Before My Memories With You Melt Away in Tears - Episode 47

“Hehe,” we both laughed, shyly looking at each other. Embarrassed, I lowered my gaze slightly, but in my line of sight, I could see Kyoya’s lips. Soft, slightly cold lips. Just thinking about it made my heart race. And it seemed like it wasn’t just me feeling that way.

“Well, then, how about we study?” Kyoya suggested.

“Y-yeah,” I said, my voice a little higher than usual.

Kyoya took out his textbooks and notebooks from his bag. I grabbed the math workbook that had been sitting on my desk. We sat across from each other at the large desk in the middle of the room, a size that would be perfect for two people to use.

The only sound in the room was the quiet scratching of Kyoya’s mechanical pencil on his notebook.

Trying not to be noticed, I sneaked a glance at him. He was focused on solving problems, a serious expression on his face.

This was the first time we were studying together like this. I was a little nervous, but at the same time, I felt happy, as if I had somehow become one of Kyoya’s classmates, sitting across from him.

“Kyoya-kun, do you have any subjects you’re bad at?” I asked.

“Me? Hmm, not really. Oh, but I’m not good at swimming,” he said, looking a little sheepish.

“Really? I didn’t expect that!” I said, surprised.

“Yeah, I guess that’s a bit unexpected. What about you? Any subjects you struggle with?” Kyoya asked.

“Math…” I admitted.

Kyoya looked at my math workbook, which was filled with incomplete problems, and smiled wryly.

“Where do you struggle the most?” he asked.

“Well… Up until middle school, I was fine, but as soon as I entered high school, the pace picked up, and it got tough,” I explained.

“Ah, I get it. The difference between middle school and high school math is huge, right?” he said.

“Exactly! The teacher always asks, ‘What don’t you understand?’ But I don’t even know what I don’t understand anymore!” I said, frustrated.

Kyoya chuckled at my explanation. I worried he might be laughing at me, so I quickly added, “But! I didn’t fail or anything. I did fine on the midterms… It’s just that I’ve skipped over parts that I didn’t fully understand.”

“I see,” Kyoya said thoughtfully. “Well, why don’t we go over those parts today?”

“But… what about your studying?” I asked, a little concerned.

“For me, reviewing first-year math is important too. If you don’t have the basics down, nothing you learn later really sticks, you know?” Kyoya explained kindly.

I wondered if it was okay to rely on him like this. But before I could say anything, Kyoya added,

“Also, the problems you’re struggling with are the ones that often show up on tests.”

“Really?” I asked, surprised.

“Really. So I think it’s better to go over them now,” he said with a serious look.

“But…” I hesitated.

“And this one,” he added, pointing to a problem, “I’m really good at.”

I wasn’t sure if this was really a “push” or if he was just teasing me.

“It seems like Kyoya-kun really wants to teach me,” I said with a teasing smile.

“Ah, you caught me?” Kyoya laughed, looking a little embarrassed.

“Well, it makes me happy when you rely on me,” he said, his expression softening. “I want you to ask me to teach you. Say, ‘Teach me,’ will you?”

He leaned his chin on his hand and stared at me intently.

When his eyes locked onto mine like that, I felt weak. It seemed like Kyoya knew that, and that made it all the more difficult to look away.

“…Kyoya-kun, you’re surprisingly mean, aren’t you?” I muttered, a little resentful.

Kyoya blinked, surprised for a moment, before laughing softly.

“Maybe I am. I can’t help but want to tease you,” he said, his voice playful.

“I don’t like mean people,” I said, pouting.

“Now I understand why kids tease the ones they like. I guess I feel that way too,” Kyoya said, grinning.

“I really don’t need you to understand that!” I snapped, trying to act angry.

But Kyoya just laughed, clearly amused. He raised his chin, signaling for me to hurry up and say it.

“…”

“Come on, say it,” he urged.

“…Teach me,” I finally said, my voice barely a whisper.

As soon as the words left my mouth, I slammed my face into the desk in embarrassment. My face was burning with heat, and I felt like I could die from the embarrassment. I promised myself I would never say something like that again!

But then, I realized Kyoya wasn’t saying anything. After pushing me to say it, he wasn’t reacting at all. That made me feel a little frustrated, so I looked up.

Kyoya was holding his head in his hands, looking troubled.

“…Kyoya-kun?” I asked cautiously.

“What is it?” he muttered.

“What’s wrong? Why are you…?”

“I’m fine. Just, give me a moment,” he said, his voice strangely desperate.

I didn’t really understand why, but his tone made me feel like I should leave him alone, so I decided to stay quiet.

“Seriously, that was way too cute…” I thought I heard Kyoya mumble under his breath, but with my head down, I couldn’t hear him clearly.