Chapter 40: The Exam Scope
In the hallway outside the first-year Class D classroom, Yukinoshita and Kamuro didn't wait long before they saw people emerge from the Class D classroom.
The group scanned the surroundings and quickly walked toward Yukinoshita.
Leading the group was the handsome, refined, and gentle Hirata Yosuke. Walking alongside him was Kushida Kikyo, who had short blonde hair and a cute smile on her face. Bringing up the rear was Horikita Suzune, whom Yukinoshita had already met and whose appearance and demeanor were somewhat similar to Yukinoshita's.
Seeing Yukinoshita, whom she had just met last night, Horikita's expression became somewhat complex. Yukinoshita, however, acted as if she knew nothing and nodded slightly at Hirata: "Hello, you must be Hirata-kun?"
Hirata smiled apologetically at the two of them: "Yes, nice to meet you. I'm Hirata Yosuke from first-year Class D. Please be kind to me. Class A students, I apologize for the wait. Also, if any of our classmates said anything inappropriate, I apologize on their behalf."
"No, we should be the ones to apologize for our sudden visit. I'm Yukinoshita Yukino from first-year Class A, and this is Kamuro Masumi." Yukinoshita gently shook her head.
"Hello..." Kamuro followed suit with a greeting, looking at Hirata Yosuke with some curiosity, then whispered: "They're from the same class, but the difference is huge..."
Although her voice was low, everyone present heard it. However, Hirata's face maintained its gentle smile: "Yamauchi-kun and Ike-kun are a little lively, but they are very friendly classmates."
Yukinoshita looked at the handsome boy in front of her, whose smile was open and who actively defended his classmates. Her azure eyes deepened as if recalling a certain someone. Fortunately, she quickly snapped out of it, but her voice remained somewhat cold and imposing: "Is that so..."
Noticing the slightly awkward atmosphere, Kushida gently clapped her hands and introduced herself in a soft voice: "Nice to meet you. I'm Kushida Kikyo from first-year Class D. Please be kind to me."
"I'm Horikita Suzune." Horikita looked directly at Yukinoshita with a sharp gaze, slightly furrowing her brows: "May I ask why you, Class A's Yukinoshita-san, came to Class D?"
"It's like this. We came hoping to establish a cooperation with Class D."
"Cooperation?" Kushida tilted her head in confusion.
"Yes," Yukinoshita nodded, gesturing to Kamuro to pull out a paper filled with questions from the folder she was holding, then explained: "Class D students' grades aren't very good, and students who fail this midterm exam will be expelled. We are here to offer our help."
"Is that really true, Yukinoshita-san?"
Hirata seemed very agitated upon hearing Yukinoshita's words. He had sworn to help everyone around him and wished most of all that no one in Class D would be expelled from school.
"Of course, it's true. Our classmates created these exam papers based on the exam scope given by the sensei. As long as you seriously master the knowledge points on these papers, you can ensure... well, you have at least 90% certainty of passing the exam." Yukinoshita recalled the two Class D boys full of vulgar and filthy thoughts she had just seen, and decided it was better not to overpromise.
"Yukinoshita-san, may I see the exam paper first?"
After receiving Yukinoshita's permission, Hirata took the exam paper from Kamuro's hand.
"Yukinoshita-san, did you... perhaps take the wrong paper?" Hirata looked through the paper seriously for a few moments, then suddenly looked up and asked.
"Huh? Why do you say that?" Kamuro asked curiously, seeing Hirata's expression.
"Um... Kamuro-san, many of the questions on your paper are not within the key scope of this midterm exam..." Hirata looked puzzled. "Could the exam scope be different for each class?"
"In other words, Class A intends to give us the wrong exam scope to waste our time? Or perhaps, you want to weaken Class D's fighting strength by providing useless papers to ensure they get expelled on a large scale?!" Horikita stared intently at Yukinoshita, her voice as cold as if she were interrogating a criminal.
"I'm afraid not. While your speculation has some feasibility, I don't think Class D's current situation warrants such a great effort from Class A. You are the ones who got the key exam scope wrong. I suggest you go to the sensei and confirm it again." Yukinoshita asserted without hesitation, meeting Horikita's gaze fearlessly. Her clear, cool voice carried an undeniable confidence.
"Well, Horikita-san and Yukinoshita-san, let's both calm down. Maybe we got the exam scope wrong? Or perhaps Yukinoshita-san and the others accidentally took the wrong paper? Um... Kushida-san! Don't just watch, say something!" Hirata frantically waved his hands, standing between the two confronting girls.
In the past, when similar situations occurred in the class, Kushida-san would actively step up to mediate the conflict, earning the gratitude of both sides and the praise of everyone. But today, Kushida-san seemed to be scared by the two of them and didn't say a word.
Kushida, who was watching the scene unfold, looked at Hirata, who was drenched in sweat and was in a bind. She slightly lowered her head and murmured: "Was I that flustered before too..."
"Flustered about what?" Kamuro wasn't interested in the tense atmosphere between Yukinoshita and Horikita, so she moved closer to Kushida.
"Huh? No, nothing... Haha." Hearing the voice next to her, Kushida quickly looked up and smiled at Kamuro. Kamuro felt that the other person's smile seemed a bit distorted, whether from being frightened or not.
Feeling uneasy under Kamuro's gaze, Kushida quickly changed the topic: "In any case, Hirata-kun, Horikita-san, let's go find Chabashira-sensei to confirm the exam scope again."
"You're right, Horikita-san, we shouldn't jump to conclusions. Kushida-san, could you wait here for a moment? We're going to see the teacher to reconfirm, and we'll be back soon." Hirata first persuaded Horikita, then asked Kushida to stay. He then apologized to the two Class A students: "Yukinoshita-san, Kamuro-san, please excuse us for a moment. You can... recheck the exam paper, in case it was switched."
Even though he knew Yukinoshita and Kamuro might be trying to trick Class D with the wrong paper, the peace-loving Hirata still gave them a way out.
"Yes, since it's an exam that will affect many students, it is indeed better to double-check carefully. Don't mind us; we'll wait here." Although Yukinoshita said this, she had no intention of rechecking. Kamuro took the exam paper back. Just as she was about to say something, Yukinoshita shook her head, and Kamuro had to swallow her question.
Hirata and Horikita quickly headed towards the teachers' office, preparing to ask Chabashira to confirm the correctness of the exam scope.
At the entrance of the teachers' office, Horikita gently knocked on the door and immediately stated the reason for their visit: "Chabashira-sensei, we need to confirm something urgent with you."
Hirata bowed slightly: "Chabashira-sensei, we are truly sorry to interrupt you..."
Chabashira waved the black pen in her hand, her voice a bit impatient: "Skip the pleasantries. I'm a little busy right now, so make it brief."
Teachers apparently have work to do as well, and Chabashira seemed to be writing something in a notebook.
"Regarding the midterm exam scope you mentioned last week, is there any error in it? Because Class A students just pointed out that the exam scope is different from theirs."
Chabashira listened to Horikita with an expressionless face. After silently listening to the end, she stopped writing: "...Oh, yes, the midterm exam scope was changed last Friday. Sorry, I seem to have forgotten to tell you."
"Wha—!"
Chabashira fluently wrote the exam scope for the five subjects in her notebook, then tore it off and handed it to the two of them. The page numbers written on the paper, though all covered in class, were mostly different from the previously marked scope. Many students in Class D had paid little attention to these sections previously. And...
"This exam scope..." Hirata looked at the content on the paper. It was almost completely identical to the exam paper provided by Yukinoshita and the others.
"Horikita, thanks to you, I noticed this mistake. Now, you and Hirata go tell the rest of the class the news."
"Wait, wait a minute, Chabashira-sensei! Suddenly changing the exam scope... the whole class will have trouble catching up with the pace!" Hirata countered anxiously.
"That's not true. There are still more than two weeks left. If you start studying now, you can easily prepare for the exam."
Chabashira-sensei did not feel she was wrong at all. She merely brushed them off with a few perfunctory sentences and intended to hurry Horikita and Hirata out of the teachers' office.
Hirata clenched his fists, looking unwilling, and stared directly at the indifferent Chabashira.
Chabashira lowered her head to continue working, unconcerned: "Even if you continue to linger, the situation won't change. You know that much, right?"
"...Let's go."
"Horikita-san, b-but! Changing the exam scope so suddenly!"
"Just as sensei said, lingering here is a waste of time. Instead of that, it's better if we start preparing for the new exam scope as soon as possible."
"But!"
Horikita turned and walked out of the teachers' office. Hirata, though very reluctant, followed her out.
Chabashira-sensei didn't even spare them a glance. She showed no apology towards the students, nor did she exhibit any panic over making a mistake. Moreover, the other teachers in the office could hear the conversation just now, but despite the fact that Chabashira's mistake was a rather serious matter, none of the other teachers reacted.
.
.
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In the corridor outside the first-year Class D classroom, the trio watched Hirata and Horikita walk towards the teachers' office.
Taking advantage of the absence of Class D students, Kushida seized the opportunity to inquire about the information she wanted: "Yukinoshita-san, Kamuro-san, is there a somewhat... gloomy and isolated boy in your Class A?"
"Gloomy..." Yukinoshita pondered.
"Isolated?" Kamuro frowned.
Yukinoshita and Kamuro exchanged glances and spoke simultaneously—
"Hikigaya-kun?"
"Hikigaya?"
"Why are you looking for Hikigaya?" Kamuro asked, crossing her arms, taking on the persona of "Mr. Hikigaya's manager and lawyer."
"Actually... I lost something important a while ago, and that Hikigaya-kun helped me find it..." Kushida casually made up an excuse, clasping her hands over her chest in a gesture of profound emotion. "So, I was thinking of finding a time to give him a gift to show my gratitude, but I don't know what he likes... So, I thought I'd ask Class A students if you know anything."
"As for that Hikigaya guy, he probably likes ramen and Max Coffee the most, mhm mhm." Kamuro nodded matter-of-factly as she spoke.
"Max Coffee? I haven't heard of that brand." Kushida nodded, making a mental note.
"Only Hikigaya likes it. It's too high in sugar. It's sickeningly sweet, like eating a kilogram of high-sugar cream cake." Kamuro waved her hand in repulsion.
Yukinoshita looked at Kamuro with some surprise: "...Kamuro-san, may I ask you a question?"
"Oh? What is it?"
"I remember you rarely eat with us, and you don't talk much to Hikigaya in the classroom, do you? Why do you know Hikigaya-kun's preferences so well? And you know he likes ramen."
"Huh? Um... I-I helped Hikigaya bring... I treated him to a meal before, yes, that's it." Kamuro tried hard to look calm. She was determined not to mention that she often went to buy food for Hikigaya, even if she had to tear her own mouth off.
"I see... Thank you, Kamuro-san." Kushida looked at the two girls in front of her, forcing a smile to express her gratitude.
Kushida originally thought that someone as strange and isolated as Hikigaya wouldn't be popular with women, and since she had three years to spend at the school, she planned to slowly find a good opportunity to win over this one boy who could accept her dark side and resolve her inner conflict.
To her surprise, she suddenly learned that these two beauties, who were classmates with Hikigaya, one often ate with him, and the other knew his preferences like the back of her hand...
A sense of urgency suddenly surged within Kushida Kikyo.
Just as Kushida was about to say something more, the incredulous Hirata and the indifferent Horikita returned.
"Kushida-san, I'd like to ask you for a favor." Hirata, returning from the office, immediately approached Kushida, who was trying to get more information about Hikigaya from Kamuro.
"Hmm? Hirata-kun, what happened?"
"Chabashira-sensei said the exam scope has been changed. I hope you can tell the new exam scope to everyone in Class D." Saying this, Hirata handed Kushida the paper he received from the teacher.
"I can do that... but are you sure about letting me do the telling?"
"Yes, please take care of the girls' side. I will handle the boys' side. We absolutely cannot let them face the exam with the wrong scope."
"Mhm, I understand. What about you, Horikita-san?"
"I need to prepare for the coming days. I need to further condense the new exam scope." Horikita tried hard to appear calm, but a hint of impatience could still be felt from her. The fact that all the students' frantic studying had been in vain, and they were back at square one, was undoubtedly a huge blow to the Class D students.
Just when the three Class D students were anxious, Yukinoshita finally spoke—
"Since you now know the correct exam scope, can we continue our previous discussion?"
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