A Change

"Why are you blaming me? I found the exam paper to help them improve their scores. If they can't pass without it, that's their problem, isn't it? Why blame me for the consequences of their own lack of effort? I did everything I could to help them." Horikita reacted rather strongly, looking as if she didn't understand.

"Because the incompetent refuse to admit they're at fault and prefer to shift the blame. That's why they should be expelled, don't you think, Horikita?"

"By 'expelled,' do you mean expelled from school, Watanabe?"

"Bingo. After all, Chabashira-sensei said that students who fail would be expelled. So, Horikita, isn't the midterm a great opportunity to get rid of the trash?"

"Well..."

"What are you hesitating for, Horikita? If a bunch of deadweights are expelled, won't we have a better chance of moving up to Class A? Given your personality, you shouldn't be hesitating. I'm helping you, after all. President Horikita entrusted you to me, so of course I'm going to go to great lengths for you."

"Indeed. Those deadweights should be expelled. They'll only get in the way of our move to Class A." Horikita Suzune's gaze grew firm.

"That's more like you, Horikita. That's all the advice I have for now. Be sure to keep it in mind. I'll always be your knight, protecting you." Watanabe Hayabara dropped to one knee and kissed the back of Horikita Suzune's hand. Then he released her wrist, stood up, and walked away.

Horikita Suzune didn't react at first. By the time she did, all she could see was Watanabe Hayabara's back. She stared after him, feeling slightly unsettled.

"Sakayanagi, I got the evidence about the exam paper. Meet me at our usual place." As Watanabe Hayabara walked, his fingers flew across his phone screen. He tapped send and sent the message to Sakayanagi Arisu.

A little while later, his screen lit up with Sakayanagi Arisu's reply: a white cat emoji saying "Okay."

Watanabe Hayabara arrived at the café where he had met Sakayanagi Arisu several times before. He pushed open the door and spotted her sitting by the window.

Sakayanagi Arisu sat there elegantly, holding a cup of coffee and stirring it gently. Kamuro Masumi stood obediently beside her.

Watanabe Hayabara sat down across from Sakayanagi Arisu. He took the exam paper Kushida had handed out from his bag, placed it on the table, and slid it over to her.

Sakayanagi Arisu set down her coffee and picked up the exam paper, casually flipping through a few pages.

After looking it over, Sakayanagi Arisu put the paper back on the table and smiled at Watanabe Hayabara. "Thank you, Hayabara."

"I'll leave the rest to you, Classmate Sakayanagi."

They exchanged a glance, but neither said anything more. After a moment of silence, Sakayanagi Arisu checked the time and stood. "I should head back now. We'll be in touch if anything comes up."

Watanabe Hayabara nodded and stood as well. "All right. Goodbye."

As Kamuro Masumi followed Sakayanagi Arisu out, she turned around and made a face at him.

Not long after Watanabe Hayabara left the café, he received a message from Kamuro Masumi: "When are you going to buy me back? I'm so tired. I don't want to steal things anymore." She had attached a crying cat emoji.

"You've managed to keep your sticky fingers in check, haven't you? Let's wait until you gradually forget the habit." Watanabe Hayabara put away his phone and smiled faintly.

Chabashira Sae strode toward the Class 1-D classroom in ten-centimeter black stilettos. A silver rose brooch was pinned to the collar of the white shirt beneath her black suit jacket. She briskly pushed open the classroom door.

"Everyone's here. Looks like the whole class made it."

Chabashira Sae walked up to the podium and slapped a stack of exam papers down on it. "Any questions?"

Yosuke Hirata stood up, resting one hand on his desk, and smiled warmly. "We've studied hard these past few weeks. We'll pass, and no one will fail."

"Hirata, you're certainly confident."

Watanabe Hayabara looked around at his classmates, all of them brimming with anticipation and confidence. A cold laugh escaped his throat. I can't wait to see their faces when they learn the truth.

The shrill broadcast suddenly blared, startling the sparrows perched in the plane trees outside the window. "We interrupt this broadcast to bring you the following announcement. A second-year student, XXXX, has been selling midterm exam papers to first-year students without authorization. The student will receive the following punishment: a deduction of one million personal points, a two-week suspension, and a deduction of 100 class points from the student's class. A backup exam paper will be used for this midterm. The backup paper was provided by Sakayanagi Arisu of Class A. As a result, Class A's Sakayanagi will not participate in this midterm and will be awarded one million personal points."

As expected, Sakayanagi made a killing.

The classroom had been so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop. Suddenly, an eerie silence fell over the room, as if time itself had stopped. But it didn't last long. A chorus of gasps soon broke the silence.

Expressions of shock and disbelief appeared on the students' faces. They glanced at one another, seemingly unable to believe what had happened. Some of them had already started scratching their heads, brows furrowed and faces anxious. Haruki Yamauchi, Kanji Ike, and Sudo were the most visibly affected.

Chabashira-sensei stood at the podium, watching the students below with an impassive expression. She methodically straightened the exam papers on her desk, then handed them out one by one as usual.

As the papers were distributed, the classroom filled with the rustle of students working. Everyone bent over their papers, hoping to finish within the time limit.

The minutes ticked by, and at last the exam was over. When Chabashira-sensei announced the end, the classroom erupted. The students began complaining. "Why was it so hard?! What are we going to do?!"

Sudo was the most short-tempered of them all. His face full of anger, he yelled at Kushida Kikyo, who was sitting beside him. "Hey, Kushida Kikyo, didn't you say we'd be tested on the exam paper?"

Sudo's accusation clearly caught Kushida off guard. Her face paled, and she stammered, "I... I didn't know they'd change the exam paper either."

"Sudo, the announcement said there would be a change to the exam. You can't blame Classmate Kushida for that." Just then, Yosuke Hirata stepped in to defend Kushida Kikyo.

But Sudo wouldn't listen to Yosuke Hirata. He angrily kicked his desk, and it went BANG! The whole classroom shook.