Classroom of the Elite, Oh No, I've Become a Stand-in

"Could it be that the school is going to give us some kind of relief fund?" Hope rekindled in the eyes of many students.

"That's great! I knew the school wouldn't abandon us!"

"Because if this were an official exam, eight of you would have to be expelled."

The cheering voices were instantly silenced as if a pause button had been pressed, leaving only the ticking of the clock on the wall.

Chabashira Sae had no intention of letting it end there; she continued to press her advantage by pulling another poster out and sticking it onto the blackboard.

"What does this mean, Chabashira-sensei? You can't joke about something like this!" Hirata Yousuke stood up immediately, his chair screeching against the floor.

"What is it? Did I not mention it? This school has a rule: if you fail even one subject in the midterms or finals, you will be expelled."

"By the way, the further education and employment you all hope for can only be realized if you graduate from Class A."

Chabashira Sae pressed on, exhausting every effort to strike a critical blow to Class D.

Twenty minutes later.

"Now then, do your best to struggle here. I have finished explaining the relevant rules. If you have any questions, come find me in the teachers' office."

After dumping a mountain of information on the students of Class D in one breath, Chabashira Sae walked away with a clatter of her high heels, looking refreshed as if she had vented all her anger, leaving Class D in complete disarray.

Angry curses, wails, and screams echoed incessantly through Class D, making it sound like a chaotic wet market.

Even so, a few students maintained a facade of calm.

"Heh heh, still so beautiful." The man named Kouenji Rokusuke sat in his seat, holding a hand mirror and stroking his face with intoxication, as if the farce that had just occurred hadn't caught his attention in the slightest.

Horikita Suzune put down her notebook, her face cold, and walked out of the classroom without a word, heading toward the teachers' office.

During this time, Sakayanagi Arisu sat in her seat, saying nothing, quietly observing the reactions of the Class D students.

Reflecting on the past month, the pawns she had scouted all seemed to have some serious issues. She had initially thought they were just minor flaws, but she hadn't expected them to be this severe. Now, she had no choice but to scout for new candidates.

One month ago.

Faced with the unexpected windfall of 100,000 points, she had given subtle hints to the pawns she favored in order to test the abilities of the students in the class.

For example...

"I heard this school is state-funded. Giving out 100,000 points a month is truly generous..."

"Hmph, haha, isn't that a matter of course, lady girl? Do you really think someone as beautiful as me is worth less than a mere 100,000 yen?"

"..."

Or...

"Are you inviting me to lunch? But I want to try the school's free Mountain Vegetable Set Meal, as I see quite a few students eating it."

"Eh? Are quite a few students eating the Mountain Vegetable Set Meal? Then... I'll go eat it too. Please take care of me later, Classmate Sakayanagi."

"..."

Or perhaps...

"The clubs at this school seem very impressive. Most of them are the type that can win championships."

"That goes without saying. After all, someone like me who loves basketball is here. Although you might not understand, once you fall in love with sports, it's hard to stop."

"..."

And then there was...

"The students in Class A are truly excellent. I heard many of them have already started attending cram schools."

"That only proves they are self-disciplined enough. Cram schools are completely unnecessary if you work hard enough on your own."

After all that effort, to summarize:

What on earth are you babbling about? I don't understand a word!

After round after round of talking past each other, faced with Class D students who were each lost in their own worlds, the once-fragile heart of Sakayanagi Arisu seemed to have become a bit stronger.

"Classmate Sakayanagi."

A cutesy voice pulled Sakayanagi Arisu back to reality from her memories.

A girl with her jacket tied around her waist, wearing loose socks and sporting gyaru makeup, came to Sakayanagi Arisu's desk.

"Good day, Classmate Karuizawa. Is there something you need?" Sakayanagi Arisu maintained her usual elegance.

"Well, you see," Karuizawa Kei pressed her hands together, "I actually spent a bit too much money earlier, and now I don't have any money for food. So, Classmate Sakayanagi, could you lend me some points? Just 5,000 will do. Please."

"Isn't Classmate Karuizawa the girlfriend of Classmate Hirata? Given your relationship, surely he would help you?"

Karuizawa Kei spoke vaguely, "Because Yousuke has other things to take care of."

"He doesn't seem like a very attentive boyfriend. I rarely see the two of you appearing anywhere outside the classroom. Do you two rarely go out on dates?"

Karuizawa Kei gave a dry laugh, her eyes darting around, "Yousuke has too many friends, so it's unavoidable that he doesn't have the time."

"Is that so..."

Sakayanagi Arisu's eyes shimmered, she smiled and nodded, then took out her phone. "Sure."

With a ding, Karuizawa Kei received the points, cheered with joy, and ran toward the next female student to borrow another 5,000 points.

The next moment, before Sakayanagi Arisu could even put her phone away, the group of gyaru following Karuizawa Kei surged forward like a tidal wave.

"Um... Classmate Sakayanagi, could you lend me 5,000 points too?"

"I, I only need 3,000 points."

"Classmate Sakayanagi is so cute, you'll definitely help us, right?"

"..."

At this moment, her heart, which had already been tempered to be somewhat stronger, began to beat violently once again.

Chapter 31: Since There's a Cheat Code, Why Won't You Let Me Use It?

"So, Mashima-sensei, that kind of thing... it exists, right?"

In the teachers' office, Mikage Touji sat backward on his chair, tilted it, lowered his voice, and asked Mashima Tomoya sneakily.

Mashima Tomoya remained silent for a moment, then turned his head away to continue preparing his lesson plans.

"It does not!"

"Don't lie to me, it definitely exists!"

"As a homeroom teacher, you should just be generous and tell me the way to pass the Midterm Exam with one hundred percent certainty!" Mikage Touji said with conviction.

"Where on earth did you get the idea that such a thing exists?"

Mashima Tomoya was starting to lose his composure. He hadn't even given a hint about this, so why was he able to deduce that there was a cheating method?

Mikage Touji sneered, "Even in our Class A, there are a few people on the verge of danger, and it goes without saying for Class D; there must be a whole bunch of them who haven't even hit the passing line. I've gone to scout the second and third years, and hardly anyone has dropped out because of this, so there must be some way to pass the exam with one hundred percent certainty."

"..."

Having said that, an increasingly excited smile appeared on Mikage Touji's face, "I'll see which guy dares to mock my nine points in Japanese Literature again. After the exam is over, I'm going to mock them back mercilessly!"

"Come on, as our Class A homeroom teacher, you should give your class some special treatment. Secretly give me the test paper, or the answers will do. I only need the answers for Japanese Literature, though if you could give me Social Studies as well, that would be best."

It's precisely because I'm your homeroom teacher that I don't want to tell you this, okay?

Mashima Tomoya wailed internally.

For someone who doesn't burn incense on ordinary days and doesn't embrace the Buddha's feet at the last minute, the Midterm Exam was his only chance to turn over a new leaf.

Mashima Tomoya, who possessed a wealth of teaching experience, understood this deeply.

Watching Mikage Touji's increasingly perverted smile, he felt an immense headache coming on.

This student was clearly very smart and capable, so why did he insist on using his observational skills for things like this?

"Ahem, Mikage-kun," upholding his duties as a teacher, Mashima Tomoya decided to steer this student back onto the right path, saying sternly, "I've looked at your test papers. There isn't actually a big problem with your Japanese Literature; it's just that your foundation is too poor. As long as you get a little tutoring, your grades will improve by leaps and bounds."

"That stuff, I just can't study it!" Mikage Touji said, going crazy.

"Do you understand... that feeling of listening to a lecture like it's gibberish?" Mikage Touji gestured with his hands, "It's absolutely top-tier as a sleep aid!"

I don't understand that at all... Mashima Tomoya, who had excelled in his studies since childhood, thought silently.

Just then, a girl with long black hair and a dignified aura walked into the teachers' office.

She looked left and right for a while, seemingly unable to find her target. After glancing at the only two people left in the office, Mashima Tomoya and Mikage Touji, she hesitated for a moment before walking toward them.

"Excuse me, is Chabashira Sae-sensei here?"

Mashima Tomoya pointed toward one of the counseling rooms, "She just went to the counseling room; she should be over there."

At that moment, Chabashira Sae happened to push the door open and come out, followed by the homeroom teacher of Class B, Hoshinomiya Chie. Were the two of them chatting? Bickering? Or arguing? It didn't seem to be any of those.

After thanking Mashima Tomoya briefly, she walked toward Chabashira Sae.

Mikage Touji tilted his head, leaning his body to the side, watching her long black hair sway as she walked, along with the fluttering hem of her skirt above her knee-high socks.

"Wow, a long-haired black-haired beauty~ and the ice-queen type at that..."

Chabashira Sae, who was still being pestered, noticed the girl approaching and chuckled, "It's Horikita, come inside and tell me what's the matter." With that, she turned around and reopened the counseling room door she had just closed.

"Sae-chan, don't be so distant, let me listen in too..." Hoshinomiya Chie didn't seem to want to let Chabashira Sae off the hook so easily, clinging to her and wanting to follow her inside.

After the two of them tangled for a while longer, another person walked into the teachers' office: Ichinose Honami from Class B.

"Hoshinomiya-sensei, could I take a moment of your time? I have something to discuss regarding the Student Council."

Ichinose Honami's arrival stopped the two from continuing their entanglement. Hoshinomiya Chie helplessly let Chabashira Sae leave and walked toward her desk with Ichinose Honami.

As she passed by Mikage Touji, Ichinose Honami waved at him in a friendly manner, her smile silent and sweet.

Mikage Touji returned the smile and waved back, then turned his head, his expression solemn, "Mashima-sensei, let's continue."

"Yeah."

Mashima Tomoya nodded seriously, a flash of cold light crossing his eyes.

The two of them, having finished their gossip to their heart's content, began the second round of their battle.

Twenty minutes later, Mikage Touji walked out of the teachers' office, feeling indignant.

"Damn it, that sadistic robot teacher actually blocked all my offensives and even turned the tables on me, using 'righteousness' to suppress me by saying things like 'a teacher's vocation does not allow me to do such a thing'?"

Mikage Touji stopped in his tracks, looking down at the tattered notebook Mashima Tomoya had dug out for him.

"What is this? Snape's Potion Notes? Burning Mantra? Is this for real? He isn't trying to scam me with some Yellow Rank Flame Blowing Palm, is he?"

According to Mashima Tomoya, this notebook contained the essence of what he had learned in high school, later supplemented and revised with university-level knowledge, and refined every year. As long as Mikage Touji could grasp a thing or two, he would be able to dominate the exam halls at Kouiku!

"Is this for real?"

Mikage Touji opened it, half-doubting, and found it indeed contained notes for various subjects, all sorts of question types, problem-solving strategies, key highlights, and even some original solutions he had created himself.

It's just that...

Mikage Touji continued flipping through, but why was there less Japanese Literature and more English the further he went?

Could it be that he found Japanese Literature too boring later on and subconsciously reduced the number of Japanese Literature problems?

But my English is already decent... Mikage Touji fell into deep thought.

After standing there blankly for a while, Mikage Touji pulled out his phone.

One notebook wasn't quite enough to be safe, and Mother Shiraishi could only guarantee a passing grade. To completely wash away his humiliation, he decided to add another layer of insurance.

There was only one way to guarantee that all students would pass—obtain the answers to the exam papers!

Although he didn't know exactly how it could be achieved, he just needed to find someone who knew the truth and ask.

There was no hope with Mashima Tomoya, but now that the gag order had been lifted, he had one more candidate.

He tapped the screen and dialed the number.

"Hello, Senior, are you free?"

"I'm generally quite free at this hour. But you, how do you have time to call your Senior?"

A slightly leisurely voice came through, mixed with some noisy music; she was probably killing time in the open-air area of Keyaki Mall.

"Senior, do you have the answers to the first-year Midterm Exam?" Mikage Touji asked straight to the point.