The Midterm Exam's Open Conspiracy

"So, the truth is..."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka walked to the vending machine by the roadside, where students could pay points to buy all kinds of drinks, but only mineral water was free and did not require any points.

"It's like how schools provide basic support to students without credits."

Students in classes B, C, and D will also receive free bottled water after graduation.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's remarks almost completely overturned Ninomiya's impressions of the school.

"But the school won't tell you that until you actually graduate."

He held up the cold drink in his hand, which required a considerable amount of points to purchase:

"It needs you, like it's raising a poisonous insect."

"Create a fictional character to entice a group of people, and then truly hone a group of people."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka turned to face Ninomiya:

"But in the end, it's just a high school. Class A seems like the only and best option, but that might not actually be the case."

"If that letter is exposed, Ninomiya- senpai will definitely be expelled."

He walked to Ninomiya's side, leaned close to her trembling shoulder, and whispered:

"But I believe that Ninomiya- senpai will definitely be willing to take on this responsibility."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka shoved the cold drink in his hand into Ninomiya's hand, the chill making him shiver involuntarily.

"This tastes better than the bottled water at school."

As the sun set on the horizon, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka turned and strode away.

Chapter 64: The Overt Scheme Midterm Exam

"Has it been changed? It's just the same old thing in a new guise. Majima, the Mashima teacher, has her reasons. What kind of classes did I teach before? I always taught Class A! Who are these people? You expect me to teach them? What's the level of Class 1-D now? There are only a few of them. Even people like Sato Shinohara come to the study group. Can they learn? No, they can't. They don't have the ability, you know?"

"I've already failed the Midterm Exam either. After the Midterm Exam, and who knows, maybe I won't even have to take the final exam. I'll already be expelled for the midterms."

"On the other hand, the average score of Class 1-D is probably not very high, which means the passing score will be relatively low..."

"Oh my, thank goodness! Most of the students in Class D didn't have a solid foundation from junior high school to prepare for this kind of exam. You don't really think they can cram for three months and suddenly make a huge leap to pass, do you? Be realistic, they should finish learning the basic knowledge from elementary and junior high school first. Mr. Mashima's exam highlights are so detailed, he practically reveals all the questions. Do you think the students in Class D deserve such a good homeroom teacher?"

"Yeah, from this perspective, it's actually quite good that Chabashira homeroom teacher and Class D are locked together; they'll all rot together."

"Rotten and stinking!"

Cheers to Class 1-D!

Horikita Suzune rubbed her temples, speechless at the exaggerated performance of the two people in front of her. Karuizawa Kei was clearly the class representative of Class 1-B, but she blended into their Class D chat group so naturally that she didn't seem out of place at all, just like a complete Class D student.

"I get the feeling that neither of you is worried at all."

"Worrying won't magically transform the students in Class D into model students all at once."

Kitagawa Ryo and Karuizawa Kei gave each other a high five in a dramatic fashion, and he sat back down in his seat with a smile.

"Then I'll have all the students in the class go find Liang tomorrow. After all, someone always seems to be handling things with ease, and I don't need to help organize the content on the blackboard after every class, right?"

Horikita Suzune's sharp gaze pierced directly at Kitagawa Ryo. This was a plan she had only come up with in the last two days: to seize upon the faint impressions of what the Class D students still retained after each class, quickly extract the exam scope and key knowledge points, and write them down on the floor during each break. According to her, for the Class D students' fish-like memory level, this would barely be enough to get them through the Midterm Exam without any problems.

"Didn't Honami say before that he could help Suzune? Why don't you and she take turns?"

Kitagawa Ryo picked up Hotaru, who was rubbing against his legs, and casually said as he played with the cat's chin.

"Good..."

Following Hotaru's soft fur, Kitagawa Ryo quickly became immersed in the world of petting the cat.

Horikita Suzune sighed almost imperceptibly, twirling the pen in her hand as she turned to Sakayanagi Arisu and asked:

"Sakayanagi, do you have any ideas?"

Sakayanagi Arisu if taking a nap, raised her head and lazily replied:

"I can guarantee that I'll pass, which means I've already solved one-thirty-eight of Suzune's problem."

"... You're one of only two Student Council members in the First Year, can't you try a little harder?"

"I can also guarantee that Matsushita will pass the Midterm Exam, which makes it one in nineteen. His effort level has doubled."

Lazily extending two fingers, Sakayanagi Arisu. The warm afternoon sun streamed in through the window, casting dappled light on the table through the girl's silver hair.

"Speaking of which, where 'Ichinose?"

"Let's have a study session at the library. Many girls in the class probably prefer Suzune to Honami."

Kitagawa Ryo, holding Hotaru's paw, threw a series of cat punches at the air.

"I'm done!"

While the group chatted idly, Sakura Airi, who had been diligently and earnestly bowing her head with earplugs on the sidelines, finally raised her hand with a sigh of relief.

Having worked full-time as an idol for two years, Sakura Airi's academic level was basically that of a First Year, or perhaps even lower. So, as soon as her Mashima teacher, Sakura Airi, informed her about the Midterm Exam, Sakura Airi quickly sought out Kitagawa Ryo for one-on-one tutoring.

However, the final result was that Kitagawa Ryo's room inexplicably turned into a women's tea party.

Thinking about it carefully, it always feels like everyone is wary of the opportunity for others to be alone with Kitagawa Ryo.

"Liang, take a look at this for me."

"You can just change the answer yourself."

Although he said it, Kitagawa Ryo's body language betrayed him. He dragged a chair to Sakura Airi's side, took a red pen from the pen holder, and began to correct Sakura Airi's test paper one by one, checking the answers.

I have to say, when I was in elementary school, Kitagawa Ryo dreamed of the feeling of being able to control other people's Fate with a pen in hand. If our roles were reversed, I would show you what it means to...

Kitagawa Ryo got the fourth multiple-choice question wrong. He coughed lightly, feigning composure, and tapped his pen tip next to the test paper.

"Airi."

"Is there anything Liang wants to teach me?"

Turning his head, he discovered that Sakura Airi wasn't trembling with fear at all, as if her Fate was being controlled. Instead, she had a bright smile on her face, and the upward curve of her lips made Kitagawa Ryo momentarily doubt whether he had misread the answer.

Looking again, yes, it was Sakura Airi answered incorrectly.

"The fourth question."

"Uh-huh."

Leaning even closer, Sakura Airi rested her head on Kitagawa Ryo's shoulder, propping her chin up with her hands, and asked:

"This question..."

"Here are the steps to solve this problem. I've listed three different formulas from three different exam scopes. Just choose the one you can understand the most."

Across from her, Horikita Suzune deftly tore a page from her notebook and handed it directly to Sakura Airi.

"Just keep revising it, Liang."

Seemingly without any other thoughts, Horikita Suzune simply looked after her classmates. After doing all this, she lowered her head again.

"This is the same version of the Math Olympiad math practice book that he did before. It took me a lot of effort to buy it."

"If all goes well, I should be able to make it to the Math Olympiad in the second half of this year."

"Take a look through it first, then we'll get ready to eat in ten minutes."

"I will correct it for you after you finish."

Suddenly recalling this past memory, Horikita Suzune felt somewhat unsettled, and even the problem in front of her, which she could have easily solved before, suddenly became obscure and difficult to understand.

Compared to her stubborn and narrow-minded self back then, Horikita Suzune is clearly more perfect now.

He no longer adhered to the same standards as his elder brother Horikita Manabu, and indeed gained his approval.

But I always find myself, almost irrationally, reminiscing about those times, just like now.

Like a bare gum after all the teeth have fallen out, it has a strong presence. When you don't touch it, it feels empty and itchy like a tickle on your heart. But once you touch it, you will feel a sharp, hidden pain.

"Ayanokoji, shall we have lunch together? I've cleared my schedule today."

After the morning classes ended, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had just stepped out of the classroom of Class 1-A when he heard Kushida Kikyo's voice chasing after him.

"... Yes, no problem."

Slightly taken aback, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka quickly agreed.

"That's great! Ayanokoji n't contacted me since we went to the mixer together last time, and I was always worried that something might have upset her."

As if suddenly relieved, Kushida Kikyo let out a long breath, a sweet smile spreading across her face:

"Let's go to the coffee shop together then."

"Kushida... Kushida Kikyo decides is fine."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, recalling Kushida Kikyo's personality, quickly changed his tune. Although the exact relationship between Kushida Kikyo and Kitagawa Ryo was still uncertain, they would need to utilize Kushida Kikyo's personal connections to investigate the likely spies within Class A.

The two chatted about class topics as they walked toward the coffee shop. As soon as they pushed open the door and entered the shop, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka immediately felt the overwhelming atmosphere of the enthusiastic girls inside.

More than 80% of the customers in the café are women, creating a lively atmosphere like walking into a forest full of birds.

"Because the food here doesn't seem like something guys would eat."

Kushida Kikyo seemed quite familiar with the place; she led Ayanokoji Kiyotaka to a seat further inside with ease, and the waiter quickly brought over iced water and a menu.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka picked up the menu and casually flipped through a couple of pages. It was mostly Western dishes and desserts like pasta or pancakes, which did seem like the kind of food girls would like. Judging from what he had observed as he passed by, the portions weren't very large either; a guy would probably need at least two portions to feel full.

Therefore, most of the guys you see aren't there for dinner; they're there to keep their girlfriends company. Some are even surrounded by multiple girls, looking like they've won at life.

"Shall we go eat at the Student Cafeteria? I feel really uncomfortable staying here."

"You'll get used to it; the food here is quite delicious."

"And here you also have a good chance of being noticed by girls, who might even ask you out!"

Kushida Kikyo skillfully ordered a set meal for Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, and said with a light laugh.

"I don't believe in such a free lunch."

"That's not necessarily true, Ayanokoji. You know what? The girls are actually paying a little attention to you! And your name is even on the ranking list made by the First Year girls."

"Girls will notice me? What kind of ranking system is that...?"

Trying to communicate naturally with Kushida Kikyo, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka echoed her topics.

But deep down, you might have felt a sense of novelty, like the atmosphere of your imagined student days.

"There are many kinds of rankings. Like rankings of handsome men, rich people, disgusting people... and then there are--"

"I just don't really want to keep listening."

"Don't worry, Ayanokoji. You've impressively secured fifth place on the handsome guys ranking! Congratulations! By the way, first place goes to Kitagawa from Class D, second place to Hirata, and third and fourth place are both boys from Class A."

"The girls sometimes discuss privately whether class assignments are also based on looks."

Hearing the familiar name, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka didn't immediately ask directly:

"I remember Hirata was a full member of the Soccer Club, right? How come he's only ranked second?"

"That's because Kitagawa is just too outstanding. I heard that not only our grade, but also upperclassmen came specifically to vote for him."

"But Ayanokoji, you don't need to worry. There are so many boys in the whole grade, and the fact that you were voted fifth proves that your handsomeness is recognized by most of the goddesses."

Should I be happy about this?

"Of course. Ah, it's just that you're also ranked high on the gloomy list."

"I see..."

Kushida Kikyo showed her phone to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, whose screen indeed displayed various rankings of boys.

Some of them even had dangerous headlines like "[Ranking of Boys Who Hope He Dies]".

"So Ayanokoji doesn't need to feel inferior at all. If he's willing, he can definitely find a girl to date."

I have a feeling that it's because the reason I approached Kushida Kikyo last time was because I wanted to find someone to date that left such a deep impression on me. It seems that in Kushida Kikyo's eyes, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka has become a rather thirsty guy.

"If I actually felt popular, that would be fine. But I don't feel that way at all."

In fact, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka doesn't remember ever keeping half a love letter with a heart-shaped sticker in his shoe cabinet.

"I doubt all the girls participated in the vote, right?"