I'm a Bad Student, I'm Laying My Cards on the Table

I have to admit, Kurenai Yuhi is a stunning beauty, a real high-tier "older sister" type.

Beauty is one thing, but the problem is, why does she keep staring at me?

As soon as Kurenai Yuhi finished warning Takasaki, every student in the classroom turned their heads in unison to look at him.

Seeing Takasaki's completely blank test paper, quite a few students even let out a few snickers of schadenfreude.

The classroom fell silent once again, and the exam continued.

Takasaki kept his head down, staring at the paper in a daze, feeling the pressure mount even higher.

Even Asuma had noticed Takasaki, and he whispered to Kurenai Yuhi, "The exam has been going on for twenty minutes; has Takasaki not written a single answer yet?"

Asuma shook his head, a cigarette dangling from his lips, "This student, Takasaki, won't be graduating this year."

He pulled out a lighter and was just about to ignite his cigarette when Kurenai Yuhi blew out the flame, "Go outside to smoke; don't disturb the students."

"Fine, my cravings are kicking in anyway. Come with me."

Asuma grinned, reaching out to take Kurenai Yuhi's hand as he headed for the door.

Kurenai Yuhi turned her body naturally, dodging his hand, "We've only just started seeing each other; I'm not used to holding hands so soon. You go ahead; I need to proctor the exam."

"We have a long life ahead of us. Forget holding hands—eventually, you'll even be carrying my children."

Asuma walked out of the classroom with the cigarette in his mouth, "I'll be back after a few puffs. Keep an eye on the exam discipline; if you catch anyone cheating, disqualify them immediately."

In truth, according to school regulations, a proctor is not supposed to leave the exam room while monitoring.

Asuma, however, was not bound by such rules; after all, he was the son of the current Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Even if other teachers saw him smoking in the hallway during his shift, they would simply turn a blind eye.

As a student who could only pass the exam by cheating, Takasaki's attention was naturally not on the test questions, but on the proctors.

Especially when he realized that Kurenai Yuhi was distracted by her conversation with Asuma, Takasaki knew his chance had arrived!

Hurry.

Cheat!

Leave the multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions for now; he'd copy them from Hinata later.

Start with the long-form questions.

Takasaki slightly opened his palm, where Ino had written the cheat sheet, picked up his pen, and began scribbling furiously.

Seeing Takasaki's movements, Naruto took it as a signal and began to mimic him with a serious expression.

In just a few minutes, Takasaki had already finished half of the first major problem.

This scene did not escape the notice of Sakura Haruno.

As if she had been waiting for this moment, she raised her hand high, "Kurenai Yuhi-sensei, I'm reporting Takasaki for cheating!"

The words fell.

A commotion rippled through the classroom.

Students in the front rows turned their gazes toward him.

Takasaki himself was startled; he quickly pressed his palm down and turned his head toward Sakura Haruno, his eyes full of confusion.

Seriously? They were all classmates who saw each other every day—why report him?

Did it benefit Sakura Haruno in any way if he failed to graduate?

Takasaki truly couldn't understand her actions until he saw the arrogant look on her face, and then, he seemed to understand everything.

The haughty expression on Sakura Haruno's face was exactly like those students from his past life who loved to suck up to the teachers and report their peers for every little thing.

He hadn't felt much about her before, couldn't even say he disliked her.

But at this moment, his disgust for Sakura Haruno reached its peak, "It's the Graduation Exam, and you're reporting me? Did I eat your family's rice or something?"

Sakura Haruno didn't understand what he meant by "eating her family's rice," but that didn't matter.

What mattered was that she knew this act would leave a deep impression on Takasaki—enough for him to write about it in his diary.

Sakura Haruno put on a look of disappointment, "Sorry, Takasaki, but your foundation is weak. Just repeat the year; I'm doing this for your own good."

"Takasaki-kun..." Hinata's expression was full of worry for him.

"That idiot Sakura," Ino thought, her face equally full of anxiety—not for Takasaki, but for herself. "I hope Takasaki doesn't drag me into this."

Naruto's heart was pounding, Thank goodness it's not me, thank goodness it's not me. Takasaki is so screwed... but why did Sakura report him anyway?

Naruto looked toward Sakura Haruno.

Even though she had beaten him to a pulp that morning, the image of her as his goddess hadn't wavered in the slightest.

Yet, at this very moment.

He suddenly felt that Sakura Haruno didn't seem as wonderful as she used to be.

As for the other students in the class, their gazes toward Takasaki shifted.

Contempt, disdain, sarcasm, and the mocking laughter of those reveling in his misfortune.

Just as always, Takasaki received the full spectrum of gazes one would expect for being the class dead-last.

Sasuke, sitting in the front row, glanced back at Sakura Haruno and let out a scoff: "Idiot."

"Sakura, how exactly did Takasaki cheat?" Kurenai Yuhi walked over at a leisurely pace, her red high heels clicking against the floor.

Perhaps due to the humid weather, the floor felt slightly damp.

Kurenai swayed her hips naturally, the crisp clack, clack, clack of her red heels against the floor carrying a hint of lingering moisture.

She had been pondering how to find an opportunity to approach Takasaki and offer him some help.

As it turned out, Sakura had just handed her the perfect chance.

Sakura was truly a model student who loved reporting every little classroom incident to her, and she quite liked that.

"I..."

Sakura Haruno hesitated for a moment, but ultimately spoke up: "I saw a cheat sheet on Takasaki's palm."

She had already left a bad impression on Takasaki anyway.

Since he was bound to write about her in his diary, she might as well go all the way and ensure he recorded her name as many times as possible.

Perhaps even these negative entries could earn her a reward.

Sakura Haruno pointed at Takasaki's right hand to emphasize: "On his right palm."

Ino's heart sank.

If Kurenai Yuhi checked Takasaki's palm and saw the contents, she would surely recognize the handwriting as hers.

It was over.

She would be held jointly responsible and disqualified from the exam as well.

Ino let out a long sigh.

She had prepared herself for this possibility the moment she decided to help Takasaki cheat.

However, what caught her off guard was that it was Sakura Haruno who had reported him.

Ino even began to wonder if Sakura was targeting her specifically.

She hadn't even competed with Sakura for a chance to talk to Sasuke today.

Whatever.

Ino couldn't be bothered to overthink it. Since the outcome was already set, she might as well accept it gracefully. It was nothing more than getting scolded by her parents when she got home and repeating the grade with Takasaki; it wasn't the end of the world.

Takasaki swept his gaze over the pairs of gloating eyes in the classroom, but he had no intention of saying anything.

Sakura Haruno had seen his cheat sheet so clearly that he didn't even have a chance to argue.

Might as well.

He let out a sigh and set his pen down with a carefree shrug.

I wanted to get along with you all as a top student, but all I got in return was alienation.

No more pretending.

I'm a failure, I'm laying my cards on the table.

Kurenai Yuhi arrived in front of Takasaki. In front of the entire class, she reached out her fair hand, first brushing against the palm of Takasaki's right hand, then naturally taking his hand in hers: "Is the cheat sheet on this palm?"