A Liquid Inspiration
Summary: (A re-telling of Classroom of the Elite sparked by a certain conversation between Masterpiece and Professor.)
One day, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka receives a surprising invitation from his father, Ayanokouji Atsuomi, to join him for a drink. It was unusual for Kiyotaka, who normally wouldn't be summoned by his father without a hidden agenda.
That's why even the emotionless Kiyotaka was surprised when his father began to open up about his own experiences with love and relationships.
For the emotionally distant "masterpiece," this conversation is a rare moment of connection with his father, and it sparked a curiosity within him to explore the world of human relationships, to be more specific: romance and intimacy.
It was that spark that pushed Kiyotaka to demand something from his father:
"Father, teach me everything about human relationships."
This then begins a ripple that changes how Ayanokouji Kiyotaka would approach the world in the foreseeable future.
Do check out this fic on Wattpad. It has the same title and content, but we do have illustrations there to increase immersion for the fic. Thanks, and here's the chapter!
Vol. 1 Chapter 17 - Midterm Exams
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka
In the evening after we got the old test, I sent a message to the tutor group chat, asking the other tutors to meet us for lunch tomorrow. This would be the perfect opportunity to explain the situation to them and get everyone on board with our plan.
[20:21:20 YukimuraTeruhiko] Why? Did something go wrong, Ayanokōji?
[20:21:25 Wang Mei-Yu] Maybe it's good news? But sure, I can go tomorrow!
[20:21:26 Hirata Yōsuke] Are you still trying to be mysterious, Kiyotaka?
[20:21:28 Tsubaki Yuki] Good one, Hirata!
[20:21:33] Yōsuke, Yuki, both of you are idiots.
[20:21:35 Hirata Yōsuke] Hahaha! See you at lunch.
[20:21:35 Kushida Kikyō] I can make it tomorrow, Ayanokōji-kun. But what is this all about?
[20:21:52] Nothing went wrong, actually. On the contrary, I have some good news. But this meeting is important and must be kept confidential. That's why it needed to be done in person.
{20:21:57] Everyone can go, right?
[20:22:00 Kushida Kikyō] Yup!
[20:22:01 Horiktia Suzune] Yes.
[20:22:01 Tsubaki Yuki] Yup!
[20:22:02 YukimuraTeruhiko] I suppose I have the time.
[20:22:04 Matsushita Chiaki] Of course!
The next day, the eight of us gathered at the cafeteria during the lunch break.
At this time, the cafeteria was bustling and filled with the aroma of freshly cooked food and the chatter of excited students discussing their plans together and whatnot.
That said, I found a large table in the corner of the cafeteria, tucked away from the noisy crowd, which fit all of us and was also perfect for the nature of our meeting.
As soon as everyone was seated, I began, my voice cutting through the noise of the cafeteria. "Thank you all for coming. I called this meeting because I have some important information to share with you."
I paused for a moment, making sure I had everyone's attention before continuing. "Yesterday, Yuki, Horikita, and I managed to secure a copy of the midterm exam as well as the mock test from two years ago."
"How did you guys even get that?" Chiaki asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"A senpai gave it to me, of course," I replied, smiling. "He owed me a favor after I helped him out last month, so he decided to pay it back by sending me a copy of the mock test and the midterm exam they took in their freshman year."
Yukimura raised his eyebrows skeptically, "What could we even do with old test papers? There's no assurance that they'd be of use."
I could tell that despite the tone of his voice, he was simply asking out of curiosity.
"The fact that he thought these papers would be enough to pay his gratitudes should already make it obvious to you. He knows that the test papers from years before and the test that would be administered to us would most likely be the same."
"You can't be serious..." Yukimura said, his eyes widening. "So the mock test was added for you to see for yourself that the tests were the same, right?"
I smiled at Yukimura.
The bespectacled boy truly was intelligent, and he had shown it again by piecing up things based on the information that I had given.
"Correct, Yukimura," I praised. "And after comparing the old mock test to one we took, we discovered that they are identical."
"Word by word," I emphasized.
"Even the order of the questions?" Yōsuke asked, looking genuinely impressed.
"Yes, even the order," I confirmed. "You can see it for yourselves."
I took out two pieces of paper from my bag, one of them being the mock test that had been sent to me, which I had Yuki print last night, and the other one being my mock test result from last month.
I handed the two papers to Yōsuke, who took them and began to compare the two tests carefully. As he did so, the other tutors leaned in to take a look as well, their eyes scanning the questions on the sheets.
"It really is identical," Yōsuke confirmed, his voice filled with surprise. "This is amazing, Kiyotaka. You might have just given us a huge advantage over the other classes."
The others murmured in agreement, their expressions showing a mix of amazement and excitement.
"So, if I'm understanding this correctly, Ayanokōji-kun," Kushida began, "we basically have a copy of the midterm exam that we're going to take next week?"
"Not exactly," I clarified. "While it's highly likely that the midterm exam questions will be the same or very similar to the one from two years ago, there's still a chance that they might change some things. However, given the evidence we have, I'd say our chances of having the same or very similar questions are quite high."
"That's amazing! So, if we show this to everyone in the class, that would mean an easy victory! We should begin distributing it to everyone later!" Kushida excitedly said.
"No, we won't do that just yet," I replied, shaking my head.
"But why? Wouldn't it make things easier if we did?" Kushida asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"We don't want them to become complacent," I replied. "We still need them to study as hard as they can. I'm sorry for this, but imagine if we gave the copies right away. What do you think students like Yamauchi, Ike, and Hondo would do?"
Kushida glanced at her food for a second before looking back at me. "Well... they'd probably get overconfident and rely on the reviewer."
"And, not only that," Yukimura, who was the tutor of Hondo, interjected. "They might even forget to study at all."
"So, what's the plan? Ayanokōji-kun," Wang asked, her eyes looking at me in curiosity. "Knowing you, it's not like we're just going to sit idle, right?"
"Well, that's right. You're so smart, Mii-chan!" Yuki cheered, hugging the smaller girl, who blushed at the unexpected hug.
Yuki really was too much for people she found cute.
I shook my head in amusement before getting back to business.
I looked around the table, meeting the eyes of each tutor. "Like what Horikita had suggested, we will only be distributing the old test the day before the midterm exams. After distributing the old test, we'll tell everyone that the problems from the old test are generally the same as the ones on the new one."
I paused for a while before continuing. "Now, if we do this, what do you guys think would happen?"
Kushida's eyes widened in realization. "On the night before the exams, everyone will be hunched over their desks, frantically trying to memorize all of the problems!"
"Correct, Kushida," I said, nodding my head to the beige-haired girl. "But to address Wang's question, I do have a plan aside from just distributing the old tests at the last minute."
"Now that we practically have the midterm test on our hands, this would be a prime opportunity for us to ensure that our class would get the highest average in our year," I continued, examining the curious looks from the other tutors. "And the way to do that would be to make some changes to the reviewer that we created. We'll incorporate questions from the old test into our new reviewers."
"By doing this, we can subtly guide our classmates to focus on the most important topics, and when the time comes for us to finally distribute the old test to them, they would have an easier time reviewing since the old questions would be familiar to them. That's the main benefit of tailoring our new reviewer to that of the likely test questions," I explained.
"You've really outdone yourself, Kiyotaka-kun," Chiaki praised, sending me a gentle smile.
"Have I?" I asked in amusement, leading Chiaki to pout at my attempt at being coy. "Extending to what I had said earlier, even if they change some questions, the topics and concepts will likely remain the same."
"And with this strategy, our classmates will still have a solid foundation to rely on, and the revisions we make to the reviewer will only serve to strengthen their understanding," I continued.
The others nodded in agreement, understanding what I had just proposed.
"So, the plan is to update the reviewer with questions from the old test, subtly teaching them about the exam topics for the next week and a half, and then give them the copy of the old midterm test the day before the exam?" Yōsuke asked, wanting to clarify the steps.
"Correct. That's how it'd go," I confirmed.
There was a moment of silence as everyone digested the information and weighed the potential outcomes of our plan. Eventually, Yukimura broke the silence.
"Ayanokōji, I must say, this is just brilliant. We'll be able to not only help our classmates perform better on the midterm but also secure our victory over the other classes," he said, genuine admiration in his voice.
Yukimura Teruhiko was a boy who prided himself in his intelligence. While, like Horikita, he felt like he didn't deserve to be placed in Class D, he eventually realized that it was for the best for him to do something to help the class.
Although, that was probably due to our immediate presence in the class.
I had no doubts that had I done nothing to help the class early on, Yukimura would look down on everyone in the class, seeing them as useless defects.
He was that type of person.
"Thank you, Yukimura. I'm glad you all think so highly of it. But remember, we need to keep this information to ourselves," I paused, taking in everyone's reaction.
"Now that we have this advantage, our goal has now changed from ensuring everyone passes to ensuring we have the highest average scores in our year. That being said, the success of our plan relies on secrecy," I reminded them.
Everyone nodded in unison, acknowledging the points that I had made.
"Then it's settled. Let's get to work on updating the reviewer and preparing our classmates for the midterm exams. We'll reconvene a few days before the test to check on everyone's progress and make adjustments if needed," I instructed.
With that, another layer in our plan had been set into motion.
17.1
Before I knew it, about a week and a half had passed.
Today was Thursday, and tomorrow would be the day of our midterm examinations.
Last night, I asked Yōsuke, Kushida, and Yuki to help me gather everyone after class so we could effectively distribute the old midterm test to the rest of the class. And when Chabashira-sensei dismissed us for the last homeroom period, Yuki sprang up to her feet and stood before the podium.
I then followed suit, carrying my bag that carried 32 printed copies of the old papers. As for the other eight, all of us tutors already had them beforehand, as we used them to formulate the new reviewers that we used for our study groups.
"Everyone, before you return to the dorm, would you guys mind staying for a while?" Yuki's voice echoed through the room. "Kiyotaka and I have an announcement to make."
The rest of the class stopped in their steps, turning their attention to Yuki, who offered them a smile that seemed to brighten the dimming classroom.
As for Yōsuke and Kushida, I gave them the printed copies that I was carrying and instructed them to distribute them among our classmates, which they did with no questions asked. The rustling of paper filled the air as they made their way around the room.
"Did he finally make you his girlfriend, Yukicchi?" Haruka interjected excitedly, her eyes twinkling with mischief, leading Yuki to blush.
"I hope, but no, that's not it, Haruka-chan," Yuki replied, giggling after she regained her composure. Her laughter was like a soft breeze, lifting the spirits of those around her.
"You're really annoying when you want to, Haruka," I said, sighing.
The blue-haired girl simply stuck a tongue out at me, her playful defiance shining through.
This was probably her way of getting back at me for teasing her all those other days.
Upon noticing that Yōsuke and Kushida had distributed all the papers, I walked up to the podium and decided to finally speak.
The hushed whispers of anticipation filled the room, and I could feel the weight of everyone's gaze on me.
"You guys are probably curious about what Yōsuke and Kushida have given you, right?" I asked, my eyes scanning over the classroom. Each face displayed a mixture of curiosity, anxiety, and hope. "I suppose I shouldn't hold the suspense."
"The papers you guys are holding are the midterm exams from two years ago given to me by a senpai."
The class erupted in a mixture of surprise and excitement, with some whispering to each other while others examined the papers with newfound interest.
"I understand that you may be skeptical about the usefulness of these papers," I continued, raising my voice to regain their attention. "However, we have strong evidence to believe that the questions on tomorrow's midterm exams will be very similar, if not identical, to those on the papers you're holding. So I advise everyone to review and memorize as much as you can from those test papers."
Murmurs of disbelief and astonishment filled the room as everyone began to grasp the significance of this revelation.
"A-Ayanokōji... this is for real, right?" Ike asked, his eyes gleaming with hope. "You're not shitting us, right?!"
"Oh man, if this is for real, I'm confident about passing now!" Hondo cheered.
"I think I could score 150 tomorrow with this, HAHAHAHA!" Yamauchi exclaimed, pumping his fist in victory.
"Geez! You really are amazing, Ayanokōji-kun," Karuizawa chimed in, her eyes sparkling with awe. "How the hell did you even manage to convince a senpai to give you something like this?"
The answer to that question was bribery, Karuizawa.
But I'll keep that to myself.
While this was going on, Kōenji stood up to his feet, sending me a grin.
"As expected of you, Ayanokōji-boy, but I don't think I'll need this. I simply stayed to see what my wonderful friend had in store," Kōenji walked up to me and gave me back the paper that Yōsuke gave him. "Since I am most pleased with this show, I will now leave. See you later, Ayanokōji-boy!"
The blonde-haired narcissist then exited the room, waving his hand at me before he finally left, his extravagant departure leaving a trail of whispers in his wake.
I shook my head in amusement. Kōenji had probably memorized the paper's content already and simply decided to be theatrical with his exit.
Never change, Kōenji.
"Kōenji aside, I'll now be entertaining questions if you guys have any," I said, motioning for anyone in the class to speak up.
Mori raised her hand. "Ayanokōji-kun, what made you so sure that the test tomorrow would be identical, or at least very similar to the previous ones? You mentioned you guys had strong evidence, right?"
I then explained to everyone that aside from the past midterm exams, I also asked for the mock test that the senpai took at the end of his first month, and upon comparing it with the mock test we took last month, we noted that they were identical with each other to the very last word.
I added further elaborations to my theory, which convinced them that my theory would hold true come tomorrow.
"Dude, you're freaking insane!"
"How do you even pick up something like that from Chabashira-sensei's words?"
"Man, we're lucky Ayanokōji ended up in our class. Fuck, I was really worried that I'd fail!"
"Fufu! Sasuga, Ayanokōji-dono! You live up to your status as the main protagonist."
"Now, before you get too excited, let me make something clear," I warned, my tone becoming more serious. "There's still a chance that there might be some changes in the exam. So, consider these papers as supplementary material to help you focus on the key topics."
The class nodded in understanding; their expressions were still filled with excitement but also determination.
"Also, I advise you not to share this information with students from other classes," I added. "We have worked hard to gain this advantage, and it would be unwise to give up the advantage that we had earned."
"Of course, Ayanokōji-kun! We wouldn't dream of it," Mori said, smiling confidently.
"Class B is gonna dominate the midterms!" One of the boys yelled out.
"Alright, everyone," Yuki spoke up, her voice gentle but commanding attention. "Let's make the most of tonight to review and prepare ourselves for tomorrow. Remember, this is a team effort, and we need everyone to do their best."
The class responded with enthusiastic nods and murmurs of agreement.
"Woohoo! Ayanokōji sure did come in clutch!" Ike exclaimed, trying to sling his arm over my shoulders, but had difficulty doing so due to our height difference.
"You better study, Ike, or everything would just be wasted," I said to the boy, who was too happy to even bother with my warning.
"Oi, Ike!" Yamauchi called out. "Let's have a bet on who gets the better score between us!"
Ike then withdrew his arm from me and approached Yamauchi, who had the same wide grin that Ike had.
"What's the bet about, Yamauchi?"
"Winner gets to ask Kushida-chan on a date!"
"You're on!"
I turned my head to the beige-haired girl, who elected to just giggle at the interaction between the class perverts.
But knowing Kushida, she was probably firing expletive after expletive in her mind right now.
Not that I blame her.
17.2
After the announcement we had made, the class dispersed, and to my surprise, only Kushida and I were left in the classroom.
Horikita, as usual, left immediately, not even bothering to say goodbye to anyone.
Yuki, on the other hand, was out with Chiaki, Mori, Karuizawa, Sato, and Wang, as they'd been meaning to hang out for a couple of weeks now.
And as for Yōsuke, he had to attend his club for practice, the same with Ken and Akito.
"Why are you still here, Kushida?" I asked, attempting to break the ice.
"Why are you still here, Ayanokōji-kun?" She deflected playfully, her giggle soft and warm.
The unspoken question from Kushida was clear: was there a problem with her being here?
"You're right. I suppose there really isn't a problem with that," I replied, shrugging.
An uneasy yet comfortable silence followed, hinting at an unspoken understanding between us. I sat on my desk while Kushida leaned against the wall near the window, her eyes momentarily lost in the mesmerizing orange hues of the sunset.
As Kushida noticed my eyes on her, I noticed a slight tremble in her hands. She quickly hid it, but it did not escape my eyes.
"You know, Ayanokōji-kun," she began, her voice tinged with a cold edge, but I could sense a hint of fragility beneath the surface. "I've begun to really... really hate you."
"I thought you hated me already," I replied, arching an eyebrow. "Yuki told me about just how much you wanted to keep the secrets that you held. Since I knew about that, I should already be one of the people you hate."
"That's true, but I've found another reason."
"Is that so?"
"I had just realized something," she replied, her fingers trailing across the closed window. "With how deep your control over Yuki-chan is, I pieced together that everything that had happened to me... was indirectly because of you... Everything was because of you, right?"
The beige-haired girl then faced me. "You pushed Yuki to dig up things about me, and that led to..." Kushida trailed off, clenching her fists as she glared at me.
Before I answered, I took a look at Kushida, observing if she was hiding a phone somewhere, or any sort of recorder.
There was none.
It seemed like there was still so much for her to learn.
"What are you looking at, pervert?" Kushida's glare intensified. "Just answer my question. It's because of your orders, right?"
I nodded my head, not even bothering to deflect her accusations.
While I did not directly instruct Yuki to psychologically damage Kushida, the fact remained that it only happened because I urged Yuki to take action against her.
"I simply wanted to ensure that you wouldn't be a threat to the class," I replied, rising from my seat. "And Yuki succeeded on that end."
"Don't you feel any remorse over it?"
"Why should I?" I retorted, meeting her gaze. "You never genuinely cared for others either. You should understand my indifference."
With someone like Kushida, there was no point in weaving lies, for she could see through them with ease.
As an individual who had crafted a near-impenetrable facade, Kushida was an expert at deception—manipulating everyone into believing she was the girl everyone couldn't help but adore.
For a person like her, detecting deceit was second nature.
"I suppose," she replied. "But that doesn't mean I'll just accept it. I hate losing."
"Are you planning for revenge?"
"For now? No," Kushida took a few deliberate steps, stopping in the middle of the classroom, leaning on one of the desks.
"I'm not as naive as to think I stand a chance against both of you as I am now," she continued.
An unspoken challenge, if there ever was one.
"I see. I think I like this side of you, Kushida."
"Haaah? Don't be ridiculous, you dipshit," Kushida sneered, her voice dripping with contempt. "You sound like a disgusting rom-com protagonist."
"You'd be delusional if you think I'd even bother winning you over, Kushida."
"You sure don't hold back, don't you?"
A few seconds later, Kushida's real face vanished, replaced by her familiar facade.
It was as if she had simply flipped a switch.
"Well, then, Ayanokōji-kun. I'll be leaving now," Kushida said, heading to the door. "See you tomorrow, and good luck with the midterms!"
As Kushida left me alone in the classroom, my thoughts turned to the trials she had endured over the past two weeks.
From having her true self exposed, to suffering at Yuki's hands, to being coerced into being her pawn, to realizing she had no choice but to tough it out for the time being...
A normal person, should they experience what Kushida had gone through in a short amount of time, would have given up by now.
That said, Kushida confronted me to send a message, one that said: I'm still alive.
Looking at the source of her torment in the eyes without flinching, was her way of showing her strength to me.
I wonder if she could do the same when left alone with Yuki...
Could she?
Probably not.
That being said, her challenge wasn't guided by blind ignorance—it was simply guided by desire.
Because Kushida Kikyō was aware of her situation.
However, despite knowing her helplessness in her current predicament, there still lived within her the hope to escape and be free of the shackles that Yuki had tied onto her.
In that respect, I understood her feelings.
After all, I, too, was once a caged bird longing for freedom... much like Kushida.
And like me, she had come to realize that in order to endure and survive, one must adapt and navigate the schemes of their oppressors.
But that was where the similarities between myself and Kushida Kikyō ended.
Because, unlike her, I was bred for victory.
17.3
May 29, 2015— Friday.
"Good morning, Class B," Chabashira-sensei strode through the classroom with a bold smile on her face. "There are no absences today. It appears everyone is present."
Chabashira-sensei then shook her head as if amused. "But that's just to be expected, I guess. Are you ready for the test?"
"Are you ready to find out just how well the class would perform, sensei?" Yuki countered.
Although it wasn't clear from where I was seated, I could see a challenging smirk making its way to Yuki's face.
This didn't faze Chabashira-sensei, who simply chuckled. "Hoh, is that so, Tsubaki? That's good. I'll be waiting for the class to surprise me then."
While I was unaware of how the other study groups had done, aside from Yuki, Horikita, and Chiaki's group, I'm fairly certain that the class would score higher than what I even expected when I thought of the plan of buying the old test from a senpai.
With the decision to sneakily integrate the test questions into the review material, last night's studying should prove to be productive for everyone since they'd be operating from a face of familiarity, or so, that should be the logical conclusion.
"That being said, I do have exciting news for the class," Chabashira-sensei spoke, her eyes scanning through the class. "Should you survive this test and the finals in July, the school will reward you with a much-deserved summer vacation."
"A vacation?"
"That's right. A dream vacation on an island surrounded by the brilliant blue sea," Chabashira-sensei answered, smirking. "Exciting, isn't it?"
And with that, the boys' minds predictably drifted to the thought of the beautiful girls in class clad in swimsuits.
Even I... was not exempt from the phenomenon.
"Wh-what is this strange pressure..." one of the boys muttered.
Even Chabashira-sensei stepped back from the obvious tension the students exuded... mostly the boys.
"Everyone. Let's do our best!" Ike exclaimed, rallying the boys.
"Yeah!" The others howled in agreement, some of them pumping their fists in a rather misguided enthusiasm.
"Swimsuiiiits!"
Men, as I've said before, truly were simple creatures.
"Why are you glaring at me, Horikita?" I asked the dark-haired girl, whose gradient red eyes stared at me intently.
After a few seconds, Horikita nodded her head. "Good," she muttered before turning her head away from me.
What was that about?
Oh...
Good thing I didn't react then.
With the excitement dying down, my mind focused on the upcoming test.
Social Studies, Japanese, Chemistry, Mathematics, and English—these were the order of subjects that we were going to take.
Before long, everyone had their test papers for the first subject, Social Studies.
At Chabashira-sensei's signal, everyone began.
I held off on starting momentarily and looked around at the others, and upon seeing the look on their faces, I nodded my head in satisfaction.
There were no panic and fear in sight, only the determination to finish the task.
With that, I turned my attention to my own paper and began scanning my paper, observing if my theory was right.
...
Victory is mine, as expected.
While there were some alterations in the wordings used and shuffled arrangements of items, the contents of the test in front of me were more or less identical to the ones we had distributed yesterday.
Time to answer the test.
17.4
Time went by like a breeze, and just like that, we finished our Mathematics exam.
The Mathematics exam, just like the Social Studies, Japanese, and Chemistry tests, contained similar contents to the old midterm tests that I had bought. Considering how everyone else looked after the break, it was obvious that Class B was brimming with confidence.
Right now, I was gathered outside with a few of the boys like Ike, Yamauchi, Hondo, and Sotomura.
They're not the usual crowd that I hang out with, but a little variety won't hurt.
"You really are a Godsend, Ayanokōji!" Ike cheered. "Don't get me wrong, Kushida-chan is still God's greatest gift, but you're not too bad yourself!"
"Dude!" Yamauchi nudged Ike on the sides. "Watch your words! That bastard might just make another joke about us."
Ike paled as Yamauchi's words sank in. "H-Hey, you're not going to make weird rumors again, right?" He asked, looking at me.
"You two idiots really have weird priorities," I replied, shaking my head in amusement. "How did both of you do?"
"120 points, easy," Yamauchi smugly replied.
"Better than I ever did. Maybe 121," Ike answered. "It gotta be me who gets to ask out Kushida-chan, you know?"
Again, weird priorities.
"Fufu, your perception truly transcends mere mortals like ourselves, Ayanokōji-dono," Sotomura praised, pushing his glasses forward. "You truly are worthy of your title."
Main protagonist, right?
Sotomura sure was amusing.
"Kiyotaka!"
The five of us turned around and saw Ken approaching us, with Akito not that far behind. The redhead was sporting a wide grin on his face, while the more reserved Akito... was Akito.
"Ken, Akito," I nodded at the two in acknowledgment.
"Damn, everyone sure is in good spirits, huh?" Ken pointed out, his eyes observing the four other boys with me.
"Can you blame us?" Hondo asked. "Ayanokōji's theory ended up being correct. And to my surprise, the old tests were actually easy to study."
"Man, I still can't believe I could hear the word study from your mouth Hondo," Ike chimed in.
"Like you're any better, Ike."
While Ike, Yamauchi, and Hondo were bantering, with Sotomura quietly observing, I decided to leave them be, with Ken and Akito following me.
"Didn't think you had it in you to even hang around them, Kiyotaka," Akito said, amused.
"They're still our classmates. I still do care for them a bit," I replied, shrugging. "So, how did both of you do?"
"I might actually get 100 in Mathematics," Akito revealed. "You know, Kiyotaka, it's weird, but the old tests... they felt familiar when I went through them last night. I'm not complaining, but it's really weird that I easily took to it."
"Yeah, same here," Ken nodded his head in agreement. "While there's no way I could score a hundred in any subject, I probably got about 80 in Japanese. The old test really did feel familiar, so I had an easier time dealing with it."
"Easier time?" Akito scoffed. "You fell asleep last night, you moron. You're lucky you gave me a keycard to your room because you might have been unable to study at all."
"You have the keycard to Ken's room?" I asked, arching an eyebrow. "I thought you were into Kayano, Ken."
"Fuck off, Kiyotaka," Ken replied, flipping me off. "We just followed your orders, you damned dictator. That accountabiliwhatwhat system of yours made us do that."
Ah, that reminded me.
When the study group got closer, I suggested to them that we'll have an Accountabilibuddy system so that the group would be able to ensure that everyone was doing their best for the midterms.
Since there were only four mentees, with two from each gender, it was an easy divide: Ken and Akito, and then Haruka and Airi.
"Accountabilibuddy, Ken," I replied in amusement. "You really should know how to say these words already."
"Dude, we're freaking Japanese," Ken defended himself. "Not all of us have good English accents like you."
"There you are! Kenchin, Miyacchi, Kiyopon!"
Haruka and Airi approached us, the former sporting a wide grin on her face, and Airi, as usual, was Airi.
"How did you guys do?" Haruka excitedly asked. "For me, I think I got 100 on Mathematics and Chemistry."
"I got 100 on everything," I replied.
"What the...? Don't sound so nonchalant, Kiyopon!" Haruka chided me. "You're acting like this is just another day for you."
"Because it probably is. He came up with the strategy to make sure everyone from the class got a high score. This shouldn't be a surprise," Akito interjected, stretching his arms upwards.
"That's true. But I just wanted to pick on Kiyopon."
"What a menace."
"What was that, Miyacchi?!"
I ignored Haruka's antics for the time being and turned to Airi, who seemed content to just observe us. "How about you, Airi? How did you do?"
"I... think I did well in all subjects, Kiyotaka-kun," she replied shyly. "But I think... that's not because we got the old test papers."
Airi then met my eyes, and even though she was fidgeting, I did not interject. I could tell she wanted to speak her words herself.
"It's because of how you taught us," she continued. "Especially since last week. The topics... were the same as the old test papers. I think... you got the old test last week and made sure everyone... knew about the lessons."
It seemed like Airi picked up on the trick that we pulled on everyone.
With how I initially rated Sakura Airi, this type of perception was something that I didn't expect. Aside from that, those were probably the longest I've heard her speak in one go.
I'm proud of her.
"So you noticed, huh?" I replied, smiling at Airi, who got flustered. "That's actually pretty observant of you. Good job, Airi."
I then extended my hand and placed it on the top of her head, giving her a couple of pats before letting go.
"E-Eh?!" Airi yelped in surprise.
"Kiyopon's right!" Haruka chimed in, hugging Airi from behind. "I didn't even think it was possible that Kiyopon might have gotten the old tests earlier. Waaah! I'm so proud of you, Ai-chan!"
"Get off her, Haruka. I'd rather not have Airi be flustered when we take the English test," I reprimanded the blue-haired girl, who hesitantly got off Airi.
"Fuck, that's right!" Ken then dashed back into the classroom and, about twenty seconds later, returned, carrying the test paper for English.
"Did you fail to study anything in English?" I asked.
Akito shook his head. "He didn't. He's just not confident about his skills in English."
"For an aspiring basketball pro, you really should learn to be good at English, Ken," I joked.
"Get off my back, Kiyotaka. I'm focusing here!"
"Fufu, to see Kenchin this desperate... it's pretty funny."
"T-That's not nice, Haruka-chan."
I walked over to Ken and patted the redhead on the back. "So long as you pass, Ken. That would be fine. Think you can do that?"
"Y-Yeah. I think I could pass," he replied. "But I don't want to get the lowest scores, so I needed the last-minute studying."
"Suit yourself."
17.5
After the last test, I gathered with the rest of my study group; all four of them didn't seem to look downtrodden, so I took that as a good sign.
"How did you do, Ken?" I asked the red-haired boy, who, while not downtrodden, was unusually quiet.
"I passed, that's for sure," he replied. "My worry is another thing altogether."
"Ken had a bet with Kayano. It was about whoever got the highest scores in their weakest subject. The winner gets—" Akito spoke on behalf of the redhead, whose eyes widened at Akito's words.
Ken's finally entering the world of manhood, it would seem.
Good job, Ken.
"The hell, Akito?! That's a secret, dude!" Ken protested, covering up Akito's mouth with a swift, panicked motion before he could reveal more details.
Haruka's eyes gained a mischievous glint to them. "The winner gets what?" The blue-haired girl asked, obviously planning to tease Ken after hearing a 'juicy' development.
"T-That's none of your business, Haruka."
"But it is! Yano-chan is my friend, you know? And you're my friend too, so I should know about this!"
I flicked Haruka on the forehead. "If Ken wants to keep it under wraps, let him. It's not like he's not going to tell us if something happened. Right, Ken?"
Ken quickly nodded his head, visibly relieved. "Yeah, that's right. But for now, let me have this secret, alright? I promise to tell you guys stuff if something happens."
That, Haruka, is how you subtly influence people to do what you want— don't be overly pushy about it.
"But why does Miyacchi know about this?" Haruka asked, pouting and crossing her arms.
"Because they needed a middleman to ensure the loser goes through with the bet," Akito answered, rubbing his jaw where Ken had briefly silenced him.
"That should be me! Kenchin, you meanie," Haruka protested, feigning a hurt expression. "I can totally keep secrets, you know?"
I highly doubt that, Haruka.
With how excited you get, people like Yuki or Airi would know the entire details of their bet without you realizing it.
"That being said, good job, everyone," I interjected, smiling at my study group. "You guys really grew a lot since we started this study group."
Haruka beamed. "All of us even became close friends! Fufu, of course, it was my idea, but it also wouldn't be possible if our tutor weren't as awesome as Kiyopon."
Close friends, huh?
I haven't really thought of them as such, but I do admit that I enjoy the different vibe that I get exposed to when I'm around Akito, Airi, Haruka, and Ken.
Compared to the people I usually hang out with, that being Yuki and Chiaki, who are typically outspoken and extremely extroverted, the... Ayanokōji Group... it still feels weird to think about that name, is a group filled with introverts who could only be outspoken when around each other.
Every gathering with this group felt like another day of discovery, if you may. And I meant that in the best possible way.
"Heh, the guy might be a massive troll, but Kiyotaka's a great friend," Ken added, draping his arm over my shoulders, his grin wide and genuine. "You guys aren't that bad too."
"Aren't that bad? We're the best you could ever find, Kenchin," Haruka replied, her hands on her hips, feigning offense.
"Whatever, Haruka."
"Don't take that tone with me!"
Airi, who had been silent for most of the conversation, finally spoke up, her voice barely above a whisper. "I-I'm very glad that all of us became friends. I... I hope we can all still hang out even when our study group... gets dissolved."
"What are you saying, Ai-chan? Of course, we will hang out even if the study group is done with!" Haruka exclaimed, wrapping an arm around Airi's shoulders, grinning reassuringly. "In fact, the fun is just getting started because Kiyopon no longer has the authority to be a dictator, fufu!"
"I don't? I'm still the Student Council Vice President, in case you forgot. I could still order you around."
"Hey, that's an abuse of power, Kiyopon! You need to be impeached!"
I shook my head in amusement. "I was kidding. Besides, the Student Council has no power over a student's autonomy."
"I'm glad you exist, Kiyotaka," Akito said.
That's... a weird compliment, Akito.
"Without you, who would be able to stop Haruka?"
Oh... now that makes sense.
"Haruka has her moments," I replied. "That said, you guys wanna celebrate?"
"Woah! Is... Kiyopon finally hanging out with us?" Haruka said in mock shock. "Well, what's with that question? Of course, we're going! You almost never go out with us, you know?"
"My bad, Haruka. I'll start making up for that."
"Hey, what are the rest of you waiting for? Let's go! Everything is Kiyopon's treat since we did so well."
Upon Haruka's urging, Akito, Ken, and Airi picked up their bags and prepared to leave the classroom alongside the rest of the group.
Do I not have a say in this?
Well... I suppose they've earned it.
After all, they exceeded my expectations.
End of Chapter
A/N: I thought of putting the exam results as well as Kiyo and Suzune's food exchange here, but it would feel weird considering what this chapter was supposed to be about. With that, there are two more chapters left in this Volume, alongside a Nagumo and Suzune SS.
The Kushida scene in this chapter was unplanned, as it was just something I came up with when I had a brain fart. But now that I think about it, the scene serves some sort of purpose in terms of Kiyotaka being able to do some introspection.
And yes, Class B will score really high for the midterms. This is my rationale: Kiyotaka bought the tests early, convened the tutors, and executed a move where they basically integrated the old test into their new reviewers, which meant that when they distributed the old test, their classmates would have had an easier time going through the topics due to familiarity. That makes sense, right?