Relieved but tired.

"The make up exams will be held at the end of next week. So, for those four students, please study hard and prepare yourself for it..."

"But Hino did study hard... and still failed..." A part of her was relieved that she was able to redo her test, but another part of her felt worn out and didn't want to do more studies.

“I’m home.” There were no lessons today but after failing the test, she wouldn't dare to go out. So, she immediately went back home.

She knows her mom is soon going to ask her about the test results. She thought to herself that it might help to instantly begin with telling her mom that she has to take a make-up exam instead of first saying she failed and then that she has to take a make-up exam. That way, she could avoid her mom’s fury upon hearing that she has failed. The solution first before the problem.

But, for the time being though she’s safe.

She walked over to the living room and it was empty. Apparently she was alone. Her mom and dad hasn’t gotten back from work yet. It was the first time in a while that her house was silent.

For a moment there was space. Her mind could remain still and calm down.

She went to her room and lied on her bed. Even if she couldn’t go to the café, she could at least rest in her room.

Tired from the studies she rested her head on the soft surface of her pillows. And with her head lied down, she opened her eyes and she sees the books on her shelf.

Her mom isn’t home and she doesn’t have a lesson today. She just has to study by herself. She can decide her own schedule now. So, it should be okay to read for a bit.

“HINO, WHERE ARE YOU? ARE YOU AT YOUR ROOM? HEY, HOW WAS THE RESULTS?”

Her mom's shout suddenly came from downstairs and Hino immediately withdraw her arm. She wouldn’t dare to touch her books without her mom’s permission.

“Hino?!”

“Y-Yes!” She got startled by her mom who already made it to her room.

“Hino, how was the results? Did you pass?”

Thinking about telling her mom that she failed always reminded her that her earphones will be taken away. Lucky for her though she hasn’t failed. But still. Despite a re-test, it is still a bad news to her mom. So, Hino was still afraid of how her mom would react.

“H-Hino h-have to take a m-make-up exam, ma.”

“A MAKE UP EXAM?!?! Wait. So, you FAILED the exam?!”

This was exactly what she was afraid of. She tried to keep the topic on the make-up exam, on the less worse news, “H-Hino didn’t pass… b-but th-”

However, her mom cut off her sentence with a big sigh before continuing, “Yeah-yeah, but there’s still another chance.”

“At LEAST,” Her mom emphasized. “After all the money we paid for your lessons, how did you fail?”

Hino didn’t answer. Even if it wasn’t a rhetorical question, she wouldn’t know how to answer it.

“GOOD THING there’s the make up exams.” Her mom started to yield, “You know what? Fine.”

Her plan worked? Is Hino getting off the hook this time.

“I’ll contact Kinokawa-sensei to help prepare with your make-up exam. Directly after school as usual.”

Both of her initial feelings were true. The exam did brought him relief by pacifying her mom. But the exam also meant she had to study even more.

“We’re paying more for your tuitions, so you better succeed this time.” Her mom left her with those warnings before turning to leave the room.

But before she left, Hino wanted to ask to stop her a question, “C-Can Hino… g-g-…”

“Huh!?” Her mom couldn’t hear her.

Hino kept on stuttering on her words due to the anxiety and being scared of what her mom’s answer would be, but at the end she managed to ask what she wanted, “Ma… C-Can Hino g-go… to t-the café… after the exam?”

Hino grew even more nervous for a few seconds as her mom didn’t answer her

“As long as you have passed.”

“The results will be made known right before the summer break anyways. After we know you have passed you can go there. Before that, study as usual. And don’t you dare talk to that boy from last time. Remember, if you fail, I’ll take away your earphones.” Her mom knows how much she cherishes her earphones, bringing it everywhere she go. It’s a necessary motivation.

“Hm.” Hino just gave a nod and her mom left the room.

Hino’s heart let out an exhale.

The risk was still there, but the hope that she could talk with Sora again and visit the café again was something she could grasp on. For once she was motivated.

For the rest of the week and the week after, Hino continued to take her lessons directly after school. The only opportunities she could get to read her mangas was during lunch time in school, the short break her mom gave her after dinner and late at night after her studies. Though at night she is usually too tired to read, sometimes even falling asleep while watching on her phone.

The closer to the reveal of the results she was the more excited she was. But knowing that she has failed once, she also grew all the more anxious with each day closer.

Then the day of the results finally came. Again.