"Forty minutes!?"
The always expressionless Kaguya Shinomiya, upon hearing such astonishing words, couldn't help but show emotional fluctuation.
Immediately after, she raised her right hand and gently touched her left cheek.
In just an instant, Kaguya Shinomiya's look of surprise and astonishment vanished as if it had never appeared, returning to her usual serene and composed demeanour.
"Ye Xing-kun, handing in your paper early... even if you're arrogant, there should be limits."
Kaguya Shinomiya couldn't believe he could finish a high-difficulty exam paper that took her nearly three hours in just forty minutes.
When she heard that number, she had already made a mental calculation.
Even if the answers were placed right in front of her to copy, it would still take at least half an hour to write everything down.
Kaguya Shinomiya refused to believe that the gap between herself and Ye Xing before her could be so vast.
"Arrogant?"
Ye Xing chuckled softly and shook his head.
"This isn't arrogance."
He looked directly into Kaguya Shinomiya's calm, unruffled red eyes and slowly said.
"It's just that I know I can't possibly lose, so I want to win by more."
"Win by more..."
Kaguya Shinomiya murmured these three words softly, her eyes flickering.
"So you mean, since you feel certain of victory, you also want to surpass me in answering speed by handing in your paper early?"
Kaguya Shinomiya raised her head, meeting Ye Xing's gaze directly, and said flatly.
"As expected, you are very arrogant."
Ye Xing withdrew his smile and replied in an equally calm tone.
"Whether it's arrogance or ability, you'll know when the exam results come out."
Just then.
"Kaguya!"
Chika Fujiwara also emerged from the examination hall and, seeing Kaguya Shinomiya and Ye Xing standing not far away talking, quickly bounced over with a sweet smile.
"Are you comparing answers? I want to join in too!"
Chika Fujiwara had been friends with Kaguya Shinomiya since middle school, so her attitude towards the eldest daughter of the Shinomiya family wasn't one of distant respect like other classmates.
"We're not comparing answers."
Kaguya Shinomiya felt somewhat helpless inside.
The moment Chika Fujiwara approached, the atmosphere in the room seemed to change completely.
From the tension and sense of destiny between the top geniuses of the two schools, determining the outcome at the end of the first semester, it directly transformed into something like a comedy club social gathering.
Kaguya Shinomiya could almost visualise bright flower petals scattering around Chika Fujiwara.
'The power of her ditzy aura is truly fearsome.'
"So you're not comparing answers after all..."
Chika Fujiwara looked somewhat disappointed, but then turned to Ye Xing and asked curiously.
"Oh, right, Ye Xing-kun, can I ask you something?"
Ye Xing's attitude towards Chika Fujiwara was clearly much better than towards Kaguya Shinomiya.
It wasn't due to anything like appearance or bust size.
His hostility towards Kaguya Shinomiya was solely because she had sent Ai Hayasaka to follow him and those close to him.
"What is it, Fujiwara-san?"
"In your school's first year... there should be a girl with the surname Touma, do you know her?"
"Touma?"
Ye Xing gave a slight nod.
"She's in the same club as me."
Though Ye Xing showed no outward reaction, he thought to himself:
'It seems that although Kaguya Shinomiya had Ai Hayasaka follow me, she hasn't revealed any of the information obtained to anyone.'
'Otherwise, as her close friend, Chika Fujiwara wouldn't be using uncertain phrases like "should" and "do you know her".'
"Really!?"
Chika Fujiwara's face lit up with excitement as she quickly spoke.
"Then could you please introduce me to Touma-san? I'm very curious about her!"
"An introduction isn't a problem," Ye Xing said with a careless laugh.
"But her attitude towards strangers can't exactly be described as friendly."
"That's fine, that's fine."
Chika Fujiwara appeared completely confident.
"I'm sure we'll have common topics to discuss."
"Then let's go."
...
Meanwhile, in a quiet corner elsewhere.
"Huff... huff..."
Miyuki Shirogane leaned against the wall, not even bothering to keep his uniform neat as he sat directly on the ground without any concern for his appearance.
This exam...
His stress levels were completely maxed out.
The moment he saw the test paper, Miyuki Shirogane knew he had already lost the qualification to compete with Kaguya Shinomiya and Ye Xing.
He felt like a mere mortal caught in a battle between two gods.
That's right.
Miyuki Shirogane was no genius.
If he had to describe himself...
He could only be considered a genius of concentration and perseverance.
His obsession with studying allowed Miyuki Shirogane to spend twenty out of twenty-four hours each day studying.
He wouldn't even stop reading books while eating or using the toilet.
But the limits of hard work ended here.
Under these completely different exam rules, only true geniuses like Kaguya Shinomiya could remain completely unaffected and perform at their usual level.
There was no need to announce the results.
Miyuki Shirogane already knew he couldn't achieve first place in this exam.
...
Meanwhile, in the Shuchi'in Academy teachers' office.
The middle-aged woman with gold-rimmed glasses from before sat together with several other carefully selected, experienced senior teachers renowned for their marking expertise.
Everyone fell into silence as they looked at the test paper before them.
The atmosphere in the office was so oppressive that it felt deathly still.
The middle-aged woman looked at the test paper before her, and at Ye Xing's name on it, adjusted her glasses, and slowly spoke.
"I don't believe it. Bring up the surveillance footage. Impossible, this is absolutely impossible!"
As the first student to finish early - and the only one to do so - in this joint exam hosted by Sobu High School and Shuchi'in Academy, Ye Xing's answer sheet had long been delivered to the table.
It's just that the Shuchi'in teachers found it difficult to believe the reality placed before their eyes.
Not only had Ye Xing completed all the questions in just forty minutes...
But the quality of this test paper had reached such an unbelievable level.
If one had to describe it in words...
It was at that moment that this test paper appeared before them, the Shuchi'in teachers no longer needed to look at any other students' answer sheets.
The first place had already been decided.
The administration of Shuchi'in Academy completely refused to believe such a thing could happen.
After Kaguya Shinomiya submitted her exam paper, the Shuchi'in teachers responsible for marking placed both exam papers side by side for comparison.
Good news.
Kaguya Shinomiya's results were excellent, nearly perfect.
Bad news.
The perfection of Ye Xing's exam paper had transcended the concept of full marks.
Even when the Shuchi'in teachers racked their brains trying to find a single point to deduct marks, they couldn't locate any flaw.
It was a perfect, flawless exam paper.
When they retrieved the surveillance footage, the middle-aged woman sat before the computer and zoomed in on the captured images.
All eyes in the office were fixed on the footage before them.
What none of them noticed, or rather, what they were incapable of noticing was...
A woman wearing a kimono, with a blindfold tied over her eyes, stood silently behind them, observing their every move.
"This is..."
The moment the surveillance footage began playing, the Shuchi'in teachers were stunned by Ye Xing's actions.
They watched as he calmly wrote his name at the top of the exam paper.
This single action alone took over five seconds, forming a stark contrast with the other examinees who began frantically answering questions the moment they heard the bell.
Then...
"Holy shit!?"
When they saw Ye Xing's right hand holding the ballpoint pen moving across the exam paper with such speed that it left afterimages, the middle-aged female teacher watching the surveillance footage couldn't help but swear in astonishment.
What was this?
Could normal people write this fast?
Even if you were copying answers, you'd at least need to look up occasionally, right?
Yet Ye Xing's movements showed almost no pause.
Only when finishing one question and moving to the next would he stop briefly for 0.2 to 0.3 seconds—a pause so short it was barely noticeable without slow motion.
Moreover, he didn't follow the approach most examinees took by answering in subject order.
Instead, he answered directly in accordance with the question distribution on the exam paper, proceeding sequentially from the first question.
What did this mean?
One moment, he was solving a mathematics problem.
The next, he seamlessly switched to humanities reading comprehension.
Then immediately after, English grammar and sentence structure.
This switching of thought processes, combined with reading and deriving answers.
The entire process took only about 0.3 seconds each time.
"This... this guy... is just too ridiculous..."
Watching the footage, the Shuchi'in teachers stood dumbfounded.
It was absurd to the point of being unbelievable.
At this moment, the Shuchi'in teachers finally understood how foolish the school administration's decision to compete with Sobu High School in this joint examination had been.
Even the eldest daughter of the Shinomiya conglomerate, the genius Kaguya Shinomiya...
Before him, she was completely outmatched.
One of the teachers opened his mouth, muttering in disbelief.
"Now... what... what should we do?"
For a moment, silence fell over the office.
Only the faint scratching sound of the pen tip against the paper from the computer screen continued to echo.
After a long while, the middle-aged female teacher wearing gold-rimmed glasses finally sighed softly, her face clouded with gravity.
"What else can we do? Mark the papers, and then..."
Under everyone's astonished gazes, the middle-aged female teacher spoke slowly.
"Announce the results truthfully."
"Announce the results truthfully?"
A male teacher's expression changed, and he hesitated as he spoke.
"But if we do that, it would mean our Shuchi'in..."
Before he could finish, the middle-aged female teacher directly interrupted him, a hint of coldness flashing in her eyes as she spoke coldly.
"Are you suggesting we deliberately mark down this Ye Xing's scores during the marking process?"
The middle-aged female teacher scanned the group and spoke slowly.
"Setting aside whether there are any flaws in this exam paper that could justify point deductions, you need to understand one thing."
"We are the best high school in Japan, the most important cradle for talent in Japan."
"Our Shuchi'in students, after graduation, will enter politics, business, and various industries, becoming influential figures."
"Using such laughable methods to protect our temporary pride is not the style that Shuchi'in should embody."
"If we cannot accept failure gracefully, that would truly tarnish the reputation of Shuchi'in Academy."
At this point, the middle-aged female teacher paused, speaking in a serious tone.
"If you understand, then start marking truthfully. I want to see all candidates' results before school ends today."
"Yes, understood."
Clearly, this middle-aged female teacher wasn't an ordinary instructor but was at the management level of Shuchi'in Academy.
No one dared to oppose her opinion, immediately returning to their seats to begin marking the exam papers.
...
Meanwhile, in the restroom prepared by Shuchi'in for Sobu High School students.
"Touma-san! Touma-san!"
When Chika Fujiwara entered, she immediately spotted Kazusa Touma sitting there and excitedly ran over to her.
"Touma-san, I finally get to meet you!"
"Huh?"
Chika's inexplicable familiarity left Kazusa completely bewildered.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Chika Fujiwara."
Chika looked at Kazusa sitting before her, her eyes practically sparkling.
"Touma-san, I've heard from my family that you're sure to become a world-class pianist like your mother someday. I've always wanted to meet you!"
Despite Chika Fujiwara's ditzy and cute appearance, her background was anything but simple.
Great-granddaughter of Japan's former Prime Minister, with an uncle serving as the current Minister and a mother who was a diplomat—such family standing made her undeniably top-tier even within the prestigious Shuchi'in Academy.
Moreover, Chika Fujiwara herself was quite skilled at playing the piano.
"Like my mother..."
Kazusa Touma's expression grew complex upon hearing these words, ultimately responding with just a single, flat syllable.
"Oh."
"Huh?"
Chika felt somewhat flustered by Kazusa's cold response.
Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Yui Yuigahama quickly stood up with a mediating smile.
"Um... Fujiwara-san, this is just Touma's usual personality. She's not targeting you specifically."
Chika showed a goofy smile and waved her hand.
"It's fine, it's fine. I don't mind."
"That's good."
After saying this, Yui noticed Ye Xing giving her a rather peculiar look from nearby, making her puff out her cheeks.
"Hey, what's with that look?"
"Nothing."
Ye Xing shook his head and sighed with emotion.
"I just think this historic meeting between two natural airheads is quite a memorable scene."
Chika scratched her head and grinned foolishly.
"Hehe."
"Don't just 'hehe'."
Yui sighed helplessly and patted Chika's shoulder.
"He's calling us both stupid."
"Eh? Really?"
Chika looked genuinely surprised.
"But Ye Xing-kun seems so friendly!"
The members of the Supernatural Society in the break room spoke in unison.
"That's because you don't know him yet."
Chika maintained her ditzy expression.
"And after getting to know him?"
"After getting to know him..."
Rio Futaba and Miko Yotsuya exchanged glances, imagining what might happen once Chika understood Ye Xing's true nature.
They simultaneously realised there seemed to be only one possibility.
That she would fall for him.
"You'd better not get to know him."
"Oh..."
Chika obediently nodded, then looked around the somewhat empty break room curiously.
"Eh? Speaking of which, why are you the only ones in this break room? Where are the other Sobu High School students?"
Yukino Yukinoshita, who had been reading a book without looking up, replied flatly.
"They voluntarily yielded the use of this break room to us."
Rio Futaba adjusted her glasses and added.
"Rather than voluntarily yielding, it's more accurate to say they left on their own after learning Ye Xing would be coming."
Kaguya Shinomiya, who had remained silent until now, frowned slightly upon hearing this.
They left... upon hearing Ye Xing was coming?
Did that mean they didn't dare share the same room with him?
What was this?
Sobu High School's Satan?
"Touma-san, I have a favour to ask..."
Facing the adorable Chika, Kazusa Touma's response was simple and plain.
"If it's a favour you're reluctant to ask, then don't."
"Uh..."
Chika froze for a moment.
As the daughter of a diplomat, she was quite adept at handling various social situations.
But someone like Kazusa Touma... this was truly her first encounter.
This person wasn't normal!
"Um... Touma-san."
Chika Fujiwara gave an awkward smile.
"I'd like to invite you to play the piano with me once, would that be alright?"
"Play piano? I don't..."
Just as Kazusa Touma was about to refuse, she noticed Ye Xing watching from the sidelines and suddenly had a strange idea, turning to him and saying.
"The exams are over now, so you should have free time, right?"
"What do you mean?"
"If you accompany me, then I'll agree to this Fujiwara-san's request."
Ye Xing frowned slightly and pursed his lips.
"Using Chika Fujiwara to morally blackmail me, how could that possibly work? If you're willing to play with her, then play; if not, then forget it. I don't care about her feelings anyway."
Kazusa Touma was taken aback, thinking that actually made sense.
Given Ye Xing's personality, if he didn't want to do something, no amount of moral blackmail would have any effect.
Especially when it concerned Chika Fujiwara, whom he wasn't familiar with and had just met for the first time.
"However..."
At this point, Ye Xing changed his tone, looking at Kazusa Touma with a smile.
"Chika Fujiwara's feelings aren't important to me, but since you want me to accompany you, then of course I'll agree."
Hearing this, Kazusa Touma's cheeks flushed slightly as she deliberately spoke coldly.
"Ev... everyone's here, don't say strange things, you pervert."
Chika Fujiwara didn't quite understand the current situation, but it seemed like Touma-san had agreed to her request, immediately breaking into a happy smile.
"In that case, let's start right away!"
One could only say that Shuchi'in Academy truly lived up to its reputation.
This lounge contained a piano that looked extremely expensive.
Truly worthy of being an aristocratic school.
"Wait a moment."
Under the puzzled gazes of Chika Fujiwara and Kaguya Shinomiya, Ye Xing slowly pulled something completely black from his chest, which seemed to absorb all light, looking extremely imposing...
A suona.
"I just happen to be itching to show my skills, come on!"
Holding the black suona, Ye Xing looked at the bewildered faces of Chika Fujiwara and Kaguya Shinomiya across from him and slowly spoke.
"Come challenge me, and my king of instruments!"