With only one week left until the First Year Midterm Exam, the air seemed taut.
In the D-Class classroom, even the most carefree students had a hint of urgency on their faces.
Yamauchi, Ike, and Sudo, the "idiot trio," were like ants on a hot pan,
struggling fruitlessly between textbooks and exercise books.
After the afternoon club activities, Sudo Ken, covered in sweat, hurried to the library—
where today's study session was being held.
His mind was still filled with defensive strategies he couldn't break through on the basketball court, and his steps quickened.
At a corridor corner, he collided with a B-Class student, Yamawaki, who was also in a hurry.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!"
Sudo was already in a bad mood,
and after the collision, he immediately roared in a fit of rage.
"You're the one who suddenly rushed out!"
Yamawaki was not one to back down either, and immediately retorted.
The simple quarrel quickly escalated,
and the two began to shove each other, with a tense atmosphere filling the air.
However, this conflict quickly became unequal.
Hearing the commotion, two other figures quickly approached—
it was Ryuuen Kakeru and his loyal subordinate, Ishizaki Daichi.
Ryuuen strolled over slowly, hands in his pockets,
a mocking smile on his face.
He scrutinized the red-haired, short-haired D-Class student with an unyielding expression.
"Oh, isn't this from D-Class?"
Ryuuen's voice carried undisguised contempt,
"What, your grades are so bad you're at the bottom, but your temper isn't small? You dare to challenge someone from our B-Class?"
In his eyes, D-Class didn't even qualify as opponents,
they were merely a garbage heap wasting resources.
For someone from such a class to dare to provoke them,
as the de facto leader of B-Class, he naturally had to step forward to "protect" his own people,
and incidentally give this ignorant hothead a profound "warning."
Ishizaki and Yamawaki immediately stepped forward,
pinning Sudo from left and right,
restricting his movement.
Ryuuen leaned closer, staring at Sudo's face, flushed with anger,
and whispered in a chilling tone:
"I'm very much looking forward to how many... expulsions... your D-Class will have in the upcoming First Year Midterm Exam?"
This sentence accurately hit Sudo's sore spot.
Sudo struggled even harder, but couldn't break free.
"Let him go!"
A clear and firm female voice came from the side.
Horikita Suzune was also on her way to the library and witnessed this scene.
Although she deeply detested Sudo's impulsive and thoughtless behavior,
seeing a classmate being cornered and threatened by students from another class, she couldn't stand by and do nothing.
Ryuuen looked in the direction of the voice,
seeing a stern-faced, long-haired girl standing not far away, looking at him with sharp eyes.
"Oh? D-Class wants to meddle?"
Ryuuen raised an eyebrow,
"He was the one who pushed our class member first."
Horikita Suzune showed no panic; she calmly took out her phone,
pointing the camera at Ishizaki and the other student who were holding Sudo:
"I've recorded it. If you don't let him go immediately, I don't mind submitting this video of 'alleged bullying' to the school. At that time, I wonder if your class's class points can withstand such a deduction?"
She didn't know which class they were specifically from,
but the keyword "class points" was undoubtedly the most sensitive nerve for all students.
Ryuuen's eyes narrowed slightly.
He hadn't expected D-Class to have such a quick-thinking character who knew how to use the rules to counterattack.
He stared at Horikita for a few seconds, then finally waved his hand.
Ishizaki and Yamawaki reluctantly released Sudo.
"Hmph! They were the ones who started it!"
Sudo, once free, immediately loudly defended himself.
"Shut up, you useless trash."
Ryuuen coldly interrupted Sudo,
but his gaze never left Horikita.
Thoughts raced through his mind,
and an idea instantly formed that could both provoke the other party and probe for that important information.
"You're from D-Class, aren't you?"
Ryuuen said with a playful tone,
"The First Year Midterm Exam is coming up soon, you know? Looking at how flustered you all are, how's your studying going?"
"What does that have to do with you?" Horikita calmly retorted, not backing down at all,
"We'll handle our class's affairs ourselves. No need for other classes to worry."
Ryuuen's lips curved into a meaningful smile,
The plan has begun.
"Oh? Is that so?"
He said casually, his voice lowered, but everyone present could hear him clearly.
"Then how come I seem to have heard... that your Class D has found some special method to 'secure victory' in the First Year Midterm Exam?"
Horikita's heart skipped a beat.
These words unexpectedly pierced her thoughts.
He knew?
He knew about the exam papers?
How could this unfamiliar boy from another class know?
What did he mean by that?
Was it a test, or did he have a specific target in mind?
Countless questions instantly flooded her mind.
Her expression uncontrollably showed a moment of bewilderment.
But she quickly forced herself to calm down.
She must not panic.
"What do you mean by that?"
Horikita's voice tried to remain steady,
even carrying a hint of counterattack,
"We will only rely on our own strength to pass the exam. It's you guys who look more like the class that would resort to such crooked schemes, isn't it?"
Ryuuen was satisfied to see the momentary reaction he desired.
It was enough.
He did not respond to Horikita's rebuttal again, only letting out a low chuckle,
then gestured to Ishizaki and Yamawaki before turning and leaving with his people.
His goal had been achieved.
That momentary bewilderment and surprise,
was enough to explain the problem—Class D,
had indeed also obtained those exam papers of unknown origin.
Those guys in the second year, their methods are truly 'thorough,'
they almost sent a 'big gift' to all the target classes.
Ryuuen sneered inwardly,
now he could basically confirm the spread of the exam papers.
Left in place were only Sudo, his face flushed red, Horikita, with turbulent emotions stirring within her,
and... Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who had been silently following behind,
taking in everything that had just happened.
He calmly watched Ryuuen and his group's retreating backs,
and then looked at Horikita, who was now composing herself and admonishing Sudo.
Horikita's response just now was unexpectedly good,
calmly and effectively using the rules to counterattack.
Sudo was still a bit dazed, on one hand, he was scared afterward, and on the other hand, he was still bothered by Ryuuen's last two sentences:
"Hey, Horikita, what did that guy mean by what he said at the end? What 'special method'?"
"It means nothing, just playing mysterious."
Horikita quickly interrupted him, unwilling to elaborate,
"Let's go to the library, the study session is more important. The First Year Midterm Exam is close at hand, don't cause any more trouble."
She turned and walked towards the library first,
but her mind was far from as calm as it appeared on the surface.
And Ayanokoji slowly followed, looking at Horikita's back.
Regarding the authenticity of those exam papers, it seemed it was time to tell Horikita.
At noon today, Ayanokoji had already confirmed it,
those papers were indeed real.
Moreover, it seemed that the First Year Midterm Exam each year,
the questions were really... more or less the same.