Css was tense tely... Everyone paid strict attention to the learning material the instructors were teaching and reviewing this day; for one reason...

  "Guh—exams." A student uttered during the start of our lunch break.

  The dreaded four letter word that would dread most students. Exam period. Coming back after my adventure yesterday, I found my css dreading as our next school day would begin our exams.

  "Delerona, do you want to come to my house to study?" Chatter rang out; signaling the start of cram studying with the st two days before our next school day and exams. Countless chatter about their pns for afterschool and study groups formed in css. Most students in our school wouldn't skimp on studying - it was after all a school preached for having high academics.

  I looked beside me at Felis. I wasn't too concerned, but Felis did seem to have some worries as exams came closer. Despite her initial confidence when she boasted that she would do better than me, it still appeared she had her natural worries.

  We left our cssroom and headed to the Legal and Law Club to study in peace. With the current situation of looming exams, we all had a lot of time to ourselves. Making it to the Legal and Law Club clubroom, we entered and began studying together.

  Perhaps sensing either my confidence in the past few days of studying, or my ck of care watching me study second-year academic textbooks, Felis seemed lost... "..." She would look at me and let out a sigh, for seemingly no reason... "How?!" She excimed, looking at my textbook - her sudden words shocked me and I looked at her, "... Teseia, how do you do it?" She asked.

  "..." I looked at her textbook and notebook that she had; she stopped studying simply staring at me. I tried looking at her problem,

  "No—I mean, how do you seem so calm and collected as exams come? Not only that, you're also not even studying what we're learning, but the year above?" I think seeing me study calmly broke something in her...

  "I... well—," I didn't really know how to respond - I mean... What do I say? 'Oh, I'm a second-year student, but I died and was suddenly in the body of a first-year. Oh, also I was the top scoring student in this school.' Yeah—no... "I had a change of heart - and I studied so hard... so hard to get to where I am now; in the short time ever since I came back to, after my accident..."

  "..." She looked at me, "... sorry for shing out at you just now, Teseia."

  "Oh—eh..." I was at a loss - I didn't think she was being particurly harsh or shing out at me.

  "It's... well, I'm not that smart - I have to spend so much time studying. My parents are usually very forgiving and understanding about it, but still; it is so difficult and time consuming trying to study for first pce..." I see...

  Hearing Felis and her struggles, I could empathize with her. I wasn't nervous for exams - after all, I had expectations of doing well before, and I performed to them. With me regressing back a year academically, the exams for a first-year student were basically an academic refresher for me. Though, back then, I too had her struggles and worries - especially when I started middle school when I only began to understand the importance of my position. Though, by high school, I was fully aware of my importance and well ahead in my academics.

  As Imperial Counsel Advisors alongside the family that inherits the positions of the Imperial Advisors, we stay and enroll as normal students to 'learn the lives of people, and develop social skills'... though I had my own share of thoughts regarding that idea and logic, I simply accepted the logic as it is. Though our enrollment as 'normal students' more often than not creates academically gifted students like us in these school systems.

  "Despite that - sorry... I have no rights shing out at you simply because you have ignited a new focus in yourself." Felis took another deep breath, but she seemed much calmer. "Thank you for being calm Teseia. Let's continue studying."

  "Of course." I replied and we continued studying together.

  This time, Felis would frequently ask questions or ask for help on what she was studying, unlike before where she only asked if she was utterly lost. I had no problems helping her, so with the two of us together our progress went smoothly. Soon it was time for us to get going for our afternoon csses, so we packed up after studying together and left the cssroom.

  Instead of the Legal and Law Clubroom, we went to the school library together. Felis had some friends of hers that she wanted to study alongside, and I didn't have much reason to decline. We came first, finding a small table before ying our study materials down. Soon after two other girls came into the library and waved at us before coming over.

  "Ah, so it was Teseia." One of the girls - I think her name was Therlisa?

  "Yes, I wanted to have you two meet her. Despite being in the Arts Course, I say she is probably as good, if not better than all of us in the Academic Course." Felis said.

  There were three general courses our school had: Academic Course, which was standard for most people; Arts Course, which I was in; and the Sports Course for the sports team. It is possible to switch courses, but difficult. The Student Representative of the year would also most often be a student from the Academic Course, as they are usually the best-performing student in the initial exams or ending exams.

  The two girls sat down and began taking their study materials out of their bags as well. "Nice to meet you Teseia, I'm Therlisa Philia." The girl with medium-length light-yellow hair introduced herself.

  "And I'm Yederis Uelise. It's nice to be with a cute girl like you." Ah—err, I think I remember her; she was the one who kept calling me cute, and still does... "Sorry - I was lightly pying with you, don't be so cold."

  Huh? Cold...? "What... is that what I look like?"

  "Err, yeah." I wasn't aware I looked... like that. "Well, you look cold at times, and other times you look cute when you seem flustered - honestly such a gap is cute."

  ... ... ...

  "Alright—alright! I'm kidding - please don't make such a scary face with such a cute face!" I smile, trying to make a scary face - just for her.

  "Alright you two, let's focus on studying. We have a lot to do if we want to keep our ranking." Felis once again saves me - or maybe Yederis from me.

  All four of us began to study together. Though it was really Felis and her two friends, as I mostly studied on my own, occasionally helping them. It was rexing and fun to have the occasional chatter, though despite all my time as a girl, I still was at a loss on how to converse on some topics. Despite that, our progress went smoothly together.

  "Hey, Teseia, can you solve this problem? All three of us all got different answers, but we would like to see what you got." Felis asked, pointing to a problem in a textbook with her pencil. It was a math problem, but... Well, I didn't think it was hard.

  "I'll solve it." I wrote the answer down on my notebook and began solving it... yet when I gnced up, I felt like the three of them were looking at me. I ignored their gazes the best I could and solved the problem quickly with an answer. "This is what—,"

  "Are you really a first-year?" Therlisa asked...? What did she— "It took us like five minutes to go through that, and you went through that in like 30 seconds."

  "Haha—..." I let out a dry ugh, trying to think of something to expin myself.

  "No, Teseia gives it her all in studying, that's all." Felis said next to me, "I see her all the time, studying in css for what will come up." Honestly, I was gd she came in to cover for me. I wasn't sure what to say to expin my fast work... "And—see! I was right! Teseia got the same answer as me! And you two were saying I was wrong the entire time..." Though I had to say, it certainly is fun to see Felis and her competitive side in trying to be right.

  Our studies continued without problems, and we all departed an hour before our school closed. This time, with everyone more confident. Leaving with Felis, as she left to her train, she seemed less nervous than earlier at lunch. I smiled, knowing I helped her.

  Her nervous side for the exams, and her confidence in her knowledge - and in me.

  I let out a sigh, "Honestly, I think she has more of a gap than I do."