Disagreement

"But like the teacher said, the students in Class A have high Academic Ability, so it's basically impossible for anyone to fail. The other classes may be full of idiots, but as long as they aren't complete morons, they'll study as hard as they can when they know they'll be expelled if they fail, right? Getting them to fail probably won't be easy." Hashimoto tried to stay calm, using rational analysis to mask his inner shock.

"Who said anything about making them 'fail the exam'?" Kazehara Tetsu shot back.

Hashimoto Masayoshi froze.

"The School Rules only say that 'failing an exam' will get you expelled. But don't forget, there are plenty of other rules, too."

"Violence, severe bullying, cheating on exams... Those are all 'serious offenses' that can also get you expelled. They might be able to avoid failing by cramming. But is it really that easy to change someone's nature? Can someone with a short temper really stop himself from throwing a punch when he's provoked?"

"Take Class D, for example. Right now, they're like a Wooden Bucket packed with gunpowder. They've lost all their Points, and their class is filled with uncertainty about the future and distrust of one another. They're like a group of people backed up to the edge of a cliff, their nerves stretched taut. At a time like this, all it takes is one tiny spark to make them... explode completely."

Hashimoto Masayoshi's lips had gone dry, and he licked them without thinking. At last, he understood what Kazehara Tetsu had really meant.

He had never intended to compete with Class D on the level of "studying."

He planned to ignite the conflicts within Class D and goad its students into making an irreparable mistake—one serious enough to get them expelled.

"But... that's far too risky. If they find out Class A was behind it, we'll be punished just as severely. Losing Class Points would be the least of it. We might even..."

"Who said 'we' were going to do anything?"

Kazehara Tetsu cut him off. He turned his head and looked at Hashimoto with an almost amused smile. "Everyone in Class A is a good student. Why would we do something like that? All we have to do is... sit in the stands and enjoy a good show of them turning on each other."

He turned away and looked out the window again, no longer paying Hashimoto Masayoshi any attention.

Hashimoto Masayoshi's mouth hung open, but he couldn't get a word out.

As he looked at Kazehara Tetsu's indifferent profile, a chill ran up his back.

The bell for the next class rang, breaking the oppressive silence.

In the end, Hashimoto said nothing. He quietly returned to his seat.

When the bell announcing the start of lunch rang, the students got up and gathered in small groups, discussing which Cafeteria to visit or what to do that afternoon.

Kazehara Tetsu closed the book in front of him and leisurely began packing his things.

Just then, a steady, forceful voice rose above the noise in the classroom.

"Everyone, please spare a little of your lunch break."

"Regarding the Midterm Exam that Majima-sensei mentioned during this morning's Class Meeting, I think everyone understands how serious the situation is."

Katsuragi Kouhei slowly swept his gaze over everyone in the room. His eyes held a strong sense of responsibility and a hint of concern. "It's true that with Class A's average Academic Ability, reaching the Passing Score shouldn't be difficult. Majima-sensei's words have also given us a great deal of confidence. But..."

He spoke more emphatically.

"'Shouldn't be difficult' doesn't mean 'there's no chance of something going wrong.' Even the smallest mistake, or a single person falling behind, could cause irreparable losses for Class A."

He paused and looked across the room.

"If someone is expelled, our class will have fewer students. We don't know whether that will further affect our Class Points, but it certainly won't be good news. So, to make sure Class A can face this challenge with everyone still together, I propose that starting today, we hold class-wide Study Groups during lunch and after school."

"We can use the Quiz results to pair students with higher Academic Ability with those who are struggling, so they can help each other. This isn't just about preparing for the Midterm Exam. It's also about building a solid foundation for Class A and preventing problems before they arise. What does everyone think?"

His proposal was reasonable and logical, and showed that he was thinking about what was best for the group.

Some of the students whose Academic Ability was below average looked visibly interested.

They began whispering among themselves, apparently finding the proposal quite appealing.

"I'm in favor! Katsuragi is right. We can't afford to take any chances!" Tozuka Yahiko was the first to stand up and voice his support.

"Exactly. Studying together will be more efficient, too."

"If someone can help with the subjects we're bad at, that'd be great."

Some of the students chimed in as well.

A relieved smile finally appeared on Katsuragi Kouhei's face.

He was about to announce the Study Group's schedule and location when a mocking voice rang out at an inopportune moment.

"Heh... a Study Group? Katsuragi, you really are devoted to serving everyone."

Hashimoto Masayoshi had somehow made his way over to Katsuragi Kouhei.

Every eye in the room turned toward Hashimoto Masayoshi.

The smile froze on Katsuragi Kouhei's face as he looked at Hashimoto. "What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing in particular."

Hashimoto Masayoshi shrugged. "I just think we're Class A, the best students in This School. If we need to be organized into group tutoring like elementary schoolers just to get through one Midterm Exam, then the title of 'Class A' is starting to look pretty pathetic, isn't it?"

His gaze swept across the room before finally settling on Sakayanagi Arisu. "Majima-sensei made it very clear: our average score is a full forty points above the Passing Score. That means even if you filled in the answer sheet with your eyes closed, you'd probably still score higher than the average in some classes. In that situation, wasting our precious personal time on some inefficient Study Group... if you ask me, I'm not that free. I imagine that goes for the Princess, too."

"You..."

Tozuka Yahiko flushed with anger and pointed at Hashimoto Masayoshi. "How can you say that? We're all classmates. Isn't helping each other the obvious thing to do?"

"The obvious thing to do?"

Hashimoto looked as if he'd heard the funniest joke in the world. "You've got it wrong. At This School, the only thing that's obvious is Might Makes Right. Instead of spending time 'helping' others, you should spend more time improving yourself. Relying on other people's goodwill is the stupidest thing you can do."

Sakayanagi Arisu clearly didn't want to deal with this kind of trouble. And since she was currently at odds with Katsuragi Kouhei, as a member of the Sakayanagi Faction, Hashimoto had to speak up.