Chapter 87: This One I Really Don't Know!
After handing up her test paper, Horikita Suzune looked at Shimizu Yuto and asked, "Shimizu, don't you think this quiz felt strange?"
"It was strange. Both simple and difficult," Yuto answered.
Suzune nodded in agreement. "The last three questions for each subject were far too difficult. They were on a completely different level from the others."
"Yeah. How many did you solve?"
"Seven or eight, I think. But I don't know if I got them right..." Suzune said hesitantly.
"That's already impressive. There were five subjects, each with three extremely hard questions. Fifteen questions in total, and you solved seven or eight of them," Yuto praised.
A proud look appeared on Suzune's refined face. "If there had been more time, I definitely could have worked out the others. What about you, Shimizu? How many did you solve?"
"Me? A little more than you," Yuto said casually.
"How much is a little more?"
Suzune urgently wanted to know. Her seatmate had received high praise from her brother, Horikita Manabu. If she could beat him in an exam, would her brother look at her differently?
Although Suzune felt Manabu probably would not acknowledge her just because of that, she still wanted to beat Yuto in this area.
"Fifteen."
"Fifteen? That's all of them!"
Suzune glared at the smiling Yuto.
Because Suzune's eyes were charming and fox-like, even when she glared, there was a beauty different from other girls.
Now, as Suzune thought about how she had looked proud in front of Yuto after solving only seven or eight questions, she suddenly felt embarrassed.
"How did you solve those especially difficult questions?" Suzune asked.
"Simple. I did this exact paper not long ago," Yuto replied with a smile.
"You did it before? What does that mean?!" Suzune's fox-like eyes showed surprise.
"Haven't I been going to the club building to bet with people lately? One upperclassman once brought out this test paper and bet that I couldn't finish it or solve it. Then that senior lost."
Because Yuto had already done it once before, he had been able to fill out the entire paper in just over ten minutes.
That was also the main reason Yuto had been confused when Chabashira Sae handed out the test paper.
Suzune asked in confusion, "Shimizu, are you saying an upperclassman had the same test paper Chabashira-sensei just gave us?"
"Right. My guess is that it was probably that senior's short quiz from first year. Otherwise, the two papers wouldn't be exactly the same," Yuto said, rubbing his chin.
Suzune frowned slightly.
If Yuto's guess was correct, then this school's short quiz from several years ago was exactly the same as this year's quiz.
Then a question arose.
Would the first-year midterm and final exam papers also be the same as previous years?
Suzune thought for a moment, then felt that should not be the case.
After all, midterms and finals would be recorded on students' transcripts, while the short quiz just now would not.
So how could the school keep using the same midterm and final papers?
If first-year students knew that, they would definitely find upperclassmen and buy old exam papers from them.
Then what meaning would the school's exams even have?
Just as Suzune was about to tell Yuto the doubt she had noticed, Kei had already moved her chair over and sat beside Yuto, intimately hugging his arm.
Seeing that, Suzune's pretty face stiffened slightly.
She stopped talking to Yuto, took The Bourne Identity from her desk, and began reading.
"Yuto~ It's already lunch break. Mori Nene said the student cafeteria's cream stew is really good."
Yuto looked helplessly at Kei's blooming smile. "Kei, you know I always bring lunch with me."
Yes. It was the lunch Chabashira prepared for him and Airi.
"What I mean is, I'll go to the cafeteria, buy cream stew, and bring it back so we can eat together. Is that okay?"
"That's fine. I don't mind."
"Great. Wait for me. I'll be right back."
Kei released Yuto's arm, delighted, and went to meet up with Matsushita Chiaki, Mori Nene, and the other girls.
Suzune noticed that Kei had left and wanted to discuss her earlier doubt with Yuto.
But then Kushida Kikyo came over.
With a bright, sweet smile, Kikyo moved her desk beside Yuto's, clearly planning to eat lunch with him.
"Horikita-san, you..."
"No need."
Suzune abruptly stood up. Holding her book, she left the classroom to buy a sandwich bento from the convenience store.
Yuto raised his eyes and glanced at Kikyo, then said carelessly, "Kikyo, every time you try talking to Horikita, she rejects you. Why not give up?"
"I won't give up. I'll definitely become friends with Horikita-san! I want to talk closely with her, just like you do, Yuto."
Kikyo replied with utmost seriousness, her chest heaving slightly.
If Yuto had not sensed resentment and dissatisfaction from her, he might actually have believed her.
"Kikyo, which eye of yours saw me talking closely with Horikita?"
"Both eyes."
Kikyo cutely pointed at her own eyes. "Aside from you, Horikita-san never talks to anyone else. So, Yuto, do you really have a grudge against her?"
"We really do," Yuto answered seriously.
"Then why would Horikita-san still talk to you?"
"She's probably using conversation to search for my weakness, then planning to take revenge all at once."
"Horikita-san isn't that kind of person. You're overthinking it, Yuto."
Kikyo added, "But your guess might not be completely wrong either, so you should be careful around Horikita-san. You can't believe everything she says."
"Sure, sure." Yuto nodded with a smile.
Wow.
This little angel wearing a mask really was contradictory.
On one hand, she said he was overthinking.
On the other hand, she told him not to trust Horikita Suzune's words.
However, from Kikyo's words, Yuto could tell that Suzune probably knew some of her dark history. That was why Kikyo had specifically told him not to believe what Suzune said.
Kei returned to the Class D classroom from the cafeteria in high spirits.
Her delicate hands held two food boxes. They were the two portions of cream stew she had bought from the cafeteria.
Kei had bought lunch for Yuto and even run the errand for him.
Yet she was enjoying it.
Because Kei had already chosen Yuto. As his future girlfriend, bringing him lunch was only natural.
When Kei returned to Class D, her pretty face darkened.
That Kushida Kikyo had once again joined desks with Yuto to eat lunch.
So annoying!
And wasn't Kikyo sitting a little too close to Yuto? She was practically sticking to him. Shameless!
Of course, Kei was even closer to Yuto than Kikyo was. She even openly hugged his arm.
But Karuizawa Kei was completely different from Kushida Kikyo. She and Yuto were in a not-yet-established romantic relationship, so no matter how close they were, it was perfectly normal!
With a stern look on her cute face, Kei returned to Yuto and Kikyo.
She stared forcefully at Kikyo. "Kushida, why aren't you eating lunch with your friends? Why are you clinging to my Yuto?"
"Well, I saw Yuto eating lunch alone in the classroom, so I decided to join him," Kikyo answered with a sweet smile.
The sweeter and cuter Kikyo smiled, the more Kei felt this girl wanted to steal her boyfriend. Her irritation rose rapidly.
"Yuto isn't alone. I'm eating with him!"
"All right, stop arguing. I hate noise when I'm eating lunch. It ruins my appetite," Yuto said.
Since Yuto had spoken, the unwilling Kei let out a small "guh," then moved her chair over and sat tightly beside him.
"Yuto, I wasn't arguing with Karuizawa-san. She was the one being loud the whole time," Kikyo corrected.
Kikyo, this little angel wearing a mask, seemed to have both white-lotus and green-tea traits.
"Say a little less. Kei can't handle being provoked," Yuto said, rolling his eyes at Kikyo.
Kei's expression immediately brightened.
Yuto was protecting her.
"Yuto, let's ignore Kushida~ Come try the cream stew."
"Mm."
Yuto tasted the cream stew Kei happily pushed toward him.
The dish had a strong milky aroma. It was rich and smooth, with a delicate texture. It was indeed good cooking.
Unfortunately, one of Chabashira Sae's best dishes was stew, and Yuto had eaten her milk stew before. The milk stew Chabashira personally made was even better than the cafeteria's.
Yuto glanced at Kei, whose eyes were filled only with his face.
After swallowing the stew, he said, "Stop looking at me. Eat too, Kei."
"Okay~"
The somewhat hungry Kei began eating as well.
For a while, the classroom was filled only with the soft sounds of Yuto, Kei, and Kikyo eating lunch together.
Yuto also shared the food Chabashira had prepared for him with Kei and Kikyo.
Both girls accepted it happily.
While chewing, Yuto looked toward Airi's seat.
The shy Airi was quietly eating lunch. Since her attention had always been on Yuto, she noticed him looking over right away.
Wearing her plain glasses, Airi gave Yuto a calm and happy smile.
Two beautiful girls who were not Yuto's girlfriend sat on either side of him and ate lunch together.
Meanwhile, his real girlfriend, Airi, was eating lunch at her own seat.
What kind of situation was this?
Yuto had actually suggested many times that Airi come eat lunch with him, or that he go over to her instead.
But the shy Airi did not have the courage to accept that suggestion.
Even if Kushida Kikyo and Karuizawa Kei were not beside Yuto, Airi would still not dare join desks with him and eat under everyone's eyes.
So the suggestion of eating lunch together had simply ended without result.
After a rich, satisfying lunch, Kei happily took the food boxes away to wash them, and Kikyo went to greet her friends.
After the two soft and lively girls left, Yuto took out his phone and started chatting with Airi and Kamuro.
With Airi, it was truly casual chat.
With Kamuro Masumi...
It probably did not count as chatting. It was more like gathering information.
Kamuro was a student in Class A.
Horikita Manabu had once said that Class A's Katsuragi Kohei had applied to join the student council and was a decent talent.
So Yuto planned to confirm Katsuragi's situation through Kamuro.
After all, tomorrow was the start of May. Yuto would soon join the student council, so it was time for him to start learning about Class A's Katsuragi Kohei and Class B's Ichinose Honami.
Yuto was very familiar with Ichinose Honami.
Whenever that true little angel happened to meet Yuto, she would greet him warmly and cheerfully. Then, like a curious girl, she would ask whether he had challenged every club and whether there was anything he could not do.
Ichinose's curious and admiring gaze made Yuto feel as though she had already become his little fangirl.
Sometimes, Ichinose would even chat with Yuto casually on Line like a friend.
So Yuto was very familiar with Ichinose Honami. He did not need to deliberately contact her.
Class A's Katsuragi Kohei was different.
Forget his ability and personality. Yuto did not even know what he looked like.
This one, he really did not know.
Not familiar at all.
Kamuro Masumi, who was sitting on a bench outside school and eating bread, opened her eyes slightly. Her plump, alluringly long legs subconsciously pressed together.
"Huh? Shimizu actually contacted me!"
Ever since Yuto and Kamuro exchanged Line contacts, Yuto had never sent her a message.
Kamuro, however, had always paid attention to him. Every afternoon after school, she would even secretly follow Yuto when he went to the club building.
Because Kamuro liked watching Yuto crush the upperclassmen with overwhelming momentum.
Every time she hid nearby and watched Yuto win a wager against someone else, Kamuro became excited.
It gave her an even stronger thrill and satisfaction than stealing.
…
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