tutoring, easily won first place in the grade.
Yukino looked at herself, who was ranked second on the announcement board.
Her teeth were tightly clenched against her lip, and her stubborn eyes were filled with intense unwillingness.
In her view, Tenya dated different girls almost every day, spending all his time management skills on romance while she stayed up late every night, frantically practicing problems.
She fantasized about surpassing Tenya in one fell swoop after the exams, and then fiercely mocking him. But the results were contrary to her wishes.
Tenya's grades always topped hers, which made her feel incredibly frustrated.
"Yukino, do you know why you can't surpass me?" Tenya looked at her meaningfully.
"Why?"
Yukino was unconvinced.
"Because you don't understand how to balance work and rest."
"Simply grinding away at practice problems will only gradually rigidify your thinking." Tenya explained seriously.
"Balance work and rest?"
Yukino's heart stirred.
Hearing it like this, it seemed quite reasonable?
"So specifically, what should I do?"
Yukino adopted a questioning attitude, and her words became a little more humble.
"Romance." Tenya revealed his true intention.
"Huh?"
"Romance?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?!"
Yukino's gaze turned cold, and a trace of anger appeared on her face. She felt that Tenya was deliberately teasing her.
"See, you're getting worked up again."
"As the saying goes, honest advice is hard to hear."
"As the top student in the year, I am imparting the correct experience to you." Tenya bluffed seriously.
"What kind of correct experience is this?"
"Not studying every day, always thinking about lovey-dovey stuff."
"Completely unlike a high school student."
Yukino retorted with a straight face, logically and with evidence.
"No."
"What you said is very reasonable, but that's only for ordinary people."
"For geniuses like us, the experience of ordinary people is not relevant."
"The highest realm of learning is learning without studying."
Tenya's words astonished everyone.
Whether Yukino believed him or not was unknown. But the other onlookers were completely convinced.
"So that's it."
"Master, I understand."
"My grades are bad because I'm studying."
"From today onwards, as soon as I get home, I'll play games and not do homework."
"Are you an idiot? He's talking about balancing work and rest. Do you know what balancing work and rest means?"
"Romance! It can make people improve in their studies!"
"First, you need to have a girlfriend..."
"Damn! Isn't that harder than studying?"
In front of the bulletin board, the atmosphere became lively for a while.
"Hmph! A bunch of shallow guys!"
"Who said that romance must involve finding a girlfriend?"
Hachiman's deadpan eyes looked down on everyone.
"Hachiman, look quickly!"
"This time in the overall ranking, I improved by more than twenty places."
"It's all thanks to Hachiman tutoring me." Saika held his arm, revealing an angelic smile.
"So, as a reward..."
"Can I... cough cough!"
Hachiman's face turned red, and he scratched his head awkwardly.
"Ah... that thing..."
"You can!" Saika readily agreed.
Reward?
What can you do?
What exactly is "that thing"?
It's killing me!
Can the riddle people get out of Sobu High School?
At some point, Hachiman had actually become an object of envy in the eyes of normies.
"Romance... can it really improve grades?"
Yukino also noticed this alternative couple based on philosophy in front of her.
Although she didn't understand, she was greatly shocked. For a moment, her resolve wavered.
Tenya reached out and put his hand on her shoulder, leaning in and whispering persuasively, "Yukino, as the saying goes, practice makes perfect."
"I can help you with your studies."
...
After the final exams, it was the long summer vacation. Tenya's daily schedule was packed.
In the morning, he went to watch a movie with Miko and Hana.
In the afternoon, he met with Megumi to go shopping for clothes.
In the evening, he went to Mafuyu for English tutoring.
The second day.
Long-awaited club activities.
Utaha, Eriri, Ruri, Michiru settled the profit sharing from the online game sales.
The cooperation was very pleasant and they discussed and planned a new game.
The third day.
In the morning, he received news that Touka was coming home for the holidays, and went to the airport to pick her up with Rikka and Rukia.
In the afternoon, he was invited to sing karaoke with Yui and Yumiko.
Under the influence of alcohol, Yui confessed to him, and Tenya gladly accepted.
Stimulated by her best friend, Yumiko, unwilling to fall behind, confessed to him, and Tenya gladly accepted again.
That night, he didn't go home.
The fourth day.
In the morning, he encountered Komachi who accidentally fell and injured her leg while jogging.
Tenya offered a helping hand, carried her home, and personally disinfected and treated her.
The atmosphere between the two briefly became ambiguous...
Then, Hachiman returned. He was so angry that it looked like he would explode on the spot.
In the afternoon, the four person Aincrad squad met offline.
In the evening, the four of them got a room.
Unfortunately, it was an esports suite, and they played games together for the whole night.
The fifth day.
In the morning, he encountered Saki who was out with her younger siblings, and was misunderstood as her boyfriend.
Tenya casually admitted it, and surprisingly found that Saki stammered and didn't deny it.
Sensing an opportunity, Tenya spent the entire afternoon accompanying the Kawasaki trio to the amusement park.
Returning home in the evening, Saki invited him in to sit down, and then...
Another night not going home.
The sixth day.
At Yuki's invitation, they went shopping on a date. Along the way, they encountered Alisa and Maria, turning it into a mega date. It lasted the whole day.
The seventh day.
In the morning, while Yukino and Haruno were not home, Tenya had a long talk with Kiyomi.
In the afternoon, they continued.
In the evening, after Yukino returned home, she fell into deep thought.
'He said he would teach me about romance. But he left me hanging for a week?'
Romance can help with studies, such nonsense sounds like a lie the moment you hear it.
Yukino was 70% disbelieving, 20% doubtful, and only 10% held the attitude of 'better safe than sorry'.
She wanted to see how Tenya would trick her.
And then....
There was no 'and then'.
For the entire past week, Tenya's daily schedule was packed, but he didn't reserve any time for Yukino.
On the eighth day of the summer vacation, when Tenya was preparing to go out in the morning, Yukino was finally unable to hold back.