The Coerced Onodera

"Shiina, you..." Yuefeng opened his mouth, unsure what to say. Thanks? Surprise? Or should he ask why she knew all this?

"I... signed up for the exam too." Hiyori Shiina lowered her head, unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes between her fingers. Her voice was barely audible. "So... I looked into some information.

"I happened to see this and thought... it might be useful to you, Yuefeng."

She had signed up too? Yuefeng was stunned again.

Was it Class C's requirement, or her own decision?

Still, given Hiyori Shiina's personality and grades, it was not strange for her to sign up. But...

"Thank you, Shiina. This... really helped a lot." Yuefeng ultimately chose to thank her sincerely. Whatever her intentions were, this information had come at exactly the right time and was far too valuable.

Hiyori Shiina gently shook her head, her cheeks flushing red. "You're welcome. Yuefeng, you... helped me last time too."

She paused, her voice growing even softer. "And... I hope more people from Class C can pass.

"Then... maybe the atmosphere in class will get a little better."

Having said that, she seemed to have used up all her courage and quickly gathered up another book of hers.

She gave Yuefeng a small bow, then turned and vanished behind the rows of tall bookshelves like a startled butterfly—light and swift.

Yuefeng remained seated, looking at the book on the table before glancing in the direction Hiyori Shiina had disappeared.

This girl... was far smarter and sharper than he had imagined.

Beneath her quiet, shy exterior, she silently observed everything, including his disguise.

And she seemed to have no shallow understanding of this exam or of the school's approach to setting questions.

"I hope the atmosphere in class will get a little better..." Yuefeng repeated her words, feeling something strange stir within him.

Under Ryuen's high-pressure rule in Class C, it turned out he was not the only one who felt uncomfortable and stifled.

Hiyori Shiina, the girl who seemed the least concerned with the world around her, perhaps longed for change as well?

Had she shared the information to repay his earlier "help," or was it... some silent signal of alliance?

Yuefeng shook his head and cast aside those stray thoughts. Whatever Hiyori Shiina's motives were, the information she had given him was immensely valuable.

He immediately opened the book, found the chapter she had mentioned, and began reading voraciously.

Sure enough, some of its viewpoints and lines of thought were closely connected to the intellectual roots of the economic models he had been studying, and everything suddenly became clear.

Over the next few hours, Yuefeng's review efficiency was extraordinarily high.

The directions Hiyori Shiina had pointed out struck precisely at the weak areas in his knowledge base.

Following her hints, he even readjusted the focus of his review for the final few days.

When he finally closed the book and looked up, rubbing his sore eyes, the library lights had already come on, and deep night lay beyond the windows.

He carefully put away the book Hiyori Shiina had lent him, packed up his belongings, and left the library.

The campus was quiet at night, with only dim yellow halos cast by the streetlights.

As Yuefeng walked, he organized the knowledge he had just absorbed in his mind and considered the possible exam question types.

When he passed the relatively secluded gravel path beside the academic building, which connected to the small garden, a faint, suppressed argument drifted over on the wind.

"...Don't push it too far!"

"Too far? This is for the good of the class! Don't you want more points?"

"By doing this? I don't agree!"

"Hmph, it's not up to you. The boss said..."

Yuefeng stopped. That voice... sounded familiar.

People from Class C? Instinctively, he lightened his footsteps and quietly approached the source of the voices under the cover of the trees and shadows.

In the clearing beyond the bend in the path, several figures stood facing off. By the weak light of a distant streetlamp, Yuefeng recognized two of them. One was Ishizaki Daichi, standing with his arms folded and an impatient expression.

The other surprised Yuefeng somewhat. It was a short boy from the class who usually seemed timid—Onodera? Yuefeng could not remember his name clearly.

At that moment, Onodera's face was bright red. His body trembled slightly with either agitation or fear as he spoke heatedly to Ishizaki and a broad, muscular lackey with his back to Yuefeng.

"...Even if it gets us more points, we can't cheat!

"If we get caught, the whole class will be dragged into it!" Onodera's voice carried a sobbing edge, but he continued to stand firm.

Cheating? Yuefeng's heart tightened. Could it be...

"Cut the crap!" Ishizaki interrupted impatiently. Taking a step forward, he glared down at Onodera. "With grades like yours, what kind of score do you think you can get?

"Just cooperate. Share your answers during the exam, and everyone benefits.

"Otherwise..." He clenched his fist, the threat unmistakable.

Onodera took a frightened step back, but stubbornly shook his head. "N-No! I won't! This is wrong!"

"You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!" Ishizaki's eyes turned cold as he gave the lackey beside him a look.

The lackey immediately stepped forward with a vicious grin, seized Onodera by the collar, and lifted him off the ground.

"Let go of me!" Onodera struggled, but the difference in strength was overwhelming.

Hidden in the darkness, Yuefeng's heart pounded.

Of course. Ryuen would never be satisfied with merely forcing people to sign up for the exam.

Given his style, he would likely use "extraordinary measures" to raise the pass rate.

For example—organizing cheating, having strong students "share" answers with weaker students who still had a chance of passing, or using force to compel people like Onodera, whose grades were average and who might be hovering around the passing line.

Just as the lackey raised his fist, Onodera closed his eyes in fear...

Countless thoughts flashed through Yuefeng's mind. Stop them? How? If he stepped out, he would only become one more person to be beaten, and he would completely offend Ishizaki and Ryuen.

Do nothing? Could he really watch a classmate get bullied, even forced to participate in cheating?

Just as he hesitated, a calm, utterly flat voice suddenly rang out clearly from another direction:

"Using violence on campus to coerce a fellow student into participating in academic misconduct.

"Under Chapter Seven, Article Four of the school regulations, as well as the supplementary provisions of the Advanced Nurturing High School Student Code of Conduct.

"Those involved will receive a freeze of Personal Points for no less than three months, along with deductions of the corresponding Class Points depending on the severity of the offense.

"The class involved will be downgraded in this academic year's comprehensive evaluation. The instigator may face expulsion."

The voice was not loud, yet in the silent night, it was like a bucket of ice water dumped over Ishizaki and the lackey.

Both of them froze abruptly. Ishizaki's expression changed drastically as he spun toward the source of the voice.

Yuefeng looked over in astonishment as well.

In the shadows on the other side of the path stood a figure who had appeared there at some unknown point.