[The Day of the Second Foreign Language (German) Exam]
Shiro sat leisurely at his desk, watching the foreign professor at the front. His cheat sheet was already placed on his desk—transparent and perfectly hidden behind his arm, invisible to anyone!
Sitting in the middle-back row, he silently observed everyone around him, reviving his childhood hobby of studying human behavior.
Most people looked nervous and uneasy, like the honest guy Fujiwara, who had already started shaking his leg...
Of course, there were some who looked very confident—but Shiro found this group a bit strange.
They seemed to fall into two clear types: the honor student type like Chisa, and the delinquent-looking guys you'd expect to be skipping class.
Since when did delinquents get good at German? Are they planning to study abroad in Germany or something?
"Alright, first, please put your pencil cases away."
Before Shiro could think any further, the foreign professor announced one of the exam rules, instantly crushing Mitarai's hopes.
From Shiro's vantage point, he clearly saw Mitarai's face go from full color to grayscale.
Shiro shook his head, silently mourning for the friend he hadn't even known for that long.
Sitting next to Mitarai, Yamamoto proudly flaunted his own cheat sheet. He had already guessed the pencil case trick wouldn't work. As expected, in times of crisis, you could count on him!
"And no eating or drinking—please put your beverages away too."
Bang.
Once again, Shiro witnessed another soul turn to monochrome…
Left with no options, the two could only look to the rest of their group for help with pleading eyes.
Iori and the others quietly looked away. Helping others now would be suicide.
Shiro also looked away.
Out of the eight 'immortals,' two had already lost their competitive edge. He had to seize this chance to crush them!
Though, easier said than done...
He looked down at his cheat sheet and the exam paper… he couldn't understand a thing! He couldn't even make out what the questions were asking!
In terms of German, he was probably even worse than those idiots. At least they attended class now and then. Shiro hadn't listened at all! He'd treated German class like naptime.
With a gloomy expression, Shiro set his pen down. Though it was shameful, he decided to observe the others again.
He casually slid his cheat sheet into the second page of the exam.
Iori and the rest were just too timid—there was only one proctor, so he could've easily laid it out and copied slowly.
Shiro the cheat master had used this exact tactic in his past life—it worked like a charm!
ヾ(=?▽?=)?
The foreign professor checked his watch. "Alright, the exam starts now. If you finish early, you may leave."
BAM!
As soon as he said that, two of the previously calm-looking delinquent students stood up and shouted, "We're done! Leaving!"
"…"
(???)
That was way too fast! So their calm expressions were actually just the face of people prepared to die!
Yep. This school was totally full of delinquents. How did these people even make it to university...?
Shiro, Iori, and Kohei sat in a triangle formation. Shiro was behind the other two. This situation was beyond what one person could solve!
"Kitahara, Kohei, can you guys understand any of this?"
Shiro muttered quietly, once again bemoaning how slack the supervision was. If he could understand the questions, he'd easily ace the test!
"I got a few, but that's nowhere near enough!"
"Let's ask Nojima!"
The three looked toward Nojima. He was the only one among them who wore glasses—surely he was the smartest of the group!
"I… I can't see… can't see clearly…"
(???)
The trio turned away as Nojima struggled to read through a cheat sheet shoved under his sweaty arm.
What an idiot! Of course it'd be soaked in sweat in this heat!
Buzz buzz buzz~
Just then, a phone buzzed from inside Iori's pocket.
Under Shiro's shocked gaze, Iori casually pulled out his phone and checked a text.
Shiro almost turned him in right then and there! If this guy could use his phone in an exam, why had they all been sneaking around like fools?
"What is it?"
Kohei asked, completely unfazed by the fact that someone was using their phone during a test.
Iori calmly put away the phone. "Nothing. Just another soul lost in this world."
(???)
Shiro internally gave up.
Why had he obediently left his phone outside? Couldn't Iori at least pretend to be subtle about it?
He wanted to get Iori's attention—if that phone worked, they still had hope!
But just then, the annoying foreign professor wandered nearby. He'd have to wait for another chance.
Fwoosh~
A piece of paper fluttered, catching the blond professor's attention.
Σ(?д?|||)‼
Shiro looked across the aisle at Fujiwara in disbelief.
What the heck was that guy doing?! Why would he open his shirt collar right when the professor walked past?! Unless that guy's blind, there's no way he'd miss that!
Just as expected, the professor instantly spotted and grabbed the cheat sheet, staring at Fujiwara.
"What's… this?"
His awkward Japanese sent a wave of pressure over the students around him.
At that moment, without any communication, the six of them instantly pointed straight at Fujiwara!
{{(°△°;")}}!
"I thought we agreed to stick together?!!"
Fujiwara stared in disbelief. Was their brotherhood really weaker than an exam score?!
…
"FAIL."
The doomed exam paper fluttered onto the now-colorless Fujiwara.
In that moment, he lost more than just credit… he lost the brotherly bonds he thought were strong.
"Man, looks like everyone did pretty badly."
The professor glanced around with disappointment. He'd actually seen all their little tricks.
"Well then, let's give out some bonus questions."
The moment he said that, the room erupted in cheers. In that instant, the foreign professor transformed into everyone's beloved uncle from abroad!
Shiro remained calm, unaffected by the excitement around him…
Bonus questions?
For someone who hadn't attended a single class, there was no such thing as a bonus question.
Especially in a foreign language class!
In his past life, English had been the same. Shiro could never tell if an English test was hard or not—it all looked like an alien language.
"From now, I'll say things from the textbook. Just translate them into German and write on the back of the test."
Bonus time!
Iori and the others cheered. Compared to the main test, this was a godsend!
Even if they were terrible, surely they could translate one or two phrases right!
Shiro continued slacking off. He planned to wait for Kitahara and the others to come through.
The odds were slim—but not zero!
Nothing is impossible with the right motivation!
"First question: Rheumatic heart disease!"
"..."
The room fell silent.
Did they really cover this in class?! That was way too technical!
Someone please explain to the professor what bonus question means!
Iori and Kohei screamed internally. There was no way they could write this! Shouldn't this be given to German majors?
"Second question: A naked man holding a banana."
m9( ｀д′ )!!!!
Iori nearly snapped his pen in rage. He racked his tiny brain and swore—that was NEVER in any textbook!
What kind of teacher puts something like that in the materials?! Should he introduce him to the gay bar down the street? The pervert sitting behind him could take him right there!
...Wait a second!
While ranting internally, Iori heard the sound of a pen scratching paper behind him.
He turned around in horror—and sure enough, Shiro was writing furiously on his test!
'You crazy bastard, why do you know this one?!'
Their telepathic link reconnected—
'Huh? It's the Banana Man! Isn't that someone you'd memorize in every language?!'
Shiro replied innocently, and Iori saw written on his paper the one and only German word he knew,
"Bananenmann." (Banana Man)
!!!
What the hell?! Was this guy seriously famous or something?!
Iori stared at Shiro's confident face, doubting reality. Was he disconnected from modern times?
Whatever! This wasn't the time to question that!
Iori shook his head to clear his thoughts. Right or wrong—just copy it!
But as he prepared to write, a large hand slammed down on his head. That awkward Japanese rang out by his ear.
"Final question... James Thomas!"
"..."
"Get outta here! That's a proper noun!"
"Isn't that English?!"
"Did you even want us to pass?!"
Everyone broke down. This foreign professor clearly never intended to give them a real chance!
…
Exam Over — Papers Graded On the Spot
Shiro grinned at the six defeated idiots. Their scores were all in the teens or twenties. Though he hadn't understood a single question, his years of experience had earned him a proud 60 points!
That was enough to pass and prove the difference in level between him and those morons!
"Well, everyone's scores were pretty bad, so 10 points will be a pass this time. 20 points will be considered good."
With that, the teacher's words brought the defeated back to life. Holding their graded tests, they screamed like cavemen rediscovering fire.
"..."
Tch!
Shiro clicked his tongue. What kind of luck was that? Passing with just ten points!
Back in his hometown, that'd get you kicked out of the house!
But… sometimes, joy comes with a catch. Iori and the others noticed an extra page on the back of their tests.
Clear as day, it read:
"Suspected of cheating. Retake required! Come see me after class."
"AAAAAHHHHH DAMN IT!!!!"
The six howled in despair, joy flipping to sorrow in an instant!
"Tsk tsk tsk, what a shame~"
Shiro gloated with his score sheet. In the end, only he and Chisa—the true elite—had passed among the Eight Immortals!
Smack!
A hand landed on Shiro's shoulder. Before he could turn, a familiar transparent cheat sheet appeared before his eyes.
That awkward Japanese again—
"Well, Shiro-kun, in all my years of teaching, you're the first student bold enough to submit a cheat sheet along with your test. Come on, let's have a little chat in my office."
{{(°△°;")}}!
Shiro was dumbfounded. His mind raced.
He… he did put the cheat sheet inside the test at the end!!!
AAAAAHHHH!!!!
As expected—exams can all go to hell!!
Shiro clutched his face in despair.
In the end… it wasn't seven who fell from heaven.
From the Eight Immortals, only Chisa made it out alive!
83 points~