Kushida Kikyo Takes Action

They also devised every possible way to cope with the situation at this school, except for Special Exam.

Simply carry a voice recorder with you, and you'll never be alone when traveling with companions.

In this campus where cameras are everywhere.

It's practically flawless.

In their extreme boredom, the appearance of Tanaka Yukishin was a boon to them.

It was like a traveler in the desert finding an oasis.

Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long, thin shadows across the corridor and dividing the teaching building into a chessboard of light and shadow.

The clock struck three in the afternoon, and students in the four classes were preparing for the upcoming midterm exams in their own ways.

In Class A classroom, Ichinose Honami was sitting around the window with several core members.

Kanzaki Ryuji pushed up his glasses, and a clear light reflected off the lenses.

"The midterm exam review materials have been compiled. Shall we distribute them to the other students now?"

"Of course I want to share it with everyone."

Ichinose Honami smiled and nodded, her long pink hair gleaming softly in the sunlight.

Her slender fingers gently flipped through the documents. "We are a team; we must progress together."

Shibata Hayate fiddled with the pencil in his hand, his brows slightly furrowed.

"But... won't this affect their autonomy? Although failing means expulsion, with a score in the half-line, no one in our class will face expulsion." His voice was hesitant. "Once they enter society, there won't be such a good environment."

"It's okay."

Ichinose Honami responded gently, dividing the materials into several portions and handing them to the students around her. "There are methods to learning, and helping others is also a way to improve yourself." Her gaze swept over everyone in the classroom. "Everyone will grow in this process."

Meanwhile, in the corridor of Class C, Ryuen Kakeru was leaning lazily against the windowsill.

Ishizaki Daichi rushed over.

"Boss, we've pretty much confirmed what happened with Ken Sudō from Class D. He definitely has a volatile and easily angered personality!"

Ryuen Kakeru narrowed his eyes, a dangerous smile curving his lips.

"Oh? That muscle-bound idiot..."

"However, I heard that he recently joined a study group at the library, and it seems he's been preparing diligently for his midterms."

Ishizaki Daichi added in a low voice.

Ryuen Kakeru's expression suddenly darkened, and his fingers, which were tapping on the windowsill, stopped.

"A study session?" His voice held a hint of amusement. "Interesting..."

Albert stood aside, silently observing their conversation.

"Don't touch him for now," Ryuen Kakeru suddenly said, turning to look out the window. "We'll talk about it after the midterms. Let Ibuki Mio keep an eye on Class D' s movements."

The atmosphere was completely different in Class D's classroom.

Ken Sudō grabbed his hair in frustration, flipping through his textbook with a loud rustling sound.

"These math problems are too hard! I can't understand them at all!"

"Be quiet."

Horikita Suzune continued reading without looking up, her voice as cold as ice, "You're only affecting other people's studying."

Hirata Yosuke strode over, a gentle smile on his face. "Sudo- kun, feel free to ask me if there's anything you don't understand."

But his eyes were full of exhaustion.

Clearly, the study sessions he organized, while helping others, brought him too much pressure.

In a corner of the classroom, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka silently observed everything, as usual.

His gaze shifted from the arguing Ken Sudō and Horikita Suzune, swept over Koenji Rokusuke who was doing his nails, and finally landed on Kanji Ike was secretly playing on his phone.

"Hey, Ayanokōji." Yamauchi Haruki suddenly leaned over and put his arm around his shoulder. "How's your midterm preparation going?"

"So-so."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka answered calmly, his face showing no emotion.

"Really..." Yamauchi Haruki pursed his lips and released his arm. "This is an exam where failing means expulsion. At least pretend to be a little nervous."

In the front row of the classroom, Kushida Kikyo was busy distributing her self-organized notes.

"Keep it up, everyone! Don't hesitate to ask if you need any help."

Her sweet smile made several boys blush immediately, and they rushed to surround her.

However, as she turned to walk towards the next classmate, the smile on her face vanished instantly, and her eyes became cold and distant.

Sato Maya noticed this change and frowned in confusion.

On the roof of the teaching building, Ryuen Kakeru Sho was listening to Ibuki Mio's report.

Ibuki Mio's short hair was a little messy from the wind.

"The study sessions for Class D are mainly organized by Hirata Yosuke, but there aren't many participants."

"Continue to observe the effects of the 17VIII-IV vaccine."

Ryuen Kakeru lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.

Ibuki Mio nodded, and as she turned to leave, her skirt swayed gently.

Ryuen Kakeru stood alone on the edge of the rooftop, gazing at the distant campus with an indifferent look in his eyes.

"Ken Sudō... let me see if you get expelled from the midterm exams, or if I'll send you away."

Inside the library, the lighting in the rare book section was dim, and the heavy bookshelves cast deep shadows.

At 4:30 pm, there weren't many students coming to borrow books.

Hashimoto Masayoshi appeared furtively on one side of the bookshelf in the library, glancing around every now and then.

"Senior, did you bring the things?"

An older student emerged from the shadows and handed over a brown paper bag.

"This is last year's exam question. Remember, we haven't seen it before."

Just as Hashimoto Masayoshi was about to take the paper bag, he suddenly heard a slight noise coming from behind the bookshelf.

His movements froze, and he looked around warily.

Who's there?

Shiranami Chihiro emerged from behind the bookshelf, carrying several books, her face displaying just the right amount of surprise.

"Hashimoto -kun? What are you doing here?"

Her gaze swept over the paper bag in Hashimoto Masayoshi's hand, then quickly moved away.

"Ah... I... I came to find reference materials."

Hashimoto Masayoshi stammered as he quickly stuffed the paper bag into his backpack.

"I see."

Shiranami Chihiro smiled slightly, "Then I'll be going now, goodbye."

She turned and left gracefully, but her pace quickened noticeably as she rounded the corner.

Hashimoto Masayoshi breathed a sigh of relief, but didn't notice that behind the bookshelf on the other side, Kushida Kikyo was quietly putting away her phone.

Shiranami Chihiro walked briskly back to her dormitory, the sunlight casting a long shadow of her.

She took out her phone, hesitated for a moment, and finally dialed Kanzaki Ryuji's number.

"Kanzaki, I've discovered something..."

The library lights cast dappled shadows on the bookshelves.

Kushida Kikyo's fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her skirt; what she had just witnessed made her breathless.

Hashimoto Masayoshi is trading past exam questions with an upperclassman.

"So... there's another way..."

Her eyes widened slightly, then returned to their sweet curve.

The image of Ken Sudō's tearful gratitude, Kanji Ike's adoring gaze, and Hirata Yosuke's approving smile already flashed through my mind.

"If I could get these questions..." Her heart raced, "No, not for myself, but to help everyone..."

She corrected herself in her mind.

"It's a pity that people from Class A are also there... otherwise we could have even joined Class A."

"No, I'm a student in Class D, and I want to take care of Horikita Suzune."

Kushida Kikyo bit her lower lip, her meticulously manicured nails tapping lightly on her phone case.

A perfect plan was taking shape in her mind.

"I can secretly buy these problems," she said, a smile involuntarily creeping onto her lips, "And then at the study session."

"Especially those students with poor grades..." She gently stroked her long hair, "Sudo -kun, Yamauchi- kun, Ike-kun... they will trust me even more."

Afterwards, with everyone's help, they expelled Horikita Suzune from school.

The thought made her cheeks flush and her breathing quicken with excitement.

Kushida Kikyo uploaded a video of the transaction process that she had previously filmed. ~Eki-slippery umbrella (II) Kei-kun, the sheep went into the laptop connected to the dormitory and then walked to the lending desk as if nothing had happened.

At the same time, his fingers moved rapidly across the phone, saving the video to an encrypted album.

"We need to find the right time..." she thought, "Ideally, when everyone is at their most desperate."

Imagining the surprised expressions on her classmates' faces, Kushida Kikyo's steps became lighter.

Meanwhile, Shiranami Chihiro had already given a complete report of the situation to Kanzaki Ryuji.

Several core members of Class A are having an emergency meeting in an empty classroom.

"Should we remind them that this is against the rules?" Shiranami Chihiro asked, her fingers nervously twirling the ends of her hair.

Ichinose Honami gently shook her head.

"No, considering that information could be traded and bought before, it's actually a semi-transparent rule."

"The way you obtained the information was too coincidental. If you really wanted to keep it confidential, you should have used a terminal transaction, or at least a private room in the cafeteria or a dormitory. That would greatly improve the confidentiality."

Kanzaki Ryuji adjusted his glasses, the lenses reflecting a cold light. "Class B's actions were premeditated. We don't know who's behind it."

"The school's management of exam information is unique—they allow a certain degree of information flow, but remain ambiguous on key rules."

"This shows that the school has always adhered to the principle of transparent rules but flexible details. They provide a basic framework but reserve the right to adjust the details at any time."

Shiranami Chihiro nodded thoughtfully.

"So even if you obtain past exam questions, they might be reduced or even rendered worthless due to minor rule adjustments?"

"That's exactly right."

Kanzaki Ryuji's pen traced clear lines on the paper. "The school is playing a much bigger game. What they really want to assess is never rote memorization, but rather—"

"The ability to adapt to changing circumstances and gather and discern information."

Ichinose Honami picked up the conversation, sunlight streaming through the window and dancing on her long pink hair, "It's like playing chess; you need to study classic game records, but you also need to know how to adapt to your opponent's moves."

Kanzaki Ryuji closed his notebook and glanced out the window.

"So you're definitely not the only one who saw it; those in Class D who thought they had the standard answer might have fallen for it."

Outside the window, cherry blossoms were falling in a flurry.

In this school where merit reigns supreme, everyone is playing their own game.

Midterm exams are merely a chess piece placed on the board.

Chapter 74, Section 73 Kushida Kikyo in Action

School ended the following afternoon.

Kushida Kikyo went to the library again.