Classroom of the Elite: The 100 Elites Who Really, Really, Really Love

by legalinmybooks

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka has been cursed (blessed) by The God of Love who accidentally linked Ayanokouji and 100 different girls/women. They are to become soulmates bounded by love and fate. If their relationship with Ayanokouji fails, the girls are fated to die in an accident. It's a matter of life or death. Will Ayanokouji survive ANHS with 100 potential soulmates waiting for him? Wil

30. Chapter 29:

"But first we have to go over the midterms score for this month." said Chabashira. Ayanokouji internally sighed as the devil of a woman known as Chabashira-sensei was intentionally holding back information. Some of the class sighed or groaned as Chabashira-sensei got them worked up for nothing.

"As you already know, the school will expel you immediately if you fail the midterm or final exam. I told you as much before, so I imagine it's fresh in your memory. I'm happy to see that you've matured, but results are results. If you received a failing grade, you'll need to prepare for the consequences. So, without further ado, I'll now post the results. Read them carefully." said Chabashira-sensei, undoing the poster and taping it on all four of the sides.

"A score of forty or higher is considered a passing grade for all subjects. Anyone with a score under forty will face expulsion. These scores also reflect your results from the sports festival. If anyone achieved a score of over one hundred points on this test because of their sports festival results, the school will treat them as having received a perfect score." continued Chabashira-sensei.

'The school would deduct ten points from the midterm scores of the ten students with the lowest sports festival results. Sotomura was one of the worst-scoring students in the sports festival from any grade, so he needed to score ten points higher in every subject to compensate. Luckily, I'm not in that position.' thought Ayanokouji.

Ike and Yamauchi wore stiff expressions. Many students waited with bated breath as Chabashira-sensei stepped out of the way and they were revealed.

"Wh-what?! No way!"

"What the fuck?!"

"Language!"

The results started with those students who scored lowest and went up. Many students naturally expected to see Sudou's name at the bottom of the list, because he'd scored lowest on the midterm and the final exam. However, the first name to come up was Yamauchi, Ike Kanji, Inogashira, Satou, and Sotomura.

"Oh no! Dude, did I seriously get the lowest score?!" wailed Yamauchi.

Fortunately, he'd scored over forty points in every subject, his lowest grade being a forty-three in English. He barely passed overall, with an average just slightly below fifty points. Yamauchi looked petrified as if his life flashed before his eyes for a moment.

Sudou's results were more surprising. Until today, he'd always ranked at the very bottom of the class, but now he'd moved up significantly, going to twelfth from the bottom. Even if you took away his sports festival points, his results were still incredible. Everyone looked shocked as his average increased to fifty-seven points.

"I just obliterated a personal best! Dude, I almost got an average score of sixty!" shouted Sudou. He shot up and began dancing with joy.

"That's not good enough to merit such a fuss. Especially since your sports festival points helped." said Suzune.

"Guh! Y-yeah..."

Sudou sat back down, looking despondent at Suzune's rebuke.

"Sudou got an average of fifty-seven points. Study group gets results." said Ayanokouji.

Even in his worst subject, English, Sudou had remarkably managed to score fifty-two points. Apparently, Suzune had tutored Sudou and the other failing students.

"The study group had an impact, yes. However, other significant factors helped. Sudou was lucky that this midterm test was made up of relatively simple problems." replied Suzune.

"That might be true."

This midterm had been, without a doubt, a bit easier than usual. Some questions were so easy Ayanokouji thought the school might've included them by mistake. But, Sudou's hard work definitely paid off. Suzune tutored all her students equally, but Sudou had taken things a step
further, giving up his free days to study one-on-one with her. The power of love really was a terrifying thing.

"You have an average of sixty-four points. That's so mediocre. Why don't you stop fooling around and get serious?" said Suzune.

"That was the absolute best I could do. I'm lucky that midterm was a multiple choice." said Ayanokouji, thinking about increasing his score slightly to make it seem like he's slowly improving.

"It's so insipid that you're still playing the clown. Honestly, I can't listen to you anymore. Nor understand you."

"I don't think you've ever listened to me."

"I suppose that's true. However... I-I would like to understand you better."

"Perhaps in the near future."

"D-Don't give an unassuming answer like that!"

Ayanokouji watched in amusement at Suzune's uneasiness as she tried to act tough and unaffected by Ayanokouji's jab. However, her body language and uneasiness was visible as day.

"As you can see, no one has to drop out of school due to their midterm scores this time. All of you managed to pass." said Chabashira-sensei.

"Obviously. I'm looking forward to next month's private points, sensei!" said Sudou, his elbows propped up on his desk.

"That's right. It would be reasonable to expect a private point increase in November. I must
say, in the three years I've taught at this school, no other Class D has held on this long without any students dropping out. Well done."

Chabashira-sensei had never shown us this side of her personality until today. Quite a few students seemed hesitant to believe that it was genuine.

"Without further ado, as many of you suspect already, there is a special exam commencing. The school has decided that this next quiz's results will help determine which students to partner in class and will not affect anything else." said Chabashira-sensei.

"Partner?"asked Hirata, looking suspicious.

"That's right. Pairs decided based on this test will go on to take the final exam together. There will be eight subjects on that exam, each worth a total of one hundred points. Four hundred test questions, fifty for each subject. There are also two possible ways for you to fail that exam. If your pair scores under sixty in even one subject, then the school will expel both students. The sixty-point total, by the way, refers to the partners' combined score. For example, let's say Ike and Hirata were partners. Even if Ike scored zero points, they'd both be safe as long as Hirata scored sixty points."

Everyone gasped at the unexpected result. With an excellent partner, this would be an easy test. However, this still left the second method of failing.

"There's one additional hurdle to overcome. The school has decided that you must secure a certain overall score to avoid failing. Even if you get sixty points or more in each of the eight individual subjects, failing to meet this overall score requirement will mean expulsion." continued Chabashira-sensei.

"So, the overall requirement represents both partners' combined score?" asked Hirata.

"Yes, exactly. The school hasn't yet determined the exact score required, but in years past, it's been around seven hundred points."

'Seven hundred points. With two people working together across eight subjects—sixteen scores in total, two for each subject—you'd need a minimum average of 43.75 points in every subject. Even excellent students like Suzune or Yukimura could be at risk, depending on their partner.' thought Ayanokouji.

"You mentioned that the overall required score is still unclear. Why?" asked Hirata.

"Don't be so hasty. I'll explain the overall requirements in more detail later. The final exam will be held over two days, with four subjects per day, and I'll let you know the subjects' order. In the event that someone is absent due to poor health, the school will investigate the absence's legitimacy. If it's confirmed to be unavoidable, the student will receive points based on a rough
estimate of what they would've earned given past test results. However, should the school find that an absent student didn't have sufficient reason to miss class, they will receive a score of zero points for all tests missed." replied Chabashira-sensei. It meant students couldn't avoid taking this exam and taking care of one's health was another test of ability.

"At any rate, you're starting to behave like proper students. If this announcement were earlier in the year, you'd probably all be wailing by now." said Chabashira-sensei.

"Well, we've gotten used to it." responded Ike.

"Well said, Ike. Many of you probably think the same thing, which is why I'm going to give you just one piece of advice. Don't assume that you understand how this school works just because you've finished the first semester of your first year. In the future, you'll face countless exams far more difficult than those you face now."

"P-please don't say such terrifying things, sensei." said Sonoda.

"Well, it's the truth. In years past... We call it the 'Paper Shuffle,' but one or two pairs are usually expelled due to this test. Most of them are from Class D. This is by no means a threat; I'm just telling you the facts."

The class's optimism rapidly faded as the truth was revealed. Some of Ayanokouji's classmates glanced at each other, wondering who would be the unlucky pair or pairs that would be expelled.

"The school will expel any failed partners without exception. If you think this is a mere threat, then it might be good for you to talk to an upperclassman. You should've started building connections with them, after all. Lastly, although this is obvious, cheating is forbidden. Anyone who cheats will immediately be disqualified and expelled, along with their partner. The same applies to all midterm and final examinations." said Chabashira-sensei.

Ayanokouji thought that was pretty obvious and wondered how desperate a person can be to risk their entire livelihood in the school to cheat on an exam.

"After I get the short test's results, I'll tell you how the all-too- important partners will be decided." said Chabashira-sensei. Ayanokouji saw that Suzune grabbed her pen and was preparing to take notes.

"Additionally, the school will ask you to create your own questions to appear on the final exam. They'll use the questions you come up with for one of the other three classes. That means classes will be able to attack one another, so to speak. The school will compare your class's overall score to the overall score for the class that received your test questions. The class that
scores higher will take points from the losing class. Fifty class points, specifically." said Chabashira-sensei.

'To sum up, pairs needed to score above seven hundred points in aggregate or be expelled. Meanwhile, we also needed to score sixty points or higher for each individual subject or be expelled. Furthermore, our entire class's overall score had to exceed the overall score of the class whose test questions we set.' thought Ayanokouji.

"But let's say Class A attacks Class B, and Class D attacks Class A. If Class A successfully carries out their attack on Class B while simultaneously defending against Class D, they'll gain a total of one hundred points. However, if Class A attacks Class D and Class D attacks Class A, won't things just cancel each other out?" asked Suzune.

"In the event of a one-on-one confrontation of that kind, class scores may go up or down by a hundred points at a time. Don't worry. Although this is unlikely, if the overall scores are tied, then the matchup will end in a draw, and no class will lose or gain points."

"So, we have to come up with problems for the other classes to solve. I've never heard of anything like this. How will this be executed? If someone devises absurdly hard questions..."

"Yeah, yeah! That's right! They could pick stuff we haven't learned yet! This is impossible!" protested Ike. Other students threw up their hands in frustration and protest.

"Teachers will evaluate the questions you create. If they exceed what you have been taught, or cannot be answered with the information provided, they will be revised. We'll ensure that each class submits fair questions and answers. Do you understand, Ike?" asked Chabashira-sensei.

"Uh, yeah, I guess."

"Creating four hundred questions, huh? That'll make for a pretty tight schedule." said Hirata.

"There's one month until the exam will take place. It's up to the class. However... If you don't complete the questions in time, certain measures are in place to help you. After the submission deadline passes, the school will utilize its own premade questions. However, please keep in mind that those questions will be easier."

'It seems that the school has covered all of all possible decisions a class can make. There are risks and rewards to every possible decision.' thought Ayanokouji.

"You may consult teachers and students from other classes, and you can use the internet. There are few restrictions. As long as the school accepts the questions, we don't care about much else." said Chabashira-sensei.

"So, our final test will obviously include questions from another class, right?" asked Hirata.

"Exactly. Each class will choose another class to compete against, and I will report that request to my superiors. If another class makes the same choice, representatives will draw lots. However, if there are no duplicate nominations, your choice of class will be honored. I'll accept your nomination for the class you'd like to go up against next week, the day before the short test. You should think very carefully."

"That's all for the preliminary explanation. I forgot to mention this, but the next quiz, the one that will determine your partner, is going to happen during your last period. The rest is up to you." said Chabashira-sensei.

"Eh?!"

The whole class fell into anarchy and disarray as Chabashira-sensei left the room. The unexpected happened and the students weren't given enough time to prepare for the quiz. There's only 15 minutes between homeroom room and the next period, so there's a limited amount of time for someone to speak.

"May I have everyone's attention?" said Suzune, announcing her presence to the entire class. Everyone glanced towards Suzune, who stood up and began making her towards the front of the classroom.

"First, there's something I'd like to say. Please allow me to apologize. My performance during the sports festival was disappointing. Though I acted tough in front of you all, in the end, I didn't do anything for Class D. For that, I apologize." said Suzune, bowing her head deeply.

"B-but it's not like it's only your fault we lost, Horikita-san. Please, don't bow to us. You don't have to."

"Yeah! It's not your fault!"

"That's right, Suzune. I mean, Haruki and the Professor weren't really much help, either."

"Regardless of whether you win or lose, a humble attitude makes it easier to move on. But that's not what I'm talking about here. I contributed almost nothing to any area of the festival. But now, I'm finished apologizing. Next, I'd like to use my energy to take on the upcoming short quiz. Unless we all come together as a class, we won't get through this challenge." said Suzune.

"I can understand that, but do you have a plan? Like, we don't even know how they choose the pairs yet." said Hirata.

"That's why I'm here. To find out the truth. There must be some kind of process to select the pairs. If we discover that process, we can gain a clear advantage in the final."

"So what? Will they match up the people who scored closest together or something?" said Karuizawa.

"Or maybe they'll pair someone who got an answer right with someone who got the same answer wrong?" asked Sudou.

"Either is possible." said Suzune.

"I'm a little skeptical about this." said Hirata, looking skeptical.

"About what? Please, I'd like to hear it."

"If there is some kind of partner selection method, then I think we should confirm it with an upperclassman. If it's the same test from previous years, then the rules probably haven't changed. Maybe the teachers would deliberately try to hide that?"

"I was a little curious, too. I think an upperclassman I'm close with might be willing to tell me." said Kushida.

"It's certainly true that we don't know the facts. However, the school hasn't tried to stop us from finding out what the rules are. In fact, discovering them might be one of the test's prerequisites." said Suzune.

"What do you mean, Suzune? Can you explain it like we're dumb?" asked Sudou.

"So, the test begins once we find out the rules? In that case, not learning what they are could be disastrous." said Hirata.

"This is all just hypothetical, but if we don't discover the process behind the pairing, the results could be devastating. Chabashira-sensei said this is the first time that Class D has made it this far without anyone being expelled. She also said that, in previous years, only one or two pairs were
typically expelled, right? Isn't that strange?" asked Suzune.

Most of the students tilted their heads in confusion as they didn't understand what Suzune was trying to imply.

"What do you mean?" asked Karuizawa.

"Forget trying to figure out the rules for a moment. Imagine if we took the exam without knowing that these rules even existed. What do you think would happen?" asked Hirata.

"Umm, it'd be bad? If the dumber students got paired, we'd probably see the school expel a lot of people."

"Yeah, I think so, too. But, in past years, only one or two pairs from Class D were expelled."

"Isn't that kinda weird?" asked Sudou, who suddenly seemed to realize what they were saying.

"The pairs seem balanced." said Hirata.

"The pairs are made up of a high-scoring student and a low-scoring student. It can't be any other way. So, if I scored a hundred points, and Sudou-kun scored zero points, we'd be the pair with the most significant difference between our scores. That means we'd produce balanced
results on the test, because our scores would even out." said Suzune.

"I see. But doesn't that mean the average students are the most at risk?" said Karuizawa.

"Yes. The more average someone's grades are, the greater the danger. We need to confirm this with upperclassmen. Then we can plan our next steps. Hirata-kun, Kushida-san, would you please talk to some senior students?"

"Of course." said Kushida.

"I'll check with the upperclassmen in my soccer club." said Hirata. It seemed like Suzune's theory might take some time to prove, but they have almost the entire school day to see if it's correct.

"Now that we've discussed the short test's importance, we can move on. But there's one more thing. Which class do we nominate as our opponent? In my mind, we should be going after Class C. Their collective academic ability is their big weakness. Class C is inferior to Classes A and B in academics. Looking at the class points so far, that's plain to see." said Suzune.

"I agree, Horikita-san. But Classes A and B will naturally think the same way. If Class C is so inferior when it comes to academics, then multiple classes will likely go after them. That might be bad news for us." said Hirata. He stood up and approached the blackboard, picked up a piece of chalk, and began writing on the blackboard.

Class A nominates Class D No conflicts with other classes = Class D is the target

Class B nominates Class C Wins the lottery = Class C is the target

Class C nominates Class B No conflicts with other classes = Class B is the target

Class D nominates Class C Loses the lottery = Class A becomes the target by default

Hirata wrote some possible scenarios that might occur if Class D chose to target Class C which left some of Ayanokouji's classmates concerned as they voiced their concerns.

"Although this is a worst-case scenario, it could happen." said Hirata, trying his best to ease the class. It seems that Hirata has realized what he wrote might have done more harm than good.

"Whoa, that'd be awful. We'd have to solve problems the smart kids made, and we'd have to make problems for them to solve, right? There's no way we could win." said Karuizawa, voicing her opinion to attack Class C.

"Yes, you're right, the other classes will probably target Class C. But there's no reason we shouldn't pick Class C too, don't you think? We have to do anything we can to try to win." said Suzune.

Most of the class nodded their heads as they didn't want to face Class A or B since their academic abilities are higher than Class C. They knew that they won't stand any chance against them and they have an alliance with Class B, so attacking them will destroy that alliance. And with that, the class meeting ended.

*Timeskip (lunchtime)*

"Itadakimasu." said the duo.

Ayanokouji and Suzune are sitting at the cafeteria at Ayanokouji's request. He remembered Manabu's words during the sports festival to take his sister out on a date. He intended to follow through and asked Suzune if she wanted to come with him during lunch to which she begrudgingly agreed.

As the duo was eating, Ayanokouji noticed that Suzune was scribbling something on her notebook. It looked like she was writing a list down.

"Suzune, what are you writing?" asked Ayanokouji.

"I'm preparing a list of potential pairs for the special exam. If my theory is correct, we would need to prepare accordingly for the best results." replied Suzune.

"The highest score students with the lowest score students?"

"Correct. I've gone over everyone's scores in the midterms and placed them accordingly."

"All right. If you don't mind, can you place me with Inogashira?"

"Inogashira-san?"

"Yes. I would like to be paired up with Inogashira."

"May I ask why? You're not the type of person to care about a classmate's expulsion."

"Is there any deeper reason why? Surely, you have noticed that keeping a classmate is a benefit and losing a classmate will have serious disadvantageous consequences for future exams. This special exam is an example."

"So, you're doing your part?"

"Just a small part. Nothing more and nothing less."

"Of course. I should've expected that from you."

Suzune sighed as she began furiously erasing her notebook before turning and scolding Ayanokouji.

"I only wished that you spoke to me about this sooner. I must redo the pairs to fit your accommodations." said Suzune.

"I apologize." replied Ayanokouji.

"Hmph!"

"Are you going to partner up with Sudou?"

"Of course."

"Is there a romance brewing between the two of you?"

"As if."

Suzune coldly brushed away Ayanokouji's attempt at a joke and Ayanokouji was glad that Sudou wasn't here otherwise his heart would've been crushed. Ayanokouji watched Suzune work diligently as he ate. She was working on her plans and eating at the same time, but her attention was directed at the list that she was creating. The duo didn't talk that much as Suzune was focused on her list while Ayanokouji was focused on his food. However, near the end of the lunch period, Kushida and Hirata approached the duo.

"Horikita-san! You were right!" said Kushida.

"My senpais from the soccer club said so too!" said Hirata.

"Well well... that makes everything easier." said Suzune, finally looking up from her work. Kushida and Hirata both looked at Suzune quizzically, but Suzune waved them off and didn't elaborate further.

"I'll explain later during class before the quiz." said Suzune. Hirata hesitated for a moment before smiling.

"Okay. I'll trust you, Horikita-san!" said Hirata.

"As do I." replied Kushida.

Hirata and Kushida said their goodbyes as they left the duo, but Ayanokouji could see Kushida glancing at the duo before she left.

'Tch! That damn bitch, Horikita! Looking at Ayanokouji-kun. What the fuck?! Why did he invite her to lunch? First, it's that shitty by-the-books tiny titty senpai! And now this bitch! Why the fuck does all of these girls get to run trains through Ayanokouji-kun and I don't?! These bitches need to be put in their place, especially that bitch, Horikita.' thought Kushida.

Kushida was trying her best to keep her happy and angel persona, but it was quite difficult with those thoughts swirling inside of her head as her facial muscles twitched. Ayanokouji could tell that Kushida was furious inside and was amazed that she could hold it in. He watched as her retreating figure disappeared into the cafeteria's crowd.

"Good job." said Ayanokouji.

"It wasn't anything special. It was simply a deduction." replied Suzune, still focused on her work. Ayanokouji reached out and grabbed Suzune by the chin and gently tilted upwards and away from her notebook and towards him. Suzune's eyes widened in surprise by Ayanokouji' sudden move and the pencil that she was holding dropped.

"Eh?!" yelped Suzune.

"Sometimes you need to accept praise, Suzune." said Ayanokouji.

Suzune was too stunned and embarrassed to reply to Ayanokouji as her face grew more red and due to the close proximity, her ears were turning red as her face.

'Eh?! What is Ayanokouji-kun doing?! I can't believe it! I would've never expected Ayanokouji-kun to do something like this. It's similar to how Nii-san treated me when I was younger. I feel happier than back then. Happy to be acknowledged. Praise for my efforts. A feeling that I haven't felt for a long time.' thought Suzune.

"Suzune, are you okay?" asked Ayanokouji. Suzune was not responding to Ayanokouji which left him concerned, but luckily she snapped out of it after a few moments.

"E-Everything is fine. And Ayanokouji-kun, please don't touch me without my permission." said Horikita, scolding him and slapping his hand away.

Wait. So I can touch it if I ask for permission.

"My apologies, Suzune. I was just worried about you. You were just staring off." said Ayanokouji.

"Who's fault do you think it is?" grumbled Suzune.

"Uhh... yours. For having a short attention span."

"Hmph! Don't get too cocky, Ayanokouji-kun."

Ayanokouji was surprised at how he and Suzune could tolerate each other and could trade verbal jabs at each other. If he would've done that earlier in the school year, he would've been stabbed by a compass. However, the likelihood of him being stabbed with a compass is low and Ayanokouji was glad.

"I'll let you finish your work, Suzune." said Ayanokouji.

"Thank you." replied Suzune.

For the remainder of the time for lunch, Suzune worked diligently and as Ayanokouji studied her, he knew Suzune had the ability to grow if given the right circumstances and motivation. However Ayanokouji knew that she had more room to grow.

*Timeskip (2 hours later)*

"The room is yours, Horikita-san."

"Thank you."

Suzune got up in front of the classroom as everyone was confused by her actions. It was supposed to be the last period, but Chabashira-sensei didn't enter the classroom. She was supposed to give out the quiz and Ayanokouji knew that Suzune bought some time with private points. She began writing on the blackboard and everyone fell into silence.

Deciding How Pairs Are Formed:

After the school looks at the class as a whole, it will pair the highest- scoring and lowest-scoring students.

This process will continue with the second-highest and second-lowest- scoring students pairing up, and then the third-highest and lowest, and so on.

For example, the student with one hundred points will pair with the student with zero points. The student with ninety-nine points will pair with the student with one point.

"Simple, right?" said Suzune.

"Wh-whoa! You cracked the code, Horikita! Awesome!"

"It was that easy?!"

"I knew that!"

"It's fairly obvious. However, remember this: though students who earn lower grades will almost automatically partner with students with higher grades, there are always exceptions. I'm going to explain a strategy that we can use to end up with reliable, appropriate pairs." said Suzune. That got the attention of everyone in the class as they paid attention to Suzune. Even Koenji raised his eyebrows and seemed interested, but Ayanokouji wasn't sure if he actually cared or not.

"I'd like to have the students who worry about their grades partner up with high scorers. However, looking at our grades so far, the truth of the matter is that we can't cover everyone." said Suzune.

'Eleven students had an average score of eighty points or higher. Only six students had an average of ninety points or more. Meanwhile, the number of students with an average of sixty points or below made up more than half the class. In other words, it would be impossible to pair every low-scoring student with a high-scoring counterpart.' thought Ayanokouji.

"Um, I don't really get it. What are we supposed to do?" asked Yamauchi.

"It's okay for the ten lowest-scoring students, whose names are written here, to simply score zero points on this test. Since your final grades won't reflect your scores, that'll do you no harm. Conversely, the ten highest- scoring students should definitely try to score eighty-five points or above. Similarly, we'll divide the remaining twenty students in the class into two groups of ten. The higher-scoring of those two groups should aim to score a maximum of eighty points, while the lower-scoring group only needs to score one point. By doing things this way, we automatically achieve a good balance in our pairings." said Suzune. She began to write everyone's name in pairs, symbolizing their partnership for a special exam.

"I think this is a great plan." said Hirata.

"Do you have any objections, Kouenji-kun?" asked Suzune.

Koenji didn't look interested in Suzune's plan and since you could still fail the final exam even if you got a perfect score, depending on how well your partner did. Ayanokouji wondered if Koenji would cooperate as he wanted to avoid being expelled.

"No. What a nonsensical question. Naturally, I fully grasp the situation." said Koenji, resting his long legs across his desk and starting combing his hair.

"Then would it be appropriate for me to expect you to score eighty points or higher?"

"Well, I'm not too sure about that. Wouldn't that depend on the test's contents?"

"If you intentionally scored a zero, and got matched with one of the higher-scoring students, you'd destroy the balance we're trying to achieve. Do you understand that?"

'The only thing to fear from this test was someone getting an irregular score. If an academically gifted student like Kouenji deliberately held back, he could throw off the class's balance. We needed to avoid having highly gifted students like Suzune and Koenji paired together.' thought Ayanokouji.

"I will consider the matter carefully, girl." said Koenji. Even though his response was suspicious, Suzune couldn't pursue the matter any further.

"Please memorize your scores and who you're partnered with." said Suzune, looking at the clock. The blackboard will be erased when it's time for the quiz and Suzune gave the class an adequate explanation and amount of time.

*Timeskip (10 minutes later)*

"Well, it's time for the short quiz. Oh my, Ike. You seemed awfully confident. Did you happen to come up with some secret strategy?" asked Chabashira-sensei,

"Heh heh heh. Watch and learn, sensei." said Ike, completely self-confident.

"Don't do something you'll regret later. It would be better if you took this quiz seriously."

"Wh-what do you mean? This isn't going to have an effect on my grades, right?"

"Right. Your final grade won't reflect your score on this at all."

"In that case, I don't need a good score."

"Sure. If things go the way you expect them to go, that is."

What Chabashira-sensei said stirred the class's anxiety and Ayanokouji wondered if she's doing it on purpose.

"Should we try to get good scores after all?" muttered Sudou.

"Don't get flustered. There are no problems with our plan." said Horikita, with a tone full of confidence. Her calm, collected response managed to settle the students. Sudou regained his composure instantly after hearing Suzune's words.

"Yeah. All I have to do is believe in Suzune." said Sudou.

Chabashira-sensei produced the quiz papers and began passing it to the students in the front row and had them pass it back.

"Well then, let's begin. I needn't remind you that no form of cheating is allowed. If someone gets
caught cheating, then there will be no mercy. Please keep the quiz facing down and do not start until I give the word." said Chabashira-sensei. Ayanokouji flipped his paper around and waited for Chabashira's signal.

"Aren't you worried that you're wrong about how the pairs are selected?" asked Chabashira-sensei.

"Not at all. I'm confident that I'm right." said Suzune. She was unfazed by what Chabashira-sensei said. Ike and the others could stand tall because of their leader's confidence.

"Begin."

Chabashira-sensei gave the signal, and the test started. Ayanokouji slowly turned the papers over and was surprised by the content. It was extremely easy to the point where even small children could have completed this test. Of course, there were a few difficult questions in there, but even someone like Ike could easily score around sixty or higher if he didn't panic. Ayanokouji sighed as it was a tempting trap and might explain why Class D students from previous years were expelled, but he followed Horikita's plan.

*Timeskip (after school)*

"That was easy!"

"I would've got a 100 if I tried!"

"Yeah, right!"

Some of Ayanokouji's classmates voiced opinions on the quiz, but there was a hint of concern on their score and Horikita's plan. The school seemed to have designed a quiz like this as a trap and to get students overconfident which might affect the ranking and partner placement.

"Ayanokouji-kun! Are you free right now?" asked Azuma.

"Yes." replied Ayanokouji.

"Then, let's go!"

"Sure... I guess."

Ayanokouji allowed Azuma to drag him out of the classroom with some jealous glances from some of his soulmates. Of course, Azuma was one of the soulmates that always staring jealousy when other girls took Ayanokouji away, but it seemed to be waiting for her perfect opportunity to strike.

"Where are we heading?" asked Ayanokouji as the duo navigated through the hallways.

"To the Keiyaki Mall." replied Azuma.

"To?"

"Of course, shopping!"

**********************************************

Manaba POV

In a different classroom, the atmosphere was quite cold and strained. The assembled Class C students appeared greatly intimidated by the person standing silently at the podium before them.

"There've been many unnatural goings-on, wouldn't you say?" asked Ryuuen. Albert, Ishizaki, and Ibuki stood next to him.

"First there was that test on the uninhabited island, and then the sports festival. Someone lurking in Class D knows how to think like me." continued Ryuuen, looking at the crowd of students. Most of the students averted their eyes from Ryuuen as some trembled in fear.

"Someone thinks like you, Ryuuen-san? I can't imagine someone like that in Class D, though." said Ishizaki.

"I thought so, too. But not anymore."

"So, are the events on the island and at the sports festival connected somehow?"

"Yes, exactly. But don't worry. I'm starting to see how this person handles things. Listen up, all of you! From here on out, we're going to hit Class D with everything we've got. We'll put Classes A and B aside for the time being. I'll smoke out the person working in Class D's shadows."

"Ryuuen-san, is there really anyone competent in Class D, besides Horikita or Hirata?"

"Yes. And someone in Class C can expose the puppet master's true identity."

"What are you trying to say, Ryuuen?" asked Ibuki, crossing her arms. She stood near the window, her posture defiant.

"Heh. Ibuki, can't you even listen quietly?" asked Ryuuen.

"I don't have that luxury. Besides, you're just trying to intimidate the entire class. I gain nothing from silence, right?"

"You know, someone with no authority shouldn't be talking. Besides, you made a rather disgraceful blunder, didn't you?"

"That's..."

Ibuki scowled as she was reminded of her defeat in the sports festival. It was a close competition, but in the end, Suzune came up on top.

"Like you, then? I mean, you also failed to crush Horikita in the sports festival, or to get the private points you expected. You're the same as me." said Ibuki, glaring at Ryuuen and reminding him of his blunder as well.

"The same as you? Don't make me laugh. My strategy was perfect." said Ryuuen.

"So, how do you explain the results? You never explain anything. You seriously expect to convince us that Class D has some master strategist?"

Hearing Ibuki's comeback, the other students trembled in fear. They wanted to avoid incurring Ryuuen's wrath and knew submitting to him and obeying his order is the best way. However, Ryuuen only smiled thinly, amused by Ibuki's attitude and outburst.

"Don't you think that a perfect strategy is meaningless if someone leaks information?" asked Ryuuen.

"Leaks information?" asked Ibuki, raising her eyebrows. Ishizaki clenched his fists tightly and the other students held their breaths as they glanced at each other.

"Class D's success is due to the maneuverings of a mysterious person I'll refer to as 'X.' X has an ally in Class C—my class. There's a spy among us."

"Wait, are you serious?"

"It's true. It seems that my control over you isn't strong enough. It's extremely unfortunate."

Ryuuen smiled as if he enjoyed the possibility of being spied upon. That was the smile that everybody feared and remembered vividly, the delight and twisted smile of a tyrant. It was the moment that their class completely changed. Everyone in the room started praying that this would be over quickly.

"This nonsense is coming to an end right this instant. First, I'll ask directly. The person who betrayed me, raise your hand." said Ryuuen, slamming his hand to the podium.

None of his classmates put up their hands. Some averted their eyes and feigned ignorance, while others looked around to see whether anyone came forward. Some stayed completely still to avoid drawing attention to themselves.

"If you just step forward now, I'll forgive you." said Ryuuen. The continuing silence seemed to delight him as he liked a good hunt.

"Yes. I knew that a spy would plan to stay hidden. Don't come forward. In fact, stay hidden at all costs." said Ryuuen, chuckling to himself.

"Wait, what? You're not seriously going to accept that Class C has a traitor, are you?" asked Ibuki.

"Shut up, Ibuki. Don't get in the way of my fun. I'll bury you if you do. I've actually tried not to get too violent so far. You may think I'm lying, but it's true. I've taken it easy on my opponents."

Ryuuen slammed the podium twice, producing two loud and distinct noises that echoed through the classroom. It was the class's death knell.

"But maybe that was foolish. I mean, now we have a traitor among us. So, we're going to play a little game. A silly, childish little game where we try to find the spy. For most students, there's really no need to be afraid. This shouldn't take long at all; just thirty minutes." said Ryuuen.
Despite his words, it was obvious that everyone was terrified. Even Ibuki started to feel apprehensive.

"First things first. Take your phones out, and place them on your desks. I'll come by and check it out personally. Are there any idiots who didn't bring their phones? They should step forward immediately. One of them is the culprit." said Ryuuen.

The students immediately put their phones on their desks. Ishizaki went around the room and collected them, attaching a label with the owner's name to each phone. The labels seemed to have been prepared ahead of time. Ibuki handed her phone over to Ishizaki, looking dissatisfied.

"Ryuuen-san, I collected everyone's phones." said Ishizaki.

"Good work. Well, I think it's time for a thorough investigation, don't you?" said Ryuuen.

"What should we check? The call history?"

"Come now, as if someone trying to hide their identity would make an incriminating call! Look at the email histories. Then look at the texts. Read all of them, even if it's just a minor conversation. The traitor might have used an alias."

"W-wait a minute! There are lots of really private messages on my phone, though!" shouted Nishino. Her desire not to have Ryuuen see her personal information outweighs the risk of him suspecting her.

"You really don't want me to read what's on your phone, Nishino?"

"Of course I don't! Even if it's just you, Ryuuen-kun!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Nishino. You gave Ryuuen your phone on the cruise ship, didn't you? Why are you so—?" asked Ishizaki.

"Th-this is different from back then! All he did on the cruise ship was check the email I received from the school!"

"You know that this will make you a prime suspect, Nishino?" said Ryuuen.

"I-I will obey you, Ryuuen-kun, but there are some things I can't accept!" said Nishino. She wasn't the type to argue, but in this case, it looked like she was dead serious. She'd loudly announced that she had something on her phone that she didn't want other people to see.

"Are you the spy, Nishino?" asked Oda. A few other students whispered amongst each other as eyes from her classmates and Ryuuen were directed at her.

"No, I'm not the spy!" exclaimed Nishino.

"But the fact that you're hiding something is pretty suspicious."

"I just want to protect my privacy!"

Ryuuen showed no interest at all in the current conversation. He grabbed one of the phones that was on the desk.

"This is your phone, Nishino?" asked Ryuuen.

"Hey!" yelped Nishino. She was panicked, sure that he'd start reading her messages. However, Ryuuen handed Nishino's phone to Ishizaki.

"Give this back to her."

"I-Is that okay? You didn't check the contents." said Ryuuen.

"I told you to give it to her."

Ishizaki quietly returned Nishino's phone much to everyone's shock.

"Really, it's not such a mystery. I confirmed your innocence, so I returned your phone. That's only natural, right? If it's not the traitor's phone, then looking at it would be a waste of time and effort." said Ryuuen. He glanced at the desk and noticed a missing label.

"Ishizaki, why is there a missing label?" asked Ryuuen, frowning and picking it up to read who the owner is.

"R-Ryuuen-san! I-It's Yajima and she's-" said Ryuuen.

"Asleep?"

Everybody glanced in awe and shock as they saw Yajima sleeping at her desk. Her face covered and her arms used a cushion. She was awake before the meeting, but before Ishizaki can collect her phone, she was already asleep. Ishizaki tried to wake her up, but she kept swatting his hands away from her and he wasn't sure on how to wake her up or get her phone. He didn't want to fail Ryuuen, but he realized that it was taking too long, so he decided to skip her. Ishizaki didn't want Ryuuen to think that he was having trouble collecting people's phones.

"Forget her. Her being a spy is too funny." said Ryuuen.

"O-Okay!" said Ishizaki, relieved that Ryuuen wasn't mad at him. Ryuuen seemed annoyed at Yajima, but focused his attention back towards the rest of the class.

"If anyone here thinks that what I'm doing is unacceptable, like Nishino said, raise your hand. However, prepare to come under even more suspicion than she did." said Ryuuen. Faced with those two options, four girls and two boys raised their hands, despite their fear.

"Six people are standing up to Ryuuen-san. The spy is definitely among them, I'm sure of it! Nomura, you were the last one to raise your hand. You're not jumping on the bandwagon to save your own skin, are you?" said Ishizaki.

"N-no, that's not it! I'm not doing that!" said Nomura.

While Ishizaki hurled accusations, Ryuuen wore an eerie smile before clapping his hand to break the argument.

"Gather their phones." said Ryuuen.

"Yes, sir." said Ishizaki, collecting six phones and immediately handing them to Ryuuen.

"So, you're okay with being my prime suspect as long as I don't look through your phones?" asked Ryuuen. All six students agreed and nodded their heads.

"You took quite a bit of time before you raised your hand, Nomura." said Ryuuen.

"Huh? No, I didn't—" protested Nomura.

"You've been looking around all shifty-eyed. And you're sweating, hmm?"

"Huh?!"

Nomura had a very timid personality, and he seemed on the verge of fainting. Ryuuen let out an amused chuckle before turning to Ishizaki once more.

"Ishizaki. These six are all innocent. Return their phones." ordered Ryuuen. This left everybody shocked again and no one other than Ryuuen himself could understand this reasoning.

"Will you explain what's going on here?" asked Ibuki.

"Later."

Ryuuen ran his hand through his hair and picked up Ibuki's phone.

"Well then, let's investigate the rest of the phones. I'll start with yours, Ibuki."

"Do whatever you want."

Ryuuen checked everyone's phones himself. The whole process took about twenty minutes, no more than one minute per phone. He couldn't have checked all of them thoroughly. Even though the students had their doubts, no one said anything. For the spy, every second must have been agonizingly stressful. Ryuuen also raised his eyebrows by some of the stuff that he saw from classmates. He did a side glance at Ishizaki as his perspective and view on him changed.

"I see. No information seems to be recorded on these phones." said Ryuuen.

"So, one of the people you thought were innocent—like Nishino—is a traitor after all." said Ibuki.

"No."

"What are you doing here? Is there really even a spy?"

Ibuki wondered whether Ryuuen had come up with a story about a traitor to hide his own failure. Ryuuen had believed some shadowy figure was puppeteering Suzune since the island test. So far, however, there hadn't been one shred of evidence that this mastermind even
existed. In fact, everyone else had focused on Horikita Suzune, who is becoming an emerging leader of Class D.

"Evidence trumps theory. Listen. I assume this is something you all know quite well, hmm?" said Ryuuen. He replayed an audio file that Ayanokouji had sent and prevented Ryuuen's plan.

"I received this recording when I was about to force Suzune to kneel. Never mind the points because of this, I didn't get to see Suzune beg. Do you understand now?" said Ryuuen.

"Wait a minute. Even if we assume that you didn't just record that file yourself, there are still questions that you need to answer. We never discussed the details of getting Horikita to kneel before you. This other person managed to anticipate everything, including the time you were
meeting her? That's impossible." said Ibuki.

"It was a coincidence. The best time for this other person to strike was immediately after the festival ended. Besides, I don't think he was interested in saving Suzune. X, Class D's mastermind, had this audio file. X clearly understood the details of the strategy I came up with. If he knew all my plans, including leaking the participation table, he could have foiled my attacks on Suzune at the sports festival. He could have prevented Suzune from being crushed and having to beg for forgiveness. But he didn't. Even though X knew about my strategy, he allowed me to go about my business and let Suzune suffer. She was injured, unable to keep competing,
and she had to suffer the guilt of injuring someone else as well." said Ryuuen.

"So, by letting you get that far, this person turned the audio file into incriminating material?" asked Kaneda.

"How very clever you are, Kaneda."

"This X person's thought process is so cruel. I mean, he just let his friend get hurt."

"Yes. X wasn't bothered by me having Suzune kneel. That's why there wasn't any text in his message. I think he couldn't have cared less whether Suzune's pride was hurt or not."

"I can't understand that. If they're from the same class, shouldn't he have protected Horikita from the start?" said Ibuki.

Other students probably shared Ibuki's feelings. X had several options available, including altering Class D's participation table to prepare for Class C's strategy, or sending the audio file to Ryuuen in advance.

"Wouldn't X have thought to submit the audio file to the school?" asked Kaneda.

If X had given the audio file to the school after Class C carried out their plans, it would've hurt Class C badly. If the school found out that Class C had intentionally targeted Horikita and tried to extort points from her, it probably would've kicked Ryuuen out. However, X did not do that which left everyone flabbergasted.

"X's naivete accidentally saved us. Or perhaps he isn't taking full advantage of his assets. If Horikita-shi had finished transferring private points over to Ryuuen-shi, then X would've been defeated." concluded Kaneda.

"No, that's not quite right. Even if Suzune had given up her private points, X probably could've recovered them by presenting the audio. He could have threatened us with exposure, and that would've been it." said Ryuuen.

"So, he deliberately chose not to threaten us?"

"Yes. X allowed me to make Suzune kneel. That's different from winning or losing points. It's not something a person can undo, right? I'm saying that X is letting me torment Suzune."

"I don't get it. So, X has been helping Class C?" said Ibuki. Unlike Ibuki, Ryuuen understood what X had done.

"Heh. So, you really don't intend to reveal yourself, all the way to the bitter end, eh?" said Ryuuen, glancing at Class C.

"I'm not sure what method X employed, but I'm certain that he thinks like me, and that someone here is spying on him. If the spy knew X's identity, it'd be game over for X the moment I found them out. Therefore, I'm certain that X used email or similar tactics to remain anonymous." said
Ryuuen.

"But there wasn't any proof on anyone's phone. You didn't even look at them carefully." said Ibuki.

"Of course I didn't. That was just for show and it was fun."

"Huh? But you said you'd know the spy's identity if you looked at our phones."

"Apply some common sense here. If you were the spy, would you intentionally leave a suspicious email on your phone?"

"Well, no, I wouldn't. That's why I thought that checking our phones was a waste of time."

"Right. It was obvious how investigating everyone's phones would turn out. The spy is someone who thought that they could look innocent just by giving me their phone. Therefore, those who didn't show me their phones are innocent, whereas the spy wouldn't have taken that chance... I'm going to ask the spy to show himself again."

Ryuuen looked at each individual in the class, studying their body language and ignored the sleeping Yajima, who is snoring lightly now.

"Are you scared of this mysterious X? Or are you scared of me? Which one should you truly fear? Are you sure you're not making a big mistake? Remember what happened after the entrance ceremony? You saw what terrible fate befalls those who oppose me. Right, Ishizaki?" said Ryuuen.

"Y-yes..." muttered Ishizaki, trembling. Albert, who stood quietly by Ryuuen's side, also reacted slightly. Both Ishizaki and Albert had resisted Ryuuen at first, but the violence he wielded had ultimately brought them to their knees.

"Violence is the most powerful force in the world. I will not yield to authority. Even if the school tries to expel me, I'll kill the traitor before they kick me out. Do you understand? If I end up getting expelled because of this, I will stomp the life out of the spy, like crushing a bug. I'll welcome the traitor's confession even now. However, this is your last chance. If you step forward and honestly admit what you've done, I promise to forgive and forget. I also swear that I won't let your classmates harass you. As I said from the very start, if you believe in me, I'll raise us all to Class A. As long as you follow me, I will protect you." said Ryuuen, stepping down from the podium, gazing over every one of his classmates.

No one met his eyes as Ryuuen scanned the entire classroom as he began walking around the desks. Everyone's heartbeat raced as Ryuuen passed them. The tense silence seemed to have kept everyone on edge and Ryuuen's unpredictability made everyone fear for their lives as he might strike them without a moment's notice.

"Do you understand what it means to make me angry?" said Ryuuen, stopping beside Manabe's desk, standing right in front of her. Of course, it wasn't random. He'd been targeting her since the start.

"What's wrong? Can't look me in the eye?" asked Ryuuen, staring at Manabe, who shrank down in her seat.

"Ah...ah...I..." muttered Manabe. Her breathing was ragged. She appeared so terrified that she seemed on the verge of tears.

"Heh. It's you, isn't it, Manabe? You're the traitor."

Most of the students were dumbfounded. Yamashita, Nanami, and Morofuji shook their heads and were equally dumbfounded by Manabe's actions, confused and concerned on why she was the traitor. She wasn't the type of person who betrayed her entire class and friends without any good reason.

"Don't be afraid, Manabe. Although you didn't come forward and tell me, I knew you were the spy from the very beginning. You've looked sick, like it was written on your face. There was no way you could hide." said Ryuuen. He brushed aside Manabe's hair and caressed her face. Manabe began trembling.

"I-I'm...I'm sorry. I-I—" said Manabe.

"Don't worry. I forgive you. I will handle this with tolerance and magnanimity. Tell me about it, hmm? Tell me about who this X really is."

Ryuuen turned from Manabe, fixing his sharp gaze upon Nanami, Yamashita, and Morofuji with a sharp look on their face. Morofuji became trembling uncontrollably and was even worse than Morofuji.

"Everyone. Get the fuck out of here!" ordered Ryuuen.

Nobody protested his orders and quickly cleared the room, relieved to get out of the classroom. Kinoshita limped towards Yajima's desk and forcibly shook her awake before dragging a half-asleep Yajima out of the classroom. Only Ryuuen, Ishizaki, Kaneda, Ibuki, Morofuji, Yamashita, Nanami, and Manabe were the only ones remaining in the classroom. Manabe was separated from her friends.

"Do you know who gave you instructions?" asked Ryuuen. Manabe shook her head while other friends watched on in concern.

"Next question. Why did you betray Class C? Tell me."

"That's—"

"There's no point in hiding. If you choose to stay quiet right now, then tomorrow I won't treat you as classmates anymore. You'll be treated like worms, forever."

"Do...do you know a girl named Karuizawa Kei, from Class D?"

"Just her name and face. She's Hirata's girl, isn't she?"

"She, um, well, she acts all tough, but...it seems she was bullied long ago."

"Oh?"

"Well, Karuizawa treated Rika horribly, so I thought I'd give her some payback..."

Manabe explains to Ryuuen what's happened on the cruise ship. She told him the truth about everything, including how they were in the same group as Karuizawa, and about Karuizawa's past. She told them how she met Karuizawa below deck and was going to give her some payback, but stopped herself. Then, she said that she began spying because she'd received threats promising to expose her with video of her grabbing Karuizawa and threatening to hit her. The person also stated that they would target her friends and pinned them into her trouble as well. If the truth came to light, Manabe and her friends would be suspended, or worse.

Nanami, Yamashita, and Morofuji had shocked expressions with disbelief as they couldn't believe that Manabe was doing all of this for them. She risked incurring the entire class's wrath and more importantly, Ryuuen's wrath for them. Ryuuen glanced at the three girls and took it as a sign of innocence from the three girls and Manabe was the only spy.

"S-Shiho..."

"Why did you even do that?!"

"I mean good job for not hitting her, but..."

"I see. Well, it sounds like you've been having quite a wild time." said Ryuuen.

"What? If she's being threatened by someone she doesn't know, that hardly seems 'wild.'" said Ibuki.

"Come on, Ibuki. When humans are cornered, they become such weak creatures. Here's the big
question. Was anyone else there while you were bullying Karuizawa?"

"At the time, Yukimura-kun and Ayanokouji-kun from Class D saw us. Someone sent me a picture after. It was a photo of me with Karuizawa."

"I see. I expected that there was some kind of evidence. So, someone took your picture, huh Where is it?"

"I-I deleted it. If someone saw it, then we..."

"I understand completely."

"So, that means it's either Yukimura-shi or Ayanokouji-shi, right?" said Kaneda, who'd been quietly listening.

"Hold on, Ryuuen. I don't know much about this Yukimura guy, but I can't really imagine that Ayanokouji is the one pulling the strings. Can you? I've met him, and I don't see him as the type." said Ibuki.

"Well, I suppose that Yukimura does look a little suspicious. He seems pretty smart." added Ishizaki.

"Can we really say that for sure, though? Ayanokouji-shi is always with Horikita-shi, isn't he? Moreover, Ayanokouji-shi hid his athletic abilities until the sports festival. I think he's the more suspicious of the two." said Kaneda.

"I think they're both irrelevant. Ayanokouji is just quick on his feet, and Yukimura is only good at studying, right? The mastermind would need more than that."

"Who else could it be?"

"There are other capable people in Class D. People like Hirata."

"Him? I can't imagine he's this type of person."

Ryuuen wore a thin smile while his classmates talked on and on. Then, he pounded his fist against the podium. A terrified silence enveloped the entire room.

"Shut up." said Ryuuen.

"Did I ask for your opinions? I will find Class D's puppet master. You are nothing more than my pawns. Right now, the facts state that only Yukimura or Ayanokouji could have taken that picture. However, concluding that one of them is the mastermind merely because of that? No. They, too, might be mere pawns acting under someone else's orders." continued Ryuuen.

"But, Ryuuen-shi, shouldn't we be especially suspicious of Ayanokouji-shi?" asked Kaneda.

"I agree."

"So, you're saying that the real mastermind's hiding right under our noses? I find that hard to swallow." said Ibuki.

"Believe whatever you want. I don't care. We're about to go on a hunt!"

Ryuuen's smile began a wicked twisted grin, filled with amusement and pleasure as he found the situation that he was in, amusing and fun in his own twisted way. The other students remained quiet, but they were terrified of Ryuuen's smile.

"Before we go, it's time for your punishment, Manabe." said Ryuuen, turning towards her.

Manabe's back stiffened and her eyes widened in horror and shock after hearing Ryuuen's words. Her friends gasped and seemed to be horrified as well, but they were powerless to Ryuuen and his gang.

"B-But you said you forgive me..." protested Manabe.

"Yeah, but I changed my mind. Since I'm a nice guy, I'll give you an option." said Ryuuen.

"O-Option?"

"Option #1: you take the full brunt of the punishment and after that, we're all good. Or option #2: Yabu, Morofuji, and Yamashita can take your punishment for you and then, everything is all good."

"P-Punishment?"

Ryuuen cracked his knuckles and Manabe's face paled at the realization. She quickly glanced at her friends and saw their fear and surprise as they glanced at Manabe with widened eyes filled with fear. Morofuji was trembling so much that she almost collapsed, but Nanami and Yamashita both supported her by grabbing her arms. Yamashita was at a loss for words for the first time and was trembling. Nanami offered Manabe a brave smile, but she could tell that Nanami was scared as well as her hands were shaking. Manabe gritted her teeth and glared at Ryuuen as her attitude changed completely when her friends were at stake.

"F-Fine! I'm taking option 1. Just leave them the fuck alone!" snarled Manabe.

"That's the funny part about you, Manabe. You're scared shitless by yourself, but when I threaten your friends, you become someone else. You're not shitting yourself like before!" said Ryuuen, chuckling in amusement.

Manabe could see the relief in her friends' eyes and body language, but she could also see panic and concern in their eyes as they realized that Manabe was going to take Ryuuen's punishment all by herself.

"Get it over with." mumbled Manabe.

"If you say so!" said Ryuuen.

Ryuuen launched a deadly and fierce uppercut into Manabe's stomach. Manabe gasped for air as she stumbled backwards into a desk, but before she could move or do anything else, Ryuuen advanced towards her and delivered numerous jabs to her stomach. Manabe's vision blurred as she gasped for air and pain as she could faintly hear her friends' cries from the loud ringing in her ears.

Due to Ryuuen's fierce blows, Manabe fell backwards and knocked over the desk and right before she could fall on the ground, Ryuuen grabbed her by the shoulder with one arm, stopping her from falling. Ryuuen grinned one last time before delivering the hardest blow yet into Manabe's stomach before letting her go. Manabe fell towards the ground and landed heavily on her butt.

"Shiho!" yelled Nanami.

"Alright. That's enough fun. Manabe, I hope this teaches a lesson. You three, make sure to clean up the mess." said Ryuuen, glancing at Nanami, Yamashita, and Morofuji.

The three girls shakily nodded their heads and watched as Ryuuen and his gang left the classroom. There was a brief moment of silence when the doors closed shut before everyone rushed towards Manabe.

"Shiho!"

"Oh my god! Are you okay?!"

"You were so brave, Shiho!"

Her friends immediately pulled her to her feet and supported her with their arms as Manabe struggled to stand by herself and to breath as Ryuuen delivered some fierce blows. Nanami gently touched Manabe's stomach which resulted in her yelling in pain and swatting Nanami's hand away.

"Ouch! That fucking hurts!" shouted Manabe.

"Sorry, Shiho! I didn't know!" said Nanami, apologizing.

"Y-You have to go to the clinic!" said Morofuji.

"And say what?! I fell down the stairs and landed on my stomach?! Nah, it's fine. Just have to take it easy." said Manabe.

Ryuuen had established himself as the leader of the class with his cruel form of violence and fear to control the class. His violent ways have carved themselves into his classmates' minds and filled their hearts with fear thus causing Class C to obey Ryuuen and not report him to the school for his actions. Morofuji's eyes widened as she realized this.

"Hey! There's a pharmacist at the Keiyaki Mall. We can put some bandages and other stuff there." said Yamashita.

"Let's go!" said Nanami.

"But first..." said Morofuji, pointing at the mess that Ryuuen left behind.

The girls began cleaning the mess and rearranging it back to its original state. While the girls were fixing the mess, they failed to notice that the cameras installed at each corner of the classroom had their red lights off. Once they were done, the four girls left the classroom with Nanami lending support for Manabe.

**********************************************

Ayanokouji POV

"I think that one looks good." said Ayanokouji.

"Yeah, I think so too." replied Azuma.

Ayanokouji glanced at the pile of clothes that Azuma had tried on in the dressing room. He has spent at least half an hour standing by the dressing room as Azuma went through piles of clothes. There were at least three piles of clothes: one for clothes Azuma didn't want, one for clothes that she definitely wants, and one for clothes that she'll buy.

Azuma placed a light orange long-sleeved blouse onto the pile of clothes that she wanted to buy. It was the one that Ayanokouji liked.

"You think this is enough?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Probably. I wanna get some more of the last pile." replied Azuma. She began looking through the pile of clothes that she might be considering buying. Some of the clothes were ones that she liked while others were the ones that Ayanokouji seemed to appreciate. Ayanokouji sat down at a nearby bench and sighed as he glanced at the store's ceiling lights.

'Women and shopping...' thought Ayanokouji.

It was quite exhausting and tested a man's patience, but luckily, Azuma didn't seem to be an extreme shopaholic like Karuizawa, but looking at the pile of clothes, it might be close to 20,000 points or more. He had heard rumors that in the first month, Karuizawa and other girls had spent up to or more than 50,000 points on clothes.

As Ayanokouji watched Azuma, he could see her slender figure bent over delicately as she observed different layers of shimmering fabrics of the clothes that she and Ayanokouji picked. Azuma's long, silky hair flows over her shoulders as she gently tossed out of her way as she bent down to pick up something. The strands of hair caught light with each subtle movement. Her large, expressive eyes, framed by delicate lashes, scan the clothes with intense focus, their shimmering hues reflecting the colors around her like twin gemstones. She began setting the clothes down in a row and some were removed the pile and placed elsewhere.

Ayanokouji watched as Azuma's eyes tightened with concentration as her fingertips glided across the fabric of her clothes, pausing to test its texture with a gentle touch that betrays her meticulous nature. Occasionally, she tilts her head, a strand of hair slipping into her face as she narrows her gaze, scrutinizing the design with a mix of curiosity and precision. Her lips purse ever so slightly, a sign of deep thought as she weighs each choice like a carefully crafted decision.

Her expression softens, a flicker of satisfaction crossing her face before her brow furrows slightly again as she is stuck between choices. The choices have been reduced to only two now. This moment of concentration was something that Ayanokouji could respect as he had a hard time with deciding things such as ice cream flavors. But Ayanokouji could see Azuma's beauty as she finally chose something and turned towards him with a bright smile before showing him a white winter coat.

"Are you choosing that one?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Yeah! It's gonna get cold soon, so better be ready." replied Azuma.

"Good choice. Do you need any help?"

"Yes please!"

Ayanokouji helped Azuma gather all of the clothes that she didn't want and placed them into an empty cart. It was designated for unwanted clothes, so the staff could place them back on the racks. The cart was about halfway full when the duo finished and he helped Azuma pick up the clothes that she wanted before making their way to the register.

"Did you find everything up to their liking?" asked the clerk, as she was scanning the price tags of each item.

"Yep! Sorry for the mess!" said Azuma.

"It's fine. Your total is 24600 points."

Ayanokouji was shocked by the price and it was about half of the private points that they received from the mini special exam. However, Azuma wasn't surprised and scanned it with her student ID.

'I suppose Class D's purchasing power has increased. The introduction of a mini special exam is another source of revenue for private points. This completely changes the notion of monthly allowance and adds another way of earning private points. I suppose everyone in the school is getting more points and has more purchasing power. I wonder how the economy will change in the future.' thought Ayanokouji.

As Ayanokouji was thinking, the clerk neatly folded and placed Azuma's items into several paper bags before placing a receipt into the last bag.

"You're all set! Thank you for your patronage and please come again!" said the clerk.

"Thank you!"

Ayanokouji grabbed all of the bags and followed Azuma out of the store. The duo was on the second floor of the Keiyaki Mall and at one of the numerous clothing stores.

"You don't have to hold all of the bags, Ayanokouji-kun." said Azuma.

"I'll be a shame to let a lady do it. Where to next?" asked Ayanokouji.

"How chivalrous!~ How about a drink? Are you fine with boba tea?"

"Sure."

"Follow me!"

Ayanokouji followed Azuma as they took the escalator down to the first floor before heading towards the east. The duo walked for a bit before they stopped at a small shop. The duo entered the shop and found the place practically empty. The space in the shop was quite small with only a few small tables, front counter, and kitchen area. Ayanokouji could see the inside of the kitchen through the front counter as they approached it. He gazed at the menu and saw various different boba flavors. Since this was his first time trying boba, it was a shot in the dark as he studied the menu before choosing one that looked good, hoping that he chose the right one.

"Welcome! Do you guys still need a moment?" asked the clerk, coming out of the kitchen.

"I'm good. I'll take the brown sugar tea." replied Ayanokouji.

"All right. Is there anything else?"

"No, that's it."

"Your total is 560 points."

Ayanokouji scanned his student ID before hearing a pleasant ringing noise and a robotic female voice thanking him. Then, he heard the sound of a receipt printing. He wondered if he should have ordered anything else. Based on what he saw on the menu, the store was selling ice cream and other various desserts with some containing boba.

Ayanokouji grabbed the receipt and thanked the clerk before moving out of the way and allowing Azuma to order. She ordered the jasmine tea and the duo sat down at a nearby empty table.

"What a crazy day, huh? First, a new special exam that expels at least a couple of students from Class D. And next, Horikita-san finding out a strategy to beat the exam." said Azuma.

"I suppose the only thing is to wait for the results." replied Ayanokouji.

"Chabashira-sensei said the quiz results will be posted tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah. If Suzune is right, let's just say we might make it fine."

"S-Suzune?"

Azuma turned towards Ayanokouji with a shocked expression on her face as she couldn't believe that Ayanokouji called her by her given name. It was the first time that she heard it and wondered when they had become so close.

'If I remembered correctly, this is the first time and I think Horikita-san still calls him Ayanokouji-kun. Wait... Horikita-san was also apologizing today for her performance in the sports festival. Did something happen between those two during the festival?!' thought Azuma, panickily.

"Suzune asked me to call her by her given name after the sports festival." explained Ayanokouji.

"R-Really? T-That's nice." said Azuma.

"I suppose. By the way Azuma, you're partnered up with Ijuin?"

Ayanokouji decided quickly to change the subject because he could see that Azuma's mood and spirits seemed to be dropping after learning such a revelation.

"Yeah. I just hope he'll pull his weight when the test comes around." said Azuma.

"Ijuin is a good guy. I'm sure you'll both pass." replied Ayanokouji. He remembered the list that Suzune wrote and he knew most of the pairs that included his soulmates.

"Well, if you can vouch for him, then I guess he's not that bad. What about you, Ayanokouji-kun?"

"Inogashira."

"Inogashira-san? I haven't seen you guys talking at all."

"We've talked a little, but not during school."

"Y-You did? Ingoashira-san likes sewing, right?"

"Yeah."

"Are you sure you can handle it, Ayanokouji-kun? Inogashira-san's scores are really low and your score is average like mine. I-I don't want you to get expelled from the school."

Ayanokouji glanced over at Azuma and could see the panic and uneasiness on her face. He was a little shocked and concerned that Azuma is on his well-being on the school roster, but he knew that it was well-warranted. One below-average student and an average student being partnered up in an exam that requires them to get a certain amount of points is quite risky and could result in both students being expelled. Ayanokouji reached over and gently took Azuma's slightly shaking hand. Azuma's eyes widened at Ayanokouji's sudden gesture and her face grew red, flustered by Ayanokouji's warmth from his hand.

"You don't have to worry about me, Azuma. I'm flattered that you care so much about me. I should be okay. Suzune wouldn't have paired me with Inogashira if she didn't think that we will both pass the exam." said Ayanokouji.

"I know! T-That still doesn't mean I still don't feel scared for you. You looked so calm and I don't know. I feel like you should be scared and I'm scared for you." replied Azuma.

"I'm scared. I'm just terrible at showing it."

"You mean your emotions!"

"That too."

Ayanokouji and Azuma held hands to enjoy the quiet moment as he observed Azuma. Her soft hands eased into his and the shaking that he saw earlier disappeared. Azuma seemed to be more at ease and he could see that she was smiling even though her face was red. The duo stayed in silence as they held their hands in silence, but after a few more minutes, the silence was broken.

"Ayanokouji-kun, Azuma-kun! Your order is ready!" called the clerk. Apparently, the scanner that scanned their students ID used the name on the ID, so the staff can know the name for the order.

"We better go!" said Azuma, clearing her throat.

"Yeah." replied Ayanokouji.

The duo let go of their hands and got up from their table and headed towards the front counter where the clerk was waiting for them with two boba drinks and straws. They picked up their respective drinks and thanked the clerk before returning back to their table.

Ayanokouji removed a large green plastic boba straw from its plastic wrapping and poked a clean hole through the middle. He studied the drink and gave it a swish, watching the liquid and boba sway from side to side. Before Ayanokouji could take a sip, Azuma stopped him.

"Wait, Ayanokouji-kun! Let's take a picture." suggested Azuma.

"Sure, I have no problem with it." replied Ayanokouji.

"Let's rearrange it!"

Ayanokouji watched as Azuma rearranged their boba drinks on the table and seemed to be focused on the angle of the camera and the positions of the drinks and straws. Ayanokouji was not sure what exactly Azuma was doing, but she seemed to have a good understanding on how to take good photos. After a few more adjustments, Azuma seems satisfied. She pointed her camera at the boba drinks and took a few pictures before grabbing her own drink.

"Ayanokouji-kun! Grab yours and let's take a picture together!" said Azuma.

Ayanokouji nodded and grabbed his drink. Azuma headed towards Ayanokouji's side of the table and sat down next to him. He noticed that she was sitting quite close to him and grabbed his arm, pulling him closer to her body. Ayanokouji could feel her breasts slightly pressed up against his arm, but Azuma's face turned slightly red as she smiled and held the camera high above them.

"Smile, Ayanokouji-kun!" said Azuma. Due to his inability to smile, Ayanokouji just stared blankly at the camera as the flash went off. Azuma took a few more pictures before pulling away from his body. She began glancing at the pictures that she took and showed them to Ayanokouji.

"Not bad." replied Ayanokouji.

"At least smile!"

"I have a problem with that. Or I should say that it's my disability."

"You may be right. I haven't seen you smile at all!"

"You're not supposed to agree with that notion, but okay. Can you send me some of the pictures you've taken today?"

"Sure."

Ayanokouji glanced at the boba drink for a moment before seeing Azuma already taking a sip of her drink, so he assumed that it was fine for to start drinking. Ayanokouji took a sip of his brown sugar boba tea and could taste a sugary and distinct caramel-like flavor from the tea and Ayanokouji assumed that it was the brown sugar. The texture was creamy and smooth as Ayanokouji slurped up some tapioca pearls, known as boba, which added a chewy texture. Ayanokouji found it interesting as it was definitely a sweet drink with a bit of creaminess due to the milk.

Ayanokouji and Azuma spent some time chatting about trivial things as they sipped on their boba. The topic that they were discussing was mainly on the Paper Shuffle exam and Azuma seemed to be concerned about the likelihood of being expelled during the exam. It would seem Chabashira-sensei warnings about the special exam had Azuma more scared and less confident in her abilities. Ayanokouji tried his best to reassure her, but he could tell that she was more worried about him than herself.

"We should form study groups." said Azuma.

"Why not join Suzune's study group?" asked Ayanokouji.

"I don't know. The vibe in the study group feels weird. I mean it's so obvious that Sudou-kun is in love with Horikita-san. Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun... yuck! I don't wanna be in the same group as them."

"I'm sure Suzune won't mind if you join, but if you're not comfortable, then it's fine. I believe Hirata also has a study group, right?"

"Yeah! But there's so many girls there..."

"I see."

Ayanokouji was unaware of the fact that Azuma was glancing at him and seemed to silently urging and waiting for him to offer himself to be study partners with her. Unfortunately for Azuma, Ayanokouji is known as a dense protagonist. When Azuma realized that Ayanokouji was not picking up on her signs, Azuma internally sighed. The duo chatted for a few more minutes before deciding to leave the shop.

When the duo exited the shop, Ayanokouji could see that the sun was already setting through the Keiyaki Mall's massive sunroof. Azuma and Ayanokouji headed towards the elevator which was closer than the escalator. Suddenly, Azuma stopped and handed Ayanokouji the bag that she was holding.

"I'll be right back, Ayanokouji-kun! I gotta use the restroom. Be right back!" said Azuma.

Azuma quickly headed off in a random direction. Ayanokouji sat down at a nearby bench and set all of the bags on the ground. He decided to look around the Keiyaki Mall and saw several students pass him, but something caught his attention.

Ayanokouji could see Nanami, Yamashita, and Morofuji walking together which he found strange since Manabe is missing. Strangely, the trio entered a pharmacist and they all had concerned expressions on her face. He glanced at where the three girls came from and it was around the corner. Out of curiosity, Ayanokouji headed towards the direction of the three girls and rounded the corner. It was a quiet area of the Keiyaki Mall where there were a few vending machines and benches for people to rest and sit down. However, Ayanokouji found Manabe sitting alone on a bench.

Manabe looked horrible as she dawned a pained expression as she winced and grimaced in pain. She was quietly cursing as she rubbed her stomach which Ayanokouji assumed that it was the root of her injuries. Manabe didn't seemed to have notice Ayanokouji's presence.

"Manabe." said Ayanokouji, deciding to make himself known. The last thing he wanted is to scare Manabe and keep his presence hidden.

"Ayanokouji?" said Manabe, looking up. Her expression became one of surprise as she realized Ayanokouji was here and seeing her in this state.

"Is there something wrong, Manabe? You seemed hurt."

"Huh? Don't worry about it! I-It's nothing!"

"It doesn't look like nothing to me. Manabe, I can see as clear as day that you're hurt."

"Fuck off! I told you it's nothing."

Ayanokouji internally sighed as he realized how stubborn Manabe is and being passive like this is not likely to get Manabe to open up. As Ayanokouji witnessed during the cruise ship exam, Manabe was a headstrong person that will shoulder the burden of her friends all by herself, but will not open up or accept any help from others. She can easily take on someone else's burden, but is not willing to open up and allow someone to ease her burden. It is evident as she tried to take on Karuizawa for Morofuji and it was to the point where she was willing to physically harm Karuizawa.

Manabe has reached the point where she was willing to lose herself just for Morofuji and she was convinced that she was that rotten of a person to do something to Karuizawa. However, all of her actions contradict the person that she claims to be. From Ayanokouji's perspective, Manabe Shiho was someone who contradicts her own beliefs. Someone that believes something and her actions contradicts that belief. As Ayanokouji is slowly getting to know Manabe better, he began to develop ways to approach her.

"Manabe, do you remember what I told you on the cruise ship?" asked Ayanokouji.

"What are you on about?" asked Manabe.

"The offer that I gave you. The one you accepted."

"That's only when I want to talk to you."

"Don't you think it should work both ways? If you want to talk to me, then I should be allowed to talk to you."

"Hmph! You and your logic!"

"And one more thing Manabe... even if you reject me and yourself, I will still be there for you. I hope you know that."

"W-What?! Why are we saying things like that?!"

Manabe was stunned by Ayanokouji's words as her face turned slightly red. She remembered watching some anime with Yamashita where similar lines were said and she thought it was too cheesy and stupid. However, Manabe felt the stupid cheesy lines were having an effect on her as she internally cursed at herself.

While Manabe was distracted, Ayanokouji approached her and sat down next to her. He could see Manabe leaning away as if she's trying to hide her injuries.

"Manabe... I could see the bandages that you're holding." said Ayanokouji, nodding to a roll of bandages that Manabe is holding.

"What? I just found them!" said Manabe.

"Is this the story that you're really going for?"

"Nothing gets past you, huh? Fine! I'll show you because you're being such a pain in the ass."

Manabe sighed as she slowly pulled her uniform upwards and revealed a bit of her stomach and navel area. Ayanokouji could see bruises forming on her stomach area and those bruises weren't the small ones, but big bruises that took over Manabe's beautiful pale skin. The bruises are red and purplish colors and seemed to be darkened which is a sign of heavy injury.

"What happened? This amount of bruising... it seems that you were in a fight." asked Ayanokouji.

"No. I just... fell." muttered Manabe.

"Do you really expect me to believe that? It's obvious that something else happened."

"Tch..."

"Manabe... did you piss off Ryuuen?"

"W-What?! How did you know? Did Nanami tell you?!"

"No. Ryuuen has quite the reputation as a violent tyrant. I wasn't surprised when I saw the injury. I would not ask about your class and why he hurt you."

"B-But..."

"You don't have to worry about me, Manabe. I wouldn't report anything to the school without your consent."

'Ryuuen's strategy of violence and fear has its effect on his classmates. Manabe, who has received injuries and proof of Ryuuen's physical and violent ways, is too afraid to report it to the school. She's more scared of Ryuuen than the school taking her side. The level of fear that Ryuuen created prevented his classmates from going against him and reporting his actions to the school.' thought Ayanokouji.

'Damn it, Ayanokouji! I'm trying to help you! That bastard, Ryuuen, is dangerous and if you do anything to help me, then we're both next. Ugh! Sometimes I wonder if Ayanokouji likes to get involved with everything!' thought Manabe.

"Thank you..." said Manabe, shyly. She was relieved that Ayanokouji wasn't pushing it and decided to stay out of it.

Ayanokouji glanced at Manabe's injuries and noticed that her stomach area was glistening as if there was some oil or some kind of ointment rubbed on her injuries. It was shinier than normal human skin as Manabe's pale skin seemed to glistened and glowed when the sunlight hit her skin. The bruises seemed to be swelling up as well.

"Manabe, I can help you with the bandages." offered Ayanokouji. Manabe frowned before hesitantly handing him the roll of bandages. He rolled the bandages and crouched down in front of Manabe.

"Excuse me. You will feel some discomfort." said Ayanokouji.

Ayanokouji began wrapping the bandages around Manabe's stomach, making sure the bandage goes around her entire body. Manabe winced in pain as the bandages brushed and settled against her bruises, but she kept it together as she gritted her teeth in pain.

"You're pretty tight, huh Manabe?" said Ayanokouji, noticing the tightness of Manabe's stomach muscles. He tightened the bandages to its limit, hoping that it would at least help. Manabe, who realized what Ayanokouji said and what it implies, became flustered as her face and ears turned red.

"I-Idiot! Watch what you're saying!" snapped Manabe, glaring at him. She still couldn't hide her embarrassment at what Ayanokouji said to her earlier.

"I meant the bandages. Your muscles are also quite tense."

"If anyone else was here, a misunderstanding would have totally happened!"

"Ahh... Luckily, there's no one here."

Ayanokouji was glad that no one was around because of the conversation that he was having with Manabe and the fact that he was crouching down and looking at Manabe's navel and wrapping it with bandages. Unfortunately for Ayanokouji, he heard footsteps approaching them and they seemed to be rounding the corner.

"Shiho! We're back!" said Nanami.

"We got goodies for you." said Yamashita.

"W-Wait, Ayanokouji-kun?!" yelped Morofuji.

The three girls rounded the corner to find quite a scene unfolding in front of them. Manabe sitting on the bench with her uniform pulled upwards and showing her stomach and navel area to Ayanokouji, who is crouching down and seemed to be looking at Manabe's bare skin and navel. It didn't help that Manabe's face was already red, but it got even more red by her friends' arrival. Without context and looking at this scene, it's obvious that a misunderstanding can occur and Ayanokouji internally sighed as he realized that it is happening right now.

"Eh?! What are you doing, Ayanokouji-kun?!"

"S-Shiho?! Is that why you wanted to be alone for a bit?!"

"Oh my! Ayanokouji-kun is going for it already!"

There was a mixed reaction amongst the girls as Nanami and Morofuji seemed wildly surprised and shocked by it while Yamashita seemed amused by the whole scenario. Manabe's face was getting more red and even her ears became a deeper shade of red as she glanced towards her friends and Ayanokouji. Ayanokouji calmly got up and moved a polite distance away from Manabe before turning his attention towards the newly arrived girls.

"Hello, Nanami, Yamashita, Morofuji." said Ayanokouji, calmly. Morofuji and Nanami exchanged looks at each other and couldn't believe how calm Ayanokouji was after being caught in a compromising situation like this.

"Whatcha doing with Shiho?" asked Yamashita, getting straight to the point. She had an amused smirk on her face and all of her friends were shocked as they glanced at her as if they couldn't believe how straightforward she is as she went directly towards the question that Nanami and Morofuji both have.

"I helped her bandage up her injuries, so Manabe should all be fine now." explained Ayanokouji. That explanation seemed to have calmed down the girls and explained why Ayanokouji was in that situation to begin with.

"Oh... that explains a lot."

"Wasn't there a better way to do that?"

"B-By the way Shiho, we bought some stuff for you. A hot pack for your aches and some ointment to deal with the swelling." said Morofuji, pulling out and showing the duo what they bought. Ayanokouji assumed that the trio must have bought it at the nearby pharmacy. Ayanokouji realized that he should return back to the elevator where Azuma is probably going to be. The last thing he wanted is to have Azuma look for him.

"Since everyone is here, I'll take my leave now." said Ayanokouji, grabbing all of his bags.

"Thanks, Ayanokouji. I'll tell ya later about it, Ayanokouji." muttered Manabe.

Ayanokouji nodded and said his goodbyes to the girls before making his way back where he left Azuma. He could practically see Nanami, Yamashita, and Moorfuji pounced on Manabe, who began slightly flustered, and began grilling her for details. Ayanokouji quickly gave Manabe a quick prayer before rounding the corner. When Ayanokouji arrived back, he noticed that Azuma was still not here and he sat down at a nearby bench and waited for her. After a few more minutes, Azuma arrived back.

"Sorry for the wait! The nearby bathroom was closed for maintenance, so I had to go farther. You didn't wait for too long?" said Azuma.

"No, it's all good. Shall we?" replied Ayanokouji. He called the elevator and after waiting for a few moments, the elevator arrived and opened its doors. AThe duo entered and selected the ground level.

'It's going to be a long way back to the dorms. The elevator will take us to the farthest point from the exit.' thought Ayanokouji.

*Timeskip (20 minutes later)*

"Thanks for helping me, Ayanokouji-kun." said Azuma.

"It's no problem. Thanks for inviting me out." replied Ayanokouji. He placed the bags on the ground next to Azuma as she unlocked the doors to her room.

"Let's do it again soon?"

"Yeah."

"See ya, Ayanokouji-kun."

"See you around, Azuma."

Ayanokouji watched as Azuma closed the door to her room before making his way back to the elevator. As he was waiting for the elevator to bring him to the 4th floor, Ayanokouji wondered what kind of outcome the Paper Shuffle Exam will have on the classes and their outcome battle especially Class C and D.

*Timeskip (next day)*

Chabashira-sensei entered the classroom with a big rolled-up white poster paper and everyone knew that the moment of truth was about to be revealed. The fate of the Paper Shuffle Exam is about to be determined.

"Before I reveal yesterday's quiz score, I'd like to say something. You nominated Class C as the class you wanted to attack for this test. Since there was no conflict with any other class, your nomination was approved." said Chabashira-sensei. She unrolled the poster and taped it to the blackboard before stepping out of the way to reveal it.

"Well, I will now announce the pairings for the final exam." said Chabashira-sensei.

The short quiz's results were as follows: Horikita Suzune and Sudou Ken, Hirata Yousuke and Yamauchi Haruki, Kushida Kikyou and Ike Kanji, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka and Inogashira Kokoro. All of the pairings went exactly as Suzune planned. There was a sigh of relief amongst Ayanokouji's classmates.

"It looks like Koenji-kun acted just as we hoped he would this time." said Suzune. Ayanokouji found it surprising and Koenji crossed his arms, grinned, and let out a laugh.

"The results indicate that some among you understood this short quiz's purpose. Students were to be paired based on the difference in points, with the highest scorer partnered with the lowest, and so on. If students had the same scores, the pairings would have been determined at random. It's probably not necessary for me to explain the system, but I thought I would anyway." said Chabashira-sensei, sounding quite impressed as she glanced over the list of partners.

"There don't appear to be any blatant problems with the pairings." said Ayanokouji.

"Yeah. Everything's been going so smoothly it's almost scary. But the real challenge starts now. How will we come up with our exam questions, and how will we overcome the final? You're paired up with Inogashira-san. You should be fine." replied Suzune.

Suzune stood up and turned towards Hirata and Kushida, who was looking at her curiously and nodded their heads. The duo approached Ayanokouji and Suzune as they began discussing study groups and their strategy for the Paper Shuffle exam.

"I'll hold study groups until the final exam to raise our class's average scores. If Hirata-kun and Kushida-san agree, I'd like to hold two study sessions per day. There will be a two-hour session beginning at 4 p.m., right after classes end, until 6 p.m. The other two-hour session will be held from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. We'll each lead a session in turn. I'll be counting on you, Hirata-kun." said Suzune.

"Because of my club activities, I'll take the second study group. Let's all work together and do our best." replied Hirata.

"I can cover some of the sessions, Hirata-kun, Horikita-san." said Kushida, offering to help in both sessions.

"Dang it! Suzune's not leading the second group? There goes my motivation, man." said Sudou. He couldn't attend the first session due to his club activities, and was clearly unhappy to miss Suzune.

"No matter who's teaching, it'll bother me if you don't try. Okay?" said Suzune.

"Okay. We're a team, after all."

"Your efforts reflect on me. I'd appreciate it if you understand that. Besides, I'll try to make appearances at the evening sessions as often as I can."

"Yeah! All right, I'm ready for this! I'm countin' on you, Hirata."

"Likewise. Let's do our best together, Sudou-kun." said Hirata.

"Excuse me, may I talk to you?" asked Miyake, approaching Suzune and looking apologetic.

"What's the matter, Miyake-kun?" asked Suzune. Miyake was with Hasebe. It was unexpected for them to approach Suzune as the two normally kept to themselves.

"Wait, you two are paired together for the final exam, right?" asked Hirata.

"Well, yes. We're partners, but we're equally good and bad at all the same subjects. We're a little nervous about how we'll perform in the final, so we wanted to ask for your advice."

Miyake handed Hirata their completed answer sheets for both the short test and the midterm. As Hirata glanced at their scores, he started to become concerned. Their scores on the short test stood in stark contrast, with Miyake getting seventy-nine points and Hasebe getting one point, as intended. However, their midterm scores were sixty-five and sixty-three, respectively. There was almost no difference in academic ability between them. They were both exceptionally average, but they'd still been split between the upper and lower groups. At first glance, it looked as though they could probably score high enough to pass the final, but there was a problem. Miyaki and Hasebe got the exact same kinds of questions wrong. To pass, they needed a score of at least sixty points for every subject. This would be a perilous bridge to cross.

"I see. This is a little unexpected. Let's make sure to check the other pairs later." said Hirata.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Hirata, really. I'm always causing trouble for you, between the cruise ship and the sports festival." said Miyake.

"Please, don't apologize. If I had trouble, I'm sure you'd do the same for me."

"This is really unfortunate. I don't want to complicate your plans or mess up the study groups."

"Kushida-san, could I ask you to take on additional students? These two should have a pretty strong foundation that won't bring down the group's overall cohesion." said Suzune.

"Sure. If you're alright with that, Miyake-kun and Hasebe-san, I'll do it." said Kushida. Miyake and Hasebe both exchanged glances at each other. Miyake didn't appear to accept or reject Kushida's offer, but Hasebe spoke up.

"I'm going to pass, I think. I don't get along too well with Ichihashi-san and the others. Besides, I'm not really good at studying in a group with a lot of people." said Hasebe. Fortunately, Ichihashi and the other girls weren't in the classroom and didn't hear that remark. It seemed Miyake was the one who had wanted to come to Hirata for help, while Hasebe hadn't been too keen on it.

"But if you take the final exam as is, even if you clear the overall score requirement, you might score under sixty points somewhere." said Suzune.

"Yeah, I know. Sorry for wasting your time." replied Hasebe.

"Sorry, Horikita." muttered Miyake. Suzune watched the duo leave the classroom and knew that she couldn't force anyone to study. If a student didn't participate of their own free will, it would be nearly impossible to get any results. It would probably lower the serious students' morale to boot.

"What now? I think we should follow up with those two." asked Hirata.

"Yeah. If only we had another tutor." said Suzune. She glanced at Ayanokouji, who shook his head.

"I'll see if I can make time." said Suzune.

"I don't think that's a good idea. You'll overwork yourself. If you do that, you won't be an effective tutor. Besides, Horikita-san, you also have to create Class C's test problems." said Hirata.

"But what other choice do I have?"

"In that case, I'll take care of tutoring them." said Yukimura, inserting himself casually into our conversation.

"We'd be glad to have you aboard, Yukimura-kun. You're diligent and academically gifted. But are you all right with this? I thought you didn't really like this kind of thing?" said Hirata.

"If I don't help out where I can, we won't be able to pass the test. Same goes for you, Horikita. You can't do everything yourself. There's just one problem. I can teach Miyake and Hasebe how to study, but I'm not friendly with them. After seeing what happened here earlier, I get the feeling that talking to them will be tricky. I was hoping you could do the work of convincing them to study with me." said Yukimura.

"I'll think of something." said Suzune. Yukimura nodded and left the classroom. Suzune turned towards Ayanokouji.

"Is it okay to be optimistic for now?" asked Suzune.

"Not necessarily. You don't know how to talk to those two, either." replied Ayanokouji.

"Hirata-kun, do you think Miyake and Hasebe will listen to Yukimura- kun?".

"I'm not sure. All three of them are loners." said Hirata.

"Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. Would you manage Yukimura-kun and the others?" asked Suzune.

"Manage?" replied Ayanokouji.

"You were Yukimura-kun's roommate on the cruise ship, so I thought you might have broken the ice with him. Miyake-kun and Hasebe-san could be difficult, but with you as the middleman, I think it'll be easier for us to communicate with them."

"I suppose that's true. I've met and talked to Hasebe a few times. I haven't talked to Miyake that much, so the chances of me being an effective middleman is probably higher than Yukimura's."

"You've talked to Hasebe-san?!"

Suzune glanced over at Ayanokouji as it was something unexpected and he could feel Kushida staring at him as well.

"Yes, it's only a brief chat." replied Ayanokouji. He did not want to say that he and Hasebe ate out together once, which could be seen as a date, but Ayanokouji did not want to add more fuel to the fire.

"I see... All you need to do is help corral them into studying with Yukimura. I didn't say I wanted you to teach them. Can I count on you?" said Suzune.

"I'll do what I can. Don't expect too much from me."

Ayanokouji got up and headed out of the classroom, hoping to catch Yukimura, Miyake, and Hasebe. It was the end of the school day and some of the people left already for their club activities such as Sudou, who stayed a little bit in the classroom before leaving. As Ayanokouji was traveling through the hallway, he heard someone softly calling his name.

"A-Ayanokouji-kun!" called out Inogashira.

"Inogashira. Perfect timing. It looks like we're going to be partners." said Ayanokouji, stopping and turning towards her.

"Yeah."

Inogashira seemed to be hesitating about something and struggling to get her words out, so Ayanokouji decided to not force her to say anything and kept quiet. This will allow Inogashira to say what she wanted to say at her own terms. He is also bad at encouragement, so Ayanokouji kept quiet until Inogashira was ready. After a few moments, Inogashira seemed to have gained the confidence to speak.

"S-Sorry. Ayanokouji-kun. I know that it's hard to be my partner and I don't want to be a burden to you." said Inogashira.

It was true that Inogashira has the lowest score out of all of the girls in the classroom. Sakura was a close second, but Inogashira was only a few points ahead of Sudou in terms of academics. If Ayanokouji is not careful, the likelihood of him being expelled is quite high.

"Don't worry, Inogashira. Let's work together to pass this exam." replied Ayanokouji.

"Y-Yeah!" replied Inogashira.

"If you want, we can study together on a one-on-one basis."

"Really? I'd like that."

"How about we study in my room?"

"E-Eh?!"

Inogashira's face became slightly more red as she backed away from Ayanokouji a little bit, shocked by his sudden invitation. She was thinking about a library or a quiet cafe, but Ayanokouji's room was the last place she had in mind.

For Ayanokouji, it was the best decision as he already held study sessions with Shinohara and found studying in his room easier. There are less interruptions in his room and no people staring at them when he's in public with a girl. It was the perfect quiet place for a study session.

"Sorry, Inogashira. It's just a perfect quiet place for me. I haven't thought about you and your feelings about the matter. If you want, we can go somewhere else instead." said Ayanokouji.

"N-No. I was just surprised. That's all!" yelped Inogashira.

"You don't have to force yourself."

"I-I'm not! I thought you were going to say something like a library!"

"We can go to the library if you want."

"I-It's fine, Ayanokouji-kun. Thank you for your concerns."

Ayanokouji glanced over at Inogashira and saw no sign of hesitation and uneasiness from her. It seemed like she wanted to come over to his room and her resolve has been steeled.

"If that's what you wished, then okay. Are you available tonight?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Y-Yeah. What time?" asked Inogashira.

"7:00?"

"That'll work."

"Great. I'll text you my room number later."

Inogashira nodded her head happily before Ayanokouji realized that he should probably try to find Yukimura, Hasebe, or Miyake. He didn't want to lose them while he's busy chatting with Inogashira.

"I must be going now, Inogashira. See you tonight." said Ayanokouji.

"Bye, Ayanokouji-kun." replied Inogashira.

Inogashira gave Ayanokouji one last smile before he quickly headed into the crowd. Ayanokouji wondered where the trio would've gone and he wondered if he lost them already since he spent a few minutes chatting with Inogashira. Luckily, Ayanokouji spotted Hasebe when he exited the school building and it seems that Yukimura had caught up with Miyake and Hasebe before him. As Ayanokouji approached the trio, he heard bits of their conversation.

"Don't sweat it, Yukimura. Hasebe's just like this." said Miyake.

"What do you mean like that?" demanded Yukimura.

"She's a little... different, I guess."

"Ayanokouji-kun?" said Hasebe, noticing him approaching them.

"Hello, everyone. Suzune asked me to come and assist Yukimura." replied Ayanokouji. Hasebe raised her eyebrows when he noticed that he called Suzune by her first name, but Yukimura just sighed.

"I suppose I have no problem with that." said Yukimura. Ayanokouji assumed that he explained his dilemma and offered to tutor them both as Hasebe and Miyake both looked at Yukimura expectantly.

"Well, all the seats at Pallet will probably be taken while we stand around talking. Let's keep moving." suggested Ayanokouji.

"Yeah, you're right. Let's go." replied Yukimura.

"You should be a little more careful about what you say." said Miyake, turning his attention to Hasebe.

"Was it that annoying? I'll think about it, I guess." replied Hasebe. With that, the group headed towards the direction of the Keiyaki Mall.

*Timeskip (15 minutes later)*

"Lucky for us. We've found some seats." said Hasebe. They've managed to secure four seats at Pallet. Yukimura sat next to Ayanokouji, while Hasebe and Miyake sat across from them.

"Um, I guess I'm counting on you, or whatever." said Hasebe.

"Well, if you have any questions, feel free to ask." said Ayanokouji.

"Ayanokouji-kun, are you dating Horikita-san?" asked Hasebe raising his hand.

"Is that the question you really want to ask?"

"But~ You were calling her by her first name. Something romantic happening behind the scene?~"

"No, I suppose Suzune was my first friend in the school."

"Oof friendzoned!"

"Is there anything else you want to ask me?"

"Did you do track and field back in junior high, Ayanokouji? After seeing you run, a talent scout from the track and field club came looking for you." said Miyake.

"Ah, yeah. I got some offers. But I refused. To be honest, I've never been in a club before. I don't really know much about that stuff."

"Oh, really? What a shame."

"Miyacchi is in the archery club. Is it fun shooting bows every day?" asked Hasebe, switching the conversation to Miyake.

"I wouldn't do it if it wasn't fun. By the way, you don't shoot the bow, just arrows." replied Miyake.

"I'm just not interested in clubs, I guess. I'm fine with spending time by myself... Hey, Miyacchi. Is it okay for you to miss your club stuff?"

"I took time off."

"Wow. You shouldn't do that."

"When something takes priority, I focus on it. Besides, my club's pretty lenient."

"Excuse me? I'd like to say something before we begin. No more hiding anything, Ayanokouji." said Yukimura, finally speaking up.

"Huh? What do you mean?" replied Ayanokouji.

"Studying. Horikita says you're quite capable."

"Well, I'm relatively good at memorizing things. I think I can get a pretty high score if I concentrate."

"Are you the type to hide his abilities?"

"Well, I can't hold a candle to you, Yukimura. Please don't expect too much of me. I'm not very good at teaching."

"You should take this study group seriously, then. With me tutoring you, you'll definitely score higher than you did in the midterm."

"I suppose I can try my best."

"Good." said Yukimura, turning to Hasebe and Miyake.

"Did you bring your answer sheets from the midterm and first semester exams like I asked?" asked Yukimura.

"Yeah." said Hasebe.

Miyake nodded as well. They took their test papers from their bags and handed them over. Ayanokouji glanced at their papers and scores, noticing a common trend.

"Both of you excel in the sciences. Your humanities scores are a complete disaster." said Yukimura. Miyake and Hasebe had scored relatively high in math, earning around seventy points. But they only got about forty points in language and world history.

"I didn't know you two were so close." added Yukimura.

"It's almost like it was the same person that did everything." said Ayanokouji.

"Well, Hasebe came and talked to me when I was studying in the library one day." said Miyake.

"Miyacchi and I are both independent people. We don't really fit in with everyone else." added Hasebe.

"I feel the same, in a way. Even in this group, I feel awkward and distant."

"So, why did you agree to join us?" asked Yukimura.

"Because this isn't really a club, I guess. It's just a study group. Besides, it'll be quiet, right? When I study by myself, nothing bothers me or gets in the way."

"There's no way you can do it?!" roared a loud voice. Ayanokouji glanced over and saw that the voice belonged to Ishizaki. There were two other Class C students with him. The lively cafe quieted at once.

"Sir, we need to have at least one week's advance notice for any special-order cakes. I'm afraid it's not possible to prepare something on the same day." replied the cashier, looking apologetic. After hearing the cashier's response, people began chatting in the cafe once again.

"What's that all about?" asked Hasebe. She twirled her pen around and looked at Ishizaki and his friends with disgust.

"Who knows? Doesn't have anything to do with us." replied Yukimura. He was writing something down on Hasebe and Miyake's test papers, probably figuring out which subjects they were having trouble in and coming up with a plan.

"Cake, huh?" muttered Ayanokouji.

The topic of cake reminded Ayanokouji that it was his birthday tomorrow. He didn't know how to spend a birthday like a normal person. A birthday always meant that Ayanokouji was simply another year older. He knew that a birthday was often celebrated with family, a lover, or
friends, but he just didn't understand what it should feel like. Ayanokouji couldn't shake the feeling that tomorrow is going to be a very chaotic day.

"What's the matter, Ayanokouji-kun?" asked Hasebe, noticing his silence.

"Nothing." replied Ayanokouji. He watched as Yukimura began scribbling on some pieces of papers.

*Timeskip (30 minutes later)*

"I'm going to get another coffee." said Hasebe.

"Me too," said Miyake.

Yukimura still hadn't looked up from their papers and was hard at work, writing something on two pieces of paper. Hasebe and Miyake went to the counter with their empty cups. Pallet
had a policy that, if you brought your receipt, you could get another cup for half price. The coffee was inexpensive and delicious, and the cafe offered the perfect amount, so it was becoming quite popular amongst the first-year students. Hasebe and Miyake were already on their third cups. Yukimura, still focused, had half of his first coffee remaining.

"Seems like hard work." said Ayanokouji.

"I've never really taught someone else how to study before. I mean, a long time ago, I taught this one junior-high idiot to pull an all-nighter, but I couldn't stand it. I wasn't able to concentrate on the material, because he didn't have the fundamentals down." said Yukimura. He briefly set down his pen and looked up at the ceiling.

"Even now, I can't forget the time I wasted. I thought it was so stupid, trying to teach people how to study. When you and Horikita rounded up those guys who were about to fail, and held those study sessions, honestly, I was laughing at you. The same goes for Hirata's group. I mean, doesn't it seem like a waste? Nearly everyone who hates studying just can't study in the first
place. I felt like teaching them to cram for a couple days was useless, since they'd just go back to how they were before." said Yukimura, reminiscing his past thoughts.

"So, why did you decide to help tutor?" asked Ayanokouji.

"I was useless in the sports festival. I got tripped up by the thing I dismissed as unimportant. Just being able to study isn't enough for this school. Just being athletic isn't enough. If you combine those two things, that still isn't enough. Even people like Horikita and Hirata, who are gifted both academically and athletically, definitely can't make it through the challenges ahead with just those skills alone. Intuition, insight, and taste. We have to rely on those traits, which are essential for living in society. Working as a team is vital. That's the only way we win. So, I decided to help. Also, I was self-centered. I thought I'd be fine as long as I could study. All I worried about was myself. I was just like my selfish mother. That's why I took a good hard look at myself, and... Ah, that's not important."

"It seems that you're growing too, huh?"

"If I had to tutor Ike and the other guys, I'd probably have a much worse time of it. Miyake and Hasebe both take their studies seriously, so it might be easy. Besides, they're already good at science. It shouldn't be too hard to cover the rest. I don't know much I'll be able to help,
but we'll probably see at least some improvement."

"That's good. I'm going to the bathroom."

Hasebe and Miyake hadn't returned yet and Ayanokouji got up as it seemed like it'd be a little
while yet before the study session started. Ayanokouji could feel Ishizaki and his friends gazing at him. But there was someone else looking at him. Ayanokouji made his way to a table that was out of view of Yukimura and sat down.

"What are you doing out here, Sakura?" asked Ayanokouji.

"Hyaaah?! I-It's just a coincidence, Ayanokouji-kun!" yelped Sakura, jumping in her seat out of fear and surprise.

"A coincidence, huh?"

"Yes, a coincidence."

"Well, I thought you were looking over at me from time to time."

"Well, that's... I mean... I'm sorry."

"Is there anything you want to talk to me about? Did you want to join the study group?"

"Wh-wh-why do you say that?!"

"Well, I see study materials in your bag. You would never choose to study in such a crowded place."

"Ah...um!"

Sakura panicked and tried to close her bag, but it was too late as Ayanokouji already saw the materials. The way she was acting screamed that she wanted to participate.

"Well, why not sit with us? I'll ask everyone else." said Ayanokouji.

"B-but I...I've hardly ever spoken to them before." said Sakura.

"Well, you probably came here for a specific reason. I mean, the Sakura I know likely wouldn't come all the way to Pallet and risk bumping into people pointlessly. Well, you decide, Sakura. It's not totally up to me. We have to consider how Yukimura, Hasebe, and Miyake would feel."

"Y-Yeah."

"It's okay if you want to think about it. We'll probably be here for another hour."

With those final words, Ayanokouji left Sakura with the intention to let her think about what he said. He didn't want to force Sakura into doing something that she wasn't comfortable with and all he could do is let her know of the options she has available. Ayanokouji returns to his seat and Yukimura seems to be hard at work. After about two minutes, Miyake and Hasebe returned.

"Okay. I feel like I've figured out where you two struggle. I'd like to propose a detailed study plan." said Yukimura. He handed Miyake the test papers, his comments written in the
margins.

"I tried coming up with some sample questions for you to solve. I'll have Hasebe work on the same problems later, so don't write your answers directly into my notebook. The time limit is ten minutes. There are ten questions in total." said Yukimura.

Miyake took the notebook and began writing on a piece of paper that Yukimura provided. After he'd struggled for ten minutes, he passed it to Hasebe so she could do the same. When the twenty-minute testing period ended, Yukimura immediately began writing down their scores.

"Seriously, you two..." muttered Yukimura.

Yukimura returned their answer sheets and let out an exasperated sigh. Ayanokouji glanced at the scores and was equally surprised. Miyake and Hasebe had each gotten only three answers correct and six incorrect, and each scored half points on one question. What was really
surprising was that they managed to get the exact same questions right and wrong.

"You don't just have similar strengths. You also tend to memorize things in exactly the same way." said Yukimura.

"Wow! Doesn't it feel as if this is kind of like fate, Miyacchi?" asked Hasebe.

"No, it doesn't." replied Miyake.

"Oh, come on. You never play along. But, uh, isn't this kind of a problem?"

"Actually, this situation is convenient. It'll only take half the effort to solve." said Yukimura.

"Do you think this is going to be easy?" asked Miyake.

"Well, that depends on how much effort you'll put in. Even though the questions I came up with were kind of basic, your scores weren't good. I'd like us to meet up seven or eight times before the final. Rather than tutoring constantly, it'll be good to give you some time for self-study, too. Are you three okay with that? Miyake, you might have conflicts with club activities, right?" said Yukimura.

"Since the final exam is getting closer, we'll probably take a break from club activities, but let me ask for the time off." replied Miyake.

"Okay, so let me just ask one thing. Won't this just feel like typical studying? I mean, I don't like studying or anything, but if this is just reviewing stuff, I think I can do it on my own. So, how does a group help? Obviously, I understand that having a smart person tutor me is good and all. But I came here because Miyacchi recommended it, and I'm still on the fence." said Hasebe.

"This isn't a normal study group. If this were a regular test, the school would prepare the questions. But this time, another class will write them. These questions won't be standardized and easy to study for. With other students making problems, there are unknown variables. It'll be difficult to anticipate them. That's exactly why studying's necessary." said Yukimura.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm sure Class C will try to trip us up." said Miyake.

"Yeah. Well, the questions might seem impossible for us to imagine right now, but what if we identify the people coming up with them? Personally, I think Kaneda will do it."

"He's that one creepy weirdo with glasses, right?" asked Hasebe.

"I don't know if I'd put it like that, but yeah. He's the best student in Class C." said Yukimura.

"We'll probably need to come up with provisional questions as soon as possible so we can identify the school's standards. I'll try to create questions myself, but would Horikita and Hirata be willing to help out?" continued Yukimura. He turned towards Ayanokouji.

"You're the only person who can get in touch with them, Ayanokouji." said Yukimura. Miyake and Hasebe nodded.

"Well, I'll do whatever I can. Just don't expect too much of me." replied Ayanokouji.

"Yeah. Okay. Well, I'm not in any clubs, so I'm good. Let's decide when to meet based on what works for Miyacchi." said Hasebe, smiling. It seemed that her doubts about the study group were gone. Miyake looked over at Hasebe in surprise.

"I thought you were going to back out, Hasebe. This is unusual. You don't normally want to get
involved in anything." said Miyake.

"If it were just me getting expelled, I wouldn't care. But I don't want to drag you down with me, Miyacchi. You know?"

"Well, I suppose this is enough for today. The first study session is the day after tomorrow." said Yukimura.

With that, the first unofficial study session has ended. As the group got up to leave, Ayanokouji realized Sakura still hadn't come over to talk to them yet. He wondered how much longer it would take for Sakura to gather her courage and approach the group.

When the group exited the Pallet, they said their goodbyes as they went their separate ways. Ayanokouji stood in front of the Pallet as he watched as Yukimura, Hasebe, and Miyake went their own separate ways. He wondered what he should do for dinner as he debated internally if he should stop at the grocery store or eat out. After about a minute of thinking, Ayanokouji headed towards the supermarket, but as he passed a nearby empty alleyway, he felt a pair of hands grab him and pulled him towards the dark, empty alleyway.

"Is this a mugging?" asked Ayanokouji.

"What? Hell, no! You already asked me that last time!" snapped Manabe.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Manabe? I'm assuming that you didn't grab me because you wanted to spend some time with me in a dark alleyway."

"W-What?! Don't say shit like that! I need to give you a heads up. I owe you that much after all of the help you gave me."

"Heads up?"

"Yeah... So Ryuuen might be onto you. I-I might have told him that you and Yukimura saw me that one time with Karuizawa on the cruise ship. You know when... she was pissing me off and being a bitch."

"Ahh... why will you tell Ryuuen about this? You have no reason to tell him all about your feud with Karuizawa."

"T-That's..."

Ayanokouji noticed that Manabe seemed to be hesitating to tell him the real reason why she told Ryuuen. She didn't want to tell him about being blackmailed by X because she didn't want more people to find out that she was a traitor to her own class and wasn't in the right mood for it. Ayanokouji is also in Class D, a class that Ryuuen deemed as an enemy and was fixated on. The last thing that Manabe wanted is to give more information to Class D and incur Ryuuen's wrath again.

However, Manabe did not know that Ayanokouji already knew all about it, but decided to feign innocence to avoid drawing suspicion to himself. As someone that is not X, he should not know the details of Manabe and her feud with Karuizawa, but all about Ryuuen's class. It was something that the mysterious X knows all about.

"I won't force you to tell me." said Ayanokouji.

"No... I owe you this much." sighed Manabe, resigning herself. Ayanokouji decided to stay quiet as Manabe took another deep breath before launching into another explanation.

"First of all, someone recorded me when I confronted Karuizawa alone. Well, it shows me getting violent and that person wanted me to spy on Class C for them if I didn't want the video to be released to the school." explained Manabe.

"I see... You think it's me? After all, I was one of the only people that saw you with Karuizawa." said Ayanokouji.

"W-Well... maybe! I'm not sure! I mean you did help me and Rika, so I'm not sure if you would do something like that. I mean it would be pretty big-brained if you just helped us just to gain our trust."

"I'm glad that you have some trust in me."

"B-But now that Ryuuen knows, he's going to keep an eye on you."

"Thanks for the heads up."

"Hmph! Don't make it sound like I care about you. I just owe you for all the help from the cruise ship and for bandaging me up."

"You think it's someone from Class D?"

"It has to be! By the way, is that bitch Karuizawa the same as always?"

"To be honest, I think she's gotten worse. Ever since the cruise ship exam, she's tightened her control on the girls of Class D. If you asked me, it seems that she hasn't learned her lesson and seemed to be actively going out of her way to bully other people. Talking behind their back and all of that stuff."

"Tch... That bitch! I should've done something!"

"And risk losing yourself and continue the cycle of violence. You did all you could, Manabe. Do not trouble yourself with Karuizawa. She's not worth it."

Manabe's face grew red at what Ayanokouji said as she remembered similar words were being exchanged during the cruise ship exam.

"At any rate, we'll have to see what happens to Karuizawa." said Ayanokouji, shrugging his shoulders.

"Y-Yeah. Just be careful. Later, Ayanokouji." said Manabe.

"See you around, Manabe."

Manabe left the alleyway first. Before she stepped into the light of the Keiyaki Mall, she glanced around, making sure to check her left and right before exiting. She seemed to be afraid that someone was following her and didn't want to be seen with someone from Class D. Ayanokouji stood in the alleyway as he recalled Manabe's experience with Karuizawa.

'Manabe wasn't the only one that changed during the cruise ship exam. Karuizawa has changed as well. It seems that her fear of her past being exposed has overtaken her. She has become more headstrong and willing to clash with others as if she needs to prove something. To prove that she's the queen. I have noticed that most of the girls in the classroom were afraid of her or were on her side. Karuizawa's popularity was already the most influential out of all of the girls in Class D, but she felt compelled to keep it for herself. I suppose in her eyes that's the only way to protect herself. The fear of being exposed by Manabe keeps her on edge which leaves her with her current belittling behavior and looking down on others attitude.' thought Ayanokouji.

Ayanokouji thought about Ryuuen and the impending war between Class C and D. He knew that Ryuuen is out to look for him and that his peaceful days are numbered as Ryuuen will be closing the gap to find the mysterious X. He wondered how the Paper Shuffle exam was going to impact Ryuuen's search for him. Ayanokouji stared off into the dark alleyway behind him before casually walking into the brightly lit Keiyaki Mall.

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Soulmates

1) Horikita Suzune

2) Kushida Kikyou

3) Mii-chan

4) Tachibana Akane

5) Azuma Sana

6) Shinohara Satsuki

7) Onodera Kayano

8) Mori Nene

9) Hoshinomiya Chie

10) Ichihashi Ruri

11) Andou Sayo

12) Shiranami Chihiro

13) Yabu Nanami

14) Sakura Airi

15) Inogashira Kokoro

16) Morofuji Rika

17) Manabe Shiho

18) Kinoshita Minori

19) Satou Maya

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Author's Note:

Hello, everyone! Another chapter done in about a week! This chapter is identical to a light novel and is meant to build up on the Paper Shuffle exam. I've been slowly building up the conflict between Kei and Manabe. It would probably show itself in the next chapter.

Another thing is that my upload schedule is going to be slowed down again as my winter break is going to be over. Time for a non-existent upload schedule!
Until next time, my dear readers.

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