Stepping back a little, right after Chabashira left the classroom with the threat of expulsion hanging heavily in the air.
The classroom was still in utter chaos. Ike and Yamauchi's panicked screams filled the room. However, in the midst of that storm, three people gathered at the teacher's podium: Horikita Suzune, Hirata Yosuke, and Koroizumi Seiji.
Suzune wasted no time. She opened her notebook, revealing a rough seating chart with the students' names color-coded based on their academic scores.
"We don't have time for drama," Suzune stated sharply, her eyes darting between Hirata and Seiji. "This expulsion system is designed to cull the weak. If we want to maintain our position as Class C, we have to drag everyone across the finish line. No one gets left behind."
"Agreed," Hirata nodded, his expression serious. "But the skill gap in this class is too vast. Traditional teaching methods won't be effective."
"That's why I've divided the class into five tactical units," Suzune flipped the page of her notebook. "I call them the 'Five Pillars.' Each pillar is led by a mentor with above-average academic abilities."
Suzune pointed to the names on the paper.
"I've mapped out their personalities and grades. This is the most optimal formation to minimize the risk of failure."
Group 1: Tactical Control Unit (Leader: Horikita Suzune) Focus: Students with average abilities who need strict supervision to keep from slipping.
1. Ayanokouji Kiyotaka (Suzune placed him here. She suspected he was hiding his true abilities, making this the best way to keep an eye on him).
2. Maezono (A fairly diligent but easily panicked girl).
3. Onodera Kayano (A swimmer; highly disciplined but weak in theory).
4. Minami Setsuya.
5. Okitani Kyousuke.
6. Fujii Takahiro.
7. Inogashira Kokoro (Extremely timid; Suzune intended to train her mental fortitude while she was at it).
Group 2: Social Harmony Unit (Leader: Hirata Yosuke) Focus: Students who need a supportive, pressure-free learning environment.
1. Matsushita Chiaki.
2. Karuizawa Kei.
3. Mori Nene.
4. Sonoda Chiyo.
5. Ijyuuin Wataru.
6. Hondo Ryoutarou.
7. Endou Yuta.
Group 3: Exclusive Unit (Leader: Kushida Kikyo) Focus: Communication efficiency. Kushida specifically requested to handle the female students so they could study in a more relaxed setting (and presumably to control the flow of information).
1. Wang Mei-Yu (Mii-chan) (Very smart, especially in English. A valuable asset).
2. Satou Maya (Loves fashion, gets along easily with Kushida).
3. Shinohara Satsuki.
4. Nishimura Ryuko.
5. Ichihashi Ruri.
6. Azuma Sana.
Group 4: Pure Academic Unit (Leader: Yukimura Teruhiko) Focus: Students seriously aiming for high scores who don't need an emotional approach.
1. Ishikura Kayoko.
2. Kikuchi.
3. Nakamura.
4. Nomura.
5. Nishino Takeko.
6. Ishikura.
7. Sano Kouta.
Hirata reviewed the list. "It's a logical division. But Horikita-san, there are a few names missing. And they happen to be... the toughest cases."
Suzune let out a long sigh. She looked at Seiji.
"Correct. Group 5. This is the collection of students with the lowest grades, the worst motivation, or personality issues that make them nearly impossible to be taught by normal people like me or Yukimura-kun."
"And you're handing them over to me?" Seiji asked with an amused smile.
"You're the only one who can," Suzune answered honestly. "Yukimura lacks patience. I... I would probably kill them with my words before they could even grasp a single formula. Hirata is too soft."
Suzune handed over the final list.
Group 5: Special Rehabilitation Unit (Leader: Koroizumi Seiji) Focus: The Red Zone.
1. Sudou Ken (Lowest grades, temperamental, only cares about basketball).
2. Ike Kanji (Short attention span, hyperactive).
3. Yamauchi Haruki (Lazy, pathological liar).
4. Sakura Airi (Severe social anxiety, her grades plummet due to nerves).
5. Hasebe Haruka (Smart but cynical, apathetic towards school).
6. Miyake Akito (The only normal one; put here because he's Haruka's childhood friend and can act as a stabilizer).
7. Sotomura Hideo (Acute weeb, speaks in archaic Japanese, struggles with normal communication).
"Seven people," Seiji muttered. "Seven unique problems. Nurufufufu... this reminds me of the good old days."
"What about Kouenji?" Hirata asked.
"He refused," Suzune cut in. "I already tried talking to him, but he just said, 'My genius requires no crowd.' Just leave him be. If he fails, it's his own choice."
Seiji took the Group 5 list and folded it neatly.
"Alright. Leave these seven dwarves to me. I'll make sure their brains evolve within three weeks."
Back to the present. The school library was filled with Class 1-C students battling against their fate.
At the Group 1 table, the atmosphere was tense and silent. Horikita Suzune taught with robotic efficiency.
"Incorrect," Suzune said coldly to a trembling Inogashira. "This formula is for average acceleration, not instantaneous acceleration. Reread page 45. Now."
Inogashira was on the verge of tears, but she obeyed. Beside her, Ayanokouji worked on his problems with a deadpan expression, occasionally glancing toward the Group 5 table in the corner of the room.
At the Group 4 table, Yukimura looked frustrated.
"Why are you all so slow?!" Yukimura hissed. "These are basic questions! At this rate, we won't even have time to cover the material in the final chapter!"
Yukimura's method was brutal cramming. Effective for those who had a foundation, but absolute torture for the weak.
Meanwhile, in a somewhat secluded corner of the room, the atmosphere at the Group 5 table—Seiji's group—felt... strange.
There was no yelling. No crying. There was only the sound of a basketball spinning, murmurs about anime, and casual discussion.
"This is crazy," Sudou Ken grumbled, spinning the basketball on his index finger. "Why do I have to learn physics using a basketball?"
Seiji, who was sitting at the head of the table, smiled broadly.
"Because you love basketball, Sudou-kun. And physics is a basketball player's best friend," Seiji replied. He grabbed a piece of paper and drew a parabolic diagram.
"Look at this. When you shoot a three-pointer, you are subconsciously calculating the angle of elevation, initial velocity, and the force of gravity. If you throw it at a 45-degree angle, you get maximum range. But because the hoop is at a height of 3.05 meters, you have to adjust the angle to about 52 degrees. That's trigonometry."
Sudou's eyes widened. He stared at the diagram. The numbers that previously looked like squiggly worms now looked like... a game strategy.
"So... if I understand this, my shooting percentage could go up?" Sudou asked, this time with genuine interest.
"Exactly. You aren't studying formulas; you're learning the cheat codes to become the Ace," Seiji teased.
Sudou immediately snatched up his pencil. "Alright! Teach me about the friction vectors of my shoes!"
Beside him, Sotomura Hideo—the "Professor"—was reluctantly holding a history textbook.
"Koroizumi-dono," Sotomura complained in his archaic manner of speaking. "This humble servant fails to see the relevance of memorizing these Meiji-era years to the glory of my anime clan."
"Oh, really?" Seiji adjusted his seating position. "Professor, you watch Rurouni Kenshin and Golden Kamuy, right?"
"Of course! They are masterpieces!"
"Well, the Meiji Restoration serves as the backdrop for both of those anime. If you understand the actual history—the conflicts of the Shinsengumi, the Boshin War, and the modernization of Japan—you will understand the easter eggs and hidden references in those shows that ordinary weebs miss. You will become an Elite Weeb."
Sotomura's glasses glinted. "An Elite... Weeb..."
"Memorize this chapter, and we'll discuss the historical accuracy of the Sakabatou sword later," Seiji promised.
"Your wish is my command, Shishou!" Sotomura immediately began reading at breakneck speed.
Meanwhile, Ike and Yamauchi were working on math problems using a reward system. In front of them, Seiji had stacked several free cafeteria meal vouchers (the result of extorting upperclassmen).
"Five correct answers in a row gets you one fried food voucher," Seiji declared like a casino dealer.
"I CAN DO THIS!" Ike yelled, his eyes burning with fiery determination.
On the quieter side of the table, Sakura Airi kept her head bowed low, hiding her face. She didn't dare ask a question even though she didn't understand the material.
Hasebe Haruka, who was sitting next to her and boringly twirling her pen, nudged Akito's arm. "Hey, Miyake-kun. Airi-chan is struggling over here."
Akito sighed, then looked at Seiji.
Seiji nodded, signaling for Akito to take over. Seiji knew that Sakura was terrified of strange men, but Akito possessed a calm, non-threatening aura.
"Sakura," Seiji called out gently. "Miyake-kun is great at this section. Try asking him. Just pretend you two are discussing camera lenses. Miyake-kun also likes technical things like archery; he understands the concept of focus."
Sakura mustered the courage to turn to Akito. "Umm... i-is that true?"
"Well, more or less," Akito replied, awkward but friendly. "Which part are you confused about?"
Slowly, Sakura began to open up.
Haruka watched Seiji with a probing gaze. She was smart, cynical, and usually indifferent to class affairs. But the way Seiji managed this "zoo" piqued her interest.
"You're weird, Koroizumi-kun," Haruka commented, resting her chin on her hand. "You treat us like kindergarteners, but somehow... it doesn't feel annoying."
"Everyone has their own 'ON' switch, Hasebe-san," Seiji answered casually. "A teacher's... ah, a friend's job, is to find it."
"Hmm. So, what's my switch?" Haruka challenged.
"You hate small talk and phoniness," Seiji answered bluntly. "You don't need fake motivation about a 'bright future'. You just need a logical reason as to why you should waste your energy on this."
Haruka fell silent for a moment, then gave a lopsided smile. "And?"
"The reason is simple: If you get good grades, you can shut the mouths of everyone who looks down on you. Besides, I heard you like sweets. If our group gets the highest average, I'll treat you to a Supreme Parfait at the station cafe. It costs 2,000 points."
Haruka's eyes sparkled. "Deal. Don't take back your words."
Haruka immediately opened her chemistry book and began studying seriously.
From a distance, Horikita Suzune, who was taking a short break, observed the scene. Her mouth was slightly ajar.
Sudou was studying. Sotomura was studying. Even the apathetic Haruka was studying.
"How did he do that?" Suzune muttered in disbelief. "What kind of method is that?"
Ayanokouji, who was sitting next to Suzune, twirled his pen.
He isn't using just one method, Ayanokouji analyzed internally. He's using seven different methods simultaneously. He adjusts his communication frequency to match each individual in a matter of seconds. Koroizumi Seiji... his pedagogical skills are on par with a top-level instructor in the White Room. No, perhaps it's even more terrifying because he uses empathy instead of fear.
The study session ended that afternoon with significant progress. Sudou was beginning to grasp the basics of physics. Sakura was starting to find the courage to ask questions.
However, as Seiji walked back to the dorms with Suzune, the young man's expression wasn't entirely bright.
"What's wrong?" Suzune asked perceptively. "They're making progress, right?"
"Yes, progress," Seiji admitted. "But there's one problem."
Seiji stared at the afternoon sky, which was beginning to turn orange.
"The exam material at this school... it's not just about rote memorization. I analyzed the pattern of the diagnostic test questions from the other day. This school loves to throw in trick questions. Questions that require a broad depth of knowledge outside the textbooks."
Seiji stopped walking and looked at Suzune seriously.
"Suzune, conventional study methods have their limits. In three weeks, we can make Sudou understand the basics. But we can't give him university-level insight to answer the difficult questions."
"So you mean... they're still going to fail?" Suzune's face tensed up.
"The risk is high," Seiji replied. "Unless..."
"Unless what?"
"Unless we know what's going to be on the test," Seiji offered a faint, meaningful smile. "In the world of assassination... I mean, in the world of strategy, information is the strongest weapon. If we can't level up the soldiers overnight, we have to lower the level of the battlefield."
Suzune frowned, her brain working fast. "You mean... leaked questions?"
"Not illegal leaks," Seiji corrected. "But historical traces. This school has been around for decades. The teachers tend to be too lazy to write brand new questions from scratch every year. Especially for the difficult ones."
Suzune's eyes widened. She understood where this conversation was heading.
"Last year's exam papers," Suzune whispered.
"Exactly. Past exam papers," Seiji snapped his fingers. "If we can get our hands on the collection of questions from the upperclassmen, we can map out the patterns, or perhaps even find the exact same questions."
"That... that's a shortcut," Suzune said hesitantly. Her pride as an honest student was slightly pricked.
"That is 'Creating Value' from relationships," Seiji argued. "And remember, our goal is to save our classmates from expulsion, not just to show off how smart we are. Are you willing to let Sudou get expelled for the sake of your ideals?"
Suzune fell silent. Visions of plummeting class points and failing her mission to reach Class A flashed through her mind. She sighed.
"You're right. We have to be pragmatic. But how do we do it? My brother won't give them to us. And our relationship with the second years isn't exactly great after that extortion incident."
Seiji chuckled. "Ah, about that... leave it to the expert. We need someone who is highly sociable, two-faced, and capable of manipulating others with a smile."
The two of them exchanged a glance. One name popped into their minds simultaneously.
"Kushida," they said in unison.
"And perhaps..." Seiji added, glancing toward the boys' dormitories. "...we'll need Ayanokouji's help to act as a mediator. He has a talent for being in the right place at the right time without raising suspicion."
A new plan had been formed.
Behind the scenes of the bustling study groups, a covert intelligence operation was about to be launched.
Operation: Procure the Past Exam Papers.
"Come on, Suzune," Seiji prompted, stepping forward. "We have some extra homework to do."
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