Are Past Exam Papers a Good Thing? How Can You Own Them Without Spending Points?

With some time left before the midterm exams, I had arranged for people to stake out the cafeteria every day during this period. The goal was very clear: just wait for the rabbit to hit the stump.

Ayanokoji was going to purchase past exam papers and answers to the post-enrollment quizzes from a third-year student in Class D, and what I wanted to do was quite simple.

Ayanokoji wanted to use the past papers as an insurance policy, and there wouldn't be any issues even if a transaction for such things were discovered; there are plenty of legitimate excuses one could make.

But what I intended to do was flip the table. The upper-tier classes have no need to worry about academic exams, but the lower-tier classes are a different story.

The first-year Class D had been studying hard for nearly a month, and with their limited but existing foundation, they could still attempt to pass the exams even without the past papers.

The second and third-year students are different; they are seasoned veterans. Much like my own personal experience in university during my previous life, I worried about everything when I first enrolled, harboring a fear of failing courses.

However, once the freshman year passed, I gained experience, and by my sophomore year, I had already mastered the art of skipping classes, leaving the exams to be a miracle-chase at the end of the term.

Based on my observations, there are quite a few students in the lower-tier classes of the second and third years at this school who fall into this category. Since they see no hope of promotion anyway, they just start coasting, doing just enough to get by as long as they aren't expelled and can secure their diplomas.

These past papers, passed down from generation to generation by these "underachievers," are one of the crutches they rely on to stay in this school without actually studying. It has become a form of path dependency for them.

At this critical juncture, I am here to flip that table. As for those past papers, once you weigh such gray-area items on a scale, you realize just how heavy the consequences can be.

The upperclassmen couldn't possibly be unaware of this, especially the third-years who have already been ground down by this school for over two years. If they were to be expelled now, their entire lives would truly be finished. Doesn't that just perfectly grasp their Achilles' heel?

"Auntie, the 1100-point set meal."

The agreed-upon code came through the earpiece; the target, Ayanokoji, had appeared and completed the transaction with the upperclassman.

"Manabe, move out!"

This is exactly what a member of the Disciplinary Committee should be doing! Having Manabe, wearing the armband, stand in front of that third-year student would surely be a very interesting scene, though it's a pity I can't see it.

"Senior, stop running. You can't get away."

After leaving the cafeteria, the senior who had completed the transaction with Ayanokoji was feeling guilty and intended to return to the dorms via a side path, only to be caught red-handed by Manabe.

When he tried to speed up to escape, Manabe's two sidekicks also surrounded him, pinning the senior down.

"Senior, don't be afraid. We aren't bad people. Look, this is the armband of the Student Council Disciplinary Committee. This Humble One is Manabe Shiho. I'm only looking for you to clarify a few things. Is the photo taken?"

Just as the senior relaxed his guard due to Manabe's words, Manabe lifted the hem of her school skirt, Yabu Nanami placed the senior's hand onto the hem of Manabe's skirt, and Yamashita Saki completed the photo shoot with her camera.

"Heh heh heh, the senior is quite timid, yet his lust knows no bounds! Attempting to molest a Student Council official! Speak! What kind of transaction did you make in the cafeteria with that first-year Class D student!"

Manabe shifted her tone, immediately beginning to interrogate the now mentally broken senior.

"I'll talk! I'll tell you everything! I was just possessed by a devil to do such a thing! It was, it was that first-year Class D student who forced me!"

In order to survive, the senior began desperately trying to shift the blame away from himself, wanting to pin all the wrongdoing onto Ayanokoji.

"Past papers, right? Senior, you wouldn't want the entirety of the C and D classes in your grade to know that the school updated the midterm exam questions specifically because of you, would you?"

Trading past papers is indeed not a problem; it's just normal academic exchange, and that doesn't constitute a crime.

But if a student were willing to report this behavior to the school, the school would certainly modify the exam syllabus accordingly.

Once the questions are changed, the students in the lower-tier classes who rely on those past papers to survive would likely be expelled. Once everyone knows that the exam questions were changed because of one person's actions, that person would inevitably face retaliation from everyone.

The senior clearly realized this consequence, which is why he didn't dare to resist at all.

"No, don't! If everyone finds out, I'm finished!"

The senior collapsed to the ground, burying his head and desperately begging Manabe.

"Past papers are indeed good things, but whether such good things can continue to exist depends on everyone's efforts. How many points did that first-year Class D student pay you for the past papers just now?"

Getting to the point, it was time to talk about the price.

"Fifteen thousand points! I, I'll give you all the points I have, please, just let me go!"

Upon hearing Manabe start asking about the price, the senior immediately sensed a glimmer of hope and hurriedly took out his student ID, wanting to offer up all his points.

"What are you doing? I already told you I'm on the Disciplinary Committee; I'm just enforcing the law impartially. How could I take your money? I'm not extorting you! Take it back, take it back!"

The senior's joy turned to sorrow, thinking, if the other party doesn't want points, then what could they possibly want? Could it be that he is truly doomed to fail this midterm exam?

"How many of you use past papers before the exams?"

"Our third-year Class C and D are basically all using them, and the second years are about the same."

The senior didn't understand what Manabe meant for a moment.

"So many 15,000s—oh, wait, so many seniors are using them. Effort shouldn't just rely on you alone, Senior; effort requires all four of your classes to work together! 160 people, not a single one less."

Manabe offered the price tag that Ryuen and I had told her in advance.

"But our two grades combined don't even have 160 people left! Some people in my class were expelled a long time ago—"

Just as the senior wanted to haggle, he saw Manabe's death glare and instantly lost the ability to speak.

"I will come to trade with you in two days with the new materials. Of course, if your efforts can be a bit faster, you might be able to get the study materials I've carefully prepared for you even earlier. This is my number; I look forward to our next meeting."

If he wants to stay in this school, the senior has no choice.

"Damn it!"

As he crawled up from the grass, cursing, the senior didn't feel annoyed at all; a plan had already formed in his mind.

Since the other party told him to be responsible for collecting the money, no one would know if he hiked up the price. Wouldn't all the extra points just go straight into his own pocket?