February evenings always fell unusually early, casting several orange-red patches of light across the desks.
There were less than ten minutes left before the final class ended.
At the podium, Majima Tomoya still stood with his usual air of seriousness.
He neatly stacked the lesson plans in his hands to one side, then braced both hands against the edge of the teacher's desk.
"Before dismissal, I have an announcement for the whole class."
Majima Tomoya's voice echoed through the quiet classroom, instantly dragging back to reality the students whose minds had already flown out the windows, busy planning their after-school dates.
"Tomorrow, February fifteenth, the School Authority will hold a mock exam."
At his words, a slight stir passed through the otherwise quiet classroom.
"As with the previous mock exams, the results of this one won't directly lead to expulsion. They won't count toward the final Life and Death Line."
"But."
Majima Tomoya's tone shifted, just as expected. "Don't think that means you can take it lightly just because expulsion isn't at stake. Some of the question types and topics from this mock exam will appear on this semester's Final Exam, either unchanged or with only slight modifications."
"So I expect you to put in the effort and take tomorrow's test seriously. That's all. Class dismissed."
As the bell rang right on time, Majima Tomoya picked up his lesson plans and left through the front door.
Kazehara Tetsu sat near the back, listening to the announcement with an indifferent expression.
Whether it was a mock exam or a major Final Exam, for someone like him, with an immense store of knowledge in his head and a perfect memory, it was merely a dictation exercise in a different form. It couldn't stir the slightest ripple in him.
He rose unhurriedly and