Suzune: How did I suddenly become the losing heroine?

Kei Karuizawa opened the notebook Yang Cheng handed her, looking puzzled, and soon discovered that it contained quite a few practice questions.

Before Kei Karuizawa could voice her confusion, Yang Cheng spoke first. "These are the questions from last year's midterm exam.

"I don't know why, but this school seems to reuse a surprisingly high percentage of its exam questions every year."

For a school that prized ability above all else, its exam questions barely changing from year to year struck Yang Cheng as frankly absurd.

However, after verifying it several times, and considering that Ayanokoji had obtained the questions this way in the original story, Yang Cheng concluded that perhaps the school had deliberately arranged things this way.

Not every student in Class A excelled at both sports and academics, and not every student in Class D was hopeless at studying.

Just like the Chunin Ninja Exams in the world of Naruto, was the actual test the point?

No, the point was to test their ability to gather intelligence.

By the same logic, at the Advanced Nurturing High School, which trained society's elite, academic performance was only one aspect. Perhaps this was also a way to test the students' reasoning and ability to adapt.

Someone who could only follow the prescribed steps to earn good grades was talented at best. Only someone who could break the rules themselves deserved to be called a genius.

When Yang Cheng said that the questions in the notebook might very well appear on this exam, excitement spread across Kei Karuizawa's face.

After all, she had been worrying quite a bit about the upcoming midterms herself.

Although she wasn't as bad as Yamauchi and Sudo, Kei Karuizawa was still a poor student struggling to scrape a passing grade.

During the month since school started, Sae Chabashira's permissive attitude toward their behavior had only made things worse. They hadn't absorbed anything in class.

Recently, Kei Karuizawa had also been planning to form a study group to make up for lost time, but unfortunately, they didn't seem to be catching up fast enough.

Now that Yang Cheng said the notebook's questions might be on the upcoming exam, she was naturally thrilled.

Once her excitement subsided, however, Kei Karuizawa couldn't help growing worried.

After all, what they were doing was undoubtedly cheating.

If the school found out, wouldn't not only she, but also Yang Cheng, who had given her the questions...

"If you don't cheat this year, you'll be a junior next year!

"Besides, I actually got those questions from the second-year students.

"At most, what we're doing is predicting the questions, not cheating.

"You can use these questions yourself, but you can also share them with the rest of Class D. It'll help improve your standing in the class."

Kei Karuizawa had no idea how Yang Cheng had obtained these questions from the second-years, but she imagined it couldn't have been easy. He might even have paid a price for them.

Yet although he had described this favor as something he wanted her help with, in reality, she seemed to be the one receiving help and reaping all the benefits.

Quite a few people in Class D were worried about the exam right now. If she stepped forward at a time like this and helped them get through it...

It didn't take much imagination to realize that she would earn everyone's gratitude and might even become one of the class's central leaders.

Watching Yang Cheng's retreating figure disappear into the night, Kei Karuizawa hugged the notebook to her chest, inexplicably moved.

Now she was even beginning to wonder whether Yang Cheng really liked her.

Otherwise, why would he help her so much?

Had Yang Cheng known what Kei Karuizawa was thinking at that moment, he would certainly have protested his innocence.

He had agreed to be Kei Karuizawa's fake boyfriend simply because he found Kikyo Kushida too troublesome. While helping Karuizawa, he could also use her as a shield.

As for giving her the exam questions and letting her do the rest of Class D a favor, that had been nothing more than a whim.

He had to give the questions to someone, didn't he? The main issue was that Yang Cheng simply knew too few people.

The low-profile Ayanokoji would definitely never do something like this.

As for Suzune Horikita, her haughty personality made her unsuitable for the task too. She might even turn a good deed into a disaster.

Kikyo Kushida... was certainly a good fit, but why should Yang Cheng help that woman build her reputation and popularity?

After ruling out all those unsuitable candidates, the only person left was naturally Kei Karuizawa, whom he had met that day.

As for the enormous price Kei Karuizawa imagined Yang Cheng had paid to obtain these questions, that was pure nonsense.

He was an "upperclassman from Class 3-A." All he had to do was say a few words, and those second-year students practically fought to impress him.

Paying Private Points for them? What a joke. Surely an outstanding upperclassman didn't have to pay when he asked his juniors for a little something?

Originally, Yang Cheng had even considered using Private Points to buy the questions and answers for this exam directly from Sae Chabashira.

After all, if even grades could be purchased, buying exam questions and answers didn't seem impossible either.

However, considering that a complete set of questions and answers might cost a considerable number of Private Points, Yang Cheng had ultimately been forced to abandon the idea.

Early the next morning, another bombshell spread through Class D.

The class's pretty gyaru, Kei Karuizawa, had actually announced that she was dating her classmate, Nanju Yang Cheng.

At first, Kei Karuizawa had merely "casually" mentioned the news to her big-mouthed friend beside her.

Although that big-mouthed friend promised to keep it secret, in less than half an hour, everyone in Class D knew.

The news surprised not only Class D's gossip-loving spectators, but also Kikyo Kushida, Suzune Horikita, and even Ayanokoji.

As far as they knew, Yang Cheng and Kei Karuizawa had barely interacted. How had they become a couple overnight?

Besides, wasn't Suzune Horikita the one Yang Cheng liked?

When Yang Cheng, the subject of all the gossip, entered Class D's classroom, he noticed everyone staring at him. Then he spotted Kei Karuizawa looking rather intriguing off to one side and immediately understood why.

"A rumor suddenly started spreading in Class D that you're dating Karuizawa.

"I don't know who's behind it, but you'd probably better clear it up."

In response to Suzune Horikita's seemingly indifferent, well-meaning reminder, Yang Cheng propped his chin on his hand and said, "There's no need to clear it up. It's true."

Suzune Horikita: (´･Д･)

"Oh, I see. Then I was sticking my nose where it didn't belong

"."

Although she was a little curious about what had happened and how Yang Cheng had suddenly started dating Kei Karuizawa,

just as the words reached her lips, Suzune Horikita suddenly realized that she had neither the grounds nor the right to question him...

She wasn't anything to him. Who he wanted to date was entirely his own business, wasn't it?

Besides, hadn't she been worrying just a few days ago about how to reject Yang Cheng's affection?

Now that he was dating Kei Karuizawa, didn't that conveniently save her the trouble?

But why did I still feel a little upset?