I, Aki Tomoya, will not be a simp.

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Chapter 174 Just do it! (1/?)

On January 23rd, the weather didn't seem to be kind enough to be warmer because of the exam.

The morning chill quickly woke Aki Tomoya, who had just awoke from his bed.

"cold……"

Rubbing my eyes, I opened the fogged-up window and stood by the bed gazing into the distance.

As dawn broke, I inadvertently inhaled a gust of cold air and leaned against the window, squinting as I pondered my schedule for the day.

Today's schedule is all about exams.

He patted his face, went downstairs to wash up, and when he came back, he picked up the pen on the table and circled January 23rd on the chart on the wall.

On the 23rd, the first day of the national exam, candidates who were to take the center exam should have started arriving one after another, just like Aki Tomoya.

After changing into his uniform, preparing his belongings, and picking up his exam admission ticket, Aki Tomoya went downstairs and prepared to leave.

"So early?"

Some mothers who were still half asleep, perhaps woken up by Aki Tomoya's noise, came out and saw Aki Tomoya changing his shoes in the entryway.

"The exam venue is a bit far; I need to catch the tram."

When he received his admission ticket, he had already gone to check out the location. The exam venue was a bit far from his home, so he had to leave early and take the tram for an hour to get there.

"I am leaving."

As if about to embark on a long journey, Aki Tomoya turned back to look at his mother, who was still rubbing her eyes.

His mother behind him seemed to say something, but he couldn't hear it clearly; it was probably words of encouragement.

The morning temperature made Aki Tomoya wrap his scarf tighter. He was a bit unlucky not to be assigned to a nearby exam room. If he didn't leave early to take the train, he would get there a bit late.

Many test takers, like Aki Tomoya, left early to catch the tram at the station.

The carriage was mostly filled with students heading to various exam venues in Tokyo.

Some people were still reading, some were still praying, and some, like Tomoya Aki, were quietly waiting for the train to arrive at the station.

In any case, today is important for many people.

Because it's a nationwide exam, unlike university entrance exams which are held at different times, everyone takes the exam on the same day and at the same time, which can be quite crowded.

At each stop, students would get off the train, and a new batch would get on. Before long, the carriages were filled with a large number of test takers.

It's hard to imagine that even if people try to avoid the morning rush hour, they're not the only ones thinking about leaving early. They're assigned to different exam venues, and the time and travel arrangements are all planned out a few days in advance.

After changing buses twice and squeezing through a crowded bus for an hour, Aki Tomoya finally arrived at the venue.

"There are already so many people..."

Standing outside the venue, Aki Tomoya saw students who had come to participate in the first round of auditions, some wearing different uniforms, others in casual clothes, and still others in groups of three or five.

It's quite something that people you know are assigned to the same exam room.

Aki Tomoya couldn't help but mutter, "Seriously? Mock exams are one thing, but in the actual exam, I didn't even get to be in the same location as anyone I know. Am I just unlucky?"

Whether it was last year's mock exam or this year's actual exam, none of the people he knew were assigned to the same location for the exam.

Seeing that many people came in groups, Aki Tomoya felt a little envious.

"Fighting alone!"

"Aki, fighting alone!"

"Wow, I'm scared to death!"

Just as Aki Tomoya was lamenting that he was once again fighting alone, a voice that rang out behind him startled him.

He took two small steps forward, then turned around to look behind him and saw the girls' uniform from his school. Moving his gaze upward, he saw a familiar face.

"Kato... classmate?"

With a surprised tone, Aki Tomoya called out the other person's surname.

Upon seeing a girl from his class, or rather, a girl he had studied with for two years, Aki Tomoya momentarily thought he was hallucinating.

"I am Kato."

Kato Megumi calmly looked at Aki Tomoya and replied.

However, the other party's surprised look did leave her somewhat helpless.

It was rare to see someone you knew at the same venue, but Aki Tomoya didn't seem particularly happy. Rather, he seemed startled by her appearance.

"Are you here too?"

Didn't I say that at school?

Did you say that? Or have I forgotten?

"Then they probably never said that."

Aki Tomoya was unsure whether they had discussed the exam venue during their time in class.

However, if Aki Tomo doesn't remember either, then let's just pretend Kato Megumi never mentioned it.

But then again, both of them were assigned to venues far from the school. How do you describe their luck?

If possible, Kato Megumi would prefer to be assigned to a venue closer to her home, so she wouldn't have to get up too early to catch the train.

"It's not going to be the same classroom again, is it?"

At this moment, Aki Tomoya asked with some anticipation, taking out his admission ticket and confirming the exam number and exam room location on it.

"Unfortunately, no."

Kato Megumi also took out her exam admission ticket, but it wasn't for the same classroom.

"It seems our fate has run its course..."

"Aki-kun, it's really too much to say that to a girl."

"I'm sorry..."

However, since I met Kato Megumi, I wasn't fighting alone. Although we weren't in the same classroom, we were fighting in the same venue.

"I'm still a little nervous before the official exam..."

Kato Megumi suddenly said something.

Although, from her appearance, there was absolutely no sign of her being nervous.

"Kato-kun, don't worry, I'll teach you a secret, cough cough..."

Aki Tomoya coughed lightly twice, then paused for a moment—

If there are three long and one short, choose the shortest; if there are three short and one long, choose the longest; if there are two long and two short, choose B; if they are all the same length, choose A; if they are of different lengths, choose D; if they are of different lengths, choose C. Unbeatable!

If you mainly copy and secondarily guess, combining copying and guessing will definitely get you a passing grade!

"..."

Kato Megumi stared at Aki Tomoya in disbelief. Was he serious?

That makes sense, but if you actually do that, unless you're incredibly lucky and the chosen one, your life is pretty much over!

However, she understood that Aki Tomoya was joking, and she felt a little more relaxed.

"Is Aki the kind of person with a subtle sense of humor?"

Kato Megumi commented on his humor in this way.

Aki Tomoya shrugged and didn't say anything.

He met his classmate here, who was also in the study group where they were reviewing together. He wasn't fighting alone, but the other person in the study group, Yoshihiko Uego, was probably fighting alone.

That guy has severe pre-exam anxiety; hopefully, he won't cause any major problems.

"But then again, Aki-kun's last assessment was all A's, so I suppose you shouldn't have too much of a problem either. I wish you the best of luck in your second exam."

In Kato Megumi's opinion, there shouldn't be too much of a problem for him to try out for Aki Tomoya.

The key lies in the second test.

"You should do your best too."

After chatting for a while, half an hour before the exam, the two went to their respective exam rooms.

Following their exam numbers, students found their seats, and the solemn examination hall gradually filled up.

The final waiting period was truly agonizing.

Once inside the examination room, time seemed to slow down considerably, and some people became restless.

The atmosphere changed again when the exam papers and answer sheets were distributed. Apart from the sound of the invigilators walking around, it was hard to hear any other noise.

Aki Tomoya placed both hands on the table, his right index finger tapping lightly on the exam paper, waiting with everyone else for the command.

It's finally here, the first day of the nationwide test, the first hurdle.

"The quiz begins!"

At the command, the examination room erupted in synchronized movements.