The Price of a Perfect Score

The math quiz took place during the first period of the afternoon.

As Sae Chabashira walked into the classroom clutching a stack of test papers, her gaze swept across the class with apparent casualness, yet it lingered on Ayanokoji Kiyotaka for half a second longer than the others.

"Forty minutes, ten questions," Sae said, her voice as cold and indifferent as ever. "Those who fail will remain after class for remedial lessons."

The papers were distributed. Soon, the only sound in the classroom was the scratching of pen tips against paper.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka glanced at the problems—function extrema, probability calculations, solid geometry... They might have been difficult for an average high school student, but for Yang Ye, who possessed the mind of an adult and had been enhanced by the system, these questions were as natural as breathing.

More importantly, the mental clarity provided by [Insight (Basic)] allowed him to instantly perceive the core concepts and traps hidden within every question.

He picked up his pen and began to answer.

There was no pause, no hesitation, just a fluid, seamless motion. If anyone were standing behind him, they would be shocked to find his problem-solving process terrifyingly concise, skipping all unnecessary steps to strike directly at the answers themselves.

Twenty minutes later, he put down his pen.

Review? Unnecessary. He knew clearly that this paper would be a perfect score.

But a problem arose—handing it in too early would invite suspicion. Following the mid-range performance Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had deliberately maintained in the past, he should have needed at least thirty minutes and would have intentionally made a few small mistakes.

"System," he asked inwardly, "if I hand in my paper early now, how much extra attention will it attract?"

[Evaluating... Based on Sae Chabashira's observation habits and the class norm, handing in the paper early will increase the probability of being 'specifically targeted' by 47%. It is recommended that the host proceed at the original pace.]

Yang Ye nodded to himself. He needed to demonstrate value, but he didn't need to overexpose himself. In this school, revealing all his cards too early would be foolish.

He chose to wait, pretending to check his paper while observing the others in the classroom.

Suzune Horikita had her brows slightly furrowed as she tackled the final geometry proof. The lines of her profile were taut—the typical reaction of a perfectionist facing a challenge.

Yosuke Hirata had already finished and was sitting quietly, his posture relaxed but his gaze alert, glancing from time to time at a few students who struggled with their studies, seemingly worried about their progress.

Kushida Kikyo... She appeared to have finished as well, a relaxed smile on her face, but her eyes were drifting toward the playground outside the window. Yang Ye noticed that her scratch paper was exceptionally neat, almost devoid of any calculation process—either her mental math ability was extremely strong, or...

[Insight (Basic)] allowed him to capture a detail: there were faint indentations on the edge of Kushida's eraser. Was it a coincidence, or some kind of mark?

The most interesting one was Ken Sudo. The basketball-playing youth was currently scratching his head, sweat beading on his forehead, wearing an expression of near-despair as he stared at the symbols and numbers on his paper. He tried to peek at the answers of the student next to him several times, but was forced back by the sharp gaze of the proctor, Sae Chabashira.

According to the original story, Sudo will fail this quiz, be kept behind for a talk by Sae, and become the first 'weakness' in the class to be targeted, Yang Ye mused. But if I intervene...

[Ding! Side quest triggered: Save the Laggard.]

[Quest Description: Help at least one classmate pass this math quiz to prevent them from becoming an obvious weakness for the teacher to target.]

[Quest Requirement: Complete without being discovered by the teacher.]

[Quest Reward: Reward corresponding 'Class Cohesion' points (hidden attribute) based on the number of people helped and the effectiveness.]

Just in time.

Yang Ye checked the time; there were ten minutes left before the deadline. Sae was looking down, organizing her lesson plans—this was a fleeting opportunity.

He tore off a small piece of scratch paper and quickly wrote down the problem-solving logic and key formulas for the last two major questions—not the complete answers, but guiding steps. Then, he crumpled the paper into a ball.

[Insight (Basic)] came into play once more. He precisely calculated the force and angle of the throw, then gave his wrist a light flick.

The paper ball traced a low, flat arc and landed accurately under Ken Sudo's desk leg—it looked exactly as if it had fallen by accident.

Sudo froze for a moment, looked down, then jerked his head up to check on Sae. Confirming the teacher wasn't paying attention, he quickly bent down to pick up the paper ball and unfolded it.

Yang Ye saw his eyes light up, and then he began to copy frantically.

Three minutes later, the bell for submission rang.

"Time's up, pens down," Sae Chabashira stood up. "Pass them forward from the back."

After the papers were collected, she didn't leave immediately, but stood at the podium, her gaze slowly sweeping across the class.

"The results of this quiz will be announced tomorrow," she said. "But I can tell you in advance that some people clearly haven't prepared themselves for high school life."

Her gaze lingered on Ken Sudo and a few other students.

Sudo lowered his head nervously.

"Those who failed, stay after school," Sae finished, then left the classroom with the papers in her arms.

A wave of discussion immediately broke out in the classroom.

"It's over, I had no idea how to do the last question..."

"Ms. Chabashira is so strict..."

Ken Sudo sat at his desk, his face pale. He clenched his fists, then released them, repeating the motion several times. Finally, he stood up and walked toward Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

The classroom went quiet for a moment. Everyone remembered the conflict during yesterday's gym class and assumed Sudo was looking for trouble again.

But unexpectedly, Sudo stopped in front of Ayanokoji's desk, his voice low: "That... thanks."

He spoke vaguely, but the gratitude in his eyes was genuine.

"Don't mention it," Ayanokoji Kiyotaka replied calmly.

"No, I mean..." Sudo hesitated for a moment, lowering his voice further, "that paper ball... thanks anyway."

With that, he turned and walked away quickly, his earlobes slightly red.

This subtle scene was witnessed by many.

Kei Karuizawa raised an eyebrow, a playful smile tugging at her lips, while Yosuke Hirata appeared lost in thought. Suzune Horikita, however, frowned, seemingly puzzled by Ayanokoji's decision to assist a "poor student."

As for Kikyo Kushida... her smile remained flawless, yet her fingers tightened slightly around the strap of her bag.

After school, in the corridor beside the faculty office.

Sae Chabashira looked down at the graded test paper in her hand, her brow furrowing in a rare display of concern.

A perfect score.

The name on the paper was: Kiyotaka Ayanokoji.

She checked every question repeatedly; there were no errors, and the methods used were even more concise and efficient than the reference answers. This did not look like the work of an ordinary high school student, but rather that of an experienced math competition participant.

The problem was that during the entrance exam, Ayanokoji's math score had been merely above average, certainly not at a level capable of achieving a perfect score.

"Hiding his strength? Or perhaps..." Chabashira stood up and walked to the filing cabinet, pulling out Kiyotaka Ayanokoji's enrollment file.

The file was thin, with suspiciously little information. He came from an ordinary middle school, had mediocre grades, no record of club activities, and the recommendation section was blank—a rarity at Advanced Nurturing High School.

"Blank..." Chabashira whispered to herself, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes. "In this school, a blank space often signifies the greatest secret."

She returned the file and picked up another test paper—Ken Sudo's.

58 points. A failing grade, but much better than she had anticipated. Especially on the final two complex problems; although the calculations were flawed, the logic was sound, which did not align with Sudo's usual mathematical ability.

Chabashira looked at the slightly messy handwriting on that paper, then back at Ayanokoji's neat, perfect script.

A hypothesis began to form in her mind.

Meanwhile, in the library study area.

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji sat by the window with a physics textbook spread open before him, though he wasn't actually reading it.

[Ding! Side quest "Save the Laggard" completed!]
[Target: Ken Sudo (1 person)]
[Evaluation: Successfully prevented him from becoming the first publicly targeted weakness; potential class crisis delayed.]
[Reward: Class Cohesion +5 (Current: 5/100)]
[Special Bonus: Due to the act of assistance indirectly altering the teacher's assessment of class strength, obtained 'Strategy Point' x1]

"Strategy Point?" Yang Ye asked internally.

[Strategy Points can be used to simulate the development of specific scenarios or to unlock special countermeasures. Current points: 1]

Interesting. This system was more functional than he had imagined.

"Simulate a scenario... for instance, simulate Chabashira-sensei's reaction after she discovers I helped Sudo?"

[Simulating... Simulation complete.]
[Scenario: Sae Chabashira perceives the possibility of an abnormal correlation between the grades of Kiyotaka Ayanokoji and Ken Sudo (Probability 82%).]
[Possible Reactions: 1. Direct questioning (Probability 35%); 2. Setting a trap to test him (Probability 45%); 3. Wait and see, gathering more information (Probability 20%).]
[Recommended Response: If questioned directly, suggest admitting partial facts ('saw a classmate in need and helped'), but hide the true extent of your ability. If tested, suggest keeping performance within an 'excellent but not abnormal' range.]

Very practical advice. Yang Ye closed the system interface and looked out the window.

The campus of Advanced Nurturing High School looked exceptionally tranquil under the setting sun, but beneath this serenity, countless undercurrents were surging.

Competition between classes, the maneuvering of private points, the threat of special exams... and those forces hidden behind the scenes.

"In the original story, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji took an entire year to gradually reveal his strength," he mused. "But now with the system, this process can be greatly accelerated. The question is, what is the price of such acceleration?"

Exposing himself too early would attract attention from all sides, including the Student Council, leaders of other classes, and... the man who sent Ayanokoji to this school: his father.

Footsteps approached from behind, very light, but [Insight (Basic)] allowed him to identify the visitor instantly.

"Ayanokoji-kun, studying alone?" Kei Karuizawa's voice rang out, carrying her usual breezy tone.

She sat down opposite him naturally and placed her bag to the side.

"Is something the matter?" Kiyotaka Ayanokoji asked.