In the library, Takahashi wrote out the detailed steps for solving the math problem on a sheet of scratch paper, carefully explaining which fundamental concept was used to derive each step. He was being incredibly conscientious.
Moreover, Takahashi wasn't bad at building models, but then there was Dio. This left Ike, who'd been assigned to Takahashi, listless. Every so often, he'd look over at Yamauchi and Sudo, who were receiving one-on-one tutoring from girls. Yamauchi in particular had been paired with his beloved Kushida.
Ike watched the happy smiles on Sudo and Yamauchi's faces, then looked at Takahashi. He was so handsome—the second-best-looking guy in the girls' group's ranking. If he spent more time around girls, he'd probably overtake Hirata. Takahashi's lower eyelashes were so long, and his skin seemed fairer than most girls'. What would Takahashi look like dressed as a girl? As the thought crossed his mind, Ike swallowed.
"Why do you keep staring at me?"
"Ah... Well..."
"Is there something I explained that you didn't understand? Point it out, and I'll go over it again."
"Haha, that's right!" Sudo's voice rang out beside them.
"Hey, keep it down! You've been chattering away this whole time. You're disturbing everyone who's trying to study, you know?" said a student nearby who was reviewing for an exam.
"Uh... Sorry, sorry. I got a little too excited." Sudo actually lowered his head in apology for once.
"You guys are the defective products from Class D, aren't you? You haven't even figured out what's on the exam, yet you're still studying in the library. That's pretty hilarious."
"Hey, what'd you say, you bastard? You wanna fight?" Sudo flared up at once.
"Using violence in front of everyone in the library. If that doesn't make you defective products, I don't know what does! I'm Yamawaki. I look forward to working with you. Hahaha!"
"You..."
"All right, that's enough provoking them. You're disturbing everyone else in the library," Ichinose said as she walked over.
"Who the hell are you, sticking your nose into— Haha, sorry, Ichinose. I didn't mean to." When Yamawaki realized it was Ichinose who'd stepped in, all his earlier bluster vanished.
"Come on. Studying with defective products from Class D will make you stupid," Yamawaki said to his Class C companions.
Seeing that the commotion had died down, Ichinose turned and walked over to Takahashi. When Ike saw the beautiful girl approaching, he immediately pretended to study diligently.
"Takahashi, didn't your teacher give you the exam scope?"
"She did. Is there something wrong with what we're studying?"
"Hmm... I don't know what Teacher Chabashira assigned you, but I'd recommend asking her whether she might have gotten it wrong."
"Okay, thanks, Ichinose. I'll go ask her right away. And thanks for stepping in just now. Want to hang out this weekend?"
"It wasn't a big deal. If you go out this weekend, just message me. Bye!"
After saying goodbye to Ichinose, Takahashi ignored the questions from Ike and the other two about whether he was dating her, and turned to Horikita. "We should ask Teacher Chabashira about the exam scope now."
When Horikita came out of the staff room, Sudo and the other two hurried over to ask how it went.
"The exam scope was changed, but Teacher Chabashira forgot to tell us."
"How could the teacher..." Sudo started to get angry, but his voice petered out before he could finish.
Everyone fell silent. In the hallway, the only sound was Takahashi sitting on the floor against the wall and shaking a fortune stick.
"Yamauchi, please take the updated exam scope to Hirata and the others. We can't let them keep studying the wrong material." Horikita's voice was clearly trying to sound calm. Takahashi was somewhat irritated too, since he'd spent the past few days carefully tutoring Ike.
A modest blessing? He looked at the stick in his hand, on which those words were carved.
"Sudo, Ike, Yamauchi."
"What is it?"
"Do you really not mind? You've spent all these days studying material that won't be on the exam."
"Of course I mind, but there's only a week left until the exam."
"Good. Then leave the rest to me."
"Why did you ask me here? You're not going to throw a childish tantrum because I forgot to give you the latest exam scope, are you?" Teacher Chabashira said, looking at Takahashi as he stood by the rooftop railing.
"I'm not that childish."
"Teacher Chabashira, I asked you here because I wanted to ask you a few questions. You only need to answer yes or no."
Without waiting for Teacher Chabashira to reply, Takahashi went straight on.
"At this school, there are differences between students, but there must be differences between teachers too. So, if you're in charge of a class full of defective products, does that mean you're a defective product as well?"
Teacher Chabashira didn't respond. She simply lit a cigarette.
"Our class had zero Class Points in the first month, but then you saw a glimmer of hope in Ayanokouji and me—hope that could free you from being called a defective product too. So you wanted to use this exam to weed out the most hopeless, most useless defective products. Is that right?"
"I admit it was a mistake on my part not to update you on the exam scope in time. But, Takahashi, I don't know anything about the things you're talking about."
Takahashi stepped forward, snatched the cigarette from Teacher Chabashira's hand, and stubbed it out. Then he moved close and lowered his head, bringing his mouth to her ear. "Do you think we don't fully understand the school's rules?"
After saying that, Takahashi left the rooftop. Teacher Chabashira watched him go, the corners of her mouth curling into a smile.
He tossed the extinguished cigarette butt and the lighter he'd swiped from Teacher Chabashira into a trash can, then opened a door. A sweet voice came from inside.
"You're here, Takahashi."
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