In no time, Saiki Kusuo was back in the classroom. As soon as he entered, he saw several classmates gathered together, seemingly discussing something.
Kushida Kikyo stood at the center of the group.
"Kushida-san, is what you said true?"
Hirata Yosuke asked with a surprised expression.
"Is there really a surprise exam next week?"
"During lunch, I overheard some upperclassmen discussing this. Every year, freshmen have a surprise exam shortly after starting school, and it's related to class points!"
Kushida Kikyo nodded seriously and shared the information she had gathered from the upperclassmen.
'As expected of Kushida. Technically, upperclassmen aren't allowed to proactively share information with freshmen, but she managed to get all the details.'
Saiki Kusuo muttered to himself internally, slowly approaching the group.
'Although I already knew about this, standing alone might draw too much attention. It's better to blend into the crowd.'
He seamlessly blended into the group, and no one noticed his presence.
[Is this for real?]
[We're having a surprise exam so soon after starting school?]
[Exam scores are tied to class points? And they affect our monthly points? Why didn't the teacher tell us earlier?]
Everyone's thoughts were different—some were shocked, others panicked.
Saiki Kusuo glanced toward the corner of the classroom. Horikita Suzune sat at her desk, not participating in the discussion, but it was clear she had heard the conversation.
[It's just a surprise exam, yet they're so panicked. As a government-funded high school, it's obvious they wouldn't just give high school students 100,000 yen a month without restrictions. Getting so flustered over one exam is beyond hopeless.]
Horikita Suzune's thoughts and demeanor showed her disdain for the others.
"Then we'll have to study hard during this time..."
After hearing Kushida Kikyo's words, Ike Kanji's face showed a troubled expression.
"Luckily, it's only been a few days since school started. I haven't been paying attention in class... But there's still time to catch up, right...?"
"It's just an exam! It's only been a few days since school started. They won't make it too hard, right?"
Sudo Ken, on the other hand, seemed completely unconcerned.
'But I heard there will be a lot of out-of-syllabus questions.'
Saiki Kusuo had already heard more about the first exam from the upperclassmen. He knew that many questions would be beyond the syllabus, and even students who paid attention in class might not be able to answer them. These questions also carried significant weight in the scoring.
Without exceptional academic ability, it would be almost impossible for an average student to score high—unless they knew the exam questions in advance.
'According to what those upperclassmen said, lowerclassmen can buy exam papers from upperclassmen. The questions are almost the same every year. If we can buy last year's papers and study accordingly, we should be able to score very high.'
Saiki Kusuo thought this but had no intention of sharing it with others.
At that moment, Kushida Kikyo continued:
"Also, I heard this exam will have a lot of out-of-syllabus questions, making it very difficult... But the upperclassmen said we can buy last year's exam papers! The questions are almost the same every year!"
"Is that really allowed?"
Hirata Yosuke was surprised, gently stroking his chin.
"Chabashira-sensei said everything in this school can be bought... And buying last year's exam papers doesn't count as cheating."
"But do you think it's necessary to buy them?"
Another girl asked.
Her honey-colored hair reached her waist, and her skin had a slight tan, but her legs beneath her short skirt were very fair. Her delicate features and clear eyes radiated energy.
Saiki Kusuo remembered her name—Karuizawa Kei.
Karuizawa Kei was one of the most active students in Class D since the start of school. She had a bit of a delinquent vibe but got along well with almost all the girls.
"Even if the exam questions are the same every year, we don't know what this year's questions will be like!"
Karuizawa Kei said seriously.
"And how many points would it cost to buy the papers?"
"Sorry, I was in a hurry and didn't have time to ask."
Kushida Kikyo replied immediately.
[The second-year guy said it would cost 50,000 points. I don't think it's worth that much, and I'm not planning to pay for it alone!]
Saiki Kusuo could hear Kushida Kikyo's thoughts. She wasn't sharing this information for the class's sake but for her own.
Her plan was simple: she didn't want her points to be affected by others and wanted to maximize her own points. At the same time, she didn't plan to use her own points to buy the exam papers. It would be best if the whole class could split the cost.
"I think, just to be safe, we should buy last year's exam papers. If, as Kushida-san said, the scores are tied to our points, we should try to score as high as possible... Kushida-san, can you contact that upperclassman again? If possible, could you ask how much the papers cost?"
"Sure, I still have that upperclassman's contact information."
Kushida Kikyo smiled and nodded. However, after speaking, she gently touched her lips with her slender fingers.
"But I don't think it's a good idea for me to go alone. I'm not good at bargaining or things like that... If possible, could a boy come with me?"
Upon hearing Kushida Kikyo's words, most of the boys in the room immediately became excited.
[Pick me!]
'Can thoughts even be in unison?'
Saiki Kusuo complained internally.