"Senpaku, I am Sakamoto. What brings you here?"

He showed no displeasure at being disturbed.

“Mountain Village Student,”

His clear voice rang out, calling out her name accurately.

"No need for formalities. May I ask what this is?"

Hearing her name called so clearly, Miki Yamamura's body trembled almost imperceptibly.

He looked up in surprise.

His eyes were filled with disbelief and a hint of excitement.

He... he actually remembered my name?

The immense shock made her momentarily forget her nervousness, and her speech quickened:

"This, this is... the midterm exam paper! It's from last year's second grade!"

Her words made Sakamoto's gaze flicker slightly.

Miki Yamamura continued, trying to make her story clearer:

"It was at the cafeteria at lunchtime... A second-year student I didn't know, who said he was in Class A... suddenly approached me and handed me this..."

Her voice lowered again, as if recalling the scene still left her feeling somewhat helpless:

"He said... he said that because our class created a miracle, he wanted to continue this miracle... He also said that the midterm exam questions are almost the same every year, and with this, we can definitely continue to maintain our lead... I... I actually found it very strange, but he insisted, and then he left... I don't know what to do..."

Her voice trailed off as she spoke, like a child who had done something wrong:

"I... I feel that something this important shouldn't stay with me... so... so I think it's most appropriate to hand it over to Sakamoto-san..."

She lowered her head again, but her hands remained stubbornly holding up the exam paper.

Sakamoto listened quietly.

My gaze lingered for a moment between Miki Yamamura's flushed cheeks and the exam paper.

"I see. Thank you for your trust, Yamamura-kun."

He reached out and smoothly and naturally took the exam paper from her hand, his fingertips not touching her hand, avoiding any contact that might make her more nervous.

"This intelligence is indeed quite important. It is a wise choice to entrust it to me."

His approval relieved Miki Yamamura from a great weight.

At the same time, a faint warm current surged up.

She nodded slightly, still not daring to look up completely.

Sakamoto picked up the exam paper but did not unfold it immediately.

Instead, his gaze was slightly lowered.

He seemed to be quickly skimming the contents of the scroll while simultaneously thinking.

at this time--

A figure happened to pass by outside the classroom window, across the corridor.

It was the figure of a woman with long black hair, standing in the corridor.

It was Horikita Suzune from Class D, Year 1.

Her gaze swept across the window of Class A, instinctively searching for that particular figure.

Then, her gaze froze.

Through the clear glass window, she could see clearly—

Inside the classroom, Sakamoto was standing by the window.

He held in his hand an unfolded roll of paper covered with writing.

And standing in front of him,

She was a blue-haired girl with a flushed face, her head down, her hands clasped tightly in front of her, looking very flustered and nervous.

more importantly,

Horikita Suzune immediately recognized the format and style of the paper Sakamoto was holding—

The exam paper she bought from that second-year senior for 10,000 points at noon, which was claimed to be "last year's midterm exam questions,"

The same.

Inside the window, Sakamoto seemed to sense something, lifting his gaze from the exam paper and turning towards the window as if he had just realized something.

But the black figure outside the window in the corridor was no longer there.

First Year Midterm Exam: Chapter 057: Sakamoto, the Misunderstood One

Let's go back to the cafeteria at noon today.

The two stared in silence for a moment at the exam paper they had purchased for 10,000 points.

"What do you think?"

Finally, Horikita Suzune spoke first.

Her slender fingers tapped unconsciously on the table, but her eyes were fixed on Ayanokouji.

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji picked up an exam paper with a blank expression and glanced at it.

"The exam paper itself needs to be verified. As for its source..."

He paused,

"That's not like him."

Although he only met Sakamoto a few times and barely exchanged a few words with him,

But the man who miraculously resolved a conflict on the bus on the first day of school and later achieved a perfect score...

His style of doing things seems out of place with this kind of "secret assistance" or even "selling test questions".

Horikita Suzune even recalled the aggressive words she had said to Sakamoto in the car.

At this moment, I only feel that I was incredibly stupid back then.

But doubts aside,

This is crucial to whether Class D can reverse its declining performance in the midterm exams.

Every possibility must be treated with caution.

"Needs investigation."

Horikita Suzune concluded that

"The authenticity of this exam paper, and... whether it was really written by Sakamoto."

"agree."

Ayanokouji nodded.

"Then, let's divide the work."

Horikita Suzune made a quick decision.

“I’ll investigate the origin and authenticity of the exam papers. As for you,”

She looked at Ayanokouji.

"Go and solve the problem of those three idiots, and make sure they attend the study session."

Why send her to deal with those three completely incomprehensible guys—Yamachi, Ike, and Sudo?

Just imagining that scene made Horikita Suzune feel a physiological aversion.

This task required immense patience and a certain affability that she lacked.

It was left to Ayanokouji, who seemed indifferent to everything, to handle.

It couldn't be more "suitable".

Ayanokouji glanced at her, seeing through her eagerness to get rid of the trouble.

But there was no objection; only a faint response.

"Oh."

That's why, after school,

Horikita Suzune will appear near the classroom of Class 1-A.

The primary objective is to investigate the test papers.

But at the same time, she also harbored a strong sense of curiosity.

It's been a month since school started.

She had never truly observed this competitor who had crushed other classes with an absolute advantage and achieved a legendary perfect score.

Class A is the target she aspires to surpass, and the enemy she will have to face in the future.

Know yourself and the enemy, a hundred battles will never end.

Take this opportunity to peek into the daily atmosphere and state of this "miracle" class.

It is undoubtedly extremely valuable.

She pretended to be passing by, but her sharp gaze swept across the windows of Class A.

Then, she saw that scene—

The classroom was bright and clean, bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun.

Sakamoto stood by the window, his posture upright, holding an open scroll of paper covered with writing in his hand.

The format and style of the paper were strikingly similar to the one she had bought at noon.

This is an absolutely shocking fact!

The first thing that came to mind was a strong sense of unreality.

Sakamoto?

Sakamoto, who always seemed detached and gracefully followed some kind of self-imposed rule,

Would they really do something like "giving away" exam questions?

This is completely inconsistent with the aloof image he projected.

But the facts before him were undeniable—he was holding that midterm exam paper in his hand.

This indirectly confirmed what the second-year student had said at noon.

The source of the exam paper does indeed point to Sakamoto.

A complex mix of emotions welled up inside me in an instant:

Doubt, disappointment, and a hint of humiliation at being looked down upon.

He thought Class D was too useless.

Is this the way you're "giving" them a chance?

My thoughts instantly became chaotic.

Her first instinctive reaction was:

He absolutely must not find out!

Almost the instant Sakamoto raised his gaze and was about to turn to the window,

Horikita Suzune suddenly turned to the side.

They quickly and silently retreated into the shadows of the corridor and left.

My heart was pounding a little fast in my chest.

She needs to sort out her thoughts.

They also need to reunite with Ayanokoji as soon as possible.