I just hope to live a leisurely life in the world of anime.

This guy is narcissistic, but surprisingly doesn't like to show off. He's not very noticeable in class.

If you don't talk to him, he usually won't interrupt; if you do, it depends on his mood whether he'll respond.

Although he holds a special position in the class, I've heard he's very popular among the older students.

Especially among upperclassmen.

Because I often sensed that he was doing intimate things with different female students every day, like feeding them, and I would occasionally run into him in the cafeteria.

That's normal. He's the only son of the Kogenji zaibatsu (financial conglomerate), as he mentioned in his self-introduction.

People always have to consider their future, and his identity will attract many people.

Forget about that for now.

Kushida had already given me a wink.

……

On the road.

"Ayanokouji-kun, you said you could help Sudo-kun and the others get through this difficult time. How exactly will you help them? What do you need me to do?"

Kushida was puzzled by my idea of ​​taking her to the cafeteria and asked me for an answer.

But there's one more thing before I tell her.

"Kushida-san, um, could you please switch back to how you address me for now?"

"Eh, what's your name?" Kushida seemed taken aback for a moment, then repeated the sentence.

"Correct."

"Why isn't the nickname 'Ayanokouji-kun' good enough?"

"It's not that I'm bad... it's just, Kushida-san, you actually hate me, don't you?"

“…” Kushida stopped in his tracks.

She lowered her head, and in that instant, I saw her expression change.

This is the corner between two buildings; hardly anyone passes by...

###Chapter 421 The Exam Questions Obtained Before the Exam Even Began###

Even though I was mentally prepared, it's still really disheartening to be told by a girl that she hates you.

I glanced listlessly at Kushida, who had recovered and was standing next to me. Sometimes I really admire her for being able to give the gentlest smile to people she dislikes.

but……

Kushida just said he dislikes gloomy men like me, right?

Am I gloomy?

I'm not aware of this... In fact, I have a lot of inner monologues, but no one can hear them.

Never mind, the target has already appeared.

Standing in a corner of the cafeteria, I watched a senior high school student order a free vegetable set meal and then walk heavily toward a seat.

To avoid causing unnecessary trouble, I quickly bought two meal tickets. After handing one to Kushida, I casually ordered a meal and sat down opposite him with Kushida, who had also ordered.

He was in Class D of Grade 3. I happened to pass by him once and heard him complaining to his classmate about his grades and the realities of school life. I remembered him.

"Excuse me, may I sit here?"

"Please go ahead."

The unknown senior student casually stuck rice balls into his chopsticks and responded without looking up.

I think if he had just glanced at her, things wouldn't have turned out this way, because Kushida is such a cute girl.

"The free meal options are limited, and I'm afraid the one you ordered won't be very good."

"...Who are you?"

Perhaps my words touched a nerve, because my senior looked up. He was about to scold me, but he stopped himself when he saw Kushida.

As expected, my initial decision was correct.

"Excuse me, are you a third-year student?"

I think it's necessary to ask this question to set the stage for the conversation, which will help with the following narration and avoid any abruptness or awkwardness.

"What do you need me for? Are you a second-year or first-year student?"

By answering like that, he had indirectly admitted his identity.

However, judging from his wandering eyes and furrowed brows, he was clearly getting impatient.

It seems there's no way to keep talking in short bursts; all the polite words I prepared are useless now...

However, if we can get straight to the point, it will save me a lot of time.

"I'm Ayanokouji from Class D, first year. You're also from Class D, right, senpai?"

I stared intently at this senior, but I felt Kushida's surprised gaze beside me, as if asking, "How did you know?"

"What's it to you? Why are you so bothered?"

It seems I overestimated his patience. He had already picked up his tray and was ready to leave.

"I've come to discuss something with you, senior. If you agree, I'll offer you a satisfactory reward."

"remuneration"

The student cafeteria was very noisy. My soft whisper was drowned out by the surrounding clamor. Nearby students were still engrossed in chatting and laughing with their friends.

"Yes, do you still have the midterm exam questions from the first semester of the year before last? If any of you or your classmates have them, I hope you can sell them to me."

"Do you know what you're saying?" The senior student let go of the plate he was holding.

"I know perfectly well that this doesn't violate school rules, does it?"

There is a play.

His reaction.

Instead of surprise, she calmly asked a question.

This performance alone speaks volumes.

He had experienced or knew about this kind of buying and selling of exam papers, so he wasn't surprised.

His initial impatience turned into a renewed conversation with me, indicating that he was not surprised by the situation.

I'm becoming increasingly able to verify my conjectures.

The questions in the last quiz were really puzzling to me.

For example, question 7 is definitely considered very difficult. I guarantee that most senior high school students wouldn't be able to answer it either, because it's close to the university level.

However, question 13 is a very basic equation, which even a sixth-grade elementary school student could probably solve easily.

The difficulty levels of the questions varied drastically; some were far too easy, while others were far too difficult, making one wonder if the person who created the questions was mentally ill.

But then I thought about it again, and realized that this school doesn't judge students based on academic performance!

After all, Sudo and Horikita were assigned to the same class.

If academic performance were truly the deciding factor, then as the best school in all of Japan, its admission scores must be incredibly high. What does Sudo have to offer to get in?

What is the point of setting up an exam paper, especially since this exam paper is neither fish nor fowl?

Furthermore, if students with poor grades are to be expelled based on their exam scores, then what was the point of admitting them in the first place?

Superfluous

Therefore, I guess it was a simple test the school gave to the students.

Students who can pass will pass on their own, and for those who can't, there will naturally be a way to help them pass.

The students have to find this method themselves.

Cheating by copying is unacceptable; school rules explicitly prohibit this behavior. And there are surveillance cameras watching.

Stealing exam papers from the office goes without saying...

So what other ways are there to get through this?

Study hard and stop talking nonsense.

The difficulty of that exam paper would probably be of no use to Sudo even if he studied hard.

So... we need to broaden our thinking.

The senior student withdrew his hand from the table.

This is a sign of timidity.

It seems that if I take a firmer stance today, the cost might be much smaller.

……

Half an hour later.

As I sat on a park bench chatting with Kushida, the terminal in my pocket vibrated.

Several attachments were sent from an unfamiliar email address.

If at first I could only guess whether the school exam questions were exactly the same as before based on that senior's expressions and actions, now I can be completely certain.

Fifteen thousand points.

I managed to buy the test papers from the quiz two years ago and this midterm exam.

I opened the attachment and compared it for a couple of minutes. The quiz questions from two years ago were exactly the same as this year's!

Questions 7 and 13, which left a deep impression on me, have the exact same question number!

It seems that 15,000 points are still worth it.

It was supposed to be 20,000, but thanks to Kushida and his bargaining, I paid 5,000 less. I couldn't help but secretly rejoice at my foresight from the beginning.

"After reading, save the attachment and delete the chat history. If it gets leaked, we'll both be in trouble. Since you're buying test questions from me, you probably already know that this school's test questions are exactly the same every year, without exception. If you need them again next time, remember to contact me again; I can give you a discount. Except for special exams which change every year, I have all the regular test questions, including the answers."