Miku smiled and casually remarked, "Shiro-kun lives next door and will be here soon."
But Yotsuba remained quiet, her gaze fixed on Futaro Uesugi, as if she was lost in thought, recalling something.
---
Meanwhile, Shiro had just taken Kanna home, helping her settle in with her cartoons and putting the snacks away.
"Kanna-chan, I need to step next door for a bit. Stay here by yourself, okay? I'll be back soon."
"Okay, Shiro. Go early and come back soon," Kanna responded cheerfully.
Shiro paused, then added, "Remember to throw away the snacks once you're done, and if anything happens, knock on the door across the hall to find me. Got it?"
"Understood!"
With that, he straightened his shirt, adjusted his collar, and stepped out the door.
As he left, he remembered that this was an 'official visit,' so he couldn't just act casually.
He ran his right hand through his hair, using his spiritual power to style it, his movements almost coquettish.
The result made him look like a well-groomed scholar, almost like a certain Shinigami using his handpray.
He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, which gave him an intellectual aura.
[Sensei Glasses]
[Description: Makes you look more like a teacher.
Function: Increases learning efficiency by 50%.]
Shiro had picked these glasses up some time ago.
Initially, he thought they were just an item to help with studying, but after breaking through to a new level, the effect on his learning had diminished.
However, he found that their ability to make him appear more scholarly was still useful.
It had been a while since his breakthrough, and he had forgotten about them until now.
Given his current situation, it seemed like the perfect time to wear them.
---
Arriving at the Nakano household across the hall, Shiro rang the doorbell.
Click—the door unlocked, and to his surprise, it wasn't one of the Nakano sisters who answered.
Instead, a well-dressed middle-aged man stood in the doorway, not the soldier-like Nakano Maruo he had imagined.
"Excuse me, May I ask who you are?" Shiro inquired.
The man smiled politely. "I'm Mr. Nakano's driver. I'll be conducting the assessment on his behalf."
Shiro nodded, understanding. "I see. I apologize for keeping you waiting. It's my fault for the delay."
Ebata waved off the apology. "No need to worry. Come on in."
As Shiro stepped inside, he automatically reached for his slippers in the shoe cabinet, a gesture he had grown accustomed to during his frequent visits. Itsuki had even prepared a special pair for him.
However, this small action didn't escape Ebata's attention. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he silently noted the detail.
From his experience, it seemed that one of the Nakano sisters had already developed feelings for Shiro, and it was likely that several others were on his side as well.
After all, the Nakano sisters were not the type to let just anyone become so familiar with their home—especially not as neighbors.
---
When Shiro entered the living room, his eyes landed on a young man sitting at the edge of the sofa—Futaro Uesugi.
"I'm sorry, classmate, for keeping you waiting," Shiro said, his tone polite.
"My younger cousin was still at home with no one else around, so I had to settle her first."
His apology caught Futaro Uesugi off guard, leaving him momentarily speechless.
Now that Shiro had acknowledged his delay, it was hard for him to continue complaining without seeming petty.
"It's fine," Futaro said, standing up.
"My name is Futaro Uesugi, and I intend to win this job. Don't think I'll let you off easily!"
He tried to use his height advantage to intimidate Shiro, standing taller at 1.78 meters, which was considered tall in Japan.
However, he hadn't accounted for the height difference between them. Shiro, although not exceptionally tall, still had a presence that made him seem larger in comparison.
Moreover, Shiro's scholarly aura—enhanced by his glasses—seemed to put an invisible pressure on Uesugi, making him feel even more tense.
The five Nakano sisters watched Shiro with curious eyes. It was as if they were seeing him in a new light.
The only difference was the slight change in his hairstyle and the addition of the glasses, but somehow, it made him appear like an entirely different person.
---
Ebata, who had been standing quietly off to the side, cleared his throat and spoke.
"Alright, it's getting late. If there are no issues, let's begin."
He held up the prepared test papers. "For this round, we'll be using a first-year curriculum, which includes Japanese, math, English, chemistry, physics, biology, history, and geography."
"The time limit is two hours. The student with the highest score will win. If there's a tie, we'll decide based on who finishes first. Do either of you have any questions?"
Both Shiro and Futaro nodded. "No problem," they said in unison.
Ebata checked his watch. "Alright, it's half-past eight now. You'll have until half-past ten. Let's begin!"
---
With the signal, both students picked up their pens, and the room fell into an intense silence. The only sounds were the rustling of pens on paper and the ticking of the clock.
Even the usually energetic Yotsuba sat quietly, aware of the competition unfolding before her.
The test contained five sections, and the questions were designed to test both the breadth and depth of the students' knowledge.
Ebata had crafted the papers with great care, mixing single-subject and interdisciplinary questions to assess their overall understanding.
Futaro, who was confident in his academic abilities, found himself stumped by a few questions that required more critical thinking than he expected.
Despite his usual confidence, he had to pause and think deeply on some of the more complex topics.
Shiro, however, faced no such difficulties. He read through the paper quickly, processing the information with ease.
Within moments, he began answering the questions at a steady pace, never faltering.
He made sure to maintain a reasonable speed so as not to appear too overconfident, though the reality was that his answers could have been completed in less than thirty minutes.
Despite this, he kept a calm, measured pace.
---
"Done!"
An hour and a half later, Shiro handed over his completed answer sheet with a satisfied expression, while Futaro continued to write, his pen still moving across the paper.
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