"To be honest, I'm quite surprised."
"I didn't expect you all to achieve such high scores."
Chabashira Sae stood at the front of the classroom with her arms crossed. Her words sounded like praise, but the faint chill in her eyes told another story.
"I acknowledge your effort, but…"
She lifted her laser pointer and drew a few red lines across the projected grade sheet.
"Unfortunately, Ken Sudou—you failed."
The words dropped like a hammer. Sudou shot to his feet, shouting,
"You've gotta be kidding me! How could I have failed?!"
Do you even hear yourself?
How could you fail?
Because you didn't meet the cutoff, obviously.
Hikigaya's gaze fell on the chart showing the class averages.
"That's impossible!"
"I clearly remember the passing mark for the last English quiz was thirty-two! I scored thirty-nine this time!" Sudou protested, his tone full of disbelief.
"Who ever told you the passing line was fixed?"
Chabashira's tone turned sharp as she continued, "The passing mark for each subject is calculated as half of the class average."
"For English, it's forty. For math, forty-five. You didn't meet either."
Hikigaya wasn't surprised in the slightest.
Passing scores usually came in neat numbers like forty or sixty. Thirty-two had always been a suspiciously arbitrary figure.
This time, Class D had somehow gotten hold of the real exam beforehand—most of them memorized the answers and ended up with inflated scores.
The higher the average, the higher the passing line.
"Though it's been a short time together, you've worked hard, Sudou."
"I'll process your withdrawal paperwork after school."
Chabashira's cold, merciless tone left Sudou frozen in place.
"No way…!"
"Chabashira-sensei, can't you make an exception?"
Hirata was the first to panic, visibly shaken.
"Sensei, could you show me Sudou's exam? I'd like to double-check in case there was a grading mistake."
Kushida put on her best helpful smile, trying one last act of persuasion.
"You can, but I advise you not to waste your time," Chabashira replied.
"Maybe you could argue for a one-point discrepancy in English."
"But Sudou's math score is four points below the cutoff. There's virtually no chance of overturning that."
As she said that, her gaze lingered meaningfully on Hikigaya.
She had reviewed his math paper herself. From his solution process, it was obvious he hadn't copied from the key—he had actually earned his sixty-three points on his own.
Originally, his math was barely passable—he'd have scored eleven at best.
Now he'd jumped to sixty-three, which singlehandedly raised the class average… and in turn, raised the passing line.
The end result: Sudou failed math.
Hikigaya noticed her glance and immediately guessed her thoughts.
So because he did well, Sudou was forced to drop out?
That kind of twisted "saintly logic"? Not his problem.
Poor at math?
Then study.
Hikigaya's math foundation was worse than Sudou's to begin with.
For an entire month, he had spent three hours a day grinding problems—hundreds of them.
And what was Sudou doing in the meantime?
Playing basketball every day, not even bothering to memorize the leaked exam answers properly.
Who else could he blame but himself?
All things considered, Hikigaya thought Sudou's expulsion was nothing but well-deserved. He didn't feel the slightest bit of sympathy.
"Class meeting's over," Chabashira said flatly.
"If anyone has concerns, you can come talk to me on the rooftop."
She deliberately left an opening—choosing the rooftop instead of her office.
Too bad Sudou wasn't sharp enough to get the hint; he slumped back into his seat, defeated.
Yamauchi and the others offered half-hearted words of comfort.
Hirata looked pale, clearly shaken.
Kushida pretended to check Sudou's exam but honestly couldn't care less whether he stayed or not.
Ayanokouji quietly stood up and left the classroom.
Hikigaya glanced over but didn't think much of it.
"Hey, Hikki~ seriously, thanks for everything this time."
"Let's have a celebration party!"
Haruka Hasebe proposed, with Airi Sakura nodding in agreement.
"Well…"
Hikigaya was about to say it wasn't necessary.
But then he remembered Horikita Suzune and Shiina Hiyori—the two who had tutored him endlessly. They at least deserved some appreciation.
"Fine, then. Let's do it."
"We'll make it this weekend. As for the location—"
***
Rooftop – After School
Chabashira leaned lazily against the railing, a cigarette between her fingers.
"So? You wanted something?"
"Sensei, may I ask a question?"
Ayanokouji started casually, "Do you believe modern Japanese society is equal?"
"…That's quite a question to start with," she replied, a small smirk forming as if she'd already seen through him.
"And what's the point of asking me that?"
Translation: What's that got to do with you?
"It's important. Please answer me."
Ayanokouji's expression didn't waver in the slightest.
"From my experience, of course society isn't equal."
Chabashira took a slow drag, exhaling toward the sunset.
"I agree. Equality is merely an illusion," Ayanokouji continued, still in his calm, detached tone.
"But humans are creatures capable of thought."
"What are you trying to say?" Chabashira's patience began to thin.
"Any rule or regulation, at the very least, should appear equal…"
Ayanokouji took a step forward, showing her his phone screen.
Displayed on it: 62,110 points.
"I'd like to purchase Sudou's missing points—one in English, four in math."
Chabashira blinked, then let out a low, amused laugh.
"Heh… You really are an interesting one.
Buying exam points from a teacher—do you actually think that's acceptable?"
"Didn't you say it yourself on the first day?" Ayanokouji replied smoothly.
"In this school, anything can be bought with points."
That statement alone proved he'd already seen through one of the school's deepest systems.
"Fascinating," Chabashira said, eyes narrowing. "Looks like, unlike a certain dead-fish-eyed student who prefers to stay anonymous, you at least have some ambition for the class."
A certain dead-fish-eyed student…
She might as well have said his name outright.
Ayanokouji's eyes flickered slightly.
"Your idea isn't bad," Chabashira admitted, "but with that many points, you're nowhere near close."
"How much would it take?"
"One hundred thousand points per mark."
Chabashira smirked.
"You really do make things difficult, Sensei."
"These are the school's rules.
An individual alone can't change the system."
Her tone softened, yet carried weight. "Do you understand now?"
She gazed at him meaningfully.
She wanted to see just how capable this "hidden-profile" student truly was—
the one even the school had decided to conceal.
***
Author's Note:
What are your thoughts on Sudou's expulsion?