Days passed quickly, as if they didn't care about those who fell behind them—and with that, the exams drew closer.
Hirata managed to help the students prepare through organized study groups, with Kushida's assistance.
As for Sudou, I saw him several times holding a small notebook and studying. Maybe the support from an upperclassman managed to push him forward.
At the very least, he's trying.
As for me, with Yukinoshita's help, I can say that I'm capable of passing the math exam without any problems. Any result other than that might mean I'll be "corrected" to death before getting expelled.
This is bad… I've even been having nightmares because of it.
Anyway, the class performance has been good in terms of discipline, both inside and outside the classroom.
The other classes haven't made any moves either. Perhaps everyone wants to avoid any expulsions that could hinder them at the start.
I don't know the full consequences of expulsion on the entire class, but it's better to avoid it as much as possible.
A reduction in numbers will definitely have consequences.
With only one day left before the exam, tension filled the classroom atmosphere. Even after classes ended, things remained serious, and most students were planning to hold one last study session before the exam.
I sat quietly at my desk, watching Chabashira-sensei as she left the classroom after the school day ended.
But unlike usual days, when everyone would leave immediately, this time everyone stayed in their seats. That was because Kushida quickly rushed to the podium in front of the blackboard, drawing everyone's attention before anyone could leave.
Is she trying to give a motivational speech before the exam?
I'll listen to it as a form of comedy, at least for me.
"Guys… could you sit for a bit? I want to talk to you about something." Kushida stood before everyone with her usual angelic expression, holding a neatly arranged stack of papers against her chest.
I wonder what that is.
Since it's Kushida—someone everyone likes—no one dared interrupt her, and they all remained seated in silence.
"I got these past exams from an upperclassman. I thought they might be useful for us… so I wanted to share them with you." Her cheerful tone spread through the classroom, lifting the spirits of the students struggling with studying.
Getting past exams as a reference could reduce pressure and save a lot of effort.
It's similar to Yukinoshita's idea—the one she canceled.
Is Kushida really thinking like that?
She always tries to attract attention with her kindness, so something like this is expected from her. But could she really come up with such an idea on her own?
I narrowed my eyes as she began distributing the papers. I don't know why, but I feel like she's not the one behind this.
Everyone stayed in their seats, waiting to receive the papers—except for one person.
A narcissistic, arrogant guy who doesn't care about the class at all. Koenji stood up, slung his bag over his shoulder, and without hesitation walked toward the door.
"Koenji-kun, please…" When Kushida saw him trying to leave, she quickly approached him to give him the papers as well.
But without paying her any attention, he stopped for a moment and stared at her.
"I don't need such things, Kushida girl…" He rejected her offer immediately and left the classroom.
Chaos spread through the class once again, this time in the form of cheerful voices and excitement. After receiving the papers and checking their contents, the students began showering Kushida with thanks and praise.
"As expected of Kushida-chan, this will help us…"
"This really saves us a lot of effort…"
"Thank you, Kushida…"
Kushida stood in the middle of the class, receiving praise from all directions. She looked genuinely happy with their words.
Is she doing all this just for… praise?
Horikita tried to approach Kushida, probably to ask more about the papers, but the crowd gathered around her prevented anyone from getting close.
I remained seated at my desk, observing the papers in front of me. Their content matched the style of exams in this school—so they really did come from an upperclassman.
As I looked at the papers, a soft, slender hand entered my view, its pale color standing out like snow.
I raised my head to find Yukinoshita standing in front of me, holding the papers she had received as well.
"Hikigaya-kun, this…" Confusion was clear on her face, as if she was still thinking about what had just happened.
"Yeah…" I nodded slowly. I already understood what she meant.
These papers appeared at the perfect time to support the class—as if someone had planned it.
It doesn't seem like Kushida is behind this. If she only wanted to make her classmates happy, she would've handed them out earlier so they could benefit more.
But whoever asked her to present them at this timing doesn't want the class to rely on them too much—just to use them as a simple reference and a final push before the exam.
Even though I didn't like this method at first, its timing made it more effective.
The person who thought of this and put Kushida in the spotlight to take all the credit must want to avoid attention and stay in the background.
I can't help but think of the student who managed to stand against the president in that alley, yet insists on acting like an ordinary student in class.
I turned my head toward the far corner of the classroom, near the window. Horikita was standing in front of Ayanokouji's desk, while he was looking out the window as if ignoring her.
Maybe Horikita also considered him the prime suspect in this matter and decided to question him.
"Ayanokouji-kun?" Yukinoshita spoke as she looked in the same direction I was staring at—finding only one person there.
The only person still surrounded by mystery.
Does he really think he's ordinary, or is he just pretending?
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
If his goal is simply to support the class in his own way, then I have no objections.