Hikigaya nodded, and the two found a nearby restaurant where they could grab dinner. After their meal, Shiina took out all the textbooks and test papers from her bag, spreading them across the table in a disorganized pile.
She had organized all of these papers for her classmates herself.
It was admirable.
Hikigaya skimmed through them quickly, noticing that the main issues seemed to be in Japanese and history, subjects he excelled in.
As they discussed the problems, he marked the key points on the test papers and occasionally wrote down detailed explanations for the solutions.
When he finished reviewing the Chinese portion, Hikigaya picked up the history paper but frowned.
"Hikigaya-kun, is something wrong?" Shiina noticed his expression and asked in concern.
"Is there a mistake on the test paper? Please point it out to me."
"No, let me take a closer look."
Hikigaya pulled out his history textbook and compared it to the test paper several times, confusion deepening on his face.
"Shiina, these questions... don't seem to be within the syllabus of the exam?"
"Huh?! How could that be?! Let me see."
Shiina was shocked and quickly moved from the other end of the table to sit beside Hikigaya, comparing the textbook to the test paper.
...Why did she come over here? And why so close?
Despite knowing it wasn't the right time, the pleasant scent coming from Shiina made it hard for Hikigaya to concentrate.
No! No!
Stay calm!
I'm a rational monster!
While Hikigaya struggled with his thoughts, Shiina put down her textbook with a strange expression.
"Hikigaya-kun, it seems our exam syllabus is different?"
"…Huh?"
Now it was Hikigaya's turn to be surprised. He quickly flipped through their textbooks and found it was true—the exam syllabus were indeed different.
What the hell is going on?!
Both Hikigaya and Shiina were diligent students, so it was unlikely they had made a mistake. And Chabashira-sensei, who taught history, was a meticulous teacher who wouldn't make such an error. Even if she had, it wouldn't only affect one class... Chabashira-sensei?
...No way.
A flash of insight hit Hikigaya, and he suddenly understood... this damn shitty teacher!
She must have done this on purpose!
During a previous quiz, Hikigaya had doubts about the content of the exam; the last three questions were not for first-year high school students.
If it had been just one question, it could have been an oversight, but three consecutive questions like that made it clear the school had ulterior motives.
At the time, Hikigaya couldn't figure it out, but now it all made sense in light of Chabashira-sensei's approach.
The reason she gave Class D the wrong exam syllabus wasn't negligence.
Explaining the exam syllabus to students wasn't a requirement.
Even if Hikigaya went to confront her, the other teachers probably wouldn't react. The purpose of this midterm exam wasn't to test students' grades but to see if they could find a way to pass.
It was similar to the first Chunin Exam in Naruto.
Otherwise, there would have been no need to admit someone like Sudo in the first place.
Chabashira-sensei must have intentionally given the wrong exam syllabus to force lazy students like Hikigaya and Ayanokouji to take action.
But even so, Hikigaya couldn't accept this method.
He had only noticed Chabashira-sensei's intentions by sheer coincidence.
If he hadn't run into Shiina and wanted to help her, he would never have discovered this.
Of course, as a serious student, Hikigaya would have passed the exam even without knowing the exam syllabus.
But what about the others?
Those Class D students on the verge of failing, cramming to avoid expulsion—wouldn't they fall into the abyss if they weren't careful?
Once again, Hikigaya felt a surge of disgust toward Chabashira-sensei.
"Hikigaya-kun... are you okay?"
Seeing him remain silent, Shiina couldn't help but feel worried. Especially since Hikigaya's face had taken on an extremely grim expression, radiating an unsettling aura. This was the first time she had seen him like this.
"Sorry, I was just lost in thought," Hikigaya replied, shaking his head as if to brush off her concern.
"I think I made a mistake with the exam syllabus. I appreciate you pointing it out." He bowed his head slightly, expressing his thanks.
"No, it's okay..." Shiina responded hesitantly, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
"But, if I remember correctly, Chabashira-sensei, who teaches Japanese History... she's your homeroom teacher, right?"
It seemed that Shiina had pieced together some of the situation. However, no matter how perceptive she was, it was unlikely she could grasp the true reason behind Chabashira-sensei's deceit.
"Oh, let's not talk about it," Hikigaya sighed, resigned to the situation. What more could he say? Sometimes, it seemed like Class D was simply cursed to endure these kinds of challenges.
Suddenly, an idea struck him. "By the way, Shiina, did your teachers ever have you practice with old test papers when you were in junior high?"
"Of course they did... Ah, yes! That could work!" Shiina's eyes lit up as she quickly caught on to his suggestion.
Strictly speaking, Hikigaya hadn't revealed his true intentions to Shiina, but what he had said was enough.
Using past test papers as practice material is a common tactic employed by all schools and tutoring centers. The idea is simple: the more problems you solve, the better you get.
"I'll ask the seniors in the club tomorrow and give Hikigaya-kun a copy," Shiina offered.
Though Shiina belonged to the tea ceremony club, it wasn't like the strict sports clubs. Participation was flexible; you could attend if you wanted, and skip if you didn't. It was all very relaxed.
"Don't bother. I can manage my review on my own," Hikigaya declined without hesitation.
While Class C might not notice before the exam, they would certainly find out afterward. If it were discovered that Shiina had shared the test papers with other classes, she could be accused of aiding the enemy.
After realigning the exam syllabus using Shiina's textbook, the time was nearly up. The two said their goodbyes and parted ways.
"...Maybe I'll take a short detour," Hikigaya mused.
Shiina had considered inviting Hikigaya to walk back to the dormitory together, but she felt it might be awkward if they were seen. So, she made the excuse of needing to go shopping.
Besides, Hikigaya also wanted some time to himself. So much had happened today that his mind was a whirl of confusion. At times like this, only by savoring the solitude of the night breeze could one find calm.
If only there were a MAX coffee to make the moment perfect.
"That's enough—take your hands off me."
"That's what I should be saying."
Suddenly, a heated exchange reached Hikigaya's ears.
The voices were familiar.
No way…