Hello.

Hey.

Oh, welcome.

Welcome. Are you on your way back from school?

Yeah, we were thinking about getting some studying in.

Oh, okay!
Wait, study?! You, Akito?!

Hey, we've got tests coming up soon.

Yes, it would be good to study for those.
What would you like to drink? The usual?

Yes, please.

(Still, to think Akito would want to have a study session like this. I was so startled when he first asked me.)

(Also, tests aren't for a little while.
Does that mean there's something he's having trouble understanding?)

You mentioned that you wanted to study for English today. Would you be okay with us mostly doing problems out of the workbook?

Yeah, that was my plan from the start.

Hey, can I sit at your table?
I wanna watch as you guys study.

As long as you don't get in the way.

I won't!

Oh, this is the workbook for English you guys use? I'm seeing a lot of long passages. What do they say?

We were just about to start reading them.

As far as tutoring goes, why don't I step in whenever you get stuck?

Sounds good. I want to get through as much of this as I can by myself.

Okay. In that case, let's both do our best.

(Okay, I'm finished with the seven problems pertaining to this long passage. Let's how Akito's doing...)

(He's on the third one. He seems to be struggling a bit, but it's clear that he's doing his best to solve them by himself.)

(I was under the impression that he invited me because he was having trouble with something...)

(But he might just be able to solve every problem on his own...!)

*Sigh*
I'm finally done with those long-passage problems...

...!

(He actually solved them all on his own!)

Way to go, Akito!
Nice work!

Thanks...

Sorry for making you wait, Toya.
Let's start checking our answers.

...

Toya?

...!
R-Right! Our answers!

Here are the refills for your drinks, you two.

Hehe. You didn't think he'd get through them all on his own, did you, Toya?

N-No, I...

You're not even trying to meet her eyes, huh.

But I guess you had every right to feel that way based on my past record.

Sorry...

Anyway, what was this passage about?

About how people watch movies.
One person talked about the benefits of going to the theater, while the other focused on watching them at home on TV.

It's stuff like how seeing them at the theater leaves a bigger impression, or how you can relax in the comfort of your own home.

At the end, the movie theater guy says he'll watch one at home, and the home guy says he'll watch one in a theater.

(He understood the entire passage...!!)

(And it wasn't an easy one. It was full of tricky grammar and difficult words!)

Akito...

You did it! You studied!!

Whoa...!

I've never seen Toya smile like this before!

From ear to ear...

Yeah!
I don't think I've seen him smile like this before either!

I mean, it'd be pretty lame for someone who just helped rewrite history to not pass a test, right...?

I already wake up early every day to run, so I thought I should make the most of any time in between.

You used to be all about taking the easy way out, but you've really been trying little by little...!

You finally understand the value of studying every day!

Uhh... Y-Yeah...

But I've been focusing on this test so much that my homework's starting to pile up.

Not an issue.

Now that you're studying every day, you should be able to get through anything that you're assigned!

O-Okay...

W-Wait, are you sure you're gonna be able to finish everything?

If you don't, Toya's going to be very disappointed.

Y-Yeah, I know...

J-Just watch, Toya.
I-I'll finish everything this weekend.

Yes, I'm confident that you will.