Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's POV

Our study sessions for the next few weeks went without a hitch. Horikita and the others even joined us for joint sessions. Their progress was comparable to ours. Everyone began to warm up to one another, and we could even be considered a friend group at this time. I'm relieved to see that more of the students are getting along now.

These study groups will undoubtedly strengthen our class's cohesiveness and camaraderie. Whenever we're in distress, it's more like everyone has already banded together against a common foe. Unsurprisingly, it was none other than Koenji.

He doesn't contribute much to the class, despite his excellent academic performance and physical ability. You could even call him the class misfit, but he would simply reject it, claiming arrogantly that we peasants were unworthy of his attention.

If I were to pick someone Koenji would most likely consider a friend, I'd say it'd be me. I don't have anything personal against the guy. In fact, I believe his narcissistic and brash demeanor might occasionally lighten the mood in the classroom.

He just has this bizarre fascination with wanting to destroy me to prove to the world that he is the apex of human perfection. Arisu can also be added to that list of people. Seriously, why are people who are aware of my background wanting to beat me so badly?

I mean, I want to be handed my defeat too, but it's exhausting, and bothersome when the two most allegedly intelligent individuals in my year want to bring me down and humiliate me. I simply hope that my future underclassmen aren't like them.

After all, Someone with knowledge of my past would never enroll in this school just to triumph against me like those two... Right?

That is something I sincerely hope does not occur.

When it was time for lunch, I got out of my seat and swiftly approached Horikita, who was starting to eat her bento. Her lunchbox was decorated with a sweet pink and white polka dot pattern. It was out of character for her, but I thought it was charming.

"Horikita," I addressed, patting her shoulders to alert her of my presence. She irritatedly moved her head in my direction. But as soon as she learned who was bugging her, that rapidly changed.

Even with that disinterested expression on her face, anyone could misinterpret it as her glaring at them. Horikita's piercing gaze is similar to that of a thousand daggers roaming over you, just around the corner, ready to stab you at any second. The last thing I'd want to do right now is to cause a scene and piss Horikita off.

"What is it, Ayanokouji-Kun?" Horikita asked.

"I'm going to the cafeteria, and I'd like you to accompany me." She raised her eyebrows a bit at my statement, probably suspicious of my motives."Don't worry, I'm not intending to invite you out to lunch with other people or anything like that. It's about something that could be crucial and important for our midterm examinations. Of course, I will not compel you to accompany me. Of course, I understand if you have other concerns you need to attend to right now." I explained.

"Hm..." She rubbed her chin. "If it's really that vital for our upcoming tests, then I wouldn't mind joining you. Plus, I have nothing else to do at lunch anyway." She stated as she rose from her seat, waiting for my signal to follow me.

"Before we depart, I think Eichiiro should join us; you can wait outside the classroom first," I informed her about a third party. She simply nodded as a response and walked out of the classroom.

I locked eyes with Eichiiro and then shifted my peer towards the classroom door. He inclined his head as if he understood what I was trying to convey through mere eye contact. He came up with an excuse on the spot for the people who were planning to ask him out for lunch and hurriedly made his way outside. I quickly zipped my bag and dashed out the classroom door before anyone dared to talk to me.

Horikita and Eichiiro were waiting outside upon my arrival. Horikita was simply crossing her arms, minding her own business, while Eichiiro was tapping his foot, his face puzzled. I haven't seen much of either of them interact with one another, but I had a hunch they didn't get along very well.

Their personalities were fundamentally diametrically opposed. Horikita was the austere and cold-hearted ice queen of our class, whereas Eichiiro was more of the ordinary kind-hearted, and playful popular pretty boy.

They were also ranked the same in terms of intelligence, with a commendable grade of A- (82). Though, as of right now, if I had to pick who was more beneficial to the class, it would be Eichiiro.

Currently, He is superior to her because of his cooperative demeanor, charismatic nature, greater academic aptitude, and finer physical attributes.

Horikita, on the other hand, I believe has the biggest potential out of the two for growth. She just needs to keep her ego in check and come out of her shell. She'll eventually become a better person once she is able to socialize and act jointly with others better. I also need her to do so in order for her to be recognized by the class as a key component to Class D's success.

"So, why do you need us to keep you company in the cafeteria?" Eichiiro queried, finally breaking the silent atmosphere.

"I wanted you both to come with me so I wouldn't have to explain everything. But it would be unfair to you if I remained silent." I replied nonchalantly.

"If you just give us the gist of what you're planning, that's fine." Horikita let out a sigh.

"To be honest, I believe I've figured out a solution for everyone to possibly achieve a flawless grade on the exam." Horikita's eyes widened in surprise as she heard my comments.

"Are you serious? You can't possibly be considering cheating, can you?" Horikita inquired, feeling bewildered. "You do realize that if we disobey school regulations, they will punish us severely."

"It's nothing like what you're thinking. Don't worry; you'll see what I mean in a few minutes."

"Just what in the world are you planning to do..." Horikita mused, trying to contemplate my next move.

With a purposeful objective, We took serious movements toward the cafeteria. We made our way through the mob to the lunch ticket machine. I purchased three tickets but did not queue at the counter. Instead, I walked over to the side of the vending machine and stared at the students who were looking over the menu.

They undoubtedly wanted to ask some questions when they saw me eyeing the folks in line, but since I told them that answers will come later, they just stood there and waited for me.

As they purchased lunch sets from the ticket machine, I continued to observe the students present. My target appeared after I had surveyed roughly around twenty students. With heavy, trudging strides, he bought his dinner ticket and proceeded to a table.

"Bingo." I made a snapping sound with my fingers. "All right, let's get going, you two." I motioned for them to follow me.

"Eh? Okay, I guess..." They looked confused but followed my instructions.

Just as I was about to approach the upperclassman and take a seat...

"Kouhai-Kun? What are you doing here?" I heard Kiryuin's voice call out to me.

I gave her barely a fleeting glance before averting my eyes and returning my focus to my prey.

She was sat at a table across from her and was chaperoned by another person. A girl with waist-length chocolate-brown hair that is adorned by a hairpin in the shape of a sunflower on the right side along with two ordinary hair clips on the same side and purple eyes.

Her name is Asahina Nazuna if I remember well. A member of Nagumo's class, Class 2-A. She was rather popular with the lads in my class, who regarded her to be dainty and alluring. To be honest, she struck me as a bit scruffy-looking.

"Kouhai-Kun!" She kept bugging me. I chose to ignore her, despite my reservations, because talking with her would only lead to more trouble. My instinct tells me I shouldn't be involved with someone like her, even though we haven't met since that faithful night. If I do, I'm afraid that she'll make my life unbearable.

Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and focused their attention on me as a result of her loudly calling me repeatedly. To be honest, it seemed like I'd returned to the White Room. But instead of the instructors sneakily observing me behind a glass pane or a white wall, I can actually see people watching me like hawks keeping an eye on their quarry.

I was ready to walk away when I felt my shoulders being caressed. I turned around to see who was clutching my blazer and it was none other than Kiryuin herself.

"Ignoring your senpai? Even after everything we've gone through together? What a cruel person you are. you've pierced my soul, Kouhai-Kun" She made a dramatic gesture by putting her palm over the region of her heart as if she was offended or upset.

With a heavy sigh, I eventually decided to speak up. "Kiryuin-Senpai, what do you want from me?" I questioned, my voice tinged with displeasure.

"You don't have to be so furious, Kouhai-Kun." She waggled her index finger with a sly grin. "I simply wanted to say hello and see what you were up to in the cafeteria. You frequently come here with that pretty boy's harem or that beige-colored hair girl's friend group. However, you've drawn an unusual crowd to the cafeteria." She pondered

"It's because I need to discuss some serious business with someone." I made a gesture with my finger at the upperclassman who was chowing down his meal.

"Him? What would you want to talk about with that filthy shitsack of a twat?" Kiryuin declared unequivocally. It seems Kiryuin isn't very fond of him.

"Senpai, I believe it's a little impolite of you to openly disparage someone when they're close to you," I cautioned.

"Oh, please, I'm simply presenting facts. He and his retarded girlfriend are continuously shoving their disgusting relationship in everyone's faces." She made a vomiting motion with her hands.

"Ignoring your scathing remarks, I have a question for him that might help my class with the midterms," I admitted honestly.

"Why don't you just come to me and ask? I'm convinced that I might be of greater assistance to you than that worthless fat pig." She continued to savagely hurl abusive words towards him. She appeared to despise him and his girlfriend with a burning vengeance.

I considered enlisting Kiryuin's aid, but I decided that working with someone who didn't have as many points would give me the best chance of success. Perhaps she could truly be of service to me in resolving my problem.

"Then Senpai, if you're available, may we have a seat at your table?" I asked in a courteous manner.

"Of course, Kouhai-Kun," She accepted. She signaled for us to approach her table. We all took our seats once we arrived, with Eichiiro, Horikita, and me seated immediately in front of Kiryuin and Asahina.

"Ah!" Asahina was taken aback and blurted out. "Do you happen to be Ayanokouji-Kun?" She inquired with zeal.

"Yes, that's me. I apologize if we intruded on your personal time, Senpai, but I need to speak with Kiryuin-Senpai about something." As an apology, I lowered my head slightly.

"No worries, mate. In fact, I consider myself fortunate because I was able to sit with Class-experimental D's student." She squealed with delight.

"Experimental student?" I furrowed my eyebrows hearing that sentence. "What do you mean by that, Senpai?"

"Well," she leaned in closer to keep our conversation private.

"Don't take my word for it, but there are whispers floating about that you were put in Class D on purpose. The reason for this is unknown, but some speculate that it was because the school intended to test if the most judgeably talented student in your year could lead the faulty class to the top of the hierarchy, using you as their lab rat. It seemed impossible at first, but after seeing how many class points your class was able to save and your amazing OAA grades, it's starting to make sense and become reasonable." She muttered into my ears.

Experimental student? Was there a smear campaign going on about me? if there was, were they attempting to malign me in any way? Although this is merely a probability, the source of those theories must have been from one of the people who were present at the student council event. Nagumo was the most likely suspect since he was one of her classmates, but I couldn't discard the possibility that it might have also come from someone from my year too.

"Senpai, I don't think you should believe everything you hear. After all, it's just a hunch based on a lack of concrete evidence. At the end of the day, it's all just supposition." I shrugged casually, attempting to shift the topic of the conversation.

"I guess you're right..." She scratched her cheek embarrassingly.

"Anyways, Kiryuin-Senpai." I turned my head in her direction. "I have a request to ask from you. If you choose to listen, I'll show you my gratitude."

"Gratitude?"

The cafeteria's hustle and bustle drowned out my voice. The students were all engrossed in chatting pleasantly with their friends.

"Do you still have the problems from the midterm test from the first semester of your first year? Or, if not, do you happen to know someone from your class who does?" I posed the question.

"Hm..." She rubbed her chin. " I do, but what do you need them for?"

"I just assumed it wouldn't be a problem if we studied using outdated test questions. Plus, I didn't see anything in the school rules that said it was prohibited in any way. In addition, I couldn't find anything in the school rules prohibiting it. So there shouldn't be any issues with me asking for them, right senpai?" I asked for her confirmation.

"There don't seem to be any. But you are well aware that nothing in life is free. There is a price to pay for the old exam problems. So, how much would you be willing to give me in exchange for them?" The negotiation process finally began.

"How about twenty thousand private points? That's as high as I'll go." I made the first move.

Taking charge of the negotiating table is one of the most effective negotiating methods. The finest negotiators accomplish this by establishing the basic terms of a deal. If they're selling anything, they set a high price and leave it up to the other person to come up with a lower one. According to research, when the seller makes the first offer, the final price is greater, and when the buyer makes the first offer, the price is lower. Whoever speaks first establishes the debate's parameters and, as a result, can direct the conversation toward their underlying interests.

"Oh, so you're offering private points for it? Well, in that case, make it thirty thousand points instead." She raised the price.

I had three million points in my account, so I could probably pay her the thirty thousand points and be done with it, but I wasn't going to let her take advantage of me that easily. She has no idea how that I have an inordinate amount of private points I have, so I'll try to persuade her to lower the price.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to afford to pay you that much, Senpai. What are you going to do with that many private points in the first place?"

"To have fun, of course. What other reason do I need?"

"Well, I'm still not willing to pay you that much. How about this, Senpai, I'll pay you twenty-two thousand private points and I'll also owe you a favor in the future. Will that suffice as a bargain?" I reached out and extended my hand.

"Wow, that's a fantastic offer..." She paused to consider my offer. "However, I'm not sure how I'd use that favor."

"Oh! I have an idea!" Asahina barged into the conversation and raised her hand.

"Yes, Asahina?" Kiryuin had a dubious look on her face.

"So like, How about Ayanokouji-Kun and Matsuo-Kun take us out on a double date at Keyaki Mall during summer vacation?" Hearing this, Eichiiro coughed on his drink.

"A d-date?!" Eichiiro was visibly startled by her proposal, sounding flustered.

"Yeah! I mean why not? Throughout the school year, you two are rather popular. Not only that, but you two, especially Matsuo-Kun, have a very attractive appearance. When the females at this school see us on a double date with two of the most stunning underclassmen, they will be so jealous!" She guffawed a little.

"W-well that's..." Eichiiro's face had turned bright crimson, and he was stuttering. He was plainly agitated by her remarks.

"Actually, that seems like a wonderful idea. Asahina, you're a genius!" Kiryuin gave her a gentle pat on the head. "So, Kouhai-Kun, how do you feel about it? Do you agree to it?"

This was something I had to give a lot of thought to. If it had been any other girl who had invited me, I would have happily accepted the date, but this is Kiryuin we're talking about here. She was basically Koenji's feminine counterpart.

Furthermore, she is well-known among the lads in my class. They'd give me death glares for the remainder of my high school career if they saw me going out on a date with two attractive upperclassmen.

Not only that, but Kiryuin was a presumptuous and frisky young lady. We've only spoken a few times, but there's a reason I'm trying to keep my distance from her. I don't despise or have any ill feelings against her. She has a reputation for causing havoc wherever she goes. And I didn't want to be a part of it.

Regardless, these old exams will be critical to Class D's performance in the midterms. For the sake of the class, I suppose I'd be willing to put up with Kiryuin for a day. I simply hope to God, if there is one, that our prospective future date isn't too difficult.

"Fine, I understand. I'll pay the twenty-two thousand points and prepare for our date." I reluctantly gave in.

"Wait, are you serious? Don't I get a say in this?" Eichiiro voiced his opinion.

"What's wrong Matsuo-Kun? Do you perhaps have a problem with going out with us?" Asahina asked with sad puppy eyes.

"W-well, no... I've just never really gone to an official date before. Let alone a double date." He made a surprising confession.

"Wait, really? Considering how much of a hot topic you are with the ladies, I expected you'd have gone to one by now." Asahina began by addressing the topic that was on everyone's mind.

"Well, technically, I have been on an informal date. In middle school, I spent a lot of time hanging out with girls on my own. None of it, however, was ever a confirmed date. We were just hanging around as normal buddies and nothing beyond that." He went into detail about it.

"I see..." Asahina murmured to herself.

"Ayanokouji, If you want this arrangement to be final, I'll have to ask you to transfer the points ahead of time."

"Okay, but you won't be forgiven if you try to defraud us in any way. Even if you are a senior, I'll do all in my power to expel you." I declared audaciously.