The exam period was fast approaching. Thanks to the professor arranging a space for them, the Study Group could focus on their studies without having to borrow part of the professor's Laboratory.
The professor had already taught them everything they needed to know, so all that remained was for them to study on their own.
Karen studied while referring to books recommended by the professor and her seniors.
Sera seemed naturally intelligent, sitting with only her textbooks and notes open, her gaze fixed. Her notes were so systematically organized that it was fascinating to see.
Though it might be annoying to ask, I decided to ask just once since I might not get another chance.
"Sera, your notes are so neat. Do you always study like this?"
I balanced myself with both hands on the desk and leaned forward slightly. Sera blinked and glanced at me.
She looked back and forth between me and her notes before giving a wry smile.
"No, this is my fifth notebook."
"...Fifth notebook?"
"Yes. First, I just listen to the professor and write down the important parts."
Sera showed me her textbook. With the closer distance, I could see it more comfortably.
Karen, sitting across from us, seemed interested too as she stopped writing and looked our way. While I was simply curious, Karen seemed almost desperate to gather information.
Since I'd already started the conversation, I decided to ask something that might be useful for Karen as well, my eyes sparkling with interest.
"Mm-hmm."
As I nodded in response to Sera's words, she continued with a gentle smile.
"See these? Highlighters."
"Yeah. They're all different colors."
"Yellow is for what the professor covered in lectures, orange is for what they emphasized would be on the exam. This way, I can see what the professor skipped, which is helpful."
To be honest, it looked a bit messy.
Since she had highlighted everything the professor said, half the page was stained with yellow ink. The paper even looked slightly shriveled from all the moisture.
"If the professor doesn't mention something at all, you can assume it won't be on the exam. Of course, that varies by professor's style, but generally they don't test what they didn't cover in lectures."
"So you don't read the parts that aren't highlighted?"
"Right. I'm completely grade-oriented."
"...But most of the page is highlighted. If you study all that and still get top grades, isn't that just because you're smart?"
I thought Sera had some special technique, but it seemed she was just a memorization monster.
She called herself grade-oriented, but who says that while cramming everything the professor said into their head?
It was no different than someone winning through pure physical ability and then saying, "I won because of my technique, hehe."
Karen stared blankly for a moment before nodding. I wasn't sure what she understood, but to me it looked like she was walking into a thorny path.
"Anyway, after organizing like this, it starts out messy, but after rewriting and reorganizing several times, it ends up neat like this."
"...So you're saying you just worked hard, organized everything, and created the essence of it all?"
"Well, something like that."
"I think you're just smart."
I shook my head, thinking it wouldn't be helpful.
Aria seemed to share my thoughts as she paused her work and added:
"That's just how Sera studies. She's the type who dives in, studies and memorizes, then slowly organizes everything in her head..."
"Then how do you study, Aria? You're similar to me, aren't you?"
Sera pointed at Aria with her pen, seemingly wanting to refute that statement.
Aria blinked at the pen tip before sighing and slumping her shoulders.
"Sigh, I just study from summaries. It's different from memorizing everything and reorganizing it like she does. I only look at things I can't summarize when I have no choice, but I don't do it like that."
They had different study styles.
Meanwhile, they seemed to have some kind of pride in their own study methods, mixed with a hint of stubbornness. It felt like they were saying, "This works better for me!"
As Sera and Aria were asserting their pride, Karen, who had been watching them, rolled her eyes and quietly added:
"So which method is easier to follow?"
"If you're going to follow one, it should be mine. I just need to invest time."
Sera spoke confidently.
She pointed at herself with her thumb, her sparkling eyes directed at Karen. As Karen tilted her head wondering "Is that so?", Aria shook her head beside her.
"That study method only works for smart people. You have to memorize everything before moving to the next page, and she thinks it's just about investing time because she does it easily. Honestly, during exam period, can you really memorize everything from start to finish that way?"
A list of disadvantages to Sera's study method. Sera clenched her fist with a "hmph," but she seemed to have no real counterargument and closed her mouth.
"Just invest time." It was a convenient phrase, but unfortunately, time was limited. There were many subjects and exams were approaching. To complete everything perfectly, one would need to be smart enough to do all that and still have time to spare.
Karen seemed to realize this as she shifted her gaze from Sera to Aria.
She had chosen a time-saving study method, thinking that a direct approach was still premature.
"There aren't many people here, but study methods can be this different. I thought smart people would all be similar."
I really thought they would be similar, but seeing how different Sera and Aria were already, it was fascinating.
Would Karen follow Aria's method? Or would she develop her own study method as she progressed through her second and third years? Curious about this, I quietly observed Karen.
Feeling my gaze, Karen glanced at me.
"Eh, is there something on me?"
Karen touched her cheeks, wondering if there was something wrong with her. Even though she realized there was nothing unusual, she seemed bothered by my stare and kept looking around nervously.
I shook my head.
"No, just... you seem to be working really hard. I still can't read quickly when text scrolls up fast."
The chat room would probably become more active after exams, but speed reading was still a difficult concept for me.
I could read slowly if I wanted to, but the problem was the time lag in conversations. If I was still reading while everyone else had already moved on to a new topic, it would be hard to keep up with the flow, so I was working hard on this.
It was good that we came here with the professor's permission, but I was feeling limited in my studies themselves.
I could read and write to some extent, but was my inability to speed read just due to lack of experience? I was seriously considering whether I just needed to practice directly now.
As I groaned and flipped the paper in front of me, Sera next to me chuckled.
"Urr is so cute it's fine. If it's too fast, I'll slow down for you."
"...But you're already using voice messages. That must be inconvenient for you, and I want to be able to write normally soon."
I pouted.
Receiving help from someone was certainly a good thing. Whether it was material or emotional support, I didn't want to decline.
But I couldn't just keep receiving help without feeling self-conscious, so I shook my head. I believed that becoming accustomed to someone's kindness and consideration without trying to stand on my own was like abandoning myself, so I decided to make efforts to rise on my own.
Receiving consideration was only until I could stand on my own; I didn't like the idea of "Since they're being considerate, I don't need to get up."
When I insisted, Sera gave a bitter smile.
"Urr will grow up to be a good person."
Aria looked at me and added casually:
"She's so sharp, she'd make a great teacher."
"Like the professor?"
"...Ah, I didn't mean becoming a professor."
Karen followed Aria's lead, her eyes sparkling as she added. But apparently that wasn't what they meant.
Then what did they mean by teacher? Were they referring to elementary or secondary education teachers rather than Academy professors?
Tilting my head as I looked at Karen, she smiled wryly and added an explanation to her statement.
"Just a teacher who teaches kids, like elementary school students..."
"Oh!"
When I straightened my back and reacted intensely, Aria, who was next to Karen, said quietly:
"That still seems far off. Your reaction is so cute that if you became a teacher, the kids would probably tease you too."
"...Ah, n-no. I wasn't reacting."
As I returned to my original posture, Sera next to me burst into laughter. There was no sign of her trying to hold back her laughter as usual.
"She says she wasn't reacting. What is this? So cute."
Watching Sera clutch her stomach and laugh heartily, my lips automatically formed a pout.
"I wasn't..."