Class A completed a silent reshuffling of its power dynamics after the exam results came in.
Sakayanagi Arisu sat quietly in a corner of the classroom, leaning on her cane as she listened to Masumi Kamuro report the results. Everyone in Class A had passed; no one had been expelled. It was the perfect result for an elite class. But the real deciding factor in this exam had not been the scores—it had been the people.
Kohei Katsuragi had led the unity faction in intensive tutoring, ultimately saving everyone. His actions proved that "mutual support" was not useless. Faced with the fact that every student had passed, Sakayanagi's survival-of-the-fittest doctrine had temporarily lost its absolute persuasive power.
After their silent contest, Class A had temporarily settled on a course led by Kohei Katsuragi. Gentle and steady, with the group's interests first, it had replaced ruthless expulsion as the class's prevailing choice for the time being.
Sakayanagi Arisu didn't mind in the slightest. She even smiled faintly and nodded. "That's fine, too. It makes things more interesting."
Her gaze had never been fixed on the inner workings of Class A. She was looking at the entire first-year chessboard.
Class B's stability, Class C's violent unification, Class D's desperate bid for survival, the ever-elusive Kiyotaka Ayanokoji—and Yoshikage Kira, who wanted nothing more than to live a quiet life.
The board was getting livelier by the minute.
Afterward, Kohei Katsuragi asked Sakayanagi Arisu to talk, choosing the Class Points bulletin board as their meeting place.
"Class C is starting to falter. Is Ryuen behind it? What a dangerous man," Kohei Katsuragi said as he asked Sakayanagi Arisu to exchange information. It seemed he had heard that Ryuen's violent consolidation of the class had resulted in a deduction of Class Points.
"How dull." Sakayanagi Arisu leaned on her cane and strolled away at an unhurried pace, silently making her refusal clear.
Meanwhile, in Class B,
The results were announced: everyone had passed.
After a brief cheer, the class soon returned to its usual gentle, orderly state. All that remained was the relief of knowing the ordeal was over.
Honami Ichinose stood in the center of the classroom, her face showing a relieved, gentle smile. She sincerely thanked everyone. "It's thanks to all of us working together that we made it through this exam safely." In truth, Kanzaki Ryuji and Ichinose had also obtained old exam questions through various channels, but there hadn't been much time.
"It's all thanks to Ichinose!"
"Yeah, you kept leading us through the review!"
Kanzaki Ryuji stood to one side and gave a slight nod, acknowledging the result. Class B was like a ship sailing smoothly, keeping its course steady through the storm.
Yoshikage Kira remained in the last seat by the window, quietly watching it all.
Everyone passing had been just what he expected. Class B's solidarity, discipline, and mutual support were its strongest shield.
The first Special Exam was over.
The classes' positions had now taken shape:
Class A held a steady lead,
Class B remained comfortably in second place,
Class C had formed a violent dictatorship,
Class D had barely managed to find its footing in dire straits.
Kira looked out the window. The sunlight was pleasant.
It had been less than half a day since the first Special Exam ended, yet the atmosphere throughout the first year had already changed completely. Some had been pulled back from the brink of expulsion, some had secured control through violence, some had claimed leadership through steady conduct, and some had continued forward in harmony. Four entirely different paths stretched across the campus of Advanced Nurturing High School, facing one another as undercurrents stirred beneath the surface.
Class B remained the calmest haven of all.
There was no commotion in the classroom after school. Quite a few students had stayed behind voluntarily to organize their notes and review the questions they had gotten wrong. The atmosphere was gentle and productive. Honami Ichinose moved between the desks, patiently answering lingering questions. Her voice was soft, yet reassuring. Kanzaki Ryuji sat at the back, occasionally pointing out key concepts. He didn't say much, but every word was precise. Shibata Sou kept the mood lively, making the otherwise somewhat dull review a little more relaxed. Everything was proceeding in good order.
As usual, Yoshikage Kira sat in the last seat by the window, his notes arranged with meticulous care. He didn't join the review, but he didn't leave early, either. He simply worked at his own pace, sorting through the traits and loopholes in the rules that each class had revealed during the exam.
After finishing with the students who needed help, Honami Ichinose walked over to Kira's desk, a warm smile on her face. "Kira, we really couldn't have done it without you this time. A lot of people have said you explain the questions really clearly."
Kira raised his eyes. His tone was even. "It was my responsibility. Everyone in Class B passing was a group effort."
"But you've always been quietly helping everyone, Kira." Ichinose looked at him earnestly, sincerity filling her eyes. "I hope we can keep working together. Let's make sure Class B stays peaceful."
"Mm." Kira nodded slightly and lowered his gaze again.
He wasn't good at responding to such direct kindness, but he wouldn't reject it, either. This peace was what he needed most right now.
To Kira, the value of Class B lay precisely in this undisturbed order.
Honami Ichinose was the gentle center that kept everyone together and moving along a steady course. There were no conflicts, no schemes, no sudden storms. All he had to do was stay quietly in a corner and enjoy this hard-won daily life. It was a perfect match for the life he wanted.
The aftermath in each class was plain to see throughout the hallways and school buildings.
Most of Class A's students looked calm and somewhat relieved. Several classmates had gathered around Kohei Katsuragi to discuss their study plans. The steady faction's leadership had already been secured. His tone was firm as he stressed that they should continue supporting one another and not give up on anyone, earning the approval of many.
The area where Sakayanagi Arisu was remained quiet and detached. Masumi Kamuro followed beside her, quietly reporting on developments in the other classes. Sakayanagi nodded lightly from time to time, a faint smile on her pale face, as if it made no difference to her who led Class A.
"Class B is becoming more and more of a threat," Masumi Kamuro said quietly. "Honami Ichinose's ability to bring people together is stronger than I thought."
"The problem isn't Ichinose." Sakayanagi spoke softly, her gaze passing through the hallway, as if she could see that corner of Class B's classroom. "The more someone wants to hide, the more likely they are to become the key to changing the game."
She wasn't in a hurry. She simply waited in silence.
Class C had an entirely different atmosphere.
Ryuen Kakeru sat on a desk, with Daichi Ishizaki and his other close followers gathered around his feet. In his usual arrogant tone, he laid out their next tasks. "Keep a close eye on Classes D and B from now on. Class D dares to pull tricks right under my nose, and Class B acts like a bunch of saints. Remember all of it."
Mio Ibuki leaned against the wall and complained, looking thoroughly annoyed. "What a pain." But she didn't leave. Albert stood silently to one side, neither agreeing nor resisting. The two of them were still awkward around each other, but they had already accepted Ryuen's leadership.
Everyone in Class C understood one thing: follow Ryuen, and they could survive; resist him, and they would be the first to be eliminated.
Obedience under a violent rule was firm and cold.
Ryuen's gaze swept across the class, a cruel smile curling his lips.
At the next exam, he would show the other classes his fangs without hesitation.
Class D was still reeling from the ordeal.
Hirata Yosuke had Sudo Ken by his side as Sudo thanked him over and over, gratitude written all over his face. He still hadn't quite figured out how he'd been saved. He only knew he wouldn't be expelled. Kanji Ike, Haruki Yamauchi, and the others gathered around him, feeling both relieved and shaken.
Hirata Yosuke continued playing the good guy, going around reassuring everyone and doing his best to restore stability to the class. But he knew Class D's peace was fragile, liable to collapse again at any moment. He had no good solution, either.
Kikyo Kushida moved through the crowd with a perfect smile, comforting everyone. In secret, she took note of each person's reaction. Who was sincere, who was pretending, who was afraid, and who was scheming—it was all clear to her.
Suzune Horikita stayed alone in a corner, watching everything coldly. She didn't care about social niceties. All she cared about was whether the class was stable and could keep climbing. Having joined forces with Kiyotaka Ayanokoji to save Sudo this time had made her pay a little more attention to the inscrutable boy.
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji remained tucked away in a corner, as calm as if he didn't exist.
He had carried out his plan: save Sudo, stabilize Class D, conceal himself, and test the rules. Everything had gone according to plan.
Only he knew that all the seemingly accidental turns of fortune in Class D had been brought about by his quiet intervention.
Night fell, and the campus grew quiet.
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