Chapter 059: What? You All Assume Ichinose Honami and I Are Going to Team Up?
It was the first day of the new month, and also the day the school distributed living expenses based on evaluation points.
In Class D's classroom, forty students sat in their seats; some had their heads down looking at their phones, some were slumped over their desks catching up on sleep, and others were whispering to each other in small groups. However, everyone's attention was on the same thing—the points in their student ID cards.
Seven o'clock sharp.
Everyone lowered their heads, looking at their phone screens. Refresh, refresh, refresh again. No numbers. No deposit notification. Nothing at all.
"Zero," Ike Kanji's voice came from the back row, carrying a sense of "just as expected" helplessness. "Not a single cent."
Yamauchi Haruki also put down his phone, his expression looking quite grim. "Negative 270 points; it would be a miracle to have any living expenses."
The classroom was silent for a few seconds. Then, someone spoke up. "I went to check the scores for the senpai. There are classes in the second year with negative points, too. Third years as well. We aren't the worst."
Ike Kanji turned his head and looked at the boy who spoke. "So what? Just because we aren't the worst, we should be happy?"
The boy opened his mouth but didn't answer.
"Speaking of which," Yamauchi Haruki's voice came from the side, tinged with anxiety, "what we should be worrying about is today's special exam, right? A new month, a new exam. Who knows what kind of trouble they are going to stir up this time."
The classroom went quiet again.
That's right.
A new month, a new special exam.
This was the rule of Advanced Nurturing High School.
On the first day of every month, the school would announce the exam content for that month.
And as students of this class, some were nervous, some were anxious, but no one could escape it.
"Horikita-san, what do you think?" Ike Kanji's voice came from the back row.
All eyes turned to Horikita Suzune's seat.
Horikita Suzune was sitting by the window, her long black hair draped over her shoulders, her phone in her hand, the screen lit up.
"Horikita-san?" Ike Kanji called out again.
Horikita regained her senses, turned her head, and looked at Ike Kanji. Her wine-red eyes held a hint of a trance, as if she had just walked back from somewhere and hadn't completely landed yet. "What?" Horikita asked.
"The new special exam," Ike Kanji's voice lowered slightly. "Do you have any thoughts?"
Horikita was silent for a second. "I don't know the exam content yet. It's too early to share thoughts."
Ike Kanji nodded and didn't ask further.
Horikita withdrew her gaze and looked back out the window. Her fingers slid gently across the phone screen, but her attention wasn't on it. She was thinking about the dream from a few nights ago.
She had dreamt of Hikigaya again.
It was similar to the previous dreams, still in his dorm room.
But.
The words of the "big" future Horikita made it impossible for her to understand.
And finally, she had heard a voice. Not Hikigaya's voice, but another girl's voice. That voice was very soft, carrying a hint of regret and a trace of exhaustion. She said: "Looks like the plan failed. You can't keep him."
And at that moment.
Horikita opened her eyes abruptly. The ceiling, the fluorescent lights, the curtains. She was lying in her own bed, her heart beating fast. She stared at the ceiling for several seconds before slowly sitting up. The plan failed. You can't keep him. What did it mean? Whose plan? What plan? Can't keep him—can't keep whom? Hikigaya? When this thought popped up, even Horikita herself was stunned for a moment.
However, it would definitely be a lie to say she didn't care.
If possible, she indeed hoped he could continue to stay in this world.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the situation in Class A.
It was past seven in the morning.
When Hikigaya walked into the classroom, more than half of the students were already seated. Some were sleeping on their desks, some were bowing their heads reading textbooks, and some were huddled together in small groups chatting.
And Ichinose Honami was sitting in her seat, writing something. Her rose-gold long hair was draped over her shoulders, dyed with a faint golden hue by the morning light.
Hearing footsteps, she looked up and smiled at Hikigaya.
"Morning, Hikigaya-kun."
"Morning."
Hikigaya walked to his seat and put his bag down by the table.
Actually, he felt it would be better if Ichinose shouted Yahallo.
But Ichinose was not Yuigahama.
The classroom was getting more and more crowded, and the voices were becoming increasingly chaotic. Some were discussing the sports festival results, some were calculating this month's living expenses, and others were just chatting. Hikigaya leaned back in his chair, waiting for the homeroom teacher to come in.
After all, he had already received today's living expenses, the class management fees from his classmates, and the fees paid by Classes B and C. Combined, it was only a few million, not exceeding 10 million, so he felt no inner fluctuation.
At 7:30, Hoshinomiya Chie walked into the classroom just as the bell rang. She was wearing a white shirt and a dark coat, her chestnut hair draped over her shoulders, and she held a folder in her hand.
Her expression was no different from usual, with that floaty smile hanging on the corners of her lips.
"Alright, alright, quiet down." Hoshinomiya stood on the podium and clapped her hands.
The classroom went quiet.
"Today is September 1st. A new month, a new beginning." Hoshinomiya opened the folder. "Of course, there is also a new special exam."
A low murmur of discussion rose in the classroom.
Hoshinomiya scanned the classroom, the smile at the corners of her lips deepening. "Before announcing the exam rules, sensei wants to ask you a question—what do you think this exam will be?"
The classroom was silent for a moment, and then someone raised a hand.
"A written test?" Shibata Souta's voice came from the back row. "Didn't they say at the sports festival that the bottom ten students would have ten points deducted from all subjects in the next written test? The school wouldn't make us wait too long, would they?"
Hoshinomiya neither nodded nor shook her head; her gaze swept around the classroom and landed on Ichinose.
Ichinose Honami was sitting next to Hikigaya, still holding a pen. She thought for a moment, then spoke. "I think since there is such a punishment for the sports festival, the school should follow up with the corresponding exam quickly. Rather than letting rewards or punishments be deferred for too long before being realized. Otherwise, the meaning of the punishment would be weakened."
Hoshinomiya looked at her, the smile at the corners of her lips deepening. "Honami-chan is right. It seems you have been thinking about it seriously."
Ichinose's cheeks flushed slightly.
Hoshinomiya withdrew her gaze and opened the folder. "Three weeks from now, midterm exams. But this exam is different from previous ones—the school is not the one setting the questions."
The classroom went quiet again. Not the school setting the questions? Then who is?
"This exam requires you to pair up with someone in the class to form a group of two." Hoshinomiya slowed her tone to ensure everyone heard clearly. "The pair will challenge the midterm exams in the form of a life-sharing fate."
"Pairing?" Kanzaki Ryuji's voice came from the side, his brows slightly furrowed. "This word should be related to romance, not exams, right?"
Hoshinomiya glanced at him. "Kanzaki-kun, this is an exam. Not a romance."
Kanzaki nodded expressionlessly and didn't respond.
Hoshinomiya continued. "There are eight subjects in the exam, all of which are multiple-choice. Each subject is worth 100 points, 50 questions per subject, for a total of 400 questions. Each subject will have a minimum standard of 60 points. If any subject is below 60 points, both people are required to drop out."
A gasp of air filled the classroom.
Because, after grouping up, both would have to drop out. This wasn't one person's matter; it was two people's matter. If your partner bombed the exam, you had to drop out along with them.
Is this... a shared fate!?
"However—" Hoshinomiya changed the subject, "this 60 points refers to the combined total score of the pair. For example, if you and Shibata-kun become a pair, even if Shibata-kun scores zero, as long as you score 60, you are safe."
Shibata Souta was stunned for a moment, then scratched his head. "Doesn't that mean I have to find an academic genius to team up with?"
Hoshinomiya smiled. "So, choosing the right partner is very important."
The classroom became lively again. Some turned their heads to look at their classmates, some looked down to calculate their own academic ability, and some had already started scouting suitable candidates in their minds.
"Eight subjects, 60 points each, which means as long as the total score of the two people reaches 480, you are safe." Ichinose Honami's voice came from the side, and she was calculating quickly in her notebook. "An average of 60 points per subject is not a high requirement for a single person. But if the partner's academic ability is too poor, you have to bear more pressure yourself."
"Ichinose-san is right." Kanzaki Ryuji took over the conversation. "This rule puts more pressure on students with strong academic ability. Because you not only have to ensure you do well yourself, you also have to help your partner pull their score up."
Hikigaya listened to these words without speaking. He was thinking about one thing—this rule was exactly the same as the pairing exam in the original work. It wasn't the school setting the questions, but rather the classes setting questions for each other. But he remembered that there was another rule in the original work—a total score of less than 700 was also a fail. He didn't know if that would be the case this time, too.
Hoshinomiya closed the folder and leaned against the podium. "The specific rules will continue to be announced later, but for now." She paused, her gaze sweeping around the classroom. "While there is still time, you can think about who you want to team up with."
In other words, the requirements for teaming up were quite broad, allowing students to form groups freely.
And Shibata Souta was the first to turn around, looking at Hikigaya. "Hikigaya-kun, let's team up!"
Hikigaya glanced at him. "I have no problem with that, but... perhaps we should ask Ichinose for her opinion."
Hikigaya paused for a moment.
And Shibata was stunned for a moment, then looked at Ichinose. "Ichinose-san..." Because for a moment, he didn't understand why he had to ask Ichinose to team up with Hikigaya.
And at this moment.
"Shibata, you really don't understand; Hikigaya-kun has already been reserved." Only to hear Amikura Mako's voice coming from the side, with a matter-of-fact tone. "Hikigaya-kun is a great contributor to our class, and he is also the most important person, so, surely we must let him team up with Ichinose-san to ensure safety, isn't that so?"
"Sensei said that this exam is not set by the school, so perhaps a tricky situation will arise, then we must first protect Hikigaya-kun's safety."
"Right?"
Amikura Mako said.
Hmm.
This.
"That's true, I almost forgot, and my science skills aren't great. It would be bad if I dragged Hikigaya-kun down later." And classmate Shibata was immediately convinced.
"Hehe—" But classmate Amikura laughed softly.
"Alright, alright." And Ichinose Honami said with a slightly flushed face. "Thank you all for your kindness, I will ensure Hikigaya-kun does not encounter any risks."
"That's right, that's right." Several girls next to them also echoed, "With Hikigaya-kun and Ichinose-san teaming up, we don't have to worry."
"Right, Hikigaya-kun?"
Hmm.
Asking him?
But facing everyone's expectant gazes, could he refuse?
Hikigaya subconsciously looked toward Ichinose and found that Ichinose was sitting on the side, head down, not speaking. Her earlobes were slightly flushed, but her expression was calm, writing something in her notebook.
"Then let's settle on that." He said.
Actually, this exam had nothing to do with teaming up; the key lay in the fact that the test papers were set by other classes.
Therefore, getting the papers in advance—that was the path to victory.
And the same exam rules were being notified in Class C's classroom.
As the homeroom teacher, Mashima Tomonari stood on the podium, his expression calm, but his brows were slightly furrowed.
There was no other reason.
His class had fallen from Class A to Class B, and then from Class B to Class C; falling in class ranking twice in one semester.
It was indeed a heavy blow for him.
But he was the homeroom teacher now, and he couldn't be influenced by emotions.
Therefore.
"Three weeks from now, the midterm exam for this semester will be held." Mashima notified. "The rules are the same as those in Class A. Pairs of two, eight subjects, 60 points combined for each subject; if any subject is less than 60 points, both must drop out."
The classroom went quiet for a moment. Some breathed a sigh of relief, some furrowed their brows. The word "drop out"—no matter how many times you hear it, you never get used to it.
"But this rule is too simple, isn't it?" A boy's voice came from the back row, carrying a hint of confusion. "And for this half of the semester, there has only been one dropout. This matter is not normal."
"In an ordinary school, not dropping out is the normal thing, right?" Another voice followed.
No one answered. Because in this school, the word "normal" was never applicable. From the first day of enrollment, everything here reminded them—this was not an ordinary school.
Mashima did not pay attention to those discussions and continued. "Therefore, the school administration, as usual, has added a new level of difficulty."
The classroom went quiet. Everyone was looking at him.
"If the total score of the eight subjects for the two people does not reach 700 points, it will also be counted as a fail." Mashima's voice was very steady. "Which is to say, both of you have to drop out."
The classroom went completely quiet. That kind of quiet wasn't silence; it was shock.
One subject—100 points; eight subjects—800 points. 700 points meant an average of 87.5 points per subject. Not one person, but the two people combined. If an academic slacker teams up with a genius, the slacker scores poorly, and the genius must score extremely well to pull the total score up.
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