Chapter 54: Have You Heard the Story About Me?
Early in the morning, before classes had even started, Fuyuji was summoned to the faculty office by Mashima Tomonari. A crisp, cold air unique to early mornings pervaded the room, blending with the smells of aged paper, ink, and a faint trace of disinfectant.
"You really didn't cheat?"
"I didn't."
"You really didn't buy past exam papers from upperclassmen, memorize the answers, turn in a flawless test, and shock the entire class with it?"
Mashima, dressed in a suit, scrutinized the handwriting on the test paper repeatedly. It was still the same crooked, scrawling chicken scratch as ever. Unable to hold back, he voiced his doubts.
Fuyuji wiped away the tears that had welled up from a yawn, and slammed both hands on the desk in indignation. "Hey! I'm a student in Class A, which prides itself on academic merit. Would I do something as disgraceful as cheating?"
"..."
Who was it that secretly came to ask him for answers just last month, then?
It wasn't that Mashima didn't trust him, but this student had far too many priors. Like at the very start of the term, after he'd handed the class over to him at a ramen shop with complete satisfaction, he'd immediately heard the class discussing pooling a million points to buy the school's rules.
Mashima had nearly fallen apart on the spot when he heard that. As the homeroom teacher of Class A, how could he not know whether his students had ever asked the school for the answers?
Yet, the information he'd given was, maddeningly, correct. There was nothing he could do about it.
"Did you really do this yourself?" Mashima hesitated again and again before confirming with Fuyuji once more.
"Can't you just believe your own student is a genius?"
Fuyuji flew into a rage and immediately went on the offensive. "Seeing your student get a good grade, and instead of feeling proud, your first instinct is doubt? Shaking and shivering with anger, can this world get any worse? And you call yourself a progressive teacher of a new era with professional ethics? Turns out you're just a perverted, robotic stiff who can't accept new things."
Mashima's cheek twitched. He pulled out a test paper and slapped it onto the desk, adopting an expression that said, "It's not that I don't believe you, I just want to witness your prowess."
"Ho~ Looks like you came prepared~"
Twenty minutes later, Mashima capped his pen, his gaze now filled with gratified approval.
"I always believed you could do it."
"Heh..."
"You can't blame me. When a student suddenly scores a perfect 100, a teacher is justified in harboring a little suspicion."
"Tch! And just a moment ago you had that look— Huh? What did you say I scored?"
...
Emerging from the faculty office once again, having smoothly retrieved his own test paper, Fuyuji was beaming, his spirits soaring.
"Morning, Torimo-san! How did you know I got a 100 in Japanese Literature?"
"Eh?!"
"Yo! Hyappuku-san! By the look on your face, have you heard the story about me scoring a perfect 100 in Japanese Lit in just three weeks?"
"Huh? Is, is that so..."
Following behind him, Mashima, who had exited the faculty office as well, wore a stern expression that was clearly on the verge of cracking.
The first-period bell for Monday had not yet rung, but the students of Class A were already all present.
"Ahahaha!"
Inside the Class A classroom, as Mashima pasted a poster listing student names and scores on the blackboard, an extremely arrogant, vainglorious laugh echoed through the whole room.
The entire class, including homeroom teacher Mashima, looked on helplessly and resignedly at Fuyuji, who stood by his seat, arms akimbo, laughing wildly.
Who could tell them why, of all people, this guy had gotten first place?
Many students in the class held their foreheads and sighed in existential disbelief, staring blankly at the white poster on the blackboard.
The exam this time had been quite simple. Everyone had passed without a doubt. The lowest score was still above sixty, and several people, in fact, had perfect scores. The problem was...
They turned their heads to look at Fuyuji, who was using his test paper to madly taunt Morishita Ai.
Didn't losing to this guy make them look really dumb?
Kamuro's face was dark as she crumpled her workbook, making it creak and groan. Cracks spread like lightning from the edges of her thumb across the page.
On this exam, her score in Japanese Literature was 80.
Compared to her previous 9 in Japanese Lit, which was a 45 on a percentage scale – remarkable progress, one could say.
So why couldn't she feel any joy?
Kamuro cast a somber glance at the man who had once scored a 9 alongside her, who called her his bro, studied with her for remedial lessons, and even sent her funny videos at random times during the night.
A lamentable, thick barrier now stood between them.
"Aiya, tsk tsk tsk."
Fuyuji stroked his chin with one hand, the other clasped behind his back as he circled around Morishita, shaking his head incessantly at her cold, indifferent little face.
"Isn't this that Morishita-san who scored a 20? So washed up after just a few days? Let me see... Japanese Literature... 98..."
Fuyuji dangled the test paper between two fingers, waving it back and forth before Morishita's eyes.
"Fuyuji Mikage-kun, have you been getting a bit too cocky lately?"
"Silence! In this meritocratic Class A where scores reign supreme, a mere Morishita Ai with a 98 cannot gag the mouth of a Fuyuji Mikage with a 100! I order you to go buy me a drink right after class. I want it ice-cold!"
"..."
Faced with Fuyuji, whose arrogance knew no bounds or reverence, Morishita lowered her head. A chilling aura seeped out from her. Just as it seemed she was about to lose control and deliver some righteous punishment, Mashima spoke up.
"Alright, return to your seats first. Before class starts, I need to finish going over the details of this midterm exam."
"Ha-ha-ha— Gah?"
The voice of Fuyuji, stuck in a position easy to attack but hard to defend, cut off as if someone had seized his throat.
"Fuyuji Mikage~"
In a tone that completely contradicted her usual flat, emotionless speech, Morishita dragged out her words, revealing a brilliantly sunny smile Fuyuji had never seen before.
"What drink do you want? What would you like to eat tonight? You pick the restaurant, I'll pay. After we eat, how about we go hiking together?"
A moment later, she realized the flaw in her otherwise perfect plan and muttered to herself, "No, wait, there don't seem to be any mountains here."
But this clearly couldn't stump the ridiculously clever Morishita. She quickly rallied.
"No matter. After dinner, how about we go see the ocean together? There's a secluded cliff on the northwest side. We can go on a trip to hell together."
"..."
"Just a little teasing, that's all. Can we reconcile?" Fuyuji forced a smile uglier than a grimace.
"What do you think..."
Her expression instantly switching back to cold indifference, Morishita cruelly rejected Fuyuji's reconciliation request in a voice devoid of any inflection, and produced her long-prepared, exclusive weapons – eraser crumbs and a pen-gun!
"First, I'm very glad that every student in our class safely made it through this exam. And our class's scores were the highest among all four classes."
Mm-hmm.
The Class A students sat in their seats with composed expressions. To them, this was the expected result. Compared to this, being surpassed by Fuyuji was the real shocker that made their eyes pop out.
Katsuragi nodded with satisfaction. The hard work Class A had put in this month was evident to all. Continuing at this pace, Class A's leading position would become considerably stable.
"The class points will be posted on the bulletin board shortly. You can go check them yourselves if you want."
"Additionally, as a reward for your exam results this time, the school has decided to take you on a two-week vacation to a southern island during the summer break," Mashima announced, dropping another bombshell.
The Class A students, who had been composed just moments before facing their grades, now visibly buzzed with excitement. An island resort vacation was something only a tiny minority could afford.
"Ehhh! Really?"
"Yes," Mashima nodded solemnly. "And all expenses during this period will be covered by the school."
"Whoa!" The boys in class were already cheering. Some excitedly pounded their desks, while others high-fived their neighbors.
"Blue skies, the vast ocean, sandy beaches, tropical islands, a starry summer night... A dreamlike summer vacation life."
"Then we have to buy swimsuits in advance and practice swimming properly," the girls eagerly began nearby discussions as well.
"Yeah, yeah. It'd be so embarrassing to be out at sea still clinging to a swim ring then."
"I'm going to buy that blue one-piece swimsuit!"
"Polka dot bikinis are what's trendy!"
A single, extremely buzzkill voice shattered everyone's beautiful fantasies.
"As expected... of a school... funded by the state, so generous. Last time I saw... the school this generous was... when Mashima-sensei mentioned the 100,000 points..."
The fragmented voice doused the crowd's enthusiasm like a bucket of cold water.
Following the sound, its owner was currently bobbing and weaving in his seat, dodging the projectiles Morishita fired at him in a most disheveled manner, eraser crumbs occasionally raining down from his head.
Come to think of it, is this school really that kind-hearted?
The looks everyone directed at Mashima turned skeptical.
"Special exam."
Katsuragi, who had remained silent since Mashima started speaking, finally opened his mouth.
"So far, we haven't experienced a single special exam. Based on the precedent set by the second and third years, there should be at least one per semester."
Katsuragi's words struck with finality, thoroughly shattering the last remaining illusions in their hearts.
The entire class's gaze focused on Mashima, hoping he could provide an answer.
"What I can reveal at this point is that you will travel by cruise ship to a certain small island in the south for a one-week vacation."
Facing the collective gaze of the class, Mashima maintained his stern poker face as he disclosed the meager bit of information he had.
"Tropical island? Combined training camp? Wild survival? Skill competition..."
Still bobbing and weaving continuously, Fuyuji rattled off a string of possible exam formats, reciting them like a restaurant menu.
Mashima's expression shifted slightly. "That part, you'll have to find the answer yourselves."
As his words fell, the bell for the first period rang punctually, its chime terminating the serious atmosphere in the classroom.
"Well, that is all I have to say. This morning's homeroom session is concluded."
After rapidly and dryly running through the remaining notices, Mashima gathered his things and left the classroom.
"Fuyuji Mikage! Fuyuji Mikage! What do you think it is?"
Having missed her target several times in a row, Morishita simply reached out both hands to grab Fuyuji by the neck, shaking him violently. Her large eyes sparkled as she asked.
"What are you hoping it is?" Fuyuji asked, rolling his eyes.
"Deserted island survival!"
Morishita blurted out instantly; she seemed truly eager for it.
"Then it probably is that. Didn't the PE teacher mention they'd teach us all to swim before summer break? If it were another kind of event, there'd likely be corresponding safety measures. Only this one can't guarantee student safety one hundred percent."
"Still, that's just speculation in the end. We'll need to gather more intel to confirm it."
When he'd listed off that string of possible exam formats, Fuyuji had clearly sensed a particular emotional fluctuation from Mashima regarding wild survival.
"That, just that, when the time comes, let's go exploring together, okay?" Morishita was already mapping out her daily deserted island routine.
"Hey, hey, it's called deserted island survival. Don't end up turning ourselves into a buffet for the local wildlife when the time comes. Besides, it might not even be wild survival, right? There are other possibilities."
"I also think it's wild survival. And if it's me, there won't be any problems." Morishita proudly puffed out her chest.
"If I may be so bold, Miss Morishita, from whence does this confidence of yours spring?"
"I watch these kinds of shows online all the time..." Morishita was brimming with confidence.
"..."
I watch esports tournaments all the time too, doesn't stop me from getting wrecked crying, does it?
...
Meanwhile, on the other side, inside the Class C classroom.
"Yamawaki, Komiya, I regret to inform you that you two failed this exam. Pack up your things and prepare to withdraw from the school."
Class C's homeroom teacher, Sakagami Kazuma, pushed up his glasses and calmly announced the news.
"H-how, how can that be, Sakagami-sensei? There must be some mistake?!"
"R-right, right! We really did study hard. At least consider that..."
The two Class C students marked for expulsion clearly panicked, frantically trying to offer excuses to Sakagami Kazuma.
"I witnessed all your efforts. But regrettably, rules are rules, and they cannot be changed."
Sakagami's methodical voice struck the students' hearts like a heavy iron hammer.
"And this is no mistake. As your homeroom teacher, when it comes to the matter of your expulsion, I paid one hundred and twenty percent attention. I checked your exam papers repeatedly and found no grading errors. Yamawaki, two points total. Komiya, three points total. Regrettably, you failed to clear this hurdle."
"You are free to look at the papers if you wish, but I advise against such pointless actions."
Sakagami's flat, suffocating words delivered the final blow to the two students. They collapsed limply back into their seats.
"E-expelled, go back home," Yamawaki clutched his head in despair, fingers digging deep into his hair. "My dad's absolutely going to beat me to death."
"Even though we, even though we made it here, to have to leave in just the second month..." Komiya covered his face, a choked sob escaping.
The other Class C students were also deathly silent. Regardless of anything else, these two had been their classmates for two months. They might not be very close, but at least some basic sympathy existed.
"Hey, hey, don't say such spineless things, alright?" A brazen, imperious voice interjected inopportunely.
Ryuen Kakeru, legs propped up on his desk, hands clasped behind his head, jeered, "You lost, so just obediently go home. Graciously admitting defeat is the choice of a real man, isn't it?"
"Ryuen, you bastard!" Ibuki Mio stood up from her seat, sticking up for her classmates. "Komiya and the others are about to be expelled, and you're still saying stuff like that!"
"Did I say anything wrong? Guys who haven't even figured out how this school works don't deserve to survive here."
"Ryuen, what do you mean by that?" A few students faintly sensed that Ryuen's words carried a hidden meaning.
"Komiya, didn't you say before that you'd rather drop out than let me rule this class?"
Ryuen fixed his gaze on the bowed head of Komiya, a cruel smile appearing on his face.
"Well then, drop out. Trash isn't fit to survive in this school."
"Ryuen-shi, are you implying there's a way to keep Komiya and the others here?" Kaneda Satoru put down the two students' test papers and turned his head toward Ryuen.
A renewed glimmer of hope flickered in the eyes of Yamawaki and his companion.
"Ah, I sure do. I'm not like you bunch of worthless trash, failing to see something so obvious."
"Sakagami-sensei, is this true?" Some clever students sought confirmation from Sakagami Kazuma.
"Indeed, such a method exists. But as your homeroom teacher, I cannot tell you what it is."
Hearing Sakagami's reply, Ryuen burst into wild, unrestrained laughter. His arrogant laugh echoed throughout the entire Class C room.
"Gyahahaha!"
Ryuen laughed madly, sweeping his gaze across the whole class.
"See that, you worthless bunch? You can't even figure out something like this, and you still delude yourselves about graduating from Class A."
"Oi! You two, if you still want to keep attending this school..."
Ryuen rose from his seat and walked over to stand in front of the two.
"Kneel. And beg me!"
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