Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, November was over. It was now December 1st, a Friday, with only three days left until the Monday of finals week.
The official exam was scheduled for Friday. Recently, D-Class's study sessions had been going well. According to Hirata and Horikita, no one would be left behind this time.
Meanwhile, ever since Kushida Kikyo resolved her inner conflict, she had been in a great mood every day. It even seemed like that side of her personality was starting to fade away completely.
At the same time, over the past month, Ryuen had been digging into D-Class's secrets, trying to find out who had planted the bug in C-Class.
Kanda Shuichi was also curious about this since he wanted to know who had taken the fall for him out of nowhere.
But the range of suspects was too wide, so he couldn't pinpoint anyone. Plenty of people disliked Ryuen in the first-year classes, even in his own class, so it could be anyone.
With the new month starting, Kanda Shuichi didn't immediately claim his items. Instead, he let the reward collection stack up, planning to redeem everything at once in a month or two.
After all, the past two rewards—especially the last one—were total garbage.
A one-hour charge for the Time TV?
Kanda Shuichi could only scoff at that.
Besides, the plan was progressing smoothly. Karuizawa had gotten the exam questions from Horikita and already handed them over to Ryuen.
Horikita had always believed that Kushida was the traitor in their class, and since Kushida had never denied it, Horikita had let her guard down after the bet was made, giving Karuizawa the perfect chance to strike.
Kanda Shuichi wasn't sure what to make of this.
Was Karuizawa just that good?
Or was Horikita Suzune just that foolish?
Everyone probably had their own answer.
Since Ryuen had gotten the test questions from Horikita, his class had completely stopped studying. Sometimes, a few C-Class students could be seen in cafes or the library, but that was about it.
Was this guy really that confident?
Looks like his win at the sports festival had completely clouded his judgment.
A ruler who isn't cautious enough won't last long.
At first, Kanda Shuichi had high expectations for Ryuen, but now he was completely disappointed.
If you're no longer entertaining to me, then I'll just take you down. Hope you won't hold a grudge.
The deadline for submitting the test papers was 5 PM. There was only an hour left.
After school, Horikita immediately picked up a paper envelope and headed toward the teachers' office.
Looks like the real show is about to begin.
As soon as Horikita left, Kanda Shuichi immediately followed.
"What are you doing here?"
"I played a part in this, so of course, I want to see how it all ends."
Kanda Shuichi casually made up an excuse, leaving Horikita with no way to argue.
"Oh? Finally submitting the test questions?"
On the way to the teachers' office, Ryuen was already waiting at the door, holding a brown envelope just like Horikita's, as if he had been expecting someone.
"Suzune, I've been waiting for you for a while now."
Ryuen flashed a fearless grin.
"I wasn't looking forward to seeing you."
Ignoring Ryuen, Horikita arrived at the teachers' office and called for Chabashira-sensei. A short while later, Chabashira-sensei appeared.
Meanwhile, Ryuen glanced at both Horikita and Kanda Shuichi before turning to Class C's homeroom teacher, Sakagami, and handing over the brown envelope he was holding.
"Can you process these test questions?"
"Yes. I'll take care of it from here."
After Sakagami was done, Chabashira-sensei finally turned her attention to Horikita.
"I almost thought you were going to forfeit."
"You love to joke, don't you, Chabashira-sensei?"
With that, Horikita handed over the materials to her beautiful homeroom teacher.
"Chabashira-sensei, this is the final draft of our test questions."
"Alright, I'll take it." Chabashira-sensei accepted the test paper from Horikita, then glanced at Kanda Shuichi. "Can I go ahead and process this?"
"Of course, please do."
Horikita nodded.
"Also, to ensure absolute confidentiality, if anyone asks to see this later, could you refuse them outright? That includes me—I don't want anyone to have access to it."
"Of course. As teachers, our job is to serve the students." Then, Chabashira-sensei's tone shifted. "Horikita, I understand that you submitted the questions at the last minute to keep them confidential, but doing so comes with risks. If your test questions don't meet the requirements, we have the right to reject them."
It takes at least an hour to review a test, which means that whether it passes or not, this will be your final submission. I don't need to tell you what happens if it doesn't get approved."
If the school deemed Horikita's test too biased or too difficult, they wouldn't accept it.
If there were still plenty of time, Horikita could simply create a new set of questions. But with the deadline approaching, if the test was rejected, the subject would be replaced with a much easier school-prepared test.
That would spell disaster for Class D—Class C students would probably laugh themselves awake in their sleep.
"I understand. But this test was created by the top minds of Class D—there's no way it'll have any problems."
Horikita wore a confident expression.
Seeing that, Ryuen also smirked.
Suzune, do you really think you can compete with me? You're way too naive.
And you, Kanda Shuichi—I thought you were someone worth worrying about, but it turns out you're just a little trickster.
You still haven't noticed the piece I planted inside Class D. How boring.
Once I deal with you two, I'll move on to Ichinose, then Sakayanagi, and finally, take control of this entire school.
Watching Ryuen bask in his own self-satisfaction, Kanda Shuichi let out a soft sigh.
Let's see if you're still smiling in a little while.
The exam papers were reviewed by the homeroom teachers. Even though they usually only taught one subject, every teacher in this school had gone through a strict selection process, so it wasn't surprising that they knew other subjects as well.
Since only the homeroom teacher was handling the review, it took about an hour.
"Suzune, want to sit down for a bit? I'm looking forward to seeing the results."
After submitting his exam paper, Ryuen directly invited Horikita Suzune.
"You think I'd make such a basic mistake?"
"Who knows? Want to find out?"
Seeing how confident Ryuen looked, Horikita hesitated slightly.
She didn't believe for a second that Ryuen hadn't made any moves for this exam.
If nothing else, the fact that no one in Class C had been studying was enough to prove that he had something planned. That made Horikita even more curious about what tricks he had up his sleeve.
"Then let's sit down together. I want to see the results too."
Kanda Shuichi answered for Horikita before she could say anything.
Horikita glanced at him, then nodded.
"See you at Palette in five minutes."
Leaving those words behind, Ryuen walked away with a smirk. But instead of heading downstairs, he made his way to Class C's classroom.
"What's that guy up to now?"
Horikita frowned, unable to figure out Ryuen's intentions.
"Who knows? Maybe he wants to kneel and apologize for what he did at the sports festival."
Horikita Suzune shot an annoyed look at Kanda Shuichi. How could he even say something like that? If Ryuen were the type to kneel over something like that, he wouldn't be Ryuen.
A few minutes later, Kanda Shuichi and Horikita Suzune arrived at Palette with their backpacks, where Ryuen was already waiting.
Strangely, he wasn't carrying a backpack. Instead, he held something in his hand—a brown folder that looked a lot like the one used for submitting exam questions.
"Bringing this many people—are you planning to start a fight here?"
"You sure have a sharp tongue."
Ryuen didn't seem bothered by Kanda Shuichi's provocation. After all, he had taken 20 million points from him before, so it was understandable if Kanda Shuichi wasn't too happy about it.
"Have a seat. Order whatever you want, it's on me today."
"No need. I can afford a drink."
"I'll pass too."
Kanda Shuichi and Horikita Suzune each ordered a drink and then found a random place to sit.
A moment later, Ryuen also came over with a cup of coffee. He sat down across from them and placed the folder on the table.
Kanda Shuichi glanced at it briefly before looking away.
"Didn't expect you to be a black coffee guy. Isn't it too bitter?"
"I like the taste. But you—how old are you? Still obsessed with juice?" Ryuen said, taking a sip in front of Kanda Shuichi.
What's wrong with liking juice?
Is it your money I'm spending?
I bet you're just saying that because you can't afford fresh juice.
"What exactly are you planning?"
Watching Ryuen, who seemed to be here just for a cup of coffee, Horikita frowned.
"Nothing much, just inviting you to witness the outcome. If you really don't feel like talking to me, staying silent is fine too."
Horikita let out a sigh.
"So, what's the point of keeping me here for an hour?"
"If you really want to know, you'll find out in an hour."
Even though Horikita was curious about Ryuen's intentions, as well as the file folder he had placed on the table as soon as he sat down, she chose not to press further.
She had a feeling that no matter how much she asked, Ryuen wouldn't tell her.
If that was the case, she would just wait. She was confident in herself.
Since the class traitor Kushida had turned over a new leaf, she wasn't afraid of any tricks from Ryuen. Plus, the questions their Class D had prepared were of high quality, so there was nothing to worry about.
The only concern was what Chabashira-sensei had mentioned—if, by accident, any of the questions went beyond the allowed scope, that would be a real problem.
At this point, all she could do was wait.
An hour passed in silence between the three of them. As other customers in Palette noticed the strange atmosphere at their table, they gradually left.
By the end of the hour, the only ones left in the café were Kanda Shuichi, Horikita Suzune, and Ryuen Kakeru.
Ding.
Horikita's phone received a new email—it was from Chabashira-sensei.
[Your exam questions have been approved.]
Seeing this, Horikita finally breathed a sigh of relief. Everything was going according to plan. Now, all that was left was to do her best in the actual test.
"Looks like your hopes were in vain. My exam questions got approved without any issues."
"Is that so? Well, congratulations, Suzune." Ryuen smiled, as if he wasn't surprised at all that her questions had passed.
"Suzune, let me tell you something good. It's already past five o'clock, which means the deadline for submitting exam questions has passed."
"And?"
Horikita frowned, still unable to figure out what Ryuen was up to.
"Nothing much. I just wanted to give you a little gift."
With a smirk, Ryuen pushed the file folder on the table toward her.
"What's this?"
"Why don't you open it and see for yourself?"
This can't be…
Looking at the folder in front of her and thinking about Ryuen's strange behavior earlier, Horikita had a bad feeling.
She quickly picked up the folder and pulled out its contents.
The moment she saw what was inside, her eyes widened.
"This is…"
As if she had just seen a ghost, Horikita flipped through the pages one by one.
But what made it even worse was the fact that the folder contained the exact same exam questions she had just submitted to Chabashira-sensei.
"How… how is this possible?"
For the first time, Horikita Suzune's face showed clear signs of panic.
"Kushida betrayed us?"
Horikita instinctively looked at Kanda Shuichi, but Kanda Shuichi shook his head, signaling that Kushida couldn't possibly be the traitor.
Meanwhile, Ryuen seemed amused by what he had just heard. Kushida?
That Kushida Kikyo?
They actually suspect that the traitor in Class D is Kushida?
Horikita Suzune and Kanda Shuichi, huh? I don't know what you two are thinking, but you sure know how to entertain me.
"Then how is this possible?" Horikita's face looked grim. "Could it be that the traitor in Class D isn't Kushida?"
But if it's not Kushida, then who is it?
The exam questions were created by Horikita, Hirata, Yukimura, Wang Meiyu, Kushida, and Kanda Shuichi.
However, the only ones who had full access to all the questions were herself and Hirata.
Hirata would never betray them, so who could it be?
Seeing Horikita Suzune's face slowly fill with despair, Ryuen burst into laughter.
"Hahaha… Ha, hahahaha! Seriously, what are you doing, Suzune? You're completely out of options! The questions you worked so hard on were meaningless!"
"Who is it? Who the hell leaked my exam questions?!"
"How should I know? Why would I care about Class D's problems?"
With that, Ryuen stopped paying attention to Horikita and instead turned to Kanda Shuichi.
"Kanda, I heard you were the one who came up with the math questions for this exam?"
"Yeah, I originally planned to crush Class C with them, but since they've already been leaked, there's no point anymore." Kanda Shuichi remained calm, showing no reaction to the fact that Ryuen had gotten his hands on Class D's test questions.
"Hahaha, well, I still have to thank you. Your questions gave us some inspiration. I hope your Class D can handle the math section."
Ryuen smirked. "Of course, if you want me to let Class D off the hook, it's not impossible. Just hand over your 30 million points, and I'll sell you the answers to the math exam—worth 30 points."
Hearing this, Horikita's face turned even paler.
Horikita knew all too well how brutal Kanda Shuichi's math problems could be. Even she couldn't score above 80 on them.
As for the students in Class D…
She didn't even want to imagine the consequences.
If things really turned out that way, Class D might end up losing more than ten students.
If Ryuen succeeded, Class D wouldn't just fail to rise to Class A—there would be no place for them in any future class battles.
And just then…
"Pfft!"
Seeing Ryuen's smug expression and Horikita's growing despair as the light in her eyes faded, Kanda Shuichi suddenly chuckled.
Ryuen, oh Ryuen, you held up Horikita just to buy yourself some time, didn't you?
What a coincidence. I was stalling too—long enough for the submitted exam questions to be finalized.
"Hahaha, Ryuen, do you really think that highly of yourself? During the last sports festival, I was just being lazy, but you actually believed you had beaten me?"
Kanda Shuichi's sudden laughter made Ryuen's smile fade.
"And you, Horikita. It's time you realized how clueless you are. Just because Kushida dislikes you, you assumed she was the traitor?"
"I…"
"What do you mean, 'I'?" Kanda Shuichi shook his head. "When you surrendered earlier, I thought you had matured a little, but you really let me down."
"After making peace with Kushida, you never even asked her whether she was the one who leaked the sports festival list, did you?"
"You just assumed that since she said she wouldn't betray Class D, she must have been the one who did it before?"
Disappointment flashed in Kanda Shuichi's eyes.
Horikita, oh Horikita, you're nothing compared to your brother.
As expected, you're only good at following orders, not leading. Your perspective is too narrow—you actually fell into Ryuen's trap twice in a row.
Watching Horikita nearly collapse forward, Kanda Shuichi shifted his gaze to Ryuen.
"Ryuen, do you remember what I told you when I gave you that twenty million?"
Bringing up the past now made Ryuen frown.
But Kanda Shuichi ignored him and continued, "I told you to leave Sudou alone, and that next time, I'd let you off the hook. But instead, you took twenty million points from me. Now it's time for you to pay it back—with interest."
"Heh… Hahaha! Kanda, you really crack me up." Ryuen laughed out loud, his tone dripping with disdain. "Once I get my hands on something, I don't give it back!"
"Really?" Kanda Shuichi smirked. "Even if it means a lot of your classmates will be expelled just to hold on to those points?"
"What are you getting at?"
Kanda Shuichi's sly grin made Ryuen uneasy.
"You really think I don't know that Karuizawa is your spy?" Kanda Shuichi's tone was laced with mockery.
With just one sentence, Kanda Shuichi exposed Ryuen's biggest card.
Ryuen's expression darkened instantly, his eyes flashing with anger.
Meanwhile, Horikita Suzune, as if suddenly hit by something, immediately turned her head to look at Kanda Shuichi.
"You should think about who told you to go deal with Manabe and the others in the first place," Kanda Shuichi went on, ignoring their reactions. "Did you really think Karuizawa was too scared to tell me about your threats? Clearly, she trusts me more than she trusts you."
"Wait… are you saying Karuizawa is a traitor to Class D?" Horikita looked completely stunned. But soon, she started putting the pieces together.
If it was Karuizawa, it was possible. She was Hirata's girlfriend, which meant she had access to the test papers.
But… was she really that good at acting? When I met her before, she didn't show the slightest flaw.
Does that mean Hirata knew too? And I was the only one left in the dark?
Were they all just playing me?
Kanda Shuichi glanced at Horikita but said nothing. He was waiting for Ryuen's response.
Ryuen, on the other hand, was boiling with rage.
Karuizawa betrayed me!?
That girl, who had suffered so much bullying, actually dared to betray me? Do you really think Kanda Shuichi can protect you!?
The moment Kanda Shuichi exposed Karuizawa as a spy, Ryuen knew he had been outplayed.
No… it wasn't just him. This guy had even tricked his own classmate, Horikita.
On the surface, he made it look like he was letting Horikita take charge of the exam. He even gave her high-quality math problems.
But in the end, he showed his true colors without hesitation, tearing apart not just his enemies but his own allies as well.
"What did you do?"
Ryuen's voice was dangerously low.
"Nothing much. The moment the exam was announced, I had a little chat with our homeroom teacher and told her to pretend to accept any test submission—except mine."
Kanda Shuichi crossed his arms, speaking casually.
"You're telling me… the test paper I submitted wasn't actually accepted?" Horikita Suzune's eyes widened as she stared at Kanda Shuichi.
"What else? You really thought that text message just now was an official school notification? Don't be ridiculous. The school only notifies you when your submission is rejected. If it's accepted, they don't send anything."
As soon as he said that, both Horikita and Ryuen froze. Because they had believed the message was real.
But they couldn't just take Kanda Shuichi's word for it.
Ryuen took out his phone and, as expected, didn't see a reply on the board.
"Ryuen, make your choice. Either pay me back with interest, or watch a large number of your classmates get expelled."
Ryuen's expression darkened. Kanda Shuichi had struck him where it hurt the most.
As a tyrant, he wouldn't let anyone threaten him. But as a tyrant, he was also responsible for protecting his people.
If Kanda Shuichi had only threatened him personally with expulsion, he wouldn't have cared. He'd rather waste that 20 million than give in. Worst case? They'd go down together.
But now, Kanda Shuichi was using his classmates as leverage, and that was something Ryuen couldn't ignore.
"Heh, you really think you've got me cornered? I already know the test papers I got were fake. But don't forget, we still have two days before the exam. If I make my class study like crazy, we might still pass. More importantly, you can't even guarantee what you're saying is true, can you?"
"Oh? Well, if you're that confident, then good luck. I'm leaving."
Hearing Ryuen's response, Kanda Shuichi simply replied and stood up to leave.
Seriously? After everything, you still want to act tough?
Alright then. I love a challenge. Let's see how long you can keep that act up.
"Stop right there!"
Kanda Shuichi had barely taken two steps before Ryuen's voice rang out behind him.
He stopped, turned around, and looked at Ryuen. "Changed your mind?"
"Looks like you don't care what happens to Karuizawa."
"I have my own plans. If you want to expose her secret, go ahead." Kanda Shuichi narrowed his eyes at Ryuen. "I said I'd protect her, and I will. If you don't believe me, why don't you give it a try?"
Ryuen stared at Kanda Shuichi and suddenly realized something.
He had once taken this guy very seriously. But after Kanda kept showing goodwill and stayed passive during the sports festival, he started thinking Kanda was an easy target.
Turns out, Kanda had simply hidden his fangs, making Ryuen drop his guard.
Now, he had no way to fight back.
He had originally planned to use the math problems his class had prepared to pressure Kanda Shuichi. But now, Karuizawa was on Kanda's side.
Which meant Kanda already had access to part of the real math test.
Class D was about to dominate this exam.
Realizing this, Ryuen suddenly started laughing.
"Heh… hahaha… HAHAHAHA! Kanda Shuichi, this is the real you!"
His footsteps came to a halt, and he flashed an excited grin.
"Yeah, that's more like it! Who the hell was that during the sports festival? That pathetic, passive version of you made me sick!"
"You're only worth defeating when you're like this!"
Ryuen was practically shaking with excitement as he stared at Kanda Shuichi's emotionless face—like a predator that had finally found a worthy prey.
"Fine. I'll admit defeat this time. But I'll get my revenge soon enough. You'll learn just how terrifying I can be!"
Even though he had lost, Ryuen wasn't about to back down. He immediately threw down a challenge.
"Oh? Sounds like you still don't get it." Kanda Shuichi tilted his head. "How about this? Get on your knees and beg me. If you do, I'll spare Class C's students."
Seeing Kanda Shuichi's arrogant smirk, Ryuen suddenly grinned as well. Then, without hesitation, he dropped into a full dogeza—forehead pressed to the floor.
"I sincerely apologize. Please, spare Class C's students."
Horikita Suzune's eyes widened in shock as she watched Ryuen Kakeru kneeling before Kanda Shuichi.
This… was Ryuen?
That tyrant Ryuen?
Would he really kneel before a student from another class for the sake of his own classmates?
And without a second thought?
Watching Ryuen like this, Horikita realized she had never truly understood him. But could Kanda Shuichi see right through him?
Kanda Shuichi, just who are you…?
Looking at Ryuen kneeling on the ground, Kanda Shuichi's lips curled slightly.
"Alright, since you're begging me so sincerely, I can't say no. Tonight, I'll give you the answers for 30 points on each subject from the test I submitted. As for your final score… well, that's up to your luck."
"Also, hand over all the private points you have. Oh, and don't forget the contract you signed with Katsuragi—transfer that to me as well."
As he spoke, Kanda Shuichi pulled out a contract.
Seeing it, Ryuen instantly understood.
He had calculated everything this far?
This was beyond thorough… Kanda Shuichi!
Just how well do you understand me!?
"Fine, I accept."
Ryuen agreed without hesitation. He had already sacrificed his pride for the sake of his class—what were a few points compared to that?
Ryuen took out his phone and transferred all 25 million of his private points to Kanda Shuichi.
Then, after reviewing the contract Kanda Shuichi had prepared, he signed his name.
Kanda Shuichi, after confirming the transfer, signed as well.
The contract, in duplicate, clearly stated that Ryuen was transferring all his private points and the contract from Katsuragi in exchange for the 30-point answers for every subject in the second semester's final exams.
"Well then, see you later, Ryuen."
Ryuen took his signed copy of the contract, a sinister grin forming on his lips. Without another word, he turned and left the Palette Café.
Make me kneel?
Take my money?
That's fine.
Once this exam is over, I'll make you cough it all back up.
And I'll show you just how terrifying Ryuen Kakeru can be.
"Oh, by the way, one more thing—you know that listening device you mentioned earlier? That really wasn't me."
At Kanda Shuichi's words, Ryuen paused for a moment. Then, with a cold snort, he walked out of the café.
There was a reason he left in such a hurry.
Even though Kanda Shuichi had promised him 30 points per subject, that alone wasn't enough to guarantee that everyone in Class C would pass.
After all, while the other classes had spent a whole month organizing study groups, Class C had done nothing. If they didn't work twice as hard in these last two days, some of them might really fail.
After Ryuen left, Kanda Shuichi turned to Horikita Suzune, who seemed completely lost in thought.
"Let's go."
Hearing his voice, Horikita snapped out of it. She looked at Kanda Shuichi blankly for a moment before nodding.
On the way back to the dorms, neither of them said a word.
Kanda Shuichi walked ahead while Horikita Suzune followed behind with her head down, looking like a scolded wife.
He didn't bother with her and just let her follow. But what he didn't expect was that she would follow him all the way to his dorm.
After opening the door and stepping inside, he saw Horikita still standing at the entrance. With a sigh, he said,
"Come in."
Hearing this, Horikita finally stepped inside.
She walked in, knelt down in front of the small table, and sat there silently with a gloomy expression.
Kanda Shuichi shook his head.
This poor girl... Surely, she's not so shaken by this small setback that she can't recover?
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You can read 10 advanced chapters at my patreon.com/YeyeQiu