"Come on, one paper per person."
In the quiet afternoon library, beside three long communal tables lined up in a row, Haruno Yukinoshita held a thin stack of printed papers in her hands, distributing them one by one.
Just as she had mentioned yesterday, she had spent only one night compiling key points from last year's midterm exams, simplifying the questions while keeping them relevant. Though it covered only one of the five subjects, the workload was far from light.
Given the current academic level of the tutoring group, handing out original exam questions would likely lead to total failure across the board.
"What's this…?"
Ken Sudō frowned as soon as he saw the test paper.
It wasn't that he couldn't understand a single word—individually, everything made sense. But putting it all together? He had no clue how to solve it.
"If you don't know the answers, leave them blank. Try to complete the entire test on your own first. Once you're done, ask your group leader or another group's leader for help," Haruno instructed as she continued handing out the papers.
This was part of the study plan she had structured—students needing tutoring were divided into three groups, each guided by Kushida Kikyo, Hirata Yōsuke, and Kure Ragna. The groups were assigned based on interpersonal relationships.
For instance, Haruki Yamauchi and Kanji Ike, Kushida's devoted followers, were naturally placed in her group.
Sudō, while not a follower, had a short temper and a strong sense of pride. If placed in Hirata's group, he might feel inferior and reject tutoring altogether. So, to avoid unnecessary conflict, he was also assigned to Kushida's group.
Hirata's group was simpler—it consisted of students who needed help and naturally got along with him.
As a result, Kure Ragna's group ended up with the fewest members.
Not that he was complaining.
Once all the test papers were distributed, Haruno clasped her hands together, tilted her head slightly, and smiled.
"Alright, everyone, do your best. Hard work won't betray you—whether for yourself or for the class. I'll be preparing tomorrow's test materials, so let's keep pushing forward."
With that, she turned and walked toward a long communal table with an open laptop, already getting to work.
"As expected of Yukinoshita… She's amazing," Ike Kanji murmured.
"Yeah, if our school had a class president, she'd be the obvious choice," Yamauchi chimed in.
Ha.
Kure Ragna scoffed internally. If you keep talking like that, someone's going to snap.
Sure enough, Kushida Kikyo, hands planted on the table, twitched slightly at the corners of her eyes. Despite this, she maintained her ever-sweet smile.
"Um, Yamauchi-san, Ike-san… This is a library. Let's focus on our work first. You can chat when we're back in the classroom, alright?"
"Uh… yeah, you're right."
"Yeah… totally."
Sensing the shift in atmosphere, the two quickly grabbed their pens and got to work.
She really works hard, huh…
Kure Ragna glanced over at Haruno, who was now wearing anti-blue light glasses, typing away on her laptop.
And for good reason.
To keep up with the study schedule before midterms, she had implemented an additional personalized tutoring system.
The plan was simple: in the first week, students would complete basic-level test papers in all five subjects. From there, they would focus on correcting their mistakes, reinforcing weak areas through targeted practice.
This method wasn't just a quick fix—it was long-term preparation.
Sure, she could have just handed out past exam papers and had them memorize answers. In three weeks, even someone like Sudō could brute-force his way to a passing score.
But that would be temporary success, not true learning.
Haruno wanted more than just passing grades—she wanted students like Sudō to gain confidence in their abilities, to see that improvement was possible.
A classic case of teaching a man to fish rather than giving him one.
"Here you go."
While he was lost in thought, a test paper was suddenly handed to him.
The person who gave it to him was a girl with long, wavy brown hair. She had a quiet elegance about her, the kind that made her stand out despite not actively seeking attention. If he remembered correctly, she was close to Kei Karuizawa.
Her name was… Chiaki Matsushita?
Trying to recall, Kure Ragna took the paper and scanned it over.
He let out a soft hum.
It wasn't that she had made a bunch of mistakes—on the contrary, her answers were mostly correct. She had flown through the test, and aside from a few minor errors, everything was on point.
Easily a passing score.
Even the applied questions, which most people struggled with, were answered correctly.
If she's this good, why is she even in the study group?
Curious, Kure Ragna glanced up at her.
Matsushita simply smiled and put a finger to her lips.
Ah… I see.
She's hiding her true abilities.
Understanding her intent, he nodded slightly and returned her paper without a word.
Just then, a commotion broke out in Kushida's group.
"Ugh… I can't do this anymore! I seriously don't get it!"
Sudō slammed his pen down, groaning in frustration. He clutched his forehead as if his brain was overheating.
His voice wasn't particularly loud, but in the near-silent library, it stood out like a sore thumb.
At the same time, a student from another class happened to be passing by. He stopped, glancing over with a smirk.
"I see… You guys are from Class D, right?"
"What?"
Already irritated, Sudō snapped his head up at the mocking tone.
"What's your problem? You got something to say?"
The student, still smirking, raised his hands in mock surrender.
"Whoa, chill. I'm just saying hi."
Then, as if introducing himself in a play, he gave a slight bow.
"I'm Yamawaki from Class C, first year. Nice to meet you."
Class C, huh…?
Kure Ragna narrowed his eyes.
Something about this guy felt… off.
----------------------------------------
Support me at patreon.com/Arthorain and read upto 100 Advanced Chapters and Exclusive R-18 Content!