Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Kushida changes out of a maid outfit and into her school uniform at Kazehara Tetsu’s request. He tells her the uniform suits her, and she challenges him about whether he likes the sweet, obedient persona she presents to others.
• Tetsu acknowledges that he knows her real personality, but says the way she acts with him is different because she chooses to show him that side. Kushida is briefly flustered.
• Sitting together, they discuss recent school politics. Kushida has heard that Suzune became Student Council President and that Tetsu persuaded Honami to withdraw from the election in Suzune’s favor.
• Kushida points out that Honami likes Tetsu and may have been hurt by his request. She also teases him for accumulating emotional debts to Honami, Suzune, and herself.
• Kushida admits she was not truly reluctant to come over that night. Their playful talk about “service,” debts, and interest gives way to private intimacy; the details are left unstated.
• The next morning, Tetsu wakes beside Kushida. They look at each other as she wakes, and exchange a quiet greeting.

Character developments

• Kushida lets her guarded, sharp-edged self show around Tetsu and acknowledges that she wanted to come to him. Her teasing masks growing ease and affection.
• Tetsu shows that he understands the distinction between Kushida’s public persona and the way she behaves with him. He also seems comfortable using their joking “debt” as an excuse for closeness.
• Honami’s feelings are brought into focus through Kushida’s observation that Tetsu’s political maneuver may have hurt her, even though she agreed to withdraw.

Significant themes

• Public image versus private self: Kushida’s polished school persona contrasts with the more candid, vulnerable person Tetsu sees.
• Affection and emotional obligation: The characters frame favors and intimacy as debts, repayment, and “interest,” while the banter hints at genuine attachment.
• The consequences of influence: Tetsu’s role in the student council election affects people personally, not just politically.

Character interactions

• Kushida and Tetsu trade flirtatious teasing, negotiate the terms of her “service,” and share a moment of intimacy. Their conversation reveals familiarity and a degree of trust.
• Kushida and Honami are linked through Kushida’s concern that Honami’s feelings for Tetsu may have made the election withdrawal painful.
• Tetsu and Suzune are discussed indirectly: Kushida recognizes his role in helping Suzune become president.

Key plot points and events

• Kushida wakes in Kazehara Tetsu’s room after spending the night with him. She is embarrassed and tries to stop him from teasing her about it.
• They acknowledge that this is not the first time they have been intimate. Kushida admits she does not regret it and trusts Tetsu not to expose their relationship.
• Worried that other students will see her leaving his room and damage her carefully maintained public image, Kushida gets dressed. Tetsu ties her tie for her, and they share a quiet, affectionate moment.
• At the door, Kushida says her debt to Tetsu is paid. However, she hints that if she visits again, it will be for a date. She slips into the hallway unseen, leaving Tetsu smiling.
• Later, Tetsu turns his attention to the upcoming Special Exam. Katsuragi proposes sending high-ability students in first to mark the numbers of easy questions, allowing lower-ability students to find and answer them quickly. The group discusses whether this would violate the rule against leaving hints.

Character development and interactions

• Kushida is still guarded about her reputation, but her teasing, trust, and willingness to acknowledge that she does not regret their intimacy reveal growing closeness with Tetsu. Calling a future visit a “date” suggests she is beginning to frame their relationship as something chosen rather than a debt.
• Tetsu responds calmly to Kushida’s embarrassment and shows familiarity and affection without pressuring her. He later shifts readily from their private moment to practical exam planning.
• Katsuragi demonstrates strategic leadership by proposing a way to improve the group’s exam efficiency. Hashimoto recognizes the proposal’s practical value, while another student raises a concern about rule compliance.

Significant themes

• Intimacy and trust: Kushida’s vulnerability contrasts with the public image she works to protect.
• Choice versus obligation: She declares the debt settled, then suggests that any future meeting would be voluntary.
• Strategy and fairness: The exam discussion weighs efficiency against the possibility that marking questions could count as an impermissible hint.

Plot points and events

• After a class meeting establishes the broad plan, Horikita meets Kazehara at the cafeteria to discuss the student council’s invitation for two new members.
• Kazehara sidesteps the conversation and insists they go shopping. Horikita realizes he is making her reciprocate the meals she previously used to secure his attention, and agrees to spend the evening with him.
• At a clothing store, Horikita criticizes Kazehara’s scarf choice and selects a navy one for him. At a stationery shop, she chooses a hardcover grid notebook after he asks for her advice.
• Each time Horikita tries to return to student council business, Kazehara redirects her. Eventually, he suggests they talk at a café. Horikita agrees, and they order drinks and desserts together.

Character developments and interactions

• Horikita begins focused on recruiting council members, but gradually gets drawn into the shopping trip. Though she notices Kazehara’s tactics and resents being diverted, she engages with him, offers practical advice, and stays for the café conversation.
• Kazehara uses the favors Horikita previously relied on to set the terms of their meeting. He delays the serious discussion, but does not reject it outright: he eventually offers a place to talk.
• Their exchange is marked by teasing and mild power-play. Horikita’s fashion advice and notebook recommendation create a more companionable mood, even as she tries to keep their original purpose in view.

Significant themes

• Reciprocity and negotiation: Kazehara turns Horikita’s earlier meal-for-conversation arrangement around, making her give something in exchange for his attention.
• Control versus cooperation: Horikita tries to steer the meeting toward business, while Kazehara controls its pace; she gradually cooperates without fully abandoning her goal.
• Everyday intimacy: Shopping and sharing dessert provide a casual setting that softens their formal student-council relationship.

Key events

• Horikita Suzune asks Kazehara Tetsu to join the Student Council in a low-commitment role. He refuses, pointing out that she wants him specifically, not just someone to fill an easy position.
• She admits she is struggling to recruit people she can trust. Nagumo has asked her to find one second-year and one first-year.
• Horikita wants to recruit beyond her own class so she can build connections across the school and prepare for the wider responsibilities of the presidency.
• She asks Kazehara to recommend a second-year from Class A. He agrees to arrange meetings with suitable students but warns that their decision is up to them.
• When they cannot think of a suitable first-year, Kazehara notices Amasawa Ichika watching them from across the café and suggests her. Horikita recognizes her, and Kazehara reveals that Amasawa has been following him.

Character developments and interactions

• Horikita shows greater foresight and a broader outlook than before: she is thinking about schoolwide relationships, not just her own class. At the same time, she remains uneasy about approaching people and trusts few students enough to share Student Council responsibilities.
• Kazehara remains independent and unwilling to take on unwanted duties, but he is willing to help Horikita through introductions. He also teases her about how highly she seems to value him.
• Their conversation is candid and familiar: Horikita seeks practical advice, while Kazehara challenges her assumptions and ultimately agrees to help on his own terms.
• Amasawa’s presence introduces a new complication; her apparent surveillance of Kazehara makes her potential recruitment unexpected.

Significant themes

• Trust and responsibility: Horikita needs more than capable recruits; she needs people she can rely on.
• Leadership and relationship-building: She recognizes that leading the school requires connections beyond her own class.
• Independence and negotiation: Kazehara refuses a role that does not suit him but still supports Horikita in a limited way.
• Uncertainty and hidden motives: Amasawa’s unexplained following hints that the recruitment effort may intersect with a larger personal mystery.

Summary

Amasawa Ichika, who has been listening to Kazehara Tetsu and Horikita Suzune discuss the Student Council, approaches them and insists their meeting was a coincidence rather than her following them. Tetsu points out the clues that give her away, then changes the subject by asking whether she would consider joining the Council.
Ichika is immediately interested, partly because the role would let her move around school and see Tetsu more often. Horikita rejects her as a candidate, saying that Ichika’s personality is not suited to the Council. Ichika protests by listing her good behavior and credentials, including her strong academic record. Her defensive response, however, convinces Horikita that Ichika understands her own disruptive, impulsive tendencies and is trying to conceal them. Horikita apologizes but stands by her decision.
Tetsu asks whether Horikita has other first-year candidates. She names Ishigami from Class A and Nanase from Class D. Hoping to improve her own chances, Ichika immediately disparages Ishigami, calling him a bookworm who is useless at anything beyond studying. Horikita sees through the self-serving attack. Tetsu confirms that Ichika’s claim about Ishigami is false, though he adds that Ishigami probably will not join the Council.

Character developments and interactions

• Ichika reveals both her interest in Tetsu and her desire to join the Council, but her eagerness turns into scheming when she is rejected. Her attempts to present herself as well-behaved—and then undermine Ishigami—expose her awareness of her own reputation.
• Horikita shows firm judgment as Council president: she considers more than academic ability and refuses to change her decision under pressure.
• Tetsu teases Ichika about following them, then helps keep the candidate discussion focused and challenges her unfair characterization of Ishigami.
• The exchanges among the three shift from playful banter to a more serious evaluation of who is fit to serve on the Council.

Significant themes

The scene contrasts credentials with character: high academic ability alone does not make someone a suitable Council member. It also highlights self-awareness and credibility—Ichika’s rush to deny her flaws and criticize a rival makes her arguments less convincing. Finally, the candidate discussion shows how ambition can lead people to promote themselves by diminishing others.

Key plot points and events

• Horikita Suzune and Kazehara Tetsu discuss candidates for the Student Council. Tetsu argues that Ishigami is unlikely to accept because he seems to avoid attention and hassle, while Nanase Tsubasa would be a dependable, cooperative recruit.
• Horikita agrees to approach Nanase for the first-year position and asks Tetsu to arrange a meeting with a second-year Class A student.
• Amasawa Ichika, who had hoped to be considered, is disappointed when Horikita rejects her again. She pleads with both Horikita and Tetsu, but neither changes the decision.
• After thanking Tetsu for his help, Horikita prepares to leave. Tetsu suggests they walk back to the dormitory together, hinting at an ulterior motive; Horikita promptly retracts her praise of his conscience.
• Amasawa attaches herself to Horikita, saying she still hopes to prove her worth and earn a place on the Council. The two leave together.
• Tetsu finishes his coffee, gathers his shopping, and heads out alone, taking a secluded path toward the dormitory.

Character developments

• Horikita shows sound judgment and decisiveness, choosing candidates for reliability and temperament rather than academic ability alone. She also remains alert to Tetsu’s teasing.
• Tetsu offers practical, if speculative, assessments of the candidates and lightly provokes Horikita. His reasons for taking the secluded route are left unstated.
• Amasawa reveals her persistence and ambition: despite being rejected, she refuses to give up on joining the Student Council and seeks more time to impress Horikita.
• Nanase is established as dependable, good-natured, and socially adaptable—qualities that make her Horikita’s preferred first-year candidate.

Significant themes

• Reliability over raw talent: The Council needs people who can be trusted to follow through, not simply students with high grades.
• First impressions and judgment: Tetsu’s assessment of Ishigami is based on appearance and demeanor, prompting Horikita to reconsider him despite the lack of concrete evidence.
• Persistence and rejection: Amasawa responds to exclusion by continuing to pursue her goal.
• Teasing and guarded affection: Tetsu and Horikita’s banter suggests familiarity, though Horikita remains wary of his intentions.

Character interactions

• Horikita weighs Tetsu’s advice, agreeing with his endorsement of Nanase while tentatively setting Ishigami aside.
• Amasawa tries to undermine the other candidates but is repeatedly cut off, then unsuccessfully appeals to Horikita and Tetsu.
• Horikita and Tetsu exchange teasing remarks about conscience and walking back together.
• Amasawa clings to Horikita as they leave, turning her rejection into an opportunity to stay close and demonstrate her abilities.

Key plot points and events

• Tetsu takes a familiar shortcut through the woods at night and bumps into Yuki, who is standing alone, lost in thought.
• Yuki explains that she has just left a gathering hosted by Ichinose. She enjoyed parts of it but felt overwhelmed and left early; now she is weighing whether to attend another gathering.
• Tetsu teases her about how much she has changed since she used to avoid people and prefer solitude. They discuss her gray uniform jacket, which she chose to avoid drawing attention.
• Tetsu sits down to admire the imperfect, partly clouded moon and tells Yuki that something need not be perfect to be worthwhile.
• Yuki joins him on the ground. After quietly looking at the moon, she says she will probably attend the next gathering.

Character developments

• Yuki shows growing openness to social connection. Though she still needs time alone and can feel overwhelmed, she is now considering gatherings rather than rejecting them outright.
• Tetsu remains playful and perceptive, gently recognizing Yuki’s progress without pressuring her. His reflection on the moon suggests an accepting, encouraging outlook.

Character interactions

• Tetsu’s teasing prompts Yuki to acknowledge her changing relationship with others, while her understated replies show their comfortable rapport.
• He invites her to sit beside him and share the view; she hesitates, then chooses to join him, making the quiet moment a sign of trust and companionship.

Significant themes

• Change and connection: Personal growth can mean becoming more willing to engage with others while still valuing solitude.
• Imperfection and acceptance: Tetsu’s words about the imperfect moon imply that things need not be flawless to be meaningful or beautiful.
• Belonging without pressure: Yuki’s decision is tentative—“probably”—but represents progress made on her own terms.

Key events

• Sitting together in the woods, Himeno Yuki asks Kazehara Tetsu to join her class get-together the next day. She admits the invitation is sudden and uses his past hurtful exposure of her private feelings as leverage.
• Yuki explains that Ichinose is organizing the gathering for ten girls. She promises to take responsibility for bringing Tetsu and says his connection to Ichinose makes his presence understandable—though she warns he’ll be the only guy and likely face questions.
• To persuade him, Yuki offers to remember only the helpful outcome of his earlier actions and forget how humiliating his methods were. Tetsu agrees, on the condition that she deflect questions, honor her promise to take responsibility, and not use the incident against him again.
• Afterward, they walk back to the dormitory. Yuki declines Tetsu’s invitation to stop by his room, teasing him for making a late-night invitation that sounds suspicious. They part on friendly terms, with Yuki thanking him for helping her come out of her shell.

Character developments and interactions

• Yuki is more assertive than before: she firmly makes her request, takes responsibility for its possible consequences, and playfully uses emotional leverage. Her thanks suggests she recognizes the growth his earlier actions helped bring about, even while still resenting how he handled them.
• Tetsu is initially reluctant and worries about feeling out of place, but agrees after seeing how much Yuki wants him there. He responds with humor and negotiates clear boundaries.
• Their relationship is marked by teasing, candid references to past hurt, and a growing sense of trust. Yuki’s wariness of Tetsu’s room invitation keeps their banter grounded in clear boundaries.

Significant themes

• Accountability and forgiveness: Yuki acknowledges the harm Tetsu caused while offering to let go of it, provided he respects her promise.
• Growth through uncomfortable experiences: She credits the painful incident with helping her become more confident and express herself.
• Trust and responsibility: Tetsu agrees to enter an unfamiliar social situation because Yuki is willing to stand by him.
• Playful intimacy and boundaries: Their jokes show increasing ease with each other, while Yuki remains clear about what she is and is not comfortable with.

Plot points and events

• Class A finalizes its entry order for the Special Exam. Katsuragi Kouhei and Kazehara Tetsu are chosen to enter first, answer their own questions, and mark easy and medium questions for others. The exact division of questions will be decided later.
• Kazehara heads to a café gathering organized by Himeno Yuki. He brings a basket of fruit, then joins Ichinose Honami and several of her classmates in a private booth.
• As the group waits for the remaining guests—including Hoshinomiya-sensei and Tsube—the conversation turns to Kazehara and Ichinose’s relationship.
• Kobashi Yume, Ando Sayo, and Minamikata Kozue question him about who confessed first and how he responded. Kazehara says Ichinose confessed, but suggests he did not need to give her a verbal answer. The girls tease Ichinose, who blushes and tells them to stop.

Character developments and interactions

• Katsuragi takes charge of the exam lineup, emphasizing how crucial the first two positions will be.
• Kazehara shows consideration by bringing fruit and handles the girls’ questions with humor, though he is caught off guard by their persistence.
• Ichinose welcomes Kazehara warmly and is visibly flustered when the group probes their relationship.
• Kobashi, Ando, and Minamikata drive the conversation with enthusiastic curiosity; Shiranami, Amikura, and Himeno mostly listen, already knowing more about the relationship.
• The excerpt ends with Ichinose trying to shut down the teasing, while the gathering—and the anticipated arrival of the teacher—remain unresolved.

Significant themes

• Planning and cooperation: Class A’s exam strategy depends on careful coordination.
• Romance and social curiosity: Ichinose and Kazehara’s relationship becomes the focus of friendly group scrutiny.
• Communication and ambiguity: Kazehara’s claim that some feelings need no spoken answer leaves his response to Ichinose’s confession teasingly unclear.

Key plot points and events

• At a lively gathering with Ichinose Honami’s friends, the girls question Kazehara Tetsu about rumors that he is close to several girls. He confirms that he and Honami are close but declines to discuss his other relationships, saying the people involved can speak for themselves.
• The girls probe him about his feelings for Honami, their dates, and what he likes about her. He answers warmly, saying he likes everything about her, while Honami blushes but eventually enjoys listening.
• Tsube Hitomi arrives with Hoshinomiya Chie, who brings a large selection of snacks and encourages everyone to relax and have fun.
• Hoshinomiya notices Tetsu is the only boy present and teases that Honami has brought her “partner.” Tetsu corrects her, explaining he was invited by Himeno and worries that such talk could affect Honami’s reputation.
• Hoshinomiya reveals that Honami rarely brings boys into her close circle, making Tetsu’s presence especially meaningful. The friends and teacher then join forces to press him to admit whether he likes Honami.

Character developments

• Tetsu remains composed and tactful under persistent teasing. He openly praises Honami but avoids making a public declaration, mindful of her reputation.
• Honami is embarrassed by the attention but does not shut down the conversation; her smiling reaction suggests she is comfortable with Tetsu and pleased by his answers.
• Hoshinomiya shows affection for her students by bringing treats and taking a lively interest in Honami’s happiness.
• Honami’s friends become increasingly invested in clarifying the relationship, shifting from playful curiosity to direct questioning.

Significant themes

• Affection shown through small gestures: Yume reads Tetsu’s feelings in where he looks and how he offers fruit, rather than only in his words.
• Privacy and reputation: Tetsu avoids discussing other girls and resists labels that might cause rumors about Honami.
• Belonging and trust: Honami’s willingness to include Tetsu in a gathering usually reserved for girls signals that he has a special place in her circle.
• Friendship and communal support: The group’s teasing is affectionate, while Hoshinomiya’s snacks and participation turn the gathering into a warm, shared celebration.

Character interactions

• Honami’s friends question Tetsu while Yume observes his behavior and argues that it reveals his feelings.
• Tetsu and Honami share a comfortable closeness: he praises her, and she listens with a blush and a smile.
• Hoshinomiya teases the pair but also frames her questions as concern for Honami’s happiness.
• Tsube joins the group’s questioning, and the gathering ends with everyone—friends and teacher alike—pressuring Tetsu to say plainly whether he likes Honami.

Plot points and events

• To end the group’s teasing, Ichinose Honami starts a game of truth or dare. Kazehara Tetsu reluctantly joins, expecting to face another round of scrutiny.
• The bottle first selects Kobashi Yume. Asked whether she has liked a boy in their class, she admits she has—but uses a loophole to avoid naming him.
• Hoshinomiya Chie is asked if she has a boyfriend. She says she is single, then stops the group from pressing her further.
• Ando Sayo chooses a dare to call someone with an unusual contact name, but refuses and takes the penalty instead, drinking a large amount of iced juice.
• Minamikata Kozue admits to once glancing at a classmate’s answers during an exam; Chie warns her to keep that confession quiet.
• Shiranami Chihiro says she admires Ichinose most, and Ichinose responds by hugging her.
• Himeno Yuki gradually relaxes as the game goes on. Tetsu avoids being selected through several rounds and enjoys watching the others.
• After seven or eight rounds, Yume spins the bottle with extra force. This time it stops directly in front of Tetsu, leaving his turn as the cliffhanger.

Character developments and interactions

• Ichinose turns teasing directed at her into a lively group game and shows warmth toward Chihiro.
• Yume appears bold but grows flustered when asked about romance; she is quick-witted enough to evade giving a name.
• Chie joins the fun but bristles at jokes about her age and dating life, while still answering honestly.
• Tetsu remains guarded and content to observe, but his luck finally runs out.
• Himeno becomes more comfortable with the group, while the game’s confessions and penalties bring everyone closer through laughter and teasing.

Significant themes

• The game creates playful social pressure that brings private feelings and small secrets into the open.
• Humor, teasing, and shared embarrassment help the group bond, though participants retain some control over what they reveal.

Key plot points and events

• During a truth-or-dare game, Kazehara Tetsu is asked who he likes most. He answers that she is in the room, blushing and looking at him—an unmistakable hint toward Ichinose Honami.
• The game continues with embarrassing dares and playful teasing. Himeno Yuki, asked whether she regrets coming to the party, quietly says no.
• After the group grows tired, teacher Hoshinomiya Chie turns the conversation to the approaching special exams. Kazehara explains that Class A’s strong academics do not guarantee victory over Class C, since the exam’s scoring rules favor lower-ranked classes.
• Ichinose says Class D is preparing for its match against Class B but cannot promise a win. Hoshinomiya then asks Kazehara to offer Class D some strategic advice, joking that they are “family.”

Character developments and interactions

• Kazehara and Ichinose: Kazehara openly signals his feelings for Ichinose, and her startled, delighted reaction suggests she welcomes the admission. Their easy rapport continues when he asks about her class’s exam preparations.
• Ichinose: She is embarrassed by the romantic attention but handles her role as class representative thoughtfully, emphasizing preparation and effort over guarantees.
• Himeno: Her simple refusal to regret attending hints that the party has mattered to her, despite her usually reserved nature.
• Hoshinomiya: She shifts from playful participant to practical teacher, then presses Kazehara to help her class.
• The group: The girls enthusiastically tease Ichinose and enjoy one another’s dares, creating a warm, lively atmosphere.

Significant themes

• Honesty and vulnerability: Kazehara’s direct answer makes his feelings public, while the game encourages others to reveal or expose themselves.
• Uncertainty and preparation: Kazehara stresses that confidence is not certainty; exam rules and strategy can outweigh raw academic strength.
• Belonging and loyalty: Hoshinomiya’s “family” joke frames the request for help as an appeal to personal connection, setting up a possible conflict between affection and class interests.

Key plot points and events

• Hoshinomiya Chie asks Kazehara Tetsu for advice on helping her class win an exam. He refuses to provide shortcuts, arguing that students should learn the rules, study, and build their own ability rather than depend on tricks.
• Chie jokingly complains that Ichinose Honami failed to defend her after Kazehara rejected her request. Honami sees through the performance and firmly points out that Chie was wrong to pressure a student in another class to reveal exam information.
• The group wraps up its café gathering. The students thank Chie, clean up, and leave together, chatting as they go. Honami is the last to depart and says goodbye to Kazehara.
• Kazehara stays behind to help Chie clean. Once the two are alone, Chie claims she is afraid to walk back by herself and asks him to escort her. When he begins teasing her about pretending to be young, her intimidating glare quickly makes him change his tune and compliment her youthful appearance. Pleased, she heads out with him, calling him her “Flower Protector.”

Character developments

• Kazehara Tetsu shows a strong sense of principle: he values preparation and genuine skill over exploiting others’ strategies. He is also cautious enough to retreat from teasing Chie when she turns menacing.
• Hoshinomiya Chie remains playful and dramatic, using mock heartbreak and a feigned fear of the dark to get her way. Beneath the comedy, she can be surprisingly intimidating.
• Ichinose Honami is more confident in handling her teacher’s antics. She refuses to indulge Chie’s act and clearly stands up for Kazehara and what is right.

Significant themes

• Ability versus shortcuts: lasting success comes from developing one’s own competence, not borrowing tricks.
• Principle and fairness: Chie’s request crosses a boundary by asking a student to help another class gain an advantage.
• Playful social dynamics: teasing, mock drama, and affectionate banter shape the group’s interactions.

Character interactions

• Kazehara and Chie clash over her request for exam advice, with him refusing on principle and her responding with theatrical complaints.
• Honami backs Kazehara and challenges Chie directly, showing both her growing assertiveness and her closeness to him.
• After the others leave, Chie manipulates Kazehara into walking with her; their teasing ends with him reluctantly accompanying her through the night.

Hoshinomiya Chie warned Kazehara Tetsu not to disappoint Ichinose Honami, then questioned how he planned to get more students to graduate with Class A privileges. Tetsu explained that he intended to recruit valuable students, but Chie challenged him to reveal which class he would target.

• Hoshinomiya Chie told Kazehara Tetsu that Ichinose Honami was exhausted from carrying Class D and asked him not to let her down.
• Tetsu said his goal of helping as many people as possible graduate as Class A was still distant, but he had begun planning to recruit students into Class A next semester.
• Tetsu explained that Class D’s strong bonds made its students difficult to poach, though Himeno Yuki might consider joining him.
• Chie asked Tetsu which class he was really planning to target.

Kazehara Tetsu explained his plan to focus on Class C and its promising students, then prepared to lead Class A through the December 22 exam. He began by marking the difficulty of every question and selected two of the hardest to answer.

• Kazehara Tetsu told Hoshinomiya Chie that he planned to approach Class C, including Horikita Suzune and its academically strong students, as part of his aim to graduate more people from Class A.
• Hoshinomiya Chie thanked Kazehara Tetsu for making Honami happy and said she was curious to see how far his dream would go before heading to the faculty dormitories.
• On December 22, Kazehara Tetsu and Katsuragi Kouhei ate breakfast and confirmed that their three-week exam plan was ready.
• Sakamoto Suguru called Kazehara Tetsu first to enter the exam room, where he had ten minutes to answer questions.
• Kazehara Tetsu marked all one hundred questions by difficulty using the class's agreed symbols, then chose the two hardest problems to solve.

Kazehara Tetsu finished his questions early and waited as Class A students completed the exam. Class A finished with one hour and seven minutes remaining, earning the ten-point time bonus, though Kazehara warned that the final outcome still depended on Class C’s mistakes.

• Kazehara Tetsu left the exam room after answering two questions, and Katsuragi Kouhei entered next.
• Kazehara Tetsu waited silently as students, including Ishizaki Daichi, took their turns following the prepared map.
• Sakamoto Suguru announced that Class A had completed the exam with one hour and seven minutes remaining and had broken no rules.
• Ishizaki Daichi and Hashimoto Masayoshi praised Kazehara Tetsu’s marking system, but Kazehara cautioned that Class A’s low points per question made Class C’s errors decisive.

After Class A finished the exam, Sakayanagi Arisu warned Kazehara Tetsu that the scoring rules could let Class C overtake them despite their stronger performance. Kazehara believed Class C would choose to lose by a narrow margin to support his plan for students across the year to graduate as Class A, leaving Sakayanagi to recognize how he expected Horikita to act.

• Class A students left the waiting room quietly while Kazehara Tetsu waited in the hallway.
• Sakayanagi Arisu pointed out that Class C's lower Academic Ability ratings gave them more points per correct answer and could erase Class A's lead.
• Kazehara Tetsu said he had not influenced Class C's answers and explained that Class C had little to gain from beating Class A in this exam.
• Kazehara Tetsu argued that Horikita would choose to support his plan rather than pursue an unlikely effort to make Class C overtake Class A.
• Sakayanagi Arisu concluded that Horikita would have Class C lose by a small margin to help Kazehara without making the decision look suspicious.

After their exam, Kazehara Tetsu and Sakayanagi Arisu shared lunch before he left to meet Horikita Suzune. Horikita explained how Class C had deliberately controlled its exam score, then traded barbs with Tetsu as they began their discussion.

• Sakayanagi Arisu invited Kazehara Tetsu to lunch and joked about making him fall while learning to ski after he teased her about being hungry.
• Sakayanagi Arisu paid for lunch, and Kazehara Tetsu left after receiving a meeting message from Horikita Suzune.
• Kazehara Tetsu met Horikita Suzune at the Central Plaza of the Camphor Tree Shopping Mall.
• Horikita Suzune explained that Class C had carefully answered the exam to make it look as though they had narrowly lost.
• Horikita Suzune said she chose the shopping mall because she expected Tetsu to leave school and stop somewhere nearby, then reminded him that he had owed her when he teased her about cornering him in the Cafeteria.

Horikita Suzune told Kazehara Tetsu that Nanase had accepted the first-year Student Council position and asked him to find a suitable second-year from Class A. After they finished discussing council business, Horikita invited Kazehara to look around the Shopping Mall with her, and he accepted.

• Horikita Suzune threatened Kazehara Tetsu with future Student Council disciplinary checks if he had forgotten his promise to arrange a meeting with a Class A student.
• Horikita told Kazehara that Nanase had agreed to take the first-year position, while the second-year position remained vacant.
• Horikita listed her requirements for a second-year recruit, and Kazehara promised to select a suitable Class A candidate and arrange a meeting.
• Horikita admitted she had wanted to look around the Shopping Mall with Kazehara after the exam.
• Kazehara offered Horikita his hand and called the outing a date, and Horikita accepted before they set off to explore.