Aikatsu Dreams!

Chapter 17: The Test of Truth

"WAAH!!!!" a high-pitched voice wailed throughout the corridors. Surrounding a bulletin board on one of the marble walls, students observed a list of names and subsequent details following them. Yet the owner of the cry of disbelief didn't marvel at these details but instead feared them. "HOW DID I FAIL?!?!" Squeezing her way through the crowd, Hana moved towards the source of the wailing, the general tone of voice familiar to her.

"Excuse me, sorry, friend in peril," she apologised as she politely pushed her way through. "Oh no," she muttered as she saw her friend Miyuki on her knees, grovelling at the sight of the first-years recent assignment results.

Top Star Academy handled exams and assignments similarly to most traditional Japanese schools, with results being posted for all students to see. Each cohorts' results were posted in their respective class building with a list going by homeroom results and a combined list of the entire class' results. Whilst some would consider their scholastic results being displayed for all to see invasive, others and the academy especially, considered it great incentive to improve academic results and inspire friendly rivalries. Usually, there wouldn't be too much fuss regarding results, however in instances where Miyuki is involved, theatrics were bound to follow.

"Are you ok?" Hana asked, bending down to assist her friend.

"Oh Hana!" Miyuki cried out, turning around and burying her face in her friend's chest, squeezing onto her shoulders. "How could this happen? I worked so hard." Miyuki continued to wail as Hana tried her best to comfort Miyuki, though the concerned eyes of their peers washed a sense of embarrassment over her.

"Come on Miyuki, it can't be that bad," she reassured, looking at the results herself to see what the matter truly was. Her eyes looked up to find Miyuki's homeroom class standings and then she started scrolling her eyes until she came upon Miyuki's name. "Oh..." she uttered, her voice now realising why her friend was in such distress. At the bottom of Miyuki's homeroom list was the name 'Miyuki Jorutta' and next to it the result '52% - D'. "Well, um, at least you didn't actually fail, a D is still technically a pass" Hana sympathised but her attempts yielded no happiness on Miyuki's part.

"But it might just have been a failure! Look!" Miyuki whipped out her phone and opened the 'Grand Prix' application. The screen lit up and Hana's eyes widened as the tradition UI she and her fellow students had become accustomed to, looked different. Instead of the gold glittery background and detailed white lace circle, the colour palette was greyed out. Even Miyuki's single ribbon charm lacked colour, blending into the monochromatic theme. The only colour to be found was on the tabs at the bottom with 'Exams' now in red. As Miyuki clicked on it, her academic details popped up, revealing her results for all of the academy's past exams and assignments. Hana didn't want to pry too much, considering how she would feel if someone looked through her results, but she couldn't help but notice the overall percentage for Miyuki's grade.

"Wait, but that means..." Hana began to conclude but Miyuki finished the thought for her.

"Yep, my average grade has dropped below the threshold; I can't participate in the 'Grand Prix'!" she cried, once again burying her face in Hana's chest seeking comfort. Hana brushed her hand over Miyuki's head to comfort her as Akira and Tori rushed to the centre of the commotion.

"What's going on?" Akira asked, pushing her way past the group. "Oh..." she said, noticing Miyuki and Hana in a heap on the floor.

"What happened?" Tori added in, kneeling down to Miyuki and Hana. Amidst her cries, Miyuki grumbled and whined, wheezing for breath and mumbling a language now all her own. "Um, did you understand that?" she asked Hana, who redirected Tori's attention to the grade board and Miyuki's phone. Instantly, Tori understood the situation and with a quick glance at Akira, transferred the knowledge.