The Study Group Breaks Up

Ken Sudō's face flushed red, his fists clenched and unclenched under the table, and he swallowed the rebuttal that was on the tip of his tongue.

This reaction clearly startled Horikita Suzune; she seemed not to have expected Ken Sudō to be so restrained.

Yukimura Teruhiko helped to persuade them.

During the recent lesson, his attitude towards Ken Sudō changed slightly.

He adjusted his glasses at the opportune moment.

"Horikita, don't be too impatient. You saw Sudo's report card last time. His foundation is relatively weak, so take it slow. With his attitude and effort, he should have no problem passing the midterm exam next month."

"I understand... Sorry, Sudo. I got a little excited just now."

Horikita Suzune took off her glasses and rubbed her temples.

His attitude was sincere, but his tone unusually cold and hard.

She glanced at the other people's reactions and noticed that Kanji Ike and Yamauchi Haruki were looking at her with incredulous eyes, which made her feel slightly uncomfortable.

"It's alright, I understand. Teaching others is indeed a test of one's heart."

Ken Sudō had witnessed his neighbors teaching their children how to break down defenses on several occasions.

Therefore, his tolerance for this situation is quite high.

Of course, the main reason is that he is prepared to change himself.

Otherwise, given his past attitude, he might have already grabbed Horikita Suzune by the collar and started yelling at her.

Ken Sudō's unexpectedly tolerant response stunned everyone present.

A hint of surprise flashed in Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's eyes, then he nodded thoughtfully.

Yukimura Teruhiko's hand, which was pushing up his glasses, paused in mid-air, and an approving expression appeared on his face.

Even the usually talkative Kanji Ike quieted down and looked at Ken Sudō with a completely new perspective.

Chapter 68, Section 67: Study Group Disbanded

Two days later.

After school, at the library.

The last rays of the setting sun shone through the library windows onto the tabletops, casting long, thin shadows.

Horikita Suzune sat in the corner, her fingers lightly tapping the table, her gaze fixed on the exercise book in front of Ken Sudō.

"I've explained this problem three times already, why can't you still understand?"

Her voice was cold and sharp, like a precise scalpel piercing the sore spot, "You even get the mechanical steps of applying a formula wrong, where exactly did you put all your effort into?"

Ken Sudō's fingers clenched the pencil tightly, his knuckles turning white.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his breathing became slightly heavier.

He was indeed trying, but the math formulas seemed to be deliberately working against him; he just couldn't remember them.

"I... I'll try again."

He gritted his teeth, his voice low and menacing.

"Try again?" Horikita Suzune frowned, a hint of impatience in her voice. "There's no second chance during the exam."

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Yukimura Teruhiko adjusted his glasses and interjected.

"Horikita, don't be too anxious. His foundation is indeed relatively weak."

"A weak foundation is no excuse," Horikita Suzune said coldly. "If you can't even keep up with this level, how can you possibly pass the midterm exam?"

After two days, Ken Sudō's patience finally reached its limit.

"Bang!"

He slammed his fist on the table, sending the eraser flying.

He growled, his voice filled with suppressed anger.

"Enough!"

"Stop putting on that superior face! What can you do besides nitpicking?!" His voice was extremely low, veins bulging in his neck. "I did as you said, but these trivial problems are just—"

"What is it?" Horikita Suzune interrupted, "Too difficult? Can't remember it? You have quite the repertoire of excuses."

Ken Sudō could no longer bear it; he abruptly stood up, the chair scraping loudly on the floor.

His voice was hoarse, like that of a wounded wild animal.

"You don't know anything!"

"I'm not playing along!"

Ayanokōji noticed that his clenched fists were trembling.

It wasn't anger, but something more pathetic.

Yukimura Teruhiko sighed, like a neighborhood committee uncle mediating a quarrel between neighbors.

Yueyi first posted, "Horikita, have some water first."

He then turned to Ken Sudō.

"Sudo, don't get agitated. Horikita just wants your academic ability to improve. Sit down first. This question is indeed a bit tricky; how about we try a different approach?"

"What kind of change of approach?" Horikita Suzune sneered. "He hasn't even mastered the basics, and you're going to let him skip steps?"

Then he looked at Ken Sudō with a cold gaze.

"I remember you said your goal was to become a professional basketball player. But someone like you who gives up halfway through will never become a professional player. Putting aside academics, just talking about basketball, you only play the rules that are advantageous to you, while you avoid the parts that really require hard work and overcoming difficulties, just like you do with academics."

These words were like a knife piercing Ken Sudō's heart.

He roughly stuffed the books into his schoolbag.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka slightly raised his eyes, Kanji Ike, looking utterly shocked.

"Sudo ..."

Yukimura Teruhiko wanted to try to persuade him, but Ken Sudō had already grabbed his schoolbag, turned around, and strode away.

"Do whatever you want! I'm not learning anymore!"

When he grabbed his schoolbag, he knocked over Yukimura Teruhiko's water bottle, but the latter caught it in a flurry without uttering a single word of reproach.

Horikita Suzune stared at the exercise book that had been torn by Ken Sudō, her fingers trembling slightly, but her expression returned to its icy state.

"... hopeless."

Kanji Ike and Yamauchi Haruki looked at each other in bewilderment.

They originally came to the study group because of Ken Sudō and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, but now that one of them is gone, they've lost their motivation to continue.

"I'm leaving too." Kanji Ike scratched his head. "Partly because I can't keep up... but with her looking down on me like that, I can't continue."

Yamauchi Haruki sighed and silently packed up his books.

Horikita Suzune said coldly.

"If you don't care about being expelled, then do whatever you want."

"Before exams, I would stay up all night cramming. That's how I've always done it."

Kanji Ike forced a smile.

"That's an interesting thing to say." Horikita Suzune's lips curled into a slight smile. "Before, failing a grade didn't result in expulsion."

Kanji Ike was speechless and could only awkwardly follow Yamauchi Haruki away.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's eyes flickered slightly as he noticed the reactions of the other students in the library.

Some people frowned and shook their heads, some whispered among themselves, and others secretly took out their phones to record the scene.

The internal conflicts within Class D are becoming a laughing stock for other classes.

Yukimura Teruhiko sighed and stood up.

"Ayanokōji, if the study session is held again, let me know and I'll come."

"OK."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka responded calmly.

After watching Yukimura Teruhiko leave, he turned to look at Horikita Suzune.

"Horikita, if you keep doing this, you won't be able to improve their academic performance."

"I was indeed wrong." Horikita Suzune's voice carried a rare hint of weariness. "If I teach these people this time and manage to help them avoid failing, they'll fall into the same predicament next time. This will only lead to repeating the same actions, ultimately resulting in failure."

"What... does this mean?"

"What I mean is, if these people who are holding others back can't change their minds, they'd be better off leaving Class D now."

This is the conclusion Horikita Suzune reached after careful consideration.

As long as there are no failing groups, there's no need to spend time and effort teaching them to read, and the class average will also rise.

"But they also have their own value," Ayanokoji Kiyotaka said calmly. "For example, Sudo has a very good physique. He can make a great contribution to the class in the sports festival and in other aspects."

"Hmph, physique?!" Horikita Suzune sneered. "Can they compare to Tanaka Yukishin, the Club Tyrant who defeated 25 clubs in a row? Besides, Koenji's physique isn't necessarily worse than his."

"The problem is, Tanaka has made it clear that he has no interest in participating in the promotion," Ayanokoji Kiyotaka pointed out. "Besides, the more good cards he has, the better."

"His lack of participation and his willingness to participate in activities when he's interested are two different things." Horikita Suzune shook her head. "I think I've figured it out. He's not interested in moving up a grade, but like Koenji, he's incredibly motivated when it comes to fun things."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka a moment of silence, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka finally said indifferently, "Whatever. Anyway, I've already given you your advice, and I've done my duty with yesterday's deluxe meal."

The library's automatic doors closed behind him, Ken Sudō's footsteps felt particularly heavy in the empty corridor.

His hand gripping the backpack strap trembled slightly, Horikita Suzune's words, "Those who give up halfway can't become professional players," stuck in his heart like a thorn.

"Hey... Sudo! Wait for us!"

Kanji Ike up, panting, while Yamauchi Haruki followed behind in sneakers; both of their cheeks were flushed from running.

Ken Sudō suddenly turned around, the twilight glow streaming through the corridor windows, casting orange-red patches on his face and making his eyes appear slightly red.

What are you doing here?

He spoke gruffly, but dared not look his friend in the eye.

"Of course I'll keep you company!" Yamauchi Haruki hooked his arm around his shoulder. "That Horikita guy is so nasty! I would have flipped the table already!"

Ken Sudō suddenly pushed him away.

"... Go back."

Seeing the two of them stunned, he scratched the back of his head and lowered his voice.

"These past few days of study sessions... have actually been quite useful. Much better than those sessions organized by Hirata that just involve reading from the textbook."

Kanji Ike's eyes widened.

"Huh? Didn't you just...?"

"I'm serious." Ken Sudō scratched his head again. "I've at least memorized a few formulas these past few days, which is much better than before when I couldn't understand them at all."

He paused, his voice even lower, "That Yukimura guy... he's pretty serious too."

Yamauchi Haruki and Kanji Ike a glance.

The setting sun cast long shadows of the three people, like three crooked but always connected lines.

"Idiot." Kanji Ike suddenly punched Sudo hard on the back. "If you want to regret it, go and say so yourself!"

"Exactly!" Yamauchi Haruki waved his phone. "But...we can help you record an apology video?"

"Who regrets it!" Ken Sudō immediately bristled, his ears turning red. "I just... felt you didn't need to come with me. Exams are more important."

Yamauchi Haruki patted him on the shoulder.

"Alright, alright, I know you care about your image. But..." He glanced at his watch, "Wouldn't it be too awkward to go back now?"

"Roll."

Ken Sudō laughed and shoved them away, but a hint of relief appeared in his eyes.