"Finally, the tests are over! My head feels like it’s going to explode..."

"The test period really felt long, didn’t it? How did the tests go for you this time?"

"Maybe a little better than last time. How about you, Watanabe?"

"Probably about the same as last time."

"Yeah, yeah, it must be nice not having to worry about failing for you honor students. I’m just hoping I don’t get any failing grades this time."

At our school, a failing grade is anything below 30 points. Since the average score for most subjects is between 60 and 70 points, a few students in each class are bound to get failing grades.

As for me, thanks to inheriting the power of the Great Mage, I feel like my mind has gotten a bit sharper and my memory has improved. So my scores are probably better than the last test.

It feels a little unfair, but since it’s not like I can turn this ability on or off like a skill, there’s nothing I can do about it. For the record, I did turn off the language comprehension skill during the English test. That skill would let me perfectly understand the language, but that would basically be cheating.

"Well, who cares about tests now that they’re over? More importantly, how about we go somewhere during summer break?"

"Sounds good! Should we go to another live concert?"

"I’m all for it. I’ve saved up some money, so this time I want to buy more merchandise."

"A concert sounds great! Besides that, maybe the beach, or camping and barbecuing in the mountains could be fun too."

"Let’s set the concert in stone, and then decide the rest after checking everyone’s schedules."

"Sounds good. I’ll check my summer plans."

"I’ll be going back to my hometown with my family for a week. I’ll let you know the dates."

"I’ll be going on an overnight trip with my family, nothing major. I’ll send you the details later."

"Got it!"

The next day, Saturday, I finally had a break after the tests. I decided to spend this weekend relaxing at home after the exhausting study sessions.

"Hoo!"

"Ah, so soothing. But keep it down a bit—Mom’s asleep."

Back in my room, I gave Fūsuke some fresh meat I had bought in the other world. Watching him eat it happily was truly relaxing. It felt nice to take it easy at home after such a long time.

After that, I spent the day watching videos and reading manga, enjoying the peaceful time.

Next week, we have the test results until Tuesday, and the closing ceremony on Wednesday. Once that’s done, we’ll finally have the freedom of summer break. I’ll start planning my summer vacation soon.

When the test results came back, my scores had improved across the board, just as I’d expected. For the first time, I ranked in the single digits.

At our school, rankings aren’t posted on a bulletin board or anything, but along with the test scores, you’re notified of your grade ranking. While I don’t know Tsuyahara’s rank, their group always brags loudly about their rankings, so I end up overhearing everything anyway.

As for Abe, he ended up with two failing grades, so he’ll have remedial classes for a few days during summer break. Poor guy—my condolences.

On Thursday, after the closing ceremony, summer vacation finally began. This year’s summer break is unusually packed with plans. I might even be living a slightly more fulfilling life for once.

The day after the closing ceremony—the first day of summer break—I went on a trip with my mom.

Since my mom works as a nurse, weekends don’t mean much to her, and she can take weekdays off instead. To avoid the crowds during Obon season, we decided to take an early trip, which is why we went as soon as summer break started.

It might be uncommon for a high schooler to travel alone with their mom, but since my dad isn’t around, it’s just the two of us. We take one or two short trips together every year.

The last trip was to the hot springs in Kusatsu last winter. This time, we came to Kanagawa Prefecture. Since we live in the northern Kanto region, it only takes about two hours to reach Yokohama Station in Kanagawa.

"Wow, it’s so crowded. And there are so many train lines overlapping here—it’s just confusing."

"I know, right? Yokohama Station, and even Tokyo, have four or five train lines overlapping. It’s crazy."

In northern Kanto, even three train lines overlapping is a lot. Now, with smartphones, it’s easy to navigate, but back in the days without the internet, I can’t imagine not making mistakes.

Despite the crowds, my mom and I enjoyed sightseeing in Yokohama. First, we lined up at the origin shop of Yokohama’s famous Iekei Ramen for lunch.

I’ve always liked Iekei Ramen, so I had wanted to visit this place when coming to Yokohama. It’s a famous shop, so the line was long, but it was worth it. I’d love to introduce Iekei Ramen to the other world someday.

Afterward, we headed to Minato Mirai to visit Yokohama’s classic tourist spots like the Red Brick Warehouse, Cosmo World, and Yamashita Park.

In the evening, we moved to Yokohama Chinatown for dinner. We had authentic mapo tofu and tried xiaolongbao, pork buns, and shark fin buns from the street stalls. Everything was delicious, and the atmosphere of Chinatown was unique—like being in a place that’s Japan but also not Japan.

After dinner, we took a train to Kamakura, where our accommodation was. We planned to spend the night there and explore Kamakura the next day before heading home.