She slowed her speech and stopped bringing up "making friends," turning instead to books.
She asked Hiyori Shiina what kinds of books she liked to read and whether she'd come across anything interesting lately.
The topic had returned to Hiyori Shiina's comfort zone. She still didn't say much, and her answers remained brief.
But when she mentioned mystery novels she was interested in, her eyes brightened a little. Now and then, she even had a few more things to say about an author's style or a particular trick.
Kikyo Kushida was a good listener and knew how to steer a conversation. She might not have studied mystery novels in depth herself, but she always picked up on Hiyori Shiina's remarks, keeping the conversation from going stale.
The atmosphere gradually eased, even becoming somewhat warm.
Lin Mu sat across from them, with the cafeteria's new eel rice set laid out in front of him. He'd even ordered an extra serving of eel.
The plump, tender pieces of eel had been grilled just right, coated in a rich, savory-sweet sauce and laid over distinct grains of rice. Silky steamed egg custard and crisp pickles came on the side.
(Eel rice is really delicious, but there's a bit too much sauce—it's almost cloyingly sweet.)
He leisurely picked up his chopsticks and put a large piece of eel into his mouth. As the sweetness of the sauce and the richness of the fish spread across his tongue, he narrowed his eyes in satisfaction.
Watching the two girls across from him go from slightly awkward to managing a few words together, he somehow felt...relieved to have been left out of the conversation.
But that wasn't so bad. It meant he could focus on enjoying his food without having to make an effort to join in the socializing.
He shrugged and devoted all his attention to the eel rice in front of him, occasionally lifting his miso soup for a sip.
He treated the soft murmur of conversation across the table as background music for his meal and ate without a care in the world.
(Eat, eat, eat.)
After lunch, the three of them parted ways at the cafeteria entrance.
Hiyori Shiina hugged her books and softly said, "I'm heading back to the library," before turning to leave, her silver hair fluttering gently in the afternoon breeze.
Kikyo Kushida waved to Lin Mu, her fighting spirit back in her expression. "I'm going to think of some more ideas and see how we can keep the study group going! See you later, Lin Mu!"
Lin Mu nodded and watched the two girls head off in different directions. Then he ambled back to his dorm to continue his unshakable midday nap—his usual doing-absolutely-nothing routine.
Life carried on as usual. The quiet of the library, the cafeteria's delicious food, the occasional fortune-telling session, and his casual interactions with Hiyori Shiina and Kikyo Kushida made up the main rhythm of his school life.
Then, on the day before the midterm exams, that outward calm was shattered. Class D's classroom fell into an unprecedented, bizarre atmosphere—a mix of delight, anxiety, and illusory hope.
The classroom was unusually quiet that day.
The usual noise, complaints, and requests to borrow money were gone. Everyone's eyes were drawn as if by a magnet to Kikyo Kushida, who had just returned from outside.
She held a stack of papers in her arms. It wasn't very thick, but it was clearly important. Her expression held a mixture of solemnity, nervousness, and relief.
She hurried to the front of the classroom and, without a word, began handing the papers to the students nearest her. At the same time, she urged them in a rapid voice:
"Everyone, put these away quickly! Go over them and memorize them! We have to get good grades this time and earn Class Points! This is our last chance!"
Her voice trembled slightly with excitement.
The moment the students who received the papers looked down at them, their faces were overcome with incredulous delight!
They were the answers to the midterm exams!
Clear, complete answers, organized by subject!
"Th-this is real?!"
"Kushida! Thank you so much!"
"We're saved! We're really saved!"
"Quick, quick, pass them over!"
The classroom erupted! It was like a pot of boiling oil had been doused with cold water—chaos broke out!
The students who received the answers were ecstatic. They thanked Kikyo Kushida over and over, showering her with gratitude as if she were a living saint who had come to save them from suffering.
The papers were passed around at once, and everyone treated them like treasure, clutching them tightly in their hands.
Their eyes stayed fixed on the words, as if they meant to carve every punctuation mark into their brains.
With the answers, they could pass the midterms!
They wouldn't be expelled! Class D might earn Class Points next month!
The school would finally issue them personal points again!
They could finally escape the desperate situation of surviving on free supplies and borrowing money wherever they could!
At that moment, the thin sheets of paper completely ignited the flames of hope, which blazed so fiercely they nearly consumed all reason and doubt.
Lin Mu remained seated, coolly watching this absurd yet entirely predictable celebration.
A grape-flavored lollipop stuck out of his mouth. Its sweet-and-sour taste spread across his tongue, but his eyes showed not the slightest ripple. There was even a trace of mockery in them.
He thought it was nothing more than a seemingly sturdy straw the school had tossed to a group of Class D students who were on the verge of drowning. One tug, and it might snap.
He understood how the school operated.
If the system really had such an obvious loophole that allowed students to easily obtain exam answers,
and it allowed them all to "pass" that way, then the so-called "meritocracy" would be the biggest joke of all.
Everyone could just exploit loopholes and game the system. Who would bother studying?
These so-called "answers" seemed more like...a safety net? Or perhaps a one-time act of "mercy"?
After all, it would do the school's reputation and stability no good if a class that had only recently enrolled faced mass expulsions over zero points and a single end-of-term exam.
The school was giving them a "chance." If they couldn't seize it, they'd have no one else to blame.
After handing out most of the answers, Kikyo Kushida came over with a copy in her hand. Her cheeks were still flushed, and she was still visibly excited.
She gently set the answers down on the corner of Lin Mu's desk. Her voice still trembled a little, but it was full of concern.
"Here you go, Lin Mu. Take a look and memorize them. This time...this time our class really has a chance!"
Lin Mu lowered the hand that had been propping up his chin and picked up the answers, casually flipping through a couple of pages.
The questions were as easy as elementary-school arithmetic to him. He wasn't particularly smart, but with his supernatural ability, he had a photographic memory.
He'd completely memorized them with just one glance, and didn't even feel like looking again.
"Mm, got it."
He answered, then casually folded the answer sheet—the lifeline everyone else regarded it as—a few times.
He shoved it into the farthest corner of his desk drawer, where it could keep company with several textbooks he'd never opened and a few empty candy wrappers, gathering dust in the dark.
In the classroom, some students had already started memorizing the answers, racing against the clock and muttering to themselves with the reverence of believers reciting scripture.
Others gathered in groups of three or five, quizzing each other and checking their answers. The atmosphere was as heated as a rally before battle.
Of course, a few students, such as Yosuke Hirata, merely studied the answers with a solemn expression and furrowed brows, as if considering something deeper.
Then there was Suzune Horikita. After getting the answers, she only glanced over them coldly before putting them away without a trace of expression. Her eyes even held a hint of disdain.
And then there was Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, still sitting quietly in his seat, as if what he held was an ordinary flyer rather than the answers.
Class D's hopes of making it through the midterms rested on this unexpected set of "answers."
Amid the busy, feverish recitation—tinged with a sense of unreality—their hopes were like soap bubbles in the sunlight, shining brilliantly yet ready to burst.
In the fragments of the future he could "see," this exam probably wouldn't be settled as easily as these people hoped.
But so what?
All he needed to do was make sure he passed safely.
As for everything else, he'd wait and see.
Before you continue