"Hmm? Both Iori and Kohei have a fever?"
Sitting at the dining table and eating breakfast the next morning, Miyazawa Yu looked at Tokita-senpai and Kotobuki-senpai in surprise.
After all, it was summer. Colds and fevers were uncommon, let alone both Iori and Kohei getting sick at the same time.
Could it be a virus? Perhaps they should just be humanely cremated to save Earth's resources.
"Well~ that's not exactly accurate, after all, Kohei is just exhausted!"
"That's right, we had to manually close his jaw for him."
"Eh..."
It was truly difficult to imagine what kind of mouth activity could lead to the exhaustion of the jaw muscles.
Miyazawa Yu raised his head in confusion, and the bizarre image of Iori and Kohei intertwined flashed in his mind, causing him to shiver involuntarily.
Compared to the mutual antagonism of the Pab club's three stooges, Kotegawa Nanaka bit her spoon with a worried expression, quite concerned about the two deserters who fell before the battle.
"But if Iori and Kohei can't take the test, won't they be unable to participate in the deep diving in Miyako Island?"
"It seems so, but it can't be helped~"
Pouncing on Nanaka and hugging her, Hamaoka Azusa inhaled the fragrance on her body with gusto, and then instantly collapsed bonelessly in comfort.
That hateful guy Yu actually launched an indiscriminate attack. Not being able to cuddle with Nanaka last night was the biggest loss of her life!
"But speaking of which... Yu?"
"Hmm? What's up?"
"Um, what are those marks on your face?"
Knowing the truth behind Kohei and Iori's collapse, Yoshikawa Aina covered her face, too ashamed to look at anyone, while intentionally leaving a small gap to observe the outside world.
The symmetrical and conspicuous red marks on Miyazawa Yu's cheeks caught her attention. To be honest, it was the first time she had seen such perfectly round indentations.
If she had to say, it felt like it was strangely similar to the honor medal one gets from dozing off during math class and waking up when school ends!
"..."
Touching the burning half of his face, Miyazawa Yu fixed his resentful gaze on Azusa-senpai.
In fact, Aina was slightly mistaken. The red marks on his face were not merely indentations, but heat rash that developed after being clamped for too long in a hot and humid environment.
Fortunately, the situation wasn't too serious, and the rash hadn't fully emerged, only slightly beginning to swell.
But even so, these two patches of redness were the kind that absolutely wouldn't disappear within two or three days!
"Azusa-senpai, don't you have anything to explain?"
"...Sorry~"
Guiltily burying her head in Nanaka's chest, Hamaoka Azusa looked down at her own cleavage, where two identically shaped red marks were clearly imprinted.
"Don't wear a swimsuit for the next two days."
"Yes!"
"Ugh... I think I know where they came from."
Placing her hand over her chest and pretending to hold something, Yoshikawa Aina smiled sadly—
She was truly humiliating herself, daring to challenge adult games with such meager breasts.
She didn't know why, but even though she wasn't envious, tears couldn't stop falling!
"Alright, that's enough idle chatter. Aina! Cheer up!"
"I'll try my best..."
"Seriously, the exam is coming up soon, and you guys are really giving me headaches!"
Scanning the remaining two disabled newcomers with her hands on her hips, Ryujiro Kotobuki reluctantly pressed his hand to his face.
After just one night's sleep, one of the Pab club's four heavenly freshmen was sick, one was useless, and the remaining two were also incomplete. This human tragedy was unbearable to watch.
However, the exam wouldn't be delayed because of an accident. Helpless, he could only take the remaining Yu and Aina to the exam site.
Lest these two guys cause any more trouble and lead to a complete wipeout, which would be too much of a joke!
...
Two hours later, at the written exam site for the diving certificate, Miyazawa Yu walked into the examination room normally, amidst the curious and stifled laughter of the onlookers.
Following behind him, Yoshikawa Aina finally broke free from the curse of her chest and turned to look at the room full of candidates, tilting her head in thought.
"Are there really so many people who like diving? I always thought it was a niche sport!"
"Well~ Compared to national sports like tennis and baseball, it is indeed considered niche."
Miyazawa Yu casually found a seat, placed his exam number on the desk, and explained: "But this is Izu. There are many groups like us who are traveling and getting certified, for example, those people over there are clearly from Kanto!"
"Indeed, a very obvious Kanto accent!"
"Not only that, but it's also summer now, the peak season for diving, which is why this place is so crowded."
Saying that, Miyazawa Yu opened the diving textbook Chisa had given him, preparing to review his memories of the past two days before the exam.
However, looking at his serious expression, Yoshikawa Aina instantly froze in her seat—
She was either training, messing around with Iori, or busy with a night raid on Yu all day yesterday. She hadn't even glanced at the textbook!
"N-no way..."
Clutching her head, Yoshikawa Aina tried to summon her dusty memories with a blank expression, but the aftereffects of an all-nighter instantly manifested.
Her brain was completely empty!!!
"Hey, Yu..."
"???"
Turning his head in confusion, Miyazawa Yu looked at Aina, puzzled, only to meet a pair of frantically trembling pupils.
"A-Aina, what's wrong? Don't scare me!"
"Um, it's just..."
Her face instantly turned ashen, and Yoshikawa Aina broke out in a cold sweat, extending a hand and pleading in a trembling voice: "Lend me the textbook for a moment. I suddenly feel panicked."
"Last-minute studying? Isn't that a bit too late? What did you spend all that time on last night!"
"Stop talking nonsense! Onegai! This is the request of my life, Aina!"
Helplessly handing over the textbook, Miyazawa Yu wanted to tell her that it was already too late, watching Aina furiously cram the material with tears in her eyes.
After all, the examiner was already walking into the classroom!
"Alright, we will now begin the examination!"
"Yamete!" (Stop it!)
The exam process could be described as disastrous. The state of a brain that hadn't slept all night was imaginable.
Although only through peripheral vision, Miyazawa Yu vividly observed Aina's entire process from fear to despair in just over an hour.
By the time the invigilator collected all the papers, a heat-radiating, walking corpse was officially released.
"Ugh... there's no reason to go back now!"
"Cheer up, Aina. It's not completely hopeless. You still remember quite a few things, right?"
"That's true, but..."
A tragic smile appeared on her face. Yoshikawa Aina bowed her neck, radiating a vengeful aura like the female ghost who only appears on stormy days.
"But they're only impressions. I have no idea if the answers I chose are correct or not!"
"...My deepest condolences!"
In the examination room, only those who lack confidence loudly compare answers. As for the strong, they always humbly say they didn't do well this time.
Regrettably, Aina was not strong. She was just a "cakey" who had been peeled and become a little more cheerful!
"Yoshi, the exam results are out. Please, only the passing candidates whose exam numbers are displayed on the screen at the front remain. Everyone else may leave!"
Looking up at the display screen at the front of the classroom, Miyazawa Yu easily found his exam number by sorting.
After all, it was just a beginner diver's certificate. The written test usually wouldn't be too difficult!
As for Aina...
"Kana!"
With a weak wave of two fingers by her head, Yoshikawa Aina walked out of the examination room hunched over, step by step.
"...It seems she didn't pass."
Although he was prepared, Miyazawa Yu couldn't help but feel speechless when he saw Aina collapsing into Hamaoka Azusa's arms and wailing—
What was going on with these guys? They all agreed to get certified together, but only he passed the written test.
Could it be...
A thunderclap flashed in his mind. Chisa Kotegawa had just walked over, intending to say she was going back to take care of Iori, but she saw Yu muttering to himself with a horrified expression.
"Could it be that this is some kind of disguised method of isolation? This move from Iori is too vicious!"
"No, no, it's just a pure accident."
"Then how do you explain Iori and Kohei simultaneously breaking down! Especially Iori's fever, it's completely unscientific!"
Actually, it was quite scientific. After all, Iori had soaked in the water for a whole hour to escape the pork cutlet bowl, almost getting waterlogged.
A huge bead of cold sweat rolled down her forehead. Chisa Kotegawa diverted the topic and asked with an awkward smile: "Um, if Yu is done, I'll take Aina back first~"
"Hold it right there!"
Rushing out at a speed far exceeding that of a short-distance champion, Chisa Kotegawa only felt a gust of cool wind passing by. In less than five minutes, Yu rushed back, panting.
"Since he has a fever, as his best friend, I have to do something!"
A snake-like malice flashed in his eyes. Miyazawa Yu smiled and stuffed a freshly bought leek into Chisa's hand.
"Chisa knows it too—folk remedies cure serious illnesses! When you go back, please make sure I see it keeping company with Iori's little head!"
"This... Y/*ue-yi zhoulinliu ba..."
Holding the leek, which was noticeably twice as thick as a normal one, Chisa Kotegawa smiled bitterly.
Putting this thing in... setting aside whether he would die or not, the psychological damage alone would probably be enough to send Iori directly back for reincarnation!
"Eh? Not possible? Or is little Chisa actually hiding something from me?"
"Gulp!"
Looking at the fake smile on Yu's face as he leaned in close, Chisa Kotegawa dodged his gaze twice, and could only adhere to the belief of letting the friend die instead of the self, tightening her grip on the leek.
"I, I understand..."
"Yosh! Ganbare!" (Do your best!)