Thank goodness, I'm not a losing heroine after all!

"What about you? Did yesterday's study group go smoothly?"

Suzune Horikita had still been lost in her thoughts, but Yang Cheng's question brought her back to the present.

Yet the moment she recalled yesterday's study group, Suzune Horikita fell silent again.

Seeing her silence, Yang Cheng could already guess that things had gone more or less as he had expected.

In Suzune Horikita's eyes, her willingness to waste her time tutoring a few struggling students from Class D was already a rare concession.

But to struggling students like Sudo and Yamauchi, that was not how it looked at all.

Boys had their pride, especially in front of pretty girls.

Setting aside the hotheaded Sudo, Yamauchi and Ike had obviously joined the study group for Kikyo Kushida.

Suzune Horikita had let loose a barrage of insults right in front of their goddess. Who the hell could put up with that?

"It looks like your study group didn't go smoothly, just as I expected.

"So instead of wasting time, I went and prepared a backup plan."

"Your backup plan was to date Karuizawa?"

Suzune Horikita had no idea why she had blurted out that question.

But she quickly regained her composure, reminding herself that she was merely concerned about Class D's situation.

"I have my reasons for dating Karuizawa, but I did ask her to help me..."

Suzune Horikita had wanted to ask more, but that woman, Kikyo Kushida, unexpectedly approached them again.

"Yang Cheng, I heard you're dating Karuizawa. Is that true?"

"It is, Kushida. We officially started dating yesterday."

At Yang Cheng's confirmation, an indescribable expression appeared on Kikyo Kushida's face.

But after glancing at Yang Cheng and then at Suzune Horikita beside him, she quickly put on her practiced fake smile again. "Well, congratulations, Yang Cheng.

"I always thought you liked Horikita, though. I never expected you to end up dating Karuizawa instead.

"If I'd known, I would have thrown my hat in the ring too. After all, I'm quite fond of you myself."

With those words, Kikyo Kushida returned to her seat.

After that, however, Suzune still had no chance to get a word in and question Yang Cheng.

Though Kei Karuizawa was not as popular as Kikyo Kushida in Class D, she was still a leading figure among the girls.

Once they confirmed their relationship, Yang Cheng naturally drew most of the class's attention and could no longer remain on the sidelines.

And since they were pretending to be a couple, Yang Cheng and Kei Karuizawa at least had to act as though they liked each other in front of others.

Suzune Horikita, who would normally discuss things with Yang Cheng, would turn on her heel and storm off whenever she saw the two of them glued together.

Over the next month, Yang Cheng and Kei Karuizawa became Class D's model couple.

During that month, Suzune Horikita also tried to help Class D get through this crisis, but she never managed to come up with a solution.

More importantly, Suzune felt inexplicably irritated throughout the month.

Especially whenever she saw Yang Cheng and Kei Karuizawa together...

Ayanokoji continued playing the invisible bystander as usual, observing everything from the shadows.

Because of his agreement with Sae Chabashira, he also had to help Class D get through this crisis.

He had originally hoped Suzune Horikita would step up so he could avoid taking action himself.

But Suzune Horikita proved so ineffectual that Ayanokoji had planned to handle things himself.

Yet before he could act, someone unexpected approached him and handed him a set of exam questions.

Looking at the questions in his hands and Kei Karuizawa standing before him, Ayanokoji instantly understood everything.

"You should be grateful to me, Ayanokoji. Your grades have always been average.

"But you could still fail this exam. If you get the answers to these questions in advance, though, passing should be practically guaranteed.

"You should know that I paid a pretty hefty price to get these questions.

"But it was all for Class D, so accept them with gratitude."

Kei Karuizawa had already delivered the same lines to plenty of their classmates, so she had the routine down pat.

"Thank you. I'll accept them with gratitude."

At Ayanokoji's expressionless reply, Kei Karuizawa tossed her head proudly and walked away.

After glancing at the questions in his hands and then at the departing Kei Karuizawa, Ayanokoji naturally realized at once who was pulling the strings.

After observing them for some time, he already had a good grasp of what Kei Karuizawa... no, what everyone in Class D was capable of.

So when a troubled Suzune Horikita approached Ayanokoji and asked whether he had any ideas to help Class D pass this exam, he simply took out the questions Kei Karuizawa had given him.

"You're saying the students in Class D should all have received these exam questions from Kei Karuizawa?

"No wonder Yamauchi and the others have looked so relaxed lately. But why didn't I get them? Is Kei Karuizawa deliberately singling me out?"

She was now dating Yang Cheng, and there had previously been rumors in class that Yang Cheng liked Suzune. Suzune felt it was entirely possible that Karuizawa was targeting her.

"Isn't the reason Karuizawa didn't give you the questions that you don't need them at all?

"I asked around earlier. It wasn't just you. Hirata and Koenji didn't get them either.

"And all of you have one thing in common: even without these questions, passing this exam would be a breeze."

Ayanokoji's answer finally convinced Suzune Horikita. But just as she was about to say something else, he continued, "I think you know perfectly well that Karuizawa herself probably isn't capable of pulling this off.

"So I think Nanju is directing her actions behind the scenes."

Ayanokoji's words made Suzune pause, and she quickly remembered what Yang Cheng had said earlier.

So this was the backup plan he'd meant...

"But even if he hates hassle as much as you do and wanted someone

"to hand out the questions to everyone else, it didn't have to be Karuizawa..."

Halfway through her own words, Suzune suddenly realized that among the people Yang Cheng knew, Kei Karuizawa really was the best choice.

"He needed to date Kei Karuizawa just for that?"

"I don't know, but I don't think they have a normal romantic relationship. It might just be an exchange of benefits."