Monday—the day after the weekend, the final consecutive break before the exams.
Today marked the beginning of the first half of the final exams.
Pairs were required to score a combined total of 692 points out of a possible 1600.
Just looking at the number, it seemed easier than a regular test, but everything depended on the questions themselves.
For Class C, the difficulty of the problems set by Class D could very well push us below the cutoff.
"Good morning!"
Ishizaki, having just entered the classroom, came straight to my desk and greeted me with a crisp, energetic voice.
"You seem to have slept well last night."
"Yeah! I was pretty nervous yesterday, but I ended up falling asleep without any trouble!"
"That's excellent. However, not everyone is in as good condition as you. Save that energy for the real thing."
I prompted Ishizaki to survey the room, and he understood immediately, giving a wry smile.
Those who had been reviewing right up to the last minute had been startled by his loud voice.
He quickly adjusted to the mood, returned to his seat, and began flipping through his notes again.
This was real progress.
For Ishizaki—the same guy whose daily attitude was usually so poor—to be studying seriously like this.
He had always placed dead last on every test, including quizzes. But with this kind of atmosphere, even if not everyone felt it, the students with grades closest to his would start to feel the pressure.
In the end, the whole class's approach to studying would change.
"Good morning."
"Good morning."
Ibuki arrived too and took the seat in front of me, with plenty of time to spare.
"The order today is Japanese, English, social studies, and math, right?"
"Correct."
The exams were split across two days, four subjects each.
Since the dates differed by subject, planning one's study schedule accordingly was crucial.
"Hey, is it true that Ryuen completely botched his scheming?"
Ibuki turned toward me, English vocabulary book in hand. It felt more like confirmation than a genuine question.
"It's true."
"I see. So it's a straight-up battle against Class D on the exams?"
"That's how it is."
"…Can we win?"
"No problem. Even for a direct confrontation, he had the top three scorers oversee the class's studying."
"Every class has students teaching each other to raise overall ability. Is there any guarantee we'll definitely win?"
"That depends on your own efforts."
This time, the competition hinged on the class's total average score.
In other words, the class that performed better overall would come out on top.
Even if certain individuals—Yukimura or Koenji, for example—stood out academically, the comparison was based on the class average.
And besides,
"I handled some of it myself. At this point, losing would be the harder outcome."
"…Still as confident as ever."
The students I instructed understood not only the opposing side's question tendencies but also the topics most likely to appear within the tested scope.
In short, most of Class C was thoroughly prepared.
"Are you nervous?"
"As if. My partner is Ryuen, remember. If I don't rack up extra points, I could even end up expelled.
That's why I studied properly. I'm confident I can score at least sixty percent in every subject. How about you—are you going to be okay?"
"Who exactly are you worrying about?"
"Hah, fair enough."
After finishing our brief exchange, the warning bell rang.
At the same moment, Sakagami-sensei stepped up to the podium with a brown envelope in hand and began explaining the exam procedures.
Only writing implements were allowed on desks; everything else had to go in the lockers.
He ran through the usual simple rules—no cheating, naturally—and soon reached the point of distributing the test papers.
"The exam lasts fifty minutes. To ensure fairness, leaving the room midway is prohibited in principle.
Midway exit will be permitted only in cases of sudden illness or unavoidable circumstances, but please take care of anything possible—like restroom visits—in advance."
After conveying the restrictions and handing out papers to everyone, there was no longer any private conversation; every student's gaze was fixed on their sheet.
Shortly afterward, the chime signaling the start of the exam rang through the classroom.
"Begin."
With that single word, the sound of pages being turned echoed all at once.
I glanced sideways at the others—everyone was deeply focused.
The moderate tension in the air seemed to be spurring their motivation.
I started on the questions a little later than the rest.
Before solving anything, I scanned through all the items, and the problems were of genuinely high quality.
There were a few places that appeared to have been adjusted by the school, but I could still detect traces of Class D students' earnest effort.
The difficulty was considerably high—at the very least, anyone attempting it cold would find it impossible to avoid failing marks.
Yet there was no issue.
At this level, Class C students would not stumble. If they simply stayed calm and concentrated, victory would come easily.
And so, from first period onward, a tense exam with no room for idle chatter began.
...
"Finally, the first day is over. Having another round tomorrow is gonna kill me~"
"Good work, everyone~"
"The second I get home, it's straight into studying for tomorrow."
"Good work~. Hey, it's getting late—wanna grab some food before heading back?"
The first day's exams had finally ended, and Class C was dismissed. Relieved sighs and satisfied voices echoed from every corner as students broke into their usual groups and went their separate ways.
"...It's over."
Ibuki-san stretched, working the stiffness out of her body after sitting for so long, savoring the moment.
"You pulled through," I said.
"Yeah. Feels like I got at least seventy percent on everything. Japanese and English might've even hit eighty."
She stated her self-scored results without a hint of doubt. The first part didn't sound like empty confidence; the second half, though, carried a trace of bragging—she was probably exaggerating a little.
"If you managed seventy percent on those tests, that means your studying paid off. Keep the momentum tomorrow."
"No need to tell me that. How about you—perfect scores?"
"No need to tell me that."
"Ugh, gross."
Ibuki-san recoiled dramatically.
Apparently, hearing her own words come out of my mouth was too much for her.
"Well, I'll be heading home. You're... going back with Shiina-san, right?"
I had spotted Shiina-san approaching, so I said it as a guess. I signaled with my eyes for Ibuki-san to look behind her, and she did.
"Yeah. Gonna grab dinner with Shiina and have her check my answers. You in?"
"I'll pass—I have leftovers from yesterday."
"Ah, got it. What kind of leftovers?"
"Curry."
Last night's late-night snack had been curry that Ryūen-kun had whined until I made it. We have an absurd collection of spices, so it turned out perfectly, but there was a bit too much, and I still needed to finish it off.
After a quick goodbye, I left the classroom.
I had no particular plans for the evening. Tomorrow's prep would take maybe ten minutes, and I wasn't in the mood to kill time with anyone.
If anything, the only thing on the horizon was probably dealing with Ryūen-kun begging for food again tonight.
"Oh? If it isn't Izuru-kun."
As I walked alone down the hallway, someone called my name.
Only one person addresses me that way—Sakurayanagi-san. I turned to see her approaching with Kamuro-san beside her.
We fell into step together and continued toward the exit.
"What do you want?" I asked.
"Do I need a reason to speak to you?"
She had simply called out because she saw me.
I don't consider us close, but she's obsessed with my talents and seems intent on building some kind of friendly relationship.
"From the look of it, the exams were no trouble for you."
"Yes. Studying has never been a hardship for me."
A perfectly composed, intellectual reply—exactly what I'd expect from her.
Kamuro-san watched the exchange with the expression of someone staring at something bizarre, but that was normal for her. No issues there.
"Do you think Class C can beat Class D?"
"Yes, without question."
"I heard Izuru-kun personally tutored your class. I'm almost jealous of Class C."
"I only gave them a light briefing. What about Class A?"
"Fufu. Between A and B—which do you think will come out on top?"
A faint smile played on her lips as she spoke. She had clearly been scheming again.
The most likely scenario was that she had made the same kind of deal with another class that she once proposed to me.
"Class B. Am I wrong?"
"And your reasoning?"
Sakurayanagi-san smiled with satisfaction.
Kamuro-san's expression practically screamed "just tell him already"—I could probably get along with her.
"You leaked the questions to Class B using the same negotiation you once offered me, correct?"
"Yes. Spot on."
There were a few people around, so Sakurayanagi-san lowered her voice.
She was clearly aware that this wasn't casual hallway conversation material.
It wasn't the sort of topic to discuss while walking, either.
"With this, the Katsuragi faction's decline is all but guaranteed. You'll reclaim sole leadership sooner than expected."
"Indeed. I even earned a nice little bonus, so everything is going almost too smoothly."
A bonus.
Given the negotiation with Class B, she had probably sold them Class A's questions.
Whether she made them pay in private points upfront or ongoing class points, I didn't know—but it was undoubtedly a substantial sum.
For Ichinose-san's Class B, closing even a small part of the gap with Class A was worth loosening the purse strings, especially after the losses they suffered in the sports festival.
The deal had been highly effective.
"That widens the point gap before Class B can catch up."
"Ryūen-kun won't mind."
"Fufu. He has no doubt he'll end up in Class A eventually. I don't dislike that ambition, but it's impossible. Not as long as he has you—someone he can't fully utilize."
She seemed confident she would remain in Class A.
"Not overconfidence?"
I asked.
"I believe not."
"Fufu. Thank you. For now, let's avoid open hostility until I've cleaned up the negative legacy Katsuragi-kun left behind."
With that, she and Kamuro-san gave a small bow and headed toward their shoe lockers.
She wanted conflict once the legacy was gone—that was how I read her final remark.
The negative legacy was, of course, the deal struck during the uninhabited island special exam.
She already had a plan to handle the aftermath.
Yes—she truly wasn't letting her guard down.
...
The scene shifts to Class D after the exams.
If the class atmosphere could be summed up in one word, it would be heavy.
With the first day finally over, conversations were scarce, and nearly everyone wore gloomy expressions.
"…Haa."
Horikita exhaled and scanned her classmates.
The oppressive mood stemmed entirely from the difficulty of the questions.
Even the academically strong ones like Yukimura and Hirata weren't smiling.
Yukimura's face, in particular, was grimmer than those around him.
He was apologizing to Hasebe and Miyake, whom he had been tutoring, and to Sakura, who had joined partway through, for being too lenient in his teaching.
"Everything going smoothly?"
Ayanokōji, seated beside her, spoke up.
While the rest of the class remained downcast, Ayanokōji was his usual self.
He wasn't chatting lightly because he had given up on scoring well and was escaping reality.
On the contrary—if Ayanokōji put his mind to it, getting perfect marks would be effortless; given the test difficulty, he could even reverse-engineer the average and deliberately match it without breaking a sweat.
"…For me, yes. I studied more for this than I ever have in my life—no exaggeration. So I'm confident I scored at least ninety percent today."
The tests crafted by Class C were undeniably tough.
Still, at the start, they weren't so hard that every Class D student's pen ground to a halt.
Japanese and English were difficult, but not unsolvable. The effort put into studying had felt worthwhile.
Then came social studies, and cracks began to show.
The questions were masterfully designed. Perfect answers on the multiple-choice and terminology sections alone would net eighty percent.
But the descriptive questions were a brutal wall. Anyone who had skimped on preparation turned pale without exception.
"And math—the one that mattered most?"
"…Honestly, that's the one I'm least sure about. I think it's borderline whether I hit ninety."
Math had been even more brutal.
Thirty percent basic, fifty percent standard, twenty percent advanced.
The basic portion was almost laughably easy—a lifeline to avoid outright failure.
The standard questions were solid, well within expected bounds.
But the advanced section was mercilessly difficult.
Classic guided problems: solve (1) to unlock (2), then reach (3), with point values escalating—4, 7, 9—as the steps progressed.
Class D students had likely managed (1). Nothing more.
Questions drawn strictly from the designated scope, formulas memorized, calculations practiced—yet still unsolvable.
Even solving (2) often consumed so much time that (3) remained untouched.
Horikita had reached (3) only to run out of time.
Thus, even with everything else perfect, 91 points. Factoring in possible deductions, ninety percent was indeed touch-and-go.
"I see."
"I'm sorry. This is my failing."
Regardless of Kushida's recent actions benefiting Class D, the bet between her and Horikita still stood.
If Horikita lost, both she and Ayanokōji would be expelled—an unbreakable promise.
"No. Solving that much on those problems? I think you did amazingly."
"Save the compliments. I'm going to ask Kushida-san for her scores."
Horikita moved decisively to settle what needed settling.
Ayanokōji followed, content to observe the outcome he already knew.
"Kushida-san, may I have a word?"
Horikita cut into Kushida's conversation as she encouraged her friends.
Kushida excused herself with a quick apology and stepped into the hallway. Horikita and Ayanokōji followed.
"It's about the bet, right? I'll say it upfront—my self-score is around seventy percent, so I think you win."
Kushida wasted no time getting to the point.
"Yes. I have eighty-five… ninety at best."
"I see. Then I lose."
Nothing was official yet, but Kushida spoke as though it were.
"If I lost, I agreed not to directly sabotage the class, correct? Fine. No more sabotage."
"…You're being unusually agreeable. You said you wouldn't cooperate with Class D—was that a lie too?"
"No, that part's true. I won't sabotage, but—"
"That's still effectively sabotaging."
"Shut up. I don't do things I don't want to do."
"…Fine, I understand. And this is because of those 500,000 points, isn't it?"
"What if it is?"
"Then let me pay part of it."
"No. I'd rather pay it all myself than be pitied."
That was Kushida's own way of taking responsibility.
She still disliked Horikita. Yet she had acknowledged it—Horikita was someone who accepted her.
But she wouldn't wag her tail so easily.
It would be simple, but her pride forbade it.
Suppressing the very pride that had kept her from acknowledging Horikita until now was no small feat for Kushida.
So she bound herself with shackles.
Believing that only then could she change.
"We're done here. Unlike you, I actually have friends to go home with, so I'm busy."
Kushida threw a parting jab and returned to the classroom.
The sarcasm was there, but the old venom was absent. Horikita felt both relief and a strange sensation.
"Looks like expulsion is off the table."
"We don't know yet. She could be lying."
"You're overthinking it. Kushida couldn't outscore you.
Unless she got answers from Class C—but after cooperating with Class D, Ryūen would never allow that."
Ayanokōji was right. Horikita quickly steadied her thoughts and accepted it.
"True. I can't imagine Ryūen-kun letting victory slip through his fingers."
Dwelling on it would only hurt tomorrow's performance.
Horikita set it aside and turned her mind to the next day.
"I'll give everything until the very end."
"Tomorrow will likely have multiple subjects with absurd difficulty. And needless to say—"
"—they're problems created by Izuru-kun, right?"
"Yeah. Countermeasures are far too late now. So the outcome is already decided, isn't it?"
"Yes. I thought I prepared, but he was one step ahead. Still, that's no excuse for not seeing it through."
Horikita declared firmly. With that, the two parted ways.
And then,
(That light is blinding. One day, it could become poison.)
Ayanokōji analyzed as he walked toward the dorms.
Horikita never gives up. That intense brilliance holds the potential to lead others.
Charisma, in the common sense.
But charisma alone leads only to collapse or stagnation.
That is why Horikita still needs to grow.
(But there's no rush. Slow and steady is fine for us.)
Ayanokōji concluded.
Then he turned his thoughts to the more pressing issue—future dealings with Class C.
(Ryūen has narrowed the candidates considerably this time. He'll make his move the moment the tests end.
Izuru hasn't reported me. Whatever his reason, it bought me time. But Ryūen isn't stupid.)
Until winter break, Class C and Class D would be in upheaval.
All because of him.
Ayanokōji kept that future in mind as he considered solutions.
And finally, he resolved himself.
"—As planned, I'll crush Ryūen."
Was it to protect his own safety? To savor the confrontation with Ryūen? Or simply for victory?
The false genius's eyes reflected no emotion. He had never been taught to show feeling.
Thus, he pursued his objectives silently, like a machine without words.
That was the White Room's greatest masterpiece—Kiyotaka Ayanokōji.
Yet at that moment, the corner of his mouth seemed to soften, ever so slightly.
***
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