Chapter 32

"..."

Kaneda was speechless at my assessment of him, which was the complete opposite of what he thought of himself. But he knew I was good at reading people, so he didn't argue.

"If you like her, go after her... I'm rooting for you, Minya."

"Do you really think she's the type to date someone? She's definitely one of those goody-goody girls, right? And her brother's the Student Council President... Are you trying to get me killed?"

I considered Kaneda's suggestion, then rolled my eyes.

"What's there to be afraid of? Her brother's about to graduate anyway. Besides, your family's pretty well-off too, Minya!"

Suzuki had overheard the gossip and rushed over, draping himself around my neck.

"Hey, hey! Keep it down. It'll be a problem if Class D hears you..." I said, pushing the overly enthusiastic Suzuki away.

"They won't. It looks like they're arguing over there, so they're busy."

"Huh!?"

I looked toward Class D's section.

"Isn't that Yamawaki from our class? Why'd he go over there to start trouble?" Kaneda had noticed too.

"Go get him back! Actually, I'll go. It's a good chance to get acquainted."

When I got closer, I heard that Yamawaki had started it. Apparently, Class D had been making so much noise that they'd disturbed Yamawaki and Nishino, who was tutoring him nearby. Nishino was currently holding him back, keeping him from fighting Sudo.

"You know that if you fail this exam, you'll be expelled, right? I'm really looking forward to seeing how many of you get expelled."

Though Yamawaki was being held back, he didn't hold back with his words. He wasn't letting our class down.

"Unfortunately for you, no one in Class D will be expelled. And before you worry about our class, you should worry about your own. Pride comes before a fall."

The cool-headed Horikita was the one who spoke.

"Heh, heh-heh! Pride comes before a fall? Give me a break! We're not studying just to avoid failing. We're studying to get better grades and earn more Class Points. Don't lump us in with you. Besides, you're happy just because you got Francis Bacon right? What's wrong with your brains? What's the point of studying material that's outside the exam range?"

Hey, Yamawaki! You're definitely a terrible teammate. Did you really have to say that out loud?

"Huh?" The students in Class D looked confused.

"Did you not even bother checking what's covered on the exam? No wonder you're defective."

"Don't push it, you hear me?" Sudo was losing his temper.

"Enough! This is a library. Don't disturb everyone else's studying!" I stepped in at the right moment. "Sorry, everyone in Class D. Yamawaki was only trying to compete with you fairly. He just went about it the wrong way."

"You call that fair competition?" Horikita replied.

"Exactly. He was just annoyed that you didn't know what was on the exam. Isn't that right, Yamawaki?" I glared at him.

"Yes... I'm sorry, Kitazawa. I caused you trouble," Yamawaki said obediently.

"Shouldn't you be apologizing to Nishino and everyone in Class D?"

"Yes. It won't happen again."

"Good. Go back to studying." After sending Yamawaki away, I introduced myself to Class D. "I'm Kitazawa Minya. To be honest, I'm also unhappy with Chabashira-sensei's unprofessional behavior. Our class could've won fair and square, after all. Don't you think?"

I was actually pretty happy about it! Give me some credit!

"What did you say? I feel like you're even more arrogant than that guy just now!" Sudo was even angrier this time, and Ayanokoji quickly grabbed hold of him.

"Kitazawa, if you've come here to provoke us too, I can tell you that the outcome won't be decided until the very end. Besides, do you speak for all of Class C?" Horikita looked me in the eye as she replied.

"Everyone in Class C answers to me, except Ryuen. What about it?" I replied.

"So you're number two? Fine, then pass this on to Ryuen... I'm going to make it to Class A! So it's inevitable that I'll surpass you."

"I'll pass that along. After all, Ryuen and I are both interested in a girl like you." I smiled at Horikita.

"That's enough, you little punk! Get lost!" Seeing me tease Horikita, Sudo finally couldn't take it anymore. He threw the pen beside him at me. Unfortunately for him, a cautious person like me had kept him in the corner of my eye the whole time. I easily dodged the projectile and made my escape.

"Sudo! I don't need you stepping in on my behalf!" Horikita was annoyed that I'd teased her, but she was even more displeased with Sudo's temper. If he'd hit Kitazawa in front of everyone just now, it would've been a problem.

Wouldn't I lose Class Points even if he missed? Throwing a pen like a knife in the library and all.

I returned to Class C like a victor, and everyone there laughed with me. That only made Class D even angrier. That's right, those two classes had become enemies. Class B had watched the whole conflict unfold, too.

That's right—let this be a warning to you, Class B. Just watch. Once Ryuen and I are done messing with Horikita, you're next, Ichinose.

After Sudo gave up his club activity time, Class D's study sessions entered their final sprint. The poison I'd given them was about to take effect.

Sure enough, two days before the exam, Hirata, completely unaware of the truth, followed his senior's "thoughtful instructions" and handed out fake past exam papers—along with the perfect answers he'd carefully prepared himself.

I'd expected it to take a lot of effort to get my hands on information like that, but Sudo, who'd been building up his anger for half a month, actually used the past exam papers to provoke Yamawaki. He'd just lowered my opinion of his intelligence to a new low.

So when my classmates came rushing over to ask me how to deal with it, I couldn't help laughing.

"Don't worry, everyone. I know plenty of upperclassmen. I'll make sure everyone has the past exam papers by tomorrow morning."

After reassuring everyone in my class, I was eager to find out what was happening in Class D, but unfortunately, I had no way to get in touch with anyone there. I could've found some indebted student and pressured him into cooperating, but this was important information. If they turned the tables on me, it'd be a real problem. Better to take my time. Besides, Class C's eight-hundred-million Class Points plan left us with the most personal points to spare, making it easiest to recruit students from other classes.

Author's note: There'll be another update later.

Volume One: The First Glimmer of Brilliance — 19: If You're Upright, Don't Fear Slander

If you're upright, don't fear slander. — Saadi

Before long, the day came when the midterm results would be announced. Unlike Class D, who waited for the verdict in confusion and unease, everyone in Class C looked relaxed. Everyone had passed with high scores; not a single person had failed. The result was only to be expected.

"Celebration party tonight. Everyone's coming, so don't make me come and get you myself." Ryuen left with Yamada after tossing out that remark, and the students of Class C erupted in cheers. That's right, we'd finally made it through our first Special Exam without anyone getting expelled. Everyone deserved to relax a little.

But after dinner, on my way to the karaoke place, a group of unwelcome guests blocked me at the cafeteria entrance. It was Karuizawa.