"[I'm sure everyone knows that, given our class's current academic abilities, it'll be difficult to get excellent scores on the midterm exams. We'll be lucky if we don't come in last. Since the school has chosen to make us compete, there must be a way out of this situation.
Everyone remembers my score on the quiz, right? That's right, I got a perfect score. Normally, that would be impossible, and I don't have the ability to achieve it on my own. Suzune, show them.]"
As Suzune operated the projector, three test papers appeared on the blackboard. One was dated April of last year and had a student's name on it. Another was from the year before.
"[I'm sure everyone remembers this. It's the test paper from our last quiz. The ones beside it are from the April quizzes last year and the year before. As you can see, the questions haven't changed at all. I got a perfect score last time because I obtained the questions beforehand. I bought them from an upperclassman using points. So, is it possible that the midterm exam questions haven't changed either...
Take a look. The questions on last year's and the year-before-last's midterm exams were almost identical, too. So there probably won't be many changes to this year's exam. Still, to be safe, we can't let up on our studies.
Therefore, following Hirata's suggestion, it'd be best for everyone to form study groups after school and study for around two hours. Whenever you have spare time, try to understand and memorize the questions on this test paper.
With Hirata and the others helping, this shouldn't be too difficult. For the sake of everyone's future, I hope you'll all put in some effort.]"
Perhaps the information Ju Ji had shared was so shocking that, this time, no one interrupted him before he finished speaking.
If they could earn a large number of points on the midterm exams, they'd be able to return to a life with a hundred thousand points every month. For those who had experienced such a luxurious lifestyle, there was no way they could resist the temptation.
"I can't accept this. Studying in class is already making me restless. Now I have to attend some study sessions after school? I've got basketball practice. And who's going to teach the sessions? You, Shinomiya?"
"Sudo, Shinomiya's been working hard to help everyone. It's unfair of you to say that."
"But it's true that we have club activities."
Sudo's complaint voiced what quite a few students were thinking. For students who couldn't sit still, just attending regular classes was already torture. Making them stay for another two hours of studying after school was practically asking them to die.
Ju Ji had originally planned to stay out of it. His grades were good, after all, so he had no need to attend any study sessions. Wouldn't he rather spend that time having fun?
But since Sudo had raised the issue, Ju Ji had to make some concessions as the one who had proposed the study sessions.
"[Sudo has a point. Everyone's seen how much he loves basketball. And since I was the one who proposed these study sessions, I should make some concessions, too. How about Sudo spends just one hour studying? I'll tutor him myself. Anyone else who has club activities can join us, too.]"
"If you're putting it that way, Shinomiya, then fine. You're smart, so I trust you."
The suggestive power of [Hypnosis Lv2] was incredible. He'd actually managed to get Sudo to agree. In the original story, Sudo had been the only one who failed, so this would prevent that from happening. Giving up a little of Ju Ji's free time was worth it, but he hadn't expected Sudo to trust him so much.
"Pfft~"
Someone who'd been watching from the back finally couldn't help laughing after seeing Ju Ji successfully rope himself into the tutoring.
"Um, I have swimming club activities, too. Can I join Shinomiya's study group?"
"Of course."
"I want to join Shinomiya's study group, too."
"Meiyu, your grades are already so good. Don't make trouble!"
In the end, the only ones confirmed for Ju Ji's study sessions were Sudo, Ike, Onodera, and Sakura, who'd been forcibly assigned to the group because there weren't enough students. Yeah, they were all problem students. Ju Ji seriously suspected someone was targeting him.
A few students had tried to sneak into Shinomiya's study group, but Kikyo had stopped them. Wang Meiyu's grades were good enough that she'd be more useful as a tutor than as a member of someone else's study group.
Still, at least Yamauchi Haruki had been replaced because of Ju Ji's arrival. Otherwise, he really would've been in trouble trying to teach five idiots.
"Ju Ji, come with me afterward."
"What? Your brother came to see you again? But this time it should be good news, right? I don't need to go with you, do I?"
"No. My brother asked me to bring you along."
The study sessions weren't going to start on the first day. They'd just made it through a major points crisis, and everyone needed to relax, so Hirata and the others took most of the class to a celebration party.
Ju Ji went with Suzune to the Special Building. Horikita Manabu was already waiting there, and the upperclassman with the surname Tachibana was still by his side. They were practically inseparable. As expected of the Student Council President, he'd arrived well before the appointed time.
"Well done, Shinomiya. You rose from Class D to Class C in your first month. You're the first person to accomplish that. Congratulations. You're qualified to join the Student Council. Tachibana, the secretary's position is still open, isn't it?"
"Yes, President."
"Join the Student Council, Shinomiya. You could even become its president someday. That's the greatest authority I can offer you."
Joining the Student Council, with a chance to become its president? In a sense, that was just dangling a carrot. It sounded great, and it came with considerable authority, but there were plenty of restrictions, too. Joining the Student Council offered him no real benefit at the moment.
"Brother, you absolutely mustn't let someone like Ju Ji become Student Council President... If that happens, he'll... Anyway, he's not suited for it."
When Suzune thought of Ju Ji's earlier explanation for wanting to join the Student Council, she knew she couldn't let him join under any circumstances. She couldn't possibly allow him to turn every girl in the school into one of his harem.
"As Suzune said, I'm not suited to join the Student Council. Thank you for the invitation, Horikita-senpai, but I'm afraid I must decline."
Ju Ji wanted to say the famous line, "I, Shinomiya, love nothing more than saying no to arrogant people!" But the situation wasn't right for it.
"Is that so? In that case, I won't press you. I'm leaving Suzune in your care. Tachibana, let's go."
"Yes, President!"
Horikita Manabu's departing figure seemed to carry a sense of relief, as though he'd finally set something down. Tachibana's voice also sounded quite cheerful. Considering his final words, he'd probably come to check on his sister because he was worried about her. What a siscon...
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