Lin Mu continued in a low voice, his warm breath brushing her ear. "You can ask them when they get back. Don't tell Sudo just yet—"
He paused and glanced at Ken Sudō, who was still sitting there looking utterly dejected. A hint of barely perceptible coolness crept into his voice.
"Let him think about it a little longer. He had the answers and still failed. He clearly didn't take this exam seriously at all."
Kikyo Kushida's eyes widened. She froze in place.
Her mind seemed to shut down in an instant. For several seconds, she couldn't process the sudden good news.
Her lips parted slightly, as though she wanted to say something, but she didn't know what.
Confusion first filled her eyes, then disbelief, and finally a sense of relief.
Sudo... wasn't getting expelled?
It was just... over?
She had already prepared for the worst. She'd even started figuring out how to comfort Sudo and explain things to the other classmates afterward...
She never expected things to take such a sudden turn at that very moment.
And Lin Mu had been the first to tell her.
Kushida's gaze settled on Lin Mu's face.
The boy still looked as lazy as ever, a lollipop stick between his lips and a listless look in his eyes.
It was as if what he'd just said was some trivial matter, like "the chips at the convenience store are half-price today."
Yet this was the person who had gone out while most of the others sat in silence, then returned with the news.
Though Ayanokoji and Horikita had solved the problem together, Lin Mu had said he'd only gone along to watch.
Still, Kushida looked at him and softly said, "Thank you." Her voice held genuine warmth.
Meanwhile, her thoughts were already racing.
Ayanokoji and Horikita... How had they pulled it off?
Chabashira-sensei had been so adamant. What had they done to persuade her? Points? Some other condition?
Her curiosity sprouted like weeds, growing wildly.
She couldn't wait to find out the answer and hear the whole story of the negotiation.
But for now, she could only rein in her curiosity and follow Lin Mu's suggestion—not tell Sudo yet, and let him "panic" a little longer.
After all, just as Lin Mu had said, Sudo had the answers and still failed. Ken Sudō really hadn't taken this exam seriously.
A little lesson might not be a bad thing.
Kushida took a deep breath, composed her expression, and turned toward Yosuke Hirata and the other classmates who were still worried.
She began reassuring them. "Everyone, don't worry too much. There may still be a way out..."
Her voice was gentle and full of hope, a complete contrast to the despair she'd shown just minutes earlier.
Lin Mu returned to his seat and sat down again. He fished an unopened box of milk-flavored lollipops out of his desk.
This really was the last of his strategic reserves stored in his desk. He opened the box and popped one into his mouth.
As the sweetness spread through his mouth, he contentedly narrowed his eyes.
Well, that farce was finally over.
He leaned back in his chair, his gaze sweeping over his classmates, who were still steeped in gloom, before settling on the clear autumn sky outside the window.
Next, he should think about what to have for dinner.
But before that...
Lin Mu pressed his tongue against the lollipop, nudging it from one cheek to the other.
First, he'd enjoy this candy.
Night had fallen over the campus, darkness slowly washing across Advanced Nurturing High School.
The noise and tension of the day had sunk below the horizon along with the setting sun, and warm yellow lights gradually appeared in the dormitory windows.
Most of the students were already resting in their rooms, saving their energy for the next day's classes.
But amid the quiet of the night, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji's single dorm room had become a temporary hangout for the members of Class D's study group.
Though calling it a "hangout" made it sound more like a celebration. In truth, the atmosphere was closer to an awkward gathering where everyone had their own thoughts.
Linmu Fujimiya leaned against the wall beside the door, a freshly unwrapped milk-flavored lollipop in his mouth.
He watched the people in the room listlessly, feeling like an observer who'd wandered into some unfamiliar tribe—the most out-of-place "outsider" of all.
In the middle of the room, Ken Sudō, Haruki Yamauchi, and Kanji Ike sat cross-legged on the floor.
They were devouring the various snacks Kikyo Kushida had brought. Their chewing and the rustling of wrappers sounded especially clear in the cramped room.
Suzune Horikita sat alone on a chair beside the desk, her back perfectly straight and her hands resting on her knees. She was as silent as a delicate ice sculpture.
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji leaned against the head of his single bed, his expression calm and his gaze vacant as he stared at the ceiling, as though the lively scene had nothing to do with him.
And Kikyo Kushida, the gathering's nominal organizer, was busy handing out snacks, a familiar smile on her face.
"Have plenty, everyone! I bought lots of snacks just for this! Sudo was really shaken up today, so he needs to replenish his energy!"
As for why Linmu was there...
Let's go back to the classroom that afternoon.
Not long after Lin Mu returned from the rooftop, Ayanokoji and Suzune Horikita came back to the Class D classroom one after the other.
They went straight to Ken Sudō, who was still slumped in his seat with an ashen face, and told him as concisely as possible that his expulsion had been rescinded.
Sudō froze at first. His mind was still shut down, as though he couldn't understand what those words meant together.
Then joy crashed through all the despair on his face like a tsunami. He slapped the desk and sprang to his feet, laughing so loudly he nearly brought down the ceiling.
"Hahaha! I'm not getting expelled! Yes! Yes!!"
After the roller coaster ride from hell to heaven, this tall boy, who barreled around the basketball court and usually had a fiery temper, finally let his vulnerable side show.
Kikyo Kushida immediately hurried over.
Seeing Sudō escape expulsion by the skin of his teeth, she smiled with heartfelt relief, though her bright eyes gleamed with intense curiosity.
She turned to Ayanokoji and Horikita and asked in a soft voice, "That's wonderful! Sudo won't be expelled. But...
"How did you and Horikita convince Chabashira-sensei, Ayanokoji? She was so determined at the time..."
Ayanokoji's expression didn't change. He simply said, "Nothing special."
Suzune Horikita was even more aloof. "It's enough that we resolved it. The details don't matter."
One was expressionless, the other as cold as ice. Together, they shut down all of Kushida's questions.
Kushida blinked. Her curiosity was eating away at her, but seeing their attitudes, she had no choice but to let it go for now.
Then, to "celebrate the successful end of the study group" and "help Sudo recover from his fright," Kushida took the opportunity to suggest a small gathering.
Haruki Yamauchi and Kanji Ike immediately jumped at the idea. These two had already spent all their points and were living on the cafeteria's free vegetable set meals. At the words "gathering" and "snacks," their eyes practically turned green.
Sudō was delighted and agreed at once. He needed a celebration to let out all his excitement at having escaped expulsion.
Suzune Horikita furrowed her brow, clearly reluctant. But when Kushida said, "We're all members of the study group. Let's celebrate together," she finally gave a cool "Mm," which counted as consent.
Before you continue