Chapter 13 - Chapter 13: Midterms Part 2

"It is no sign of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." - Krishnamurti

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「May 10th︱Mourning︱Advanced Nurturing High School 1-D's Classroom

Advanced Nurturing High School. 

In this high school, meritocracy was paramount, shaping every aspect of the educational experience. Academic achievements, extracurricular accomplishments, and leadership qualities played pivotal roles in determining students' standing. An environment where individuals were rewarded based on their merit, encouraging a culture of hard work and excellence. This was not a simple school, but a miniature war zone funded by the government. Its aim was simple: to lead Japan's future with individuals who would be aware of how the real world worked the moment they graduated. 

This midterm is merely a first step for the arduous 3-year competition to climb to the top.

-"Good morning, Yamasaki-kun." - A female voice called to Yamasaki, a voice that radiated quiet self-assurance to the point it could be perceived as borderline narcissism. 

-"Good morning, Horikita." - Yamasaki reciprocated the greeting. This was the first time Horikita approached Yamasaki on her own volition. After all, Horikita wasn't the type to concern herself with others unless others' affairs affected her directly.

-"There is something I want to ask you." - In line with Horikita's personality, she wasted no time in asking the questions that she wanted to ask. Though her words convey that the other party has a choice to say "no", with that intimidating presence, the presence that screams "I won't take no for an answer", it felt like more like an order.

-"What is it?" - Yamasaki, more or less, knows what she wants to ask, but still asks. Horikita's presence didn't faze him in the slightest.

 -"Hirata-kun told me you are the one who convinced Sudou-kun and the others to join my study group. Is that true?" - Horikita immediately addressed the main concern she wanted to discuss with Yamasaki.

-"Yeah." - Yamasaki replied immediately. There was nothing to hide, anyway.

-"Why? You are not friends with them." - Typical of Horikita, she immediately assumes the worst of people and thinks that Yamasaki has an ulterior motive. 

-"Would you prefer we lose our remaining class points?" - Yamasaki used a simple and valid argument against Horikita. If you asked all students in this class whether they would prefer more points or fewer points. The answer would be unanimous yes. No one would want to lose points for nothing.

-"No. That's an understandable reason, but I doubt that alone would explain your proactive attitude towards them from yesterday. If you really wanted to help them, why didn't you approach them earlier?" - Horikita acknowledged Yamasaki's stance, but still was not fully convinced. 

Horikita was a closed-off and extremely distrustful person. Her cynical and prideful nature won't allow her to accept that the answer is not up to her standard. She wants things to go her way. She may not know much about Yamasaki, nor did she ever care to know him better or rather, anyone at all, but he doesn't give the impression of someone who would spend money lavishly. She couldn't fully understand his motives.

That's why she approached Yamasaki today. To confirm his true intentions.

No...

There is one more reason why Horikita approached Yamasaki.

Horikita holds onto her initial feeling that Kushida has malicious intent towards her. Hence, she refused any contact with her, including declining her help to gain the idiot trio's cooperation. She didn't show it on the outside, but she was a little relieved that the problem was solved, and more importantly, she didn't need to deal with the troublesome interpersonal relationships.

From the very early stages of her life, Horikita Suzune was an observant person. It's just that the way she uses it is underdeveloped. She intuitively sensed something was wrong with this prestigious high school, but was unable to go beyond the surface level. She was able to detect Kikyo Kushida's ill will toward her, yet couldn't comprehend the reason behind her hatred.

In addition, in Horikita's mind, Hirata Yousuke is not what he shows to everyone. In her mind, hypocrisy and virtue are two sides of the same coin. Since Horikita is a very distrustful and closed-off person, she didn't believe in Hirata's "I want to help everyone" attitude.

Unfortunately, she didn't consider the possibility that his "saving everyone" attitude is simply the young man's genuine belief, only dialled up to the extreme. 

Though it was for the wrong reason, she did arrive at the right conclusion. 

To give an analogy, it was akin to possessing powerful hardware functions, but lacking the software to utilize those functions.

The reason Horikita Suzune came to this school was to prove herself to the brother she admired above everyone, Horikita Manabu. To prove that she could follow her brother's footsteps. If she just continued to muddle along in Class D until graduation, how would she be able to show her face to her brother?! 

Undoubtedly, as a student council president, her brother must know the situation of Year 1, Class D. The mere imagination of her brother's face and words was enough to make Horikita feel very irritated from the inability to do anything about the situation, and more importantly, anxiety from the inside, the fear of disappointment. Those feelings deteriorated for the worse when she learned from her homeroom teacher that, even compared to the former Class Ds, their year's Class D was the worst of the worst. 

Yamasaki replied to Horikita's inquiry without hesitation. - "I truly didn't think they would refuse to join your study group with the expulsion on the line. Since Hirata told me he would try to come up with a way to convince them to join your study session, I didn't intervene. Only then did the situation seem hopeless. Hirata asked me for my help to gain their cooperation. Is that a problem?" - Once again, Yamasaki answered Horikita's question with a logical answer in alignment with Horikita's goals and values. 

-"No. Thanks to you, those three will finally take their midterms seriously. The week has passed, and they are the only ones who haven't made any progress. I wouldn't be surprised if they slacked off until the last day, trying to cram before the midterms. The fact that they need someone else to remind them of an elementary responsibility expected from a student is appalling in its own right." - Horikita trademark traits: overly blunt and logical are abundant in these statements. Then again, Horikita's perspective was valid. 

In this school, low academic ability means expulsion. No normal person with a functioning brain and having some desire to remain at this institution could ever understand why someone would not take their studies seriously in a school where there are no second chances, especially for a black-haired girl. 

Horikita is a troublesome person and hard to deal with, but she is not unreasonable.

-"Fair enough. What is the time and place for the study session?" - Yamasaki inquired about the time and place of her study group. He knew that Horikita wouldn't approach the idiot trio on her own. He knew that her actions were already a compromise to reach her goal. To try to push for more would only backfire. 

-"Today, at 16:30 at the school library. I have reserved places for us, since with the midterms, the library is becoming occupied. Tell Sudou-kun and the others the details and make sure they are not late. Also, I have one more question for you." - Horikita told the details to Yamasaki to make sure Sudou and the others arrive on time, while inserting one more question lingering in her mind.

-"What is it?" - Yamasaki was curious what Horikited wanted to ask him.

-"Hirata-kun also told me that you will be present at my study session. Why? Your grades may not match mine, but it's still more than enough to pass the midterms." - Yamasaki's answers satisfied Horikita's first question. Now, she wanted to probe about his motive for the second question. It probably has less to do with having an extra student to teach and more about her desire to know his true intentions in his participation in the study group.

-"Sudou and the others agreed to join under the condition that I would be present. Hirata also asked me to manage those guys if they ever sidetracked. Not to mention, I may not be in danger of expulsion, but my grades could still use some help. With you as the tutor in the group, I could ask about the material I don't understand. Is that not a good enough reason to attend?" - Once again, Yamasaki responded to Horikita's insistent inquiry with logic that Horikita would have no issue.

-"No, that's fine. Compared to most people in this class, your presence is tolerable. As long as you take studies seriously, I have no reason to reject you." - After receiving the satisfactory response she wanted, Horikita left Yamasaki, took out the book from her school bag. The book was Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel "The Demons". 

Yamasaki remained in his seat as he continued to take notes from his school bag to prepare for the classes.

As Yamasaki was preoccupied with his thoughts...

-"Hey, Sao-kun!" 

-"Good morning, Isao-kun."

-"Good morning, Isao. You are early today."

-"Hey, Isao."

-"Good morning, everyone." - Yamasaki replied curtly. "I am surprised to see everyone together, especially you, Keisei."

-"Well, I woke up early today and decided to do some morning study before classes start, but I ended up encountering Akito and the others. So, I decided to come along with them." - Yukimura answered Yamasaki's question with his usual neutral expression. 

-"You're always about studies this, study that, Yukimuu. You should enjoy your high school a bit more," Hasebe retorted to Yukimura's unyielding determination towards his academics.

-"You already know, Haruka. I am here to study for the future. Just so you know, just because you are in a safe line, you should also..." - Usually, Yukimura couldn't care less about what people do with their lives. This has nothing to do with him. However, now that he and Hasebe have become friends, he feels like he should at least warn her that her overly relaxed attitude might be okay in personal relationships, but this lackadaisical attitude will be a detriment to her in academics, and by extension, in her high school life. 

-"Bla, bla, bla. I know Yukimu. You and your school stuff." - Hasebe just casually shrugged at Yukimura's earnest answer. Hasebe knew that Yukimura meant well, but she couldn't bring herself to care for things that didn't interest her. Just like Miyake said, Hasebe was very clear about her likes and dislikes. 

-"Haruka-chan, Keisei-kun is just concerned for everyone. We shouldn't judge his choices. Keisei-kun doesn't seem to dislike it at all." - Sakura, typically stays in the sidelines, voiced with a soft yet firm tone, indicating that she understands and acknowledges Hasebe's lifestyle, but also wanted her close friend to take her high school life a bit more seriously.

-"Airi is right, Haruka. It's Keisei's business what he does with his time. If anything, you are the one who is too relaxed. Just because we are making better progress than we expected, that doesn't mean we should take it easy this early." - Miyake reprimanded Hasebe for her overly laid-back attitude. The former knew she wouldn't actually give up on her place at this point, especially since she had made her friends, but Miyake knew better. Hasebe was one of those people who only studied at the last minute and was satisfied with only passing their tests.

If Akito had to judge Hasebe's ability to procrastinate between 0-10, the answer would be a solid 9.

-"Akito-kun is right, Haruka-chan. Keisei-kun and Isao-kun are doing their best to teach us. We shouldn't disregard their efforts." - Sakura uttered these words to Hasebe. Though a mere glance at her expression, anyone could see that her words were less of an attitude of a stern person assuming a superior position; those were words of a close friend, indicating a worry for her friend.

-"Okay, okay, I got it. I guess I can't win against you, Ai-chan." - Hasebe helplessly smiled as she took, and she couldn't help but reflect on her close female friend and the changes she had observed in the past weeks.

In just 1 month, her red-haired friend already has no problem looking her classmates in the eyes and speaking her mind without stutter. Of course, she still wears her old-fashioned glasses and twin pigtails to disguise herself, and she may still be a bit nervous when talking to strangers, but what's the big deal? 

Many people feel a bit awkward talking to a new person during their first encounter. Besides, why should she care what others thought of her? It's her business if she wants to showcase her true self to others or not. It's up to her to decide how she wants to present herself. 

Not to mention, Hasebe has noticed that she has become more communicative with others. Granted, this side of her only manifests with people she feels comfortable with. For someone who never had many friends, she greatly values the few that she has. But as long as she considers the other person easy to talk to, she will immediately treat the other person as if they were friends for years. 

Sakura wasn't like Hasebe, who stayed alone out of choice. She was afraid of others. She couldn't interact with people, and that led to her being isolated. Most people would probably just think that Sakura was someone socially inept, and while they weren't wrong, Sakura's fear of what others might do or say was what caused her to develop that inability to communicate.

Only a month has already passed, and yet Hasebe can remember the few but memorable moments of her life.

The day her first friend group formed...

Enjoying the school pool with her friends without interruptions...

And finally, the two high school students walking together, eating together, laughing together, as they strolled towards the school...

Reminiscing about the changes in her life, Hasebe couldn't help but glance at the brown-haired man next to her, who was observing the group dynamics, listening to Miyake's and Sakura's conversation about the restaurant they plan to visit after they finish the midterms. The gaze of her eyes towards the young man was unusually attentive, a mixture of curiosity, gratitude, and something that couldn't be fully deciphered.

"Now that I think about it, everything that is going on well in my high school life has started with you, Sao-kun." - Hasebe couldn't help but smile at a brown-haired boy. Not her usual teasing smile, but something more tender, the type of smile that would want to prolong the moment for as long as possible.

-"Anyway," - Yamasaki interrupted before the atmosphere could stiffen. - "Everything is fine. Everyone is taking midterms seriously, and everything is going well. If everything goes, we might even receive points as Hirata mentioned."

-"That's right!" - Hasebe quickly regained her composure and returned to her usual expression. "Though these midterms are a headache, the points are really making it hard for us not to take classes seriously." - Hasebe unintentionally voiced out one of the main reasons why students take their academics more seriously compared to other high schools. 

Unlike in other high schools, if you don't demonstrate sufficient academic ability, you will be expelled. After the S-System revelation, the majority of students have to live on edge during every midterm and final. In a normal high school, the worst that could happen is to receive a zero, a warning, or, in an extreme case, suspension. 

In addition, unlike in other high schools, their everyday behaviour is related to their income. At this school, even the most eccentric, volatile, arrogant, and indifferent students had an incentive to get their act together. Though students at this school didn't need to pay for studies, rent, or utilities, everything else can only be purchased through points, and part-time jobs are strictly prohibited by the school. Even if they are allowed, they are only allowed under very specific circumstances. 

Yamasaki recognized early on that the personal autonomy the students had was not given out of kindness, but as a test, and they are the test subjects. When people are given space and choice, their true nature surfaces. Some waste it, some fear it, and some learn how to move within it without being noticed.

Yamasaki understands what most people don't. Underestimating himself keeps expectations low. Low expectations reduced scrutiny. Scrutiny is dangerous in an environment built to observe the elite. His polite and approachable nature is not a weakness, not a virtue, nor modesty, but a strategic positioning.

-"True. This school really is different from the others. All of us were shocked when Chabashira-sensei revealed the truth about this school." - Akito followed Yamasaki's lead to continue to conversation. There was still some time before classes started, but he wasn't interested in keeping to himself if he could talk with his friends. 

-"Yeah. When Chabashira-sensei unveiled the true nature of this school, I couldn't help but feel enraged and, deep down, ashamed. I always felt that 100,000 points were too much for high school students, but I only focused on my grades. I didn't try to understand the school system at all." - Yukimura shared his thoughts and feelings with the group. Much like most Class D students, he was too caught off guard by their monthly allowance, not trying to understand the school system better. He automatically assumed that they would receive 100,000 points per month. 

He thought that as long as his academic scores are high, that's all that matters. As long as he keeps his distance from others, he will be able to secure the future that he wants. 

Humans are fundamentally selfish creatures. Everybody acts according to their own feelings and beliefs. However, most people also empathize with others. It creates a middle ground where society can function. 

If you want to understand others' feelings, you just need to spend more time with them.

-"It's not your fault, Yukimuu. All of us were stunned by the points we received on our first day. Besides, how could we have understood what this school wants from us just from points? This school is also sketchy if you ask me." - Hasebe shared her perspective on this topic. Hasebe's attitude was that of a normal student, but that didn't mean she didn't have common sense. She did feel something was not right. Aside from a few things, she was relatively conservative with her spending. Unlike most girls her age, she didn't spend that much money on clothes, make-up, or souvenirs. After all, she was the natural-beauty type. 

In the end, though, she didn't really understand the motives of the points they received, much less their deeper meaning behind their words. 

-"Even so, that doesn't change the fact that I should have been more cautious. Even if I couldn't figure out the school system, I should have realized something was wrong with this school. Then again, it probably wouldn't have amounted to anything. Even if I figured out something, I doubt anyone would have believed it. If I had Kushida's or Hirata's presence, it would be one thing, but that's not the case. It's embarrassing to admit that, but after Chabashira-sensei explained to us, I couldn't help but lash out at Hirata. Later on, I realized that I didn't try to understand this school. I didn't try to take action. I wasn't that different from the Sudou and the others." - Yukimura bypassed Hasebe's consideration and continued with his self-criticism. It wasn't exactly a self-deprecation. A feeling of silent acknowledgement that you didn't do as much as you could. All that was left was an expression that emits "I could have done better." 

-"Haruka-chan is right, Keisei-kun. It's embarrassing to admit it, but while I did feel uncomfortable with having so many points and thinking this might be too much money for us, I didn't notice anything strange about this school. The important thing is, this is only the first month. We still have three years. So, don't blame yourself, Keisei-kun." - Sakura acknowledged Yukimura's feeling of inadequacy, helplessness and disappointment in himself, and offered a response mixed with logic and empathy, the appropriate answer for a logic-driven person, yet not devoid of personal care.

-"Isao, what do you think?" - Miyake included Yamasaki in the conversation. Besides, he was curious about Yamasaki's thoughts.

-"Same as everyone. I thought it was a little strange that the school is so generous to donate everyone in the class 100,000 yen every month without asking for anything in return, but unfortunately, I couldn't see beyond that. It's embarrassing not being able to understand the school system." - Yamasaki scratched his head, being embarrassed while sharing his thoughts with everyone in the group about his thoughts about the ANHS.

-"See, even Sao-kun couldn't get it! So don't beat yourself up, Yukimu." - Hasebe's attempts to lift at Yamasaki's expense were a bit questionable, but it seems the approach was effective as Yukimura returned to his usual, neutral expression.

-"Yeah, I guess so. I suppose reminiscing about past actions won't change anything. The only thing we can do now is to prepare for the midterms, not just for private points, but for class points. The gap between the other classes is already large. We can't be complacent." - Yukimura decided that nothing good would come if he wallows in self-pity. Instead, he should focus on the things he can do. Now that he had vented all his negative thoughts and feelings, he shared his thoughts on his future actions.

-"Now that I think about it, a few times I went to the convenience store, I noticed a 'free items' section. Back then, I didn't think much of it, but it seems the school really gave us hints for us, besides 100,000 points." - The engagement with this topic, Miyake couldn't help but remember something, and decided to share my observation with others. Back then, Miyake didn't think much of it. He simply assumed the school was generous. 

His thoughts were something like this: "The school already assigned 100,000 points every month. A prestigious high school like this won't have a problem allowing students to take a few extra items for free."

-"That's right! Now that Miyachi mentions it, I do remember seeing the free items available. I thought it was just stuff that would soon expire, so I didn't think much of it. I guess all of us got misled, huh?" - Contrary to her words, Hasebe wasn't particularly interested in the school system. It was way too much for a normal high school girl like her to decipher the ambiguous messages and clues. She wasn't an ambitious person. She was content to simply enjoy her normal high school life. 

Study, eat delicious food, take long sleeps, gossip with friends, and repeat the cycle. 

That was Hasebe Haruka's life.

-"He he, it's embarrassing to admit, but I took some items from the "free items" section. I thought the school was just being generous. We already received so many points, I thought it would make sense for the school to help the students. Now that Chabashira-sensei told us everything that day, it makes sense in hindsight." - Sakura shared her feelings as she reminisced about the day she saw the "free item" section in a convenience store. Much like Miyake and Hasebe, Sakura assumed the school was just generous.

Yamasaki smiled a little. "Good. I will go to Hirata and the others. He looks a bit lonely without me keeping him company." - Yamasaki figured that he should spend some time with his other male friend from another friend group. Someone has to keep the company for the popular Hirata, don't they?

-"Already leaving us behind to enjoy the spotlight of the popular ones? How cheeky of you, Sao-kun." - Hasebe playfully pushed her elbow towards Yamasaki's left wrist, not giving up to get a reaction out of him.

-"Hehe, Isao-kun always plays it cool, but maybe he is actually self-conscious, always trying to look cool in front of others." - Surprisingly, Sakura leaned against Yamasaki's right side, as she teasingly pointed at his right cheek, hoping to crack his composure, even a little. 

"Don't try to do what you clearly can't do, dummy." - Yamasaki commented on Sakura's attempt to embarrass him in front of the group, even though her cheeks were burning with embarrassment, and secret excitement. 

Yamasaki leaned towards Sakura's left ear as if he were about to share a secret with her. The young man's soft voice, grassy scent caused Sakura's heart to race. 

-"You look much prettier without glasses." - Yamasaki uttered those words before leaving Sakura with her intrusive thoughts.

Thump, thump!

The whispers from Yamasaki and his sweet words carried a gentle warmth, brushing against the fine hairs by Sakura's ears, giving her a strange, ticklish sensation like a feather grazing her cheek. She felt a tingling in her ears, and her soft body instinctively tensed up. Her usually pale cheeks now displayed a delicate blush. 

She was shy. 

Although Sakura Airi has come a long way from he way she was during the first day at school, she was still a high school student with no experience in the romance department. 

Yamasaki ignored Hasebe's pout, Miyake's smirk, and Yukimura's confusion as he left the table and walked towards Hirata's group, who were engaged in a conversation.

-"Good morning, Yamasaki-kun." - Hirata smiled warmly and greeted his male friend with a voice a bit louder than the one he gave to his other classmates. Deep down, he was relieved to have. another male classmate in the group. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Yamasaki was Hirata's sole male friend at this school. No matter how considerate and open-minded Hirata was, he was still a high school boy who wanted to live high school life to the fullest, not just with the girls, but also with guys.

I guess being popular has its own cons, huh?

-"Hm, it seems you were having fun over there, Yamasaki-kun." - Satou, teasing Yamasaki, secretly being happy she can talk with Yamasaki, since, as he joined the Hasebe group and became one of the tutors, the time he spent with her group was significantly decreased. 

-"These guys are lively, yes." - Yamasaki calmly responded to Satou's teasing after taking the nearby seat that was empty and sitting between Hirata and Satou.

-"Now that you find yourself in another group, you have started to spend less time with us, Yamasaki-kun. Are you getting tired of us already?" - Matsushita playfully teased Yamasaki with a teasing smile on her face. In the Hirata group, she embodied the teasing, older-sister type. 

To Yamasaki, she was more mature than most of the girls in class; she gave off a heavy older sister vibe, which was rather attractive. She was cute overall, too. Matsushita always took great care of her appearance and the way she treated the people in our class, yet didn't have any close friends like Karuizawa or Satou did, despite hanging out with them fairly often. She kept her distance from people, but not to such an extensive degree as Horikita.

-"Matsushita-san, Yamasaki-kun is not like that. I am sure he is simply being considerate to them. Besides, Yamasaki-kun is a tutor in their group. It's not a bad thing for Yamasaki to become closer to them." - Hirata took Yamasaki's side without hesitation. He calmly and patiently explained Yamasaki's actions in a way that would not incite dissatisfaction. 

As expected of Class D prince charming, hero, you name it. 

-"What were you guys talking just now?" - Just like with Hasebe, Yamasaki ignored Matsushita's teasing and shifted the conversation in a different direction.

-"We were talking about how the school denies any access to the outside world. I mean, we get it, it is the elite stuff and all that, but isn't this a bit too extreme?" - Karuizawa told Yamasaki about the discussion of their topic, which was surprisingly deep considering most topics around this topic revolve around gossip, celebrities, clothes, and cosmetics.

Even if you exclude his nature, Yamasaki was well informed about these topics. It wasn't a big deal for him. But for Hirata, for all his considerate nature, he was still a high school boy who had limited information, much less interest in these topics. Naturally, the toll on his mental health was much higher than Yamasaki's, because he hung out with the girls in this group much more than Yamasaki did.

"Most people thought you probably could contact your relatives on important occasions, but unless it involves the death of someone, students are not allowed to have contact with anyone. That's probably the reason we had 2 entrance ceremonies. One for a regular welcoming ceremony of the freshmen, and the second one to deal with the stark differences this school has from all the others. Some were truly upset when that was brought up, but they couldn't do anything. The school has already informed people on multiple occasions about the arrangements during the admission procedures. During the interview, ANHS students even had short counselling sessions to get a picture of our mental health and whether or not we, the students, were ready for the environment. However, if you ponder the questions, they hint at the secrets of the school. After all, there's a difference between being able to live away from their family and comfort zone and being thrust into a competition with ¾ of the school year as your enemy." - Yamasaki contemplated the topic as he casually analyzed this rule.

-"Yeah. I understand this school is to prepare future generations, but this is a bit too much, don't you think? It's a shame we can't contact our family or friends from outside for 3 years." - Matsushita contributed to the conversation as she quietly sighed.

Matushita was someone who valued security and comfort above all, but she loved her family deeply. 

Deep down, Matsushita thought that her status as a daughter from a wealthy background would give her some leeway to contact her family, but she realized that her family's status is nowhere near enough to bypass the ANHS authority. 

-" I know, right? I wish I could talk to my friends and tell them all about this school. I mean, how many would believe the things happening at this school?" Mori joined the group to share her thoughts and feelings on this school. Much like every person in this group, she wanted to share her experiences with her family and friends she made during her middle school days. 

-"I understand Mori-san. Everyone has friends or family members they would want to talk about." Hirata smiled at Mori and answered her question with an understanding gaze. Then, he turned his attention to Yamasaki. "Yamasaki-kun, I saw Horikita-san talking to you. What did you two talk about?" - Hirata thought this was an opportunity to ask something he was curious about.

-"Yeah. Horikita wanted to tell me the details about the study group we will have." - Yamasaki saw no reason to hide it from Hirata and told him the truth.

-"Once again, thank you Yamasaki-kun. It's thanks to you, Sudou-kun, and the others will take their studies seriously. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't know what to do." - Hirata, once again, expressed his sincere gratitude towards Yamasaki. He tried to convince Horikita a few times, but he failed. He was just about to try to convince Horikita one more time, and if that didn't work, he would try his luck with the idiot trio. Fortunately, Yamasaki solved his issues effortlessly.

-"I didn't do much. These guys are just doing this for their own sake. Besides, we didn't yet have a single study group. Who knows how things will go?" - Yamasaki deflected the attention from himself to the idiot trio. Besides, technically speaking, he wasn't lying. 

"The popular students gravitated towards the other popular students, not necessarily out of ego but actually because of the unpopular students. Somebody like Hirata would happily befriend just about anyone in our year. It was the unpopular boys who wouldn't accept Hirata as their friend. In this case, this would be the group of Ike, Sudo and Yamauchi. Ike and the others were simply bitter about Hirata's popularity and hated him because of it. For this reason, they would reject his friendship. This behaviour is much more common than many might think. People would complain about the popular people flaunting their status, all the while rejecting the idea of being friends with them out of jealousy. School is like a microcosm of society. In this regard, within humanity, there will always be those who have something and those who want it. It is a breeding ground for envy and resentment. This is an illogical aspect of normal people, yet deeply human." - Yamasaki calmly analyzed the psychological and social reasons why hierarchies emerge in any group and environment.

-"Seriously! What are these guys thinking? I get that studying stuff is no fun. If I could, I would just dump all this and hang out with friends, and buy nice clothes, but we won't get the points. It sucks, but we just have to do it. Don't you guys also want to buy the stuff we looked at during outings?" - Karuizawa's argument, though somewhat self-centred, was the feeling shared among most Class D students. Those were probably her honest feelings about this matter. 

Generous with themselves, stingy with others. This was the fundamental nature of Class D.

Most Class D may follow to some shred of reason, but the moment stress exceeds a certain threshold, they fold easily. They were incredibly difficult to lead.

Ever since that night, Karuizawa, little by little, became less of a bratty girl and more considerate without losing either her ferocity or her authority. During that night, Yamasaki recommended Karuizawa a few tips. Even though Yamasaki recommended "that" method to secure her method both in terms of efficiency and efficacy, he offered a few words of advice.

In Yamasaki's eyes, Karuizawa possessed the qualities to be a leader. With just a few small adjustments, Karuizawa would be able to cement her authority as a leader of Class D girls, even without the status as Hirata Yousuke's girlfriend. Yamasaki insinuated to Karuizawa that she can express her opinion without an overbearing attitude. She doesn't have to abandon her willful nature or her status. 

She simply has to change her attitude towards those she doesn't like. You can deflect attention towards the way to solve the problem, you can show concern for them, or if you can't do either, just go with the flow. 

The change doesn't have to be dramatic. It simply needs to be consistent, step by step. This way, most people won't think much of it. In addition, this change would appear natural. Many people won't think much of it. Others would either just praise or be curious about the change. However, without additional information to probe further, that curiosity will eventually fade away. 

The results speak for themselves.

-"Wow, that was surprisingly deep of you, Karuizawa-san. When did you become so mature?" - Though Satou was teasing Karuizawa, to ease the tension and her own embarrassment for her own a bit immature response, the former was genuinely about Karuizawa's change. Satou had known her friends for several weeks; she never expected to hear such thoughtful words from Karuizawa. Not to be mean, but in Satou's mind, Karuizawa was the type who couldn't think of anything else besides fashion and gossip. For some reason, these words sounded like Karuizawa would say, yet something is different about her. 

"Ever since Karuizawa-san started going out with Hirata-kun, she has become a little more level-headed, a little more considerate towards others, not just girls, but even boys. Even though her feelings of disgust and anger haven't decreased at all. If anything, she is even more expressive about her feelings towards them. Not that I blame her. I feel the same way. Even so, she makes her point without allowing herself to be slandered, yet it doesn't come off as overly overbearing." - Matsushita contemplated the change in Karuizawa's baseline behaviour she observed in the past few weeks, unable to determine the cause behind this shift in her friend's personality.

"Why is Karuizawa-san like this? Is it because she wants to impress Hirata-kun? Yeah. That makes sense. Hirata-kun is an amazing person. Other than Yamasaki-kun, he is the only dateable guy in this class. Koenji-kun? Hehe. I don't even consider a human being anymore. Maybe Karuizawa-san felt that she needed to change for Hirata-kun to accept her? Yeah. That makes sense." - Satou pondered on Karuizawa's shift in her attitude, and eventually concluded that this must be related to becoming Hirata's boyfriend.

After all, no girl would want to look bad in front of their boyfriend.

-"That's right, Karuizawa-san. We will get through this together as a class," Hirata declared his promise to the group one more time.

-"Hehe, thank you, Yousuke-kun. Did I look cool just now?" - Karuizawa blushed as she embarrassingly scratched her right cheek, wanting to leave a positive impression on her "boyfriend", and especially her group members.

-"Oh my, Karuizawa-san. After you and Hirata-kun became a couple, you became more... I don't know, level-headed. Trying to impress your boyfriend, are we?" - Matsushita teased Karuizawa and slightly edged her using her left arm, her words and tone revealing a mixture of friendly teasing, inquisitive curiosity, and a glimmer of skepticism. 

-"Yes, yes. Kei-chan now has this "No one can bully my younger sibling other than me" aura. " Kei-chan has become even cooler than she was before." - Mori's expression was of a teasing nature towards Karuizawa, but she was genuine in her praise towards her friend. She found this version of Karuizawa more approachable, more level-headed.

Hirata couldn't help but smile towards Karuizawa and the atmosphere in the group.

"I don't know why, but ever since Karuizawa-san requested me to become a fake couple, she became more confident in himself. At first, I found it strange that she would request such a thing. At first, she said she only wanted to avoid bullying, but I had my doubts. In this school, there are cameras almost everywhere. Besides, someone as popular as Karuizawa-san has always had her group following her. It might be tiresome, but it is doable. When she approached that night and told me everything, I agreed without hesitation. It is only natural not to abandon my classmates. However, I also fear that Karuizawa-san would become stuck in her shell forever. Fortunately, she seems to be making small steps to leave her past behind. Maybe Karuizawa-san thinks that my protection is strong enough for her to step away from her past of bullying? Regardless, I am happy for her. Once again, this reminded me of my goal I vowed to myself - To not leave behind anyone, no matter what." - Hirata recollected the reason he chose to attend this school. And this time, he won't fail, no matter what methods he will have to resort to.

As the group conversed among themselves, Yamasaki immersed himself in his thoughts to reflect on the completely unrelated topic discussed in the group- the anomaly in the Class D, Koenji Rokusuke. 

"The way Koenji carries himself speaks volumes about his pride. The way he dismissed people as insignificant as he stepped into the classroom. He didn't feel inferior to anyone, although he couldn't dismiss the possibility that there would be children from the upper echelons of Japanese elite families with influence in politics, business, industry, healthcare and other public and private sectors. In the first place, someone as self-centred as Koenji wouldn't attend this type of school voluntarily. It's no different than putting himself in the cage. A person of such exceptional ability, evident from tests and swimming competition, would only be bored out of his mind at this school. He can't enjoy the freedom without terms, without restraints, and without negative consequences. He can't leverage the wealth of the Koenji conglomerate. It's almost like watching a spoiled child having to get through household chores ordered by an authority figure. Most likely, Koenji has to fulfill his end of the bargain, to the person with whom he made a bet or a deal, more likely the latter." 

"There are 2 possibilities. Either Koenji has to fulfill the end of the bargain by the head of his family, specifically his father, to fulfill a specific goal. Or Koenji is the top student of an educational facility, where he acquired those abilities, and he has to graduate from Class A as a condition for the successful completion of his assignment." 

Yamasaki took his phone from his right pocket and typed a message with a question he had in mind.

Yamasaki: [Uehara-sensei, how much would it cost to install hidden cameras in the locations I choose?]

Uehara-sensei: [A single hidden camera costs 500,000 points. However, if certain conditions are met, the price can be lowered.]

Yamasaki: [What conditions?]

Uehara-sensei: [If you are a student council member, for example, in the secretary position, the price would be 250,000. If you are the vice-president, the student would only have to pay 150,000 private points. If you are the student council president, the final price would be 100,000 private points. In addition, if you can provide a reason to install a hidden that aligns with the school's interests, the price would be lowered by 25,000 points.]

Yamasaki: [Are students permitted to have more than one ANHS-issued phone?]

Uehara-sensei: [No. Students are only allowed to possess one school-issued phone. If students possessed more than a phone, it would constrain their creativity. Without evidence or staff witnessing the incident first-hand, the school does not intervene with student affairs.]

Yamasaki immediately understood the hidden intent behind the "creativity" that this high school encourages. Apparently, the school promotes cunningness within the fixed rules of the school grounds. To allow this rule would greatly inhibit the students' initiative to explore the S-System.

Yamasaki: [What about the right to purchase the phone from alumni?]

Uehara-sensei: [Why would you even ask for such a thing?]

Even without witnessing Uehara-sensei's, Yamasaki could imagine the range of emotions his teacher must experience at this very moment: shock, confusion, awe, and above all, curiosity.

Yamasaki: [Even though alumni have already left the school grounds, their school-issued phones were confiscated, no? The school should have no problem if the student wants another phone, if they name the right price, of course.]

Uehara-sensei: [Yamasaki-kun, even if your request is technically within the boundaries of the rules, this is still a questionable request.]

Yamasaki: [How so? The student guidebook we received on our first day at school, with the section "The School Regulations," doesn't forbid the ownership of a second ANHS-issued phone.]

Uehara-sensei: [As a student, you are not supposed to be aware of this, but a few weeks ago, the chairman announced to the entire ANHS teachers and staff that new regulations would be put in place as an update to the former.]

Yamasaki: [Is that so? And what do these changes in regulations have to do with the request?]

Uehara-sensei: [In the chairman's own words, he and the board of directors were re-examining the S-System, and they identified loopholes in the school system that would allow students to exploit the school system by offering something of equal value. Therefore, all requests that are considered "special class" have conditions. Your request is one of them, Yamasaki-kun.]

Yamasaki: [Even when the purchase is within the rules, yes? More specifically, I would like to buy paint that would allow me to paint the back of the phone, which would be possible to remove later.]

Uehara-sensei: [That's a very specific request, Yamsaki-kun. I will have to contact the chairman to arrange such a specific item for the specific price, but it should range between 200,000 - 300,000 private points, and this is the only alumni phone you are allowed to own. There will be no exceptions. To go any further is to go against the very rules of the institution itself. No amount of private points will change that.]

Yamasaki: [Understood. Once again, I would like to express my gratitude for heeding my request to implement safety measures in the school pool and notifying the teaching staff about the curriculum we were provided by Chabashira-sensei for the topics that will be covered during the midterms. The Midterms, according to the study planner provided by the school, have entirely different topics, and we haven't received an email or any notice from the school that our syllabus has changed.]

Uehara-sensei: [It's alright, Yamasaki-kun. It's a teacher's job to respond to students' requests. I feel relieved to have such a conscientious student at this school. A few weeks ago, I requested that the school authorities implement security measures for the girls to enjoy the pool without interruptions. Now, returning to the other topic. As we thoroughly checked the questions, we indeed noticed that the questions for Class D are completely different compared to other classes. As you requested, I made a copy of the Class D curriculum, made a Class B student witness it by "accident" and subtly encouraged them to file a complaint in your stance. From there, I convinced the staff responsible for creating and evaluating the midterms to use the topics your homeroom teacher assigned you. Even if competition is the core feature of this school, such blatant disregard behaviour towards your own students is not acceptable. I wish you the best of luck during the midterms.]

Yamasaki: [Thank you, Uehara-sensei.]

As the brown-haired man finished the conversation with Uehara-sensei, Yamasaki continued to immerse himself in his thoughts

Class D is easy to influence. Their mood is like an ebb and flow. They are at their most malleable state in terms of manipulation as a class. No school would offer such benefits solely based on admission. While it might seem inconsequential, ANHS wouldn't have the reputation it has if some random person, let's say Yamauchi Haruki, got a recommendation for a prestigious company or the prestigious Tokyo University. These benefits are the reason students put up with these rules at this school. It's their motivation for enrolling, and it would be a perfect motivator to encourage class competition. If it were the same rules, you could simply ask an upperclassman and make a deal based on Private Points or even services. After all, you don't necessarily need to exclude the upper years from your own battles. 

In sports analogy (In this case, basketball), the team would still learn how to play around a player and still get a modicum of teamwork. It will be false results since they won't be able to replicate the results without that pro player, since it would indicate that the player taking his place has the same level of skill. However, here at this school, it's somewhat different.

The school isn't raising 160 leaders but 4 at a minimum. All the other students aren't now complete slaves to the leader, but they acquire different sets of skills because they are exposed to different sets of experiences compared to the leader. The clear-cut decision of expelling all leader-type figures of enemy classes can be accomplished based on the information from the 3 seniors, which would end the class competition effectively. The environment would stop being beneficial for the growth of the students and only serve to amplify negative traits even further. Such an outcome would be disastrous from the school's perspective and the students' prospects as well.

Information is a commodity. The one who has the most has the advantage. To maximize the chances of succeeding, you have to optimize the process. And the more information you have, the more streamlined the process will be. 

It's what makes the world go around. There is information that no amount of money can buy, that's what makes it a weapon. You can see people's souls with it, understand them psychologically, and pick them apart.

Multiple perspectives are always needed, after all, one perspective can give biased information, incomplete thoughts, and manipulated thoughts. To really understand a situation, looking at it from every side is vital. It's like judging a mural with only half of the finished product. Without seeing the bigger picture, nothing can be taken seriously.

After all, no matter how incredible you are, if you know nothing about your opposition, your chances aren't high.

Even so, information is only half the battle, the way one uses it decides the victor. 

"Even if own's personal principles do not align with this institution, you must slightly adapt to it. Inside this school, winning is everything due to that A-Class propaganda. Security cameras won't protect you here. They're, in the end, just tools with a flawed design. Same as you report it to either the Student Council or the teacher. Sometimes they'll just brush it aside as the law works in the outside world. To make it easy, this school is a dog-eat-dog world where the strongest take all. Or in the government's eyes... The only way to produce what they call better future generations is to close off their past mistakes."

ΨΨΨ🅄🄽🄵🄰🅃🄷🄾🄼🄰🄱🄻🄴 🄿🄾🅆🄴🅁ΨΨΨ

「May 10th︱Afternoon︱Advanced Nurturing High School Library

The afternoon after class, everyone who had agreed to study together made their way to the library. The study group then claimed a secluded corner, surrounded by bookshelves that were enough to muffle the ambient sounds of the library.

The moment all of the study group members gathered, Horikita wasted no time and started the session. She adjusted her sitting posture and looked around at the group.

-"I'll say this now: if you're expecting me to go easy on you, leave. I'm not here to babysit anyone." - She glanced at Sudo, Ike, and Yamauchi before continuing.

-"Our goal is simple: to make sure none of you fail. I don't care how bad your grades are or how much you hate studying. You will learn. If you don't, you'll be expelled, do I make myself clear?" - She tapped the stack of textbooks in front of her.

-"We'll start with the fundamentals. Since most of you have issues with math, we'll begin there. Pay attention. If you have questions, ask. If you don't understand something, say so immediately. I'm not going to repeat myself just because you were too distracted to listen."- Her sharp gaze swept over the group, making it clear she wasn't going to tolerate any nonsense.

-"Any questions?" - Horikita asked a question that is expected in any study group, though it seemed less like genuine curiosity and more like formality, and to be certain, those three are paying attention to her.

-"The score threshold is thirty-two points, right? Do you fail if you get exactly thirty-two points?" Sudo immediately asked the question that was on his mind. His academic ability was the lowest in the class, even lower than Ike's and Yamauchi's, and that is quite an accomplishment. So much so, the point, unbeknownst to Sudou, his grades are the worst in the entire ANHS history. If anyone had to worry the most, it would be Sudou.

-"No, you're safe if you score at least thirty-two points. Sudo, you can manage that, right?" Ike said to his friend to comfort his red-haired friend, though much like most other Class D students, he had no idea what criteria were used to determine the average for the class. 

-"It doesn't really matter. My goal is for everyone to score at least fifty points," Horikita said. If she is going to tutor those three academic rejects, she will go all the way. Once she puts her mind to something, she won't pursue it half-heartedly. 

This was Horikita Suzune's principle, both in school and in life. 

Horikita sat straight in her seat, her finger tracing lines in the textbook as she explained a complex mathematical formula. "The key to solving these equations is understanding the relationship between the variables and then replacing them in the formula," she said, her voice measured and as precise as possible. "If you understand the main concept, the solution becomes obvious."

Things were going well at first, but Sudo kept falling behind in the questions, causing Horikita to become tired. 

Across from her, Sudo slouched in his chair, his eyes filled with boredom. He unconsciously tapped his pencil against his notebook, creating a rhythmic distraction that made Horikita's eye twitch slightly. Beside him, Ike stared at his phone hidden under the table, while Yamauchi doodled cartoon characters in the margins of his notes.

-"Are you even listening?" Horikita's patience was visibly fading. The three boys made minimal effort to pay attention. "This material will be on the midterms. Failing means expulsion."

-"Yeah, yeah," Sudo muttered, stretching his arms overhead. "But this stuff is boring as hell. Look, I don't even get the first problem." - Sudou looked at Horikita as if he was glaring at her. 

She wouldn't have brought a problem so difficult that he couldn't solve it. That alone speaks volumes about Sudou's academic ability. 

-"The total amount of money held by three people, A, B, and C, is 2150 yen. A has 120 yen more than B. If C gives 2/5 of their money to B, B will have 220 yen more than A. How much money did A originally have?" - It's a system of linear equations problem. People who are not good at math hate these kinds of problems.

-"Just use your brain and think a little. You won't get anywhere if you give up from the start." - Horikita's commentary would be effective if her teaching method were different, and if the student possessed the mental fortitude to be unaffected by Horikita's remarks.

"Horikita's approach isn't effective at all because she assumes that studying fixes every problem. A clear indicator of low self-awareness. She didn't account for the fact that different people learn in different ways. Someone who's naturally good at studying and academics could never understand what Sudo and other weak academic students feel. Saying things like 'just use your brain' is the same as saying 'why can't you just do it?'" - Yamasaki quickly analyzed Horikita's methodology, weighing pros and cons.

-"I know, but... I'm really bad at studying," Sudou said, and Ike and Yamauchi were also holding their heads in their hands. They're the kind of people who would get a failing grade on that test. With these guys, the carrot and stick approach is more effective than a mere stick or a carrot.

-"Honestly, this problem can be solved by a first or second-year middle school student, depending on the method. If you're stuck here, you can't move on." - Basically, Horikita only started with the easiest questions, and they are already stuck. Naturally, Horikita's quiet yet clearly visible disillusionment and genuine worry weren't unnoticed by the idiot trio. 

-"Are we... worse than elementary school students?" - Ike muttered those without much thought, speaking for the entire group. Almost as if he were speaking to himself rather than with others. Pretty much answering his own question. 

Horikita sighed, her patience getting thinner and thinner with those three. - "Listen up. This can be easily solved using a system of simultaneous equations." - Without hesitation, she picked up her mechanical pencil and began writing on a blank sheet of paper, breaking down the solution step by step.

Unfortunately, only Yamasaki understood. The rest of the group stared at the numbers like they were ancient runes written in an unknown language, causing their brain to go short-circuited.

"If I didn't know any better, I would have thought those three were under detention, and Horikita is their manager." - In Yamasaki's mind, this was the only way to describe the situation ongoing in front of him. 

-"What even are simultaneous equations?" Yamauchi squinted at the page, pretty much confirming that he didn't understand a thing. 

-"Are you seriously asking me that?" Horikita uttered those words, conveying wariness, shock, disappointment and an undisguised disgust. 

Horikita genuinely couldn't comprehend how someone could be in high school and not know something so basic. It's already a miracle that those three managed to pass through high school with such an attitude. 

Not to mention, that's pretty much mandatory knowledge in any career if you want to pursue any somewhat decent occupation in adulthood.

-"That's it, stop. I'm done. This isn't going to work." - Sudo let out an annoyed grunt and threw his mechanical pencil onto the desk. Ike and Yamauchi immediately followed suit, pushing away their papers and standing up. 

The only one who hasn't moved was Yamasaki.

-"I'm sorry. You're far too incompetent and ignorant. If you can't even solve this, I shiver at the mere thought of what your future will be." - Horikita uttered those words to matter. It's probably both her way to vent her negative feelings and her genuine attitude towards the trio. However, it is clear who the target of those words was aimed at. Her eyes just so happened to land on Sudo at the same time.

"Then why is there loneliness in your eyes?" - Yamasaki identified that beneath the feelings of frustration, disappointment, and shock, there was a glimpse of a fleeting moment of loneliness in her gaze that gazed into a fixed point without blinking, most likely recounting a sad memory. 

This moment was so fleeting and unbelievable that you could easily miss it, and no one would blame you for not believing you.

This Horikita Suzune we are talking about, after all.

-"Call me incompetent again, I dare you!" - Unsurprisingly, Sudou was the first one to raise his voice. Being the hothead that he was, won't take that lying down. It seemed like he would raise his fist against Horikita at any moment. 

-"You are incompetent. What? Got nothing to say? You can't even solve a problem so simple. Did you oversleep nine years of education?" Horikita's reply was curt and direct, with no care for Sudou's feelings or appearances. If anyone expected anything else, they were gravely mistaken. 

-"Say whatever you want, academics will be useless to me in the future anyway," Sudo said, unwilling to admit that the girl in front of him had the nerve to insult him for being unable to solve a math problem. His only goal was to become a professional basketball player. That's it. What's in it for her, anyway?

-"Academics will be useless in the future? That's an interesting argument. How do you justify that? Once you learn to solve these kinds of problems, your entire life will change. In other words, studying increases the possibility that you'll solve the problems you face. It's the same principle as basketball. Do you play basketball the way you approach studies? The moment you get stuck, you immediately surrender and complain? Are you playing basketball with such a half-hearted attitude as well?" Horikita asked, clearly provoking him, daring him to challenge her. In Horikita's eyes, his attitude towards his studies was the accurate representation of his approach towards basketball and life in general.

"Horikita may hold the edge in academics and logic, but she couldn't hope to match Karuizawa's, much less Kushida's, quick thinking and remarkable social power. It often takes Horikita a while to actually decide on what to do. She doesn't deal well with situations out of her control. In short, Horikita isn't good at improvising. She needs to plan everything out beforehand. Karuizawa, on the other hand, is good at quick thinking. To act, you do need quick thinking. Not in the smart academic plan-on-the-go, quick thinking, but more in the sense of acting, attitude, and word choice also fall into quick thinking." 

"Adaptability and self-preservation are far more valuable than raw ability. Even if you possess superior ability, it is meaningless if you can't use it to your advantage and adapt to your surroundings."

-"Huh? What's that supposed to mean? What do you know about me? Quick acting, so self-righteous." Sudo's eye twitched several times, though it was evident he was exerting all his self-restraint not to burst out and punch Horikita in the face.

-"When you stumble in basketball, do you run from your troubles the way you do with academics? I doubt you take basketball practice seriously. You're a natural troublemaker-someone who brings disruption wherever you go." - As usual, Horikita uses logic, bluntness as a sort of conversational martial artist. 

If you ignore the insults, Horikita was correct. 

She is arrogant, yes, but she does put effort into what she does and what she wants to achieve in life.

Humans are quick to judge others and boast, but when it comes to their own flaws, they can't retort. They usually judge someone even if they don't mean to, because that's etched in their nature. Humans band together under a common enemy or dislike and judge others so that their own flaws aren't discovered. It was normal to criticize people whether they would hear it or not. Humans criticizing things is in their nature. No amount of personality or willpower will stop their primitive desires to talk about people and judge them for their faults. It's simply part of their being.

-"Who needs these problems! If I want a good future, I can play basketball and prepare myself for this career with my own hands!" Unable to restrain his anger towards a black-haired girl, Sudo grabbed Horikita by the collar of her uniform. Horikita remained utterly unfazed.

Maybe she simply has strong composure?

Maybe she simply believed that Sudou won't have it within him to hit her?

Only Horikita knows.

-"Childish, you intend to become a professional basketball player by throwing a tantrum?" Horikita retorted. In Horikita's eyes, Sudou's reluctance to admit his shortcomings is no different from running away. In short, he was the type of person Horikita hated the most. 

"Our classmates only have a superficial understanding of Horikita's character. They didn't even this wasn't the extent of how cruel she can be. From a purely objective standpoint, she wasn't exactly wrong with this explanation, but even if she was honest, it doesn't really matter if it's hidden under a guise of insults and cruelty, and it doesn't even help, since they would probably just leave. Most people would leave so they couldn't hear you spout insults towards them. In the end, logic doesn't erase emotional truth." - Yamasaki couldn't help but find the irony amusing. 

Both are unwilling to admit their own shortcomings. Though for completely different reasons. 

-"Tch, you act all high and mighty just because you can solve some math problems," Ike muttered, "Not everyone's like you, you know? Some of us aren't born smart." - It was evident that Ike was simply searching for any excuse to justify his actions. 

-"Yeah, yeah! Not all of us had time to sit around reading textbooks. Some people actually have lives." Yamauchi added, though if you asked them their definition of "living life", you would get a textbook answer.

Horikita let out a slow exhale, as if she had expected this. - "Do you seriously believe intelligence is something you're born with?" - The group hasn't completed even a few basic questions, and Horikita is already exasperated. 

The feeling those three idiots induced in her was no different from a newborn baby who needed constant attention, care, and affection, which is a very exhausting endeavour for the other party.

Except here, Horikita is not driven by a strong sense of responsibility, much less care and affection.

-"What?" - The monkey duo muttered after hearing Horikita's words.

-"I wasn't born smart. I studied. I put in the effort to understand these things. If you didn't take the time to study, then of course you won't understand anything. Complaining that I'm 'naturally smart' just because you were too lazy to learn is nothing more than an excuse." - Ike and Yamauchi flinched from Horikita's honest wrongs. 

At this point, she wasn't even being rude. 

She was simply telling the truth. 

-"And another thing. You claim you 'actually have lives'. And what are you doing, exactly? Playing video games? reading manga? How exactly has that improved your situation?" If 'we'll deal with it, then the time comes' refers to being expelled, then you might as well start packing your luggage to leave the school." - - Horikita logically laid her arguments one by one, giving them no way out. 

Listening to the complaints of the idiot trio, Horikita crossed her arms and looked down on them. Words that seemed like ridicule were actually Suzune Horikita's way of motivating the idiot trio.

Class D still have some class points. If they are serious about reaching Class A, it is best to avoid any expulsions unless necessary. It would make the path to climb their way to the top even more torturous, if not impossible. That is why Horikita couldn't help but offer her motivation after hearing the comments from Yamauchi and the others beside her.

-"Hey! Horikita, what's that supposed to mean?!" - After hearing Horikita's "encouragement", Yamauchi jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

-"We only want to enjoy our high school life here, what business is it of yours!" - Ike joined Yamauchi's side, or rather, he wanted to gain "strength in numbers".

-"Enjoy?" - Horikita frowned slightly, took a deep breath, and forcibly suppressed the irritability in her heart, saying, "I only heard your utterly unconstructive remarks. Is shirking responsibility from everything your idea of dealing with your problems in life? If so, I recommend that you organize an 'expulsion farewell party' to hold for yourselves right after the midterms. At the very least, you would have something to remember as you are expelled from this school. Don't think this school is a place to coddle people like you."

-"You...!" - Sudou stood up abruptly, glaring at Suzune Horikita, and said, "Stop making snide remarks!"

-"Yeah! You think you're so great just because you have good grades?" - Yamauchi, whose ego is comparable to Koenji Rokusuke, won't accept anything that is not aligned with his image of a "perfect" person.

-"Horikita-san, we know your academic ability is strong, and your grades are among the best in the grade." - Ike also whispered somewhat sullenly, "But there's no need to mock us like this..."

When someone, who is not trying at anything, makes fun of someone who is, they're either jealous or an inferiority complex is at play. 

-"We have only two weeks until the midterms. If you start going all out now and systematically review basic knowledge, even if you haven't studied at all for the past month, reaching the passing line is more than possible. But seeing your current state, wasting the last of your time on complaints and taking your anger out on others for your own cowardice to admit you need help, I honestly can't see much hope for you at all, whether it's in school or in your adult life." 

-"Guh-" Ike and Yamauchi gritted their teeth. They were unable to respond, yet showed no indicator of guilt or shame for their actions. They are simply annoyed that they were caught "red-handed".

Like a criminal who regrets not the act, but the fact that they were captured during the escape.

"However right her words are, Horikita fundamentally misunderstands people. An average person prefers comfort over truth, certainty over being wrong."

-"Which part don't you understand, Sudou?" Yamasaki's inquiry to Sudou to de-escalate the situation before it deteriorated any further. He decided to put an end to this ridiculous charade.

Sudo was about to hit Horikita, but Yamasaki's unexpected question caught him off guard.

-"Sudou, which part don't you understand?" Yamasaki continued to inquire about Sudou's academic upper limit, so that he could know what to teach him. The important thing was to engage Sudou in critical thinking. The more engaged he is, the more of his anger will dissipate naturally. 

-"Everything! I don't know how to study! Don't you see it?!" he yelled at Yamasaki. The moment personal feelings are involved, logic is secondary. Right now, Sudou's sole concern was to vent his frustration at being looked down upon by Horikita, no matter the repercussions, short-term or long-term.

-"Sudou, have you found the area of a rectangle?" Yamasaki ignored Sudou's outburst and redirected his attention to the question. Besides, if he continues to act like a raging bull, the school librarian will kick them out. 

-"Yeah. I can do that much at least," Sudo said as Yamasaki nodded. The latter understood that, during volatile dynamics, even a little bit of rapport is important. Much like a plant, it has to be taken care of with appropriate nutrients and patience.

Horikita was about to say something, but Yamasaki gazed right into Horikita's soul. For some reason, the young man's gaze held an inexplicable force behind it, making Horikita keep her words to herself. 

-"So, imagine if we took a graph and drew a flat line from the Y-axis along the X-axis. The total measure would be the area under the line, right? As we are measuring one thing with respect to another, as we are in a velocity-time graph." Yamasaki calmly explained as Sudou slowly nodded, absorbing the information.

-"So what if we drew a rectangle for each height? That way, we can measure the most accurate area for each portion." Yamasaki's methodology was to explain step by step, then, after explaining a specific part, he would ask the other party to explain to him what he had just said. This method ensures two-way participation without power struggles.

-"Hoh! But it would be a pain to find every rectangle's area!" Sudou commented as he said back in surprise. He finally started to understand the problem, but he was still stuck in some places. Yamasaki nodded. 

-"That is why we have integration, we use a formula to basically find the sum of all these rectangles to get the value, you now know the concept used, now focus on learning the formula and applying sense to it, ok?" Yamasaki explained as he nodded, showcasing gratitude for his patient guidance.

-"Alright, then solve this. This is the same problem. Only with different numbers. Don't try to rush to solve the problem right away. Take one step at a time," Yamasaki said.

After a few tries, Sudo said, "Oh, I solved it! Even someone like me can understand." - Yamasaki nodded, and he made his way to Yamauchi and Ike to help them with their problems. 

As he patiently helped Ike and Yamauchi with his tutoring, the three, as Horikita looked in shock. "Horikita, I will explain the problems one step at a time. As I teach Sudo, Ike, and Yamauchi for a while, I want you, Horikita, to observe how to tutor, so that everyone could leave home and do what they want for the rest of the day." - As soon as Yamasaki expressed his thoughts to a black-haired girl with cat-like features, Horikita was conflicted. She wanted to retort, to rebuke Yamasaki's statements, but there was also a tinge of curiosity about his methods, since he did manage to convince Sudou, of all people, to actually study. 

-"Alright, I'll explain. First, where did you get stuck in Horikita's explanation?"

-' Everything.' - After a slight pause, Ike answered, embarrassed. Good, being honest is the first step towards improvement. 

-"First, let me check something. If 100 + X = 150, what is the answer for X?"

-"100 plus some number equals 150, so isn't it 50?"

-"Exactly, the answer is 50. If you can do that, the rest is easy."

-"Really?"

-"First, let's say the amount of money A, B, and C have is A yen, B yen, and C yen, respectively. This is the same as X and so on." - While Ike and Yamauchi tilted their heads suspiciously, Yamsaki drew lines on Horikita-san's problem.

-"And if we list the problem as bullet points, it looks like this: The total amount of money held by three people, A, B, and C, is 2150 yen. A has 120 yen more than B. If C gives 2/5 of their money to B, B will have 220 yen more than A. How much money did A originally have? Do you follow so far?"

-"..Yeah. Well, we kind of get it." - They're already looking a little suspicious, but it's okay if you take it one step at a time.

-"So, let's set up an equation from the first line. If the total for the three people is 2150 yen, we can create one equation with that. What do you think? Does anyone know?"

-"...A + B + C = 2150 yen?" Ike-kun muttered nervously. Judging by his reaction, Yamauchi seemed to be okay, too.

-"That's right, that's one equation. Now, if we create equations for the rest, like this----"

Yamasaki taught them how to derive the equations line by line. It's important to go slowly and not make them feel rushed.

-"...And that's how you solve it, step by step. Do you get it?"

-"...Wow. Even I can do that."- Ike and Yamauchi were so impressed that they were almost moved. 

How bad were they at studying? 

-"Okay, let's solve a similar system of linear equations problem." - Yamasaki rewrote the problem with slightly different numbers and conditions. Right after being taught something, people think they can solve anything. If they are allowed to get carried away now, they'll have a hard time later. The important thing to do is to solidify the basics, to make sure what they just learned sticks in their memory. 

-"Why can't I solve it...? Isn't this the same problem, Yamasaki?" - This is what happens when you change it just a little. Even people who are good at studying have to repeat things to make them stick. There's no way you can remember it with just one time.

Once again, Horikita was dumbfounded by the trio's academic ability, which was even lower than elementary schoolers. 

Just as she was about to comment on the sheer incompetence her classmates displayed, Yamasaki's cold stare made her uncharacteristically quiet once again. This was not the usual easy-going, kind-hearted boy she had known for the entire month. 

Even through passive observation, he was one of the few people Horikita found acceptable. He was surprisingly well-behaved, approachable, physically capable, and had a strong presence in the class, even if it didn't match Hirata's or Kushida's. Excluding the fact that the brown-haired man was a sociable person, Horikita just now realized that deep down, she considered Yamasaki, similar to herself, a reserved, conscientious, and intelligent existence. 

That was the real reason why she requested his help, rather than Hirata or even Kushida.

"So, this is how Yamasaki-kun looks when he is serious?"- Horikita had mixed feelings dwelling within her. 

On the one hand, she was angry that he interrupted her twice. Normally, she wouldn't allow anyone to interrupt her. But there was something about his gaze. That wouldn't accept "no" for an answer. Not a disappointing type of gaze, but the one that screamed silent authority. At that moment, Horikita subconsciously put Yamasaki at the same level as her older brother. 

On the other hand, seeing the Idiot trio making slow yet steady progress made Horikita reflect on her methods. Deep down, Horikita knew that the reason this study session was possible was due to Yamasaki's efforts. Horikita might be overly blunt, unapologetically honest, and sometimes overly logical, but she is not the type to disregard someone's sincere efforts, especially if they pay off.

"Are my methods really wrong?" -Then again, it wasn't anything strange. She knew from the first meeting that this young man was a reliable person and a valuable asset to the class. As she learned that he was the one who convinced the idiot trio to take the midterms seriously, she had doubts. Deep down, she knew that there had to be something different about Yamasaki, who was able to convince the idiot trio to take the midterms seriously. Something that, other than Kushida, not even Hirata was able to accomplish.

"It is said that an arrogant person can only be 'tamed' when they are beaten at their own game by someone else. Rather, with individuals with exceptional abilities who have a very strong sense of pride, if you can't get through with them through a sense of belonging, emotion, or hierarchy, the only remaining option is to play along with their quirks and work your way around them." - Yamasaki identified the similarities between Horikita and Koenji.

The brown-haired man called a red-haired student back to push his energy into a more productive direction. - "Sudo, it's alright to not care for grades. You are here for your dream, no? Would you be able to live with yourself with the fact that you destroyed your dreams when you had a choice to make a difference in your life?"

Sudou was stunned. He had no idea what to say, because deep down, everything Yamasaki said was true. He would not be able to forgive himself for allowing himself to succumb to impulse and destroying his only goal by his own hands just to protect his pride.

Sudo started to solve the other problem. He managed to solve some of them, but eventually got stuck. 

However, surprisingly, Horikita voiced out her observation first. "This is wrong, Sudou-kun. This is how you can do it," she said as she started to teach Sudo.

As for Ike and Yamauchi, with Yamasaki's guidance, they were doing well.

2 hours later...

-"We're finally done! I feel I studied today more than I did for the entire month." Ike said.

-"Hey, I never thought I would enjoy studying," Yamauchi added.

-"You guys made great progress today." - Yamasaki complimented the progress of the three boys. For an average person, constant positive reinforcement was a simple yet effective approach to retain focus.

-"Thank you, Yamasaki-sensei!" Ike and Yamauchi replied jokingly, but there was a hint of sincerity in their eyes, behind their exaggerated body language and goofy expressions, that wasn't exactly a socially acceptable way to express gratitude. 

-"What about you, Sudou?" Yamasaki asked Sudou, as he was the one who struggled with academics the most.

-"I still have a few problems, but it's not that bad compared to before." Sudo replied.

Everyone got up and got ready to leave, but suddenly Sudo said, "Horikita, I apologize for what happened earlier." Sudo said while bowing his head.

Yamasaki saw a stunned expression on Horikita's face because she didn't expect Sudo to apologize sincerely. The most favourable outcome she expected was that Sudou would simply hold the grudge to himself, not give up on his dream.

However, Horikita readily regained her composure. - "It's alright, Sudou-kun, I also apologize for calling you incompetent. It was not appropriate for me to look down on your dream." Horikita responded.

It seems this study group had its benefits. Not only did Sudo change, but Horikita as well. 

At the very least, it was a change in the right direction.

After all, people don't change that easily.

-"Alright, then we will leave now. Thank you for everything, Yamasaki, Horikita!" Sudo said. This was followed by Ike and Yamauchi bidding farewell to Yamasaki.

After all of them left the library with big smiles plastered on their faces.

-"It looks like everything went well in the end. We just have to maintain the momentum." Yamasaki commented as he collected his belongings and put them in his school bag.

-"It seems so." Horikita responded, then she started packing her stuff in her school bag. 

The study session ended with those three being satisfied and having made some progress at the very least. The exams were coming in about 2 weeks. By that time, we should be done with the studying part. 

As long as they can study at such a pace, that is.

As she was about to leave, her soft voice resounded in the library, uncharacteristically soft, barely a whisper. - "T-Thank you for your help, Yamasaki-kun. I-I suppose I can acknowledge you as an ally, I guess." - With that, she left the library, while Yamasaki looked back at Horikita.

"People don't grow from a place of comfort. They grow from being forced to act, to change. The group Horikita has to tutor induces the conditions for personal growth. Not too strong enough to break her, but to gently pressure her, challenge her. Just enough challenge to spark adaptation. Sometimes, manipulation wasn't about pulling strings. Sometimes it was about leaving people just enough space to stumble forward on their own. Because the way someone stumbles tells you far more than the way they walk."

As Yamasaki watched Horikita leave the library, Yamasaki recounted the 3 core elements to excel in social interactions: appearance, personality, and the ability to read the room. 

Most people can get a pass with just the first two; the third condition is usually fulfilled by the other party, but it helps if you have it. The third, and final condition is not necessarily about being kind or understanding, but as long as you can read the "atmosphere", it is smooth sailing from there. Yamasaki's modus operandi passes all three conditions. 

The core of Yamasaki's approach to social interaction is a calculated restraint rather than reactive or instinctive behaviour. Alternating between ligh-heartedness and politeness, a people-oriented and business-oriented attitude is not necessarily about manners but about the control of framing. 

How so?

By addressing everyone with basic respect and dignity, Yamasaki places himself in a neutral yet respectable position that is hard to attack without looking rude. This creates a safe opening where the other person feels acknowledged while Yamasaki learns about his surroundings, including his classmates. 

Yamasaki's understanding of society, and the Advanced Nurturing High School system as a whole, is of a caste system rather than a merit-based system. That's why he values connections, and that's why he does not moralize manipulation. 

To Yamasaki, using people is not necessarily an act of cruelty, malice or a "sin" but a survival tactic within an unfair structure, where the person acting within the system has to operate within the rules of the authority, if they lack the means to operate outside of it.

It's about trust, influence, and leverage.

Everyone in the room would remember who showed up to help them.

And when the time came to make decisions to decide the future of the class: Votes, alliances, sacrifices...

They would remember.

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