Hachiman returned to the classroom.
It was already after School, and the students in the Class had left the classroom.
Because they already knew the true nature of this School, and at 7 AM, everyone received 45,000 personal point.
The transfer party was the School.
This meant it was indeed true: the School distributed their monthly living expenses based on their Class evaluation scores.
Indeed, compared to the initial 100,000 point, now less than half remained, but even with these forty thousand-plus point, as long as there were no major expenses, it was enough for a month's living.
So, the students naturally took the money, then threw all self-discipline for the month aside and went to spend it first.
However, one girl was still in the classroom.
Even passersby couldn't help but take an extra look, because she was very beautiful.
Long black hair, reaching her waist, cascaded down her back and shoulders, with a small, white ribbon tied into a bow and a long, thin braid on her right side.
Her waterfall-like black hair carried a faint lily-like fragrance, probably from her shampoo.
Her sitting posture was elegant and graceful.
Long eyelashes, orange, captivating eyes like a fox's, and a delicate face.
However, the cold expression on the girl's face seemed to constantly exude an aura of rejection.
Like an ice beauty, while she could use it to reject many weak people, it instead made others even more interested in her.
And now, she was holding a book and reading.
However, if one looked closely, they would find that her mind was not calm, even a little flustered.
The reason was that although she was reading, Hachiman had watched her for two minutes, and she hadn't turned a page.
Hmm.
Hachiman found that he was also becoming a little more familiar with Horikita.
However, every day was still the same; on days when Sakayanagi Arisu didn't treat him to a meal, he chose to eat bread in the classroom during lunch break, and although Horikita made a bento, she ignored him.
Of course, it wasn't about what he wanted to eat.
He just wanted to experience the joy of sharing food.
And now.
Horikita-san probably wasn't at ease.
"I'm back," Hachiman said. "The Student Council President didn't say anything important. She just praised our Class."
Speaking of the Class, although their classroom hadn't changed, the Class sign had already become Class C.
They were students of Class C.
At the same time, they were probably the fastest-promoting Class in the School's history, so receiving praise was natural.
"However," Hachiman said. "Class A's Class evaluation score is incredible."
"Their Class has 988 point, which is excessively excellent."
"…" Horikita Suzune.
Over this past month, she knew the situation of her Class.
And don't look at Class D… oh no, now it's Class C. Don't look at Class C's distance from the sixth day of School when Hachiman exposed the Class evaluation scores, and the Class only had 480 point left then.
And now, after more than half a month, they still had 450 point, which seemed surprising.
However, she also understood that everyone was striving for their own benefit, and thus were trying hard to hold on.
And today was a new month, there were no more behavior exams, and they immediately reverted to their old ways; this morning, 22 students started using their phones in Class.
Therefore, compared to the students of Class A, who were self-disciplined and excellent in all aspects, the gap was enormous.
"However, what we need to pay attention to now is that this is a new month," Hachiman said. "And we need to see what the true nature of this School is."
"In other words…"
Horikita Suzune murmured.
Yes.
The Advanced Nurturing High School's exclusive monthly special exam officially began.
…
The next day.
All the students arrived in the classroom.
Thump-thump-thump—
At that moment, the sound of Teacher Chabashira Sae's high heels echoed as she walked in, holding a rolled-up paper like a poster in both hands.
There wasn't much expression on her face.
She looked somewhat serious.
At the same time.
"It's already time for homeroom, why aren't you all back in your seats?" She glanced at the Class, which had become messy again after just one day, and her first words were incredibly fierce.
Noticing this, Hachiman glanced at Horikita.
There was gravity in both their eyes.
Because Teacher Chabashira's expression indicated that the exam this month, which had finally arrived, would put a lot of pressure on this Class.
Indeed, the pressure was immense.
"On the 6th of last month, I told you the true nature of this School."
"And the fact that you could maintain a Class evaluation score of 450 point on the 1st, honestly, even I'm surprised, because based on your past performance, it would be an exaggeration if you hadn't lost all your point within 10 days."
This remark was a bit excessive.
But the students in the Class accepted it calmly.
Because they had already achieved the feat of losing 500 point in 6 days.
So, if they weren't trusted, they had nothing to say.
Moreover.
Most importantly, they had endured this past month, they had endured!
Hachiman noticed that the students' backs seemed to have straightened somewhat.
And Chabashira also unloaded the Class evaluation scores of the four Classes written on the small blackboard downstairs onto the blackboard.
Then she wrote the evaluation scores of the four Classes on the blackboard.
Grade 1 Class A: 988 point
Grade 1 Class B: 751 point
Grade 1 Class C: 450 point
Grade 1 Class D: 0 point
Among them, Hachiman's Class was already Class C, with 450 point, which was a surprising score for this Class.
Because without intervention, it would probably have been 0 point by the end of last month.
And Teacher Chabashira seemed to say the same.
"Then, on the first day of every month, the School is supposed to deposit living expenses into your accounts, calculated as your Class evaluation score multiplied by 100, and announce the special exam for that month."
"And I specifically gave you one day to buffer."
"But…"
Chabashira-sensei continued, "Unfortunately, your beautiful dream is over."
As she spoke, she affixed the paper she had brought to the blackboard, securing it with magnets.
"The special exam, a monthly feature of this School, is about to begin."
"And this month's special exam is a written test."
"However, there's no need to feel it's unfair; this exam is the same for the entire grade—all written tests."
"And then…"
Chabashira-sensei explained why she had entered the room with a stern expression.
She displayed a math test score sheet.
The Class's top students were at the forefront.
And the number of students was acceptable.
The most outstanding was Kōenji Rokusuke with 100 points.
The second was Horikita Suzune with 94 points.
Then came Yukimura Teruhiko with 91 points.
After that were students like Kushida Kikyo with 83 points and Hirata Yo-suke with 78 points, achieving upper-middle scores.
Hachiman checked his own score: 60 points.
Average.
However, the scores of some students below him were terrible.
"These are the results of the previous mini-test. Just look at them and you'll see what garbage scores you got. But considering you're all flawed products, such scores are not surprising."
"Furthermore,"
Chabashira Sae said, turning back to look at everyone with cold, sharp eyes, "From this point on, anyone who fails the mid-term or final exams—."
"Will be expelled, immediately."
"We'll be expelled if we fail the exam?!" a student exclaimed.
Hachiman looked over; it was Ike Kanji, who often hung out with Yamauchi and Sudo.
He wasn't very tall and was somewhat thin.
But his face instantly turned ugly, and he even shrieked.
"Just failing a written test? Shouldn't a special exam be some other kind of test?"
And it wasn't just Ike Kanji; Sudo also cried out.
He had become famous last month during the Sudo fight incident.
And it was proven that he had been framed by Ryuen.
At the same time, he possessed athletic abilities that were like a cheat code, far exceeding those of ordinary people.
However.
Clearly.
His studies were not good.
Although it was somewhat impolite.
However.
As a human observation camera, Hachiman had also identified them.
Ike Kanji, Sudo Ken, and Yamauchi Haruki were the worst group in the Class.
And their scores were also the worst.
Sudo Ken was the most exaggerated, with only 16 points, and Ike Kanji wasn't much better, with 24 points.
As for Yamauchi Haruki, he was slightly better, but still only 27 points!
The passing line is generally calculated as half of the Class's average score.
However.
Judging from the test results Chabashira-sensei displayed.
The Class's average score was 55 points, but even at half of that standard, it was 27 points!
And in Class D, there were a full seven people with scores below 27 points!
In other words, if the standard of expulsion for failing the exam was applied, then all of these people would be expelled!
And for those scoring 30-40 points, not studying properly could easily lead to failure.
It could be said that currently, the students in the Class who are absolutely safe… are fewer than 20.
"It goes without saying that you receive free tuition from the School, and if you work hard, you can even get living expenses, with no upper limit."
"Although the School's advertised university admission and employment rates require you to compete."
"However, as long as you can make it to Class A, you will also receive that treatment."
Chabashira-sensei said.
"And these are the rules for this mid-term exam."
"The exam content consists of five subjects: Physics, Chemistry, Biology, English, and Math."
"The exam dates are the 24th and 25th of this month."
"And if you excel in this exam, you can earn up to 100 Class evaluation points, which translates to an increase of 10,000 living expense points per month."
In other words...
Almost immediately upon hearing this news, Horikita turned to look at Hachiman.
Because when he had previously wanted to accumulate the Class's points from the previous month, he had said something similar, worrying that future scores might not be high, so they needed to accumulate some from the start.
And now, it seemed he was right.
Aside from the School's generosity in the first month of enrollment, the special exam scores for other months would not be too high. And now, this month's mid-term exam only offered a value of 100 Class evaluation points.
"Then, sensei, what is the composition of 100 points? Or rather, how can we get a perfect score of 100 points?" Horikita Suzune suddenly asked.
"Hey, Horikita." The others looked at Horikita.
In the previous Sudo incident, Horikita played an important role.
According to Hikigaya, Horikita was a witness in the Sudo fight incident, but the reason she didn't come forward directly to testify was that Ryuen Class was too excessive, and she worried Ryuen might target their Class's students again, so she dragged it out until the trial.
As a result, Ryuen Class had 400 points deducted, and they also dropped.
Everyone inexplicably became students of Class C.
But it had to be said, while they used to think Horikita was aloof, now, she had gained a certain level of popularity.
But for some struggling students, wasn't this the time to think about how to avoid failing?
Why were they still concerned about points?
"If no one fails the exam, and the average score for each subject is above 80, then you can receive a full 100 Class evaluation points as a reward."
"If no one fails the exam, and the average score for each subject is between 50 and 80 points, then you can receive 70 Class evaluation points."
"And if no one fails the exam, and the average score for each subject is below 50 points, then you will receive 30 Class evaluation points."
"However, if anyone fails the exam and is expelled, then no points will be awarded for this exam." Chabashira-sensei answered Horikita Suzune.
"Eh… So if we fail, we get no points at all?" a student quickly interjected.
Hachiman looked over.
It was a cute girl with a beautiful golden ponytail.
It was Karuizawa again.
Speaking of which, Karuizawa really likes to interject in conversations.
So, is she also very eager to show off?
However, in his understanding, people who like to show off are often lacking in some aspects, so, was Karuizawa perhaps…
Of course, there are also those who simply like to show off, like Yamauchi.
It's just that Yamauchi's grades are probably terrible, and he's currently anxious and quiet.
"Regarding this, Class B students will support us."
"They have many students with good academic records, and they will hold study sessions for us."
Hirata then checked his phone, and after asking Chabashira-sensei for permission and receiving it, he stood up and said.
In other words, there will be someone to guide their studies.
That made them feel a little more at ease.
…
Chabashira-sensei merely announced the exam subjects and the point acquisition conditions, which indeed shattered everyone's beautiful dreams.
After all, a large number of students in this Class were not good at studying.
And according to the three tiers of 100 points acquisition mentioned by Chabashira-sensei, even if all students in the Class passed after the study sessions.
The average exam score would certainly not be good.
So, they might only be able to get the lowest tier of 30 Class evaluation points at most.
But there was nothing they could do about it.
The Class's foundation was poor.
Then it was lunchtime.
"Even though the mid-term exam was announced this morning, the students went directly to happily eat, and even wanted to eat well, completely ignoring the exam. They're truly carefree." Horikita Suzune said.
"You'll get used to it."
Hachiman felt like he had heard this from Horikita Manabu, and it turned out his sister was also part of the family.
However, Horikita Manabu was talking about Class D, Ryuen Class.
And now Horikita-san was talking about Class C, their current Class.
But don't forget, Hachiman only wanted to arrange for his Class to try to get close to Class A once, not directly promote to Class A. In other words, he didn't think the students in his Class could maintain or endure the position of Class A.
Moreover.
According to the information obtained from Chabashira-sensei, and the School's arrangements for upper and lower Classes, lower Classes that moved up would also be manipulated by the School to fall back down.
So, one attempt was enough.
Otherwise, if Yamauchi really graduated representing Class A and entered society, the School would be thoroughly embarrassed.
"But what are you thinking about?"
Horikita noticed Hachiman, after finishing his rice ball, resting his hands on the table and appearing to be deep in thought.
"It's still about the Class evaluation scores of the four Classes this time."
"Aside from Class A being excessively excellent, Class D has 0 points." Hachiman said.
"Class D, isn't that Ryuen Class?"
Horikita Suzune said, "After making false accusations, their Class only had 110 points left, and after a month, it's now 0. Isn't that unreasonable?"
"…" Hachiman.
Even though she was Horikita Manabu's sister, Horikita-san completely failed to meet his expectations.
"It's the change in this score." Hachiman said.
He wrote a few numbers on his notebook.
Perhaps wanting to see what he was writing, Horikita Suzune left her seat and came over to Hachiman's side.
Hmm.
It felt as if the girl's smooth, long hair brushed against his face.
However, Hachiman focused on writing.
He wrote two sets of numbers.
610 points and 110 points.
"You remember these two scores, right?" Hachiman said. "These are Ryuen Class's scores. Initially, because I damaged the cameras, their score was revealed to be 610 points. But after a week, following Sudo's incident, Ryuen Class's score..."
"According to Horikita's deductions, Ryuen Class was docked 400 points during the Sudo incident," Hachiman said.
"Which means..." Horikita Suzune finally paid attention.
"Yes."
Hachiman said, "Ryuen Class is indeed a formidable Class. Even the students in Class A, who are very disciplined, might still lose a few scattered points."
"But Ryuen's Class managed to go a whole week without losing a single point."
"Are you saying their students are more disciplined?"
"I don't think so. I think it's Ryuen's control over his Class," Hachiman said. "And that control is very strong."
"But they're already at 0 points, aren't they?" Horikita Suzune continued.
"0 points is dangerous, you know," Hachiman said. "Because we can't confirm if it will turn into negative points after 0."
"So what's the point? What happens if it doesn't turn into negative points?" Horikita Suzune immediately asked. She felt that Hachiman must be considering something she hadn't thought of.
"I'm thinking, if they hit 0 points, then maybe they won't be penalized for continuing to violate school rules. And if they won't be penalized, they could go around collecting protection money from other Classes. For example, they could pick fights to create a situation where both Classes are equally punished, or where students from both Classes are suspended for a week or two. This could drag down other Classes that want to study. And if failing the exam not only leads to that student's expulsion but also results in a point deduction for their Class, then that would be even better. Other Classes definitely wouldn't dare to cross them, so they'd have no choice but to pay protection money."
"..."
That's simply shameless.
"So, Ryuen Class did all this for that purpose? They controlled their Class for a week to not lose a single point, and now they've deliberately lost all their points just for such a shameless goal?" Horikita Suzune said.
But Hachiman shook his head.
"I don't think Ryuen thought that far ahead," Hachiman said. "If he really thought that much, then he wouldn't have caused Sudo's incident."
"So, Ryuen Class going to 0 points is probably because he lost too many points, and with only a hundred or so points left, trying to keep students in line might lead to opposition, so he might as well just give up entirely."
From this perspective, Ryuen might be an honest person within his Class.
"However, let's contact Ichinose from Class B this evening," Hachiman said.
"You mean..."
"Borrow some academic elites from them," Hachiman said. "Remember the agreement with the students in our Class? If we have 400 Class evaluation points left, then everyone is happy."
"At the same time, because we exceeded 400 Class evaluation points, if there's an exam where students might be expelled next time, we need to protect those who might be expelled."
"And now we've gained so many points, and our Class's students are the type to take advantage of favors," Hachiman said.
"Are you thinking too badly of the students in our Class... Hmm... Then let's go see Ichinose." Horikita was about to deny it, but then suddenly remembered during the Sudo incident, Yamauchi, as Sudo's friend, directly said Sudo might have really hit someone.
Indeed.
Some students are not trustworthy.
However.
"I still can't understand it," Horikita Suzune said. "It's just a simple exam, and exams are a test of one's daily learning. If they listened carefully in Class from the beginning, would failing even be a possibility?"
Okay.
So that's why Hachiman wanted to ally with Class B.
He just felt that the academic elites in his own Class were unreliable.
It's truly too Versailles.
Thus.
He took out his phone and contacted Kushida.
He didn't have Ichinose's contact information, so he needed Kushida.
...
Evening.
Cafeteria.
"Ding-dong—"
Two students from First Year Class B walked in.
One male, one female.
The male had slightly curly purple hair, while the female was quite striking, possessing beautiful golden-pink long hair.
These were Kanzaki Ryuji and Ichinose Honami, whom they had met before.
Among them.
According to the information Kushida obtained, Ichinose ranked first in the entrance exam's written test.
Of course.
Having witnessed Sakayanagi Arisu's intelligence and genius.
He felt that Sakayanagi was most likely the true first place.
And comparing ordinary people to geniuses is a very cruel thing.
However.
"So, 70% of the students in your Class have scores of 70 points or higher?"
Horikita Suzune said.
"Ah... Yes. How are your grades, Horikita?" Ichinose asked after sitting down.
"Usually in the nineties," Horikita Suzune said.
"Oh." Ichinose nodded.
Just now, Horikita had looked surprised, which made her think perhaps Horikita was a poor student, but now that she was an academic elite, there was no problem.
So Ichinose looked at Hikigaya.
Ichinose had already noticed that even though Horikita, Kushida, and Hikigaya were together, Hikigaya was the one in charge.
And Horikita seemed to be following Hikigaya's orders, while Kushida, rather than being an ally, seemed more like Hikigaya's contact method for them.
Of course.
Thinking that way was a bit rude.
"Actually, it's like this," Hachiman explained his purpose. "For this written exam, I hope to borrow the strength of your Class."
In other words, he hoped Ichinose and her Class would provide some academic elites to tutor Class C.
"I see..."
Kanzaki and Ichinose seemed to consider this request for a moment, but quickly agreed.
"We are allied Classes, of course we should help each other."
"And while helping with tutoring, we can also review and solidify our own knowledge," Ichinose said. "I think the students in our Class would be very willing."
After all, the students in your Class are Little Angels.
Hachiman thought to himself.
This was information provided by Kushida.
"And also, regarding the Ryuen incident earlier, your Class worked hard," Ichinose said, seemingly with lingering fear.
And Kanzaki, beside her, also nodded.
They initially thought that allying with Hikigaya's Class wouldn't bring them much benefit.
But then Ryuen directly entered the fray. One could imagine if Hikigaya's Class was defeated, then Class B would be next.
And there were also some utilitarian thoughts.
Among the current four Class evaluation scores, Ryuen's Class had already dropped to 0.
And while Hikigaya's Class still had 450 points, there was still a gap compared to their Class B. At the same time, the overall academic level of Hikigaya's Class was not good.
And now they needed to ask for help.
So, it would be difficult for Hikigaya's Class to catch up, and the dangerous Ryuen Class, which posed a threat to Class B, had also gone down.
It was reassuring.
So, this could be considered defeating one Class first, which was quite a good outcome for them, who had aspirations of rising to Class A.
Therefore, lending some students for tutoring was something they could certainly do.
Only.
As they successfully arranged for the help, Ichinose suddenly looked at Hachiman.
"Hikigaya-kun, let's exchange phone numbers."
Eh?
Was this the first time in his life a girl had actively given him her phone number?
It was a novel experience for Hachiman.
So, Komachi, isn't high school super good?
You should come quickly too!
...
"Ichinose and her Class are really good people, aren't they, Horikita?"
As she watched Ichinose, who was leaving due to the busy after-school period, Kushida, next to Hachiman, said softly.
Her presence today was not strong.
However, they had now reached an agreement with Class B, and Class B had also agreed to lend academic elites to tutor everyone.
So the students in their Class probably felt very good about it.
And it was only the 2nd now, with the exam dates on the 24th and 25th. There were still 3 weeks. If they worked hard and studied diligently, it was still possible for everyone to pass safely.
And Kushida was trying to interact with Horikita Suzune.
"..." Horikita. "Oh."
But Horikita's attitude seemed a bit cold.
And Kushida just maintained a polite smile; she was used to it.
However.
Horikita Suzune, who showed no interest in Kushida's questions, looked towards Hikigaya.
"What are you thinking now?" Horikita Suzune continued to ask.
"I'm thinking about something," Hachiman said. "Chabashira-sensei said, didn't she, that this special exam, the midterm written exam, will be taken by the entire Grade 1 together."
"It seems similar to last month's conduct exam; both seem to be standard assessments after new students enroll."
"So you're wondering if there's another solution?" Horikita Suzune understood.
If it was a conduct exam, then if they knew the content of the conduct exam, they could avoid losing points through self-discipline.
Class A did very well in that regard.
"But," Horikita Suzune shook her head again. "For a written exam, besides studying on your own, there's no other way to pass, is there?"
Because with conduct, you can be self-disciplined and restrained, or even pretend to be serious.
But a written exam tests genuine knowledge and ability.
But Hachiman didn't think so.
Because if this school were to recruit students based on written exam scores like schools in the outside world, then it shouldn't have admitted so many students from Class C or Class D in the first place.
Because if they fail one exam, they will be expelled.
So, wouldn't that mean a large number of students would be eliminated from the start?
Then why bother recruiting them?
What would be the point?
Therefore, he believes there is some kind of workaround solution.
"And so." Hachiman looked at the lovely Kushida.
"Kushida, could I ask you for a favor?"
"Eh heh?" Little Angel Kushida blinked her eyes cutely.
"I hope you can get in touch with the upperclassmen," Hachiman said.
"See how they deal with exams."
"Eh…"
Kushida drew out her words.
Although her social circle is wide, she is currently still working hard to expand and solidify her friendships within Grade 1. She hasn't had time to infiltrate the upperclassmen yet.
After all, it's easy to imagine that after a year of getting along, upperclassmen have already formed relatively independent cliques. And they don't change Classes, so trying to infiltrate them would be incredibly difficult.
So she hasn't been able to infiltrate them yet.
And now, Hikigaya is giving her such a heavy responsibility?
"Although Hirata obtained the number of upperclassmen students through his own sacrifice."
Hachiman said, "But looking at the situation in our own Class, if Class C and Class D of the upper grades also have to go through these mandatory written exams every year like us."
"If they didn't take a shortcut, it would be impossible for them to still have so many people left."
I see.
Kushida nodded gently.
Hikigaya is asking her to gather information.
Yes.
Logically, the Class evaluation scores of the upper grade's Class C and Class D are also very bad, indicating that they cannot compete with the upper Classes.
So, in the same situation of being 'trash', how do they manage not to be expelled?
It is indeed worth investigating.
"And if a solution is found," Hikigaya said, "then it can be told to our classmates in Kushida's name."
In other words, the suggestion comes from Hikigaya, but all the credit goes to her, Kushida?
Eh!
Kushida looked at Hikigaya.
Because.
This Hikigaya seems to understand her very well.
Indeed.
If she is highly regarded by everyone, it would certainly be a good thing.
Thus.
On one hand, there was the normal arrangement of inviting top students from Class B to tutor the weaker students in their Class.
On the other hand, there was the arrangement for Kushida to gather information from the upperclassmen.
The tutoring time was set for one hour after school every day.
Anyone with a score below 60 points had to stay and study.
There was nothing to say about this.
Because everyone now enjoys free tuition, and the school also provides living expenses.
It's simply an unthinkable life.
Moreover.
Isn't it possible that they suddenly became Class C last month, and then inexplicably become Class A a few months later?
Therefore, there are also quite optimistic individuals among the classmates.
Only.
"The problem with Chemistry…"
Hikigaya's Kokugo (National Language) score is very high, but this is not tested in the midterm exam.
And in the 60-point requirement, Hachiman's Chemistry lagged behind.
So he also had to stay.
And the one responsible for him was Hirata.
However, Hirata didn't seem to be preparing to teach academic matters.
Because Hachiman noticed that the other party looked at him twice, wanting to speak but hesitating, then hesitating again.
Only.
It should be said, as expected of the original Class D.
"So, you're saying I'm both ignorant and incompetent!?"
Sudo stood up, slamming the table, and spoke across to Kanzaki Ryuji, one of the top students invited from Class B.
"That's not what I mean. I'm just saying that simultaneous equations are the most basic, and you at least need to master that."
"And Sudo, you have a goal for the future, right? I think studying is a way out," Kanzaki said.
Class B arranged a total of 10 top students to come over, 5 males and 5 females.
Ichinose was not among them; according to Ichinose, she also needed to tutor some students in her own Class.
After all, even Class B might have a few students who want to score higher.
So, this group of top students was led by Kanzaki.
As a result, Kanzaki was responsible for Yamauchi, Ike Kanji, and Sudo's group, and Sudo immediately exploded.
"Huh? What's the use of studying? My future is to be a Basketball player, so what does it matter if I don't study?"
Sudo looked terrifying; he already had short red hair, and he was very tall, with great arm strength. When he slammed the table, the entire table shook. It's not hard to imagine that if a girl had been teaching instead.
She would have been scared by now.
However, Kanzaki himself was also an athletic male.
Although he seemed a bit introverted, he was not someone who feared others.
"I'm just stating my opinion. I think studying is a way out, and if you can't pass the current written exam, you'll be expelled."
"Sudo!" Kanzaki said, maintaining his composure.
And on the other side.
Horikita Suzune's side.
"Why do you do it like that, Horikita?"
"I don't understand at all. If you don't explain, how can I possibly understand?"
"By the way, my grades were pretty good in elementary school."
And Horikita Suzune's side was also as expected.
She was responsible for teaching Karuizawa and Sato.
Sato often hung out with Karuizawa; she had orange, slightly curly hair, but delicate features.
Although she dressed like a gyaru, she didn't wear much makeup.
She was considered a good-looking girl.
In Class C, a place with many beauties, she also stood out.
However, her academic ability and Karuizawa's both seemed to be poor.
Then, under Horikita's remarks, they began to argue, saying they weren't stupid and could even score 100 points in elementary school.
This is natural, because Horikita is a super straightforward person, and she can't even understand why others would fail exams.
So, having her teach is a difficult task.
And also as a top student in this Class.
As for Kouenji, he said, "I don't teach people. Rather, I can't understand your way of thinking. I am a genius," and so he is not among the top students who teach.
It seems that the study group for Grade 1 Class C still needs further improvement.
And observing this, Hirata showed a troubled expression.
He looked at Hachiman apologetically, then quickly went to mediate.
It was a good thing that the students from Class B were willing to help, and it would be terrible if their own classmates scared them away.
Moreover, there weren't many top students in their Class. If they were to be divided, one person would probably be responsible for seven or eight students. So now that top students from Class B had come, they could do one-on-one or even one-on-two, at most one-on-three.
Efficiency would improve.
However, progress was still slow.
However.
The one hour of study time finally passed.
Hachiman reviewed 19 reaction equations again.
His memory was only average, so he had to take it slow.
From this point of view, he felt a bit envious of that trash loli, Sakayanagi Arisu; having a good brain and excellent memory is truly nice.
Only.
"Hikigaya."
And at the end of today's self-study, Hirata called out to Hachiman.
"Hmm?"
Hachiman originally wanted to find Horikita to ask her to calm down a bit. Although she had no problems with academic ability, she also needed to understand that there are such beings as academically weak students in this world.
Just as some people score high, there will certainly be others who fail.
Or, if she isn't good at teaching, then she shouldn't teach for now.
Otherwise, if one side is in a bad mood and the other feels they aren't learning anything, it would deviate from the purpose of the study group.
But he was called by Hirata.
"Could you accompany me for a bit?" Hirata said.
"…" Hachiman.
Hey.
Hirata, your wording is strange.
What do you mean by accompany?
However, he felt that the other person's mood seemed off today, so Hachiman agreed.
The two went together to Horikita's mortifying scene, near the vending machine without cameras.
"Clang!"
Hirata bought 2 drinks from the vending machine.
He handed one bottle of coconut juice to Hachiman.
Actually, Hachiman wanted coffee more.
However, even if it was something given for free, he would accept it.
"Actually..."
After Hirata sat down, he seemed to be gathering his thoughts.
Hachiman probably guessed what he wanted to say.
Because during the study session, Hirata had been worried. Isn't that right? Not to mention that the underachievers in the Class were not very cooperative, and their motivation was not very strong either.
At the same time.
Some students' basic grades were really too poor.
Like Kanzaki said about Sudo, Sudo didn't even know how to do a linear equation with two variables.
This almost required teaching from elementary School.
So.
Even with such an ordinary study session, three weeks would not be enough to make Sudo pass.
Rather, the scores for the subject of mathematics, which Chabashira Sensei had announced, might have been obtained by guessing in the fill-in-the-blank questions during the written interview exam before.
So, was he asking if he had another solution?
Yes, he did.
And Kushida had already been assigned this task.
Didn't he see that she didn't come to the study session tonight?
It's just.
"Actually, there's something I've been hesitating to say," Hirata said.
Hmm.
He could speak his mind.
Hachiman thought.
After all, it was a Class matter.
Then.
"I want to tell you my true self, Hikigaya," Hirata Yosuke said.
"..." Hachiman.
???
"True self?" Hachiman looked over.
"You might look down on me," Hirata said. "But I cannot accept a classmate dropping out. That's my bottom line. It's also a form of redemption for me."
Eh.
Hachiman felt that he really should have drunk coffee tonight instead of coconut juice.
Because he didn't believe in absolute good.
And Hirata had always been working hard for the Class, trying to be a bonding agent, which seemed very strange.
Moreover, Hirata was excellent in all aspects.
But he was assigned to Class D, so it must be that... in some aspects, the School had found out and deemed him unacceptable.
So, what was Hirata's unacceptable aspect?
And as he thought about it.
Hachiman began to listen.
"I, ah, have high expectations for my classmates, and I also long for a peaceful School life. I don't want anyone to fall behind. That's why I've always been doing the mediation work," Hirata said.
And everyone knew this, so Hirata was very busy every day.
Because both boys and girls would look for him. All sorts of problems. And conflicts with all sorts of people.
And Hachiman himself had received kindness from Hirata's mother on the first day.
It's just.
Hachiman felt that the main event was probably about to begin.
Indeed.
Hirata said, "During junior high, my good friend was bullied, and I was afraid and didn't reach out to him."
"And turning a blind eye to others' pleas for help is what I dislike the most. But I did just that, and because he didn't receive help, my friend committed suicide."
"Uh--" Although he thought Hirata might make a big move.
But this big move was too terrifying.
Hearing this, Hachiman felt a heavy heart for a moment. "How did the topic suddenly become so heavy—"
"It's not that terrifying. That friend didn't actually die," Hirata said. "But because of that, we completely drifted apart."
"In short, I feel that coming to this School is a form of redemption for me," Hirata said. "And I am powerless on my own, so I hope Hikigaya, you can help."
"And for this exam, I hope no one in the Class has to drop out."
"I don't want to turn a blind eye to others' helplessness anymore."
In other words, because of his past experiences, Hirata had developed his current obsession.
And he would provide assistance, with the bottom line still being... no classmate could drop out.
Because once someone dropped out, for him, it would probably be like abandoning a companion again.
And now, although he had revealed his past, the essence was still his concern that the Classmates' academic abilities were insufficient, that they would fail the exam and be expelled.
It's just.
"So after that friend's suicide attempt, Hirata... what did you do?"
Hachiman still had some doubts.
Because if it was just that his friend was bullied and he didn't help, and the friend committed suicide, then the School would not use this as a judgment standard to throw Hirata into Class D.
"My friend's suicide attempt, I found that the people who bullied him didn't stop, but instead started bullying someone else."
"Then."
"I used violence to dominate the Class, beating up everyone."
"..."
Beat up everyone?
Is that so.
Turns out you're also Sudo 2.0.
Hirata Yosuke, who seemed completely harmless, gentle as a little sun, full of responsibility, helping others, and living for others, was actually a hot-headed guy.
But this also showed the extent of the damage to Hirata's heart from not helping that friend.
Because of the accumulation of guilt, he became somewhat pathologically eager to help others now.
It was also because he had used violence to dominate the Class that a significant mark was left on his record, so he was judged to be a bomb and thrown into Class D, right?
Well, this bomb was okay.
Hachiman felt that Hirata's nature was not bad; even if exposed, there wouldn't be too big of a problem.
Rather, Hirata was so gentle that people wouldn't believe it.
"Actually, there's also a plan to deal with this exam," Hachiman said.
Since the other party had revealed his dark past, Hachiman also provided corresponding countermeasures.
"A plan to safely pass the exam. And as long as the School doesn't stop it, it can be used repeatedly."
"That is, score control," Hachiman said.
"The judgment for a failing score is the Class average divided by two. For example, if the Class average is 50 points, then the passing standard is 25 points."
"As long as the exam score is higher than 25 points, it's a pass," Hirata began to murmur. "And this score, most people can pass it, and then let some good students hold back, then the Class average will drop further. Then the failing score will drop again, for example, to 10 points, then that's a score anyone can get."
"Even Sudo could pass."
"This plan works!" Hirata's eyes instantly lit up.
He must have thought that this plan could be implemented, and once implemented, all the Classmates would be able to pass smoothly.
"This is information obtained by analyzing the tiers of Class evaluation points, up to 100 points, that Chabashira Sensei provided for this exam."
"But."
However, Hachiman shook his head again. "If we take the exam like this, what's being tested is the Classmates' mutual trust and cooperation."
"Oh." Hirata understood then. "But that would cause problems. Because some people might want to deliberately do fewer problems to suppress the average score, but if they do fewer and get them wrong, and their score is too low, they might still fail."
In other words, score control wasn't something everyone could do.
If score control failed, they themselves would fail and be expelled.
It was very terrifying.
In other words, all the Classmates would have to trust each other and work together.
But as the central figure of the Class, like a bonding agent, Hirata's mother knew very well that this Class was still a scattered mess, and it was already very difficult to barely bring them together.
So Hirata's expression became a little more serious.
Because if it wasn't handled well, a large number of students in the Class might drop out.
This kind of thing was very risky.
"But I'm waiting for another plan," Hachiman said. "Hirata, you asked the seniors and found out the number of students in the upper grades, right?"
"Except for Third Year A Class, all other upper-grade Classes have had students drop out."
"But how many academic underachievers do you think our Class has, and how many do the upper-grade Classes have?"
"So if there were really so many written exams, then there wouldn't be that many students left in the upper-grade Class C and Class D," Hachiman said.
"Then you mean..."
"I'm looking for the plan that the upper grades have been using to safely pass the exams," Hachiman said. "And then I'll use it."
"I see."
Discovering that Hachiman was truly thinking about this exam for the Class, Hirata's mother breathed a sigh of relief.
"But I also have a troubling problem," Hachiman said. "Remember when we went to the Student Council yesterday?"
"Yes," Hirata nodded. "You mean the Disciplinary Committee position obtained from Horikita's president, right? Is there no candidate yet?"
Currently, there was no candidate.
Hirata was too busy.
And Kushida was focused on her interpersonal relationships, while Horikita Suzune was the Student Council president's sister, so this news could not be revealed for now.
Therefore.
He had no one on his side.
"If there really isn't a suitable candidate, I can recommend someone to you," Hirata said.
So Hachiman looked over.
Hirata and Kushida had good relationships with others in the Class, so they knew more information about other students.
So who could he recommend?
"It seems you got along well with Sakura before," Hirata said. "And now..."
"I think you could try to approach Karuizawa."
"..." Hachiman.
Karuizawa?
He was referring to the one who was on his little blacklist and had a strong desire to show off in the Class.
Then.
Kei Karuizawa, with her blonde hair tied in a ponytail, was slender yet lively.
He had heard her speak with boys, like when she told Ike, who was blocking her way, "You're blocking me… that's disgusting," in a particularly dismissive tone, yet Ike would still retort back at her.
It could be said that despite her cute appearance, she wasn't very popular among boys.
Moreover, she looked like a gyaru, forming a small gyaru clique with Sato, Shinohara Satsuki, and Matsushita Chiaki.
And she seemed to have become their leader.
The result…
Hirata, you need a disciplinary committee member, and you're actually recommending someone with such a poor reputation?
…
"So, that's why you kept staring at her during gym Class?"
The next day, Hachiman and the others had gym Class.
After talking with Hirata yesterday, Hachiman began to observe the target person.
But it seemed Horikita had misunderstood him.
Although he wanted to complain about Horikita's poor performance at the study group yesterday.
Still, he decided to get some information from Horikita Suzune.
Because she was responsible for tutoring Karuizawa and Sato at the study group.
"What do you think of Karuizawa?" Hachiman asked.
"At least I don't keep staring at other people's swimsuits," Horikita Suzune replied.
"…," Hachiman said.
That was really unfair; his gaze had only been forced to drift over there.
Because it was gym Class now, everyone was playing in the water.
And Kouenji was showing off, swimming so fast in front of Sudo that Sudo couldn't catch up, leaving Sudo frustrated and withdrawn.
He probably wondered why Kouenji was so amazing.
Hachiman's attention was more ordinary; he focused on the girls.
Karuizawa was currently playing ball with Sato and the others.
Sakura, whom Hachiman knew, didn't go into the water; she didn't even change into the school's plain swimsuit, staying on a chair under the pretense of being absent.
Hachiman understood.
She probably had too good a figure; she would be stared at if she changed into a swimsuit.
Besides her, Hachiman noticed Hasebe was also there.
It was probably for the same reason.
However, Hachiman noticed Hasebe seemed to be trying to talk to Sakura.
And many friendships start from mutual understanding in similar situations; come on, Sakura.
Hachiman hoped Sakura could make some friends.
But for now, he would focus on the other person.
Horikita didn't know Hachiman was thinking about other people and contributed what she knew.
"Her academic performance is terrible," Horikita Suzune said.
Hmm.
As expected of her.
So, he still had to seek information from Kushida?
As he thought this.
"But there's something strange about Karuizawa," Horikita Suzune said. "Before swimming Class, she wears her swimsuit underneath."
Oh.
Is that so?
But there are people like that, aren't there? Because they like playing in the water and are a bit excited, like children, they put on their swimsuits first and then put on their clothes over them.
"There's nothing strange about that," Hachiman said.
"But she continues to wear her swimsuit after swimming Class," Horikita Suzune said. "…It's like she doesn't change clothes with everyone else."
Is that so?
If that's the case, then it certainly needs attention.
Is there some reason she can't expose her body in front of others? Even though they are all the same gender.
"Whoosh—"
At this moment.
A splash appeared in the pool in front of Hachiman.
It was Kushida, who had just been playing in the water with someone, "I couldn't swim in middle school, but I worked hard and finally learned."
What an incredibly cute girl.
From Hachiman's angle, his heart would probably just race.
Only.
Kushida, we weren't talking badly about you, so you don't need to come over and butt in every time.
It wasn't the first time he had been talking to Horikita during gym class and been approached by Kushida.
And to this day, Kushida still hadn't "conquered" Horikita Suzune; in fact, it had been over a month, and she was still insisting on waiting at Horikita Suzune's dorm door every day to go to school together.
Only.
Such behavior only made people feel annoyed.
It even caused a blockage in one's heart.
So, it was hard to tell whether Kushida wanted or didn't want to get along with Horikita Suzune anymore.
Thus, it was lunchtime.
Having received information that someone had sponsored lunch, Hachiman abandoned the idea of eating in the Class with Horikita Suzune and opted for the free feast instead.
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