The midterm exams for all four classes lasted from morning until late afternoon. When the final bell rang, signaling the collection of test papers, all students let out a collective sigh of relief.
Long hours of examination were not only a trial of intellect but also a grueling test of endurance—both physically and mentally.
After gathering the completed papers, Hoshinomiya swept her gaze across the classroom, a hint of amusement playing at the corners of her lips.
"And that concludes your midterms! Now, you can enjoy a well-earned weekend. Your scores will be posted next Monday, so let's look forward to the results together."
"I'm sure I'll get a ridiculously high score this time, just wait and see, Hoshinomiya-sensei!"
"Yeah, same here! I feel really confident about this one."
"Oh? Is that so?" Seeing the self-assured expressions of her students, Hoshinomiya let out a light chuckle. "Then I'll be waiting to be blown away by your results!"
Once she left the classroom, the students immediately crowded around Hikaru and Ichinose, their faces brimming with excitement.
"The test was exactly the same as the one we memorized! Ichinose-san's information was incredibly useful!"
"Yeah, I was actually worried they might change the midterm this year, but they didn't!" Shibata grinned, scratching the back of his head. "I might just break my personal record this time!"
"Seriously, thanks a lot, Ichinose-san and Hikaru-kun. That test paper we got was a lifesaver."
Ichinose responded with a warm smile, acknowledging everyone's gratitude. Their plan had worked flawlessly, and that alone filled her with satisfaction.
"Should we throw a celebration party once the results are out?" someone suggested.
With Class 1-A now closely united, many students enjoyed organizing group activities.
"What do you think, Hikaru-kun?" Ichinose turned to the seated boy, and naturally, everyone else's attention followed suit.
"I don't mind, but if we're going to have a party, it'd be better to wait until next month."
Checking his phone calendar, Hikaru smiled and explained, "Our scores will be posted soon, but we'll have to wait a few more days for the class evaluation points update. Let's decide on the party after we see our new rankings."
"Besides, our private points refresh at the start of June. Most of us are probably running low right now, aren't we?"
"That's true… If the next round of points doesn't come in soon, I'll have to survive on the cheapest rice balls."
"Haha, Beppu, you've been spending way too much!"
"No way, I'm just using my points normally!"
"Alright then, let's hold off for now," Ichinose concluded, effortlessly taking charge. "Once we see our class evaluation in June, we can revisit this idea. For now, let's all take a break and enjoy the weekend!"
---
The weekend flew by, and as usual, Hikaru remained a master of time management.
Saturday morning: Dragged around for shopping duty by Ichinose and a few other girls from their class, experiencing the joys of being a human shopping cart.
Saturday afternoon: A trip to the library to discuss mystery novels with Shiina Hiyori, borrowing a book she enthusiastically recommended.
Sunday morning: Enjoying some well-deserved laziness in his dorm.
Sunday afternoon: A quiet photography session with Sakura Airi, followed by an impromptu fashion discussion at her dorm, where she sought his input on outfit combinations for her upcoming modeling photos.
Ever since her fall last week, Sakura had become noticeably more proactive when they were alone. She now actively invited him to help select her clothing for photoshoots and blog content, making Hikaru her top-priority "first-look fan."
While he didn't reject her advances, Hikaru remained keenly aware of one important rule:
To be a true stock market master, one must never confirm a relationship.
Otherwise, he might one day see that dreaded system message:
"Any risks to personal safety are solely the host's responsibility. The system is not liable for any "accidents."
---
Finally, Monday arrived.
The morning atmosphere in every classroom was thick with tension.
Even though many had memorized the test, there was always a lingering nervousness before official results were announced.
Hoshinomiya entered Class 1-A, holding a rolled-up set of papers. The moment they saw her, the students immediately turned their attention to the podium, bracing for the big reveal.
"I know you're all eager to see your midterm results. Don't worry, I won't keep you waiting any longer!"
After scanning the room, Hoshinomiya got straight to it.
One by one, she unrolled the sheets and pinned them to the blackboard—five subject rankings and an overall ranking.
"Your hard work has paid off—everyone's scores were excellent!"
As soon as the results were displayed, the classroom burst into chatter.
"Whoa, so many perfect scores!"
"Ichinose-san got first place overall! Amazing! But Hikaru-kun isn't far behind—he's just two points away."
"I actually scored 96 in English?! This is incredible!"
Since everyone had studied the previous year's midterm, those with high academic ability, like Ichinose, had practically aced the exam, securing an impressive 496/500.
Hikaru followed closely behind with 494/500.
Even students who struggled in some subjects managed to score at least in the high 80s or 90s—ensuring that no one in Class 1-A fell below the dropout danger zone.
After calculating the passing threshold (half of the average class score), it was clear that Class A had nothing to worry about.
"Congratulations, everyone!!!"
"Ohhhhh!!!"
With that, the classroom erupted into cheers and celebrations.
---
Meanwhile, in Class 1-C…
The atmosphere was far less festive.
Although they had also obtained the test papers in advance, there was one glaring exception.
At the front of the room, Chabashira drew a red line under a name on the score sheet, her expression cold and unyielding.
"Sudō, you failed English."
"W-What?!"
The red-haired student stared at the board, utterly dumbfounded.
"The average score for English was 79.6. The passing threshold is half that value—39.8."
Chabashira calmly wrote out the calculation on the blackboard, making sure everyone understood.
"And you scored 39."
"You failed."
A beat of silence followed.
Then—
"Wait, what?! No way! Are you saying Sudō's going to be expelled?!"
The classroom descended into chaos.
At the front, Suzune's expression hardened.
She knew exactly what this meant—if Sudō was expelled, their class evaluation points would take a heavy hit.
They might even drop back to last place.
And that was unacceptable.
Suddenly—
"Please wait!"
With a sharp motion, Suzune shot up from her seat, her piercing gaze locking onto Chabashira.
"Sudō's expulsion hasn't been finalized yet, right?"
"I believe there's still a way to prevent it."
"Oh?"
Chabashira's lips curled into a small smirk.
For the first time in this class, she felt a tinge of genuine curiosity.
"Then go ahead," she said. "Let's hear your plan."
~~~
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