There was no soft mattress, just the familiar futon laid out on tatami mats. After reading a few manga pages, Kevin slipped into a peaceful sleep.
The next day, it was finally time for the exam. Kevin and a confident Noby arrived at school together.
Surprisingly, Noby hadn't expelled all the knowledge he crammed in.
"All right everyone, clear your desks. It's time to hand out the test papers."
Mr. Terakoya entered the classroom with a stack of papers in his arms. Once everyone had tidied up, he began distributing them one by one.
Kevin glanced over the test paper briefly, then picked up his pen and started writing. The quiet rustle of pencil on paper filled the room.
In just over ten minutes, he had already completed half the exam.
He paused for a moment, casually glancing at Shizuka beside him. She didn't look worried in the slightest. In fact, her face was glowing with joy.
"This is amazing! I know all the answers! Heehee, this is so easy!"
Noby scribbled away with delight, his heart bursting with excitement.
Suddenly, a churning pain struck his stomach like a storm. Noby's face turned pale as he dropped his pencil, clutching his belly in agony.
"Ouch… what's going on…"
"Mr. Terakoya… I… I need to go to the bathroom!"
Trembling, he raised his hand and then bolted toward the restroom, both hands pressed to his sides.
Thunder roared.
Just as Noby stepped out of the bathroom, his legs went weak. He rushed right back inside.
"Somebody save me!"
By the time the exam was almost over, Noby dragged himself back to class looking utterly defeated. He was pale, exhausted, and... carried an unfortunate odor.
Students nearby instinctively pinched their noses and leaned away.
"Noby, did you fall in the toilet? Why do you smell like you've been marinating in there?" Honekawa Suneo teased, plugging his nose dramatically.
"Ha ha ha ha ha!!"
The class burst into laughter.
Noby lowered his head in shame. From the corner of his eye, he caught Shizuka trying to suppress a giggle too, and his heart sank even deeper.
"It's all Doraemon's fault… that gadget made me sick and now everyone's laughing at me…"
Looking up at the clock, Noby panicked. There were less than ten minutes left in the exam. He grabbed his pencil and dove back into the paper.
"Huh? What are these questions?"
"I don't remember any of this!"
"Doraemon!!!"
…
…
That afternoon, the first period.
Judgment day had come. Mr. Terakoya returned to the classroom with a stack of graded papers.
To his credit, he was an extremely diligent teacher. The exam had only been that morning, and yet he'd already graded all the papers despite having taught three out of four periods before lunch.
"Now I'll call your names one by one to come get your results."
"Dekisugi, 100 points."
"Kevin, 100 points."
"Shizuka, 100 points."
…
As he continued handing out test papers, a smile crept onto Mr. Terakoya's face. The class had gained another star student.
He was especially pleased with Kevin. Though the boy had a habit of goofing off with his desk partner, he clearly understood the material. This difficult test was proof enough.
"Honekawa Suneo, 65 points."
"Noby… 20 points."
"Takeshi… 5 points!"
By this point, Mr. Terakoya's tone had grown increasingly stern.
Noby couldn't believe it. He was sure he'd at least completed half the exam. How did he end up with such a low score?
His eyes darkened with a mix of bitterness and envy as he stared at Kevin and Shizuka chatting together again.
"Only Noby and Takeshi failed this exam," said Mr. Terakoya sternly. "The rest of you should follow the example set by Dekisugi, Kevin, and Shizuka."
"Takeshi, Noby, I'll be visiting your homes after school."
Both boys froze on the spot, horrified.
"A home visit?!"
They were doomed. Tonight was not going to be pleasant.
"Thank you, Kevin! If it weren't for your help, I'd never have gotten full marks. My mom will be so happy when she finds out!"
Shizuka beamed, her cheeks flushed with joy as she looked at her perfect score highlighted in bright red on the test paper.
"Oh, it wasn't just me. You're actually really smart, Shizuka. You picked things up so quickly," Kevin replied with a modest smile, warm and calm as spring sunshine.
"Um… would you maybe… want to come to my place after school and study together?" she mumbled, head down and fingers twisting the hem of her skirt. Her voice was soft and shy.
"Sure! I'd love to."
Kevin accepted without hesitation. She didn't even have to ask twice.
"Hey! Noby, how dare you score higher than me?! Come here and take your beating!"
After school, Takeshi completely snapped. He lunged at Noby, fists raised.
Noby turned pale. "But I didn't even pass either! Let me go, please!"
"My score was worse! No excuses! Time to feel my fists!"
Since he was going to be punished by his mom anyway, Takeshi figured he might as well take it out on someone else first. Noby was the perfect target.
"Stop right there, Takeshi! You can't bully the weak!" Shizuka stepped in, her voice sweet but firm, standing protectively in front of Noby.
Takeshi faltered. His raised fist hung in the air, unsure what to do.
"Thanks, Shizuka! You really do care about me!" Noby dropped to his knees, attempting to wrap his arms around her legs in gratitude.
But Kevin reacted quickly, gently pulling Shizuka aside by the arm.
"Perfect timing!"
Shizuka's movement left a gap and Takeshi seized the moment. His fist, as big as a small melon, swung down hard and struck Noby square in the stomach.
Brrrtttt!
A horrifying sound rang out, and something unspeakable leaked from Noby's shorts, splattering across the pavement and partially onto Takeshi's pants.
"Ha ha ha! Noby just had an accident! Come and see!" Suneo pointed at the ground, cackling as he shouted to everyone nearby.
Other students walking home turned to look. It was like a public zoo exhibit.
Noby wanted to vanish. His face was red as a furnace.
"Ugh, gross!"
"Mom! Help me, Mom!"
Takeshi, equally traumatized, abandoned his revenge. He turned and ran home crying.
Noby, humiliated beyond belief, clutched his legs together and sprinted away down the street.
"Ah! Kevin! Did any of it get on my shoes?!"
Shizuka yelped and leapt into Kevin's arms, clinging to his neck as she dangled from his shoulders. She peeked down at her shiny black shoes but was too afraid to open her eyes.
"Don't worry, Shizuka. You're completely clean."
Holding her carefully by the waist, Kevin made a face as he carried her away from the scene. The street was now marked with the evidence of Noby's downfall.
Like navigating a minefield, Kevin stepped carefully between the mess while holding Shizuka in his arms.
"Watch your step, Kevin! Don't let your foot slip."
"Noby always leaves a disaster in his wake," Shizuka muttered, her voice muffled as her face nestled against his shoulder.
Her cheeks flushed. Kevin's hand was still under her… well, she tried not to think too much about it.
The current situation was a little embarrassing, but it couldn't be helped.
First, they needed to escape this minefield of shame.