Preparing for the Midterm Exam

As Sae Chabashira left the classroom, the students inside seemed to have had their spines extracted, slumping in their seats.

Even the usually arrogant Sudo hung his head low.

This was simply because he was one of the seven people who had just been marked for expulsion.

Onizuka didn't move; having been quite idle lately, he had been looking forward to this scene, so why would he leave early now?

However, the atmosphere in the class grew increasingly stifling, and the students began to complain and point fingers at one another.

"Yamauchi, you were the one having the most fun during class! Take some responsibility for this!"

"Y-you're talking nonsense! Weren't you all playing around too?"

As it turned out, trying to watch the show from the sidelines while surrounded by a group of people on the verge of a breakdown was not a wise choice; soon, the flames of war spread to him.

Yamauchi Haruki, lashing out blindly to vent his frustration, saw Onizuka sitting in the corner with a relaxed expression and roared.

"Onizuka! You had a great time skipping class recently, didn't you!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the eyes of the entire class instantly locked onto him, accompanied by a chorus of whispers.

"Yeah! We were at least just not listening in class. How could that compare to skipping entirely!"

"Isn't Onizuka going a bit too far?"

Yet, he acted as if nothing had happened, staring straight at Ike Kanji, who had turned the spearhead toward him. His icy demeanor was enough to send a chill down anyone's spine.

The troublemaker wasn't having fun anymore.

Sensing that things were going south, Yosuke Hirata stood up and walked to the podium.

"Everyone, please calm down. Onizuka-kun was absent before because he was feeling unwell, and he had already asked for leave from Sae Chabashira. It isn't what you all think!"

Kikyo Kushida, standing to the side, also stood up to mediate between the two parties.

"Let's all calm down. None of us wanted things to turn out this way. Didn't the teacher say there are special exams to increase our class points? We still have hope, please don't give up!"

With the two of them acting as lubricants, the atmosphere in Class D gradually eased.

Eventually, everyone quieted down and followed Yosuke Hirata's lead.

"Everyone, since the special exam is still a long way off, the biggest challenge we face right now is the midterm exam, which will lead to expulsion."

Although Yosuke Hirata didn't name names, the gazes in the classroom inevitably drifted toward those seven people.

"Ahem!" Seeing that he had regained the students' attention, Yosuke Hirata continued.

"I want everyone to unite and form study groups to effectively help those who aren't doing well in their studies improve their grades!"

Seeing that no one objected, Yosuke Hirata stated that he would organize the study groups later, then dismissed everyone to do as they pleased.

Time quickly passed until after school. The state of the classes throughout the day had been completely different; while it wasn't as if everyone was listening with rapt attention, at least there was no one slacking off during lessons.

"Tsukasa, are you busy right now?"

Just as Onizuka was about to pack his things and return to the dormitory, Yosuke Hirata approached him to greet him.

"If you aren't busy, could you... provide some guidance to the students in the class?"

Just as he had said before, he was very free right now—extremely free! Finding something to do for himself wouldn't be a bad idea.

"Sorry, Yosuke, my health hasn't been great lately, so I'm afraid I can't."

But why should he do such a thankless task? Just to satisfy some ridiculous sense of self-fulfillment?

"But... never mind. Get some rest."

Looking at the look in his eyes at the end, Onizuka knew that he knew he was lying, but so what? The good-natured Yosuke Hirata would naturally handle it for him, just as he had after the class meeting.

Onizuka quickly left the classroom. When he reached the entrance of the school building, he saw an unexpected figure leaning against the gate.

"Sae Chabashira?"

Seeing Onizuka walk up to her, Sae Chabashira extinguished the lady's cigarette in her hand and looked at him.

"Tsk, Onizuka-kun, to be blunt, I want you to help those few students pass the midterm exam."

Hearing her say this, Onizuka felt a hint of confusion.

"Sae Chabashira doesn't seem like the type of person who cares that much about her students?"

"Well~ people always change, and I am no exception." Sae Chabashira smoothed her hair. "Anyway, don't worry about that. Do you agree?"

"I must refuse!"

Sae Chabashira sighed helplessly.

"Sigh, I knew it would be like this. How about 20,000 points?"

Stopping Onizuka, who was about to leave, Sae Chabashira proposed her condition.

"20,000 points, huh~ that's still not quite enough. I can take charge of tutoring Sato, Shinohara, and Inogashira, and ensure they pass the midterm exam smoothly."

"As for the price, each of them will pay me 5,000 points every month until graduation. How about that?"

Sae Chabashira stood there thinking for a moment, then reached out her hand.

"Then I should thank you for saving me that expense."

A smile also appeared on Onizuka's face.

"That goes without saying!"

...After school the next day...

Inside a cafe in the school's commercial district.

Onizuka, Maya Sato, Satsuki Shinohara, and Kokoro Inogashira were gathered together.

"Chabashira-sensei must have already told you about the midterm exams, right?" Onizuka broke the silence first.

"She told us, sure, but how can you guarantee that we'll be able to pass the test?" Maya Sato frowned slightly.

The other two also wore expressions of doubt, and feeling a hint of helplessness, Onizuka sighed and said.

"Naturally, it's because I have the ability to do so. If you trust me, we can continue this conversation; if not, the school gate is just a left turn out the door, so you won't have trouble finding your way out when you get expelled."

Hearing Onizuka put it that way, they didn't continue to push back, instead resigning themselves to signing their names on the contract that had already been prepared.

"Very good. Since that's settled, you all can head back now. We'll meet again in one week."

"What? One week? But there are less than ten days left until the midterm exams!" Maya Sato's voice was laced with anxiety.

"Yeah! Onizuka-kun, please take this seriously!" Kokoro Inogashira also began to grow anxious, her clenched fists revealing her unease.

"It's over, it's all over..." Satsuki Shinohara sighed, a glimmer of despair flashing in her eyes.

"Rest assured, you will definitely pass this exam!"

Onizuka didn't offer much of an explanation, picked up his coffee, and walked out, leaving behind three people deeply mired in doubt.