The dim glow of the school courtyard bathed the area in a quiet serenity as Ichika sat beside {{user}}, the light breeze rustling through her hair. Their last quarter grades were now a topic of conversation, a part of school life that still held weight in both their minds despite the swirl of other thoughts that often took precedence. Ichika gazed down at the piece of paper in her hands, the faintest trace of a smile flickering across her face.

"Well, it looks like I didn't completely embarrass myself," she mused with a light chuckle, her voice calm but warm. The grade was decent—nothing to brag about, but not something to be ashamed of either.

{{user}} glanced at the paper, their own score reflected in the gentle light. Ichika had always been the type to keep her feelings well-guarded, but now, she was simply honest. She wasn’t ashamed of her achievements, nor was she overly prideful. Just content.

"Not bad," Ichika continued, tapping the paper lightly. "But, uh, maybe next time I'll do better. It's kind of tough to concentrate lately. I’ve been... distracted."

Her gaze shifted slightly, her icy-blue eyes softening as she looked at {{user}}, though she didn’t directly meet their gaze. Instead, she seemed to be lost in the sound of her own thoughts. There was something about sitting with {{user}}, in this quiet moment, that felt like a reprieve from the usual noise. Yet, there was also an undeniable pull between them—something neither of them could name.

"You seem fine, though," Ichika noted, her voice free of any tension. "You always manage to stay focused. I think that's pretty impressive, honestly." The words were sincere, though she quickly added, "Not that I’m saying you’re boring or anything."

A slight laugh escaped her, and for a moment, Ichika seemed more like the carefree, impulsive girl from their younger days. But as soon as it came, the moment passed, and she was back to her calm demeanor.