III

At Rosewood Academy, students are sorted among classes depending on their academic success. Every student has to take an entrance exam when they’re 13 or 14 - only the top 150 are accepted. They’re divided among 5 classes, ranging alphabetically from A to E, with the best naturally making it to A.

How are tiebreakers done in case two people at a breaking point between classes have the same score? Strangely enough, lineage comes first here - whoever is from a more prestigious family will earn their spot in the better class. Despite the rather egalitarian stance within school grounds, status still matters. Money, a close second.

However, entrance exam rankings aren’t ever revealed, so whether it happens or not is only known to a few academy administrators. And since grade average is the metric used to divide people between classes, amongst the many grades you get every year, it’s very unlikely that you’ll be tied with someone whilst on the brink of demotion or promotion. But, on the extreme off-chance that it happens, you’ll have a reason as to why.

As all exams are standardised for all classes, and mid-year test results are publicly announced, you’d naturally expect the top of the leaderboard to be dominated by class A.

That much holds true. But what most people didn’t expect was that a hierarchy would be built within class A itself.

Indeed, there was no greater competitiveness anywhere at school than amongst the two highest-rated students of the 1st of A class. These were the ‘most eligible bachelor’ Augustin Vigil and the ‘most unorthodox’ student Nanami Underland.

In 2nd, 3rd, and 4th years, it was considered a minor incident that a class B student would have the highest or 2nd highest result on a test. B class was still fearsomely strong and it wasn’t impossible that one of its members got lucky with the right questions. But amongst first-years, it was unheard of that neither of the two held the prestigious first place.

It was a warm late-summer day, which is quite average around the more temperate Penshire with its refreshingly warm summers and cool winters. The 1st years had just finished writing their 2nd of three natural sciences exams. A subject dreaded by many, its passing let most students sigh relaxedly as they made their way to catch up on rest in their respective dorms.

Augustin himself was relaxing in one of the school parks as he waited to be joined by Vincent, who was running late as he was anxiously comparing his answers with other classmates’. As other students were passing by, they often snuck glances at his tranquil form on the side of one of the busier walkways at this time of the day.

“Mr. Vigil…?” he heard being called out from behind, but did not respond. His mind was still hazy from nearly dozing off after a sleepless night.

“Hey, Earth to Mr. Vigil!” The culprit reached out to him again.

“What is it?” he turned around a bit grumpy, the test having clearly taken a toll on him. “Oh, it’s just you, Ms. Waldstone.” His composure relaxed and he got up and sat down on the grass to face her.

Cynthia Waldstone was her full name, and she was Nanami’s roommate and a foreign noble studying at Rosewood on diplomatic ties, as her father was the plenipotentiary to Alvaria from some country across the sea to the south. As with Nanami, Vigil hadn’t heard of her name before, but ignored her since the name of the last person called for class A was called while he was too busy analysing Nanami’s height.

“I suppose you could greet me with more courtesy, Mr. Vigil,” she smiled as she leaned on the back of a wooden bench in the park next to Augustin.

“You have my apologies, Ms. Waldstone, but I’m simply too exhausted at the moment.”

“Because you were studying all night to beat Nanami, right?” Augustin looked away out of embarrassment, confirming Cynthia’s suspicion.

At Rosewood, students are predominantly from the upper crust of nobility, but many of them also hail from commoner families. Moreover teachers are largely chosen by merit and not status - and the fact that status cannot get you far at Rosewood. In order to promote an equal status amongst students on academy grounds, the school practises something known as egalitarian rule of address.

It’s a policy where you are to address your fellow classmates the same way you’d address strangers of equal status - in other words, with formality, but only a little of it. Usage of courtly titles was heavily discouraged, and most people only used the simple title ‘Mister’ and ‘Miss’ instead. However, friends generally addressed each other by only their first name, or perhaps a nickname, which is why Cynthia has been referring to Nanami only by her name, whereas Augustin has been using the more official form instead.

“So? Is there anything you need my help with?” He was still a bit dazy, and it showed in his rather sluggish tone.

“There’s something I’ve been wondering about for a while,” she responded. As opposed to Nanami, he had no cold blood with Cynthia. Although he didn’t speak with her much more than most other classmates, they both knew each other well enough to be on somewhat casual terms. “But for what reason are you two even competing? I’ve been spectating your conflict since the day Nanami returned to the dorm all grumpy, and it’s clearly not a friendly rivalry, but I couldn’t find any trace of hostility either.”

Augustin only looked at the grass quietly, so Cynthia continued. “This clearly isn’t healthy for either of you. I don’t know if you’ve seen it yet, but it has taken quite a toll on Nanami, dual-wielding school and her…strange hobbies, or whatever they are. She’s been losing out on sleep quite a bit since summer started.”

After a few moments of silence, she let out a sigh. “Not willing to talk?”

“It’s not that I’m unwilling, it’s that…forget it. The reality is that I don’t know why we’re competing. It might be childish, but in the end, I just want to beat her. I want to prove to her that I was right all along. That my opinion is better than hers.”

“Is this still about that dumb fight you had at the start of the year?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. It goes far deeper than that. If you want to know more, just ask Ms. Underland herself.”

Cynthia gave him a reluctant nod. “Well, if you say so. And I suppose it might be better seeing you two giving it your all rather than slacking off and falling a grade lower.”

Worth noting, you can’t be held back a year here. At worst, you’ll end up in an E Class and have to live with a bad reputation…which might be worse to quite a few people. Or, if you’re particularly disobedient, you might end up having to say goodbye to Rosewood for good.

“You’re right about that. In fact, shouldn’t you be happy your best friend’s giving it her best and staying on top. If you’re that worried about her, ask her about the whole ordeal.”

Cynthia plopped herself back on her two feet and started walking to the girls’ dorm. “I don’t want to ask Nanami because I know she won’t be honest with me about it. She isn’t the type to let me worry about her, which is why I came to you first. Regardless, please think this through. Do you really want to be on bad terms with someone throughout all four years of your school life?”

Augustin didn’t respond to that question, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t leave him contemplating.

“In the end…just what is my relationship with Nanami?” he asked himself.

He had been competitive with her ever since he saw the results of the first arithmetics test at the start of the year. “That smug expression of her as she stood above him on the leaderboard, that puffed up attitude, that greedy hunger for superiority…why do I feel so inclined to give her the time of day and go along with it? I’ve not been studying for myself nor for my grades since the year began - it’s all been because of her. In other words, if she stops trying her best, even if I win, will I still do everything in my power to stay at the top…?”

He stood up and patted down the back of his pants, clearing dirt off them. Reflecting back upon the day, he faintly smiled to himself.

“Yeah…there’s no way I’m beating her at this test. At least Calligraphy is up next.” He admitted defeat before ever seeing the results.