Chapter 202
Representatives from all four classes gathered together, but it ended up looking like an internal party for Class D, which was absolutely absurd.
Kaneda Satoru and a few others in Class C shared similar sentiments, after all, Shiina Hiyori from Class A and Ryuen Kakeru from Class B had transferred from their class.
As for Class B, only Katsuragi Kohei was a native student. The other three were outsiders. Sakayanagi Arisu, who had once competed with him for class leadership, transferred directly to Class A. Following closely behind were Kamuro Masumi, Yamamura Miki, and Kito Hayato, the three original members of the Sakayanagi Faction. This group also kidnapped Morishita Ai.
All I can say is that after the turmoil of the last semester, the number of students and the specific members of the four first-grade classes have changed dramatically. Now, many representatives are gathered together in a private room, watching former teammates turn into enemies and enemies turn into teammates. Everyone can't help but feel a mix of emotions.
Just as this strange atmosphere was gradually spreading, Aragaki Shun narrowed his eyes slightly and jokingly said to the Class B seats without any concern:
"I never imagined that Class B, formerly Class A, would be reduced to relying on outsiders to maintain its prestige. Where's your inseparable sidekick, Katsuragi? Why didn't he come with you?"
Upon hearing this sarcastic remark, the Baldy's face instinctively darkened.
Who exactly caused this situation?
If you hadn't poached so many of our class's elite members, would Class B's leadership have ended up like this?
Of course, to actually voice this complaint would seem too weak, so Katsuragi simply kept emphasizing:
"Yahiko is my friend, not the follower you're referring to, Aragaki. Ryuen, Koenji, Ayanokoji have also joined Class B long ago and are members of our group, not outsiders. Please show some basic respect to Class B, Aragaki."
"Heh~ If this makes you feel better, then so be it."
Shrugging indifferently, Aragaki Shun changed the subject, abandoning idle chatter and getting straight to the point:
"How about we pit Class A against Class B, and Class C against Class D, for this exam?"
For the representatives of Class C and Class D on the left and right sides, this suggestion was naturally the best one.
They also have a certain degree of self-awareness, knowing that if they were to face off against Class A or Class B, they would not only likely lose, but there might even be students dropping out.
If we could avoid those two top-ranked classes and have Class C and Class D, the weaker classes, compete against each other, that would be ideal.
But the Class B on the other side naturally didn't think that way.
"Ha~ Why are we doing this?"
Ryuen Kakeru remained expressionless, arms crossed in a defiant pose. "If we really had to choose a target, wouldn't it be more advantageous for Class B to directly attack Class C or Class D?"
As Moderate Faction, Katsuragi nodded in approval.
Koenji Rokusuke looked in the mirror without saying anything. This Special Exam would at most affect the Class Evaluation Points by 100 points, so there was no need to worry about it too much.
As for Ayanokoji Kiyotaka... although this Masterpiece has been gradually revealing his strength in Class B, he still adheres to the principle of keeping a low profile unless necessary, so he will not undermine his classmates at this time.
This made Ryuen Kakeru's presence on the field incredibly strong, giving people the illusion that he had already taken control of the class even though he had only been in Class B for a few days... But of course that's impossible. It's just that Ryuen's public image is one of strength and arrogance, so he's perfect for stepping forward and playing the bad guy.
Aragaki Shun glanced at the Class B group, and after getting a general idea of how these people got along, he didn't care about Ryuen-boy's arrogant attitude, since he couldn't make decisions for Class B anyway.
"In short, it's okay for Class C and Class D to attack each other, right?"
"Of course, no problem."
To the left, Kushida Kikyo and the other two exchanged a glance and immediately responded.
To the right, Ibuki Mio and the others nodded repeatedly, showing no sign of doubt whatsoever.
Since everyone is under Aragaki Shun's command, they can discuss the questions together. The final outcome is uncertain, but at least it can be guaranteed that no one will drop out. Naturally, there is no reason for them to refuse.
Then, turning his gaze to Koenji Rokusuke across from him, Aragaki Shun stated bluntly:
"Class A has decided to attack Class B in this Special Exam. You can choose to confront us head-on, or you can simply avoid it and attack Class C or Class D instead. If the draw goes well, you might be able to salvage your losses from them."
Making up for past losses is also a strategy.
From a rational perspective, this is the most suitable choice for Class B at this point.
If they directly attack Class D, the weakest class in the first year, then everyone in Class B is confident of victory and can steal 50 Class Evaluation Points from them.
In this way, even if Class A attacks and fails to defend, Class B's evaluation score will remain unchanged despite the increase and decrease.
Of course, this calculation is based on the premise that they can snatch the right to attack Class D from Class C through a lottery; otherwise, Class B, with no other choice, will only have one future: to confront Class A head-on.
If we lose, we will lose 100 Class Evaluation Points.
"By the way, the rules of this Paper Shuffle are very simple. It only tests the ability to create questions and the academic ability of each class. Unless you can get your hands on the opposing class's exam paper in advance, there is no other way to cheat."
"So I've handed over the task of setting the questions entirely to Ichinose and Kanzaki, and I won't be involved too much. This Special Exam will be a good opportunity to test everyone's progress in the class."
Aragaki Shun calmly met Koenji Rokusuke's gaze, believing that the other should understand his meaning.
It doesn't matter if they don't understand; Class A definitely won't lose this time. The best outcome for Class B is that the stolen evaluation points will be transferred to Class C or Class D. Do they really think they can defeat Class A with their superior academic ability under the terrifying pressure of the "Five Three" exam?
"..."
Ryuen Kakeru frowned. Since entering the private room, Aragaki Shun hadn't given him a proper look, nor had she responded to his words.
Furthermore, what is the point of using this Special Exam to assess the progress of everyone in the class?
That bastard is so arrogant it's unbearable!
In any case, whatever the enemy wants to achieve, we must find a way to sabotage it.
Needless to say, the moment he learned all the rules of Paper Shuffle, he realized that this Special Exam was quite advantageous for Class B.
Why did they lose in past Uninhabited Island Exam and VIP Exam?
Isn't it because if the four classes were to fight together against the Aragaki Shun -year students, Class B would inevitably be in a difficult situation of fighting three against one?
However, in this Paper Shuffle, players can freely choose their favorite opponents to battle in pairs, minimizing the effectiveness of cooperation between different classes.
If Class B chooses to attack Class C or Class D, they can avoid Class A, where Aragaki Shun is located, and achieve a victory.
The only downside is that the reward isn't much. Even if the attack is successful, you only get 50 Class Evaluation Points, and you also have to consider the possibility that if the defense fails, even those 50 points will be taken away.
But--
At least in this Special Exam, Class B really has a chance to succeed, instead of being mercilessly crushed by Aragaki Shun as before, forced to face failure before the exam even begins.
Therefore, he has made a decision: this time, he must push Class B to launch an attack on Class D.
This wasn't just about shifting the cost of victory and boosting class morale; it was also about prioritizing the defeat of Aragaki Shun's weakest class.
Without a doubt, this ideal target is Class D.
Their Class Evaluation Points was only 567, and there were only 32 students, but they still had to transfer 1.2 million Private Points to Aragaki Shun every month.
If we can find a way to reduce Class D's Class Evaluation Points by another 200 points, they will be in a predicament where they can't even pay their debts, let alone live a normal life.
In that situation, either Aragaki Shun will personally pay out of his own pocket to forgive their debts, or the entire Class D will be allowed to use free goods every day, leading to disunity and discord...
Either way, it's a huge win for Class B!
He believed that Koenji Rokusuke could also think of these things...
"Alright, let's have Class A and Class B face off then."
Setting down the mirror, the blond man, still exuding his capricious air, enthusiastically accepted Aragaki Shun's suggestion.
"???"
Ryuen Kakeru's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. What on earth was this blondie thinking?!
Katsuragi Kohei also seemed to want to say something but hesitated, and after considering it, he said nothing.
As for Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, he casually glanced around at the leaders of the four classes, his face still expressionless, making it impossible to discern his inner thoughts.
"Besides reasons like the difficulty of finding shortcuts and testing abilities, Aragaki- boy probably wanted to interfere with the Special Exam for the second-year students by handing over this Paper Shuffle to other classmates, right?"
Ignoring the others, Koenji combed his hair while stating his guess.
"I heard that the original Class 2-B has completely submitted to you. That Nagumo boy, facing the targeting of three classes, will find it difficult to recover in a short time and can only watch helplessly as the situation continues to deteriorate."
"Currently, all four second-grade classes have evaluation scores below 100. Just one Special Exam could potentially overturn their scores and rankings again..."
Frankly speaking, the so-called Paper Shuffle is just a minor incident for the first-year students. Whether Class A wins or loses, they will only get a maximum of 100 evaluation points, which will not affect the existing structure at all.
However, in the second year, even Class Evaluation Points is enough for Miyabi Nagumo to return to Class A.
Aragaki Shun would never allow such a thing to happen.
"With the Student Council elections approaching, I need to focus all my energy on my second year."
A playful smile curved across Aragaki Shun's lips, his words carrying a hidden meaning.
He had a plan that, if successful, might allow him to send Miyabi Nagumo to Advanced Nurturing.
But before that, he had to continuously undermine the other party's prestige in order to make that Yellow-haired Senior impatient and invest all his resources in the Student Council election.
Therefore, he had to intervene in this Special Exam for second graders and find a way to make Nagumo's class fail and fall further down the rankings.
"Hmph~ Looks like something good is about to happen. Let me, the beautiful one, wait and see."
Koenji glanced at Ichinose and Kanzaki beside Aragaki Shun, tossed his hair with a hint of boredom, and stood up. "It seems Aragaki- boy's invitation was just to pre-determine the matchup classes. Now that things are settled, we'll be going."
Katsuragi and Ayanokoji quickly followed, while Ryuen Kakeru looked grim, but he had no power to change anything and could only leave the room together.
Upon opening the door, Koenji suddenly turned around and glanced at everyone in the private room, casually posing a question:
"If Aragaki- boy doesn't contribute in this Paper Shuffle, can Class A maintain their undefeated record?"
"That's something I wanted to be sure of," Aragaki Shun said casually. "And what we should be more worried about is Class B."
"That's right!"
Kanzaki Ryuji couldn't stand seeing their defeated opponents so arrogant, so they directly expressed their confidence on behalf of the entire Class A:
"You are the challengers!"
278. Class D is the worst; Class C is the weakest; Class B is the poorest.
Of the four first-grade classes, it seems that the weakest one right now is not Class D but Class C.
After Koenji and the others from Class B left, Aragaki Shun looked at the representatives from Class C and Class D in front of him, and this thought inexplicably arose in his mind.
"Is Kinda the only one in Class C who can stand out academically?"
Ibuki Mio, Manabe Shiho, and Kaneda Satoru are the three chosen to represent Class C at the first-year leaders' gathering.
The problem is that both of them were supported by Aragaki Shun, and although they each have their own advantages, their academic performance is really just average.
In other words, the only Class C who can truly play a role in Paper Shuffle is actually Kaneda Satoru.
After Shiina Hiyori transferred to another class, she became the most academically gifted student among the remaining members of that class.
It sounds excellent, but in the data card produced by Advanced Nurturing, Kaneda Satoru's academic level can only be rated as a B, and the interviewer's comment is that it is above the national average.
If placed in Class B or even Class A, this level of academic ability would at most be considered above average, which is not bad, but only just okay.
Even so, Kaneda's academic performance is still considered top-notch in Class C.
This shows that most of the people in Class C are really just a bunch of brainless hooligans and hot girls.
They can be relied upon to contribute in Sports Festival and similar events, but when it comes to academic exams, this group is completely useless.
In contrast, even though Class D, which is known as a gathering place for flawed students, lost students like Horikita Suzune, Ayanokoji, Wang Meiyu, and Koenji, it still Yukimura Teruhiko, Kushida Kikyo, Yosuke Hirata remaining in the class.
And that's not all; there may be other hidden talents among them.
Compared to Class D, which is full of hidden talents but whose members are all preoccupied with their own agendas and difficult to unite under leadership, Class C, which lacks any truly capable combat force, is probably the weakest class in the first year!
Or to put it more bluntly, Class D appears weak because it's bad. With 40 people, each has their own ideas, and everyone is putting in effort in different directions, thus canceling each other out in the process of internal friction.
As for Class C, they seem weak because they are genuinely weak. Even if they are forcibly unified by a tyrant like Ryuen Kakeru, their potential remains the same. If the school arranges a few more Special Exam, they can ensure that Class C will never even come close to Class A.
Whether Kaneda and the others had thought of these things or not, upon hearing Aragaki Shun's question, the brown-haired man with mushroom-shaped hair and glasses instinctively coughed lightly and tugged at his collar, as if trying to make himself look more presentable.
"The current situation is that the best student in the class used to be Shiina, but after she transferred to the class, I became the best student. The other students are better at various sports, and their grades in class are mostly just barely passing."
Jintian's words always carried a strange sense of superiority.
Of course, this is normal in Class C, considering that even Ryuen Kakeru's academic evaluation is only D.
After Hiyori left, judging solely by his grades in each subject, he was the most outstanding student in the class.
If Aragaki Shun is going to continue recruiting talented individuals from Class C to join Class A, then he should definitely be included, right?
Otherwise, they can't possibly reject the smart ones and insist on bringing in some idiots, can they?
Based on the overall average score of Class A, those idiots would not only fall behind, but might even be expelled for failing the midterm Final Exam.
If something like that were to actually happen, it would be absolutely hilarious!
"For this Paper Shuffle, I hope that both Class C and Class D can show their full potential."
Tapping his index finger on the table, Aragaki Shun stated bluntly, "The reason is the same as for Class A. I want to test the overall strength of both classes and determine if there are any talents that need attention."
Upon hearing this, the representatives from both classes were struck by a thought, and various expressions appeared on their faces.