First Special Examination

The turmoil of the May points incident had barely subsided, and the entire Advanced Nurturing High School was still reeling from the shock of the reality-based rules. A single sentence, tossed out nonchalantly by Hoshinomiya Chie during homeroom, instantly dragged Class B into a genuine test of survival: the first special exam, where written scores would decide life or death.

The atmosphere in the classroom, which had only just settled, tightened once more.

Hoshinomiya leaned against the podium, her fingertips tapping on her terminal to project the cold, hard text onto the screen, her tone sweet to the point of cruelty:

"This special exam consists of written tests for all subjects. The passing line is not a fixed score, but half of our class's average in each subject. Anyone who fails to reach the line in any subject will be expelled immediately. No make-up exams, no pleas for mercy, no exceptions."

The air felt as though it had frozen.

Yoshikage Kira sat in the last row by the window, his fingertips pausing at the edge of his notebook. He quickly calculated the rules in his mind: Class Average ÷ 2 = Passing Line. This meant that the worse the class performed as a whole, the lower the passing line would be; conversely, the more excellent the class, the higher the bar, leaving even average students vulnerable if they were the least bit careless.

This also cleared up a doubt for Kira: could the big shots who aimed to cultivate so-called "socially capable talent" really allow dead weight—those who refused to study and lacked basic academic ability—to rise alongside the class? After all, the school's enticing benefits were only available to those who graduated as Class A. It seemed the margin of error allowed for "elites" was exactly half the average.

Kira's assessment of this was unexpectedly tolerant; Advanced Nurturing High School was never about testing academic ability, but collective survival.

Honami Ichinose's face turned slightly pale, but she immediately steadied her mind and softly comforted those around her: "Everyone, don't panic. We'll find a way together." Kanzaki Ryuji furrowed his brows and added the most critical judgment in a low voice: "Class B's overall academic ability is above average, so our passing line will be significantly higher than Class C or D. We don't need to worry too much, but if even one person falls behind, the shadow of expulsion will loom over the entire class."

Kira silently wrote a line in his notebook:

[Class B Risk: Balanced academic ability, strong cohesion, but a high passing line and low margin for error.]

[Class A: Stable but under pressure; Sakayanagi must have already laid her plans.]

[Class C: Ryuen's dictatorship; high probability of high-pressure coercion, likely to produce dropouts amidst the chaos.]

[Class D: Points at zero, uneven academic ability, lowest passing line, but a high-risk zone for expulsion.]

Under Ichinose's leadership, Class B quickly entered a mode of total mutual assistance.

There were no complaints, no shirking of responsibility, and no isolation of small cliques.

Students with weaker academic skills felt no inferiority, and those with stronger skills did not hoard their knowledge. Ichinose took the lead, opening the classroom and library for study sessions after school, organizing groups by subject, pairing the strong with the weak, explaining problems to one another, checking notes, and running mock tests.

"I don't quite understand this math problem..."

"It's okay, I'll teach you. Let's take it step by step."

"I can never remember these English words."

"I've compiled a list of high-frequency vocabulary. Let's memorize them together."

Kobashi Yume meticulously tracked everyone's weak subjects, creating a chart to post at the back of the classroom; Hamaguchi Tetsuya quietly prepared scratch paper and pens, distributing them to everyone; Shibata Sou used his bright energy to stabilize the atmosphere, helping those prone to anxiety keep up with the pace.

Kanzaki Ryuji worked behind the scenes, screening past exam papers, distilling high-frequency test points, and predicting the direction of the questions. He didn't seek the spotlight, but he steadily supported the entire class's study efficiency.

Kira remained the quietest of them all.

He didn't take the initiative to join groups or lecture loudly. Only when someone hesitated and asked him for guidance would he explain the test points with the most concise, precise logic, without saying a word more than necessary or putting on any airs.

His grades always hovered in the upper-middle range, perfectly hidden among the crowd, yet he saw the academic strength, stability, and psychological state of every single person in the class with absolute clarity.

"Kira-san, you're really amazing. I understood it the moment you explained it," someone whispered in thanks.

Kira nodded slightly: "It is merely organizing according to the rules. Stay stable, and do not make mistakes."

He knew clearly in his heart:

The reason Class B was safe was not because everyone was a genius, but because Honami Ichinose had used her gentleness to bind them all into a single rope.

Self-discipline, unity, no infighting, no giving up—this was their greatest weapon in this survival exam.

At the same time, the classes of the first year were heading toward completely different extremes.

The Class A classroom was quiet to the point of suffocation.

Sakayanagi Arisu sat in the front row, leaning on her cane, as Masumi Kamuro handed over the organized study materials and academic diagnostic charts. Sakayanagi merely glanced at them coldly before setting the most ruthless strategy:

"Everyone must safely clear the line. Those who fail need not wait for the school's punishment; they should withdraw from Class A themselves."

There was no warmth, no tutoring, only the survival of the fittest.

The students of Class A were already top-tier, and under this pressure, they dared not slack off in the slightest. Sakayanagi didn't worry about the exam itself; her gaze remained fixed beyond the classroom, landing on the two most unstable variables: Class B and Class D.

Before the words had even faded, a discordant sound erupted from one side of the classroom.

Following the sound, Katsuragi Kohei—whose first impression was defined by his bald head, tall stature, and powerful build—stood up abruptly to voice his opposition.

He was burly, with broad shoulders, and his bald head shone with a cold, hard luster under the lights. His tone carried undisguised dissatisfaction:

"Sakayanagi, what kind of strategy is this? You think you can just finish it with a single 'you must pass'? The students with weaker academic skills are already nervous; forcing them to quit the class will only shatter morale and end up dragging down the entire Class A!"

Katsuragi Kohei's voice was deep and powerful, sounding particularly jarring in the quiet classroom.

For the first time, Class A, which had always been obedient to Sakayanagi, saw open defiance.

Sakayanagi Arisu slowly raised her eyes, a faint smile still hanging on her pale face, but her gaze was as cold as ice: "Oh? Katsuragi-san, do you have a better method?"

"Of course I do!" Katsuragi Kohei stepped forward, his presence not a whit weaker. "The exam is a collective battle, not an individual one! We must pull up the students with weaker academic skills, organize tutoring, pair the strong with the weak, and focus on explaining problems—not just giving up on them! You are only thinking about survival of the fittest and ignoring the overall stability of the class!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the classroom erupted into a clear commotion.

A portion of the students immediately stood behind Katsuragi Kohei, their expressions showing agreement—most of them had lower-to-average academic skills and had been suffocating under the cold tone Sakayanagi had set; now, they had finally found a leader.

"Katsuragi is right! Giving up on our companions is too much!"

"We are Class A; we should help each other, not abandon one another!"

The other portion of the students remained on Sakayanagi's side, their expressions cold.

They were the top-tier students who disdained spending time helping the weak and identified more with Sakayanagi's rule of "efficiency first, eliminate the useless."

"The weak should be eliminated; dragging down the whole group only harms everyone."

"Sakayanagi-san's judgment is the only correct one; wasting time on tutoring is meaningless."

In a single instant, Class A split into two factions.