The King Has Yet to Exert Himself

"How strange."

"What's strange?"

Why hasn't the traitor made a move after so long? Could it be that they've had a change of heart? Ayanokoji said to Horikita.

Through two special exams, there had been no signs of class information leaking, and Kiyotaka was pondering the reason for this.

On an autumn afternoon, sunlight spilled over the trees lining the street, and a gentle breeze carried a hint of autumn's chill. Sunlight filtered through the golden ginkgo trees, casting dappled shadows, while the fallen leaves covering the sidewalk looked like a stage set specifically prepared for this day.

Nagami stood at the entrance of the agreed-upon cafe, his hands tucked into his jacket pockets, mindlessly kicking a fallen leaf at his feet as he checked the time on his phone.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

A crisp voice pulled him back from his thoughts. He looked up to see Kushida running over, breathless, her long hair slightly disheveled from the sprint.

Her light makeup made her skin look more radiant, giving her complexion a natural and delicate texture.

A subtle, shimmering apricot-gold eyeshadow was applied to her eyelids, making her eyes appear brighter. The ends of her eyeliner were slightly elongated, tracing an elegant curve. Finally, she had carefully applied mascara, each lash curled to perfection, light as a feather.

(Every girl is a potential makeup master; I have to hand it to them.)

"Did it take so long to get dressed up?"

"Correct. The longer a girl takes to get ready, the more it shows how much she values the guy. You should be grateful."

Kushida spun around, the hem of her pale purple dress swaying with her movement.

The dress's design was simple yet exquisite, with the cinched waistline outlining her already slender figure, making her look like a blooming flower.

A faint, floral perfume drifted over with the breeze as she moved, the fragrance refreshing and pleasant.

To guard against the evening chill, she had draped a white knit cardigan over her shoulders; its thin material and soft texture made her look even warmer.

She had even swapped her usual headband for one in a reddish-purple hue.

Finally, she wore a pair of nude-colored low heels, the surfaces dotted with tiny rhinestones that reflected little specks of starlight with every step she took.

"Kikyo, did you study properly for tomorrow's exam?"

"With you around, I can pass just by winging it, so why should I worry?"

"So, what was it you wanted to meet me for today?"

"Oh, I almost forgot. Actually, I suddenly thought of something yesterday... like this... and that..."

"Hmm, I understand. You can head back now."

"Huh! Just like that?"

Kushida thought about how she had spent all morning on her makeup and outfit only to be dismissed after barely showing them off, and her desire for slaughter began to rise.

"I'm joking, let's go. I heard there's a place that serves great salmon, let's go check it out."

"Oh, if you make a joke like that again, I'll kill you."

"But you guessed right that I like salmon, so that's a bonus point."

On the day of the exam, a tense atmosphere permeated the entire school.

In the hallways, students gathered in twos and threes, whispering about key study points.

"Please, let this question be on the test..."

Yamauchi pressed his palms together, whispering a prayer to the notebook in his hands.

Others nervously flipped through review materials, their mouths rapidly reciting formulas and vocabulary.

Inside the classroom, desks and chairs were arranged neatly, and almost every desk was piled high with textbooks, workbooks, and reference books.

Ike rested his chin on his hand and looked out the window, seemingly forcing himself to calm down. The sunlight outside slowly rose, yet it didn't seem to dispel the tension within the classroom.

"Time is up. Put your books away."

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The proctor walked into the classroom; their voice wasn't loud, but it was like a stone thrown into a pond, instantly silencing all the students.

The sound of chairs scraping against the floor echoed one after another as everyone quickly put away their books, leaving their desks clean and tidy. The air was filled with the crisp sound of flipping pages and faint, shallow breathing.

"The exam starts now. Pass the papers back, and no whispering."

Outside, the playground was deserted, and even the birdsong seemed exceptionally clear; the entire campus seemed to be holding its breath, waiting for the end of this exam.

(The difficulty of this exam is unexpectedly simple.)

(I don't know if Class C is showing mercy, or if the teachers are being overly strict with their vetting.)

In this low-reward exam, Ryuen ultimately did nothing, engaging in a rare, fair fight.

It felt like the calm before the storm.

"Finally finished."

"Barely passable."

"Yosh! I'm definitely going to score 50 on this math test."

Sudo, one of The Three Idiots, declared his victory after finishing the exam.

"Oh, it's Nagumo-senpai today. I'm not quite used to it yet. I usually see Horikita-senpai in this seat, so it's hard to adjust all of a sudden."

Ichinose and Nagami entered the student council room to begin their work as usual.

"You'll get used to it, Nagami. You might be seeing me in this seat for the next year."

"Senpai, I've been troubled by something I'd like to ask you about. After thinking it over, I realized only you could provide the answer. May I ask?"

Nagami suddenly thought of a rather mischievous question.

"What is it? Answering a junior's questions is what a senior is supposed to do."

"Well, you see, sometimes some female friends greet me, but since I know so many people, I can't remember everyone's name. I heard that you never get a girl's name wrong, so I came specifically to ask for your advice."

"You're quite the joker, junior. As long as you put your heart into it, you'll remember names; there's no need to memorize them deliberately."

"Oh, so has there ever been a time you got a name wrong, Senpai? I heard that getting someone's name wrong can have serious consequences. Have you ever experienced that?"

Nagami's words were loaded with subtext as he pressed for an answer.

Nagumo Miyabi suddenly recalled a few embarrassing incidents from his past. Once, during a date, he had actually called his partner by his ex-girlfriend's name and ended up getting a cup of coffee dumped on him.

There was another even more ridiculous time: just as they were about to kiss, he called out the wrong name and received a slap to the face, which left him too afraid to leave his house for three whole days. Now that this "dark history" was being repeatedly alluded to, his expression turned sourer than a bitter melon in an instant.

"That's enough, junior. Let's drop the subject of names."

"Let's begin the official work."

"Yosh, let's get to it!"

Ichinose suddenly realized something and let out a soft, stifled giggle.

"Gomen, I just remembered something funny."

They looked at each other in silence.

After all, this world had yet to invent the great substitute for names: "babe."

[Paper Shuffle Special Exam Final Results]

Class A: 890+50=940

Class B: 825-50=775

Class C: 440-50=390

Class D: 257+50=307

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