The next day, the moment Teacher Chabashira stepped into the classroom, the atmosphere around her instantly froze. It was so quiet that it seemed nobody dared to breathe.
Teacher Chabashira looked surprised. It was probably the first time she had ever seen the class in such an unusual mood. It also showed just how much the students of Class C (Ju Ji) cared about their results.
"Teacher, I heard our exam results are being announced today. When will that be?"
"Hirata, you don't need to be so excited. An exam of that difficulty should have been easy for you."
"When will they be announced...?"
Teacher Chabashira's words didn't make him back down. Instead, he pressed her for an answer. His own grades weren't important to him. What he cared about was how his classmates had done, and whether they could get along afterward. That was what mattered most to him.
"Go ahead and be happy. I'm announcing the results now. If I waited until after school, I'd have plenty of other things to deal with."
"What do you mean?"
"Don't be nervous. I'm announcing them now."
As usual, this school had prepared all the results before informing the students. Teacher Chabashira put a large sheet of paper bearing the students' names and scores up on the blackboard.
"Honestly, I'm impressed. I never expected you to score this highly. You tied for first place in every subject. More than twenty of you even got perfect scores."
Most of the scores on the sheet were 100, and the lowest of the rest was still no less than 75. The class erupted in cheers when they saw the results. Even Sudo and Ike breathed a sigh of relief.
Incidentally, even though those two had memorized the exam questions in advance, they still scored below 80 in one or two subjects. Sakura, on the other hand, had several perfect scores, which honestly surprised him. How could someone as dumb as her do so well? Those two idiots must have slacked off while memorizing the questions.
There were no red marks on the sheet indicating failing grades, which made Ju Ji breathe a sigh of relief. It would have been ridiculous if his involvement had caused the class average to reach 80. But that was impossible. Not everyone would have thought to get their hands on old exams, and not every student would choose to cheat. Plenty of them wanted to rely on their own abilities. So the passing score couldn't possibly have been higher than 60.
"Teacher, you see? When it counts, we can take things seriously."
Hearing Hirata say that, the students in the class all wore smug expressions. The tense atmosphere instantly turned cheerful.
"Everyone, quiet down for a moment. I have to admit that you really did work hard. Every one of you scored more than twenty points above the passing mark. That's certainly something to be proud of. Failure has nothing to do with you."
As she spoke, Teacher Chabashira wrote a number on the blackboard: '45'.
"This is the passing score for this exam. You've successfully avoided being expelled."
"Forty-five? Isn't the failing mark 40?"
"Who ever told you that the failing mark was 40, and when? I'm in a good mood today, so I'll tell you the school's grading standards for free."
Teacher Chabashira wrote a simple equation on the blackboard. It read, 90 ÷ 2 = 45.
"The failing standard for both the last exam and this one was set separately for each class. It's calculated by dividing the average score in half. You have to score above that result to pass."
"I see. That's a pretty reasonable standard."
It was indeed reasonable. It was much more reliable than the 60-percent-of-full-marks standard used in China.
"Feel free to enjoy this moment, but don't get carried away. Your next class is about to start, so be mindful. The school's evaluation is still ongoing."
Teacher Chabashira was right. As long as they were in a classroom where merit reigned supreme, they couldn't let their guard down for even a moment. But today was different. Even the rigid Teacher Chabashira had given them her permission to celebrate. This was a wonderful moment that only the victors could enjoy.
After school, Class C (Ju Ji) held a celebration party, organized by Hirata. This time, Ju Ji and the others didn't refuse. They wanted to enjoy themselves for once.
"Cheers!"
Ike shouted as he held up a can of fruit juice. Everyone there was underage, so nobody was going to drink alcohol. That took some of the fun out of it for Ju Ji. The last time he'd had a drink was six months ago, when he'd secretly tried his uncle's treasured shochu. He'd been soundly scolded for it, too.
The members of the former failing group—Sakura, Sudo, and Ike—had gathered again. Ju Ji and Suzune were with them, too. Kikyo, meanwhile, was chatting with other classmates. Popular people really were busy. He still couldn't see himself taking on a leadership role. It was just too much trouble. For now, that position could only belong to Hirata.
"Everyone, we made it through this midterm exam thanks to Shinomiya's help. On everyone's behalf, I'd like to thank him. Today is a day to celebrate, so let's all enjoy ourselves.
"I hope that for the next two years and more, we'll continue moving forward together as united as we have been lately."
As expected of Hirata. He could say things like that without sounding awkward at all. But this toast was only for fruit juice, of all things. Ju Ji felt oddly conflicted.
Ju Ji knew enough about Hirata to understand that he meant every word. That was why his speech was so moving.
"Well said, Hirata. I believe we'll definitely make it into Class A, then rub it in the faces of everyone who assigned us to Class D."
"You bet. Our Class C (Ju Ji) is the most united class of all."
With the wildly popular Hirata delivering a heartfelt speech, many people were moved. Some were even close to tears. Hirata really was handsome and capable. If it weren't for his psychological trauma, he would surely have been assigned to Class A.
Not long after the party began, Hirata approached Ju Ji alone.
"Shinomiya, I really don't know how to thank you. If you hadn't pointed it out to us, our class definitely wouldn't be this united now. To be honest... this means a lot to me. This scene, which feels like something out of a dream, became real because you were here. So if there's ever anything you need help with, don't hesitate to ask. I'll do everything I can to help you. Anything at all."
Hirata was right. Ju Ji knew all too well what their class had been like at the beginning in the original story. That was why he'd done his best to prevent things from turning out that way.
But Hirata, was it really a good idea to talk like that? If you were a girl, people would already be making all kinds of unreasonable demands. But there was nothing Ju Ji wanted from Hirata. Unless he really had to come up with something...
"I do have one request, Hirata."
"What is it?"
"Be my friend, Hirata."
"So Shinomiya, you're the kind of person who values formalities. Of course. I've already thought of you as a friend."
Damn, how could Hirata be so dazzling? Ju Ji was beginning to understand how the girls in the class felt. If he were a girl, he might have fallen for Hirata, too. For now, though, he could only find him annoying...
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