Special Enrollment Exam

After that exhausting "riddle-filled conversation" with Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, Yuefeng felt as though every last bit of his social energy had been drained away.

He returned to the dorm listlessly and applied the ointment Hiyori Shiina had given him to his bruised back. It worked quite well—the cool sensation eased much of the pain.

He flopped face-first onto his bed, not even wanting to move a finger.

"Talking to that guy is more exhausting than using Slow Motion ten times in a row..." Yuefeng muttered as he stared at the ceiling.

Kiyotaka's expressionless face, those incoherent yet subtly probing questions—

And that baffling final remark, "Use it soon," kept scrolling through his mind like bullet comments.

"What exactly is he trying to do? Probe me? Evaluate me? Or does he just think a 'variable' like me needs to be added to his observation list?"

Yuefeng rolled over, accidentally pressing on his injury. He grimaced in pain. "Tsk... whatever. Soldiers come, generals block them; water comes... can't I just run away?"

Over the next few days, Yuefeng's life temporarily returned to a strange sort of calm.

Ishizaki seemed to have been frightened off by the warning about "cheating" and did not come looking for trouble again, though he would occasionally cast Yuefeng a sinister glance.

Ryuen remained as elusive as ever, sometimes sending him appraising looks, but he did not take the initiative to speak again.

Hiyori Shiina seemed even shyer now. In the classroom, she barely dared to make eye contact with him.

But Yuefeng could tell that she would sometimes sneak glances at him. Whenever he caught her, she would immediately lower her head like a startled rabbit.

Yuefeng was happy to have some peace and quiet, pouring most of his energy into studying and improving his Survival Notes.

He gradually realized that the "hardware" of this body seemed fairly good. Its memory and comprehension were both somewhat stronger than those of his past self, who had been tortured half to death by endless drills.

Combined with the occasional, though uncontrollable, sharp eye for detail brought about by Slow Motion—

He was not actually struggling much academically. Sometimes, he even scored quite well on quizzes.

That gave him a faintly unrealistic fantasy: Maybe he could just study hard and coast safely through to graduation?

Avoid all those dangerous plotlines, and stay far away from the troubles surrounding Kiyotaka and Ryuen?

However, Advanced Nurturing High School clearly had no intention of letting him live so comfortably.

That day, a notice fell like a stone into still water, stirring up quite a commotion throughout the campus.

"The 'Special Enrollment Exam,' open to all first-year students, will be held next week.

This exam is intended to identify students with exceptional potential and outstanding academic ability.

Those who pass will receive rewards including, but not limited to, personal S Points, eligibility to select special courses, and advanced library access.

As well as—additional points toward their class evaluation at the end of the school year." The homeroom teacher stood at the podium as he made the announcement, his expression grave.

Those final words instantly silenced the previously noisy classroom, only for an even louder wave of discussion to erupt a moment later.

Additional class evaluation points!

That meant more Class Points, which meant every student would receive more S Points each month!

At Advanced Nurturing High School, points were resources, a guarantee of quality of life, and to some extent, even a symbol of status.

The students of Class C all lit up, especially those who were particularly sensitive about points or eager to improve the class evaluation.

After all, under Ryuen's rule, the class evaluation had always been a sore point.

"The exam will be a comprehensive written test covering all subjects studied so far, as well as some advanced material. The difficulty will be extremely high.

Registration is voluntary, but each class has a limited number of slots. Anyone interested can come register with me after class," the homeroom teacher added.

Yuefeng's heart skipped a beat.

A Grade Skipping Exam? Was there a part like this in the original work?

There did not seem to be such a clearly defined "Special Enrollment" exam open to all first-year students... Was this the butterfly effect? Or a detail this world had automatically filled in?

His instinct was to avoid it.

Standing out did not fit his principle of keeping a low profile to protect himself.

Besides, an exam like this was obviously meant for the real academic elites.

People like Horikita, Katsuragi, and Ichinose—

Or it was a stage for intellectual monsters like Sakayanagi to show off. What was he joining the fun for?

However, his classmates around him had already begun discussing it excitedly.

"Additional class evaluation points! This is great! If a few more of us pass, maybe we can narrow the gap with Class B!"

"Give me a break. At Class C's level? We'd be lucky if even one person passed."

"Hey, do you think Boss Ryuen will participate?"

"Boss can definitely pass, right? Even though he doesn't look like he studies much..."

"That Yuefeng guy seems to have decent grades, doesn't he? His score on the last math quiz was pretty high."

"Tch, it was only a quiz. You think he can handle an exam like this?"

Yuefeng automatically blocked out the discussions and disparaging remarks alike, firmly deciding not to register.

However, his gaze inadvertently swept toward the back of the classroom.

Ryuen Kakeru leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

His gaze slowly swept over every possible candidate in the class before finally settling on Yuefeng.

That look carried undisguised pressure and... anticipation?

Yuefeng's heart sank. This is bad.

Sure enough, after class, just as Yuefeng packed his things and prepared to leave quietly as usual, Ishizaki arrived with two others and blocked his path.

"Hey, Ayanokoji. Sign up for this exam." Ishizaki grinned, but there was no warmth in his eyes.

It wasn't a question. It was an order.

Yuefeng frowned. "I'm not interested in this kind of exam, and there's no guarantee I'd pass."

"Not interested?" Ishizaki sneered, then lowered his voice. "The boss said Class C needs as many people participating as possible to increase the odds of someone passing.

"Your grades aren't bad, are they? How would you know if you don't give it a try?

"Or what..." He stepped closer, his tone turning threatening. "You don't want to contribute to the class? Or do you think Class C isn't worth your effort?"

This again. Using the greater good of the class and Ryuen's authority to force him into submission. Yuefeng felt a surge of irritation.

He glanced around. Though none of the other students had gathered nearby, they were all listening closely. Hiyori Shiina sat not far away, watching with concern.

"Even if I sign up, that doesn't mean I'll pass. An exam like this is definitely going to be difficult." Yuefeng tried to reason with him.

"That's your problem. The boss said you're going, so you're going. At the very least, show the right attitude." Ishizaki waved him off impatiently.

"If you dare refuse..." He didn't finish, but his clenched fist made his stance clear enough.

Yuefeng fell silent for several seconds.

He knew that with Ryuen having made his position clear, stubbornly refusing would bring a lot of trouble.

Ryuen would not tolerate open defiance, especially over something supposedly "related to the class's interests."

"...Fine. I'll sign up." Yuefeng finally yielded, his voice full of resignation.

There was no need to completely fall out with Ryuen over something so trivial just yet.

"That's more like it." Ishizaki snorted in satisfaction and left with the others.

Yuefeng sighed and headed for the podium to register with the homeroom teacher.

He could feel Ryuen's scrutinizing gaze on his back, as though evaluating whether this "tool" was useful enough.

After registering his name, Yuefeng left the classroom in a heavy mood.

He had no desire whatsoever to take this exam.

Standing out, exposing his abilities—though he wasn't even sure how capable he was—drawing unnecessary attention... it all ran completely counter to his survival strategy.

What should I do? Deliberately fail?

No. If I do too badly, I won't be able to explain it to Ryuen. He might decide I'm "incompetent," look down on me even more, or even have me bullied. Should I score average?

But on a selective exam like this, average probably means elimination. I still have to take it seriously... but keep my score somewhere above average, in a place that won't stand out? Yuefeng thought as he walked.

His head began to ache. At this school, even exams were exhausting.

Without realizing it, he had arrived at the elevated corridor connecting several school buildings.

The evening wind blew past with a chill, clearing his head a little.

Then he saw that figure.

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji.

He stood alone beside the corridor railing, his head slightly raised as he watched the clouds glowing on the distant horizon. The lines of his profile were somewhat blurred in the twilight.

He seemed to be simply spacing out, or... thinking about something?

Yuefeng stopped. Him again. Why does it feel like we've been "running into each other" so often lately?

He had intended to pretend he had not seen him and quietly go around.

But Kiyotaka seemed to notice his gaze. He turned his head and looked over with calm eyes.

There was no avoiding him now. Yuefeng could only walk over reluctantly and stop a few steps away from Kiyotaka.

"Kiyotaka," he greeted flatly.

Kiyotaka nodded in response.

His gaze rested on Yuefeng's face for a second before shifting away toward the distance again. "The Special Enrollment Exam," he suddenly said.

Yuefeng's heart stirred. He knows too? Did the Class D homeroom teacher announce it as well, or did he learn through some other channel?

"Yeah, I heard about it." Yuefeng replied, unable to keep the frustration from earlier out of his voice. "Your class... probably has a lot of people who want to take it, right?" He tried to steer the conversation toward Class D.

"Katsuragi will participate. Horikita probably will too." Kiyotaka stated the facts, then turned to look at Yuefeng. "Is the competition for spots in Class C intense?"

Yuefeng tugged at the corner of his mouth. "It's alright. I... was told to participate." He deliberately used the phrase "was told," once again hinting at how passive his situation was.

Kiyotaka offered no comment. He simply watched him quietly. After a while, he spoke in that steady, even tone of his.

"That exam will have very unconventional question types. It'll cover a lot of knowledge outside the textbooks, things the school believes an 'elite' should know. Historical details, obscure theories, logical traps."

Yuefeng froze.

Kiyotaka is... revealing exam information to me? Why?

He looked at Kiyotaka's still-expressionless face, trying to find even a trace of a joke or calculation in it, but there was nothing.

Kiyotaka was merely stating it calmly, as if he were talking about something utterly ordinary.

"You..." Yuefeng hesitated. "How do you know?"

"A reasonable deduction. The school's goal is to select individuals who are truly 'exceptional' and 'well-rounded,' not merely students with good grades. Conventional exams cannot achieve that." Kiyotaka replied without the slightest fluctuation in his tone.

What he said made sense.

But Yuefeng still felt that something was off. Why had Kiyotaka gone out of his way to tell him this?

"Thanks... for the warning." Yuefeng said cautiously.

Kiyotaka said nothing more. He merely looked at him once again, his gaze as unfathomable as ever.

Then he turned around and left with the same steady pace he had arrived with, leaving Yuefeng alone in the rising evening wind, utterly bewildered.

"What exactly does he mean?" Yuefeng could not make sense of it. "Was it a kind reminder?

Or another form of probing? Does he want to see what level I can achieve after receiving a 'hint'?

Or... does he simply think it would be embarrassing if the brother arranged by 'Father' performed too poorly on the exam?"

He could not figure it out. Not at all. Kiyotaka's way of thinking was even harder to decipher than Advanced Nurturing High School's exam questions.

Yet the information Kiyotaka had revealed set Yuefeng's thoughts racing.

Unconventional question types, extracurricular material, obscure knowledge, logical traps...

If that was really the case, then perhaps... this exam was not so frightening after all?

Because he had the Survival Notes.

What was recorded inside was not merely character relationships and the course of the plot.

In order to better understand the "rules" of this world and the thought patterns of its "elites,"

he had researched and recorded a great deal of supplementary knowledge about the school, society, economics, and even philosophy, psychology, and game theory.

Much of it was precisely the sort of "obscure" material that textbooks would not explain in detail.

And Kiyotaka had mentioned "logical traps."

Although Yuefeng's Slow Motion ability worked only sporadically, whenever he needed to concentrate intensely on analyzing complex information, it occasionally gave him a strange sensitivity to details and logical connections, helping him avoid mental pitfalls.

A bold thought surfaced, impossible to suppress.

Perhaps... he did not need to focus only on keeping a low profile and barely getting through.

Perhaps... he could try to score a little better?

Not to show off, but... to gain something.

Personal S Point rewards, eligibility to take special elective courses, advanced library reading privileges... these were all tangible resources.

More points meant a more comfortable life and better access to intelligence—for example, buying information.

Special courses and advanced privileges might allow him to access more useful information and skills.

More importantly, there were bonus points for class evaluations.

If he could pass the exam and earn bonus points for Class C, then his "value" in Ryuen's eyes would rise.

A "tool" that could bring tangible benefits would always be treated slightly better than a mere "subject of observation" or "bullying target."

That would expand his room to survive in Class C and lower the risk of people picking fights with him whenever they pleased.

It might even... become a tiny, insignificant bargaining chip when he had to deal with "Father" and the absurd task of "guiding Kiyotaka" in the future.

Of course, there were risks.

Doing well would attract more attention, including deeper "interest" from Ryuen and notice from the other classes.

But compared to passively taking hits and potentially being discarded by Ryuen at any moment, proactively fighting for a little initiative and resources seemed more in line with the survival logic of "strength above all."

The irritation and resistance in Yuefeng's eyes gradually settled into calmness, before a flicker of resolve flashed through them.

He turned around. Instead of looking in the direction Kiyotaka had disappeared, he looked toward the library.

The lingering light of the setting sun dyed the library's glass curtain wall gold and crimson.

"The Grade Skipping Exam, huh..." Yuefeng murmured, the corner of his mouth lifting into a faint curve that held both self-mockery and a do-or-die resolve.

"Fine. Then I'll... skip it for you to see."

"But I need to plan this properly.

What rank should I get so I can gain the benefits without standing out too much...?"

"Hmm, top ten? No, top twenty? Or... exactly one rank below Ryuen?"

He would have to judge that balance carefully.

Yuefeng touched the nearly used-up tube of ointment in his pocket, then started toward the library.

His steps were far firmer than before.

Night slowly fell.