May 22nd, Friday.
Midterm Exam Day.
In the First Year classrooms, the atmosphere was solemn and tense.
The proctor entered the classroom holding a sealed exam paper bag, unsealed it, and distributed the papers.
The rustling sound of writing soon replaced the last whispers.
Class A classroom.
The students looked calm and composed, the sound of their pens gliding across the paper smooth and confident.
For them,
This exam was more like a routine drill, testing the knowledge accumulated daily.
By the window, Sakamoto sat upright, his speed in answering questions astonishing.
His movements were not rushed in the slightest; instead, they carried an elegant, flowing grace, as if he wasn't solving difficult problems but performing a perfectly rehearsed artistic display.
Adjusting his glasses, writing, turning pages... every action was incredibly precise.
Class B classroom.
The moment the test papers were handed out, a subtle hint of surprise flashed across the faces of many students.
The question types... seemed to differ somewhat from the "key points" that Student Ryuuen had urgently emphasized and distributed last night.
But this surprise was quickly suppressed.
After all, they had undergone a not-so-short period of study group training under Ryuuen's high pressure, and their foundations were already solid.
After a brief adaptation, their pen tips began moving quickly again.
Ryuuen Kakeru scanned the entire paper, a barely perceptible cold smile playing on his lips.
All the questions had been changed.
But he wasn't flustered; this was within his expectations.
He had anticipated this move long ago.
Class C classroom.
The entire class was filled with a desperate focus.
They hadn't relied on any external "shortcuts"; all their efforts stemmed from themselves.
Class D classroom.
When the test papers arrived, the expressions of Yamauchi, Ike, and Sudo instantly became extremely peculiar.
They exchanged a glance, filled with shock and lingering fear.
These questions... didn't match the "past exam papers" Kushida-san had given them yesterday at all!
Completely different!
Fortunately... fortunately, Horikita had dragged them to those "painful" study sessions, so they had learned something to fall back on.
Otherwise, they would have been completely clueless today and directly declared expelled!
A huge sense of relief suppressed their initial panic.
The three took a deep breath and began to write furiously, desperately trying to recall the knowledge that had been force-fed to them during the study sessions.
The bell signaling the end of the first exam rang.
During the short break, the corridor was immediately filled with various discussions and gasps.
"Hey! Did you guys notice? The questions seem different from what Kushida-san gave us!"
Ike Kanji grabbed Yamauchi and Sudo, lowering his voice, still shaken.
"No kidding! We almost got screwed!"
Sudo Ken wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"Good thing... good thing we actually learned something recently."
Yamauchi Haruki, for once, had a serious expression:
"What Kushida-san gave us... was it fake? She wouldn't lie to us, would she? Was she also deceived?"
The three briefly exchanged a few words, all feeling a sense of strangeness and lingering fear, and at the same time, a subtle gratitude towards the study group they had once vehemently resisted.
On the other side, in Class B's area, Shiina Hiyori found Student Ryuuen, who was leaning against the wall.
"Student Ryuuen, the test paper..." she began softly.
Ryuuen waved his hand, cutting her off, his tone flat: "Ah, I saw it. All changed. The school administration's doing, I suppose. It doesn't matter; we weren't entirely relying on that anyway."
Shiina nodded and said no more.
And in a corner of Class A's corridor, Sakamoto stood quietly, looking out the window.
A classmate came over to check answers with him.
He merely gave a slight nod, his tone calm: "Though question types may vary in countless ways, the core exam points remain fundamentally the same."
He seemed to have anticipated this change long ago.
The next few exams passed smoothly, with each class having different mindsets.
When the bell for the last subject rang, the entire First Year teaching building seemed to let out a sigh of relief.
"It's finally over!"
In the Class D classroom, a huge cheer erupted instantly, especially from Yamauchi, Ike, and Sudo, who were the most excited, as if they had just narrowly escaped death on a battlefield.
After packing up and leaving the classroom, Yamauchi, Ike, and Sudo hesitated for a moment, pushing each other, and finally walked together to Horikita Suzune, who was in front of them.
"Um... Horikita," Ike Kanji scratched his head, his tone awkward, "This time... thanks."
"Yeah," Yamauchi, for once, didn't say anything frivolous, "If you hadn't dragged us to those study sessions, we might have really been done for this time."
Sudo also folded his arms and snorted, "Though the process was a pain, still... thanks."
Horikita Suzune looked up, seeing these three guys awkwardly thanking her, and couldn't help but be momentarily stunned.
These guys... they actually said thank you?
It seemed her seemingly futile efforts were not entirely meaningless after all.
"No need for thanks." She averted her gaze, her voice cool, but with less of her usual sharpness. "Passing the exam is the result of your own efforts. Now that you've realized the importance of studying, keep it up and don't slack off again."
"Oh... got it." The three mumbled a response, then turned and left noisily, heading towards the boys' dormitory.
Watching their retreating figures, Horikita was pensive.
Blindly imitating her brother's lonely and strict path might indeed not be suitable for her, nor for Class D.
Her own way... seemed to be gradually becoming clear through exploration.
Just then, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka walked over silently.
"The exam questions were completely different from previous years," he stated in a flat tone.
"Yes, I noticed," Horikita nodded. "It must be the school administration changing their midterm exam strategy. But that has nothing to do with us; we never intended to use that material anyway."
She paused, her brow furrowed, as she recalled the suspicious test paper again.
"But this might also mean that Sakamoto's turning over that test paper at the time wasn't necessarily out of 'charity,' and it might even have been... a kind of trap, wanting us to rely on incorrect information and collapse."
She voiced her suspicion.
Although the idea made her feel it was a bit too much of a conspiracy theory, and Sakamoto didn't seem like the type of person to do such a thing, the facts were before her eyes: the question types had completely changed.
Ayanokoji listened quietly, his face expressionless.
"The origin of that test paper and its connection to Sakamoto are still questionable," he said slowly. "But the comprehensive change in this exam's questions is probably not as simple as a mere rule adjustment by the school administration. Behind this, perhaps..."
His words were not yet finished.
The sound abruptly ceased.
A figure passed by them silently.
His steps were unhurried and elegant, showing no intention of stopping.
The golden glow of the setting sun cast a long shadow behind him, perfectly enveloping Horikita and Ayanokoji, who were conversing.
The person raised his hand and elegantly pushed up the frames of his glasses with his middle finger.
The lenses reflected the afterglow, making his gaze unreadable.
He did not look at them, walking straight ahead.
Horikita and Ayanokoji's conversation naturally broke off.
Both of them, by unspoken agreement, turned their gaze towards the receding figure—
Class 1-A,
Sakamoto.