The midday cafeteria was bustling with noise, the aroma of various dishes mingling with the boisterous chatter of students.
In a relatively quiet corner, Horikita Suzune and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka sat next to each other.
In front of Horikita Suzune was a standard student meal, clearly the most economical choice.
Meanwhile, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's plate was piled high with a deluxe meal of fried pork cutlets, tempura, and an extra soft-boiled egg.
This "luxurious" lunch was paid for by Horikita Suzune.
The reason was simple: during the morning break, this girl, who usually kept to herself and rarely asked for help, had uncharacteristically approached Ayanokoji, making a slightly stiff request: "Classmate Ayanokoji, are you free at noon? Could you... have lunch with me?"
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had merely glanced at her expressionlessly at the time, without asking further, and simply nodded: "Yes."
And so, the current scene unfolded.
The two ate in silence for a while, the faint clinking of cutlery the only sound.
Horikita Suzune ate gracefully and attentively, while Ayanokoji maintained his usual unhurried eating pace.
Finally, Horikita Suzune was the first to put down her chopsticks.
She picked up a napkin, wiped the corner of her mouth, and looked up at Ayanokoji, who was still working on his thick pork cutlet.
"I have something I need to discuss with you."
She got straight to the point, "Hirata Yousuke and the others have already started acting to prepare for the upcoming Midterm Exam."
Ayanokoji's chewing didn't pause; he merely looked up at her, indicating that he was listening.
He had heard about Hirata taking the lead in organizing study sessions.
"They've started a study group," Horikita continued, her brows furrowed, "but the three worst-performing students in the class—Yamauchi, Ike, and Sudo—they refused Hirata's invitation."
"Those three clearly don't want to study," Ayanokoji swallowed his food, responding blandly.
This was an obvious fact.
"To fail even such a simple pop quiz, I never thought there were truly such hopeless people in real life."
Horikita's tone carried a hint of barely concealed disdain, "But if we let them be, they'll definitely fail the next test too. This will drag down the entire class's average score and, in turn, affect the acquisition of class points."
She paused: "We are currently at 0 points. We cannot afford to lose any potentially obtainable points, and we must seize every opportunity to strive for them. If we want the class to improve, we absolutely cannot lose points in such basic exams, right?"
Ayanokoji put down his chopsticks.
He understood.
Horikita wanted to entrust him with the troublesome task of convincing the "idiot trio" to join the study group.
Just as he was considering how to respond, whether to agree directly or to haggle, a smiling, somewhat unfamiliar voice suddenly interjected.
"Excuse me, you two, may I interrupt?"
Horikita Suzune instantly looked up, alert, her icy gaze shooting towards the source of the voice.
Ayanokoji also slowly turned his head.
He saw an unfamiliar male student in a school uniform who had approached their table at some point.
He wore an overly enthusiastic, almost deliberate smile on his face; his hair was styled somewhat flashy, and he exuded a slickness that seemed out of place in a school setting.
"Sorry, sorry, I mean no harm!"
Seeing Horikita's wary gaze, the Second-Year Senior Student quickly raised both hands in a harmless gesture, "I just happened to be passing by and heard you discussing something related to class points, and it sounded very interesting, so I took the liberty of coming over."
He explained with a smile, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Horikita and Ayanokoji: "You're First Year students, right? I'm a second year."
Ayanokoji silently observed the other person. He had indeed never seen such a person among the First Year students.
"Then, Second-Year Senior Student," Horikita Suzune's voice remained cold, "why did you suddenly come over? Do you want to teach us methods to improve class points?"
There was a hint of probing in her words—asking a senior student for advice was, theoretically, a possible avenue.
The Second-Year Senior Student's smile grew even brighter, as if he hadn't caught the sting in Horikita's words: "This junior student is truly perceptive! May I ask, which class are you both in?"
Horikita Suzune was silent for a moment, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.
Ultimately, she chose to tell the truth, perhaps wanting to see what he could offer: "Class D."
"Class D?"
The Second-Year Senior Student immediately showed an exaggerated expression of pleasant surprise.
"What a coincidence! I'm also in Class D! I didn't expect a First Year to be so ambitious! This is great!"
His acting was too obvious, causing Ayanokoji to narrow his eyes slightly.
"So,"
This time, it was Ayanokoji who spoke, cutting straight to the core.
"Can you provide any substantial information? Or rather, what do you need?"
He could sense that the other party's Take the initiative to strike up a conversation was not merely out of "senior care."
The Second-Year Senior Student seemed momentarily choked by Ayanokoji's directness but quickly regained his slick smile:
"Don't be so wary, junior. You're about to have your First Year Midterm Exam, right?"
As he spoke, he mysteriously pulled out a stack of neatly folded papers that looked like exam sheets from behind him, lowering his voice:
"Actually, our school has an unwritten rule... the repeat rate of questions on the First Year Midterm Exam is quite high every year. The question types and key points for each year are pretty much the same!"
He pressed the stack of papers on the table, tapping it meaningfully with his finger:
"With this — last year's First Year Midterm Exam actual questions — I believe you'll be able to perform at an unexpected level in the exam."
After he finished speaking, he looked at Horikita and Ayanokoji with that expectant smile, waiting for their reaction.
Horikita Suzune showed a suspicious expression.
The school's rules were so strict; would there really be such an obvious loophole?
She was still pondering its authenticity.
Ayanokoji, however, showed almost no hesitation, calmly asking directly:
"So, how many points?"
Ayanokoji didn't bother to dwell on the authenticity of the exam papers, but went straight to the essence of the conversation.
A second year Class D student actively selling exam papers to First Year students—his motive could only be for personal points.
The Second-Year Senior Student's eyes lit up, as if he had been waiting for that very question:
"You're really straightforward, junior! Then I'll quote directly: ten thousand points! This valuable 'experience' is definitely worth more than its price!"
This price, for the potential benefits it could bring, was indeed not ridiculously high.
This time, before Ayanokoji could respond, Horikita Suzune spoke first:
"Deal."
She decided to take a gamble.
If it was fake, losing ten thousand points would be painful, but tolerable.
If it was real, it would undoubtedly be a godsend for Class D.
Moreover, Ayanokoji's direct inquiry about the price seemed to hint at some possibility.
"Excellent! This is great!" The Second-Year Senior Student immediately beamed, pulling out his phone.
"Here, junior, scan this! Just transfer it to me!"
Horikita Suzune operated her phone, quickly completing the ten thousand-point transfer.
After receiving the points, the Second-Year Senior Student contentedly pushed the stack of exam papers towards the two of them.
However, just as he was about to turn and leave, he seemed to suddenly remember something, stopping and turning back, with a strange expression on his face, and lowering his voice:
"Oh, right, seeing as you two are so straightforward, I'll throw in a free piece of information."
"Actually, these exam papers... by rights shouldn't be sold for just this price. But I'm just a runner. The one who actually got these and instructed me to find an opportunity to sell them to Class D... is that Sakamoto-kun from First Year Class A."
He paused, observing their momentarily stunned expressions, seeming quite pleased with the effect.
"His intention seems to be... he couldn't stand the miserable state of your Class D with zero points in the first month, and hopes you can at least lay some foundation in the First Year Midterm Exam, so you don't lose too badly? Something like that. Alright, message delivered, I'm off!"
With that, without waiting for their reaction, he quickly turned and, like a loach, slipped into the crowded cafeteria, disappearing in a blink of an eye.
Only Horikita Suzune and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka remained across the table, holding the suddenly heavy exam papers, looking at each other and falling into silence.
Sakamoto?
That Sakamoto from Class A?
He entrusted a second year student to "aid" their Class D with last year's First Year Midterm Exam papers at a low price?