Chapter I
Spiral, a curve winding around a central point: continuous increase or decrease...
"Shindou Hikaru!" the very enraged chemist teacher shouted, her voice surprised Akari and the entire class. But who wouldn't be surprised? The teacher had just entered the class and the first thing she did was...got angry with Hikaru again.
"Zero! You got another zero for your test again!" She waved the paper in front of the class. "If...for test tomorrow you get another zero again...you must join chemistry tutorial every Saturday, start this week. And I mean it Shindou."
"Eh?" Hikaru, who actually didn't pay attention to the teacher, caught some of the words.
"You heard me Shindou."
"But Mizuki-sensei, I have go games..."
"I don't care of it."
"But..."
"There is no but!" The teacher ignored Hikaru's protest.
Hikaru opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something but then he closed it, decide that it maybe wiser not to argue with Mizuki-sensei right now.
Akari who witnessed all of this felt worried, she patted Hikaru's shoulder.
"What?" Hikaru asked, a little harsh than usual, he was still upset.
"What are you going to do?" It seemed it was mission impossible to make Hikaru to study, she knew very well that Hikaru was very lazy to study.
"Fujisaki-san please don't talk anymore," Mizuki-sensei said. "And students open page 42."
At this, Akari was forced to silent no matter how much she wanted to talk with Hikaru. So...she waited impatiently for the break time.
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"So?"
"So what?"
"So...are you going to study or not? If you want we can study together," she offered.
"No." Hikaru's reply came in instant.
"But you heard what Mizuki-sensei said, you don't plan to join tutorial, do you?" She asked, a little hesitated. Who ever guessed what Hikaru had in his mind?
Hikaru threw his head back and laughed. "Of course not. Geez...I thought you know me better than this Akari..."
"But how about the test tomorrow?"
"You don't need to worry," he cut her words. "You will see, for the test tomorrow I'm the one who gonna get the best mark." He declared confidentially, a mischievous smile played on his lips.
Akari stared at Hikaru, his friend looked very sure of what he said. Just what on earth Hikaru planned?
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Akari waited for Hikaru outside their class, right before the test. Finally the boy she was waiting for showed up. "Are you ready for the test?" She asked before they entered the class.
"More than you ever imagine..." was Hikaru's answer.
"But...did you study or not Hikaru?" she asked hesitantly.
"Of course not."
Upon hearing the answer Akari could only stared helplessly at Hikaru.
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Akari cast a curious look at Hikaru; she looked at the question and then looked at Hikaru again. In her opinion, the test could be categorized as a difficult one even the smart one needed time to think how to answer it but looked at Hikaru...He seemed so relax, and his hand was busy to write the answer. And judged from his behavior, as if he didn't need time to think anymore.
Akari almost forgot her own test because she was too focused to watch Hikaru then she realized if there was something she needed to worry about then it must be her own test since she couldn't really answered it too. So...she started to focus on her own and decided to forget about Hikaru...for now at least.
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"And the highest mark of this test...goes to...Shindou-kun." Mizuki-sensei announced, made the whole class stared disbelief at Hikaru. But the said boy was merely smiling and in Akari's opinion there was something strange with the smile. "I hope you will always like this Shindou-kun, not only when I threat you then you want to study," said Mizuki-sensei.
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"Are you going to tell me?" Akari asked.
"Tell you what?"
"About the test of course!" She snapped. "How could you get 100 without study...Wait a minute!" A new idea appeared in her mind. "You didn't cheat, did you?"
"I don't need to cheat you know," Hikaru replied. He seemed insulted by the question.
"So how?"
"That's a secret," Hikaru said, a wicked smile played on his lips.
"That's mean Hikaru," Akari pouted.
"What ever you say."
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A few days after that Akari still didn't give up, she asked Hikaru every chance she had, till...
"You wouldn't give up, would you?" Hikaru asked, after for the hundredth time Akari asked him the same question.
"Nope." Akari shook his head.
Hikaru sighed.
"Tell me Hikaru, we are best friend, right?" she said.
Hikaru was silent for a moment then he spoke, "Yes...we are best friend, that's why I don't want to tell you...the secret...you don't want to know about it Akari...yes...you don't want to know..."
The way Hikaru spoke was as if he spoke to himself and that made Akari confused, more than she already did.
She looked at Hikaru and surprised upon seeing Hikaru's face, for once his face was serious, an expression he never had except on go, but this was slight different. This atmosphere he had around him...somehow...was almost frightening.
"Forget about this..." He said suddenly, startling Akari. "In fact...I did study for chemistry..." he whispered, his voice was slightly sad. "It's just...it was a long time ago..." Then as if he never said anything, he turned abruptly and walked away, leaving the confused Akari behind.
Long time after Hikaru gone, Akari still stood in the same place. She thought about the previous moment. Akari had seen Hikaru's test, the answer was perfect, no mistakes at all even the smallest one and used the most efficient method to answer it. She had wondered, that judged from it Hikaru must be understood and knew a lot about chemistry but as she knew and as everyone knew...Hikaru always slept when chemistry lesson and never paid attention to the teacher so how Hikaru could answer the test?
And what Hikaru said earlier, 'I did study for chemistry...It's just...it was a long time ago...'
Long time ago? When? Weren't they only learning chemistry when they're in High School? And Hikaru's expression when he said those words...he looked different...wasn't Hikaru she knew.
'The secret you dont want to know...' What Hikaru meant by that?
For the first time in her life...she felt she didn't know his friend anymore...