Horikita raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, but didn't press the issue. Her attention was more focused on the test paper itself.
"If you truly want to get into Class A, you need to learn to utilize resources and cooperate," Classmate Natsukawa continued, his tone guiding. "Break down the question types on this test paper and integrate them into different practice exams, allowing Sudo and the others to encounter and practice them in advance. This way, they can grasp the knowledge points and ensure nothing goes wrong. However, it might be too time-consuming for you alone to create so many adapted practice questions."
He took out the second test paper. "I'll give this second one to Hirata and the others. Let them help create questions to share the burden. I believe Hirata will be very happy to cooperate for the class. Remember to find him then."
Horikita's brow furrowed, a hint of emotion on her face, but she didn't refute him, her attitude already indicating silent agreement. However, she immediately thought of something else, and her face instantly returned to its previous haughty expression.
"But is this what you rely on? Such a petty trick," Horikita scoffed, as if finally finding Classmate Natsukawa's weakness, seemingly to get revenge for him making her humble herself in front of Kushida a few days prior.
"Who knows?" Classmate Natsukawa didn't explain anything because of Horikita's taunt; instead, he smiled at her. This made Horikita's punch feel like it hit cotton, yielding no information whatsoever.
Kushida put the remaining test papers back into her locker. When she walked back, she happened to hear Classmate Natsukawa's arrangements for Horikita. Although a pale pallor still lingered on her face from the blow, and she even pouted slightly due to Classmate Natsukawa's phrase "Kushida bought it," revealing a hint of a small grievance like "You were so fierce to me just now," her heart couldn't help but be convinced by Classmate Natsukawa's arrangements. Such a class-wide consideration was indeed something she had never thought of.
As class was about to start and students gradually arrived in the classroom, Classmate Natsukawa stood up, holding the test paper, and walked towards Hirata Yosuke's seat.
Hirata, who was whispering to Karuizawa Kei, showed obvious surprise when he saw Classmate Natsukawa actively approaching him.
Classmate Natsukawa called Hirata out of the classroom. The two went to the corridor, and Classmate Natsukawa handed the test paper to Hirata.
"This paper is the actual midterm exam. Kushida bought it from an upperclassman. Horikita doesn't plan to distribute the original paper immediately but intends to break down these questions into different papers so everyone can know them in advance without disrupting the current learning atmosphere in the class."
"However, Horikita can't create so many test papers alone, so she asked me to collaborate with you."
After listening, Hirata's face instantly broke into a sincere smile, as if his previous fatigue had largely dissipated. "That's great, Classmate Natsukawa! This test paper is really timely! Thank you and Horikita-san!" he said excitedly, his gaze turning to Kushida inside the classroom, also casting a grateful look. "Please thank Kushida-san for me too! Don't worry, we will definitely arrange it as soon as possible, and everyone will cooperate to ensure that everyone passes the exam!"
Watching Hirata return to the classroom full of energy, Kushida stood by her seat, her emotions complicated and hard to describe. She looked at the instigator who had already returned to his seat, as if everything had nothing to do with him. The desire to win him over, to rely on him, and yet to subtly fear him, became even deeper and more entangled... Kushida's actions were naturally the result of Classmate Natsukawa's guidance. After all, Kushida's small brain couldn't come up with particularly far-reaching schemes, as could be seen from her attempt to leave fingerprints on the fabric. When he encountered Kushida's outburst in the stairwell, he began to plan how to subdue this ticking time bomb for his own use. By leveraging Kushida's desire for recognition, he hinted that distributing test papers at this time of panic would win people over, and then, through a series of suppressions, he planted the seeds of self-doubt in Kushida, causing her to seek Classmate Natsukawa's opinion. The strategy was now showing initial results, but to completely subdue her, he still needed to carefully consider... In the following days, Class D's classroom seemed to have a switch flipped. The usual pervading atmosphere of laziness and despair was replaced by a somewhat awkward but genuinely existing learning atmosphere.
In the following days, Class D's classroom seemed to have a switch flipped. The usual pervading atmosphere of laziness and despair was replaced by a somewhat awkward but genuinely existing learning atmosphere.
Horikita and Hirata also began to collaborate on exam questions. Horikita created three test papers each for Chinese and English, while the rest were handed over to Hirata, Yukimura Teruhiko, and others. Then, after this week, they would be distributed under the guise of "testing phased learning outcomes." The class's learning atmosphere was on the right track, and even Sudo took a leave of absence from the Basketball Club due to the pressure of the exam.
Classmate Natsukawa was equally content with his leisure time. After entrusting Sakura Airi to Ichinose, the four-hour daily study task required by the system was completed exceptionally efficiently in the quiet environment of the Library. For the remaining time, he no longer delved into exam-oriented content but strolled among the tall bookshelves, casually picking out books that interested him—classic mysteries, natural sciences, and even some scattered travelogues and miscellaneous essays. Without the pressure of exams, reading purely to satisfy curiosity and expand knowledge, this feeling made him experience the joy and relaxation of reading after a long time, as if he had returned to the time in his previous life when he freely explored knowledge in the gaps of high school.
However, this tranquility was occasionally interrupted by a subtle sense of incongruity. He often felt a faint, lingering gaze, like a gentle spider silk brushing the back of his neck, but when he subtly looked around, he couldn't find a clear source. At first, he was somewhat alert, but recalling Kushida Kikyo, who had been frequently appearing around him recently, he attributed it to Kushida often passing by and observing him.
Thinking of Kushida, Classmate Natsukawa's lips would curve into a barely perceptible arc.
This energetic angel, who always maintained an impeccable facade in front of others, seemed like a different person when she appeared beside him in the Library. She no longer deliberately maintained that sickly sweet voice, her steps became casual, sometimes even carrying a hint of fatigue after completing social tasks. She would walk straight to the empty seat opposite him, casually place her backpack to the side, and let out a soft sigh filled with genuine emotion.
"Ah—I'm exhausted..." She might begin like this, rubbing her somewhat stiff smiling cheeks with her hand, then collapsing ungracefully onto the table, her brown hair splayed out. "Those people really... ask the same question over and over again, and I have to keep smiling while answering..."
In front of Classmate Natsukawa, she would openly complain about the people and things in the class that she considered "stupid" or "troublesome," her tone carrying an irritation and disdain she would never usually show. The deliberate bright glow in her large eyes faded, sometimes lazy, sometimes angry, and sometimes revealing a genuine expression of annoyance and curiosity, tinged with being seen through, due to one of Classmate Natsukawa's incisive comments.
She seemed to have designated the area around Classmate Natsukawa as a "safe zone" where she could temporarily shed all her pretenses. Here, she didn't have to be the beloved Kushida Kikyo; she could reveal her tired, dark, and even sharp-tongued side. This special "trust," rather than intimacy, was more a kind of... self-indulgence based on shared secrets and acknowledging each other's true nature. She relied on this relaxed feeling of not needing to pretend, and also on Classmate Natsukawa's sense of security, which often allowed her to see different perspectives.
Classmate Natsukawa usually just listened quietly, occasionally looking up at her, his gaze calm, neither comforting nor criticizing, as if she were merely engaging in a necessary emotional catharsis. This attitude, in turn, made Kushida even more relaxed.
Sometimes, after she had complained enough, she would sit up straight again, comb her hair with her hand, and slowly put on her perfect mask again, though a trace of genuine emotion still lingered in her eyes. She would look at the books unrelated to studying by Classmate Natsukawa's hand and curiously ask, "What's the use of you reading these?"
Classmate Natsukawa would often simply reply, "Reading is about building your own thoughts with the help of others' thoughts."
Kushida understood vaguely but didn't press further. In her heart, Classmate Natsukawa's mystery and unfathomable depth had long become an established fact. She enjoyed this peculiar freedom of being her true self for a moment by his side, and at the same time, she became even more determined to firmly bind this man to her chariot.