Chapter 53: Study Group Held
Welcome.
As we entered the mansion, the first to greet us at the entrance were Karen and her father.
I had followed Karen and Sakamoto on their date in various disguises with their subordinates, so I recognized them.
But not wanting to embarrass them, I pretended this was our first meeting and bowed in greeting.
My name is Kim Yu-seong.
Ah, a very sturdy-looking friend indeed.
?
Lifting my head at the oddly gentle voice, I saw Karens father nudging her as he spoke.
Do you need a girlfriend? My daughter, contrary to her appearance, is quite domestic Uhk!
What nonsense! Silly dad!
Karen punched her father playfully in the stomach and blushed with embarrassment as he teased her.
Everyone, follow me. Ive prepared the room in advance.
Okay, sure.
As Karen was about to lead the way, she noticed Boris standing motionless and spoke to Sasha.
If he follows my father, he will be guided to somewhere he can rest.
Sasha nodded and translated Karens words to Boris.
After sorting things out, we followed Karen through the wooden hallway.
Here it is. This is where well study today.
Wow! Its huge!
Rika exclaimed excitedly.
Indeed, the tatami room Karen provided was incredibly spacious.
It felt like being in the banquet hall of a luxury inn.
This smell! This texture! I love it!
Rika immediately lay down on the floor, rolling around in delight.
In the process, her knee-length skirt rolled up, creating a risky scene, but Sasha quickly covered his eyes, sparing us the crucial view.
Rika! Your skirt! Your skirt!
Ah!
Rika quickly stood up, heeding Karens warning and ending the situation.
We gathered around the large desk placed in the center of the room.
I thought about getting out the kotatsu, but I held back, thinking we might fall asleep if its too comfortable.
Ah! Kotatsu! Thats a shame!
Indeed, thats a bit disappointing. It wouldve been perfect to sit inside and peel oranges.
I couldnt hide my awkwardness during the sudden kotatsu talk among the three.
It was because our house used ondol heating, so I had never used a kotatsu.
Anyway, Sasha, how do you know about kotatsus, being a foreigner?
At Rikas sudden question, Sasha chuckled and raised her nose proudly.
I saw it in animations.
Ah~ Thats true. Kotatsus do appear in them a lot.
Rika nodded understandingly, crossing her arms.
Honestly, it was awkward to see two people who looked like foreign beauties having such a conversation.
It was because Karen, the only normal person among us, couldnt keep up with the conversation.
Hey, Ive seen animations too! The one with magical girls wearing white and black clothes fighting with their bare hands!
Oh, PrCure, right? To think you like the original series, Karen has her maniac side too.
Thats impressive. To still like magical girl shows at your age.
Eh? I meant from when I was younger.
The two suddenly fell silent.
Shall we talk about something else?
I cant have a conversation with her; our levels dont match.
Eh? What did I say wrong?
I shook my head, holding Karens shoulder as she still couldnt keep up with the conversation.
Sometimes, its better not to know certain things.
Karen, just stay as pure as you are.
Despite the brief digression due to the kotatsu conversation started by Rika and Sasha, we decided to proceed with our original plan of holding a study session.
Only two days were left until the exams.
Honestly, at this point, it was more efficient to memorize and solve problems than to understand and solve them individually.
Before starting our studies, we checked each others weaknesses once again.
First, Rika.
Yep!
Youre weak in math, but also in science and technology subjects. Since many people give up on these, just memorizing the formulas can get you average marks. So, your goal today is to memorize various formulas within the exam scope.
Saying this, I handed Rika a summary of math and science formulas that I had organized at home for easy understanding.
Well have a quiz in an hour, so memorize them diligently. Once youve memorized the basic formulas, start solving simple example problems one by one.
Okay
Initially enthusiastic, Rikas voice noticeably deflated, but I moved on without much concern.
Now, Karen.
Yes.
Looking at your grades, youre generally average. Youre not particularly weak in any subject but not excelling in any either. You seem to struggle with memorization. So, I recommend trying a different memorization method, like association, which has been commonly used for years. For example, Mujiko for the year 645.
Oh, I know that. Youre talking about the Taika Reform, right?
Exactly. Try creating mnemonics in your style. It will be much easier to memorize than before.
Okay. Ill try that.
I looked at Karen, who clenched her fists with determination, and then turned to Sasha, the biggest challenge of us three.
Yu-seong, what should I do?
You
Honestly, it was more challenging to help Sasha, unlike the first two.
Firstly, classical literature was composed of archaic language, which even native speakers of Japanese found difficult, let alone a foreigner like Sasha.
Fortunately, classical literature mainly involved specific works or poems, so it was possible to learn patterns by solving many similar types of problems.
Since I had originally been a science student and also found Japanese classical literature the most challenging, I felt a sense of camaraderie with Sasha as she struggled with it.
I took out the 200 practice questions I had printed in advance on a weekday from my bag and showed them to her.
Anyway, it would be hard to understand even if I explained it now, so the only way to learn classical literature is by solving a lot of problems. I originally made these for myself, but lets do them together since we have no other choice.
Okay, I understand.
Once we had roughly decided on our study plan, we started studying with determination.
[1 Hour Later]
Rika squirmed a bit in her seat, but she seemed to be holding up fairly well.
We did a pop quiz, and Rika was able to memorize the formulas without distraction, so we began solving the easy questions from the practice workbook.
[2 Hours Later]
Rikas concentration began to wane, and her speed at solving math problems decreased significantly.
The same was true for Karen, as she started flipping through her history book more often than before.
[3 Hours Later]
Rika, perhaps losing interest in studying, started doodling on the last page of her math notebook.
Given her unnecessarily skilled drawing, it seemed she inherited Kishimoto Senseis genes.
As for Karen, possibly getting a headache from constant memorization, collapsed onto the desk with a book on her head.
Up until now, the one who seemed most okay was Sasha, sitting next to me, studying classical literature.
Unlike the other two, she still seemed energetic despite the continuous problem-solving, thanks to her good stamina.
I took out my smartphone, which was on vibrate mode, to check the time.
3:31 PM.
It was about time for a break, wasnt it?
Alright, weve been studying for a while, so lets take about an hour break.
I said this, woke up the sleeping Karen, and got Rika, who was focused on her doodling, to stand up and stretch.
It wasnt good for the body to stay in one position for too long.
Especially since the human body gets strained from sitting for extended periods, it was necessary to stretch once in a while.
Crack! Pop!
As I heard the satisfying sound of bones cracking, I turned my back and looked around at the others.
They were reluctantly following my lead, but even the always energetic Rika and physically strong Karen seemed extremely low in spirits.
It appeared that special measures were necessary.
Karen, can I use the kitchen for a bit?
Huh? Its fine, but why the kitchen all of a sudden?
Well, everyone seems tired, so I thought about making some snacks to cheer us up.
Normally, you need something sweet when your energy is low, right?
It was good to sit and rest quietly, but it was also not bad to relieve stress in this way.
Im going to make patbingsu. Anyone want some?
As I said this and looked around, Rika, who had been slouching, perked up immediately and raised her hand.
Me! Me!
Sasha, who was next to her, tilted her head and asked,
Patbingsu? Thats a food Ive never heard of before.
Indeed, a princess from a winter country would not have tried patbingsu.
I confidently said to Sasha,
Once you try it, youll know.
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