Ryuen Kakeru looked at Kushida Kikyo, a slight smile curling on his lips as he spoke:
"Has there been anything unusual in your class recently?"
"Not at the moment. We just discussed some things about the upcoming small exam. Nothing else."
Kushida Kikyo, using her usual cute demeanor as a disguise, smiled at Ryuen Kakeru.
"They said the results of this small exam will affect the pairings for the final exams. Students with lower grades will be paired with those who have higher grades."
"Just as I expected—and if I'm not mistaken, your class plans to target our Class D, right?"
"That's right."
Kushida Kikyo nodded.
"Horikita Suzune said that Class D has the lowest academic performance, so you're the most suitable target—"
"Hahaha, based on class points alone, that's true. I'm sure both Class A and Class C will also target our class. But our goal is equally clear. I've said it before—I'll crush Class B and Horikita Suzune together. If our class chooses Class B, it'll ultimately come down to a showdown between our two classes."
"You keep saying you'll crush Horikita Suzune, but during the sports festival, you didn't manage to do it."
At this point, Kushida Kikyo's expression changed. She stepped forward, her gaze locking onto Ryuen Kakeru.
"I hope you're not just all talk, Ryuen."
A murderous intent emanated from Kushida Kikyo.
[This girl... how dare she talk to Ryuen like that?]
Ishizaki Daichi, standing nearby, was stunned. He hadn't expected Kushida Kikyo to act this way.
"Oh? Kikyo, you've got quite the nerve. You're the first woman to dare speak to me like this."
Ryuen Kakeru maintained his smile, showing no signs of anger.
Although Ryuen Kakeru was someone who liked to use violence, he was also a very rational person. Violence was just a means to achieve his goals.
He knew very well that he and Kushida Kikyo were currently "allies" in the same camp.
They shared a common goal: to crush Horikita Suzune.
Kushida Kikyo wanted to use Ryuen Kakeru, and Ryuen Kakeru wanted to use her in return.
To destroy Horikita Suzune and Class B, they had to cooperate.
"Horikita Suzune found out about our partnership after the sports festival."
Kushida Kikyo continued.
"That was inevitable. It was only a matter of time before she found out. Kikyo, this exam's questions are being created by the students. This is an opportunity for us."
Ryuen Kakeru narrowed his eyes.
"You need to design the questions before anyone else, then submit them to your homeroom teacher. Make sure your teacher doesn't accept any other questions afterward. Then, you'll give us the exam questions—this way, Class D will definitely come out on top in the final exams."
"Got it."
Kushida Kikyo nodded. After discussing a few more things about Class B with Ryuen Kakeru, she left the area first.
'Yare yare, these two are really causing trouble.'
After their conversation, Saiki also headed to a secluded spot and deactivated his invisibility.
'I can't just let this slide.'
Saiki turned his head, looking into the distance. Although he never wanted to get involved in unnecessary trouble, Kushida Kikyo and Ryuen Kakeru's plan to secretly prepare the exam questions bothered him a little.
'If I tell Ayanokoji later, he should be able to handle it. For now, I'll head back. Yare yare, maybe I'll check out another dessert shop to see if they have any new cakes.....'
...
The next morning.
Chabashira Sae gave the class a period to hold a meeting and discuss how to handle the upcoming exams.
Horikita Suzune took the initiative to step onto the podium and spoke to everyone in a serious tone:
"Thank you for your hard work. Whether it was the sports festival, the small exams, or the midterms, we've achieved excellent results."
[Horikita has changed quite a bit since the start of the school year.]
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka propped his chin on his hand, his gaze fixed on Horikita Suzune.
At the beginning of the school year, Horikita Suzune looked down on everyone around her, but now she had changed somewhat.
This change had occurred after a certain day in May last semester. Ayanokoji Kiyotaka didn't know the reason, but it was undoubtedly related to Saiki.
".....During the sports festival, I even saw a change in Sudo-kun. From being a troublemaker, he's now someone with a sense of responsibility....."
Hearing Horikita Suzune's words, Sudo Ken's cheeks turned slightly red, and he scratched his head in embarrassment.
".....For the upcoming small exam and final exams, I want to give it my all. I believe that if we don't unite as a class, we won't make it through. We're just one step away from Class A, and I hope we can all work hard together!"
"I get that, but do we have any strategies or solutions? Like how to decide on partners? We don't know that, do we?!"
Yamauchi Haruki shouted from the back, expressing his confusion.
[This guy definitely already knows. He's probably still pretending.]
Saiki turned his head slightly, looking toward the source of the thoughts—Kushida Kikyo.
[You're really good at pretending. Probably no one in the class knows your true nature, right? I'll make sure you and Horikita Suzune get expelled together!]
Kushida Kikyo appeared to be intently watching Horikita Suzune, but inside, she was practically screaming.
Saiki pretended not to hear anything and shifted his gaze elsewhere.
"No, we've pretty much figured out the pairing rules. If everything goes smoothly, we might even be able to pair everyone with their ideal partner—Hirata-kun, if you would."
"Sure."
Hirata Yosuke nodded, then stepped onto the podium and wrote the pairing rules on the blackboard. After the meeting yesterday, he had gone to his soccer club and asked his seniors about the situation, confirming their earlier speculation.
From the class's perspective, the highest-scoring student would be paired with the lowest-scoring student.
Next, the second-highest scorer would be paired with the second-lowest, the third-highest with the third-lowest, and so on.
For example, a student with 100 points would be paired with a student with 0 points, while a student with 99 points would be paired with a student with 1 point.
"This is the purpose of the small exam and the pairing rules. It's actually quite simple."
Horikita Suzune pointed at the blackboard as she spoke.
"Wow—! So that's how the pairings work! You figured it out, Horikita! You're amazing!"
Many in the class praised Horikita Suzune, with Yamauchi Haruki's voice being the loudest.
[Tch, something this obvious that anyone could figure out with a little thought, and you're all praising her for it?]
Kushida Kikyo's frustration grew even stronger.
"Because of these rules, the high-performing students will be paired with the low-performing ones in order. But there's still a chance for unexpected outcomes, so we need to strategize to ensure precise pairings. Next, I'll explain the plan I've come up with."
"Considering past exam results, I want to focus on supporting students who are worried about their scores, while also working with the top students to create a plan for pairing. Although some students might still feel uneasy, we can't take care of everyone, so our priority is to help the lowest-performing students."
"For the bottom ten students in the midterm exams, all you need to do is write your name on the small exam. Since it won't affect your points, even scoring zero won't hurt you—on the other hand, the top ten students must score at least 85 points."
Horikita Suzune addressed the class.
"W-what does that mean?"
Yamauchi Haruki, still confused, had to ask Ike Kanji to explain. After understanding, he nodded in realization.
[Kushida-san is in the top ten in the class... So that means I might have a chance to pair up with her!]
At this thought, Yamauchi Haruki's lips curled into a smile.
'Hey, hey, hey, everyone else is practically trying to get you expelled, and you're actually proud of being at the bottom of the class?.....'
Saiki sighed inwardly. In a situation like this, only Yamauchi Haruki could genuinely feel happy.
This guy's heart was truly something else.
Saiki then began to think about how he should handle this exam.
This time, his ranking in the class was right in the middle—and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was the same, with almost the same total score.
If the pairing rules Horikita Suzune mentioned were followed, Saiki would be paired with Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.....
'Absolutely not!'
Saiki thought to himself. He knew that if he were paired with Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, he'd be dragged into who knows how many troublesome situations.
".....The remaining twenty students in the middle will also be divided into groups of ten. The top students should aim for a maximum of 80 points, while the lower students should aim for 1 point. By doing this, we should naturally achieve a balanced and optimal pairing for the final exams. However, I'll double-check the details later."
At this moment, Horikita Suzune continued.
Saiki was ranked 20th in the class, while Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was 21st.....
This was right on the dividing line.
However, since the lowest scores were only 0 and 1, the pairing for the final exams would have some randomness, reducing the chance of Saiki being paired with Ayanokoji Kiyotaka to one in ten.
If Saiki could control the randomness, he could easily change his partner, but he wasn't sure how the school would handle the pairings.
As long as it wasn't Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, everything would be fine.
"Koenji-kun, do you have any objections?"
Horikita Suzune turned her gaze to Koenji Rokusuke.
"I have no objections. What a nonsensical question. Of course, I've already grasped the exam content."
He stretched his long legs onto the desk, looking completely indifferent.
There was no doubt that Koenji Rokusuke had excellent learning and judgment skills. He had undoubtedly figured out the true rules of the small exam, and his grades were also very good.
However, Koenji Rokusuke was someone with unconventional thinking. Even Horikita Suzune couldn't predict what he might do.
"Then, can I expect you to score at least 80 points?"
"Who knows? It depends on the exam content."
"If you deliberately score zero and get paired with a top student, the balance could collapse. I hope you'll cooperate with us, Koenji."
"I'll think about it, girl."
Koenji Rokusuke maintained his smile, making it impossible to tell what he was really thinking.
...
A few days later, the small exam began as scheduled. The content was very simple—even someone like Sudo Ken or Yamauchi Haruki should have been able to score decently. But to ensure that everyone could perform well in the final exams, everyone followed Horikita Suzune's plan.
Saiki, who usually scored in the middle, sighed and had no choice but to follow Horikita Suzune's instructions and aim for over 80 points.
The next day, Chabashira Sae entered the classroom.
"Based on the results, it seems you've figured out the pairing rules for the final exams. Well done."
Chabashira Sae nodded in satisfaction, then smiled.
"Now, I'll announce the pairings for the final exams....."
She then posted the pairing list on the blackboard.
Horikita Suzune and Sudo Ken, Hirata Yosuke and Ike Kanji—Kushida Kikyo and Yamauchi Haruki.
Seeing Kushida Kikyo and Yamauchi Haruki's names together, Saiki looked at Yamauchi Haruki with pity.
Yamauchi Haruki, completely oblivious to Saiki's gaze, was beaming with joy.
[This is amazing! I'm paired with Kushida! Not only is my grade secured, but... I might even get closer to her!]
Yamauchi Haruki was overjoyed.
Meanwhile, even Kushida Kikyo, who was always in disguise, had a slightly stiff smile on her face.
[Yamauchi Haruki, did you deliberately pair up with me?]