Game Developer in the World of Anime

Midterm exams had finally arrived at Toyogasaki High School, amidst a mix of emotions from the students.

As usual, Ichin and Utaha arrived at school on time and walked into their classroom. Soon, their classmates began filing in one after another.

The boy sitting behind Ichin tapped his shoulder with a distressed look and said, "Ichin, what should I do? It's midterm exams!"

"It's just the midterms," Ichin replied calmly as he took out his stationery. "Fujii, your grades aren't bad, right? Why are you so worried?"

"I can't help it! I heard some rumors from other classes," Fujii said, pulling Ichin closer to whisper. "They say this time's exams are going to be really tough. The school specifically requested that the teachers make the test papers harder. My grades are decent, sure, but they're just average. If the difficulty spikes, what if I bomb the exam?"

"Then what else can you do? Just accept it." Ichin shrugged. "At worst, there's always a retake. You've got to have some confidence. Anyway, stop worrying—Hiratsuka-sensei is here."

As they spoke, Hiratsuka Shizuka walked into the classroom, carrying a wax paper bag.

"Alright, put away your textbooks. Only stationery is allowed on your desks. We're starting the Japanese exam!"

As the test papers were handed out, Hiratsuka scanned the room, observing the varying expressions of the students. Narrowing her eyes, she said, "Let me remind you again—focus on your exams and don't even think about cheating. Toyogasaki takes such matters very seriously, and we always deal with them in the strictest way possible!"

Right on cue, the bell rang.

"Alright, begin!"

Ichin quickly wrote his name at the top of the paper and glanced over the questions. The difficulty was indeed higher than the usual quizzes, but nothing unmanageable.

Without hesitation, he began answering.

After sitting at the desk for a while, Hiratsuka got up and started patrolling the classroom. Occasionally, she glanced at the students' papers. Some responses pleased her, while others made her feel like her blood pressure was rising.

Soon, she reached Ichin and Utaha's desks. After reviewing their answers, she silently nodded.

Not bad, not bad. Their performance was as steady as ever. Every question she saw was answered correctly, and their handwriting was neat and organized.

Ah, if only all students could be as reliable as these two, how much easier my job would be!

Of course, Hiratsuka knew this was wishful thinking. After completing two rounds around the classroom, she returned to her chair near the podium and continued invigilating in peace.

The morning exams—Japanese and Mathematics—were a breeze for Ichin. He finished both without breaking a sweat, especially the math exam, where he solved the questions effortlessly.

Utaha was equally unfazed. No matter how challenging the midterms were, they posed no threat to her, a former academic prodigy who held the top rank for the entirety of her first year.

After the math exam, as the invigilator left the room, Utaha turned to Ichin and said, "Ichin-kun, let's have lunch together."

"Sure, let's go," Ichin replied.

Grabbing his lunch bag, he followed Utaha out of the classroom.

As soon as they stepped outside, Utaha grabbed his arm. "Ichin-kun, let's eat somewhere different today."

"Eh? Where?"

"Just follow me."

Before long, they arrived at the greenery behind the school building. This area featured several gazebos and rows of benches, making it a serene spot for a break.

Pulling Ichin over to sit on a bench, Utaha said, "I was thinking about this in the morning—the weather's great today, not too hot. After being cooped up in the classroom for the morning exams, I really didn't want to stay indoors for lunch."

"This place works. Let's eat here, then."

They opened their lunchboxes and started eating leisurely.

After taking a bite of rice, Utaha asked, "Ichin-kun, what do you think about the difficulty of the midterms?"

"Not too bad," Ichin replied after recalling the questions from the two exams. "Fujii was saying this round's difficulty was supposed to be higher, but it didn't seem that tough. What about you?"

"I think it wasn't hard either." Leaning on Ichin's shoulder, Utaha grinned and said, "Ichin-kun, you better watch out. This time, I came into the exams determined to reclaim the top rank in our grade from you."

"Oh? Is that so?" Ichin chuckled. "Then do your best. Want some braised pork with glass noodles?"

"Sure! Ahh~~~"

The two occasionally shared bites from each other's lunch, and before long, they had finished eating.

After packing up their containers and placing them back in the bag, Utaha held onto Ichin's arm and rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. "The sunlight feels so nice. Ichin-kun, can I nap here for a bit?"

"If you want to sleep, go ahead. I'll wake you up when it's time."

"No need, just a short rest."

Saying that, Utaha closed her eyes and snuggled against Ichin's shoulder, quickly dozing off.

The spot they had chosen was behind the school building, an area frequently visited by students, especially during lunch breaks.

It wasn't long before word spread about the two enjoying a sunny nap together.

In the Service Club's activity room, Eriri, who was eating lunch with Yukinoshita Yukino, had just finished her meal and was planning to cram a bit for the exams. However, her phone buzzed.

Picking it up, she saw the class girls' group chat buzzing with chatter about Ichin and Utaha.

"What? Is that for real?"

Surprised, Eriri immediately got up and went to the window to look outside.

"Ah, they're really there!"

Behind her, Yukino, who had been quietly reading, noticed Eriri's unusual behavior. She turned and asked, "Sawamura-san, what's going on?"

"Yukino, come here and take a look!"

Frowning slightly, Yukino still chose to walk over to the window.

Following where Eriri pointed, she indeed spotted the two sitting together on a bench not far away.

After a brief pause, Yukino asked, "Today's the midterm exams for the second years too, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is."

Nodding, Eriri's tone carried unmistakable annoyance as she said, "Utaha Kasumigaoka—that girl. Just because she's dating, does she really have to flaunt it everywhere? The teachers literally just reminded everyone to keep a low profile in school."

As for Yukino, she didn't feel much about the scene.

The only thing that surprised her was how different the current Utaha Kasumigaoka looked compared to the reputation she'd heard about at the start of the school year.

So, this is how love can change someone?

...

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