Saiki Kusuo hadn't expected things to turn out this way. Originally, he'd hoped to use this situation to avoid joining the study group altogether...
'Those three have brains barely more developed than a monkey's...'
'And Horikita herself isn't much of a teacher. She only explains the methods she uses, not the principles behind them. Getting those three to fully understand is practically impossible.'
'Could this pointless study group last at least a month? No, no, no—given Horikita's personality, it'll probably drag on until the final exams...'
The thought filled Saiki Kusuo with a sense of dread.
'Two hours a day, five days a week—that's ten hours a week, forty hours a month. That means I'll miss out on at least twenty movies, ten novels, and six or seven trashy games. This can't happen.'
'I need to find a way out. My time should be spent on something more meaningful!'
Saiki Kusuo's mind raced as he searched for a solution to escape the study group.
[Looks like some Class C students are having a group study session. Preparing for the midterms, maybe?]
[Ryūen said to keep an eye on that tall guy, Sudō.]
[His grades are average, but he made the school basketball team as a freshman. His physical abilities are impressive, but his academics aren't great.]
Saiki Kusuo overheard the thoughts of some Class D students, who were still focused on him.
But he had no time to deal with them. If Ayanokōji Kiyotaka noticed any of his subtle actions, it could cause even more trouble.
'Forget Class D for now. Nothing's more important than my free time. Convincing Horikita to stop the study group without using mind control is unlikely. But getting those idiots to learn this material is just as hard... unless their IQs suddenly skyrocket... wait...'
A new idea formed in Saiki Kusuo's mind.
...
"Ugh, Horikita's attitude today wasn't as bad as before, but I still didn't understand a thing she said! Seriously, as long as I become a national-level basketball player, who cares about test scores? Math isn't going to improve my basketball skills!"
After leaving the library, Sudō Ken kept complaining about Horikita Suzune. In his mind, test scores didn't matter—only his basketball skills did.
He soon arrived at the gym, trained with his teammates for hours, and returned to his dorm drenched in sweat.
After showering and stretching, Sudō Ken lay in bed, ready to scroll through his phone before sleeping.
Horikita Suzune had told him to review the material, but he'd already forgotten about it.
Sudō Ken laughed at funny videos, completely ignoring his studies.
He didn't notice someone watching his every move: Saiki Kusuo.
'Seriously, he's not studying at all. His IQ isn't high, but his attitude is terrible. I can't let him waste my free time like this!'
From his room, Saiki Kusuo used his powers to observe Sudō Ken. In a way, he understood Horikita's frustration.
Then, Saiki Kusuo activated his abilities—
Meanwhile, Sudō Ken was watching comedy videos when a voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Did you review the material Horikita gave you?"
"Huh?"
Sudō Ken's heart skipped a beat.
"How did I forget that?"
Saiki Kusuo had used his telepathy to remind Sudō Ken of Horikita's instructions.
"If she finds out I didn't study, she'll flip out, right?"
'You get it.'
Saiki Kusuo replied in his mind.
"But... it's so late. I'll do it tomorrow!"
'...'
Saiki Kusuo clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking.
This guy's hopeless.
But Saiki Kusuo wasn't giving up. Nothing was more important than his free time.
Even reading underwater would be more meaningful than this study group.
'Time to fix his study habits.'
Sudō Ken forgot about studying again and resumed scrolling—but now, all his videos were about studying.
"Did you study math today?"
"If you don't, you'll end up homeless!"
"Even athletes need to study!"
"What? Why am I getting these videos?"
Sudō Ken paused, confused. No matter how many times he refreshed, all the videos were study-related, as if targeting him.
This was Saiki Kusuo's doing. Manipulating electronics was child's play for him.
"Enough with the studying! This is annoying!"
Sudō Ken tossed his phone aside and closed his eyes, exhausted from training.
Soon, he fell asleep—exactly what Saiki Kusuo wanted.
'If he won't study during the day, he'll study in his dreams!'
Saiki Kusuo's eyes narrowed, a hint of coldness in his gaze.
Using telepathy, he transferred all the day's material directly into Sudō Ken's mind.