6 Volume 1: Chapter 5

After Chabashira-sensei left the classroom, the class erupted into a commotion.

Even after trying to maintain good behavior in the last week of April, they didn't have much to show for it. This was because they had been doing whatever they wanted in the first three weeks of class. Class points had dropped too much.

But I wasn't worried about that at all. Could I have prevented the class from losing too many points? Sure, I could have, but I didn't want to attract too much attention, especially with someone as intelligent as Ayanokōji in my class.

In the second-year volumes, I recalled that all the new first-year classes knew about the S-System, but in return, they had lost 200 class points for each first-year class.

I knew that in this school, you could buy anything that happened in this school. Buying information about the S-System was just one more thing in the school.

My classmates were discussing how some of them had too few points to survive this month, but the most worried were Hondō, Miyamoto, Ike, Yamauchi, and Okitani.

Man, how could they be so foolish... but that wasn't the issue at hand. Yukimura was upset because they had put him in Class D.

"More than the points, this is a problem with the class. Why was I put in Class D?" Yukimura expressed frustration. There were beads of sweat on his forehead.

The students also began to show their confusion and frustration about the matter. Someone saying that you're trash and then confessing that the only chance to get a job or go to college was to be in Class A. It must have been frustrating for many of them.

"I understand that everyone is panicking right now, but calm down." Yōsuke took control of the class, trying to calm the sense of imminent crisis.

Go Yōsuke, teach them all how to calm down. I'm sure all your fangirls would immediately calm down with your sweet words.

Before Yōsuke could calm the class again, Yukimura chimed in quite excitedly.

"How can we calm down in this situation? Aren't you frustrated that we're the leftover class!?"

"Even if I said I am, isn't it better to work together to get out of this situation?"

"Get out of this situation? First of all, I don't even agree with this class hierarchy!"

"I perfectly understand your feelings. However, it's no use sitting here and complaining about it."

"What!"

Before Yukimura could grab Yōsuke by the collar, I decided to interfere with the situation.

Clapping my palms on the table with enough force to make the noise resonate throughout the classroom, Yukimura stopped, shivering at the sound. The whole class fell briefly silent.

I stood up abruptly from my seat.

"Calm down, Yukimura... Crying over spilled milk won't help in our situation. The best we can do is accept our class's mistake and learn from it," I suggested.

That said, I rose to my full height, putting my hands in my pants pockets as I tilted my head slightly upward. My scarlet eyes met his light red eyes.

"Learn from our mistake?" Yukimura shouted at me as my intimidation was stifled by his anger. "I was one of the exemplary students. This has nothing to do with me."

"Even if you acted like an exemplary student, you failed to uncover the school's trap. You also did nothing to change the behavior of our classmates. If it weren't for Yōsuke, we would have lost all class points," I told him truth after truth while he tried to protest. Deciding to continue, "Besides, it's only been a month since classes started. The only thing we can do is move forward to improve our class's situation."

"Nakatomi-kun and Hirata-kun are right."

Surprisingly, Kushida came to our support. Well, it was more of a surprise to me because I was focused on the words she was saying.

"I think all of us should persevere in this situation. Do you think I'm wrong?"

Kushida looked around the class, seeking support, which was accepted with open arms. While accepting Yukimura's and Yōsuke's apologies, she also gave them her forgiveness.

I could see from the corner of my eye how Ayanokōji took a picture of the class points obtained. Horikita had a complicated look at the matter, which I couldn't quite understand. I also observed them starting a conversation that I couldn't hear because they were at the back of the classroom.

I looked at the class points we had obtained again. 78 class points for Class D. I also recalled again the infractions our class had collectively committed. A total of 75 infractions and 315 incidents.

In the light novel, if I remember correctly, it was more than 90 infractions but less than 100... I also remember it was almost reaching 400 incidents, meaning it would be between 390-399 incidents.

Damn, even with a week of behaving completely well, we got a bunch of infractions and incidents... How many infractions had they committed while we were in the middle of the class?... It's a figurative question, of course. I knew the answer... what was happening was that I couldn't believe they had committed so many.

In my world, nobody committed so many infractions... At least, I think so... Anyway, of course, in my world, there are always some rebellious people who talk during class, even if the teachers have been lenient about it. Sometimes it bothered me to hear your classmates talk while you were paying attention, so I silenced them with the typical "Shhhh" sound.

Paying attention is something obvious you should know in schools, or at least stay quiet while the teacher is in class. The same happens in the cinema; people usually stay quiet while watching the movie. Of course, I'm not saying you can't talk, but at least be discreet.

Although I didn't know if being discreet would work because of the security camera observing the entire class's field of vision, at least the person watching the videos could skip at least one infraction. Man, I feel sorry for the person who had to count all the infractions our class has committed.

Fortunately, we were able to save points, which means this time Sudō had no reason to reject Yōsuke's request because if we behaved like we did in the first weeks, it meant they would subtract class points until we reached zero.

Now that I thought about it, the conversations were a bit different because this time, we did have points. I was really surprised that the class was becoming more united... that's something I hadn't really taken into account, but no matter as long as it turned out positively for our class, then it was okay for me.

Well, that was until Yōsuke started asking the next people.

"Horikita-san and Ayanokōji-kun, do you have time after this? When school finishes, I want to talk about how we can increase our points. I want you to participate. Can you?"

"Why us?" Ayanokōji asked.

"I want to hear everyone's thoughts. However, even if I ask everyone to speak, I think more than half won't take it seriously."

"Sorry, but can you ask someone else? I'm not very good at discussing things."

Horikita rejected Yōsuke's offer mercilessly.

"You're not obligated to say anything in particular. It's enough to just be there."

"Sorry, but I have no intention of going to a meeting for a useless reason."

"I think this is our first test as a united class. So—"

"I've already refused. I'm not participating."

Horikita cut Yōsuke off before he could finish his sentence. Horikita's words were calm, but even after considering Yōsuke's opinion, she completely rejected it.

I sighed; I really didn't want to attend the meeting. Did I even have an option to refuse? Maybe if I came up with a good excuse about why I shouldn't attend, but nothing came to mind at the moment. When Yōsuke asked Ayanokōji if he would participate in the meeting, I was surprised that he had accepted.

"What's your opinion on the class, Nakatomi-kun?" Matsushita approached me.

"I've noticed lately that you're asking me for my opinion on the class's situation. Wouldn't it be better to ask someone smarter?" I asked her.

"You're smart. If it hadn't been for the clue you gave us at the beginning of class, Hirata-kun wouldn't have noticed the school's trap," she told me.

"Well, the exam results say otherwise. Of course, my grades were better than most, but still, several people surpassed me," I said.

"Besides, Hirata-kun, she seems to get along with you."

"Well, I'm the only guy in a group full of women. It's natural for there to be camaraderie among us," I replied.

Matsushita looked at me for a moment before sighing. "Do you think our class can reach Class A, Nakatomi-kun?"

"Not at the moment," I replied honestly. "Our class lacks the coordination to work as a team... Right now, the classroom is a mess, even with Yōsuke and Kushida trying to calm them. I can still say they're insecure."

"I... I guess you're right. It would be impossible for our class to reach Class A, wouldn't it?" she asked.

I was silent for a few seconds before responding, "I said 'not at the moment,'" making Matsushita blink several times before focusing on me again. "For our class, it wouldn't be impossible to reach Class A, just complicated. We still have three years in this school for our classmates to grow and mature properly. Of course, there may be ups and downs along the way, like what we had today, but that doesn't mean we don't have the opportunity to reach Class A."

"So, you really think we can reach Class A, don't you?" Matsushita looked at me with growing curiosity. "Do you have any idea how our class could reach Class A, or are you just being positive about it?"

I didn't decide to respond for a few moments; instead, I gave her a sly grin that left Matsushita perplexed.

"Who knows?"

Before we could continue our conversation, the bell rang, signaling the change of class. Then everyone returned to their respective seats.

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It was when school ended. Yōsuke was at the podium, using the blackboard to prepare for the discussion.

As I listened to my classmates talk among themselves, I rested my forearms on the table, burying my head in them. I was tired... I guess I should go rest in my room... Sleeping at 3:00 in the morning several times in a row affected my body. Although I wasn't that affected in terms of my concerns. So at least I found out that my body can handle staying up late.

Before the meeting could begin, a call came over the school's speakers. I looked over my shoulder.

"Ayanokōji-kun from Class D. Chabashira-sensei is calling you. Please come to the teacher's room."

After being called, all our classmates gave him a look. Ayanokōji apologized to Yōsuke for not being able to be in the meeting before leaving the classroom.

Then the meeting started with Yōsuke leading the class with his great charisma. Everyone was in the meeting except Horikita, Koenji, and Ayanokōji.

They touched on obvious topics that had already been discussed a week ago, but Yōsuke still reminded them that everyone should behave during classes. That meant no talking, no arriving late, no sleeping, no using cell phones—anything that would harm our class points.

Everyone agreed on that, then they moved on to the topic of the trimester exams. Yōsuke had decided to create a study group where everyone could join. Ike, Yamauchi, and Sudō didn't want to join the group. They tried to convince them, but they refused, saying that each would study on their own.

Then, they talked about how we shouldn't waste our class points and that we should be careful about what we bought from now on... then the discussion dragged on because some didn't have enough points to get through the month. They were discussing how to support each other, but I decided it was better not to listen; instead, I let my mind relax as I thought about the events that were about to happen.

Right now, Chabashira-sensei is making Horikita focus on Ayanokōji with the results of his entrance exam scores. They were all 50 in every subject. This would obviously attract Horikita's attention.

Then Horikita would invite Ayanokōji to eat at the cafeteria to force him to help form a study group with the three idiots.

Then Ayanokōji would ask—

"Can I have your opinion on what you think, Hiroki?"

Yōsuke's voice pulled me out of my thoughts, making me blink several times.

"Huh?" I lifted my head from the desk. I couldn't hear it correctly because I was in different worlds, but I think I can figure it out by everyone's looks.

"Sure, you're rude. Are you even listening to what we're saying?" Karuizawa frowned at me.

What's her problem now? I decided to ignore her. Instead, I yawned while covering my mouth and stretching my body. It might be rude of me, but she started it.

"Well, I have nothing to add; all the class concerns have already been discussed," I said as I stood up from my seat. "By the way, I won't join the study group either."

"Are you sure, Hiroki?" Yōsuke asked me. "I think it would be better if you joined the group. That way, when you have a question, we can help you."

"No, I'm fine on my own. I don't like studying when there are too many people; I lose focus," I told him my honest answer. "If I have any questions or doubts about something, then I'll message you."

Yōsuke accepted it, then turned to the rest of the students. "Well, I think that wraps up the meeting. If you have any doubts or questions, you can let me know. I'll be glad to help."

With Yōsuke ending the discussion, we all started to leave the classroom. I could tell that no one was in the mood for fun or mundane things.

Without wasting more time, I went straight to the dorms; on the way, I bought a cup of ramen because I was starting to get hungry. When I reached my room, I didn't bother changing; I just threw myself on the soft bed to rest.

Today was an intense day, but it's not over yet; many events awaited Class D, like the evaluations where Sudō failed English because he scored 39 points when the passing grade was 40. The reason we had to score 40 or more points to pass was that the class had a set average, and that was divided by two.

A silly idea occurred to me. What if all students score 0 points on the exam? The class average would also mean it was 0, but that was a silly and risky idea. Only a traitor would do it to get everyone else expelled. Unless you have 20 million points. Which was impossible at the moment for all the first-year students.

Anyway, there's no need to interfere in the events. I knew no one would be expelled because Ayanokōji would buy Sudō's exam points.

Another idea came to my mind. I think it wouldn't hurt to try that idea. I could also check on something else in the process. So, I'd kill two birds with one stone.

After a while, I drifted into the land of dreams.

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I woke up an hour earlier than usual, but I needed to exercise to discover how much endurance my body had. After putting on a casual shirt and knee-length shorts, I decided to go for a jog around the school. Besides, I remembered that this school was situated by the ocean, so I wanted to see the view it offered.

It didn't take me long to reach the school's shoreline to get a glimpse of the ocean. Since the dorms were only a few minutes away from the shore, I could reach it by jogging.

I could hear the sound of the waves reaching my ears; the morning breeze made the atmosphere feel refreshing and peaceful. I looked around to see if there was anyone nearby, but I didn't notice anyone. It was true tranquility.

After enjoying the serenity of the place, I continued jogging along the straight path. Something in this landscape felt familiar to me... after thinking for a few minutes, my brain remembered why it was so familiar. It was the place where Ayanokōji discovered Kushida's true personality... only that had happened in the anime.

When I reached the school's corner, I could only turn left, so I did, and then I turned left again when I found the buildings once more. I wasn't sure what these buildings were for, but I would find out at some point.

I kept jogging all the way straight until I found the dorms again. Then I repeated the laps three more times. I continued jogging until I reached the school's corner just at the left curve.

Since there was no one around in this place who could see me, I took advantage of doing basic exercises I knew. In my world, I didn't exercise much. Of course, I walked a lot because the journey from home to university was quite long, but not too much. So, I didn't bother taking the bus and preferred walking.

I did it so that my physical endurance wouldn't be so bad, although I preferred being a total slacker and staying in my room wasting time on frivolities. I couldn't do that because I had a life to follow. Besides, walking helped prevent my muscles from atrophying due to a lack of exercise.

So, I was surprised when my body still didn't feel tired after doing various types of exercises—sit-ups, push-ups, and squats. Now that I thought about it, I was tempted to do Saitama's training. 100 push-ups, 100 squats, 100 sit-ups, 10 kilometers every day, and, most importantly, no air conditioning in summer, and no heating in winter to strengthen the mind.

Although I don't think the air conditioning part can be done because the school building always has the air conditioning on... haha... anyway, joking aside, it would be better to return to get ready for classes. Maybe I should join the school gym. This would bring its advantages due to the high quality of the gym equipment.

Those items would definitely help me maintain my body or even improve it. The only downside is that it would attract the attention of other students in other classes who were also enrolled in the gym. But I think it doesn't matter; I just have to find out the time when there are fewer people to do the physical exercises.

When I reached the dorms, I went to the first-year ones. Then I went straight to the fourth floor, finally, I looked for my room, which was 388. I took a quick shower and changed into the school uniform. Now that I thought about it, could I modify my uniform? I wasn't sure. I knew it wasn't necessary to wear the uniform as an exemplary student, but I didn't know to what extent.

Anyway, sooner or later, I would get used to them, but it wouldn't hurt if I loosened the tie a bit. I spent some time carefully modifying my tie, being careful not to untie the knot. Unfortunately, I could never tie the tie knot. So if I undid it, I was in trouble... don't blame me, damn ties are not my thing.

Once I was ready, I left my room to head towards the elevator. It was still a bit early for classes to start, so there shouldn't be many people in the elevator. It had only been a week since the school revealed to the students how the class ranking system worked.

When the elevator doors opened, they revealed that one person was inside. That person was Haruka Hasabe, one of the people in Ayanokōji's group.

"Are you coming in?" Hasabe pulled me out of my thoughts. It seemed I had made her feel uncomfortable.

"Yes, sorry." I entered the elevator timidly; this was going to be quite awkward.

I didn't know much about Hasabe other than that she was a loner... she also felt uncomfortable because of the looks guys gave her due to her... I quickly discarded those thoughts. It's not that I wasn't interested in girls having large breasts; it's just that I wasn't used to seeing people of that size. In my world, I never met anyone with exaggerated breasts... well, I met one person, but that's not the point I was trying to make.

"Are you not from my class?" Hasabe asked when she realized who I was.

"Uh... Hasabe, right?"

"Yes, I'm Hasabe Haruka." She introduced herself formally. "You're Nakatomi-kun from Class D, right?"

"Yes..."

Well, this is awkward on my part; I really didn't know what to say or ask. I was never one of those people who would start a conversation with someone unless I needed to ask a question or was talking about a topic that interested me. Fortunately for me, Hasabe was a person who could bring up various conversation topics.

"By the way, I haven't seen you in the study groups they've formed," Hasabe commented.

"Well... I don't like studying with many people around, so I prefer to study alone."

"Really? I thought you didn't have a problem with being around several people. I mean, most of the time, you hang out with Hirata's group."

"Well, it's not that I have problems with crowds... it's just that I prefer studying alone, you know? That way, I can concentrate better."

"I can't say I don't understand you, but wouldn't it be better to be with people who are academically good in different subjects for when you have doubts?"

Well, she wasn't wrong. When a person is not good at a subject, I tend to ask another academically better person. Unfortunately, I never bothered to ask for help because my mind quickly understood the topics if I paid attention. I wasn't as intelligent as prodigies, but my brain was one of the best at memorizing things.

I didn't have a photographic memory, but I could learn things much faster than an average person, and I also liked reading a lot, which greatly helped my learning.

"Well... I'm quite diligent... so I think I can be sure that I'll pass the subjects."

Before I could continue our conversation, the elevator door opened when we reached our destination. We both reached our destination.

"Well, do you want to walk together to school?" Hasabe asked me.

"Eh?"

"I mean, we're going in the same direction, and we're in the same class."

After several blinks, I managed to snap out of my surprise.

"Sure, I wouldn't mind... I mean, if you're okay with it."

"Not at all."

With that, we headed towards the school complex. Hasabe effortlessly led the conversation, sensing my reserved nature. It was just a casual chat to get to know each other better. Our walk was pleasant and quiet.

When we reached the classroom, Hasabe entered first, agreeing to talk again later. I approached my seat.

"Good morning, Hiroki," Yōsuke greeted, moving away from the girls to talk to me.

"Good morning," I said, waving my hand. I placed my bag on the hook of my seat before looking back at Yōsuke. "By the way, how is the study group you've formed?"

"Well, for now, everything is going well." Yōsuke sighed before looking in the direction of the three idiots. "But Ike-kun, Yamauchi-kun, and Sudō-kun didn't join the study group... I'm worried about them."

"I think I understand what you mean," I said, glancing at the three idiots. "But we can't force them to attend the study group."

"I know... do you think there's a way to talk to them, Hiroki?"

"In the study group you're forming, I don't think it's a possibility," I replied, catching his attention. "But I don't think we should worry; I'm sure they'll join another study group," I said mysteriously, glancing at Horikita and Ayanokōji from the corner of my eye.

"They'll join another study group?" Yōsuke looked in the same direction where I had looked earlier, then turned back to me. "Are you saying that—"

"Yes, and..." I interrupted him before he could finish the sentence, discreetly looking in Matsushita's direction to see if she was paying attention to our conversation. It seemed I was right.

"I have a plan to make sure no one from our class gets expelled," I told Yōsuke in a low voice, making him slightly widen his eyes before smiling at me.

"Thanks, Hiroki."

I waved my hand carelessly as I leaned back in my seat. "Don't thank me; it's the least I can do for the class."

With that, we ended our conversation when the bell interrupted us, and the day went on normally. Everyone behaved, taking classes too seriously. Due to the threat of expulsion, students began to take their studies even more seriously than before.

When the last class ended, everyone started leaving the classroom, leaving me alone. The study group meeting was after a short break due to the classes we had received. When I confirmed that no one was around me, I went straight to the school rooftop.

Usually, it's open during break time for people to eat or spend time during recess, but at the moment, no one should be in those places. After reaching the stairs that led to the rooftop, I stopped.

I intertwined the fingers of both hands to crack the joints of my fingers. There was a sound followed by a slight satisfaction. Now, where would I place the voice recorder? I was considering putting on a video camera, but it would be too obvious for a certain person.

Hiding the voice recorder was quite easy because I had bought a small-sized one; fortunately, the recorder came on sale with the camera. The only downside was that I had to pay a bit more points to make the size small and easy to hide. I also made sure the battery lasted a long time... at least a day and a half... which was quite impressive.

After I hid the active voice recorder in the most unpredictable place and made sure it was recording, I left the stairs leading to the rooftop. I hid it in a place where even he couldn't guess. Anyway, what I was going to record wouldn't harm him; on the contrary, it could benefit him.

With the help of that recording, I could set a trap for the wolf disguised as a lamb. With all this done, I walked to the exit of the school complex. After changing my shoes for the outside, I left the building... By the way, I still wasn't used to changing shoes when entering and leaving a building. In the country I lived in, there was no need for that, but I guess that's why the Japanese are considered one of the most disciplined people.

When I was returning to the dorms, I abruptly stopped my walk while patting my head. What an idiot I am. How could I forget something so important?

I just remembered that the list of topics given to us to study by our dear teacher was wrong. But I didn't want to go to the library just to tell my classmates about it because it would be very suspicious.

I sat on a bench while trying to figure out how to solve this as quickly as possible. When I was thinking, the air felt refreshing... a strand of hair suddenly blocked my left view. Apparently, I had it quite long.

After thinking carefully about what I was going to do next, I changed course to the mall to buy a hair tie. I think it wouldn't hurt to make a ponytail so that it wouldn't bother me when studying or doing physical activities.

Now, what should I do?

1- I could send a message to Yōsuke, telling him that I happened to overhear a conversation about the topics other classes were studying. I would tell him to make sure by asking other classes about the topics.

2- I could go directly to the library and tell them directly, but that would draw attention from my classmates.

Thinking about it, I think I'll choose option number two. Besides, I wanted to ask Mii-chan something about the English subject... although I was more curious about whether she knew Spanish, and the way to find out would be to speak to her directly in Spanish. Anyway, it was much safer to tell Yōsuke directly; someone might read our conversation.

I sighed; I also needed to find out Kushida's contact information. She never approached me to ask for it, which wasn't strange because she was focused on Horikita; we hadn't really talked. In fact, we had never talked; it was a bit worrying, but I couldn't do much while she aimed to find out what Horikita knew.

Joining the study group made by Yōsuke would allow me to get his number. So, I had to take advantage of this moment to talk to him... I'll also ask for Hasabe's contact information.

Well, I had quite a few things to take care of. So, it was better to prepare.

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Once I bought the hair tie, I fashioned a ponytail. As I walked towards the library, I glanced at my reflection in a window of one of the buildings to see how I looked... Not bad, it suited me well... After confirming, I headed to the library.

Upon entering, I was quite surprised by the number of books there. I had never seen so many in my life; this library couldn't compare to the one in my hometown. I spent a good moment just staring at the multitude of books before snapping out of my daze.

With a few minutes left before the study session started, I decided to browse the books in this world. I felt a great curiosity... I wasn't sure if this library had the literary works that existed in my world, so I decided to investigate... After a while of reading the covers of various books and not getting a clue about what they were about, I lost interest in searching for more books.

I glanced around to see the people in the library. I could recognize several students but still didn't recognize most... Wait? That woman sitting near some Class B students is Himeno Yuki... her appearance seems that of a loner, she only speaks when spoken to... Anyway, the reason I was spying on others was to see what topics they were studying.

Now that I think about it, it might be suspicious to stand around looking like I'm searching for something... Oh no, is that Ichinose Honami?!... Abort the mission, she's too beautiful, they'll consider me a pervert if I keep looking.

Just as I was about to leave, Class B noticed that I was observing them... Oh no, should I run for my life? Or should I go and greet them and ask about the topics they are studying?... I sighed; I had no choice but to go greet them or be considered a weirdo.

With hesitant steps, I approached them as nervousness grew within me.

"Excuse me for intruding on your study. You're Ichinose Honami, right? My name is Nakatomi Hiroki from Class 1-D; I don't think we've introduced ourselves before," I said politely, extending my hand for a handshake.

"Yes, nice to meet you, Nakatomi-kun," Ichinose took my extended hand. I could feel the softness and quality of her hand compared to mine. "Do you have any business with me?"

[Imagen]

To be more specific, it's something more for the class in general. I just thought it would be better to talk to you directly about it," I explained, releasing her hand. "Do you have the list of the exam topics your teacher gave you for the midterms?"

"Oh, I see. Yes, we brought them with us to make sure we studied the right things. Why, don't tell me Class D forgot to note them down?" Ichinose asked. I could sense a bit of concern in her voice.

"Not at all, but I just realized you were studying a completely different topic than we are. That's why I wanted to compare with the topics you were given," I quickly explained our class's situation.

Ichinose and the other Class B students seemed quite surprised by what I said. They took a moment to process what I told them and composed themselves. Ichinose reached into her bag and pulled out a small notebook.

"I understand. You want to know if each class has a different test, right?" Ichinose asked, handing me the notebook with the page open where they had the topics written.

As I read the topics noted by Class B students, I noticed that they were completely different, which meant that if our class never realized this, several students would be expelled from school. I couldn't help but frown.

I focused on the listed topics. I stopped paying attention to my surroundings as I memorized the correct topics that would be on the midterm exam. It didn't take long before I had them fully memorized.

"The topics you were given are completely different," I told them as I returned the notebook to its owner. "But I still can't be sure if classes are studying different topics unless I compare it with another class," I summarized our situation.

"Wait... Are you saying there's a possibility that your class has the wrong topics?" Ichinose asked with concern.

"Exactly, that could be the case for our class."

"But that's—" Ichinose exclaimed a bit louder than usual for a place where you should be silent or speak softly. Like the library.

"Unfair? Certainly, it is," I agreed with her. "But fortunately, I realized it before it was too late... Now, I just need to compare it with another class to confirm it," I murmured the last sentence in a low voice. "Anyway, thanks for your help, Ichinose."

"No need to thank me, Nakatomi-kun. It really was nothing. If you want, I can help you find out if classes are studying different topics," Ichinose offered to help voluntarily.

"I don't want to trouble you, and I don't think it's that hard... I just need to ask the right person... Anyway, I really appreciate the help," I said with a smile.

"Okay, but if you need help, you can ask me. I still consider it unfair that there might be a chance you were given the wrong information."

I nodded in response before stepping away from Class B. I could feel the stares on my back, but I ignored them. As I continued walking, pretending to search the books, I glanced at the topics other classes were studying in their study groups. Although there was no need for me to do this, it was better to have some sort of insurance in case questions arose.

Once I confirmed that students from other classes were studying the same topics as Class B students, I found a place to sit.

When I found a place where it would be easy for my classmates to recognize me, I sat down, placed my bag on the table, and took out a notebook. When I took it out, I tore out a page from my notebook. I used my notebook as support to write down the topics I had memorized. Once I noted all the topics, I nodded, satisfied with myself.

I took out the school-provided phone to find out how much time was left until my classmates arrived... there were still 45 minutes until my classmates arrived, although I knew some would arrive early.

I searched for contact information before writing and sending a message.

Contact: Hirata Yōsuke.

[Hey, Yōsuke, I'm in the library. Can you come early? I have something important to tell you... it's about the class.]

[Okay... No problem, I always like to arrive early... although, can I ask, what's the problem?] Hirata Yōsuke.

[I'll tell you when you get to the library.]

[Alright then.] Hirata Yōsuke.

I locked my phone before putting it in my pocket. As I waited for him, I drummed my fingers on the table. I just hope this doesn't bring too many questions about my class, but I guess it's inevitable.

I put my hand over my mouth as I yawned out of boredom. I could play while waiting, but I didn't know if it was allowed in the library. So, I decided to pretend I was studying while thinking about the next steps I would take in this school.

Now, the problem with Kushida. She's currently quite harmless; I don't mean to say she's not dangerous. What I mean is that at the moment, Kushida doesn't have as many secrets about our classmates. Therefore, Kushida's secret bomb isn't as dangerous as it would be in the future.

If my strategy works, then I can get rid of her now. Maybe I didn't have the means to expel her, but her school life would end, and no one would trust her. Fortunately for her, I wasn't aiming for her expulsion; what I was looking for was all the information she had about the students and the trust the guys and girls in our class have in her right now. So, if I catch her, I can control the guys and even some girls for myself.

I'm not the type to blackmail people because I don't consider it morally correct, and I never needed to blackmail anyone... the only time I blackmailed someone was my younger brother for getting a bad grade when he was little... haha... unfortunately, my younger brother managed to get back at me when he did something he shouldn't have done, it's a sad story but true.

Anyway, morality in this world is something that must be discarded at times... sometimes you need to do bad things to achieve a goal... an example of this would be the coups that happened in many countries in my world. Where they used violence, property damage, etc., to achieve a common goal desired by the people.

About Sudō, I think I won't do absolutely anything. Although I think I can use this event to gain some private points.

"I'm going to take advantage of this... I suppose," I murmured in my native language. It's a pity that no one in this world can understand that reference. However, if someone were to ask me about the meaning, it wouldn't hurt to explain it.

Then, there's the Island Exam and the Zodiac Exam. In the Island Exam, it's obvious that I can't directly interfere to earn more points unless I become the leader... though we can still gain an additional 50 class points if I add the name of the Class B leader. But considering that if we move up to Class C before the sports festival, we'd be working alongside Class B. That would raise questions about the results.

But if I guess the Class B leader's name, Class B would lose 50 points, and Class D would gain 50 points... there's also the Zodiac Exam where I could target Classes B and C to make them lose more class points, and we gain more.

A tired sigh escaped my lips. I didn't want to change the canonical events, as I would lose the advantage I had with my future knowledge, but I guess I've been changing the canon since I entered this school. So, it didn't matter much anymore, I suppose.

I shook my head to clear all my thoughts; it wouldn't make sense to think about future exams at this moment. First, I should focus on what's in front of me.

Now that I think about it, I should start saving points from now on. Should I consider getting a part-time job to earn private points? Or should I join a club to gain points? Even if it's been a month since people joined a club, I'm sure they'd accept me if I flaunted my new athletic skills.

I had already turned down Yōsuke's invitation, but I don't think he'd mind if I joined a different club. Private points would be quite beneficial for exams where expulsion is inevitable. An example of this would be the exam called "Class Poll"... it was one of the exams where inevitably one of our classmates would be expelled unless we paid 20 million points... In our case, the student who would be expelled is Haruki Yamauchi.

"Nakatomi-kun?" a voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I turned my head to see in the direction of the voice. It was Kei Karuizawa, gathered with Satō and Shinohara. I wanted to pretend they weren't standing there, but that would be rude of me.

I nodded, acknowledging their greeting.

The girls sat at my table. Karuizawa and Shinohara sat across from me, while Satō sat on my right side.

"I thought you weren't going to be part of the study group, Nakatomi-kun," Satō commented while looking at me. "Have you had trouble studying?" she asked. I could sense concern in her voice.

"Right, when we asked Hirata-kun, he said you preferred to study alone," Shinohara added.

"Really? What made studying difficult for you?" Karuizawa asked with a small smile. "Shouldn't you have joined, you know? It's been a week since we started studying."

"Nothing like that. I just wanted to talk to Yōsuke about some things," I replied.

"Eh? Couldn't you have said so earlier?" Karuizawa responded.

"What do you want to talk to Hirata-kun about? I don't think it's bad, what you want to talk to him about, right?" Shinohara said.

"I don't think it's our business, Shinohara-san... maybe Nakatomi-kun wants to discuss something privately with Hirata-kun," Satō scolded.

Go Satō, Go.

"Well, I guess you're right," Shinohara. "I just thought it was a bit suspicious."

Wait, what?

"Don't think it's suspicious, Shinohara-san. If it were, why bother coming here in the first place?" Satō commented.

Okay. I think it was time to intervene... although I'm a bit surprised they're talking about me when I'm right in front of them.

"Satō is right, Shinohara, Karuizawa... I just want to ask Yōsuke about something... you know, guy stuff," I told them.

"What guy stuff?" Karuizawa squinted her eyes.

"Oh, you know. You girls talk about clothes, makeup, things most women prefer," I responded with a smile. Some women don't like talking about those things but to each their own. "We guys talk sports and a variety of topics you wouldn't understand or get bored with after a few moments."

Truthfully, I had no idea what I was saying. I just said the first thing that came to my mind, but at least I satisfied the girls' curiosity. So, I guess I did okay.

"By the way, how are you all doing with your studies... are you learning?"

"Oh, yes. Hirata-kun teaches quite well."

"I think I'm doing okay."

"Quite well, thanks for asking, Nakatomi-kun. By the way, are you good at studying?" Satō asked curiously.

I shrugged. "I'm okay, I guess... though I have a bit of trouble understanding English... I think I can at least pass the exam," I told her.

"Well... you can always ask Mii-chan for help. She's quite good at that subject," Satō suggested.

"Mii-chan?" I said, feigning confusion for a moment. "I think I heard someone call Wang-san that, right?"

"Oh, yes, it's a nickname. She told us we could call her that because some couldn't pronounce her name well. So, the nickname stuck," Satō replied.

"Oh... I see."

I continued talking with the girls for a few more minutes until Yōsuke announced his arrival. We greeted each other before continuing to chat while waiting for the other study group members to arrive.

"Yōsuke, can I talk to you for a few seconds? It'll be quick," I mentioned.

We got up from our seats and moved a bit away from the girls. It was quite suspicious, but I could tell Yōsuke to convince them that I just wanted to ask him something embarrassing or whatever came to his mind.

I took a paper from my pocket that was folded and handed it to Yōsuke.

"What's this, Hiroki-kun?" Yōsuke commented as he began to unfold the paper to open and read it.

"Those are the topics that will come up in the midterm," I said, making Yōsuke look at me with a mix of confusion and surprise.

"But the—"

"The topics we currently have are wrong. When I asked Class B what topics they were studying, they gave me the ones you're currently reading. At first, I thought we were studying different topics, but when I confirmed that Class A and Class C were studying the same topics," I pointed to the paper Yōsuke currently held in his hands. "I concluded that our topics are wrong."

I always spoke in a hushed tone, keeping an eye on my surroundings to make sure no one was eavesdropping. I could feel the girls' gaze on us, but it was something I couldn't avoid. If we left the library just to talk about "guy stuff," it would be too suspicious, and too many questions could arise.

"But that means Sensei gave us the wrong topics," Yōsuke had a conflicted look on his face.

"Whether Sensei did it on purpose or not, it doesn't really matter. There's no evidence that she did it intentionally. Maybe it's a mistake on her part or she might have another motive, but what matters now is letting our classmates know about the new topics," I said.

"I see... Thanks, Hiroki-kun. If it weren't for you, we could have failed for studying the wrong topics... can I know how you found out?"

"Well, when I was walking towards the dorms, I happened to overhear other students saying that we were studying different topics... I don't want to tell you most of the conversation those students had, but basically, they were mocking us for being defective," I lied, creating a fabricated story.

"Well... it doesn't matter now. Although I think some might be upset, at least we can avoid the consequences that could have arisen for our class. So, thanks," Yōsuke thanked me again with a smile.

"You don't have to thank me." I patted Yōsuke on the shoulder while giving him a playful smile. "That's what friends are for."

"I guess so... One more question. Do you want me to tell the class that you were the one who found out? I just think it would be better not to lie too much to the class," Yōsuke asked.

"Honestly, I'd prefer not to," I replied with an awkward smile. "I don't like being the center of attention. It makes me a bit nervous." I put my hand on my neck while letting out a nervous laugh. "But if they ask too many questions, you can always let them know about the students' conversation," I reminded him.

"Fair enough. I guess I can do that, at least as a thank you," Yōsuke responded with a nod.

"By the way, I'll join the study group just for this time," I mentioned.

"Really?" Yōsuke looked at me in surprise.

I shrugged casually. "Hey, don't look at me so surprised. I just want to ask some things about English... I'm not that good at that subject, haha," I commented, letting out a soft laugh.

"Sorry, but I'm still glad you're joining us. Even if it's just for today," Yōsuke said as a refreshing smile remained on his face.

"Hmm," I nodded.

With that, our conversation ended, and we both headed back toward the girls while greeting the new students who had arrived. When Matsushita entered the library, I greeted her with a cheeky smile as she looked at me in surprise.

"So, you decided to join," Matsushita asked as she sat down next to me. God, this girl smelled really good. I discreetly swallowed saliva.

"Yeah, I guess I was curious," I vaguely replied, causing her to raise an eyebrow.

Gradually, more students started arriving. Kushida greeted several cheerfully. When almost all the people who joined the study group arrived, except Horikita, Ayanokōji, Sudō, Ike, Yamauchi, and Koenji, who hadn't formed their study group yet.

Yōsuke stood up to break the news to our classmates about the situation we were in, which was that we had the wrong topics.

"Guys, I have something important to tell you," Yōsuke said with a serious face, causing several students to look at him confused and others worried.

"The topics we were studying were wrong," Yōsuke said. "The topics that will actually be in the midterm exam are the ones written on this paper." Yōsuke showed everyone the paper I had given him. "All the other classes were studying these topics. Except us."

With that, our classmates caused chaos in the library, drawing attention from other classes. I could only curl up more into myself, trying to be invisible so that no one would see me. The embarrassment was real.

I just hoped Yōsuke could resolve the commotion quickly.