Chapter 24: The Monday Ability Test
After the weekend, it was Monday. Kazuma headed to school with Kosuke as usual. Their dorm was off-campus, so they had to walk, but it wasn’t a significant distance and thus not a bother.
However, Mondays were typically a source of gloom for students and working adults alike. Kazuma and Kosuke were no exception, sighing frequently. The more fun they had over the weekend, the more agonizing Monday felt.
“Haa… School’s such a drag.”
“Yeah… I wish we could’ve played more.”
As the two were talking, Akatsuki and Taichi joined them. Even with the four of them together, their spirits didn’t lift; everyone was sighing from the Monday blues.
But knowing they couldn’t keep sighing forever, the four of them shifted their mindset and headed to the classroom.
Upon reaching the classroom, the four placed their bags at their respective seats and gathered around Akatsuki, the central figure of their group. Then, they got lively with some idle chatter, talking cheerfully until the bell for the start of classes rang.
After morning homeroom ended, Kazuma and the others had their classes. Kazuma desperately listened to the lectures and copied what was written on the blackboard into his notebook. He didn’t know where the content he heard in class would be useful, but it would at least be helpful for midterms and final exams.
Students in the Esper Academy’s Support Course rarely had to repeat a year, but if their academic performance was too poor, they would. In that respect, it was the same as a regular school.
In any case, Kazuma had a significant gap compared to other students, with three years in another world plus three months of hospitalization. That was why he was so desperate. After all, he had started school three months late, after the April entrance ceremony.
It was already July, and summer vacation was about to begin between terms. Speaking of summer vacation, it was a time full of events for students.
Naturally, Kazuma was also making plans to hang out with Akatsuki and the others. But there was a problem: the final exams before summer vacation.
What was the problem with that, you ask? Those who failed three subjects would have to attend hellish supplementary lessons during summer vacation. If he were a Combat Course student, he could make up for it with practical tests, but Kazuma was in the Support Course, so he only had written exams. Therefore, he had no choice but to try his hardest.
After the morning classes ended, Kazuma was completely burned out, slumped over his desk. The other three approached him and called out.
“Hey, Kazuma. You okay?”
“…I can’t. I’m definitely doomed to supplementary lessons.”
“Well, don’t be such a crybaby. You just need to avoid failing grades, so you’ll be fine, right?”
Akatsuki said it as if it were easy, but it was difficult for Kazuma. He hadn’t studied for a long time, so catching up now was tough.
“Anyway, what subjects are you bad at?”
Taichi, the best student among the four, asked Kazuma a question to give him advice.
“English, Science, Math…”
“What about the others?”
As Kazuma answered, Taichi asked another question. Kazuma reached into his desk and pulled out several quizzes he had taken, placing them in front of the three.
Each of the three picked up one of Kazuma’s quizzes and checked the scores, then gave a wry smile.
“Yeah. Let’s give up.”
His scores in English, Math, and Science didn’t even add up to ten points combined, and his other subjects were barely passing. There wasn’t much time left before the final exams. Taichi, judging it would be difficult for Kazuma to avoid failing even if they tutored him now, gave up on him with a smile.
“Ah, this is indeed…”
“Impossible. Kazuma, you’ll have to do your best on your own.”
Akatsuki and Kosuke seemed to share Taichi’s opinion and returned Kazuma’s quizzes.
“No way! We’re friends, aren’t we?! Help me out!”
If the three of them abandoned him here, things would get really bad, Kazuma wailed. Desperate to avoid his first summer vacation being ruined by supplementary lessons for failing grades, Kazuma earnestly pleaded with the three.
“Please! I can’t do this on my own anymore! So, teach me how to study!”
“Even if you say that, it looks difficult, you know? You’d have to cut down on sleep, cut down on break times…”
“Can’t you somehow make it work?!”
“It’s impossible. Unless Kazuma is a genius.”
Kazuma shed tears at Taichi’s cold words. What Taichi said was correct. Kazuma was neither a genius nor a prodigy. Intellectually, he was just an ordinary person. In that case, he had no choice but to put in an ordinary amount of effort, but there wasn’t enough time.
Just as Taichi said, he would barely manage by cutting sleep and break times. Kazuma had no options left.
Realizing the hopeless reality, Kazuma hung his head in dejection. Taichi, feeling sorry for him as expected, made a suggestion to the dejected Kazuma.
“We might not make it in time, but how about we try a study group?”
“Huh? But you just said it was impossible.”
“Yeah. I did say that, but I thought abandoning a friend wouldn’t be right, you know.”
“Ooh… Ooooh!!!”
Shedding tears of gratitude, Kazuma grasped Taichi’s hand.
“Thank you, thank you.”
“No need for thanks. It’s not like you’ve avoided failing grades yet.”
“Oh, right.”
“Hey, that’s too quick a change!”
Taichi retorted at his overly quick change in mood. Seeing this, the other three laughed.
After that, they had lunch and, just like in the morning, got lively with idle chatter until the afternoon classes began.
The afternoon class was the Ability Test, and they each headed to different venues. Kazuma parted ways with the three and headed to the venue for his own Ability Test.
There, Kazuma kept his eyes closed and waited for his turn. Why did he close his eyes? Simply because he didn’t have any friends there. While the surrounding students were alternately delighted and dejected by their Gift results, Kazuma alone sat with his eyes closed, arms folded, in silence.
(So sad…)
Kazuma wanted to join in the cheerful conversations he occasionally overheard. He wished he could discuss their Ability Test results with others, competing over who won or lost, and Kazuma silently wept in his heart.
After a while, Kazuma’s turn came. His name called, Kazuma went to the examiner and activated his Gift.
“Hmm. Eight meters, is it? That’s a three-meter improvement from last time. A splendid result.”
“Thank you very much. By the way, I’d like to know the selection criteria for the National Defense Force.”
“Hm? Are you planning to apply to the National Defense Force?”
“No, I’m not sure yet, but I was a little curious.”
“I see. Wait a moment.”
Saying that, the examiner operated the tablet in his hand. As Kazuma waited as told, the examiner told him what he wanted to know.
“For Transposition, a radius of five hundred meters is the minimum requirement.”
“Five hundred is the minimum…?”
“Yes. Transposition’s usefulness is recognized, but I hear the National Defense Force won’t use it if it doesn’t have the range.”
“I see.”
“No need to be pessimistic. You’re still a first-year. You’ll continue to improve.”
“Yes. Thank you very much!”
That being said, the chances of someone with Transposition being recruited by the National Defense Force were low. The five-hundred-meter radius was a high hurdle, and most ended up around three hundred meters. If Kazuma’s growth rate was high, there might be a chance, but it was still likely low.
Having finished his Ability Test, Kazuma left the venue, just like before, and was resting on a bench on campus. Just then, the phone in his pocket vibrated, and he took it out.
On the screen of the phone he took out, there was a message from Kosuke, asking where he was.
Kazuma quickly replied to Kosuke, put his phone back in his pocket, and decided to wait for Kosuke while relaxing on the bench.
As Kazuma was idly gazing at the sky, an unexpected visitor arrived.
“Ohh, Satsuki-kun, right?”
“Eh? Is that voice Kizaki-san?”
Turning in the direction of the voice, he saw Megumi. It turned out that Megumi, from the Combat Course, had also been taking her Ability Test, just like Kazuma.
“Why are you here?”
The test venues for the Support Course and Combat Course were separate, so they usually wouldn’t meet. But Kazuma, curious as to why Megumi was there, asked her.
“Ah, about that. I have a friend over here. So I came to check on them. Then, I just happened to spot Satsuki-kun on the path I was taking.”
“Oh, so that’s it. I totally thought you came to see me~”
“Ahahaha! No way, no way.”
“R-Right, of course.”
He’d said something a bit silly, but he was rather seriously refuted, so Kazuma was shocked.
“So, Satsuki-kun, what are you doing here?”
“My Ability Test finished, so I was waiting for my friends. They should be here soon, though…”
He looked around restlessly, but couldn’t see Kosuke. Just as Kazuma was wondering if it would take a little longer, a ringtone sounded, and Kazuma, realizing it wasn’t his, turned towards Megumi. As he thought, it seemed to be Megumi’s phone, and she took it out.
“Yes, hello?”
He didn’t know who the caller was, but Kazuma thought it wouldn’t be right to eavesdrop, so he moved a little away. After Kazuma had been looking off into the distance for a short while, Megumi called out to him.
“Hey, hey, Satsuki-kun. Kaori-chan is coming.”
“Eh? Natsume-san? Why?”
“Hmm, I don’t know. But when I was on the phone just now, I told her I was with Satsuki-kun, and she said she had something to talk to you about.”
“Is that so? I wonder what it is.”
“I wonder~”
The two of them pondered it, but they couldn’t figure out why Kaori would want to see Kazuma. Afterward, they sat on a bench and waited for Kaori to arrive.