Joint Study Session: Assistance from Class B

Akiyama Shin watched the silver-haired girl leaning on her cane as she walked toward him and Horikita Suzune. A flicker of surprise crossed his mind; he certainly remembered her: Sakayanagi Arisu.

She was the girl from Class A—no, according to the current display, she should be from Class B—whom he had accidentally bumped into that morning, only for her to take the blame upon herself.

That brief encounter, her composure beyond that of an ordinary person, and her near-perfect handling of the situation had instantly marked her in his mind as a character of extreme meticulousness who required high vigilance. Why would she take the initiative to approach him now?

Furthermore, the fact that she was currently in Class B seemed to overturn some of his previous judgments to a certain extent.

Perhaps she hadn't fully grasped the point rules at the beginning of the school year; otherwise, with her ability, Class B wouldn't have fallen from Class A within a month.

However, given the existence of factional struggles within the class, the fact that they had maintained 940 class points after a month—having only lost 60—indirectly indicated the high quality and self-discipline of the students in Class B as a whole, and also reflected that Sakayanagi Arisu might have been in an exploratory phase at the time.

But this only made Akiyama Shin more suspicious. Why would a leader of Class B, who now clearly understood the rules and was in a competitive environment, take the initiative to approach Class D, which was currently in ruins?

Sakayanagi Arisu walked slowly to the front of Akiyama Shin and Horikita Suzune. Her pace was steady, showing not the slightest hesitation despite her physical inconvenience. She bowed slightly, elegantly lifting the hem of her school skirt, and performed an impeccable greeting.

"Good day, Akiyama-kun."

She raised her eyelids, her amethyst-like eyes carrying a faint smile. She looked at Akiyama Shin first, then shifted her gaze to the cold-tempered black-haired girl beside him.

"And this classmate as well."

Horikita Suzune seemed somewhat unaccustomed to such overly formal etiquette, but she maintained basic politeness and gave a slight nod, introducing herself.

"Class 1-D, Horikita Suzune."

"Class 1-B, Sakayanagi Arisu."

"Nice to meet you, Horikita-san."

Sakayanagi Arisu responded with a smile, her tone gentle.

Horikita Suzune cut straight to the point, asking with a trace of imperceptible wariness.

"Sakayanagi-san, may I ask if there is a reason you have come to our Class D?"

She did not believe that someone from Class B would come to find them for no reason, especially now that Class D had suffered such a heavy blow.

Akiyama Shin did not speak, merely watching Sakayanagi Arisu calmly with his dark red eyes, while his brain raced, re-evaluating the girl before him.

What exactly was her motive for showing up at this time?

Seeking cooperation?

This option was almost instantly dismissed by Akiyama Shin. As one of the actual controllers of Class B, her most urgent goal was undoubtedly to surpass the Class A led by Ichinose Honami. Cooperating with Class D, whose class points were currently at zero, had no strategic value and might even drag her down.

But Akiyama Shin thought again; this possibility could not be entirely ruled out. Although in his assessment, Sakayanagi Arisu's comprehensive ability might not be top-tier, her eye for people and intuition were exceptionally precise. From their first meeting, she seemed to have sensed his unusual nature.

Perhaps...

Did she believe that establishing a connection with him as an individual was far more potentially valuable than cooperating with the collective of Class D?

Was she making a long-term investment?

Just as these thoughts swirled in Akiyama Shin's mind, Sakayanagi Arisu spoke, her voice still calm.

"There is indeed something I would like to discuss with you both."

Her gaze rested primarily on Akiyama Shin.

"I assume you both already know that the midterm exams are coming up soon, and those who fail will face expulsion."

She paused, then continued.

"Our Class B is currently planning to organize a study group, aimed at mutual supervision and common progress."

"Considering that the students of Class D may also be facing significant pressure, I would like to make a bold proposal: would Akiyama-kun and Horikita-san be willing to join our study group? We can share learning resources, answer each other's questions, and work together to ensure that everyone can successfully pass this test."

Horikita Suzune was visibly stunned upon hearing this.

Class B taking the initiative to offer help to Class D?

This was like providing fuel in the snow!

She almost subconsciously wanted to agree; this was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity to quickly improve the overall academic strength of Class D.

But she restrained her impulse and cast an inquiring look at Akiyama Shin beside her.

Without realizing it.

In matters involving strategy and external negotiations, she had habitually deferred to Akiyama Shin's judgment.

Akiyama Shin's doubts deepened. What benefit did this proposal from Sakayanagi Arisu have for Class B?

In this way, the students of Class B would not only have to focus on their own studies but also be distracted by tutoring the students of Class D, who were likely to have a poorer foundation. This could be called a one-sided, pure expenditure with almost no return in sight. The only thing he could think of was to use this to sell a favor to Class D, or perhaps to him, Akiyama Shin, personally?

But what value did a favor from the current Class D have?

And his own favor was, at least for the time being, useless...

He could not understand the deeper meaning behind this move by Sakayanagi Arisu.

However, regardless of the other party's purpose, the current proposal was a tangible benefit for Class D. Only a fool would refuse a free lunch. Since he couldn't figure it out, he would accept it first, utilize the opportunity before him, and strengthen himself.

As for Sakayanagi Arisu's true intentions, they would naturally be revealed in time, and weighing the pros and cons was only a matter of an instant.

Akiyama Shin met Sakayanagi Arisu's gaze, which seemed capable of seeing through his heart, nodded, and responded in a calm tone.

"Very well, Class D agrees to participate."

"Thank you for Class B's generosity."

Seeing Akiyama Shin agree, Horikita Suzune felt a weight lift from her heart and nodded toward Sakayanagi Arisu.

"Thank you."

A smile bloomed even more brightly on Sakayanagi Arisu's face, as if she had anticipated this result all along.

"That is wonderful. Shall we meet at the library tomorrow after school?"

"We can divide the area and study together."

"Agreed."

Akiyama Shin replied concisely.

"I look forward to tomorrow's exchange."

Sakayanagi Arisu bowed slightly once more, then leaned on her cane, turned gracefully, and returned to the Class B area.

Watching Sakayanagi Arisu's retreating figure, Akiyama Shin was certainly not naive enough to believe she was acting purely out of goodwill. Sakayanagi Arisu helping Class D—or rather, taking the initiative to show favor to Akiyama Shin—had reasons far more complex than what appeared on the surface. The truth was that for Sakayanagi Arisu, reaching Class A at this Advanced Nurturing High School might not be her ultimate goal. What she truly craved was to challenge the strong and engage in a battle of wits with worthy opponents.

For instance, there was Kiyotaka Ayanokoji in Class D, who hailed from the White Room; he was the rival and childhood friend she had unilaterally designated. Now, Akiyama Shin had also entered her field of vision. Although she had not witnessed any of Akiyama Shin's feats firsthand, her intuition told her that for the former Class B to surpass the former Class A and reach the top spot within a month, there must have been an invisible hand pushing them from behind—and she instinctively believed that hand was Akiyama Shin.

Helping Class D and doing him a favor was a way to leave an impression of being a collaborator or a potential ally in Akiyama Shin's mind.

Rather than a simple enemy.

She could feel that Akiyama Shin's dark red pupils were constantly and calmly analyzing everything around him.

Including herself.

She could not risk losing the chance to compete on the same stage and face Akiyama Shin head-on in the future.

To her, the joy of this school lay in dueling with the strong; whether it was Ayanokoji or Akiyama Shin, they were both opponents she did not want to miss.

Temporary assistance was merely for the sake of a longer, more interesting game.

As soon as Sakayanagi Arisu returned to the Class B activity area, members of the Sakayanagi Faction, such as Hashimoto Masayoshi, Kito Hayato, and Nishikawa Ryoko, immediately surrounded her.

"Princess..."

"Why did you go to see the people from Class D just now...?"

Hashimoto Masayoshi asked curiously, his face filled with confusion.

"Is there some special plan?"

Nishikawa Ryoko also asked, blinking her eyes.

Although Kito Hayato did not speak, his gaze also revealed a sense of inquiry.

Facing the doubts of her subordinates, Sakayanagi Arisu merely smiled slightly, a smile that was unfathomable.

"I am simply sowing some seeds of goodwill."

She said softly, her gaze sweeping over the direction of Class D once more.

"The chess game of the future requires interesting opponents, does it not?"

She did not explain in detail, but Hashimoto and the others seemed accustomed to this way of speaking from their princess.

Although they still had doubts, they did not press further.

On the other side.

Akiyama Shin and Horikita Suzune did not delay and immediately gathered the Class D students scattered across the playground.

"Everyone..."

Hirata Yosuke, acting as the class coordinator, spoke first, his voice loud and clear to ensure everyone could hear.

"Sakayanagi Arisu from Class B just came over and proposed a suggestion to us."

Everyone's eyes focused on them with curiosity. Horikita Suzune took over, her cold voice clearly conveying the information.

"Class B has proposed that starting tomorrow afternoon, we hold a joint study session with them in the library. We will review together to prepare for the midterm exams."

As soon as these words were spoken, a low murmur of surprise erupted among the Class D students.

"With Class B?!"

"Is that for real? Class B is willing to help us?"

"That's great! With the top students from Class B helping, there will definitely be no problem with this exam!"

"This is truly help in a time of need!"

Most of the students, especially those worried about their exam grades, showed expressions of surprise and gratitude; this was undoubtedly a ray of light in the midst of despair.

Karuizawa Kei and her small group exchanged glances, both seeing the relief in each other's eyes.

Wang Meiyu clasped her hands together and whispered.

"That's great..."

Chiaki Matsushita raised an eyebrow and whispered to herself.

"We're supposed to be rivals..."

"What is the point of doing this?"

Haruka Hasebe smiled.

"Looks like our luck isn't too bad after all."

Haruki Yamauchi and Kanji Ike were even more visibly overjoyed.

"Haha! We're saved!"

"It seems the people in Class 1-B have a good eye for things!"

Although Ken Sudo didn't say anything, his tightly furrowed brow relaxed a little; having someone to help was better than grinding through textbooks on his own. Standing at the edge of the crowd, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji felt a secret sense of relief upon hearing the news.

He did not want the ordinary high school life he pursued to be shattered by failing the midterm exams.

Being able to overcome the crisis in this way was undoubtedly the best outcome.

He looked at Shin Akiyama and Suzune Horikita, who were standing at the front calmly announcing the news, and a subtle, indescribable emotion flickered in his heart. Perhaps it was a stroke of luck for Class 1-D to have people like them willing to step up and lead the way at such a critical moment.

Seeing the positive reaction from everyone, Yosuke Hirata struck while the iron was hot.

"This is a very valuable opportunity!"

"I hope everyone cherishes it! Please participate actively! Tomorrow afternoon after school! We will meet directly in the library!"

"Got it!"

"No problem!"

"I'll definitely be there!"

Watching the silver-haired girl leaning on a cane as she walked toward him and Suzune Horikita, Shin Akiyama felt a flicker of surprise. He naturally remembered her: Arisu Sakayanagi.

She was the girl from Class A—no, according to the current display, Class B—whom he had accidentally bumped into that morning, yet she had taken the blame upon herself.

That brief encounter, her composure that was far beyond the ordinary, and her near-perfect response had caused him to instantly mark her as a character with an extremely meticulous mind who required high vigilance. Why would she approach him now?

Moreover, the fact that she was currently in Class 1-B seemed to overturn some of his previous judgments to a certain extent.

Perhaps she hadn't fully grasped the point rules at the beginning of the school year; otherwise, with her ability, Class 1-B wouldn't have fallen from Class A within a month.

But given that there were factional struggles within the class, the fact that they had managed to maintain 940 class points after a month, with only 60 points deducted, indirectly showed the high quality and self-discipline of the students in Class 1-B as a whole. It also reflected that Arisu Sakayanagi might have been in an exploratory phase at the time.

However, this made Shin Akiyama even more puzzled. Why would a leader of Class 1-B, who now clearly understood the rules and was in a competitive environment, take the initiative to approach Class 1-D, which was currently in ruins?

Arisu Sakayanagi walked slowly to the front of Shin Akiyama and Suzune Horikita with a steady gait, showing no hesitation despite her difficulty walking. She bowed slightly, elegantly lifted the hem of her school skirt, and performed an impeccable greeting.

"Good day, Akiyama-kun."

She lifted her eyelids, her amethyst-like eyes carrying a faint smile as she looked at Shin Akiyama first, then turned her gaze to the cold-tempered black-haired girl beside him.

"And this student as well."

Suzune Horikita seemed a bit unaccustomed to such overly formal etiquette, but she maintained basic politeness, nodded slightly, and introduced herself.

"Class 1-D, Suzune Horikita."

"Class 1-B, Arisu Sakayanagi."

"Nice to meet you, Horikita-san."

Arisu Sakayanagi responded with a smile, her tone gentle.

Suzune Horikita cut straight to the point, asking with a hint of imperceptible wariness.

"Sakayanagi-san, may I ask why you have come to our Class 1-D?"

She didn't believe that someone from Class 1-B would come to find them for no reason, especially now that Class 1-D had suffered such a heavy blow.

Shin Akiyama did not speak, merely watching Arisu Sakayanagi calmly with his dark red pupils, while his brain raced, re-evaluating the girl before him.

What was her motive for showing up at this time?

Seeking cooperation?

But this option was almost instantly dismissed by Shin Akiyama. As one of the actual controllers of Class 1-B, her most urgent goal was undoubtedly to surpass Class 1-A, led by Honami Ichinose. Cooperating with Class 1-D, whose class points were currently at zero, had no strategic value and might even drag her down.

But on second thought, Shin Akiyama couldn't completely rule out the possibility. Although in his assessment, Arisu Sakayanagi's comprehensive ability might not be top-tier, her insight and intuition for people were exceptionally precise. From their first meeting, she seemed to have sensed that he was unusual.

Perhaps...

Did she believe that establishing a connection with him as an individual was far more potentially valuable than cooperating with the collective of Class 1-D?

Was she making a long-term investment?

Just as these thoughts swirled in Shin Akiyama's mind, Arisu Sakayanagi spoke, her voice still calm.

"There is indeed something I would like to discuss with the two of you."

Her gaze rested primarily on Shin Akiyama.

"I assume you both already know that the midterm exams are coming up, and those who fail will face expulsion."

She paused for a moment, then continued.

"Our Class B is currently planning to organize a study group, aimed at keeping each other accountable and progressing together."

"Considering that the students of Class D may also be facing significant pressure at the moment, I would like to take the liberty of proposing this: would Akiyama-san and Horikita-san be willing to join us for these study sessions? We could share learning resources, help each other with difficult problems, and work together to ensure that everyone successfully passes this trial."

Horikita Suzune was visibly stunned upon hearing this.

Class B was taking the initiative to help Class D?

This was practically a godsend!

She almost instinctively wanted to agree, as this was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity to rapidly improve the overall academic performance of Class D.

However, she still restrained her impulse and cast an inquiring look at Akiyama Shin beside her.

Without realizing it, she had grown accustomed to relying on Akiyama Shin's judgment when it came to matters involving strategy and external negotiations.

Meanwhile, the doubts in Akiyama Shin's mind only deepened. What benefit could this proposal from Sakayanagi Arisu possibly bring to Class B?

By doing this, the students of Class B would not only have to focus on their own studies but also divide their attention to tutor the students of Class D, who were likely to have a weaker foundation. This could be described as a purely one-sided contribution with almost no return in sight. The only thing he could think of was that she was using this to owe Class D a favor, or perhaps, to owe him, Akiyama Shin, personally?

But what value did Class D have in terms of favors right now?

And his own influence, at least at this stage, was effectively useless...

He couldn't fathom the deeper meaning behind this move by Sakayanagi Arisu.

However, regardless of the other party's motives, this proposal was a tangible benefit for Class D right now. Only a fool would pass up a free lunch. Since he couldn't figure it out, he would accept it for now, make good use of the opportunity at hand, and strengthen himself first.

As for Sakayanagi Arisu's true intentions, the truth would naturally reveal itself in time, and weighing the pros and cons was only a matter of an instant.

Akiyama Shin met Sakayanagi Arisu's gaze, which seemed capable of seeing through people's hearts, nodded, and responded in a calm tone.

"Very well, Class D agrees to participate."

"Thank you for the generosity of Class B."

Seeing Akiyama Shin agree, Horikita Suzune felt a weight lift from her heart and nodded toward Sakayanagi Arisu.

"Thank you."

A smile bloomed even more clearly on Sakayanagi Arisu's face, as if she had anticipated this result all along.

"That's wonderful. Shall we meet at the library tomorrow after school?"

"We can designate an area to study together."

"Fine."

Akiyama Shin replied concisely.

"I look forward to tomorrow's exchange."

Sakayanagi Arisu bowed slightly once more, then leaned on her cane, turned elegantly, and returned to the area occupied by Class B.

Watching Sakayanagi Arisu's retreating figure, Akiyama Shin was certainly not naive enough to believe she was acting purely out of kindness. The reason Sakayanagi Arisu was helping Class D, or rather, taking the initiative to show goodwill toward Akiyama Shin, was by no means as simple as it appeared on the surface. The truth was that for Sakayanagi Arisu, coming to this Advanced Nurturing High School and rising to Class A might not be her ultimate goal. What she truly craved was to challenge the strong and to play a game against opponents worthy of a clash.

For instance, there was Ayanokoji Kiyotaka in Class D, who came from the White Room—the person she unilaterally identified as her nemesis and childhood friend. And now, Akiyama Shin had also begun to enter her field of vision. Although she had not witnessed any of Akiyama Shin's feats with her own eyes, her intuition told her that the fact the former Class B was able to surpass the former Class A and reach the top spot within a month must have been driven by an invisible hand. She instinctively believed that this hand belonged to Akiyama Shin.

Helping Class D and granting a favor was meant to leave an impression of being a collaborator or a potential ally in Akiyama Shin's mind.

Rather than a mere enemy.

She could feel that Akiyama Shin's dark red pupils were constantly and calmly analyzing everything around him.

Including herself.

She could not risk losing the chance to compete on the same stage and clash head-on with Akiyama Shin in the future.

To her, the joy of this school lay in duels with the strong; whether it was Ayanokoji or Akiyama Shin, they were both opponents she did not want to miss.

This temporary assistance was merely for the sake of a longer-term, more interesting game.

As soon as Sakayanagi Arisu returned to the activity area of Class B, members of the Sakayanagi Faction such as Hashimoto Masayoshi, Kito Hayato, and Nishikawa Ryoko immediately gathered around her.

"Princess..."

"Why did you go to see the people from Class D just now...?"

Hashimoto Masayoshi asked curiously, his face filled with confusion.

"Is there some special plan?"

Nishikawa Ryoko also asked, blinking her eyes.

Although Kito Hayato did not speak, his gaze also revealed a sense of inquiry.

Facing the doubts of her subordinates, Sakayanagi Arisu only smiled slightly, a smile that was unfathomable.

"I am merely sowing some seeds of goodwill."

She said softly, her gaze sweeping over the direction of Class D once more, as if by chance.

"The chess games of the future require interesting opponents, don't they?"

She did not offer a detailed explanation, but Hashimoto and the others seemed accustomed to this way of speaking from their princess.

Although they still had their doubts, they did not press for further answers.

On the other side.

Akiyama Shin and Horikita Suzune did not delay, immediately gathering the Class D students scattered across the school grounds.

"Everyone..."

Hirata Yosuke, acting as the class coordinator, spoke first, his voice resonant to ensure everyone could hear him.

"Just now, Arisu Sakayanagi from Class B came over and proposed a suggestion to us."

All eyes converged on them, filled with curiosity, as Horikita Suzune took over, her cool, clear voice conveying the information.

"Class B has proposed that, starting tomorrow afternoon, we hold joint study sessions with them in the library to review together and prepare for the midterm exams."

As soon as these words were spoken, a low murmur of surprise rippled through the crowd of Class D.

"With Class B?!"

"Is this for real? Class B is willing to help us?"

"That's great! With the top students from Class B helping, we'll definitely be fine for the exams!"

"This is truly a timely help!"

Most of the students, especially those worried about their exam grades, showed expressions of surprise and gratitude; this was undoubtedly a ray of light in the midst of their despair.

Karuizawa Kei and her small group exchanged glances, each seeing a look of relief in the other's eyes.

Wang Meiyu pressed her hands together and whispered.

"That's wonderful..."

Matsushita Chiaki raised an eyebrow and muttered to herself.

"We're supposed to be rivals..."

"What could be the point of doing this?"

Hasebe Haruka smiled.

"Looks like our luck isn't so bad after all."

Yamauchi Haruki and Ike Kanji were even more visibly delighted.

"Haha! We're saved!"

"Looks like the people in Class B have a good eye for things!"

Sudo Ken didn't say anything, but his tightly furrowed brow relaxed slightly; having someone to help was better than struggling through the books on his own, and as Kiyotaka Ayanokoji stood at the edge of the crowd, he felt a secret sense of relief upon hearing the news.

He did not want the ordinary high school life he pursued to be disrupted by failing the midterm exams.

Being able to pass through this crisis in such a way was undoubtedly the best possible outcome.

He watched Akiyama Shin and Horikita Suzune standing at the front, calmly announcing the news, and an indescribable emotion flickered in his heart; having people like them willing to step up and lead the way at a critical moment might just be a stroke of luck for Class D.

Seeing the positive reaction from everyone, Hirata Yosuke struck while the iron was hot.

"This is an incredibly valuable opportunity!"

"I hope everyone cherishes it! Participate actively! Tomorrow afternoon after school! We will meet directly at the library!"

"Got it!"

"No problem!"

"I'll definitely be there!"