T/N: Ayooo, I thought I uploaded these chapters already. Turns out, they're still sitting in my draft.
Sorry.
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"Ha~ Shiro, why didn't you wake us up?"
Azusa was lazily munching on toast while lounging on the sofa. Since they stayed up late last night, she and Nanaka were the last to wake up.
"Yeah, Shiro! Next time you have to wake us up!"
Nanaka looked genuinely guilty. She had originally planned to make breakfast for everyone, but in the end, she was the one who got up the latest.
"…Next time, for sure."
What could Shiro even say? In that situation, would it really have been okay to wake up Nanaka?
"So, how's everyone feeling? We've got the written exam coming up soon."
Chisa looked at the four of them with concern. The test wasn't difficult, but with the way they all looked… was this really going to be okay?
"Heh, what a joke. I'm a genius!"
Shiro shrugged it off. It was just the written portion of a diving license test. He could pass that with his eyes closed!
"If that guy Shiro can pass, there's no way I'll fail."
"Do idiots have the right to say things like that?"
"Hah? You got 17 on the German test—how do you have the nerve to talk?"
"You just happened to get 20, and now your tail's wagging like crazy!"
"Heh, mortals, I got 60. I'm not even in the same tier as you anymore!"
"You had to take the retake with us!!!"
"You only passed because you copied the answers off someone's cheat sheet!"
As expected, the trio started bickering again. But the content of their argument was alarming. When did scores below 80 become something to brag about?!
Aina was dumbfounded. If not for Shiro's 60 points, she would've assumed the test was out of 20.
And to think they got those scores with cheat sheets? What kind of brains did these guys have?
Rock brains?!
"This really does make you worried, huh…"
"Let's test them a little."
The two seniors pulled the trio apart and had them sit down properly. It was time for an impromptu quiz!
"Question! During which kind of surface movement do you feel the least fatigued over long periods?"
A. BackstrokeB. Head above water
"B!"
All three answered immediately and in unison. Even people who never studied diving could probably answer that—common sense!
"Well then, I'll throw in some common-sense questions too."
Seeing this wholesome moment, Aina couldn't help but want to join in. This kind of atmosphere was something her previous club never had.
"Changing clothes in the locker room…"
"No need for that kind of thing!" ×5
Again, a perfectly synchronized answer—this time from all five of them!
(*?????)
Aina dove into Azusa's arms in a storm of tears.
She was wrong. So wrong. Why did she join these beasts' club?! Were these guys always wondering why the men's locker room even existed?!
"Alright, let's keep going!"
Once the chaos was resolved, the seniors continued quizzing the trio. Most of the questions were just basic knowledge, which the three answered with ease.
Until the difficulty got bumped up!
"If there's no insulation, at what water temperature would your hands become immobile?"
"Uhhh…"
"I think it's…"
Iori and Kouhei fell silent, clearly unfamiliar with the question.
"18°C!"
Shiro said it with a smug face, mocking the two as he proudly gave the correct answer. Don't underestimate the genius who crammed all night!!!
"No way?!"
"What did you do?!"
The two shook Shiro like crazy. They refused to accept it.
"Hmph! I already told you—geniuses are different from you mere mortals!"
Shiro raised his chin like a proud little puppy after winning a fight.
"Ahaha, Shiro, I told you, didn't I? That question would show up! Looks like all that last-minute cramming we did last night paid off. You didn't even know the answer yesterday~"
Azusa happily patted Shiro on the shoulder.
Guessing the right questions really was like winning the lottery—it didn't matter how many, hitting even one was cause for celebration!
But according to the law of conservation of happiness—if Azusa was happy, someone had to be miserable~
Bang!!!
"You bastard! You even cheated for something like this?!"
"Have some shame! And what's with getting two older girls to tutor you late at night?!"
"Hah? What did I do? I just used the time you guys spent sleeping to study! That's not cheating—it's called reviewing!"
Turns out, internal competition is bad. Having big sisters help with that competition is even worse—it's terrible for group harmony!
Like now, Shiro was being crushed under the butts of two angry guys…
"You jerks! If you're that mad, why didn't you review? You two didn't even sleep properly anyway!"
Shiro shouted at them. Letting those two sleep was a complete waste!
"You scumbag, do you even remember why I look like this?!"
Iori couldn't take it anymore. He headbutted Shiro like a rocket!
Why did he have to end up with an afro?! Even a spiky hedgehog look would be better than this! Going out with that hair made people think he was collecting rent!
X﹏X
"I gave you a free hairstyle and you're complaining? Do you know how much it costs to perm an afro like this?"
"And Kouhei, why are you hitting me too? I cleared the way for you!"
"Even if that's true, I have this strong feeling my nightmares are all your fault—sorry, Shiro!"
Kouhei joined in with his own rocket headbutt. His hair was also a fluffy mess—can someone really wake up like that?!
"…"
Chisa silently covered her face. Were these three seriously going to pass the diving license's written exam…?
…
After breakfast, the seniors brought the newbies to a small classroom.
The exam location was actually a space borrowed from a nearby shop.
It was extremely casual—just a table and a few chairs, and boom, exam setup complete.
And the proctor was… Nanaka?!
"Wait, the diving license test is this chill?"
Shiro looked around in disbelief.
If he'd known it would be like this, why did he bother cramming all night? This place looked like an open-book exam zone!
"Yeah, the written test is always this easygoing."
"And it's all multiple choice. You guys have a high chance of passing."
The two seniors explained. The difficult part of getting a diving license was the practical side—no one really worried about the written exam.
!!!
"Then what was the point of us studying so hard?!"
Aina didn't get it. She had studied the textbook seriously, and now she hears this?
But when she said that, the seniors' smiles faded, and their expressions turned serious.
"What are you saying? Listen up—this stuff is about your life and safety. You have to take it seriously!"
"There's no such thing as too much knowledge!"
{{(°△°; "}}!
Aina looked like she'd seen a ghost. She glanced helplessly at Shiro and the others.
"Yeah, I get how you feel."
"They don't seem serious most of the time…"
"But when it comes to diving, they don't mess around. You'll get used to it!"
The trio were already used to this side of the seniors. They'd seen how seriously they took safety before.
"Alright, exam begins~"
With Nanaka's voice, the diving license written exam officially began!
Shiro glanced at the multiple-choice sheet and gave a smug grin. This stuff couldn't possibly trip up a guy whose skills were already perfected!
Time to break the speedrun record!
His pen moved like it had a will of its own, answering questions without pause. In no time, he'd finished the first page.
Shiro lifted his head with a smug smile. He could already feel himself above the rest of them!
But the moment he looked around, he felt like a total clown fighting thin air…
Next to him, the three others looked like students in the front row trying desperately not to fall asleep in class, constantly nodding off…
The sight made Shiro genuinely worried for them—especially after accidentally seeing their names on the answer sheets…
Yoshihara Watermelon…
Imamura Lalako…
Kitahara Butt…
(???)
There's no hope. Just retake the exam.