42. Shimotsukiuri Ouri Shows Her Talents
"Now, the exam papers will be distributed! Please take care of them, and prepare for the review!"
Another new day. The female teacher, expressionless, held a file folder in her hands.
She took out the sealed exam papers one by one and called the students up to distribute them.
"This is the worst exam performance. You are the worst class I have ever taught."
"Students, please work harder. Don't think that just because you're in your first year of high school, you have time to waste."
"Also, I must remind you that publicly exchanging exam results before the exam-based gambling matches end is a very serious matter. If verified, it could lead to expulsion."
The female teacher mechanically admonished them. Once the exam was over, her authority as a teacher was almost entirely lost. Just as she had expected, the students below... some were sleeping, others were fooling around. After all, three years from now, their families would pull strings to ensure their promotion to the next level. This is why the graduation rate at Hyakkaou Academy is ridiculously high.
It wasn't because the teaching was good, or that the students were exceptionally smart. It was simply because of strong connections.
Of course, to maintain face and give an explanation in front of the ordinary citizens of Japan, every year a few excellent special admissions students would be recruited as the school's teaching showcase.
For example, Shimotsukiuri Ouri, Hikigaya Hachiman, and Saotome Maya.
Speaking of Hikigaya Hachiman, the female teacher found some comfort. At least in class, he still respected her as an intellectual.
Saotome Maya, who had performed well recently, had now been corrupted by the students at Hyakkaou Academy. She was now attending class in a maid outfit, distracted and not focusing on her studies. Her performance had dropped to third place, yet she didn't reflect on it...
The female teacher sighed and began reviewing the papers on her own.
In the classroom, Yumeko glanced at her Japanese exam score and then looked at Hikigaya Hachiman sitting to her left. After comparing their scores, she blushed and squeezed her test paper closer to her chest.
Unexpectedly, Hikigaya's voice echoed: "I saw it, Yumeko."
"Come to the library after school at noon~"
"Hikigaya-kun, that's too much. You actually peeked at my test paper," Yumeko immediately pouted.
'This is my revenge,' Hikigaya thought, glancing sideways at her, remaining silent.
His sense of revenge was strong. After being provoked by Yumeko multiple times, how could he not have a way to fight back? He would drag her to the library and give her a good scolding, while also brainstorming ideas for his next detective novel. It would be a two-for-one deal.
This round—win!
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.
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"Tch, that girl is so unbelievably lucky, it's infuriating," Aiura Kokoro clenched her fists as she watched Saotome Maya happily walk out of the classroom in her maid outfit.
The tactics she had originally planned to use against her were now forced to be used on Hikigaya Hachiman. What a lucky girl. A poor soul who, by some miracle, managed to get into a casino and now reportedly earns tens of thousands of yen every day. Such a poor fool! For just tens of thousands of yen, she dresses up in a maid outfit to seduce some insignificant fish. A disgrace to women!
But forget it, let her enjoy her time for a while. Aiura Kokoro's enemies would eventually be eliminated one by one.
Aiura Kokoro's expression darkened as she looked in the direction of Shimotsukiuri Ouri.
This girl was her greatest trump card.
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.
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After school, Hikigaya Hachiman stretched and headed to the library with Yumeko Sakaki to begin the "cultural reeducation" for Yumeko.
Hikigaya had already prepared for Yumeko's academic performance.
After all, studying wasn't gambling—no matter how crazy or determined someone was, if you didn't know it, you didn't know it. If you couldn't understand Japanese simbols, you couldn't understand it. If you couldn't differentiate derivatives in math, you just couldn't do it.
Yumeko, on the other hand, had a rough background in middle school, where her family had fallen apart. She was a girl who had completely given up on studying and had become addicted to gambling.
For a partner he respected, Hikigaya didn't want her to turn into a woman who only knew how to gamble and had no culture. If she wanted to be his partner in becoming a bestselling mystery novelist, an education was a must!
At the very least, she needed to be able to pass the entrance exams without relying on connections!
After finding a secluded spot to sit down, Hikigaya took out the Japanese textbook he had prepared.
Unexpectedly, the person he had been paying attention to, Shimotsukiuri Ouri, walked up to him.
She was holding a book in her arms, and from up close, her delicate face could be clearly seen. Her calm eyes seemed to reflect the world in its entirety.
Even though her academic performance was higher than his, and she was likely to be his enemy, Hikigaya still maintained a respectful demeanor:
"You're from our class, Shimotsukiuri-san. Is there something you need?"
"Ah, you remember me," Shimotsukiuri replied, her hair tied in a single braid hanging to one side, her voice carrying a gentle warmth.
"I usually go unnoticed, so I didn't think anyone would recognize me."
"How could that be? We're all classmates," Yumeko Sakaki interjected, extending her hand toward Shimotsukiuri. "Hello, I'm Jabami Yumeko. Are you here to study at the library as well, Shimotsukiuri-san?"
"No, I'm the library committee member." Shimotsukiuri didn't extend her hand, keeping her arms around the book.
Hikigaya instinctively observed her and noticed she was holding a physics supplementary material.
'She's not here with good intentions,' Hikigaya narrowed his eyes.
"I'm here to remind you that this is the library, so please be mindful of the volume of your discussions."
Hikigaya responded coolly, "We'll be careful."
Shimotsukiuri's eyes glanced through the bangs at the textbooks on their table. When she turned to leave, she paused for a moment:
"Although the Japanese question is vague and hard to understand, if you replace 'many' with 'countless,' it becomes much easier to understand. The detailed explanation is on page 172."
"I'll take my leave now."
She left without another word, leaving behind a cryptic remark.
"Shimotsukiuri-san is really a strange person," Yumeko said, slightly puzzled, before turning to Hikigaya. She noticed he was squinting as if observing something closely. She waved her hand in front of his face. "Hikigaya-kun, what's wrong?"
"She's holding a physics answer sheet with a 98% score," Hikigaya muttered before shaking his head and offering his opinion.
"Shimotsukiuri-san only needed a quick glance at the textbook questions to make such a clear statement."
"This person's abilities shouldn't be underestimated."
Hikigaya's expression showed slight surprise. Excluding President Momobami, Yumeko, and Juraku-senpai, the ability Shimotsukiuri had just demonstrated was the most impressive he had seen.
This was a textbook he had dug out from some forgotten corner of the library. Judging by the dust on it, it hadn't been borrowed in a long time.
Yet, Shimotsukiuri had been able to immediately state the corresponding page number, proving that her memory ability was likely on par with his own.
And that analytical ability toward the questions...
Combined, her strength in gambling was certainly among the top in the first-year class, but until now, Hikigaya had never heard of her.
Wait...
Could it be...?
"Yumeko, flip to page 172 in the textbook."
"Eh...?"
On page 172, the first and last sentences of each paragraph formed a sentence:
"Mibuomi-senpai, allow me to send my regards to you."
"Heh, Hyakkaou Academy is really full of expectations~"
Hikigaya shook his head and decided not to think further, focusing on continuing to teach Yumeko.