Three days before the midterm exams, the atmosphere at school had already grown tense. Even on the weekend, many students were gathered in the library, studying.
On the east side of the library's second floor was a blind spot in the security camera coverage, discovered at the start of the school year. The lighting there was rather dim.
Hoshida No leaned against a cold metal bookshelf, a book open in his hands, though his gaze was fixed on the stairwell.
It was almost ten in the morning. Footsteps came up the stairs, unhurried, with a deliberately controlled rhythm.
Ryuen Kakeru appeared alone. He swept his eyes over the shadowy area, spotted Hoshida No, and came over with a not particularly friendly curve to his lips.
"You sure know how to pick a spot." Ryuen Kakeru stopped in front of Hoshida No. They stood about a meter apart. He was dressed casually, but the air of a domineering delinquent clung to him all the same.
"It's quiet. No one will bother us." Hoshida No closed the book, his voice steady. "You said you wanted to verify it."
"Cut the crap." Ryuen Kakeru got straight to the point, his eyes sharp as blades. "You said you had the actual midterm questions? Didn't you say you weren't going to pull anything during this Special Exam?"
Hoshida No ignored Ryuen Kakeru and took a black folder from the canvas bag he carried with him, but didn't hand it over right away. "I have the actual questions—or rather, all the information needed to work them out."
This black folder contained a simplified version of the exam questions. Hoshida No had asked Ayanokoji to derive the question types from the original exam papers after running into him on his way to meet Karuizawa and Ichinose. Ayanokoji had handed it over to Hoshida No that very evening.
Ryuen Kakeru stared at the folder without reaching for it. "How do I know you're not trying to fool me with a pile of worthless paper? Or that it isn't a trap?"
"Verifying it is simple." Hoshida No opened the folder and pulled out the top sheet. It showed several printed math problems, but parts of each question had been blurred, leaving only the core structure and a few key numbers.
"These are three core math question types reconstructed from the information I obtained. At least two of tomorrow's long-answer questions will be adapted from these types, with the same difficulty and points of focus. You can look at them now, memorize them, and verify them tomorrow."
He handed the sheet over. Ryuen Kakeru took it and skimmed it quickly.
He was good at math, and he immediately saw that these weren't simple, basic problems. They combined several concepts and required some shifts in perspective: typical intermediate-level questions that would determine how students were separated by score.
"Interesting." Ryuen Kakeru looked up. The suspicion in his eyes hadn't entirely faded, but his interest had clearly grown. "Name your price."
"500,000 points," Hoshida No said. "That'll get you complete analyses of the key topics in all five subjects, along with a collection of frequently tested question types."
"500,000?" Ryuen Kakeru scoffed. "You think points grow on trees? Don't forget, we're partners. 300,000."
"450,000. That's my bottom line." Hoshida No's tone didn't waver. "You can choose not to buy. But Ichinose Honami from Class B already bought the basic version yesterday for 350,000."
The basic version was also a simplified set of the original exam questions.
Ryuen Kakeru's expression darkened. "You sold it to Class B?"
Hoshida No replied frankly, "The version I sold Class B only covers the question types, not the actual questions. Yours includes analyses of the actual questions. As for Class A... out of consideration for our partnership, I wasn't planning to sell it to them. But if you don't buy it, I may have to reconsider."
Ryuen Kakeru fell silent for a few seconds, his fingers unconsciously tapping the sheet of question types.
After weighing the pros and cons, Ryuen Kakeru agreed to the deal. "450,000. Deal. But I have an additional condition."
"Go ahead."
"If tomorrow's questions don't match, even if it's just the core question types in one subject, the deal is off and you return all the points."
"Fair."
Ryuen Kakeru stared at Hoshida No. "Second... tell me where your information comes from. Not exactly who, but... what kind of source. I want to judge how reliable it is."
Hoshida No met his gaze and was silent for two seconds before answering slowly. "Historical materials left behind by upperclassmen, combined with observations and analysis of the teachers' question-writing habits. The source is reliable, but I can't reveal the specifics. Knowing too much wouldn't do you any good. It might even attract unnecessary attention."
Ryuen Kakeru seemed to accept that explanation and snorted. "You're a sly one."
He took out his phone and transferred 450,000 points to Hoshida No. As he left, greed and wariness mingled in his eyes. "Someone like you is wasted in Class D."
Hoshida No stayed where he was for a little while longer, waiting until he was sure Ryuen Kakeru had left before stepping out of the shadows. He walked over to the window, and Ayanokoji appeared beside him from who knew where.
Hoshida No glanced at Ayanokoji without surprise and gave him 200,000 of the 450,000 points he'd received from Ryuen Kakeru. He still had over four million Personal Points.
The bell rang at the end of the last class on the day before the midterm exams, but the classroom didn't have its usual relaxed atmosphere.
Hirata Yousuke stood at the lectern, looking more solemn than usual. He clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention.
"Everyone, please wait a moment. There's something important."
As the class looked on in confusion, Hoshida No rose from his seat and walked toward the lectern.
He didn't trade places with Hirata. Instead, he stood beside the lectern and took a neatly bound stack of papers from his canvas bag.
"This," Hoshida No began, his voice not loud but clear in the quiet classroom, "is a set of practice exams I put together for the upcoming midterms. There are five papers, each with explanations and answers."
As the students in the front row took the papers and quickly flipped through them, quiet gasps and incredulous murmurs began to spread.
For the students who had been studying with Hoshida No for a while and were familiar with his methods, it was obvious at a glance how unusual this material was. These were practically the actual midterm questions!
When the papers reached Horikita Suzune, a crack appeared in her icy expression.
She raised her eyes from the page and fixed a sharp stare on Hoshida No beside the lectern.
He seemed to sense her gaze and looked back calmly. His eyes were unfathomable. There was no bragging or smugness in them, only a certainty that was almost indifferent.
Ken Sudō and the others looked as if they'd found treasure and were practically ready to cheer, but Hoshida No stopped them with a look. "I hope no one shares these with others. The exams are tomorrow, so focus on studying."
Ken Sudō nodded in promise. "Got it! Hoshida, you're seriously my..."
After school, the crowd dispersed. Horikita Suzune didn't leave right away. Holding the papers, she walked straight over to Hoshida No, who was packing his bag.
"Hoshida No," she said in a low voice, her tone cold and interrogative. "What is this?"
Hoshida No zipped up his bag and looked up. "Practice exams. I thought that was clear enough."
"Don't play dumb!" Horikita Suzune stepped forward, her gaze blazing. "These aren't ordinary practice exams. The way they're tailored... where did you get this information?"
"Analysis of past materials, observations of the teachers' habits, and an understanding of our class's strengths and weaknesses." Hoshida No gave the standard answer, exactly the same one he'd given Ryuen.
Horikita Suzune still wanted to ask more, but Hoshida No walked around her toward the door, cutting her off before she could speak. "How you use them is up to you. Throw them away or make good use of them—your choice. But I'd advise you, Horikita: sometimes, being too fixated on what's formally correct can keep you from seeing what your real goal is."
Hoshida No left the classroom.
Horikita Suzune stood there alone. A hint of humiliation and resentment flashed across her face, but above all, her expression hardened with resolve.
"I'll figure it out, Hoshida No," she whispered to the empty classroom. "Who you really are... and what you want from this school."