As I observed my class's performance during the last three weeks of intensive study, I couldn't help but think it wasn't enough. I wasn't questioning their dedication; everyone had worked hard. However, to achieve the best overall average, our current efforts seemed insufficient. Intensifying study hours just a week before the exams could be counterproductive.
"What's got you so deep in thought, Osawa-kun?" Ichinose asked, interrupting my thoughts.
"Do you think what we've done is enough to achieve the best overall average?" I replied, not taking my eyes off my notes.
Ichinose took a moment before responding, "Well, I couldn't say for sure. After all, Class A is very strong academically. But I think we'll do well. We've all been working hard, so we just need to trust the result," she said, with full confidence in her classmates.
"I guess you're right," I replied, although I was still looking for a way to ensure everyone could improve their averages. The issue was that I didn't know how.
I was rhythmically tapping my finger on the table in my room, trying to find a solution. Then, something clicked in my mind. I remembered what Hoshinomiya-sensei had said at the start of the explanations on the first day: "You can acquire anything available here. If it exists on campus, you can buy it with your card." With that in mind, an idea began to form.
I took out my phone and checked my documents until I found the results of the surprise exam we had earlier. The reason I had them was because the school sends the results via email after each exam. Seeing those data, an idea began to take shape in my mind: What if I could get someone from the second year to show me their surprise exam records from the previous year, and if they matched ours? This would reveal that the school might be repeating exams year after year.
Although it might seem strange that such a prestigious institution would repeat its exams, there could be a loophole in their system. Precisely because it is considered the best school, it's easy to assume something like this would be impossible. But what if it's exactly the opposite? If so, we could be facing a unique opportunity to improve our performance.
I needed to verify my theory immediately. I stood up quickly, ready to find a senpai I had already thought of.
"Eh? Where are you going, Osawa-kun?" asked Amikura, who was sitting next to me.
"I need to check something. I'll be back in a moment," I replied, hurrying toward the door.
"Do you want me to come with you?" offered Ichinose.
"No, it's okay. You can keep studying," I said, trying not to waste time.
"Alright," said Ichinose, returning to her notes.
"Osawa, can I eat this chocolate?" asked Himeno, pulling a bar from my fridge.
"Well, it's unusual for you to ask for permission, but yes, go ahead," I said, surprised.
"Okay," she replied.
Without further delay, I left my room in search of the person who could confirm my suspicions. The only problem was that I had no idea where to find her.
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After walking around the campus without finding any trace of her, I began to fear I wouldn't find her today. Although it was understandable, after all, it was Sunday and many students preferred to stay in their rooms.
"I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow," I murmured to myself, not realizing I had said it out loud.
"Are you looking for someone, kohai?" I heard a voice behind me. Turning around, I couldn't help but notice the girl sitting on a bench in front of me. She was incredibly beautiful, with an aura that radiated power, as if she were the queen of the place and everyone else was nothing more than mere plebeians.
"Maybe, although unfortunately I haven't found her," I replied.
"Is she a first-year?" she asked, her tone curious.
"No, she's a second-year."
"And who might that be?" she continued.
"Do you know Asahina Nazuna?" I asked. It might seem strange that I answered all her questions, but there was a reason. Although it was the first time I had seen her in person, I had heard of her before. Her unusually striking white hair left no room for doubt.
"Nazuna... Yes, I could say we're friends," she replied, with a slight smile.
"Could you do me a favor, senpai? Could you contact her and tell her that I need to speak with her about something important? My name is Kayden Osawa."
"I could do that, but... what do I get out of it?" she retorted, making it clear she was someone who sought to benefit from every situation.
"Well, you could hear what I have to say to her."
"What makes you think I would be interested?" she replied, keeping her usual smile.
"Because I think it could be quite interesting," I answered, trying to get her intrigued.
"Interesting? And what could that be?" She was hooked.
"Wouldn't it be better if you heard it directly once you contact Asahina-senpai? I assure you it will meet your expectations."
"Hmmm, alright. I'll call her to come here, but if what you're going to tell her doesn't satisfy me, you owe me a favor."
"Deal, but that won't happen." We stared at each other for a few seconds, then she took out her phone and called Asahina-senpai.
After a few seconds, she seemed to have convinced her to come.
"There you have it, she'll be here in a few minutes. In the meantime, how about we talk?" she said, gesturing for me to sit next to her. I agreed and sat beside her.
"So, Kayden Osawa, huh? A rather peculiar name, are you a foreigner?" the girl asked with a hint of curiosity in her tone.
"Yes, my mother is, and she gave me that name. By the way, what's your name, senpai?" I replied.
"Ah, how rude of me not to introduce myself... I'm Kiryuuin Fuuka, nice to meet you," she said with a smile.
"So Kiryuuin-senpai, second-year, Class B. Although you were initially in Class A, weren't you?" I added, trying to show my knowledge.
"Wow, it seems you're well-informed, huh?" she replied, clearly intrigued.
"You could say that. I knew Kiryuuin Fuuka's name, but I didn't know what you looked like, aside from having white hair. I also heard that you're a free spirit, someone who does what they want without worrying about anything else."
"Hahaha, that's me. I see you've heard what they say about me, but it's not wrong. In the end, I do what I want, when I want, and how I want. That's my motto," she said with a confident smile.
"Interesting motto. Then, I can assume you're not interested in class competitions, right?"
"You're right, I don't care about them at all. My life is already set, so graduating from Class A or D doesn't affect me at all," she replied, carefree.
"Although I think competitions are interesting, don't you get bored if you don't participate in any?"
"Yeah, sometimes it's boring, but it's even more boring to surround myself with uninteresting people," she said, hinting that she was referring to her classmates.
"Don't tell me there's no one in your year who seems interesting to you," I asked, intending to gather future references.
"Hmmm, there's one, but he's becoming boring," she replied, thoughtful.
"And who might that be?"
"Nagumo Miyabi. He's the vice-president. He started in Class B and then surpassed mine. At first, I found him interesting because of his strategies, but now he's becoming dull."
"And why's that?" I asked, curious.
"That's an answer you'll have to figure out yourself, kohai," she said with a playful smile, realizing I was extracting information from her.
"And you, kohai, what class are you in?"
"I'm in Class B."
"Hmmm, what were the class points for the first years? Can you tell me?" she asked with interest.
"Sure. Class A: 940, Class B: 930, Class C: 490, Class D: 0."
"Class D with 0 points? Wow, I guess this year they're worse," she commented with a touch of mockery.
"How many points did Class D get in your year?" I asked, returning the curiosity.
"I think it was around 200 or something, but definitely not zero," she replied with a dismissive gesture.
I was about to ask another question when someone interrupted us.
"Sorry for the delay," a familiar voice said.
"Forgive me for taking up your time on a Sunday," I replied, turning to Asahina-senpai.
"No problem. If it weren't you calling me, I probably would have refused," she said with a smile.
"Wow, it seems you hold Nazuna in high regard," Kiryuuin-senpai commented, surprised.
"Well, you see, Fuuka-chan, Osawa-kun figured out the S system on the first day," Asahina said, causing Kiryuuin-senpai to raise her eyebrows and look at me in amazement.
"Really?" she asked, still surprised.
"I suppose you could say so," I responded modestly.
"Haha, you're quite a surprise, aren't you, kohai? Even I couldn't decipher it so quickly," Kiryuuin-senpai remarked, though her tone was ambiguous—was it arrogance or a firm confidence in her abilities?
"So, what was so important that you wanted to discuss?" Asahina-senpai asked as she sat down next to me, leaving me between the two girls.
"Right, let's get to the point. Asahina-senpai, do you have the results from the surprise exam you took at the beginning of your first year?" I asked directly, knowing time was crucial.
Asahina looked at me curiously and asked, "The first-year exam? I think I have it, but why would you want something like that?" Even Kiryuuin-senpai seemed interested in the answer.
"Before answering, could you show it to me?" I requested.
"Sure, give me a moment," said Asahina as she pulled out her phone and searched for the records.
"Here it is," she said, showing me her screen. I immediately pulled out my phone to compare the questions and answers from both exams. The two girls watched closely, and then I confirmed it: both the questions and answers were exactly the same.
"Haha, I knew it!" I exclaimed with a triumphant smile.
"What did you know?" Asahina asked, intrigued.
"I'd like to know as well," Kiryuuin-senpai added, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, see for yourselves," I said, aligning both phones so they could read the content.
"Eh... The exams are practically identical?" Asahina said, surprised.
"It's definitely an interesting situation. Kohai, don't tell me you're going to do what I'm thinking," Kiryuuin-senpai said with a sly smile, clearly guessing my intentions.
"That's exactly what you're thinking," I replied, returning the smile.
"I'm lost, what are you planning to do?" Asahina asked, looking between the two of us in confusion.
"Asahina-senpai~," I said in a playful tone, "What do you want in exchange for your first-year May exams?" I knew I wouldn't get them for free, so I needed to offer something in return.
"My exams? ...Don't tell me you're going to use them to get a good grade," Asahina said, starting to understand.
"Exactly, senpai. So, what do you want in exchange?" I asked, smiling.
Kiryuuin-senpai burst into laughter. "Haha, kohai, you weren't lying when you said it was something interesting."
"I told you it would surprise you, didn't I?" I replied, satisfied.
"It certainly did, I'm more than satisfied," Kiryuuin-senpai concluded, still smiling.
Asahina: — Let's see, what could I ask for? Umm, at the moment, I don't need any private points, so how about I just have you owe me a favor?
Osawa: — A favor? What would it be?
Asahina: — One that I'll ask you for later.
Osawa: — Alright. If it's something I can do, I'll accept.
Asahina: — Don't worry, it probably won't be anything scandalous. Give me your number so I can send you the exams.
Osawa: — Sure, here it is.
Asahina: — Done, I've sent it to you.
Osawa: — It's arrived! Thank you so much, Asahina-senpai.
Asahina: — No problem, all for my cute kohai~. With the deal settled, I stood up from the bench, preparing to leave.
Osawa: — Since that's all, I don't want to take up more of your time, so I'll say goodbye. Goodbye, Asahina-senpai, Kiryuuin-senpai.
Kiryuuin: — Wait a moment, kohai.
Osawa: — What's up?
Kiryuuin: — Let me borrow your phone for a moment.
Osawa: — Sure, here it is.
Kiryuuin took my phone for a moment before returning it.
Kiryuuin: — Done. Call me if you have more interesting things like this.
Osawa: — Sure, it'll be good to have your opinion.
I checked my phone to see how the contact was saved, and I was surprised to see it labeled "FUKA-SAMA:".
Osawa: — Really, senpai? Labeling yourself like this?
Kiryuuin: — From now on, you'll have to call me that.
Osawa: — I'm not going to do that. Maybe I'll call you Fuuka-san.
Kiryuuin: — No.
Osawa: — Fuuka-chan?
Kiryuuin: — Not that either.
Osawa: — So, just Fuuka?
Kiryuuin: — Yes, that's better, kohai-kun.
Osawa: — Kohai-kun? You can call me Kayden, you know?
Fuuka: — No, I like calling you that.
Kayden: — Fine, do as you like.
Fuuka: — I always do — she said laughing.
Asahina: — No "sama," Fuuka-chan. Osawa-kun, please call me by my name too.
Kayden: — Of course, then Nazuna-san.
Asahina: — Nazuna is fine. Then, I'll call you Kayden, if that's okay?
Kayden: — Absolutely. Now, if that's everything, I'll say goodbye. See you later, Fuuka, Nazuna.
Nazuna, Fuuka: — Goodbye.
I said my goodbyes and headed back to the dorms. I'd need to tell the girls about this and then distribute the information to the whole class. With a week still left before the exams, I think they'll be able to memorize it all and achieve the highest grades.
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Two weeks had passed, and today was the day to learn the exam results.
Hoshinomiya: "Well, everyone, now I'll show you your exam results. Don't get nervous; I assure you all did very well," she announced, projecting the results on the screen.
Class A: 89 points
Class B: 100 points
Class C: 67 points
Class D: 85 points
On the board, it showed that all the students in Class B had received perfect scores.
It looks like this will be our small victory. However, there's something surprising: Class D with 85 points is truly strange. Since the points are based on the class's overall average, and considering their discord and academic capabilities, such a result is improbable. This leads me to an interesting possibility: it seems they might have used a strategy similar to mine, probably implemented just before the exams. How curious; I wonder who managed to detect the system's loopholes.
I smiled as I looked out the classroom window, thinking that the future might hold many surprises.