Study or Die

"Nice... Today I will study hard!"

And so, I studied for two hours, reviewing every subject. It was now or never – if I wanted a normal life, I would make sure to pass and not fail.

I sighed as I took out my textbooks from my bag, gently placing them on the table in front of me.

"Now then... Where do I start?"

I pondered for a moment, my eyes scanning the pages of the textbooks before me.

"Since I'm weak at English... I'll start with English."

And so I flipped open the English textbook, determined to conquer its challenges. However, frustration quickly set in as I started to review the latest lesson.

"Why is English so hard!" I exclaimed, feeling overwhelmed by the complexities of the language.

Defeated, I rested my head on the desk. "I can't do this... I'm going to fail for sure."

However, just as I was lost in my despair, the door to my room creaked open, and I turned around to see Kasumi and Nana standing there, wearing glasses that gave them an air of confidence.

"In that case... let us help you," Nana said timidly yet with determination.

"We're actually pros when it comes to English," Kasumi added with a smile.

My eyes widened with hope, and I quickly nodded. "Thank you, everyone!

Of course! My maids are smart and capable; surely, they can help me with my lessons. With their support, I felt more optimistic about passing my exams. I'm sure nothing will go wrong!

A few minutes later...

"Uhmmm, Ryo-sama, w-what is the pronunciation of this word?" Kasumi asked, pointing at a particular word in the textbook.

"Oh, this? Let's see..." I checked the word carefully. "'Mysterious,' huh? The pronunciation of that is... 'muh-steer-ee-uhs.'"

"Ohh, you're so smart, Ryo-sama!" Kasumi clapped her hands with amazement.

"Ryo-sama, Ryo-sama," Nana tugged on my sleeve, pointing at a question.

The question was, "The increasing amount of unsuitable words is becoming a ______."

"Hmm, The answer to that is..."

"Hmm, The answer to that is 'national embarrassment'."

"I see, You're so smart, Ryo-sama," Nana praised, giving me a thumbs up.

"Thank you, Nana... but wait a minute... why did our roles change?"

Nana and Kasumi exchanged glances while I glared at them, feeling a bit annoyed by their behavior.

"We're supporting you, Ryo-sama," Nana said with a smile.

"Support? How?"

"Moral Support."

I stayed silent for a moment, trying to process their response. "Look, you said that you're pro at English," I said, looking at Kasumi.

"That was a joke~ Hehe~" Kasumi chuckled sheepishly.

"A... joke?"

I couldn't help but feel a bit irritated. Did they think this was all a joke? I was seriously studying my ass off so I won't get grounded, and they think it's all just a joke?

"You two," I glared at them. "Get out."

"E-Eh? Ryo-sama... You're making a scary face," Kasumi said, slowly stepping back.

"Get. Out."

Kasumi and Nana both bowed and quickly left the room, closing the door behind them.

I let out a sigh of frustration as I looked back at my textbook.

"Now, where was I?" I murmured to myself as I refocused on my studies, determined to improve my English.

But again, I heard a door opening slowly.

I immediately turned around and glared, but this time, it wasn't Kasumi or Nana.

A maid with light gray hair and darker gray eyes entered the room. Her hair was styled in ponytails, and she wore glasses.

"Uhm... Who are you?"

She bowed politely. "My name is Sawada Shizuka."

She seemed normal, but there was something off about her tone. It sounded somewhat deadpan.

"So, what are you doing here?" I returned my attention to my studies.

"I came here to help you with your studies."

"If you came here to play, then get out of my room."

I could hear her footsteps coming closer to me, and I also caught a whiff of a pleasant scent—vanilla and... cheese?

Curiosity got the better of me, and I turned to sniff a bit, but before I could think, she karate chopped me on the head.

"Ow."

"Ryo-sama, please focus on your studies and not me."

"Sorry... You just smell really great."

She seemed slightly flustered but sighed in response. "Ryo-sama, I came here to help you, not indulge your fetish."

"I'm sorry. Please don't mention it again."

"Good... Now, what are you studying?" She peered at my textbook. "I see English. I can help you with that, but first, you must know that English is very easy."

"Oh, shut it. It's hard!"

"You will get there, but first, repeat after me, okay?"

"𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠." She said in a flawless English accent.

I attempted to repeat after her. "𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬-oor."

"It's pruh-feh-sir, Ryo-sama."

"A-Ah, okay... 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫."

"Good job. For now, I will be teaching you the basic pronunciations, and then we can move on to the next part, got it?"

"Yes, thank you, Sawada-san."

"Sawada is fine," she smiled as she sat down on the desk and continued to help me with English.

For some reason, I felt really comfortable around her when it came to learning. Her explanations were easier to understand than those of my English teacher, and even if I made mistakes, she immediately corrected them for me.

And with that, an hour had passed, and I was finally done with my English studies.

I yawned and stretched my arms, feeling a bit tired.

"What time is it?"

She glanced at the wall clock. "11:31 PM."

"Ahh, already?"

"Hehe, it seems like you did a good job today, Ryo-sama." Shizuka stood up and walked to the door but turned around before leaving. "If you need any help, call me." She then exited the room, closing the door behind her.

I'll probably gonna ask more but for now.

I started tidying up my textbooks. "I'll focus on the other subjects tomorrow..." I lay down on my bed and looked up at the ceiling. "𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭."