The first history exam concluded under a cloud of suffocating tension that hung over the entire class.
No one uttered a single complaint.
No one pointed fingers at Hirata.
Yet this… only made Hirata torment himself even more.
The moment the first exam ended, he headed straight for the restroom. Ayanokoji, seated behind Amane, followed him out with barely a trace of movement.
All of this unfolded under Amane's watchful gaze.
Not that she felt particularly affected by it.
Right.
Just as the words implied, she genuinely hadn't found the exam difficult in the slightest. She'd already mastered tests of this caliber by the age of ten.
The main reason she'd been permitted to attend classes outside her home was that she'd completed all her master's degree requirements.
Amane had achieved that goal three years ago. To her, these questions were child's play.
But the mood among her classmates was heavy.
She couldn't afford to stand out too much. Here, they called it "reading the room." A friend of hers had once been utterly exasperated by her lack of this very social sense.
Even now, Amane wasn't exactly skilled at picking up on the atmosphere.
Instead, she compensated with another method: cold reading.
By analyzing the psychological state of those around her, she could infer the prevailing mood and determine what expression she ought to wear.
Amane glanced back at Horikita. Horikita was flipping through her textbook with a worried look on her face.
Clearly, she too had been misled by Chabashira-sensei during their review sessions.
But given Horikita's abilities, even performing at eighty percent would be enough to pass.
Seeing that Horikita had started reviewing, Amane decided not to disturb her.
Instead, she went to find Meiyu-chan.
"Amane, aren't you going to use this time to review?"
As Amane approached, Wang Meiyu's face showed a hint of confusion. That innocent, slightly clueless, and bashful expression made one want to pinch her cheeks.
But Amane held back her impulse.
She had questions she wanted answered.
"Meiyu-chan, did you think the last exam was difficult?"
Amane chose her words carefully.
Still, it sounded a bit odd.
Sure enough, Wang Meiyu's face also showed a flicker of puzzlement.
"Huh? But Amane, you just took it too… Oh, I see. So that's how it is. You're really amazing, Amane."
???
What exactly did she understand?
Amane really wanted to know what Meiyu-chan had figured out.
But she felt it might be impolite to ask directly.
"It seems you're even more incredible than I thought. The exam content had practically nothing to do with what we focused on during review. Someone who usually scores sixty would probably only get around twenty this time. As for me, I'd guess my score is somewhere in the nineties."
Though her tone was soft and carried a lack of confidence, the content of her words was convincing.
Wang Meiyu usually scored around a hundred. This time, it had dropped by about ten percent.
On the surface, it didn't seem like much.
But in reality, it was a dangerous sign. Scoring a hundred usually meant the test's upper limit was a hundred.
But this exam had somehow slashed Meiyu-chan's undiscovered upper limit down to ninety.
If that was the case, Meiyu-chan's estimate was probably accurate. Which meant Class D was likely in big trouble.
If those who usually scored sixty could only manage twenty now, then those who normally scored below sixty might as well be relying on pure luck.
Had Hirata already guessed this was Class D's fate? Was that why he was in such a state?
"I understand. Thanks, Meiyu-chan."
"Ah… it's nothing, really. We're good friends, after all."
Good friends.
"Yes, we're good friends."
"Um…"
Wang Meiyu seemed to want to ask something but was hesitating.
"Did you want to ask me something, Meiyu-chan?"
Amane looked at her curiously.
"Amane, your face has been completely expressionless today. You look so serious… it's a little… scary."
Only after Wang Meiyu mentioned it did Amane realize. She'd been trying to blend in with the class mood and hadn't switched her demeanor back.
"Well, everyone is being so serious. If I were laughing and joking around, people would talk."
Amane's usual smile returned to her face. Wang Meiyu thought about it and had to agree. She patted her fairly ample chest in relief.
"So that's why. You scared me! I thought you were angry or something."
"Not at all~ You must be tired from studying so hard lately, right? How about we go see a movie this weekend? My treat."
"Do you really have time, Amane?"
Since when did Wang Meiyu learn to tease people?!
"Probably…"
Under Wang Meiyu's gaze, even Amane felt a bit uncertain.
"You and Horikita seem really close. I often see you two together." As soon as the words left her mouth, Wang Meiyu covered it with her hand.
It sounded a bit like she was jealous.
Sure enough, Amane gave her a playful wink.
Instantly, Wang Meiyu's face turned bright red.
"Let's see how our schedules look then."
After making plans with Wang Meiyu, Amane returned to her seat.
Her expression shifted back to the seriousness that allowed her to blend into the class.
Wang Meiyu was left marveling to herself. Both she and Amane had achieved perfect scores on the entrance exam.
She'd originally thought the gap between them couldn't be that large.
But Amane's performance made her realize there was always someone better.
If a person couldn't judge the difficulty of an exam, there were only two possibilities: either they didn't take it, or their ability far surpassed the exam's level.
If you aced it effortlessly, you'd have no sense of how the difficulty had changed.
Amane was one of those monsters.
Wang Meiyu was certain of it.
Amane's natural expression held no pretense.
Meaning, she genuinely hadn't felt this exam was difficult at all.
"Amane really is incredible. I need to work harder too."
--+--
Unlike the classroom shrouded in silence, the boys' restroom echoed with the sound of a furious roar.
"Why did it turn out like this?! Damn it!! Why didn't anyone tell us?!!"
Hirata screamed hoarsely at his own useless reflection in the mirror.
But here, no one could answer him.
Chabashira-sensei's actions baffled him.
Why?
It didn't seem like she had simply forgotten.
Which meant Chabashira-sensei had deliberately created this situation.
What was she trying to achieve?
No!
Hirata stopped himself.
He didn't dare follow that train of thought. Because no matter how he reasoned, he kept circling back to one word.
[Screening]
Filtering out those who still had value.
And discarding the useless dregs.
Hirata understood Chabashira's intention, but he refused to accept that reality.
"You seem to be in pain, Hirata?"
The moment Ayanokoji's flat voice cut through the air, Hirata's shoulders jerked violently.
He forced a strained smile.
"Sorry, am I holding up the space?"
Hirata moved aside from the sink.
Ayanokoji walked over and began washing his hands.
"There's still a chance."
"Huh? What do you mean, Ayanokoji?"
"I said, we still have a chance to grasp that last shred of hope. But I'll need your help."
Ayanokoji looked squarely at Hirata, speaking words that Hirata couldn't simply ignore.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.