Chapter 88: The Highly Anticipated Spring Exam
"A mayfly trying to shake a tree, huh…"
Kaguya murmured so softly it was almost inaudible. Then she lifted her head, met Asagiri's eyes head on, and spoke with calm precision.
"Are you deliberately provoking me? The reputation of the pure course isn't something I can shoulder alone on a whim."
"Oh? You're not taking the bait?"
Asagiri's voice carried an easy laugh.
Nearby, Kotoko blinked, mildly stunned.
Provocation was one thing, but admitting it this openly was a special kind of shameless honesty.
Before Kotoko could finish processing that, Asagiri smoothly pivoted.
"However, no matter what you say, in everyone else's eyes you're challenging me while carrying the pure course's reputation. You understand that better than anyone, don't you?"
Kaguya couldn't refute it.
In Shuchiin's history, nothing like this had ever happened.
Kaguya, the Shinomiya family's eldest daughter, was noble born, flawless in etiquette, excellent in both academics and athletics. The current chairman of Shuchiin's board was his brother of the Shinomiya family. Put it all together, and Kaguya was the pure course's perfect symbol.
Asagiri was the opposite in every way.
His speech, his mannerisms, his way of doing things, none of it matched Shuchiin's rigid, suffocating norm. What stood out wasn't polish, but personality, and an almost audacious individuality. He was a mixed course student who only transferred into the high school division, and on his very first day he publicly tore through the academy's unspoken wall between pure and mixed course students, with words sharp enough to cut.
Both of them were outstanding. In academics and sports alike, they stood at the top.
And yet, beyond that, they shared nothing.
It wasn't only Kaguya who awaited the spring exam, hoping for victory. Some arrogant pure course students, fully aware they could never beat Asagiri themselves, poured their hopes into her instead. They wanted to bask in reflected glory, to reclaim pride through her success.
But…
What if Kaguya lost?
She didn't want to lose, and she couldn't afford to lose. She bore the Shinomiya name. As a student, she could not accept the humiliation of losing to anyone in academics.
"Say whatever you want, but…"
Kaguya narrowed her eyes slightly. Determination glinted in her red gaze as she looked directly at Asagiri and spoke each word clearly.
"I will win."
Just then, crisp taps of high heels approached.
Ashikaga Miwa, wearing a tailored suit skirt and gold rimmed glasses, walked into the classroom with practiced composure. She glanced toward the corner where Asagiri and Kaguya stood, said nothing else, and spoke evenly.
"Utsunomiya, Shinomiya, return to your seats."
Mid sentence, her eyes caught a small white beret peeking from behind them.
"Oh, and Iwanaga. Stop hiding there and go back to your seat."
Kotoko rolled her eyes.
She wasn't hiding. Those two were simply too tall and had blocked her completely.
Even though the three of them were standing together, she had no presence at all. Not even a decent angle where her face could be seen.
In that moment, Kotoko finally understood how Kei Kato felt in everyday life.
"As everyone knows, the exam begins soon."
Once the room quieted, Ashikaga scanned the class and spoke with steady authority.
"This exam is different for Class A compared to the others. I won't be invigilating, so before we start, I'll go over what matters."
"Cheating is prohibited. There are two real time cameras in this classroom, front and back, and dedicated staff will monitor them. There will also be two invigilators present."
"There are three subjects: Arts, Science, and Foreign Language. All will be held today. The final session ends at 3 PM."
Ashikaga paused. Her gaze swept over Kaguya, then shifted to the corner where Asagiri sat, relaxed as ever.
Her tone remained calm.
"I have only one requirement. The highest average score in the grade."
She let the words settle, then added, almost with quiet anticipation.
"As for who achieves the highest individual score… as your homeroom teacher, I'm looking forward to it."
…
Half an hour later, in the board meeting hall of Shuchiin Academy.
At the head of a long table sat a bald middle aged man, neither fat nor thin, with a vaguely lewd air. He wore a smile, but arrogance flickered in his eyes as he looked toward Ashikaga seated to his left.
"Ms. Ashikaga… no, Ashikaga sensei. I'm surprised you came to the board meeting."
His sneer sharpened.
"I thought you'd already recognized your limits, accepted that you weren't capable of bearing a board member's responsibilities, and decided to focus on being Class A's homeroom teacher instead."
"Heh."
Ashikaga pushed up her glasses, not even deigning to look at him. Her reply was flat, effortless.
"After this spring exam, you'll realize how foolish those words are."
She finally glanced his way, expression unchanged.
"If I remember correctly, Kaguya from my class is your sister, isn't she? If she loses to Utsunomiya, will you still be able to keep that expression?"
"Oh?"
Oko's smile widened, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"So that's your goal. You want to use Kaguya's failure to threaten my authority?"
His tone grew disdainful.
"You're far too naive. She is merely a…"
He stopped mid sentence, catching himself.
Saying out loud that Kaguya was only a slut child, in front of this many board members, would be the same as airing the Shinomiya family's shame. And to be blunt, that "shame" came from the former head of the family, having truly fallen for a woman from a nightlife establishment.
Kouguang forced his tone back into control and changed direction.
"Even if she loses, it only proves she isn't worthy of the Shinomiya surname."
"Oh? Is that so?"
Ashikaga didn't hide her disgust. Everyone present could see it. And because she came from a true samurai noble line, she was one of the few people here who dared to openly push back against Oko Shinomiya.
"I detest you, but Kaguya is different."
Her voice was cool, sharpened by contempt.
"She is a truly excellent student. If even she isn't worthy of the Shinomiya surname…"
Ashikaga deliberately left the sentence unfinished. She lifted her coffee and took a quiet sip.
No one in this room was foolish. They understood exactly what she implied.
Kaguya excelled. National champion in archery. Top grades. Impeccable in every aspect.
Oko, the Shinomiya family's eldest son, was another story.
Put aside his birthright. His ability was questionable. Feudal thinking. Corrupt instincts. Arrogance as habit.
If he had any "strength," it was scheming and internal power games, and even that was something he displayed largely because he had the advantage of being the eldest son.
The Shinomiya family was a business conglomerate, not a court drama dynasty.
Could someone obsessed with infighting truly shoulder the responsibilities of leading the family?
"Ultimately…"
Ashikaga set down her cup and looked at Oko, whose face had soured.
"You simply don't want to admit that Kaguya, as a love child, is more capable, and more deserving of the Shinomiya surname, than you are."
Oko's expression darkened further.
"You… you…"
"What?" Ashikaga asked coolly. "Not convinced?"
"Hmph."
Oko forced his emotions down. He turned his gaze to the screen mounted in the meeting room, which displayed a live feed of Year 1 Class A's exam room. His voice was low, edged with hostility.
"I hope you can still be this confident when the exam ends."
"That is natural."
Ashikaga's expression remained steady. Behind her glasses, her eyes fixed on the large screen, on Asagiri sitting with relaxed ease, answering quickly, unhurried and unshaken.
She adjusted her glasses once more and spoke softly, almost like a vow.
"Utsunomiya Asagiri is the most outstanding student I have ever met, and the one most aligned with my philosophy."
"I've placed everything on him."
Her gaze did not waver.
"Through him, I will completely change Shuchiin Academy."
.....
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