Chapter 8 Pt. 1

Wednesday

There was about a week until the midterm exam was going to take place. My group was doing well, but there was still room for improvement. Yamane-san has been trying the hardest out of the three, and she has been improving a lot. However, the same couldn't be said for the other study groups. They started falling behind, despite the great tutoring both Yoshiwaka-kun and Tsuchida-san have done to the other students. Yoshikawa-kun pulled me aside after class.

"Fukushima-kun, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"The class tutor sessions haven't been getting better at the rate we need them for our class to pass. How is your group doing?"

I answered honestly.

"My group has been putting in real effort and is gradually improving. However, I don't have enough time to continue tutoring them to do the exam well."

Yoshikawa-kun put his hand under his chin like he was thinking about something.

"Well, it would be nice if they could pass with full marks, but can they pass the exam at all?"

"With that, I can say with confidence that they will be able to pass."

"Okay, that's one less thing to worry about. But that won't matter if the entire class isn't able to do the same."

I was curious about the way he was framing things. It seemed like the punishment for failing this exam was more severe than at face value.

"Do you mind if I ask why we need the entire class to pass this exam?"

He looked up like he was shocked.

"You don't know, Fukushima-kun? If just one student fails this exam, they will be expelled."

Expelled, huh? Well, I can't say that's good news. No, in fact, that's pretty bad.

"I see. Can you give me a minute?"

"Sure, but would you mind telling me where you are going?"

"It could be a waste of time, so I don't think it'll be beneficial for me to tell you."

He looked a bit concerned at my answer.

"Well, I hope you know what you are doing."

"Of course." 

With that, I left the classroom. I was seeking out our teacher, but I couldn't tell Yoshikawa-kun that. I was formulating a plan in my head that I wanted to keep him in the dark about. After about a few minutes, I saw the teacher going up to the roof. I followed her. When I got there, she was there, smoking.

"You know, smoking those is bad for your health."

I figured I could strike up a conversation with her if I told a light-hearted joke. That generally works on people. She chuckled.

"These things are hard to quit when you get started."

"Yeah, the amount of nicotine in them. I would be surprised at anybody not getting addicted to them."

"You didn't come up here to talk about my smoking habits, so what is it you want?"

She didn't want to beat around the bush, so I obliged.

"I'll be blunt: what is the punishment for failing this exam?"

This was the first time she turned around to face me.

"Those who fail to pass will be expelled. Now if there's nothing…"

"And what's the punishment for that?"

I interrupted her. As she was speaking, she was giving off a smug look until I interrupted her. At that point, her expression changed.

"What did you say? I don't think I heard you correctly."

"I think you did, but I'll repeat it for you. What is the punishment for one of our classmates being expelled?"

She had a shocked look on her face, probably thinking 'The audacity of this kid'.

"I can't say that."

"You can't, or you won't."

I kept needling her.

"What do you mean by that, Mr. Fukushima?"

"What I mean is, are you really unable to tell me the punishment, or are you intentionally being stubborn so I don't know."

I was glaring at her intensely. One of the things I am good at is using my facial expressions to get information out of people. In this case, I'm deliberately using an expression that should stoke fear into her, and it was working.

"That's quite a mouth you have for a student. Didn't your parents teach you some manners?"

I started walking towards her. As I did that, she took a step back, like it was on reflex. I stopped about halfway between her and the entrance to the roof.

"All I want to know is the punishment for a student being expelled, that's all. I've read the manual of this school, and there's nothing in it that prohibits you from talking about the costs of punishments, so that leaves me to wonder: why did you lie just now?"

The look on her face was almost memorizing. The change from the smug look she had a minute ago, to the scared one she had now was some sort of cosmic justice. But, I had little interest in rubbing that in, so I continued pressuring her.

"Now you're scared, even though I haven't done anything yet. Did you know you were lying, or is it that you never expected someone like me to ask the question in this way."

After a minute or so of silence, she spoke up.

"Why does a student like you want to know the consequences of expelling a student?"

Well, that was interesting.

"I never said that I wanted a student expelled."

At this point, I could taste the fear coming off of her. I had her cornered, now it's time to snub out the answer. 

"Here's my hypothesis, and let me know if I'm wrong. Someone from one of your previous classes asked the same question I just asked you. You answered honestly and then that student went on and expelled another from that same class. While in the short term, the damage wasn't big, in the long run, it ended up costing your class a lot. Am I right in that assumption?"

She was dumbfounded. She looked slightly down and didn't say anything, which in itself was an answer.

"Let's say, hypothetically, we allowed a student to fail the exam because they couldn't do it, and they get expelled. How much would that action cost the class."

She looked up with a mixture of fear, nervousness, and anxiety. 

"Three…"

"Three?"

"Three hundred class points."

If that was the case, and because she experienced the scenario I described to her before, then that means that the student's class had barely enough points, and losing 300 had a bigger benefit than the cost in his plan. Unless the guy was stupid enough to not be able to see that, which in that case, he wouldn't have even been enrolled in this school, or there was something unexpected that happened that neither the student nor the teacher anticipated.

"What's the catch?'

"Huh?"

"The catch? What made this student's plan fail?"

There was silence for a minute or so. Then she spoke up again.

"When the student expelled his classmate, he made his class lose some points and figured that the cost was worth it. What he failed to know was the fact that his class was indebted to pay off that 300 points."

"In other words, even though their class had so few class points that the penalty of expelling someone would've been negated, they still had to pay off that cost to the school."

"Yes."

"So, how did the class pay it off?"

"Every time that class received class points, it was immediately canceled until the number of points they earned reached the cost."

In other words, any reward the class got, they didn't receive so that they could pay off their debt. That also means that given the situation, the students in the class didn't receive any Personal Points for a while. Determining the way the school operates, means that their lives as students got worse and they fell behind drastically. When I looked at her face, she got the sense that I might be planning on doing the same thing.

"Thank you for your help. I'm going to be heading back to class."

I turned around and started walking away.

"Wait!"

She yelled at me, which made me stop and turn around.

"You aren't planning on doing that, are you?"

I think answering honestly here would be best.

"I was planning something along those lines, but you convinced me otherwise. It 

appears that our class needs to try harder to make sure that we pass this exam."

She let out an audible sigh of relief. She flashed a smile, I nodded and walked away towards the door. As I left the roof, I saw Tanaka-san at the bottom. I approached her.

"What are you doing here?"

She turned to face me, still having that blank-looking expression on her face.

"I could ask you the same thing. Why were you meeting the teacher on the roof?"

She followed me. Why did she follow me?

"I wanted to ask her a question in private. I expected it to be private."

"I wasn't trying to eavesdrop."

"Then why did you follow me?"

"Has anyone told you that you're paranoid?"

So, she's avoiding the question. That confirms that she was following me.

"What do you want?"

"I was curious about what you were doing. You seemed to leave Yoshikawa-kun in a hurry even though it looked like you two were discussing something important."

She was listening in? No point in hiding it now.

"We were talking about the upcoming exam and how our class isn't reaching the point we need to pass."

She took a minute to think about my response.

"So, are you coming up with a solution to that problem?"

This time I told a white lie.

"I'll follow what Yoshikawa-kun suggests."

She looked at me, her eyes examining my person, seemingly looking for a weakness.

"If you say so."

She leaves. She has definitely been following me for the past couple of weeks. I don't know what her intentions are, but it is unsettling knowing that I am being followed by someone from my class. Anyway, I headed back to class to talk to Yoshikawa-kun. 

When I got back to class, the entire room seemed to be uproaring about something. As I entered, I made my way to Yoshikawa-kun. He saw me approaching and got up to greet me.

"Hello again, Fukushima-kun. Have you finished what you needed to do?"

"Yeah, I have. What is all of this commotion about?"

He looks around the room and sighs.

"Someone from the class found out our situation and now everyone's in a panic about being expelled."

"Do they know the effects?"

"I'm not sure. But if they did, that wouldn't help calm their nerves."

He was right. It was best that the class didn't know about the punishment for failing this exam, at least for now.

"Who's the lowest in terms of academics?"

"Are you actually thinking about letting one of us be expelled?"

He avoided the question. I wasn't going to let that slide.

"Just tell me who's the lowest."

He stared at me for a minute, questioning my intentions. He finally sighs.

"Hisao Hirota-kun. He's the lowest in terms of academic ability."

"Whose tutor session is he in?"

He sighs for a third time.

"He's not."

"What?"

"He's not part of any study group."

This is not good. Not good at all.

"Why?"

I intentionally sounded annoyed because I couldn't believe that Yoshikawa-kun, knowing the stakes, would allow this to happen.

"I tried to convince him but Hirota-kun was unwilling to participate."

He tells me this now!?

"Okay, the exam is next Wednesday. By Friday, I want a list of everyone's academic ranking."

"Okay, but why?"

"I want to see how much the bottom few are lacking. I also need another favor."

"What is it?"

"I need to borrow Tsuchida-san for the next couple of days."

"Tsuchida-san? Why?"

"I'm gonna need her abilities to help get Hirota-kun on board."

"Okay. I'll give her a call. I'll let you know by the end of the day."

"Thank you."

I start walking away. Then Yoshikawa-kun spoke up.

"Do you think in order for the class to survive, we would have to expel Hirota-kun?"

He asked me an unanswerable question. As of right now, We can't afford to have anyone expelled. However, depending on Hirota-kun's willingness and personality. Depending on that, this might be easier said than done.

"I'll do my best to make sure no one gets expelled."

He nods. I then walk back to my seat and sit down. Tanaka-san was sitting next to me reading something. She then spoke up.

"Seems like you got a lot on your plate."

Was she…making fun of me?

"Our class cannot fail this exam. I figured someone like you would understand that."

"Really? What makes you think that?"

She's either intentionally pissing me off, or she's that absent-minded. I still can't figure out which it is. This girl's persona makes it nearly impossible to read her. However, she's been watching me for the past couple of weeks and has been talking to me more often than usual. What are her intentions?

"You've been following me and questioning my actions. Based on that, I can deduce that you must know the stakes."

"Hmm, I guess so."

She didn't even look up and didn't sound so assured of that. 

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you interested in me?"

She didn't respond for a few seconds.

"I find your commitment to helping this class…interesting."

"My commitment?"

"Yes. This school values independence and individuality. To see someone like you, desperately helping the class' failures is…interesting."

"That's a short-sighted response."

"Shortsighted?"

"I don't think you are looking at the bigger picture. While this school values independence, independence doesn't equal isolation. Part of being independent is helping others and rising as a class. In the real world, as a company. That company is responsible for the mistakes of the employees. You can't blame others. You either fix mistakes or get left behind. Sure, this school promotes individuality but also promotes teamwork and responsibility. It is our responsibility, as a class, to make sure we are functional."

This was the first time she looked up.

"So, you've figured it out."

"Yeah, I figured it out. If you knew, what would you do about it?"

"I've been keeping an eye on you."

Been keeping an eye on me. Wait, does that mean that she is aware of my abilities? She's testing me. That's how she's been helping, by testing my problem-solving skills. 

"You know, you really are something, aren't you."

"Hmm?"

"This entire time, you've been testing me, seeing if I can solve this problem."

"Can you?"

That question. Can I solve this problem? Can I prevent someone from being expelled? Can I get this class to A? Well, I have to solve this problem, then I can worry about the future. 

"Well see."

After that, the teacher came in and everyone settled down. She started her lesson. After school was over, I walked Yuki-chan home and then went to my dorm. As I arrived, I was thinking about the situation. Am I really going to lead this class to a higher rank? I'm here to protect my sister and get to the same class as her. However, based on the current situation, the only way I can do that is if this class reaches class A and then I demote down to Yuki-chan's class. Assuming everything goes accordingly, her class would be promoted down to be, and then I can coerce a student to switch with me. I seriously doubt anyone would reject that offer. Okay, it's decided: I'm going to help this class out, and then transfer to Yuki-chan's class. That is the best course of action. But, it's going to be easier said than done. It's unlikely that Yuki-chan would just let me pass her, so I am going to have to indirectly go against her, and then the other classes. However, I predict that I'm going to be encountering a rival class soon. I have to prepare for that, which also means that I have to make this class stronger. What a pain this will be. Nevertheless, this is to protect my sister. All this effort I'm putting in is for her, so it will be worth it. I then got a text from Yoshikawa-kun, saying that Tsuchida-san was willing, but that she would need to know more information. I texted him back saying that I would talk to her directly. I then went to the room phone, dialed the main lobby, and asked to connect to Tsuchida-san's room. After a few moments, the phone rang and Tsuchida-san picked up.

"Hello?"

"Fukushima-kun?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"You surprised me. I never would've guessed you'd call my room number."

"I wanted to talk to you directly."

"Yeah, Yoshikawa-kun texted me saying that you needed my help with something?"

"Are you free for the next few days?"

"Am I free?"

"Yeah."

There was a pause before she answered.

"Yeah, I think I can make some time for you."

She said that in a flirty tone.

"Okay. Can you meet with me tomorrow at around lunchtime?"

"Are you asking me out on a date?"

"This is for the class. I have no ulterior motives."

"Are you sure?"

She kept pestering me on the topic.

"Yeah, I'm sure of my emotions towards people."

"That's pretty cold."

I could hear the pout in her voice behind the phone.

"Are you going to help me?"

There's another pause before she speaks.

"I'll do what I can, but I'm unsure how I'll be able to help."

"Your presence would be enough for right now."

"My presence? What do you mean by that?"

"I'll talk more about this tomorrow. It's getting late, so I'll let you go."

"Okay. See you tomorrow."

"See ya".

I hung up the phone. I wonder if this plan of mine will work. Tsuchida-san is the best person who could make this plan work due to her abilities: both physically and socially. However, this plan isn't concrete and depends on a bunch of factors, mostly the personality of some people. I do think that this plan will work. I wonder if people at this school act the same as they do out there.

Thursday

When the class ended for lunch, I pulled Tsuchida-san aside. When I did, she asked me, "So, what's the plan?"

"Let's go to the cafeteria."

"Together?"

"Yeah?"

She looked at me, shyly.

"But…wouldn't people get the wrong idea if we went to the cafeteria together?"

I was confused at first, but then realized what she was referring to.

"Are you still on that?"

"What, it is a legitimate question."

She was smiling widely at that.

"Let's just go."

"Okay."

We went to the cafeteria and saw the Third Years grabbing lunch. I saw one guy grab the free lunch option and decided that was the person we should talk to.

"Let's go", I said to Tsuchida-san.

The student sat down, looking disgusted at his lunch. I came over and sat down next to him, Tsuchida-san sitting across from the both of us. The third year spoke up first.

"Can I help you two?"

"Pretty abysmal lunch you have there. Don't have enough finances to get the normal stuff."

He started looking pissed at me.

"Did you just come over here to insult me? If so, then you guys can leave."

That irritation is a good sign. That means this stage of the plan will work.

"I'll be blunt: our class is suffering academically, and I was wondering if you have your first-year midterm questions."

He looked confused.

"My midterm questions?"

He looked at me, then at Tsuchida-san.

"Let's say I do. What do I get from helping you out?"

"I'll be willing to pay points for them, including the points needed to buy you a better lunch."

He looked down at his food, and then at me.

"How much?"

I only had 75k points, which I was assuming was the highest in the class, definitely more than this guy. I wonder how much this guy would squeeze me.

"15k."

He gave me a look of bewilderment.

"Are you daft? 15k points? I'm taking a huge risk here just by discussing this with you. I'm gonna need a much bigger payment than that."

"How much bigger?"

"50k"

50k!? This guy put up that much? Well, if he wants to wage a bidding war, then I'll play. I snickered.

"50k. Now you are the daft one. If you think I'm paying 50k for a test sheet, then you are completely out of it."

"Then I guess we have nothing to discuss."

At this point, I nodded to Tsuchida-san. She then spoke up.

"Please, sir."

She reached over the table and grabbed his hand.

"One of our classmates is about to be expelled and we could really use your help."

The student couldn't stop staring at her. I picked the right person for the job. Tsuchida-san is beautiful and sociable, as well as having a very nice body. I'm sure her womanly charm would be able to seduce this guy. Or at the very least, guilt trips him into helping us. He started to blush as Tsuchida-san continued. He then looked at me.

"40k."

"15k."

As we continued this back and forth, Tsuchida-san continued to charm the guy.

"30k."

"15k."

Finally, the guy broke.

"25k, but that's as low as I'll go." 

While that's not as much as I wanted to spend, if it continued, then there might be negative consequences.

"Hmm, fine, that's reasonable. However, I also want future test questions for the rest of the year as well."

"Fine."

"Thank you for your cooperation."

After lunch, we went to the third-year's room and he handed us the materials. I then transferred the decided number of points to him. We both nodded and took our leave. Before we arrived at class, I decided to sit down on a bench and compare the quiz we took to the one that the third year gave us. Tsuchida-san sat down next to me and started asking questions.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm comparing the quiz he gave us to the quiz we took a few weeks ago."

"And?"

"They are the same."

"The same?"

"Yeah. Although the question placements are different, the questions themselves are 

the same."

"That's amazing."

"Amazing?"

"Yeah. If the quizzes are the same, then logically, the midterm might also be the same. It also means that if we give the midterm to the class, that means that all of us will pass."

That is a naive way of thinking.

"That way of thinking isn't good."

She turned to me, her expression changing a little to a saddened and confused look.

"Not good? What do you mean?"

"Think of it like this: Logically, you could be right. However, it isn't a surefire way of determining whether or not it's true. On the off chance it isn't true, what do you think would happen if we gave this midterm to the class?"

She gave me a look like she was thinking about my question.

"Ah, I see. If we gave them it, then the class would end up only studying the midterm and not the materials. If this midterm ends up not being the same, then people would put in all that effort for nothing."

"That's the best-case scenario. The worst case would be a lot of students failing, expelled, and then we end up with hundreds, maybe thousands, of points in debt. Our class would never recover from a loss like that."

At this point, the realization hit her. She looked at me in shock.

"You thought that far ahead? What makes you say that our class wouldn't recover?"

I was unsure whether to answer her honestly or not, but to stave off attention, I answered honestly.

"I went to the teacher yesterday to ask about the situation in case a student was expelled. The class would lose 300 points. Since we only have 10, it would make sense to expel someone and work our way up, since we have nothing to lose. But the teacher told me that was not the case."

She was still looking intently at me.

"So, you asked what the consequences were of expelling someone? You were considering it?"

"Yes. Based on the rate we were going at, I figured that someone would be expelled, no matter the effort we put in to make sure that wouldn't happen. So, I thought that we should conserve our energy and let the weak ones fail and be expelled, and then build ourselves up from that point on."

Now, she looked a bit scared, worried, and concerned.

"That…that's a pretty cold way of thinking. But if that was the case, then why go out of your way to help the class?"

That's the question, isn't it? Why am I helping this class?

"That's because I found out that a zero-sum strategy wasn't possible."

"Zero-sum?"

"A mindset that means to gain something, you have to get rid of something else."

She looks down at the ground.

"So, in your mind, for our class to reach a higher standard, you decided that expelling the weaker students was a necessary consequence?"

"I guess you can say that."

She then looks up at me, looking directly at my eyes.

"That's wrong. Expelling someone to gain something. That's just…wrong."

The tone in her voice when she said that almost sounded sincere. Almost.

"Not to worry, that plan was shot down."

"Shot down?

"Yeah. The consequence was that if someone was expelled, and even if we had 0 class points, the class would need to give the school 300 points. So, we would be in debt to the school by 300 points, max, and would have to give the school that. That means that any class points we receive throughout the school year would be deducted from our class to pay our debt. Depending on how future class points are dispersed, there's a potential that we won't be able to receive any class points during this semester, maybe the entire year. Then we surely won't be able to catch up to the other classes."

"You thought of all of that?"

"Yes. For us to get to A-Class, we need to be at least in the running. If we are in debt, then that goal turns into an unachievable dream."

She still looked at me.

"You say that I'm cold-hearted, but if that was the case, then I wouldn't be going out of my way like this."

"I guess that's true."

I lied. My motive for helping the class isn't because I'm a good person: it's to get into the same class as my sister. Tsuchida-san doesn't need to know that though, nobody does. That might make the class lose motivation and go against me, which would be…difficult to say the least.

"So, I need you to make copies of this midterm but don't hand them out until Tuesday. That way, the class would study on their own, and then you would give them that as a sort of extra help."

She looked slightly saddened.

"O-okay."

She didn't seem that enthusiastic about the situation. I had to fix it.

"I'm going to be putting effort into making sure that this class succeeds and reaches A-Class. Is that something you don't want to happen?"

"No!"

A sharp exclamation came.

"I want to reach A-Class. But the methods you thought of, they are too selfish."

"Initially they were, but until I heard the consequences for that action, I immediately stopped that thought process and decided to help the entire class."

"Still though, you already decided that some in our class are expendable."

"And then the teacher pointed out I was wrong."

"What?"

"I went to the teacher and she pointed out the mistakes in my thinking, so I changed my thought process. I was wrong. Now, I'm going to help the class out and put in effort doing so."

That seemed to have calmed her down.

"So, you want me to wait until Tuesday before I hand out the midterm?"

"Yes. I also want you to get Hisao-kun to join my study group."

"You want me to convince Hisao-kun to join your study group? Why can't you do it?"

"You are more… charismatic than I am, so I think that you would have a better chance of convincing him."

After that, her mood shifted to a more friendly personality.

"Really now? More charismatic? You think that much of me?"

"Don't read too much into that. This is for the class."

She then pouts.

"Okay, I'll do it."

"Thank you."

She gets up, but before she can leave, she hands me something.

"Here."

"What is this?"

"My number, silly. You never got a girl's number before?"

"Not particularly."

"Then, I guess I'm your first."

"Hmm."

I didn't know how to answer that.

"One more thing."

"Yeah."

"When you do all of that, can you not use my name exclusively?"

"Okay, but why?"

"I don't want to get all the attention yet."

"Hmm? Is that the reason? Or is it that in case this fails, you don't want to be blamed?"

At this point, I slipped something up on purpose.

"I don't believe that this plan will fail. I have some hope that it won't."

"Do you have faith in our class?"

"I guess you can say that."

There was a pause before she spoke again.

"You are a strange one, you know that?"

"I know. I've been told that for a long time."

Unable to continue the conversation, she decided to end it.

"Well, it's getting late and we should be heading back to our dorms."

"Yes. Well, good night."

"Night."

She bowed and started to head towards the dorms, but froze up after going about 20 feet away from me. That was strange, so I got up and walked over towards her.

"Hey, are you okay?"

I reached out and touched her shoulder, which caused her to jump and freak out.

"Don't touch me!"

She turned and slapped me. Well, that was shocking. Then, after realizing what she had done, she bowed down and apologized profusely.

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry, Fukushima-kun. I don't know what came over me. Please forgive me."

She kept this up for a few minutes. I didn't say anything initially because I was still wondering why she froze up. 

"No, I am also at fault. I shouldn't have touched you without warning. I'm sorry."

I also bow down in front of her. There was a back-and-forth before I proposed a solution.

"How about we admit that we were both in the wrong?"

"Yes, I can agree to that."

After that, I asked her what the issue was.

"Why did you freeze like that?"

"Oh, that? Well, I'm scared about walking alone."

Did she just…lie?

"Oh. Would you like me to walk with you?"

She immediately agreed to that.

"Yes, if it's alright with you."

We began walking to the dorms. There was an awkward silence in the air that surrounded us. For someone who was very sociable, she was unusually quiet. 

Finally, I spoke up.

"Is there something wrong?"

She didn't react to that.

"N-no, not really." 

"Hmm. I don't believe you."

She reacted to that.

"What?"

"I don't necessarily believe you."

That seemed to have shaken whatever it was out of her. Her mood changed quickly.

"Really, I'm fine. Sorry if I made you worry. Thank you for your concern."

Her mood lightened up and she was back to her usual self. Usual self. Something about that is off. 

"Thank you for walking me home. I'm sorry to have troubled you."

"Don't be. I don't mind walking and breathing in the fresh air."

There was a pause before she spoke again.

"This might seem…random, but do you have a crush on Tanaka-chan?"

The setting changed. Me, having a crush on her? What is she getting at? 

"What? Why do you think that?"

"Well, you are the only person she talks to, and I've seen you two with each other recently, so I was wondering what relationship you two have."

I chuckled a little, and she noticed.

"Am I right?"

"No. We just sit next to each other. I wouldn't even consider us friends."

She's more like a nuisance if anything.

"Oh, I see. Would you say that girls like her are your type?"

"Is this why you are acting worried?"

I flipped the question on her. I never once saw girls as people of the opposite sex. I know about the concept of love, but I never once felt it. Once I asked that, she seemed hesitant to continue the topic.

"No, not really."

We were about 10 meters from the dorm before she spoke again.

"Do you have any friends?"

So, she decided to ease into my social life more naturally. Well, I guess that it was something that I could answer honestly.

"Not really. I haven't sought some out."

"But don't you get lonely?"

Loneliness. I never thought of it.

"I don't think of it like that. It's more like people have their cliques and I'm not really interested in any of them."

"Really? What do you like to do?"

An interesting question. What do I like? I wonder, how would she feel…about that?

"Hmm, I don't have anything in particular. What do you like?"

"What do I like? Well, I like shopping, trying on clothes and new fashions. You know, things like that."

A typical girl's response.

"I don't really see an interest in that."

"You don't? Oh, you're a boy. I guess you wouldn't be too interested in something like 

that."

"It's not like I'm against it. My thought process behind buying clothes is out of necessity. 

I generally only buy clothes that I need, not clothes that I want."

"You never bought clothes because you felt like it?"

"I never saw a reason to. I always get my clothes dirty, so it seemed like a waste to buy nice clothing, just for it to get ruined. I'm more of a conservative; I don't like wasting stuff."

That was true. I don't like wasting stuff.

"Still, you do need some nice clothing."

"I guess, but I don't know the first thing about fashion."

A smile formed across her face.

"Oh? Well, if you want, I could help you pick out an outfit in the future."

"I wouldn't mind that."

She turned around and smiled loudly.

"Well then, how about after the midterm? If we pass, then I'll take you out shopping to celebrate."

"Sure."

"Well then, it's a date."

A date huh? Well, that's one way of seeing it. We finally arrived at the dorms.

"Well, here we are."

"Yeah."

"Fukushima-kun, thank you. I generally appreciate you walking with me. I know that you didn't have to do it, so I'm grateful."

"I don't mind. I had a nice talk with you."

She blushed a little after that.

"Well then, goodnight."

She hurried off. So, if the class does well, Tsuchida-san will take me shopping. To a normal guy, that would motivate me more. To a normal guy. I headed into the dorms and went to my room since it was time to pack it in for the night.

Friday

Before school ended for the day, Tsuchida-san sent me a text saying that Hisao-kun was willing to come to my tutor session, as well as two other students. That wasn't part of the plan, and it would make it extremely difficult for me to tutor 6 people. That's not even including the academic differences between the students. When school ended, I escorted Yuki-chan to her dorm and then headed to the library. When I arrived, Hironaka-san, Yamane-san, and Okimoto-san were all there reading over the materials. It seems like they are determined to do well in the midterm. I sit down and all four of us exchange greetings. After about 10 minutes, Tsuchida-san arrived with the three other students. There's Hisao-kun, and then two of his friends: Akito Shoda-kun and Izanagi Fujimura-kun. From what I remember, they were in the bottom 10 of the quiz we took a few weeks ago, with Hisao-kun being the lowest of the bunch, being the 2nd worst. Here's the scene: the girls were sitting on one side of the table, facing the window. The boys sat across from them. I was sitting on the side of the table so that I could interact with all of them. Tsuchida-san was there as well, off to the side observing us and providing help. Tanaka-san was also here, which was the most surprising thing that happened. When I asked, all she said was that she wanted to help out, but I felt like that was a white lie. For some reason, I felt like there was an ulterior motive. I don't see her going out of her way to help out, not without gaining something in return. The boys were being distracted by the girls, flirting with them, and so on. Okimoto-san looked disgusted by them, Hironaka-san was playing along, and Yamane-san seemed uncomfortable about the whole situation, looking at me every so often.

"Listen boys, we're here to study and to increase your academic abilities. This is no time to make moves on the girls."

Shoda-kun spoke up

"Aw, c'mon man. Don't tell me you wouldn't do the same if a bunch of cuties were in front of you."

"I haven't. I've been tutoring them for the past couple of weeks and I have not once acted the way you are."

Fujimura-kun cut in.

"Get off your high horse. There's no way you haven't done anything nefarious with them. I bet you secretly did naughty things with them."

At this point, Okimoto-san kicked Fujimura-kun.

"Ow!"

"Ugh, why do we have to study with filthy men like them."

"Listen toots, you aren't cute enough to be acting like this. Maybe if you act more womanly, then people will start giving attention to you."

"What did you say!?"

It looked like a fight was going to break out, but Tsuchida-san stepped in.

"Calm down guys. We are here to study and to make sure you guys don't get expelled."

The situation calmed down and we got started. After a while, I noticed that the situation was worse than I imagined. Hisao-kun's grades sucked, like bad. Plus the attitude that he had while studying made it nearly impossible. If we were to continue like this, we would get nowhere. So, I had to beat this message in him.

"You suck."

"What was that?"

"You suck."

The whole table fell silent. 

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm surprised you were able to get into this school, with how horrible your knowledge of the material is."

"You picking a fight with me punk?"

"I would say you're the punk."

He started getting madder and madder, his face turning red with anger.

"I mean, being unable to understand the Pythagorean Theorem, that just shows how low your mental capabilities are."

He then got up and started packing his things. 

"I came here because I thought you were gonna help me, but if you are gonna insult me, then I have no business being here. I already gave up practice, and it looks like it was a waste of time."

He then left. The other two got up and left as well.

"You might be smart, but I don't want help from someone so shitty."

When they left, the girls were looking at me, shocked that I acted like that. 

"W-why did you do that?"

Hironaka-san was the first to speak.

"Are you trying to get Hirao-kun expelled?"

I sighed.

"You're right: I was out of line. I'll get them back. Tsuchida-san, can you help them out while I'm gone."

"Yeah, sure."

I got up and chased after the boys. I caught up to them and began speaking.

"Hey, wait up."

All three turned around.

Hirao-kun spoke up first.

"What, you came here to continue to insult us?"

"Look, I want to apologize. I was out of line. I don't think you're stupid."

All three seemed shocked.

"Well, I guess if you feel bad about it, then we could come back-"

"You're worse than stupid."

"Huh?"

"That theorem is one of the more simple ones. If you can't figure that one out, then there 

is no hope for you."

That shocked them and pissed all three of them off. 

"You are looking for a fight, aren't you?"

"Come back."

He scuffed.

"Come back? After you insulted me? Yeah, no. We are better off going pro."

"Going pro? Oh right, you are part of the soccer club, right?"

"What about it?"

"Do you really think becoming a pro soccer player is more important than your studies?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Do you know how much hard work, talent, and luck you need to even get recognized by someone? And even then, the chances of it actually happening are slim. You'd have a better chance of getting struck by lightning twice than going pro. You're delusional."

"And what do you know? How do you know that putting effort into academics isn't more worthless than playing soccer?"

"Why don't I show you."

"Huh?"

"Let's play a game. If I win, then you will come to my study session up until the midterm."

All three chuckled.

"And if we win?"

"Then I will leave you alone and you can do whatever you think is right."

All three of them laughed.

"Really? Do you think you can beat me? How laughable."

"No, not just you. All three."

"All three?"

"Yes. It'll be me versus you three."

"Hahahaha, are you serious? You must be stupid, not me."

"Prove it. If you believe that this is an easy task for you, then why not take me up on my offer?"

"Fine then. When and where shall we put you in your place?"

"The field should be open, so why not now?"

It's a deal, I'll see you on the court."

All three left towards the locker rooms. I texted Tsuchida-san about the situation and followed the boys. I could also feel Tanaka-san's eyes on me, even though I knew she was still in the library. After some time, we were on the soccer field. The three boys on one side, and me on the other. There was a referee in the middle. 

"This will be a clean match. Tetsuo Fukushima from Class D versus Hirota Hisao-san, Akio Shoda-san, and Izanagi Fujimura-san from Class D. The first one to three points wins. When I wave the green flag, that is when the match starts. When I wave the red flag and blow the whistle, the match ends. Penalties will stop the match and it will resume with the victim taking the ball."

The referee walks over to the little chair on the sidelines, overlooking the field. From what I can see, it looked like the whole school was overseeing this match. Perfect. The referee blew the whistle and the match began. Hirao-kun took charge, grabbing the ball and charging towards me. He was pretty fast. From the looks of it, the distance between him and the ball was about 10 meters, and he reached the ball within a few seconds. When he touched the ball, he dribbled it between his legs, and then when he got up to me, he passed it to Shoda-kun. Shoda-kun then dribbled it to the goal and kicked it from about 20 meters away. Excellent kick, teamwork, and precision. When the ball landed in the goal, the referee blew the whistle. 

"One point to Hisao-san's team. The score is 0-1."

The three boys cheered loudly.

"Hell yeah, that's what I'm talking about!"

"He didn't even react. Hisao-kun, you truly are the best soccer player."

"Of course I am. I'm the best striker on the team. But I couldn't have done it without your help."

As they were passing me, Hisao-kun whispered to me.

"It looks like we won this game. You're better off giving up now, and saving what dignity you have left."

The field was set up and the referee was getting back to her seat. Before the match began, I said something to Hisao-kun.

"Hisao-kun."

"What is it? Are you giving up?"

"That's the last point you'll score."

"What?"

The referee blew the whistle and all three charged at me. However, during the last round, I analyzed their movements. I now know what they were going to do. Before they could reach the ball, I was already there. I grabbed the ball, turned while kicking the ball in the air, and shot it from about 85 meters. All of this, within 3 seconds. The ball went into the goal and the whistle blew. This round ended.

"One point to Fukushima-san. The score is now 1-1."

"What the-?"

"What was it that you said, Hisao-kun? 'I should give up now'."

I turned and his face was in complete shock, bewildered about what just happened. He looked up at me. I smiled.

"I could say the same thing to you. You should quit now and stop wasting my time."

The field was set up for the third round. Hisao-kun was in udder shock about what just happened. All is according to plan. The whistle blew and the third round began. 

"Come on guys. That is the only point he'll get."

It seemed like Hisao-kun was taking point, with the other two acting as anchors. Hisao-kun moved a bit faster than usual, but he was still too slow. I snagged the ball before he could reach it.

"Shoda-kun, block his path so he can't score!"

He followed and moved in front of me. Hmm. Hisao-kun was moving fast on my right side, with Fujimura-kun moving downfield. I guess the plan was for these two to try to steal the ball from me, and then pass it to Fujimura-kun and he'll score. It's a decent plan despite how quickly it was formed, but that's assuming that they will be able to steal it. I was interested to see if they could, so I stopped and let them come at me. Shoda-kun was in front of me, while Hisao-kun was coming to the side, his foot reaching out to try and grab it. At the last second, I moved the ball back a few inches, so that Hisao-kun tripped and fell on the ground. I then weaved through him and Shoda-kun and shot the ball into the goal, from about 60 meters. The whistle blew and the match ended. I could see Hisao-kun getting mad. 

"One point to Fukushima-san. The score is 2-1."

The field was set and the round began. Hisao-kun dashed forward, determined to get the ball first. I allowed him to grab it. He started dribbling it towards me. 

"Yo, Hisao-kun, pass it. I'm open!"

Shoda-kun yelled at Hisao-kun to pass. He didn't. He then stopped in front of me.

"I…will…beat…you."

"You can try."

He then tried to dribble the ball past me and dart to the goal. As he passed me, I turned around and caught up to him, stole the ball, and headed to my goal. I got about 40 meters away and then stopped. I looked back to see the boys' reaction. The look on their faces means that the message got through to them. I scored the goal. The whistle blew.

"One point to Fukushima-san. The score is now 3-1. The game is over, Fukushima-san wins." 

The entire field exclaimed loudly. I wasn't sure if it was booing, or cheers, but it seemed like this game shocked the entire school. The boys were on the ground, completely in disbelief about what just happened. I walked over to them. Hisao-kun looked up.

"How-how are you that good? Are you a professional?"

"No. That was my first time playing soccer."

"Bullshit!!!"

He exclaimed loudly.

"There's no way a beginner plays like that!!!"

He's right, but I was telling the truth. I never played soccer before.

"So, how about it? Do you really think that someone like you can make it to the pros, despite getting crushed by a beginner?"

He didn't say anything back.

"Starting tomorrow, I am personally tutoring you three, up until the midterm exam. I will be teaching you extensively and you will not go to any practice sessions unless I deem you worthy. Is that understood?"

All three boys shook their heads in agreement.

"Good. I'll see you three tomorrow."

I left. I could tell that they were upset, but they didn't cry foul or complain. Looks like they hold up some sort of honor and integrity. It's hard finding people like that. That's good to know.

Saturday

After the soccer match yesterday, the eyes of the entire school were on me. Throughout the entire day, people from all across the school were talking about me.

One of my fellow classmates informed me that a game was going on between some D-Class students. Normally, I don't get involved in such trivial activities. However, once I heard Fukushima-kun was involved, I just had to witness this spectacle. I'm glad I did. Now I know exactly what I'm going up against. His sister, Yuki Fukushima-san, vouched that he would be beneficial to my class, but I figured that was some sort of sibling bias. However, after watching that soccer match, I am now convinced that he'll be a wonderful asset to my class. Now I have to test his mental abilities. I wonder if he can surpass me. I wonder what fun I'll have with him. I contacted Yuki-san, to see about the situation. Both of us agreed to meet up at a cafe around lunchtime. When the time arrived, Yuki-san entered the specified cafe and sat down at my table. 

"So, you wanted to meet with me, Hitoshi-kun?"

"Yes. Tell me, did you watch the soccer match yesterday?"

"Soccer match? Oh, you mean the one where my brother fought against those D-Class boys?"

"Yes."

"Yeah, I watched it. I'm surprised: I never expected him to take the initiative like that."

"Is he extraordinarily athletic?"

"Oh, I see what this is about."

"Hmm?"

"You called me over to see if you can get information about my brother. You're planning on manipulating me, aren't you?"

Well, what a perceptive little minx she is. 

"I could never dream of manipulating someone like you. I just want to see if your voucher was legit. Based on the soccer match, I can determine that you were telling the truth. Nevertheless, I want to see how much is true, and how much is false."

She smiled at that.

"Even though we are in the same class, I will not go out of my way to spill information on my brother. If you want to know, then you should ask him personally."

"Ask him personally? So, even though you will protect him, you won't go against me targeting him?"

"As much as I hate the idea of my brother being put in harm's way, we are in rival classes. There's nothing I can do if our classes are forced to go against each other."

"So, if the situation forces our classes to battle, you won't interfere?"

"Sure, you can think of it like that."

"Great. I can agree to those terms."

We both shook hands, solidifying the agreement. 

"You know, I took a step back from leading our class. I was glad because that meant that I could live a normal school life. I will also provide advice if need be to help our class."

"But…"

This is when a stern look drew across her face.

"I will not abide by you deliberately targeting my brother."

I smile warmly.

"I would never dream of making an enemy out of you. I want what's best for the class as well. That doesn't help if the two leaders fight over something like this."

She didn't look convinced.

"I'm a man of my word. It's no fun cheating like that."

"I'll believe you, for now."

She got up and left. What an overprotective little sister you have, Tetsuo-kun. I wonder, how would you react if something were to happen to her? I contacted a fellow student of mine. They picked up.

"Kawasaki-chan, are you there?"

"What is it this time?"

She sounded annoyed at my presence.

"C'mon, don't be like that. What have I ever done to you?"

"Are you being intentionally thick right now?"

"Oops, my bad."

"So, what is it that you want?"

"I want you to keep tabs on a certain student to report what you find."

"sighs. Who is it this time?"

"Tetsuo Fukushima."

"Fukushima? Wait, isn't he Yuki-chan's brother?"

"Yep. I want you to watch him."

"Why? I don't see what there is to gain by watching a D-Class student."

"Only time would tell. If anything, you get some time away from me and my orders."

"Hey, wait a minute-."

"Just keep an eye on him and report back what you find. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Fine, I guess that I can do it. However, I can't do it now; I'm busy at the moment."

"I wouldn't want to pull you out of your social gatherings."

"I do have one question."

"Yes?"

"Are you sure this plan of yours would work? I mean, how can you be so certain that he won't see it?"

"It will work, trust me."

"Huh?"

"I'm a genius after all. I know what I'm doing."

"I trust you, for now. But if it fails, I will blame you."

"Do whatever you want. Oh, before I go, tell your boyfriend I said hi."

She hung up after that. I wonder how Tetsuo-kun will react to this move.

8.1

Elsewhere in the school, another class leader was thinking about the game I played yesterday. 

"So, not only can he fight, but he's an excellent sports player as well. Looks like I'm gonna have fun with him."

"Is there…anything else you want me to do, Teshima-san?"

He chuckles.

"Nah, you have been doing well, Tsuji."

We haven't talked about C-Class yet. That's mostly because I haven't thought of them. However, I think that it's important now. Shishiro Teshima. He was a pretty tall dude, above average height. He had long black hair that reached down to his eyebrows. He looks a little…not so put together, but that was a facade. He easily became the leader of his class after the second point distribution. Makoto Tsuji was a somewhat normal student. Average built, height, with semi-short brown hair. He was Teshima's servant. Now, let's get back to it.

"So, what have you found, Tsuji?"

"Well, he is always walking his sister to her dorm and keeps an eye on her whenever he can. He also has been going to the library every so often to tutor some of his classmates. If we take the soccer match out of it, he hasn't done anything out of the ordinary. He hasn't made any moves."

"I see. Well then, maybe he's just a meathead. A sistercon perhaps? He'll be a great tool for me to gain, and use. I think it's time to crush D-Class, wouldn't you agree?"

"Y-yes sir. You are right."

"Let's begin. If we crush D-Class now, then that means we'll only have to worry about A-Class and B-Class, and I'll be able to get full control over D-Class and use them as pawns."

He smiled loudly.

"Oh, I'm beaming with glee just thinking about what I'm gonna do to D-Class, to that meathead of a sistercon. I'll put him in his place."

"What would you like me to do?"

"Continue monitoring him. I want to know his daily routine down to the 't'. I want to know 

everything about him."

"Y-yes sir. I'll do that right away."

"Good man. Now go, your presence is bothering me."

Tsuji leaves the room. 

Teshima stays, thinking about the events that he witnessed yesterday.

So, this guy thinks just because he is physically powerful, he runs the place. Well, that's not gonna happen; I will crush you.

After that, Aymaya Maekawa and a couple more of Teshima's classmates entered.

"What do you want, Maekawa?"

"I was wondering when we are going to teach that Fukushima a lesson?"

"All in due time. You seem eager to act."

He scoffed

"Well of course I'm eager. I allowed you to take command of the class in the hopes that you would deal with him. It's been a month and you still haven't made any moves yet."

"So, that's how you feel?"

Maekawa and the classmates he entered with looked at each other.

"Well, yeah. I want him to be put in his place."

Teshima stood up and went up to the boys.

"Don't worry."

He put his hand on Maekawa's shoulder.

"The pieces are being put into place. It might seem like I'm doing nothing, but I am formulating a strategy on how to deal with Fukushima. You'll get your revenge."

Maekawa calmed down after hearing that.

"Alright, I'll follow your orders, no matter what."

"Thank you. Tell me, how did the situation go with that D-Class girl? Did Fukushima swoop in and save her?"

One of the other boys then spoke up.

"Yes. When we harassed the girl, he came in and saved her. Even though we outnumbered him, he still managed to beat us. One thing to note though: He didn't go on the offensive."

"Hmm. So, he has some combat experience. Well, that means he must have a reputation for being a delinquent. Here's the plan…"

Teshima explained his plan to the boys.

"That's amazing Teshima-kun. However, who would we get to play the role?"

He smiled menacingly.

"You three of course."

"What?"

"You three will be the victims."

8.2

Another faction took notice of my soccer match: the student council president. He was in the student council room, waiting for his secretary to give him information about this D-Class student.

"Um, excuse me, sir. I got the information you requested about the student who won against three of the soccer club's members."

This is the student council secretary: Asuka Kuno-san. She is a small girl, with long blue hair up in pigtails.

"Thank you Kuno-san."

"Is there anything else you want me to do?"

"Continue with whatever work you have to do for the day. Other than that, I have nothing in particular for you to do."

"Okay. Well, if you need anything, you know how to reach me."

She took her leave. Before she left the room, the president asked her a question.

"This student, he's in class 1-D, right?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"Interesting. That is all."

The secretary bowed and left the room. As the president read my file, he got more and more intrigued with me, even though there wasn't much on me. Although, that was a double-edged sword. The lack of information was in itself, information.

I wonder what type of person you are, Tetsuo Fukushima. You've caught the eye of the entire school. What could you possibly be planning? Are you that socially inept, or was that intentional? Whatever the reason, you've caught my eye now.

8.3

The time was Saturday evening. I spent the entire morning planning and strategizing for the upcoming midterm. My phone was buzzing the entire time, but I ignored it in order for me to concentrate. It seemed like even though I had been putting a lot of effort into the study group, the results were not what I hoped they would be. I was going to meet with the study group in about an hour or so. Just when I was about finished with the preparations for the day, there was a knock on my door. When I looked through the peephole, I found my sister on the other side. It was a surprise, to say the least. I opened the door and let her inside. 

"Well Yuki-chan, this is surprising. I never would've expected you to come to my room willingly."

"I could say the same thing to you."

"Hmm?"

"That soccer match yesterday. It's unlike you to do something so loud."

She is right. I usually don't like attention, but the situation called for it.

"Well, you said that I should enjoy school life, and I am. I wanted to try soccer for once."

"Well, that was a pretty loud enjoyment."

"Why are you here, Yuki-chan? You wouldn't show up for something like that. Not unless it was important."

She sighed.

"I know we made a promise to not give each other special treatment while we are at this school, however…"

"Spit it out, Yuki-chan."

"You got a lot of attention, I would think it would be unwanted attention. The question becomes, what's the real reason you did that?"

She has always been perceptive of people's actions and the reasons behind them. She follows a certain philosophical doctrine. Cui bono, who benefits. She is unnaturally able to put that mindset into everything people do. Even for the small things, she always asks that question. I guess she finds that soccer match so unusually uncharacteristic of me that she decided to come over and bother me about it.

"I already said my reason: I wanted to have some fun. Is there anything else you want to discuss? I have to leave for my study session."

I pack up my things and begin to leave my room. Before I left, Yuki-chan spoke up.

"So that's why."

I stopped in my tracks.

"'That's why' what?"

"That's why you went out of your way to play that soccer match."

"I don't know what you are getting at."

That was a lie. I knew exactly what she was referring to, but I wanted to know how much she knew about the situation.

"Do you mind if I talk about a theory as to why you did what you did?"

"Go ahead."

"I believe that those people you played against are part of that study group of yours. 

They were…less than cooperative and you needed to whip them into shape."

"Okay, but if it's just for that, then I wouldn't have done something so blatantly attention-seeking."

"You're right, which leads me to believe that you don't have a lot of time. The only thing I can think of is that midterm we have in a few days. Even so, that's not a guarantee that you would have to do something like that. Not unless you were put in a bind."

"Go on."

"The midterm. If a person fails the midterm, they will be expelled. My class's teacher told us that, so I'm assuming your teacher said the same."

"Yes."

"Here's my thoughts: Those classmates you played against have a high chance of failing this midterm, and they didn't want to study for it, so you needed to prove a point to them. You proved it during that soccer match, and now they will follow you."

She knows that much from what little information was given, but she was still missing a key piece.

"No, there's something else. It makes no sense for you to put that much effort into something so trivial. There's a catch, isn't there?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

"The punishment for failing. We know that being expelled is the cost of failing, but what is the cost of being expelled? It must be pretty high."

At this point, I gave her the key intel. There was nothing I could gain or lose from telling her. Plus, I wanted to be nice for once.

"The cost is 300 class points."

"Hmm. Yeah, that's a pretty high cost, but with your class' point total, wouldn't it be easier to just let some students get expelled?"

"It's not a zero-sum game."

"What?"

"We would have to pay that cost no matter what. That includes any class points gained being immediately negated until our debt to the school is paid off."

At this point, the realization hit her.

"Oh, I see. So if someone was expelled, your class would be 300 in the hole, and you won't receive any additional class points until the hole is filled. That also means that you won't get any personal points. Yeah, the more I think about it, the more I see why you did what you did."

I nodded in agreement.

"Regardless, what you did created a lot of unwanted attention for you. Are you sure you'll be able to handle the backlash from that?"

"It's my job to worry about you, not you worrying about me. I'll be fine as long as you are safe."

I turned and had my foot out the door before she spoke up again.

"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"

"What?"

"It's Latin. It translates to 'who'll guard the guards'".

"I know what it means. I'm asking why say that now?"

"You are so busy watching over me, who is watching over you. You made enemies in your short time here. If you can't guard yourself, what makes me think you can protect me?"

I stepped back into my room and looked at her sternly.

"I will protect you, no matter what. No matter who comes after you, I will be the wall between."

"I'm not denying that. I'm just worried that you might be blinded by some unexpected actions that others will take against you."

"I'll be fine."

She didn't seem confident, but she accepted that answer. She starts to leave, but stops at the door and turns to me.

"Since you helped me out, I'll help you. Hitoshi-kun is the leader of my class, and your soccer match caught his eye. He asked me when he could test your abilities."

"What did you say?"

"If our classes are forced to battle each other, then I wouldn't interfere."

"You should've said something else, but there's no point now. If he asks, tell him this: 

I'm ready to battle him whenever he feels like it."

She smiles.

"You sure are full of yourself."

"So are you. Remember our…"

"I know, I know. We won't betray our classes to help each other. That is why I helped you by letting you know to be wary since you help me understand your motivation."

She walks out of my room but says one last thing before departing completely.

"Good luck, Brother."

She then leaves. 'Good luck', huh? I think that is the first time someone has wished me luck. Throughout my life, no one said such trivial things to me. No one, except her. 

She's the only one who cared enough to say those things to me. I left my dorm shortly thereafter and headed to the library to help the group study.

8.4

When I got there, I was bombarded by my group, all asking questions about how I was able to do that and what my abilities were. I dodged a lot of questions and said that we should focus on our studies. I promised them that if they all passed the exam, then I would explain myself. They all seemed satisfied with that answer and sat down in their seats. I handed them the materials and they began working. The group members were the same as yesterday. Yes, including Tanaka-san. She was there as well, like a mosquito that's always buzzing around. I wondered when she was going to land and try to bite me. When the group was studying, she came up to me and pulled me to the side. She wanted to talk about the soccer match yesterday.

"So, I never thought you were a sports player."

"Ehh, not really. I don't really like sports."

"Really? That's not what I saw."

"You can see that match however you want."

I was about to walk away, but she stopped me and began whispering.

"I know you are planning something, so you shouldn't lie."

Lie? She thinks I'm lying?

"Like I said, you can see that game however you want. Now, is that all, or is there something else you want to discuss?"

"This study group. I don't think they will all pass given their academic ability. That promise you made is sneaky. I wonder if you knew that and that's why you phrased the promise like that."

"You're overthinking this. Also, by that, you think they won't be able to pass?"

"I don't see how. Unless a miracle happens, the boys will almost assuredly fail."

"Well, I don't think so."

"Don't think so?"

"I believe that they will all pass."

"What leads you to believe that?"

"I have hope."

With that, even though she didn't show it, I could tell that the answer baffled her. Now, I didn't believe the words I said. Having hope can only go so far. The rest is determined by how much work you put into something. How much are you willing to do to get what you want? 

"I'm also curious how you were able to get the boys to come here without much guff."

"I'm guessing they understood the severity of this exam, so they heeded the advice I gave them."

"Is that so?"

"Do you know what I'm curious about: why are you so interested in me? People might get the wrong idea and think we are a couple."

I guess that response made her uncomfortable since she ended the conversation. We walked back to the table, and I noticed that Yamane-san looked a bit uncomfortable. I wondered if it was because she saw me and Tanaka-chan talking. I wasn't gonna pry into it since she needed to focus on studying. After a few hours, I decided to end the session for the day.

"Good job guys, you are improving. Boys, you are lacking though, so you should dedicate some time outside of this study session practicing to get as much information as possible."

Hisao-kun nodded in acknowledgment as he understood. The other boys did the same. Tanaka-san left after them, and Tsuchida-san followed. Pretty soon, everyone but Yamane-san left. I noticed as I was cleaning up that she stayed behind. It looked like she wanted to say something, but was contemplating whether or not to say it. I couldn't stand her just being there, undecided, so I spoke up.

"Would you like to help me?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, y-yeah. Yeah, I'll help."

She came over and helped me organize the table we were using. Afterwards, I asked if she wanted to walk to her dorm and she immediately shook her head in agreement. So, we headed off in the direction of the dorms. While on the way, she finally said something.

"S-so, about the soccer match yesterday. Do you…?"

She couldn't seem to finish the sentence. So, I answered the question before she finished asking it.

"No. I don't really play sports. I guess the adrenaline rush got to me."

"Oh, I see."

She seemed disappointed in that answer or disappointed in herself. Then she asked me another question.

"T-this might seem random, but do you have a…a girlfriend?"

So that's what this is about.

"At the moment, I'm single."

"Oh, I see."

She sounded relieved at that answer.

"What about Tanaka-san? You two were talking during our study session in private, so I was wondering what you two were talking about."

There was no reason to lie, so I told her the truth, or at least, what I wanted to be the truth.

"We were talking about the exam, about the group's academic achievements."

"Oh, was that all?"

"Yeah. We were discussing whether or not this group would pass the exam."

"Do you think we can?"

"Yes. I've seen the work you put in and I firmly believe that all of you will pass."

She blushed at that statement. 

"Your teachings help me out a lot. You teach better than the teacher."

"Maybe I should become the teacher of the class."

She started chuckling at that. I'm glad about that since I never was good at telling jokes. 

"Well…maybe you can…tutor me. Even after the exam?"

She said that quietly. I didn't see any reason not to, not yet anyway. 

"If I have time and you want me, then I wouldn't necessarily mind it."

She smiled at that, excited. It looked like she was about to literally jump for joy. She then realized how she looked, got embarrassed, and calmed down.

We got to the dorms and said our goodbyes. I was gonna enter but waited a minute before entering. I felt a presence behind me, but I didn't see anyone nearby. I wondered if it was Tanaka-san. No, I already got familiar with her presence. This was different. This one had more malice than usual. Whoever this person was, they wanted harm to come to me. Finally, I realized where it was coming from: there were a few trees about 10 meters away, and as I approached, I saw a shadow quickly dart away. I couldn't see who it was, but I knew for a fact that this person is someone I met before. I decided that there was no point in chasing them, so I headed back. Sunday was a free day, so there wasn't anything interesting or noteworthy to mention. Monday though, that was when things took a turn.