Shimizu Akira had actually been putting in considerable effort these past two weeks.
Ever since starting one-on-one tutoring with Horikita Suzune, he'd maintained an ironclad routine: 90 minutes of boxing fundamentals after school, followed immediately by intensive Japanese study.
This grueling schedule had elevated his Japanese score from single digits to 29 points—a modest improvement on paper, but equivalent to jumping from middle-school to high-school proficiency in just two weeks.
Yet the real headaches came from classical Japanese and kanji nuances.
While Chinese and Japanese shared characters, their meanings often diverged wildly.
Take "daijoubu" (大丈夫)—in Japanese, it meant "it's okay", but in Chinese, it referred to "a man of integrity and responsibility".
These subtle differences constantly tripped him up, sometimes leading to embarrassing misunderstandings.
Returning to his seat, Shimizu considered asking Horikita for help with some exam problems, but found her laser-focused on the scoreboard, her pen racing through calculations in her notebook.
Not wanting to interrupt, he turned to his other desk neighbor—Sakura Airi.
Her results were... generously describable as "disastrous".
While barely avoiding failing grades, her scores hovered in the 30-40 range across subjects—her only edge over him being Japanese.
Her classroom behavior made it clear these weren't sandbagged results:
During math and English, her eyes glazed over like her soul had left her body.
Yet when note-taking was required, she'd suddenly perk up, even using multicolored highlighters to mark key points.
(So those neat notes really were just a beautiful misunderstanding...)
"Shimizu-kun..." Sakura whispered, her voice barely audible. "Aside from Japanese... your other subjects are so strong. My notes... didn't help much, did they?"
Since the note-sharing incident, they could at least hold basic conversations—though she maintained a near-bowing posture throughout.
She wasn't wrong—those meticulous notes had been utterly useless to him.
His 29 points were purely Horikita's brute-force tutoring at work.
After a thoughtful pause, Shimizu offered: "My Japanese has improved. But for your math struggles—instead of memorizing problems, focus on mastering formulas. After teachers explain solutions, spend extra time dissecting the logic. Review it mentally before bed, then again upon waking. This builds problem-solving intuition over time."
This was his proven method—those once-inscrutable math problems had yielded to this very approach.
"...! I-I'll do it!" Sakura suddenly straightened, eyes blazing with determination. "I'll stick with it!"
"Let's both do our best." Shimizu nodded before turning away.
(She agreed readily... but will she follow through?)
(Most people just pay lip service in these moments.)
(Yet... someone like her doesn't seem the type to half-ass things.)
He exhaled softly.
He'd given the advice—the rest was her choice.
Meanwhile, Horikita set her pen down with a soft click, tapping her desk twice.
"Shimizu-kun. Did you notice anything odd about the scores earlier?"
"Odd?" He tilted his head slightly.
"So you didn't." Her lips curled faintly. *"Chabashira's 32-point passing threshold? I calculated it—it's exactly half the class average."*
Shimizu's eyes gleamed with understanding. "Ah. You're considering score manipulation to help others during midterms?"
Horikita froze, her pen nearly slipping.
She'd meant to showcase her observation skills—not have him leap to tactical applications.
"I... hadn't thought that far ahead." She admitted stiffly, then mused: "But... it is worth considering."
(He reached that conclusion instantly...?)
(This perspective... is unexpectedly sharp.)
She discreetly inhaled, mentally filing the strategy away.
Her gaze sharpened. "Alternatively, midterms present a filtering opportunity. Expelling those who can't clear 35 points would purge Class D's deadweight."
"After all... those too incompetent to score even that much deserve expulsion."
Suddenly realizing her phrasing, she hastily added: "N-not you! You're just unbalanced!"
Her eyes flicked to Shimizu's profile.
Despite his Japanese struggles, his other subjects were exceptionally strong.
With another month of tutoring, he should avoid failing... probably.
This month... is my final mercy.
She drew a mental line in the sand.
Those who couldn't meet even this low bar didn't belong in Class D.
Better to cut the rot now than let it drag the entire class down.
"A sound plan, but Horikita—you've got competition. Kushida won't sit idle." Shimizu remarked casually.
As if on cue, Kushida's voice rang out:
"Everyone just needs to work together! We can do this!"
She beamed at the class. "Let's start study sessions immediately! Anyone struggling can attend! This month, we'll ensure no one gets expelled! Unity conquers all!"