70 - The Usual Isn't So Simple

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A few days after the camping trip with the Tojo family...

As usual, Haruto visited the Tojo household and studied alongside Ayaka in her room.

"Haruto-kun, about this problem..."

"Oh, you need to break this question down into known angles and then use the addition theorem..."

Haruto paused his own studies to explain the solution to Ayaka.

"Oh, I see... so for this one, it's 30° and 45°, and since it's sine..."

She tapped her mechanical pencil on her notebook, trying to recall the formula. Haruto offered a hint.

"Cosmos blooms, blooms cosmos..."

"Ah! Right! So, it's sine 30° times cosine 45°..."

Thanks to his hint, Ayaka applied the trigonometric formula and eventually found the answer. She let out a satisfied breath.

"I solved it!"

Her face lit up with a sense of achievement, but upon seeing the next problem—a trigonometric one again—she pouted.

"Why do we even need to learn trigonometry? Sine, cosine, tangent... it's not like we'll use them as adults."

Haruto chuckled at her cute complaint.

"Skyscrapers, airplanes, roads, and cars—all of them owe something to trigonometry."

"Really? Seriously?"

"Absolutely. Plus, if you master trigonometry, you can cut a whole cake perfectly!"

"What? Cake? How does that work?"

Ayaka tilted her head, confused by his comment.

"For example, to divide a cake into three equal parts, you use 2π/3, then break that down into π/2 + π/6, and since sin(π/6) equals 1/2, you mark half of the cake and then half of that..."

"Wait! Wait! I don't understand at all!"

"Really?"

Haruto looked puzzled as Ayaka covered her ears, trying to block out the explanation.

"If you can't divide the cake properly, you might end up arguing with Ryota."

At this, Ayaka leaned slightly closer, her tone soft.

"In that case, I'll just ask you to cut it for me, Haruto-kun."

"Uh..."

Her gentle voice left him speechless. Ever since that starry night during their camping trip, Ayaka had felt closer than before, and Haruto found her increasingly captivating.

"But I might not be there when you need to cut it."

"...You won't be?"

Avoiding eye contact, Haruto focused on his notebook, his voice faint. Ayaka gazed at him with slightly misty eyes.

"Anyway, we need to focus on studying. Summer break is almost over."

He quickly changed the subject. Before, he could handle their "practice relationship" sessions, but now, his feelings for her were growing too strong. He had used summer homework as an excuse to avoid those sessions.

"I want you to do well on the upcoming test. Even Ikue-san knows I come here to help you study."

"I don't want summer break to end..."

Her dismayed expression made Haruto smile.

"If you get bad grades, Ikue-san will be mad. She'll ask what you did all summer."

"I don't want that either..."

She sprawled on the desk, then suddenly perked up with an idea.

"Studying is easier with a reward."

"A reward?"

"Yeah, yeah."

Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"If you give me a reward, I think I can study hard."

After thinking for a moment, Haruto replied, "Okay, if you get 95 or higher in every subject."

"What? No way! How about 60?"

"Sixty is too low. At least 90."

"I can't study like you do. How about 70?"

"How about... 85?"

"Seventy-five?"

"Alright. Let's say 80 or above."

She smiled brightly. "Deal! I'm going to study hard!"

She dove into her textbook with renewed determination, her face serious yet content. Haruto watched, realizing he'd fallen right into her negotiation.

They continued studying, with Ayaka asking questions and Haruto explaining. After a while, Haruto noticed the room darkening.

"Is the weather turning?"

Ayaka looked up. "Yeah, let's turn on the light."

The forecast had promised sunshine, but outside, dark clouds gathered.

"Looks like rain."

Suddenly, heavy rain pounded the roof, and Ayaka glanced at Haruto, a bit anxious.

"That's intense."

"Yeah, these surprise storms have been happening a lot lately."

The rain grew heavier, and the room darker. When lightning flashed and thunder rumbled, Ayaka moved closer, clearly scared. Haruto gently placed a reassuring hand on her back.

A massive flash and deafening crash followed, causing Ayaka to scream and grab his arm tightly.

As the power went out, she lost balance, and they fell, with Ayaka on top of Haruto. They stared at each other, stunned.

The only sounds were the rain and their pounding hearts.

"Haruto-kun..." she whispered, drawing closer. "We haven't practiced the most important part of being a couple..."

She leaned in, and Haruto froze. The room's lights flickered back on, snapping him out of it. Gently, he pushed her away.

He scrambled up, heart racing. "It's almost three—I need to start my part-time job!"

Gathering his things quickly, he left, leaving Ayaka watching him, cheeks flushed and eyes shimmering.