"Who the hell is this guy?!"
After leaving the office, Miyabi fumed to himself.
It was the first time he'd been outclassed like this—it felt like outright humiliation.
Yet, he couldn't deny Saiki Kûsuke's unparalleled skill.
Even Horikita Manabu probably couldn't compare.
*Kusuo's brother is this powerful... Could Kusuo himself still be hiding his true strength?*
Miyabi's confusion grew.
One thing was certain: a storm was brewing at school.
---
Meanwhile, Saiki Kusuo, Horikita Suzune, and others arrived at the gym.
Sakayanagi Arisu from Class B was absent due to her condition, so Hashimoto Masayoshi took her place.
*Arisu didn't assign specific targets, just told me to observe notable students...*
Yet, Masayoshi's gaze kept drifting to Saiki Kusuo.
*Betraying Arisu for Saiki would cost at least 20 million points...*
'Yare yare...'
Saiki avoided Masayoshi's stare, looking elsewhere.
Ryūen Kakeru's Class C was absent, but Ichinose Honami and most of Class D were there, chatting with first-years.
"Students who come to the gym for this event usually aren't academically strong," Suzune noted.
"Right," Kusuo agreed. With his telepathy, he knew Suzune was correct. He could hear the first-years' thoughts.
*This school's so unique... Are these really the rules?*
*My grades aren't great... I need a high-scoring upperclassman as a partner. I can't lose all my points.*
*Are those second-year A-Class students? But their average scores seem mediocre... How'd they become A-Class?*
Through their thoughts, Kusuo grasped the situation.
Though school had just started, the first-years already knew the rules—unlike Kusuo's group when they began.
He also noticed few first-years were present.
Suzune's gaze drifted to Ichinose, surrounded by first-years. Ichinose avoided mentioning the special exam, focusing on introductions and casual chats—though not everyone opened up immediately.
Yet, Ichinose remained patient, smiling as she built connections.
*She's so kind...*
*Such a beautiful upperclassman!*
*I want to partner with her!*
"She's not prioritizing the exam but building trust first. Very Ichinose-like. It seems easy, but it's actually dazzling," Suzune remarked.
*I could never do that,* Kusuo heard her think.
"Thinking of a similar strategy?" Ayanokōji Kiyotaka asked.
"Yes, but unlike Ichinose, I'm focusing on personal points," Suzune replied.
"We're A-Class now, with over 1,000 class points and millions in personal points—a tempting advantage for first-years. D-Class and C-Class don't have this. Still, we can't waste points. Past exams show they're crucial—like saving a student from expulsion with 20 million points. So, I'd rather save them. Even as A-Class, our total points might still lag behind B-Class."
Suzune analyzed calmly. After scanning the room, she turned to Hirata Yōsuke.
"Hirata, can you stay here and interact with these students? Being A-Class is already an advantage. Many will likely approach us."
"Sure, but does that mean you're leaving, Suzune?" Hirata asked.
"Yes," Suzune nodded seriously.
"Is that wise, Suzune?" Kiyotaka turned to her.
"Over half the students aren't here. We need to reach out to them."
"Huh?" Sudō Ken looked confused.
"Really?" Kiyotaka thought as he spoke.
*Her goal is to target first-years who didn't listen to Ichinose. But they're either self-reliant, too shy, or already strategizing. Tough crowd.*
"Mind sharing your reasoning?" Kiyotaka asked, feigning ignorance.
"Two reasons. From my observations, most students here are insecure about their grades. We need at least B-level students—those confident enough to skip this event. These students are immediate assets. While the students here aren't as valuable, some might still be strong. Hirata, this task is yours."
"Instead of pairing A-level students, we must protect everyone from expulsion. Convince first-years with strong grades to cover for weaker classmates," Suzune explained.
"Ichinose likely aims to protect low-scoring students. If so, we might secure more high-scoring partners."
"Second, the attendees are unbalanced," Suzune added.
*Unbalanced—meaning an entire first-year class is absent,* Kiyotaka guessed.
"Unbalanced?" he asked aloud.
"No first-years from Class D are here," Suzune clarified.
"A class of forty has weak and socially awkward students. But none from Class D are here. Someone's clearly controlling them, telling them to skip."
"So, Class D already has a leader who rejected the event?"
"Exactly," Suzune nodded.
Yet, she was also puzzled.
*Did they choose a leader on the first day? Or did first-years interact earlier and already know the rules?*
"If they're from Class D, won't that affect our class score?" Kiyotaka asked.
"True. For class strategy, partnering with Class D won't yield high scores. I just want to understand them better. The school's approach seems to be changing. We'll likely interact more with first-years, so it's best to learn about them now. Protecting every student from expulsion is our priority. Higher scores come second."
"Saiki!"
Just then, Hashimoto Masayoshi approached, greeting them.
*Time to gather intel on A-Class—and maybe get closer to Saiki.*
'Don't call me by name in public,' Kusuo thought, not wanting first-years to remember him.
"Your Class B doesn't need this event. You don't need students at this level," Suzune remarked.
"Just following Arisu's orders," Masayoshi shrugged.
"Surprising to see A-Class here, though."
He knew why: A-Class lacked the skills expected of them.
Most were D-level or lower, with few B-level or higher.
Suzune needed to recruit high-scoring first-years to pass the exam.
"Let's go," Suzune led Kusuo and the others away.
Masayoshi watched Kusuo's back, stunned.
---
Soon, they reached the first-year floor. Though it was after school, many first-years chatted casually in classrooms.
"You're finally here, Suzune," one remarked.
At that moment, a voice dripping with arrogance and casualness echoed in front of them.
Ryūen Kakeru.
Ishizaki Daichi and Ibuki Mio trailed behind him.
The three of them couldn't help but quicken their heartbeats when they noticed Saiki Kusuo standing right behind Horikita Suzune.
Ryūen quickly forced himself to calm down.
*"Can't show weakness in front of Saiki... I'm prepared to clash with him again—but Horikita has no idea what kind of monster is standing behind her."*
"Ryūen, are you here to scout first-years too? You weren't at the exchange meeting," Horikita said flatly.
"The idiots gathered in the gym aren't worth my time," Ryūen replied.
*"Our target is the academically gifted first-years... But this isn't just about scouting. It's also about filtering out students who could be useful to me."*
Ryūen smiled at her. "Don't worry, I haven't recruited anyone yet. You look skeptical."
"At least half of what you say here is probably a lie," Horikita countered.
"Is that so? You've grown more cautious of me."
"I've always been cautious of you."
"Hahaha, fair enough," Ryūen laughed.
Horikita was talented in Class A, but compared to real threats, she fell short.
Meanwhile, Sudō Ken, who had accompanied Horikita, glared at Ryūen. Ryūen ignored him and continued, "By the way, this year's first-years are unusually composed for newcomers. The school must've briefed them on its system."
Ryūen glanced at Saiki.
*"Saiki probably already knows,"* he thought.
*'Yare yare, you're right—though I used my powers,'* Saiki replied mentally.
So far, he hadn't spotted anyone unusual among the first-years.
"Why tell me this? Planning something underhanded?" Horikita asked, distrust evident.
"Not really. This special exam doesn't allow deadly tactics—but to win overall, I'll need to make some arrangements," Ryūen said.
Just then, a towering figure appeared beside them.
"A second-year?"