Cardfight!! Vanguard: Generations Volume 1.5 [Dr Yukimura]

Chapter 7: The Midterms (Takanori Yuuto)

"If you have any questions, it's best to ask now."

Everything Chabashira-sensei said or did was for the sole purpose of shaking up the students and putting them on edge before the exams. It was the school's way to manipulate us into a nervous wreck by giving us the missing half of the information we didn't receive during the announcement just before we took the exams.

I'm sure the other classes were already aware of this information, but kept it to themselves as an advantage against us. I'm starting to doubt the B Class-E Class alliance, since they didn't tell us about it. Perhaps I'm being too untrustworthy, and they genuinely didn't know we had information omitted from our explanation.

However, one thing that was consistent with the entire year was that the exam timetable was sent out to all the students on a Friday. Looking at the timetable on my phone, it said our Monday exams were Japanese paper 1 and math paper 1. The prep-talk Chabashira-sensei mentioned is interesting, since it might act like a life-line to us. It was suspicious that the school would go out of their way to help us now, after doing everything they can to screw us over.

What did equality mean at this school anyway?

"Chabashira-sensei. I have a question."

Naturally, Matsushita raised his hand first. Being the leader of E Class, he was the most calm and collected from everyone here, which made him a good figurehead for us all. I'm sure he understood the doubts and worries that were in our heart.

However, instead of asking about the midterms, he put his classmates before him, and asked a question about Yukimura.

"Yukimura-san... he's been... suspended."

Despite their rocky relationship, Matsushita sounded upset when he uttered those words. There was still a tinge of disbelief, that his own classmate could be suspended at such a critical time like this.

"What will happen to his midterm exams?"

"He will sit them at a later date when his suspension finishes. Of course, if you are unable to take the midterm for any reason, there will be rearrangements available to take them another time. As such, do not discuss the contents of the exam to students that have not taken it yet. If you do, it's disqualification for that exam."

So a strategy like feigning illness and learning about the exam contents after everyone has done it would be impossible to do. There are CCTV cameras nearly everywhere in the public spaces, so this could only work in private. Even then, it's risky if a leak comes out.

"What happens if we fail?"

Despite the obvious answer to that question, Mitsuba still asked it anyways. Of course he'd be the one to ask about it, since out of everyone here, he the most likely to fail.

"I wonder."

Chabashira-sensei replied sarcastically to him. She was so unforgiving to her own students, I thought she hated us.

"No, I mean... like..."

Mitsuba bumbled, not expecting that response. Seeing him struggle, Sakigamiya chimed in.

"I think Mitsuba-san means how it'll affect our class points."

"That, I cannot disclose."

"So either way, I'm gonna have to get a good score... damn it!"

Mitsuba groaned in anguish. Well, there were some benefits to failing now, rather than later.

At the very least, we're still in a very early stage of our high school lives. Tripping up and making mistakes now will cost us less later down the line, when we actually start making progress and the stakes are higher.

"However, I will say that expulsion is still on the line."

That ominous line from Chabashira-sensei sent more existential dread down our spines. It honestly looked like she enjoyed torturing us.

"How am I gonna explain this failure to my parents..."

Mitsuba slumped and buried his face into the table. I felt a little bad for him, but he dug his own grave for this one.

Chabashira-sensei was a sly woman though. It was like every sentence she said was perfectly crafted in order to push us towards the correct answer. Even on the day of the exams, she was trying to trip us up with new clues. However, I had no intentions to backing down from my strategy of doing nothing.

"Chabashira-sensei, is it okay if I give the class some words?" Matsushita asked.

"Feel free."

Chabashira-sensei stepped back and Matsushita stood behind the podium. Gripping its sides, he smiled refreshingly, as if to encourage us.

"Our first exam is Japanese. It shouldn't be too hard, since this paper doesn't require us to read any material beforehand. We just have to read the source we're given and answer the questions on it. We'll do fine. Try to remember to analyse specific words and their effects on the reader. If not, maybe look at the overall structure or comment on the techniques used. But above all else, relax. It may be our first midterm, but as long as we pass, that's okay! I want everyone to give it their best shot, even if you feel like giving up halfway through. Perseverance will be your best friend in this exam. So let's show GEN Academy what E Class are made of!"

From those passionate words, most of the class performed a rallying cry. Ikesugi made a blatantly disgusted face in response to his speech. He's more honest than... some people.

Such as Kouji, who was on his phone during the entire explanation, or Yamaguchi, who was half asleep on the table. These guys really didn't want to take the exams seriously, which is why I implemented that strategy.

Even if I could convince them to work somehow, two or three weeks won't be enough to sufficiently boost their knowledge considering the breadth of the material required to learn. It'd be an impossible, daunting task.

"I'd suggest everyone empty their pockets now. You have ten minutes until homeroom is over."

Chabashira-sensei warned us, tapping her watch.

"That's a problem, Shizuka-chan-sensei... we don't know where to put it."

Sakigamiya raised a common concern among the class. With no personal lockers, where could we put our stuff? We usually left our things on our desks, but for valuable items like our phones, it was too risky. We needed security for these items.

"You could place it in a friend's locker, if you had any."

That was a cruel, low blow, sensei.

"If not, you can place it on your tables. I'll lock the room so no one can get in. Otherwise, let this be a lesson learnt to keep things at home."

The class grumbled and complained.

"It's not fair, why can't our class have lockers?!" Mitsuba said.

"I can't go a whole day without my phone! That's hell!" Hono said.

"This school is the worst..." Tanaka said.

I checked the time on my phone. I should be able to negotiate something in that timeframe.

Some of the more popular students, like Sakigamiya and Yukina, left the class to presumably go to Ichinose or someone similar to ask if they can use their locker.

For me, I only had one option... but it was a 50/50 chance.

I left the classroom, heading to Suzune's class, C Class.