The long day finally came to an end.
In the blink of an eye, Kivotos welcomed a brand new dawn.
And the second official retest for the Make-Up Work Club was already looming on the horizon.
The early morning was clear and sunny, with not a cloud in sight. Truly a rare day of perfect weather that matched the forecast.
Thus, the club's third and perhaps final, evaluation exam was about to begin as scheduled.
"I've gone over all the exam material multiple times. I'm perfectly prepared."
Azusa declared confidently, her eyes serious and determined. Despite her petite, cute frame, there was an undeniable aura of determination radiating from her.
…Although it was hard to say how much of that determination came from the desire to pass the retest and avoid repeating a grade, and how much came from the hope of earning a Momofriends doll as a reward. Most likely, her main motivation was securing that selfie of me, even if only a partial one, which somehow captured my charm.
Perhaps one day my face will even grace Kivotos' official currency. Who knows? It might be just what we need to stave off deflation.
"I-I won't lose either!" Koharu shouted loudly, following suit. "Let's show them the power of the Justice Taste Force elite!"
If it were Koharu's "JTF elite" style, I'd seen enough already.
Still, considering the effort she had put in over the past few days, she might actually have a chance to pass this test.
"Then, I'll give it my all too!"
Hanako smiled as usual, likely planning to maintain control of the scores while subtly claiming it was all thanks to my teaching.
If she had the ability, she shouldn't just talk, one day I might put her to the test and see if she still has the confidence to brag.
"Anyway," I used the new ability I had gained yesterday. Whether it actually helped or was just psychological, my scattered thoughts from nervousness faded considerably. "Everyone, do your best."
Though the real key to the Make-Up Work Club passing this crisis lay outside the exam itself, I sincerely hoped they would achieve results through their own efforts.
Even if only for that reason, I had to find a way for Nagisa to snap out of her mire of doubt.
"All right…!"
Finally, Hifumi, serving as club president, scanned the room, closed her eyes, and exhaled deeply.
When she opened them again, there was no trace of hesitation. "Then let's ride this momentum and start the exam!"
As the exam papers were handed out, the mock test began.
Sitting at the teacher's desk, I quietly observed Azusa and Koharu, comparing their performance with the first evaluation exam. It seemed there had indeed been a noticeable improvement.
At the very least, when they began writing, both girls moved more decisively. Azusa's expression remained unreadable, but Koharu's thoughts were plainly visible on her face, with joy clearly outweighing worry.
Time flew, and the set bell rang, signaling the end of the evaluation exam.
Once the papers were graded, it was time to announce the results:
Hifumi, having finally had the chance to rest yesterday and performing at her true level, scored the highest: 75 points.
Next was Azusa, naturally talented and hardworking, surpassing even Hanako, who often managed scores strategically, and trailing only behind Hifumi.
Skipping over Hanako, who scored her usual 69, even the lowest-scoring Koharu barely passed.
And this meant…
"S-Success…!?"
Hifumi whispered, astonished at the outcome.
"R-Really!?" Koharu's face radiated joy. "You're not lying, right!?"
I wouldn't do that for no reason.
Muttering silently, I clapped and smiled: "Everyone worked hard. Congratulations."
At that, the classroom erupted in cheer. Hifumi, who had contributed the most, was the most moved, tears in her eyes as she praised her companions' achievements. Those who had performed well responded with a sense of relief and satisfaction.
However, it didn't take long for the excitement to drop, at least in terms of numbers.
"Now, as promised," Hifumi lined up the quirky Momofriends dolls on her desk, "let's start the award ceremony for the Momofriends merchandise!"
Azusa's petite body stiffened, her gaze seemingly rooted to the dolls.
Hanako smiled politely but awkwardly, while Koharu openly showed her dislike.
I thought it necessary to offer a prize that would satisfy everyone, so it wouldn't just be Hifumi and Azusa enjoying themselves.
"And the ceremony for my signed photos! Let's do that too!"
I smoothly pulled a stack of photos from my inner pocket and placed them in front of the Momofriends dolls. "Here, everyone, feel free to choose!"
Perhaps because they were all too excited and indecisive, even Azusa and Hifumi, who had been chatting animatedly moments ago, fell silent. The four girls glanced at each other uncertainly.
"…Ah, ahaha…" After a while, Hifumi managed a smile. "Sensei really is… enthusiastic…"
"No need to be polite! Choose whichever you like!"
"Ah… but…"
"Go ahead, pick freely!"
Embarrassed as they were, they couldn't resist my generosity. Summoning courage, each girl finally took one…
Did they really not want them? Other girls seemed to like them… What was the problem?
I had already noticed this, but having promised them earlier, I forced myself to continue this awkward ceremony, feeling my spirits sink a little.
Luckily, Hifumi's Momofriends merchandise was also rejected by Hanako and Koharu, giving me some solace. But naturally, that also brought a little self-reproach for having such dark thoughts.
Meanwhile, Azusa wavered between the "Skull Man" and "Dr. Peroro" dolls, eventually leaving the choice to Hifumi. After careful consideration, Hifumi chose the Dr. Peroro doll with black-framed glasses for Azusa.
Clutching the doll tightly, the usually expressionless white-haired girl finally smiled purely and innocently:
"Yes, I'm satisfied. It's so cute, I really like it. Hehe…"
I thought Azusa was far cuter for being this happy over a single doll.
"Thank you, Hifumi. I'll cherish it forever."
After giggling for a while, Azusa lifted her head and solemnly promised.
"W-Well, I appreciate that," Hifumi said, flustered, "but you saying it like that is a bit overwhelming…! Still, I'm happy. You earned it through your own effort, Azusa-chan."
Azusa nodded. "Yes. And this is also the first gift I've ever received from a friend… From now on, whenever I see this hippo, I'll think of Hifumi!"
The first gift from a friend… Does that mean Azusa had no friends at her previous school?
No, let's think positively.
Maybe Arius was too poor… No, that makes it worse.
Even if Arius hid in some dark corner of Kivotos, could he be poorer than Abydos?
…Better not think about it. The more I thought, the worse I felt.
"T-That's kind of embarrassing…!" Hifumi blushed, quickly adding, "And that's a bird, not a hippo…!"
Hanako sighed: "Hmm… the world of interests is vast, isn't it."
As for Koharu, she had refused the Momofriends dolls and gone to the bathroom.
She hadn't returned for quite a while, making me strongly suspect she was lost in my selfies, perhaps doing something strange with them…
Azusa and Hifumi genuinely didn't care much, but Koharu and Hanako were hard to read.
"Ah, Sensei."
Hifumi suddenly called me, and I instinctively smiled: "Yes? What is it?"
"Well, if you don't mind…" Hifumi said shyly, "you can also choose one of the Momofriends items yourself."
I paused: "Hm? I can too?"
Hifumi nodded emphatically: "Yes! Thanks to your help, Sensei, we wouldn't have achieved a full pass for everyone so smoothly otherwise…"
Hearing that, Hanako scratched her cheek, a little embarrassed.
But Hifumi didn't notice, simply pursing her lips and staring straight at me.
Without much hesitation, I said: "Then I'll take one without holding back."
Scanning the dolls, I picked up a small bird wearing a doctoral hat.
First, it was the smallest. Second, I knew the character.
"Ah, this one is…"
"Big Bro, right?" I said before Hifumi could answer. "You introduced him to me before."
Hifumi gasped, cheeks reddening, clearly recalling the moment: "Sensei remembered… eheh…"
Of course I remembered.
At that time, Hifumi had just explained that this doll was often seen as a student's lucky charm, and the next moment had received news of a missed exam. How could I forget?
In a sense, this marked the overt beginning of my connection with the girls in the Make-Up Work Club.
Hanging the small doll on my keychain, I smiled:
"Then, since I've accepted this gift. I'll have it wish, on my behalf, that everyone passes their exams."
In my own way.