It was nearly the end of May. Despite their efforts, everyone was nonetheless anxious in regards to their midterm test results, but with the risk of expulsion at hand, such a reaction was only to be expected.
As Chabashira-sensei entered the room, the anxiety and tension grew far more intense. Even Horikita, who is normally calm and composed, grew a bit fidgety. Hirata looked as if he were about to say something, but Chabashira-sensei cut him off and spoke before he could.
"Before we began, I must say, I'm honestly impressed."
Those were the first words she spoke, yet they had a tremendous impact on everyone. For some, it gave them a sense of relief, while for most, they grew even more anxious. Not only was there a fear of expulsion, they were also afraid of being left behind by their peers.
It is no secret that the examination result could affect one's standing in the class. To illustrate, people like Sudou, who often score low on tests like these, are often looked down upon.
Chabashira-sensei then stuck the paper she had been holding on the board, revealing everyone's scores.
Everyone began scrutinising the paper, scanning for their names, and not long after that, cheers began reverberating throughout the whole room. More than half the class had managed to achieve a perfect score on every single subject. Even Horikita, who had been silent up until now, released a huge sigh of relief.
"You still haven't explained to me how you did it." Now that one of her worries is gone, she turned her attention to me.
"You saw what happened with your own eyes, right? I had nothing to do with it."
"I refused to believe that. I'm certain that you had something to do with it. I doubt Kushida could've gotten it by herself. She's not someone who could think up of an idea like that."
Despite my feigning innocence, Horikita was adamant that I was the one behind the class' success.
In order for me to explain everything, we must first go back in time.
Three days prior to the exam. The day was, for the lack of a better word, hectic. Everyone had been restless regarding their midterm test results. Even though they had put in a substantial amount of effort into their studies, doubts were still running rampant in their minds.
First, there is Hirata and his study group. Apparently, they have decided on increasing the workload and extending their study session just for this week. Looking at him from afar, I couldn't help but feel bad for him. The man had been restless, helping everyone as much as possible to the brink of exhaustion.
Then there is Horikita, who, with the help of Kushida, had managed to somewhat tutor the three idiots. Despite their idiocy, she tolerated everything and diligently tutored them to the best of her abilities.
Of course, this alone wouldn't have been nearly enough to guarantee a perfect score for more than a quarter of the class. That's where I come in.
As I was lazing around, doing nothing in particular, the bell rang, signalling the end of class for today. I packed my stuff and left the classroom, heading to a particular room. (Cookies for anyone who guessed what room it is specifically.)
As I knocked on the door, however, there was no response coming from inside. I was expecting this to happen though, given that classes had just ended by then after all.
Waiting by the side of the corridor, it wasn't long before I heard footsteps that gradually became louder. Looking to the side, a particularly short person came into my line of sight.
"Hmmm? I don't think we have any appointments with anyone for today."
That person, Tachibana-senpai, spoke those words as she stared at me curiously. Of course, I didn't book any appointments with the student council and came there uninvited.
"Forgive me, Senpai, but I have something urgent that needs the student council president's consultation." Almost pleading, I made my intention of meeting the elder Horikita clear right away from the start.
"The president isn't here yet, but you can wait inside if you'd like to."
Saying those words, she opened the door to the student coucil room and gestured for me to come in. Sheepishly, I walked inside and sat down on a nearby seat. However, she left me there all alone and went into one of the rooms inside, presumably the president's room.
It suddenly occurred to me that I needed to get one of those wireless earphones. At times like this, where I have virtually nothing to do, listening to music would be a great way to kill time.
After some time, the entrance door was once again opened, this time by the man I had originally planned on meeting. The moment he noticed me, his eyebrows raised.
"Good evening. Are you free to have small talks?"
"If you have nothing important to say, I suggest you leave now. I have no time to waste having small talks."
Though I had simply wanted to break the ice, he immediately rejected the idea and basically told me to kindly fuck off.
"Well, then what if I have something to consult with you?"
I gave an obvious lie, but I was sure he understood the implication behind my words.
"If so, then let's talk inside my room."
I stood up and trailed behind him. I must say, the student council sure lived a luxurious life. The interior of this room appeared to be rather expensive. Then again, such luxuries are justified by the members' excellence.
Taking a seat inside, Tachibana-senpai, who had gone inside earlier, brought some tea for me. Apparently, she had brewed it while I was waiting outside.
"So, what is it that you wanted to talk about, Ayanokouji?"
"You knew this boy, president?"
Tachibana-senpai seemed surprised by the idea of the two of us being acquainted with each other. After all, she followed him around all the time, yet today was the first time we met.
"We met each other a few days ago. You weren't there at the time." His sentences were short and curt, just like those of his sister. They somewhat resemble each other perfectly, but then again, it was most likely due to Horikita copying his every move.
"I see. No wonder I had no recollection of this boy." She seemed satisfied with his short answer.
They both then turned their heads to face me, motioning for me to speak about what I had in mind.
"I'm going to be frank, Senpai, do you still have your first semester's midterm test?" I decided to get straight to the point.
"Why do you ask?" He lowered his gaze on me.
"I'd like to have it."
"Are you implying that you are planning on cheating in your upcoming test?"
"Is it cheating, though? It was never stated in the rule book that we freshman can't ask our seniors for their test papers, right?"
To my words, he simply narrowed his gaze and hunched his back forward, leaning closer to me.
"I see. That's true, but even so, what makes you think I would hand them over to you?"
No counter-argument? I thought he would have presented a couple of rebuttals to my statement, yet he just agreed to everything I had said thus far. The conversation was going way too smoothly for my liking.
Tachibana-senpai's eyes, on the other hand, were darting around between the two of us. The idea that a freshman would be so bold as to ask the student council president for his past test papers must have been mind-boggling to her. My next words would most likely give her a heart attack.
"If you don't, I'll report to the school that you attempted an assault on me."
Her eyes widened as she was shocked by the words uttered by me. On the contrary, Horikita Manubu remained calm despite the allegation presented on his face.
"You should know that false accusations wouldn't be tolerated by the school." The older Horikita then turned his attention back to me, his sharp gaze never leaving.
"That's alright, because it wouldn't be false."
I pulled out my phone and showed the screen to them. On it, the recording of the incident of that night began playing out. This time around, even the older Horikita himself couldn't hide his surprise. After all, my intervention that night was already unexpected. The idea that I had set up a camera beforehand must have never crossed his mind.
By the time he held his sister against the floor, I had placed my phone down on the floor with only the camera lens peeking out from the corner. Under the darkness of the night, it was nigh impossible to notice something that small, let alone while fighting me.
"We simply had a fight, nothing more. As a matter of fact, you landed a punch on me as well, so it wouldn't be considered an assault." He was quick to regain his composure, though, and came up with a rebuttal almost immediately.
"That is where you are wrong. You see, you were the one who initiated the offence. I only acted in self-defence." It goes without saying, but the fact that I didn't go in for the kill after neutralising him is proof of that. I'm sure he's well aware of that as well.
He closed his eyes for a while, presumably trying to gather his thoughts.
"Very impressive, Ayanokouji. You came here well prepared. Perhaps you are different after all."
Call it a hunch, but I had an inkling that all his questions and rebuttals thus far were aimed at testing me. He threw those rebuttals just to see how prepared I was prior to coming here. The fact that he even questioned whether I was trying to cheat on the test despite knowing that what I planned on doing was never stated in the rule book proved as such.
Oh yeah, and then there is Tachibana-senpai, who nearly passed out from her lack of air. She had been having trouble breathing ever since the sight of her beloved president losing the fight against me was shown to her.
"Leave your contact information here." He handed me a blank sheet of paper. "I will send them to you before midnight."
Things were going surprisingly well. Usually, when you have a lucky day, the unlucky one is looming on the horizon. I'll worry about it when the time comes, though. For now, I'd like to enjoy the moment.
"As I got up, motioning to leave, I was stopped by the elder Horikita.
"Hold on, Ayanokouji. Where do you think you are going?"
"Uhh, going back to the dorm?"
So this is where the real conversation begins, eh?
"Not so fast. Even if I gave you the papers you asked for, there is still no guarantee that you wouldn't report me to the school, right?"
"Would a deal on paper suffice?"
Without answering, he pulled out a piece of paper from underneath the table and began writing his terms. I took a seat once again and gave my condition to the man in front of me. However, contrary to my expectations, the man was still lenient with his condition, though it was to be expected since I was the one with the upper hand in this deal.
Throughout the whole thing, Tachibana-senpai remained quiet, with unease remaining in her eyes.
We both kept the deal short, with neither side asking for anything additional other than what we had agreed on previously, and not long after, the two of us signed the agreement. The terms go as such:
The violent incident that occurred wouldn't be reported to the school. Horikita Manabu's first semester's midterm paper will be handed over to Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. The deal must be kept under the radar, with no outsiders having knowledge of it. Should either side break the deal, they would have to drop out of school.
They were simple and straightforward, yet they met all the demands between the two of us. Though the last condition was no laughing matter, in the end, I was not concerned about it. After all, I had no intention of breaking this deal anyway. Once our business together is said and done, I bid my farewell and take my leave.
Everything else after that played out the same way as the novel. Though I must say that at first, I considered seeking Hirata's assistance in distributing the test papers since the two of us have been getting along quite well. Nevertheless, I figured that Kushida was still the best candidate for the roll, as unlike Hirata, who lacked trust from the boys side, Kushida doesn't share the same fate. Recapping any more than this would be nothing but a waste of time.
Now, one might be wondering: Why did I go through all that trouble when I could've done the same thing Kiyotaka did in the canon? The actual reasoning is actually quite simple; I simply wanted to avoid wasting any of my private points.
"Horikita."
Now, there is only one more thing left to do.
"What is it?" She turned her head to face me.
"Do you still remember what Chabashira-sensei said on the first day?"
"Can you be more specific? I hate it when you are being vague." What's up with this sassy queen? I thought she was in a good mood.
"If I remember correctly, she told us that we can buy everything in this school with private points." Ignoring her slight jab of a remark, I went ahead and voiced out what I had in mind.
"Yeah, she did say that. What's with it?"
"Well, I was wondering, are test marks part of the 'everything' she mentioned?"
For a moment, Horikita narrowed her eyes at my statement, as if she were considering the possibilities. However, not a second later, she quickly dismissed the notion.
"I think you are just overthinking it. There is no way the school would allow such a thing."
Of course, normally, if a school allows its students to buy the test mark, it would demotivate the student to study any further. Of course, the counter to this effect would be to set a high price.
"I think it is worth a thought."
You see, at first, I expected everyone to pass the test without problem, and that includes Sudou. After all, unlike the original, in which they got a paper from a class D student, this time around, they were given the answer sheet of perhaps the best student in the entire school. It was somewhat true.
Nonetheless, Horikita Manabu's test paper became somewhat of a double-edged sword. Sudou had indeed managed to score higher than the original, albeit with very little difference. Nevertheless, other students had also managed to find success this time around, therefore increasing the class's average. In the end, Sudou still ended up with just one point under the bar. I wonder if this is the work of fate.
For what it is worth, I had already told Horikita what I needed to. Everything else, from here on out, was in her hands. Whether she had picked up the hint that I left, only time will tell.
Not wasting a second longer, I excused myself and went to the toilet. Considering our class's finances, I was certain that, had I remained in the class by the time Horikita proposed the idea of buying test marks, I would also have to sacrifice some of my private points in order for the class to meet the required amount. Looking back, it has become somewhat of a habit for me to laze around in the toilet, waiting for time to pass me by.
(The MC is quite a cheapskate if you haven't figured it out yet.)
Minutes went by, and before I knew it, a heavy downpour had come. I guess it will be a cold walk home.
That is when, from the corner of my eye, Chabashira-sensei appeared. With Sudou not within my line of sight, I believe it is safe to say that everything went well. Now there's just one thing left to do.
"You should return to class immediately, Ayanokouji. You've been absent for quite some time."
"How much did you charge her for it?" I ignored whatever she had to say and got straight to the point.
"Ho? I take it you were the one who gave her the idea?" Her usual impassive face was replaced with a wide grin.
"All I did was drop a vague hint at her. In the end, she was the one who came up with the idea." Though, if I'm being honest, it wasn't really vague. As a matter of fact, it was quite straightforward.
"Even so, you had an inkling that it was possible before she did." She was quite persistent in making me the topic of the conversation. Of course, I had other, more urgent, concerns.
"You still haven't answered my question. How much did you charge her for it?"
The events that were about to unfold, as well as what I was about to say, all contradicted my plan of not getting involved and living a normal life. However, before coming to this school, I was just a simple reader, and though I had questions, I figured that those questions would be answered as the story progressed.
However, now that things have turned out the way they were, the only way I can get my answers is to look for them myself. My undying curiosity that lies within the school's system, namely the S-system. Right now, I'm about to satiate it.
"In exchange for adding one point to Sudou's test score, a few prominent students of your class came together, racked up, and then paid me a total of one hundred thousand points."
I see. Since the class wasn't united yet, only a few people came to Sudou's aid, eh? I had already considered the possibility of this happening, and on the off chance that the class couldn't reach the required amount, I would've returned to class and paid up as well. Since that didn't happen, though, there is no use of dwelling on it anymore.
"So it was one hundred thousand then?"
"That's right. What of it?" The previous grin was then replaced with a somewhat perculiar look. It seemed like she couldn't guess what I was getting at.
"For a school that has always been hard on us, it sure isn't as strict as I thought it would be. Allowing students to purchase test scores, it's hard to imagine anyone getting expelled that way."
"But obtaining private points is a tall order. If you take a look at your class points, how long do you think you guys would last before exhausting your wallet? Not only that, even if you gained a lot of private points monthly, do you really think your classmates would come to your aid? It isn't exactly rare for students to priotize themselves in this school." Her retort was valid. However, a key point here is missing.
"While that is true, you can't deny that the school system is flawed. As long as salvation via private points is possible, the danger of expulsion on these tests would drop drastically. Surely the school had come up with a countermeasure for such cases, right?" This conversation, from volume seven of the first year, still echoed in my head. I've been begging for answers ever since, and yet Kinugasa gave me nothing.
"A countermeasure, you say?" It was hard to read her expression. It is as if she was troubled by what I just said.
"That's right. You said you charged the class a total of a hundred thousand for one test mark, right? Did you come up with that price or was it already predetermined?"
"..." To my question, Chabashira-sensei was silent.
"That's fine; your silence is an answer in and of itself. This is just my own hypothesis, but I believe the school has a manual for all types of occasions and scenarios."
This is proven by the fact that Horikita Manabu rejected Katsuragi's idea of whether he could pay to break the rule in volume 4.5. If I remember correctly, the man himself said that there are rules that not even private points can bypass. Things such as outside contact and leaving school grounds are strictly prohibited without exception.
That is to say, the school's authorities had already gathered once, discussed thoroughly the possible scenarios, and decided what could or couldn't be done even with the use of private points. This brought rise to even more questions.
"Going off the hypothesis made, I wonder if the price of a hundred thousand points is designated only for this test. Does the price increase every time we make a purchase? Perhaps the price would be different in the upcoming final or the next term's midterm test? Or maybe we can only make the purchase once?" I couldn't stop talking. It was as if my body was taken over by my curiosity, which is ironic considering my consciousness took over this body.
"Just because you asked me something doesn't mean I'll just answer it." Though she says that, it is more likely that she is not allowed to answer, in which case, proving my point that the school had thought ahead this far. "And even if I did answer them, there's no way for you to confirm if they are true or not."
"That's wrong. All I have to do is ask you directly. I'll ask another teacher after this to verify whether you're lying or not." I needed to do this, to quench my curiosity.
Though she tried to avert her eyes, I stared directly at her, locking her gaze into mine.
"Sensei, how much would it cost to add one mark to Sudou's midterm score?"
"..." Once again, she was brought to complete silence. It's fine, though; her silence itself is an answer to me.
"Are you trying to delve into the rules, Ayanokouji?"
"Perhaps, or maybe it was just out of curiosity."
She spent the next few seconds thinking to herself in silence. I didn't even know how long I'd been absent from class by that point. We might even lose out slightly on the class points we were about to gain.
"Very well. I'll answer your question. It is true that the clue to beating the school system lies in figuring out the rules regarding private points. Naturally, many students from past years have tried to approach them from various angles, much like you're doing right now. Even the defectives of class D aren't an exception to this. Though I must say, you were by far the quickest amongst the ones I've seen. The school had also established the fine details of the rules in advance in order to answer the questions the students had. Purchase of points, erasing violence from your record, and preventing expulsion. Points necessary for all that are fixed. But a teacher is limited in the number of things they can say. As for why, it is because most of it is prohibited. No, not even that; there are probably many things even teachers aren't aware of."
Fuck! In the end, I was told the exact same thing as Kiyotaka did in the canon. I guess I wouldn't be able to get my answers anytime soon.
"As I thought, Ayanokouji, you are really impressive. Barely two months into the school and one month after finding out about the S-system, yet you have figured out this much. Just from your inquiries, is it correct for me to assume you are planning on getting involved?"
After stating that long dialogue of hers, she managed to regain her composure. However, it seemed like she misunderstood me. I was doing everything simply out of curiosity. Nothing more, nothing less.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, sensei. I told you I have zero interest in the class competition."
"For now. I'm sure you'll change your mind soon. Anyway, it's better for you to return to class immediately. The next subject has long since started."
Without any parting words, I left her behind and headed back to the class. I have done a lot these past few days, both directly and indirectly. Not to mention, the conversation I had with sensei had drained all of my social battery away. Having to stay awake throughout the whole day-I felt like crying.
A/N: Hello everyone. As per usual, sorry for the late update. A lot has happened these past two weeks. My new semester just started, and it singlehandedly ruined my sleep schedule. I struggled to find time to write this chapter. Now, let's talk about this chapter. I know I say this a lot, but I really hated how this chapter turned out. One of the reasons I was late to publish was because I rewrote the whole thing five times, and each time I was still dissatisfied. Even now, I still believe I could've done better, but for some reason, it still ended up being shit. I decided to publish this chapter nonetheless so that I could get it out of the way and move on to the next volume. Sorry for the drop in quality, everyone. I'll try to do better next time.