Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's POV
It's Monday, April 26th, the fourth week of school for us. After three weeks, the class is still going strong. On the other hand, my classmates were thrown into a frenzy when Karuizawa abruptly announced that she and Hirata had begun dating.
Of course, I wasn't startled in the least because I knew it was all a ruse to keep Karuizawa safe from any bullying threats.
Because of this, some of the boys of my class began to dislike Hirata even more, while the girls, although congratulating them, seemed upset by the news. Some of them probably had a crush on Hirata, and it must be heartbreaking to learn that the person you love already has someone else.
I wouldn't know how that would feel though. I guess being damaged and scarred at such an early age must have its weird perks.
(Expect to see more of Kiyo making self-deprecating and dark jokes to cope with his trauma.)
Though, Even apathetic people like myself would like to understand this perplexing sensation known as love. Perhaps one day I can even learn to truly appreciate and adore someone deeply from the bottom of my heart.
But, given the brutal and loveless atmosphere in which I had been raised my entire life, I knew that would be extremely tough for me. Nevertheless, I do sincerely hope that this institution will be able to grant all of my aspirations and that I have not come here in vain.
Returning to the subject, even though some of the females were heartbroken, they quickly recovered when they realized Eichiiro and I were still single and accessible.
Despite his good appearance, Miyake was not popular enough among the girls to be considered a potential future love interest. Koenji wasn't even in the dialogue for discussion due to his narcissistic attitude and arrogant approach.
The girl's hopes of dating either me or Eichiiro are likely to be very slim, considering Eichiiro is already in love with someone else and I...
Well, I wasn't seeking for a long-term relationship at this current time. After all, for the next three years, I will be the leader in charge of guiding this class to the promised land of class A. For the time being, all I intend to do is concentrate on obtaining my freedom and independence. Nothing more and nothing less. However, I do hope that one day I'll be able to form a romantic relationship with someone I consider to be close with.
Swiveling my head to the right, I noticed Horikita, who was wearing her trademark poker look. She was reading a book and appeared unmoved and unconcerned about Karuizawa's revelation to all of our classmates. Horikita, as one might imagine, was someone who was probably uninterested in trifling concerns such as who was dating who, who confessed first, and other similar matters.
To be honest, I wish she wouldn't act so serious all of the time. It's admirable that she's one of the honor students of our class and always pays attention during class discussions and lessons, but I wish she'd behave like a normal high school girl for a change. Nonetheless, she appears to have made some headway in her attempt to broaden her social circle, since I've seen her interacting with Onodera, Kushida, and Inogashira on many occasions.
Although she probably hasn't thought of them as friends yet, it was reassuring to know that she was now more eager to talk to her classmates. She does, however, have some areas she needs to improve in.
But then again, who am I out of all people to pass judgment on a person's social skills?
While I was deep in meditation, the school bell rang, signifying the start of our homeroom. The classroom door slid open, revealing Chabashira-Sensei who had just arrived. She appears to be holding a stack of paper in her hands. She proceeded to enter the classroom in a brisk manner.
"Alright, class. We're going to be doing a little test today. Please deliver these to the back of the room." Chabashira-frigid sensei's remarks resonated throughout the room without explanation.
We didn't respond in a way that would create a ruckus, but many of our classmates wore worried expressions.
"Because you already know a lot about the S-System, it's fine for me to tell you more than the other courses are permitted to know. To be frank, this test is really a guideline. "There will be no risk because the results will not appear on your report cards." That's what we're meant to tell the students in our classes. However, you guys, on the other hand, are unique," she clarified. "As you may have guessed, this test will affect the number of class points you will be earning in May. Newly enrolled freshmen take this surprise test at the end of their first month every year."
Horikita and I exchanged quick glances with each other. Her expression seemed to have a hint of anxiousness in it. If she was telling the truth, even if we're aware of the system, we're not immune to it. For example, even if no one in our class misbehaves, they can choose not to listen to the talks.
We've only just begun preparing for the midterms and finals, so no study groups have been formed yet. To put it another way, those who struggle with academics are definitely in trouble.
In the end, we can only give this test our best effort.
"Cheating will not be permitted whatsoever. If you disobey the rules, you will face severe consequences." Chabashira-Sensei warned as she strolled around the classroom.
I proceeded to delve into the test that had been provided to me. There were a total of thirty-five questions, consisting of thirty multiple-choice questions and five essays in this test.
If my calculations are correct, each correct response to a multiple-choice question will earn you 2.5 points, for a total of seventy-five points simply from multiple choices if you answer all of them correctly. The essay, on the other hand, would offer you a total of twenty-five points if you answered all of the questions properly. To be specific, five points would be awarded for each correct essay answer.
After thoroughly perusing the test, I realized that several of the questions were far too simple. At least, that's how it feels to me. In terms of difficulty, it's about two levels lower than what we encountered in the entrance examinations. I breezed through all of the multiple-choice questions, but as I neared the end of the test...
The last five essays were particularly challenging. The essays' questions appeared to be ones that only second-year or third-year high school students could answer. Of course, I could easily answer all of them because my knowledge considerably exceeds that of the ordinary first-year high school student, but not the same could be said with my classmates.
Given that I trained Eichiiro on several complex materials during our time at that government institution, I believe he could answer at least one of them correctly. I had no idea how smart Koenji was in terms of academics, so I had high expectations for him to do well, especially because he had always declared himself to be the man who would bring me my ultimate defeat.
Likewise, I also projected Arisu to receive a grade in the ninety to one hundred percentile. If she is as smart and brilliant as she claims, she'll be a menace I'll have to watch out for once she takes charge of her class.
It's not that I don't believe in Katsuragi, but I know very little about him other than the fact that half of the class supports his faction and that he is a very educated and capable man. Though, I have my doubts that he is wiser than Arisu. Then again, expect the unexpected they always say.
I completed the test at long last. After a quick review, I'm confident that I answered all of the questions correctly. I couldn't think of anything else to do, so I opted to observe everyone else as they took their tests
Students like Sudou, Ike, Yamauchi, and Sakura looked like they were having difficulty in finishing the exam while honor students like Kushida, Horikita, Hirata, and Eichiiro appeared to be performing quite well. Later on, some of them had puzzled expressions on their faces. Most likely bemused by how difficult the essays were.
Hopefully, the outcome of this surprise exam wouldn't be too disastrous.
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We all completed the test well ahead of schedule. Chabashira-sensei noticed this and collected our papers five minutes before the bell rang.
"Your fourth period is completely free. Make the most of your time and avoid making too much noise. Please be prepared for your midterms at the end of May in conjunction with this test. Goodbye." Chabashira-sensei stepped out of the classroom with her typical indifferent demeanor.
After that, cliques and groups conversed during the final half-hour of the fourth period. Because I didn't fit in any particular group of friends, I just signaled the Ayanon group to come to my desk to discuss about the exam. They picked up on my sign and moved closer to my desk.
"Ugh, man. That exam was such a pain to deal with." Miyake was the first to speak up, sounding apprehensive about his exam results.
"I know right! I tried everything I could find the perfect response to the questions, but I still couldn't figure out what the answers were." Hasebe grumbled as she sagged against my desk.
Her large breasts were evident as she sat at my desk. I instantly diverted my sight so she wouldn't mistake me for a creep or pervert.
"What about you Yukimu? How did you think you did on the test?" Hasebe inquired of Yukimura. Despite the fact that we've already been friends for three weeks now, I was still unaccustomed to the whimsical nicknames that Hasebe had given us.
"Hmmm... I think I did okay. However, even someone like me found the last five questions exceedingly tough to answer." Yukimura shifted his weight slightly. "In terms of complexity, they were probably second-year level, if not higher. I wasn't even sure how to respond to them."
"I see... What about you Ayanokouji?" Miyake asked with everyone staring at me directly in the eyes.
"Hmm... I'm fairly certain I answered all of the problems correctly." I gave a casual reply.
"Wait, really? I know you're a good student since you've always perfectly answered everything during class... But even if that's true..." Yukimura's composure was wearing thin. "So you're claiming that you got a perfect score..?"
"I believe that is most likely the case. When Chabashira-sensei reveals the outcome, you'll be able to tell." I responded casually.
"The fact that you can say that without sounding arrogant..." With his eyes trembling, Yukimura muttered.
"I'm not sure what you're talking about, but isn't it safe to say that Ayanokouji is just that smart?" Miyake stepped in and said something.
"I-I suppose you're right. What else can I expect from the class genius?" Yukimura took a deep breath and buried his ego.
"Yikes, We fared horribly compared to the two of you. But I did give it my all." Hasebe groused, sounding disappointed with herself.
"It'll be alright," I patted their shoulders in an attempt to reassure them. "If you wish to improve your grades, Yukimura and I would be pleased to tutor you individually. I'm also thinking about forming study groups for all of us so that we can all increase our grades even more. Of course, you'll have to give up some of your free time as a result."
"Hmm... I guess that would be fine if it'll help the class even more. You've already done the most for our class, so this is the least I can do to help." Miyake accepted my offer.
"I also agree with Miyake. I wouldn't mind giving up some of my free time during exam periods to improve my grades." Hasebe also joined in.
'That's great then."
For a while, we all talked about insignificant issues until the bell rang, signaling the start of lunchtime. We all packed our lunches and headed to the cafeteria to enjoy lunch together.
Vol.1. Chapter 8.1: END
Word Count: 2080 Words.
Next Chapter: Vol.1. Chapter 9.1: Welcome to the Classroom of the Elite.
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Author's Note:
This chapter marks the final chapter before May 1st. I hope you enjoyed everything I've written so far.
Forgot to mention this but, some students tend to speak more formally than others like Ayanokouji, Horikita, and Arisu. While some students like Sudou, Ike, and Miyake speak in a nonformal manner. Eichiiro is a mix of both since he's mature but still has his playful nature.
Anyways, the OAA I've created will be revealed in the next chapter so look forward to it.
And just a reminder that Class D will still lose some class points due to some misbehaviors by certain students.
That's all I wanted to say
Sayonara!