With Kiyotaka Ayanokoji's hints and suggestions, the distant Class D had teamed up with Kikyo Kushida to track down some upperclassmen and get their hands on last year's exam papers. Two days before the test, they announced the news and handed out copies. It quickly spread beyond Class D, where secrets never stayed secret for long. Like a boulder crashing into an already tense lake, the news sent waves of upheaval through the school that were hard to calm.
Class D's classroom was already filled with the anxiety and unease of students backed into a corner. Yosuke Hirata was doing everything he could to hold the class together, but its unity was hanging by a thread. Suzune Horikita had withdrawn into a corner, aloof and indifferent to the chaos around her, while Ken Sudō, Kanji Ike, and the others spent their days with their heads bowed, convinced they would fall below the passing mark and become the first Special Exam's casualties. It wasn't until Kikyo Kushida walked into the classroom carrying a neatly stacked pile of copied exam papers, her perfect, gentle face wearing just the right expression of surprise and delight, that a crack finally appeared in Class D's despair—a sliver of hope for survival.
"Everyone, hold on a moment!" Kikyo Kushida stepped up to the podium. Her clear, sweet voice instantly drew every eye. "I managed to get last year's midterm exam questions from some upperclassmen! Apparently, this year's test will have a lot of questions repeated from last year and the year before. If you master these problems, you'll definitely pass!"
The moment she finished speaking, Class D's classroom erupted.
"R-really? Last year's actual exam questions?"
"So that means we won't get expelled?!"
"That's amazing, Kushida! You're a lifesaver!"
Cheers, disbelieving exclamations, and the release of long-suppressed tension mingled together, nearly lifting the roof. Ken Sudō rushed forward and snatched up a copy, both hands trembling. "I-is this real? I... I can pass too?"
"Of course." Kikyo Kushida smiled, gentle and harmless. "Just study hard and memorize the steps for solving each problem. You'll be fine."
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji sat tucked away in the least conspicuous corner of the classroom, watching the celebration with a placid expression and not a ripple in his eyes. It had all gone according to his calculations: use points as leverage to buy the exam papers from desperate upperclassmen, then have Kikyo Kushida make them public. That would save Class D from the brink of collapse without drawing attention to him. All he had done was give things a gentle push. All the credit went to Kushida, who stood in the spotlight.
But Class D had never been good at keeping secrets.
In their excitement, the students couldn't contain their delight. On their way to the cafeteria, the convenience store, and the dorms, they couldn't resist sharing their "stroke of luck" with classmates they knew. The news seemed to sprout wings. In less than an hour, it had spread from Class D to Class C, then reached Classes A and B, and finally swept through the entire first year.
"Have you heard? Class D somehow got their hands on last year's midterm exam questions!"
"Seriously? Doesn't that mean they're guaranteed to win?"
"That's not fair! Isn't that cheating? Is the school just going to let them?"
Doubt, anger, anxiety, jealousy—every kind of emotion spread through the school. The atmosphere, already taut with exam stress, was on the verge of catching fire.
Class C was the first to erupt into an uproar.
Ryuen Kakeru kicked over a desk and glared at the cowering students around him, his eyes savage. "You useless idiots! Even Class D managed to get the exam questions, and you can't do anything! If anyone fails this test, I won't let you get away with it!"
Daichi Ishizaki hurried forward behind him. "Ryuen, should we try to get a copy too?"
"Try?" Ryuen Kakeru scoffed, his eyes dark and cold. "So what if that bunch of Class D losers got their hands on them? On the day of the exam, I'll have plenty of ways to show them that little tricks are worthless in the face of overwhelming strength."
He spoke with disdain, but a trace of concern flashed in his eyes. Class D's sudden comeback had thrown his original plans into disarray.
The atmosphere in Class A was even colder.
When Katsuragi Kohei heard the news, he slammed his hand on the desk, his expression furious. "This is outrageous! Class D is breaking the rules! We have to report them to the school!"
The students in the unity faction behind him all chimed in, their emotions running high.
Sakayanagi Arisu simply stood in silence, leaning on her cane as she listened to Masumi Kamuro's report. A faint smile still touched her pale face, as if she were hearing about something of no importance.
"Exam questions?" Sakayanagi murmured, a playful glint appearing in her eyes. "I wonder how Kiyotaka Ayanokoji... and Class B, where Yoshikage Kira is, will react."
Masumi Kamuro lowered her voice. "Things are still quiet in Class B. There hasn't been any commotion."
"Quiet is what makes it interesting." Sakayanagi smiled softly. "Katsuragi, go ahead and report them if you want. But let me remind you: the rules of Advanced Nurturing High School don't prohibit obtaining past exam questions. Points can buy anything—that's what the school itself told us."
Katsuragi Kohei froze, then turned livid.
Only then did he realize that Class D's actions skirted the edge of the rules and couldn't be punished. Sakayanagi had known that from the start, yet she had watched coldly as he raged like a clown.
The divide between the two factions in Class A widened once more because of Class D's exam questions.
At the center of the storm, Class B remained remarkably calm.
When the news reached Class B, the classroom was briefly stirred, but the commotion quickly died down.
Shibata Sou frowned and muttered unhappily, "Class D is way too cunning. This is so unfair to us!"
A classmate's eyes showed a hint of unease. "If their scores go way up, then our class ranking..."
Ryuji Kurata, on the other hand, stayed calm. "The rules don't forbid it, so there's nothing we can do. We can only study harder and pass on our own merits."
Honami Ichinose stood at the front of the classroom, gently lowering both hands to settle everyone. Her tone was warm but firm. "Everyone, calm down. Class D has their way of doing things, and we have our principles. We've been studying hard together and helping each other. Passing through our own efforts is far more reliable than relying on outside help. Don't let the news throw us off. We just have to focus on doing our best."
Her gentle words were like a calming tonic, quickly settling the restless students in Class B.
They were accustomed to keeping order under Ichinose's guidance, and to working together and staying disciplined. They wouldn't be easily swayed by outside temptations or turmoil.
Yoshikage Kira sat in the last row by the window, taking it all in.
He had no opinion on Class D obtaining the exam questions. At Advanced Nurturing High School, points could buy anything. That was an established rule. Using the rules to gain an advantage was perfectly fair. What truly caught his attention was the hand behind the leaked questions. Someone like Kikyo Kushida wouldn't have completed this on her own, and the person who had helped her didn't want to step into the limelight.
That person, like Kira, preferred to keep a low profile. But unlike Kira, who sought a quiet life, he was making plans, steering others, and pushing his class toward victory.
If someone struck from the shadows in the class competition, Class D's Class Points had already fallen to zero in its first month. That was beyond all expectations and precedent; any unforeseen situation could follow, and the danger could soar to levels on par with the calculated threat posed by Katsuragi and Sakayanagi Arisu of Class A.
Just as Kira was quietly observing, Honami Ichinose walked over to his desk. A faint note of unease crept into her voice. "Kira, you've heard that Class D got the exam questions, right? Could it... affect us?"
Kira looked up and met her gaze, his expression calm and his voice even. "No. Class B has prepared well enough. Everyone passing is a foregone conclusion. Outside factors won't disrupt our order."
Honami Ichinose breathed a sigh of relief. "I hope so."
Without realizing it, she had grown accustomed to Kira's calm, precise judgments.
Kira gave a slight nod and said no more. He lowered his head and went back to organizing his notes.
He still didn't want to get involved in any conflicts. He didn't want to judge Class D's actions or take part in the anger of Classes A and C.
He only wanted to keep Class B steady, preserve his own routine, and get through the exam in peace.
But he knew that the leak had completely shattered the balance that had existed across the year group.
This written exam, which had been framed as a test of survival, was no longer just a contest of academic ability. It had become a struggle of hidden forces playing out beneath the rules.
Evening fell, cloaking the school in twilight.
Kira followed his usual route to the convenience store to buy necessities. Just as he reached the entrance, he ran into Sakayanagi Arisu again.
The girl was alone as always, leaning on her cane and standing quietly in front of the shelves, as though she had been waiting there for him.
When she saw Kira, she slowly turned and offered him a gentle but searching smile. "Kira, it seems you don't care at all that Class D got the exam questions."
"I don't." Kira replied blandly, his voice calm. "Class B can pass without resorting to that."
"How confident." Sakayanagi smiled softly and walked up to him, her voice gentle. "But Kira, have you considered that if Class D's scores rise, they'll raise the class average? And the higher the class average, the more Class Points the class can earn. The stable environment you speak of might gradually slip away because of those exam questions."
Kira's fingertips paused, ever so slightly.
It wasn't as if he hadn't considered the possibility.
He had simply judged that Class B had prepared well enough. Even if the passing mark rose slightly, it wouldn't change the outcome of everyone passing.
But Sakayanagi Arisu's words were like a fine needle, gently piercing his perfect calm.
"Even so, Class B can handle it." Kira stayed calm, his voice showing no hint of wavering.
Sakayanagi Arisu looked into his unwavering eyes, her smile deepening. "I'm looking forward to it more and more. I'm looking forward to this exam, to seeing what lies beneath your calm mask, and to the moment you're forced to break your own order."
With that, she said no more. Leaning on her cane, she slowly turned and left.
Kira remained alone in front of the shelves, a faint trace of wariness passing through his eyes for the first time.
He knew Sakayanagi Arisu wasn't exaggerating.
That leaked exam paper had made the test full of uncertainties.
And the peaceful daily life he sought was being gently pushed toward the edge of a cliff by an unseen hand.
Kira silently picked up the items he needed and headed for the register.
His movements remained steady throughout, but there was a tension to them that was difficult to notice.
The day of the exam was drawing closer.
Before you continue