Chapter 38: The Emergency Rescue Squad and an Unexpected Addition

St. Sakura Academy, having undergone extensive ‘repairs’—primarily to sections ravaged by the magical battles—finally had its customary order restored.

The bell signaling the end of the holidays rang out like a death knell, swiftly followed by the mid-term examinations that elicited groans of despair from countless students.

Kazami Jin, staring at the veritable mountain of textbooks and workbooks piled upon her desk, felt her head throb with overwhelming despair. Mathematics formulas twisted like contorted tadpoles, historical dates tangled into an inscrutable mess, and the laws of physics remained as impenetrable as divine scripture. This reincarnated witch, a veritable novice when it came to magic, proved to be… not much more adept when it came to academics.

‘Ugh… it’s over. I’m definitely going to fail this time…’ Jin buried her face amidst the towering stack of books, a desperate whimper escaping her lips.

‘Only now do you realize the urgency?’ A cool, clear voice resonated above her, imbued with a subtle, almost imperceptible softness.

Jin lifted her gaze to find Xia Yue standing by her desk, having appeared there without her noticing.

Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing her in a soft glow that accentuated her slender silhouette. She had reverted to her persona as the meticulous student council president, her blue ponytail neatly bound, her school uniform impeccably pressed, devoid of a single crease. Yet, something had shifted. The aloof, icy aura that had once deterred others had significantly softened, and when her glacial blue eyes met Jin’s, they no longer held mere scrutiny and analysis, but rather a newfound warmth, akin to the gentle flow of a spring stream.

‘Here.’ Xia Yue placed a meticulously organized set of notes before Jin, where key points, challenging concepts, and common pitfalls were highlighted with various colored pens. ‘Begin by clarifying the mathematics functions and the trajectory of modern history. These form the fundamental groundwork.’

‘Xia Yue…’ Jin’s eyes welled with tears of gratitude as she impulsively clutched Xia Yue’s arm. ‘You are truly my savior!’

Xia Yue’s body stiffened for a fleeting moment, only to quickly relax. She even raised a hand to gently pat Jin’s head. ‘Quiet now. Focus on your studies.’

At that very moment, two more ‘rescuers’ burst into the classroom with a boisterous flurry.

‘Jin, Jin! Don’t you worry! I’m here to save the day!’ Lin Wan swept in like a whirlwind, brandishing a bag of snacks. ‘If studying gets too much, we can always play a few games to unwind! It’s all about striking that balance between work and play!’

‘Big sister! I’m here to help you too!’ Yu Niannian declared, her cheeks flushed as she clutched several weighty reference books.

And so, Kazami Jin’s ‘Mid-term Exam Emergency Rescue Squad’ was officially inaugurated.

Xia Yue took charge of the logical organization for both science and humanities subjects, her explanations crisp and meticulously structured. Whenever she caught sight of Jin scratching her head in confusion, she would offer a helpless sigh before patiently re-explaining the concept in even simpler terms.

Lin Wan, on the other hand, specialized in ‘interest stimulation’ and ‘stress relief.’ While her teaching methods often involved transforming complex knowledge into peculiar jingles or explaining concepts through gaming terminology, they surprisingly yielded remarkable results at times. Furthermore, she consistently provided timely snack reinforcements, ensuring Jin wouldn’t ‘crash’ from mental overload.

Yu Niannian proved to be the most patient of all, dedicated to identifying and rectifying knowledge gaps while reinforcing fundamental concepts. She tirelessly answered Jin’s myriad ‘foolish’ questions, her eyes sparkling with the encouraging glow of ‘You can do it, big sister!’

Surrounded by three beautiful and exceptionally talented girls, each possessing a distinct style, Jin should have been enveloped in pure bliss. Instead, she felt an immense, suffocating pressure, particularly when Xia Yue’s eyes—now softened yet still piercingly sharp—met hers, and she gently inquired, ‘Do you understand this part?’ At such moments, Jin dared not even let her mind wander.

Just as the tutoring session was in full swing, a voice—slightly hoarse, yet unmistakably charged with a fiery edge—drifted in from the classroom doorway.

‘Hey.’

All four heads snapped up in unison.

There stood Huo Hualan, leaning against the doorframe. She had donned St. Sakura Academy’s uniform, her orange-red short hair appearing meticulously styled. Yet, her complexion remained somewhat pallid, and her movements betrayed a certain discomfort, clearly indicating her injuries were far from healed. Her gaze swept across the tutoring group, finally settling on Jin. Within her amber eyes swirled a complex array of emotions: lingering anger, a flicker of almost imperceptible awkwardness, and… a determined, almost defiant resolve.

‘You…’ Huo Hualan lifted her chin, her gaze fixed on Jin. Her tone remained sharp, yet her usual intimidating presence was noticeably diminished. ‘Are you all… tutoring?’

Jin instinctively flinched, a slight tremor running through her. She was still somewhat wary of this ‘fire-breathing woman’ whom she had nearly ‘angered to death’ before ‘resurrecting’ her.

Xia Yue’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly as she stepped forward, subtly positioning herself to shield Jin. Her voice remained calm. ‘Huo Hualan, is there something you require?’

Lin Wan, conversely, wore an expression of eager anticipation, as if settling in for a captivating spectacle. Yu Niannian, meanwhile, nervously clutched at Jin’s sleeve.

Huo Hualan seemed momentarily taken aback, almost choked, by Xia Yue’s fiercely protective posture. A flicker of discomfort crossed her face before she averted her gaze, her voice dropping several tones, imbued with a hint of resigned defiance.

‘…That… mid-term exam…’ She paused, as if steeling herself for a momentous decision, before blurting out, ‘I need tutoring too.’

‘Huh?!’ Lin Wan was the first to let out a surprised cry. ‘You? The battle maniac? You need tutoring?’

Huo Hualan’s face instantly flushed crimson, like a firecracker ignited. ‘N-none of your business! I… I was injured and hospitalized, so I missed a lot of classes, alright?! And… and I heard this exam is exceptionally difficult…’

Her voice dwindled with each word, eventually becoming little more than a whisper, her eyes flitting nervously, unwilling to meet Jin’s gaze.

Observing Huo Hualan’s obvious embarrassment, yet her stubborn attempt to maintain composure, Jin suddenly felt… a peculiar urge to smile? Perhaps she wasn’t quite so terrifying after all.

Xia Yue glanced at Huo Hualan, then at the utterly bewildered Jin, and a flicker of understanding passed through her glacial blue eyes.

She adjusted her glasses, her voice remaining utterly placid. ‘Very well. Find an empty seat.’

‘A Yue?!’ Lin Wan exclaimed, utterly dumbfounded.

Xia Yue offered her a faint, unimpressed glance. ‘One more person means one more set of study materials.’

Huo Hualan, seemingly unprepared for Xia Yue’s easy assent, paused in surprise. Then, with a hint of awkwardness, she moved to an empty seat, retrieved her books, her movements stiff, and a lingering blush still coloring her earlobes.

And so, Kazami Jin’s tutoring group inexplicably gained yet another member: a former captive magical girl, whose injuries remained unhealed, who possessed a fiery temper, and who seemed to share an ‘ambiguous’ entanglement of grudges and affections with Jin herself.

The atmosphere of the tutoring session instantly transformed, becoming even more… peculiar, yet undeniably lively.

When Xia Yue delved into explanations, Huo Hualan would listen intently, her brow furrowed in concentration. Occasionally, she would interject with a remarkably incisive question, forcing even Xia Yue to pause and ponder.

When Lin Wan attempted to elucidate historical events using gaming metaphors, Huo Hualan would interject without hesitation, ‘What kind of convoluted analogy is that?! It makes no sense at all!’

As Yu Niannian patiently walked Jin through basic grammar, Huo Hualan would listen from the sidelines with an expression of profound impatience, eventually blurting out, ‘You can’t even grasp something this simple? Is your brain merely for decoration?’ Then, as Jin cast a wounded glance her way, Huo Hualan would awkwardly turn her head, adding in a low mumble, ‘…Just read it a few more times, and you’ll understand.’

Kazami Jin, sandwiched between four—or perhaps three and a half—academic powerhouses, felt her brain’s CPU overclocking at an alarming rate, threatening to burst into smoke at any moment.

Yet, strangely, as she observed Huo Hualan’s transparent attempts to feign expertise despite her own partial comprehension, witnessed Xia Yue’s occasional, subtly helpless smiles, enjoyed Lin Wan’s playful antics, and absorbed Yu Niannian’s unwavering support and encouragement…

She suddenly realized that this very mid-term exam, which had once felt utterly overwhelming, now seemed… not quite so daunting?

Perhaps even… a little comforting?

Of course, it would be even better if Huo Hualan could refrain from perpetually regarding her with that particular look, the one that screamed, ‘You’re quite dense, but I shan’t waste my energy on fools.’