To measure Koharu's true level, I deliberately had Arona help out by recreating a new test based on the first-year exam paper Azusa provided, then had Koharu complete it on her own during yesterday's remedial session.
As for the result, although I had already braced myself the moment I saw the paper, the final outcome was even more disastrous than I had imagined.
Looking at the girl in front of me as she took the test paper, her black wings above her head drooping down to cover her eyes as if she did not dare look at it, I was left speechless.
In a sense, she really had been hiding her strength.
It was just in a negative way.
Who could have imagined that Koharu, who called herself an elite and had even taken the second-year exam ahead of time, would score worse on a first-year test than Azusa, who had practically no foundation at all?
How on earth did she get into Trinity in the first place?
Honestly, having poor grades would have been one thing, but being this stubborn and refusing to face reality…
Looking at it now, the one in the Make-Up Work Club I needed to worry about most was neither Azusa nor Hanako, whom I had already talked through her issues, but Koharu, who still refused to face the truth even now.
I let out a silent sigh and said calmly, "Koharu, put your wings down. Grades do not lie."
She hesitated for quite a while before finally folding her wings back to the sides of her head, revealing flushed cheeks and eyes brimming with tears.
"So, about your test results, is there anything you want to say to me?"
"B-because the questions were a bit hard…"
"This is the original first-year exam. In the entire grade, only Azusa failed."
"Ugh… I, I said it wrong! The questions were too easy, so I did not take it seriously at all!"
"In other words, you actually know all of it?" I took out another pen and held it out to her. "Then right now, in front of me, carefully redo every question you got wrong on this paper."
But Koharu did not take it.
She just clenched the test paper tightly with both hands, lowered her head, pressed her lips together, and stayed silent, tears unknowingly welling up in her eyes.
Seeing how at a loss she looked, I pulled the pen back and gently patted her head through her hat.
"I am not trying to make things hard for you. Otherwise, I would not have called you out here to talk one on one. If you want to become an elite who will shoulder the future of the Justice Task Force, you at least need to get out of the Make-Up Work Club smoothly first, right?"
Koharu let out a muffled "Mm."
"Then can you tell me your real situation?"
"I… I… I actually…" Koharu stammered, looking like she was about to cry again.
Her personality was really troublesome. It seemed like the only way was to coax her along.
Fortunately, Koharu was an idiot.
"Actually, I believe you," I said, suddenly changing my approach. "As an elite of the Justice Task Force, it must be because your regular club activities are too busy, leaving you no time to study, so you fell behind, right?"
"Y-yes! That is exactly it!" Koharu's eyes lit up as she nodded repeatedly.
Exactly my foot.
Other Justice Task Force members are even busier, so why is it that not a single one of them failed?
I was inwardly at a loss for words, but outwardly I went along with it. "So, with Koharu's potential, as long as you get serious, it will be a piece of cake, right?"
Hearing that, Koharu immediately beamed. "Ehehe~ of course! I am really amazing, you know!"
I had barely praised her a little, and she was already this happy. She must have a crush on me.
I kept casually piling on the compliments, praising her until she was completely dizzy, as if she were already immersed in a fantasy where she left the Make-Up Work Club behind and became a future star of the Justice Task Force, doing nothing but smiling foolishly and nodding.
Seeing that it was probably enough, I shook my head and sighed regretfully.
"It is just a shame that, with your current grades…"
Koharu, who had been happily smiling, shuddered, then stubbornly said, "If I get serious, I can quickly…"
"But no matter how gifted you are, if you bury yourself in studying alone, it would still be hard to reach the goal with the time you have left, right?"
Today was already the fourth day since the Make-Up Work Club had gathered. After a full week, the first evaluation exam would take place. In other words, there were less than three days left.
And on top of that, Koharu was an idiot.
With that reasoning, although she was still very unwilling, she could at least grudgingly accept it.
"…Then what should I do?" Koharu's mood instantly sank.
"I have a plan."
Facing the hopeful light appearing in Koharu's eyes, I continued, "But you have to agree to one thing first."
However, as if she had thought of something, Koharu's pupils shrank and her face turned bright red. "W-what kind of thing?"
Seeing how guarded she was, I could not help but feel a bit irritated, seriously wondering if her mind was on the gutter, always jumping to unhealthy thoughts.
If I really had that kind of plan, with her level of intelligence, she would probably end up thanking me afterward.
Grumbling internally, I said it outright.
"Try putting aside your pride and prejudices, and get along properly with everyone in the Make-Up Work Club."
"Huh? G-get along with that bunch of idiots we will not even see again soon…"
"If anything, that is the best way."
I paused for a moment. "Since studying alone cannot solve it, then move forward together with everyone. You can tell too, right? Hifumi, Azusa, and Hanako are all good people. Even if they knew your situation, they would not laugh at you."
"N-noisy! I do not want to!"
Maybe my buildup was not enough, or maybe Koharu's pride was stronger than I had estimated. In any case, she denied it loudly, wearing an expression like she could not accept it at all.
Then she looked at me pitifully. "Um… is it not okay if only Sensei helps me?"
"Of course not."
Even though seeing Koharu like this made my heart stir a little, it was not enough to make me change my mind.
The key was that I knew my own limits.
Although I was called Sensei, my overall teaching ability was probably not even on par with an average instructor in Kivotos.
If it were just filling in gaps or teaching a smart, quick student like Azusa, I could barely manage. But with a student like Koharu, I really did not have that confidence.
So right now, there was only one person I could place my hopes on.
That was Hanako.
Once evaluated as an almost perfect model student, and when guiding Azusa, she had unconsciously shown extremely strong teaching ability, at least far stronger than me, a half-baked teacher.
And for that to work, Koharu could not keep resisting like this.
However, to my disappointment, after fidgeting for quite a while, she ultimately still seemed unable to accept it.
"I don't need help! I can do it on my own! I can definitely manage it!"
Shouting that, Koharu turned around and ran back toward the classroom, carrying her utterly miserable test paper with her.
Watching her retreating figure, I could not help pressing a hand to my forehead and sighing, wondering if I should go talk things over with Hasumi.
But at that moment.
I heard unhidden footsteps coming from behind me.
Along with a familiar female voice tinged with concern. "Oh my, it seems things did not go very smoothly."
I turned around and met Hanako's gaze.