The English test that they had taken for the past few weeks were finally given back to them, meanwhile, Mikan was glooming at the score that she just received.

    I seriously got a zero... she thought as she blankly stared at her paper.

    "Saku-chin, how was the test?" Murasakibara asked as she quickly hid her paper, so he can't see her score.

    "I-It was fine...what about you?" she asked while sheepishly smiling.

    He showed her his test paper, he got an fifty over one hundred, he passed the test even though it was barely.

    "It was so-so." Murasakibara stated.

    He actually passed...but during the test, he was just staring at his paper! she thought.

    "Hey Sakura-chii! What score did you get?" Kise cheerfully asked.

    "What about you, Kise-kun?" Mikan asked, turning around to face him.

    He showed her his test paper to her, he scored forty nine over one hundred, he didn't passed. He needed one more point to pass the test, what a shame.

    "I just need one more point to pass!" Kise cried, whining.

    "Yes, what a shame." Mikan stated.

    But I'm no better than him...I got a zero. she thought.

    "Class, we will retake the English test tomorrow once again. Lots of you have failed the test." the teacher announced as most of the class groaned, not wanting to deal with his hard question test anymore.

    "What a drag..." Murasakibara sighed

    "Eh?! I don't wanna retake the test!" Kise whined.

    Then a fiery aura lit between them as they turned around to see Mikan who was completely on fire. She was muttering something continuously as the boys looked at her, weirdly.

    "I'll pass the test. I'll pass the test. I'll pass the test. I'll pass the test. I'll pass the test. I'll pass the test."

    "Sakura-chii...Are you okay?" Kise asked as he sweat dropped.

    "Whoa, it suddenly gotten hot in here." Murasakibara fanned himself with his hands.

♛♛♛

    During the basketball practice, Mikan continued to study rigorously as the boys would turn to her time-to-time to check what she was doing.

    "Whoa...what's wrong with Sakura?" Aomine asked as he dunked the basketball in the rim.

    He jumped down and to see Kise behind him. "I don't know, but she was like that since earlier..."

    "It'll be fine, she's just studying. Either than that, she still helps Momoi." Midorima stated.

    "Maybe she failed a test that's why she is studying?" Kuroko asked as the others jolted up in surprise.

    "Kuroko-chii?! You surprised me!" Kise beamed.

    "Now that you mentioned...the test we had in English was returned earlier, we had to retake it again tomorrow since most of our classmates failed it." Murasakibara lazily said.

    "How could you fail such an easy test?" Akashi stated as he was running along with them.

    For some reasons, that ticked Kise and Murasakibara off who just barely passed the test. But Akashi was (kinda?) right since it was an easy tests.

    Meanwhile, Mikan was memorizing all the stuff she needed for the test. Then Satsuki walked up to her.

    "Sakura-san, what are you doing?" she asked her.

    Mikan lifted her face and turned to her. "I'm studying for a test tomorrow."

    "Studying, eh?" Satsuki sits down on the bench beside her as she overlooks her notebook. "I wish Dai-chan would try studying sometimes..."

    "Doesn't he study?"

    "Oh, no, no, no! He doesn't! All he is thinking about is basketball!"

    Mikan slightly giggled from that. "Typically Aomine-kun."

    Time passed by as their basketball training has come to an end, the players went in the shower to take a bath and changed their sweaty clothes as Mikan still kept studying.

   Then her English test came flying as she stood up and get it, the paper landed on the floor. When she was about to go grab it, someone beat her to it first.

    "Is this yours?"

    Her heart paused momentarily as Akashi appeared in front of her, he was now wearing his Teiko school uniform. He just came out of the bath and he smelled good, she can smell the soap that he used for his skin and the shampoo in his hair.

    "Y-Yes..." Mikan softly stated as her cheeks were flushed.

    Akashi looked at the paper for awhile as his eyebrows knitted and a frown appeared on his face, he didn't like the score that he just saw. Either way, he gave it back to her.

    "Here."

    "Thank you."

    "I didn't know you were that bad in English, Sakura."

    Mikan hid her face on the paper to cover her embarrassment, she was ashamed of her score.

    "It's not like you did that great either..." she muttered.

    He zipped open his bag and pulled out a sheet of paper, it was the English test, he showed it to her. He had a full marks! One hundred over one hundred! Her jaw slightly slackens as he smirked in her reaction.

    "You were saying?" Akashi smirks.

    "N-Nothing..." Mikan stutters.

    She hid her test paper behind her back as she adverted her gaze from him, she had a slight blush on her face.

    "It was a surprise test! I didn't know that we'll be taking one so I wasn't able to study..."

    Akashi hummed. "So is your class going to retake the test?"

    "Yes. By tomorrow." Mikan replied then she sighed. "Even if I study now, I'll surely fail again tomorrow..."

    "If that's the case...then do you want me to tutor you?"

    She turned to Akashi as hope bloomed in her eyes, she really wanted him to tutor her! She really does! But she doesn't want to bother anyone else...

    "It's fine, Akashi-kun. I don't want to bother you..." Mikan said.

    "Nonsense. You are not a bother." He simply stated. "So what do you want to do? To teach you or not?"

    "Please teach me!" Mikan hurriedly stated which made him chuckle.

    "Okay. I know you wanted me to." Akashi replied.

    "Is it okay if we study in my house?" she asked as he simply nodded.

    "Sure, it's fine with me." he answered.

♛♛♛

    "Mom, I'm back!" Mikan yelled from the door as she took off her shoes while Akashi did the same.

    They walked through the hallways and reached the living room, there they saw her mother, cooking dinner.

    "Welcome back, Mikan." Her mother replied as she turned off gas stove, she just finished cooking.

    Then her mother walked towards them as she saw a new boy that her daughter brought home again.

    "My, he looks very charming and so handsome! Is he your boyfriend?!"

    Mikan blushed from her mother's false accusation. "N-No! You've got the wrong idea, Mom! He is not my boyfriend!"

    "Oh, he's not? What a shame..." her mother heaved out a sigh.

    "His name is Akashi Seijuro-kun, a friend of mine." She introduced him.

    "Hello Mam, my name is Akashi Seijuro, it's nice to meet you." Akashi formally introduced herself.

    "I'm Sakura Akari, no need to be so formal, you can just call me Mother if you want to."

    "Mom! What are you—"

    "Yes, Mother."

    "Eh?!" Mikan was surprised that Akashi gets along with her mother, now she is completely embarrassed of her mother.

    "Anyway, you two just came in the right timing! I made dinner, you two must be hungry, right? Let's eat." Her mother stated as she walked to the dinning area.

    "It's fine, I can just eat once I got back home—" before Akashi could finish his sentence, Mikan stopped him.

    "No need to hold back, You must be hungry after that basketball training, right? Let's eat before the food turns cold." she simply stated and pulled him with her.

    Akashi simply gave in and he ended up eating with the mother and daughter, for the first time in his life, he didn't felt any pressure in eating dinner. When he was back in his mansion, he would always eat his meals with his father. Though there was this wall between them and he can't seem to pass through that wall, but here...it was different.

    The food was simple dishes but delicious, it was warm and the place was filled with laughters. The table was also small too compared to his, but either way, this kind of feels nice.

    It was completely different.

    "You failed your English test? How? You never failed in any subject before, sweetie..." Her mother stated.

    "It was a surprise test—"

    "Don't talk when your mouth is full."

    Akashi puts his finger on her lips, silencing her. She nodded while blushing as he lets go, then she continued chewing her food and swallowed it.

    "Like I was saying Mom, it was a surprise test. You can't blame...me..."

    Mikan looked at her mother's expression, she was grinning ear-to-ear and she knows that face too well. Her mother ships them!

    "Please don't get the wrong idea, Mom. Akashi-kun just came here to help me study." she blushed.

    "Okay~ okay~" Her mother hummed.

    "Rest assured. Since we're actually going to study, I'll make sure you score one hundred in English." Akashi stated as he ate the food in his plate, slowly.

   "Uhh...a regular score is actually fine with me, really." Mikan sweat dropped, slightly worried about the study time later.