A Short Quiz

"Good morning, Satsu."

As soon as Hasebe opened the door, she saw Satsu waiting outside. For the past three weeks, they had gone to school together almost every day.

Since they were neighbors, all Satsu had to do was pay a little attention to figure out Hasebe's schedule.

After arranging a few chance encounters, inviting her to go to school together every day had been a piece of cake.

"You're dressed pretty formally today. Got something special planned?" Hasebe asked, giving Satsu a curious once-over.

"Not really. I just washed my hair. You look lovely today, too."

"Right?" Hasebe said with a smile at Satsu's compliment.

"I made a bit of an effort today."

"It's stressful going to school every day with a super handsome guy. If I didn't pay attention to my appearance, people would spread more than just gossip." (Haruka Hasebe)

"I'm really confident about my makeup today, especially around my eyes. I went out of my way to..." (Haruka Hasebe)

Satsu kept a friendly smile on his face as he repeated the words in his head in an admiring tone.

"She filled in her brows with a soft, hazy shade, adding a touch of effortless refinement to her bare face. She also applied a lengthening mascara, keeping each lash distinct and natural, just enough to make her eyes look brighter. Beautiful!"

Aside from the last word, which Satsu had added himself, he hadn't changed a thing. It was less a compliment than a commentary.

Even so, it worked like a charm. Hasebe visibly brightened.

"You're always so thoughtful, Satsu."

They walked to the classroom together, but the instant they sat down, Hasebe was surrounded by a group of girls led by Karuizawa.

Noticing this, Satsu quickly turned his attention toward them. He really wanted to know what girls talked about with one another.

"Haruka, are you and Kato really dating after all? The girls are already talking about it," Karuizawa asked gossipily, leaning both hands on the desk.

Hasebe didn't blush, as a girl might when faced with such a question. Instead, she answered calmly, "No. Where did that rumor come from?"

"Huh? But you go to school together every day, and you're always laughing and talking."

Hasebe grew excited at that. "You know that feeling when you really click with someone?"

"No matter what we talk about, we always have a great time. I don't even have to say anything for Satsu to pick up on my mood and what I'm thinking."

"I think this must be what they call a kindred spirit."

Hasebe's words left Karuizawa even more bewildered. She scratched her head and asked, "Wouldn't that make him a good boyfriend, then?"

"But I'm not very good at figuring out what Satsu is thinking. So far, it feels like he's the one accommodating me."

The excitement in Hasebe's voice noticeably faded. Resting her cheek on one hand, she said,

"Besides, I don't think you should rush into a relationship. We should spend more time together first."

"Satsu, you seem to be paying a lot of attention to Hasebe."

As soon as Ayanokoji said that, Suzune and Satsu turned to look at him at almost the same time.

"What, do you feel like you've been dumped? It's only been three weeks and you're already—"

"Hey! Don't say stuff like that, Horikita. Ayanokoji and I are just friends."

Realizing where Suzune was going with it, Satsu cut in. But the former clearly had no intention of letting them off the hook, and joked, "Right, right. Just friends."

She put extra emphasis on "friends," inviting all sorts of speculation.

"Quiet down and get back to your seats," Chabashira said sternly as soon as she entered.

But no one seemed to take her seriously. Yamauchi even spoke in a teasing tone.

"Sae, you look really upset today. Did your boyfriend dump you?"

The whole class burst into laughter. Most of the people laughing were boys, of course.

Three weeks of unrestricted living had completely worn away their respect for authority.

Yamauchi's remark had gone beyond treating a teacher like a friend. It was downright disrespectful.

Under normal circumstances, Yamauchi would undoubtedly have been disciplined. But Chabashira didn't seem to care. She simply went on handing out the tests.

"Although this quiz won't be reflected in your grades, it's still important, so make sure you answer carefully."

After saying that, Chabashira fell silent.

Satsu only glanced briefly at the questions before picking up his pen and getting started.

The questions weren't difficult. A little studying here and there was all it took to answer them. Besides, Suzune, the top student, was sitting right beside him. What did he have to worry about?

In just another week, the defective students of Class D would learn what this school was really about: the rule of the strong.