End of October.
Class B's classroom.
Hikigaya sat in his seat, trying to contain his excitement. Why? Because today marked the official opening of the highly anticipated hidden ramen shops.
A lot had happened recently, including the student council election, but none of it was more important than the ramen shop's opening. The school had announced the addition of two new ramen shops at Keyaki Mall—Tianxiapin and Tiger's Lair. However, being hidden stores, their exact locations weren't provided.
Hikigaya couldn't wait to start searching. Today's class felt painfully long. Just then, the school bell rang, and Hoshinomiya Chie staggered into the classroom, clearly nursing a hangover.
"No~ I drank too much yesterday. Xiao Fanbo, help me post the midterm exam results on the blackboard."
"Teacher, are you okay? Do you want to sit down and rest for a while?" Ichinose asked, her voice filled with concern.
"Yes~ I also want to drink water~" Hoshinomiya whined, acting more like a child than a teacher.
Ichinose poured her a glass of water before Hoshinomiya lazily placed the midterm report card on the blackboard.
No one in Class B found this scene unusual.
Hikigaya, however, was speechless. Was Hoshinomiya even qualified to be a teacher? He wouldn't mind having a job like that. Damn it.
As for the midterm results, everyone had passed. Hikigaya ranked 14th overall, partly due to bonus points he earned during the Sports Festival's written test. His performance was about the same as when school started.
For the middle group of Class B, the rankings were always shifting. It was normal.
"By the way..." Hoshinomiya, still clutching her aching head, continued, "There will be a quiz on eight subjects next week, but it's only for National Level 3. It won't affect your grades."
"Um?" Ichinose asked curiously, "If it doesn't affect our grades, why take it? Is it just to check our progress, like at the start of school?"
"Uh..." Hoshinomiya seemed to struggle to remember. "Right. The school will use the results of this quiz to create pairs. Those pairs will face the final exam as a community of destiny."
Hikigaya raised an eyebrow. A community of destiny? What nonsense was this?
"There are two passing criteria," Hoshinomiya continued. "First, each pair needs to score at least 60 points per subject. But the 60 points refer to the combined score of the two partners. So, technically, even if each of you scores only 30 points, you'll pass."
Class B collectively sighed in relief. That sounded manageable.
"The second requirement is that your combined score must reach a certain threshold, usually around 700 points. If the total score falls below that, the pair will be expelled from school."
Hikigaya mentally calculated. With eight subjects and a total of 800 points, each person only needed to score 350 points. Around 40 points per subject. Totally doable.
It seemed like Class B could pass this special exam easily. Hikigaya couldn't help but feel confident. Maybe too confident.
"Teacher, what about the matching process?" Ichinose asked, showing her sharp intuition.
"That's a secret until after the quiz," Hoshinomiya replied with a mischievous smile. "Oh, and one more thing. You'll be creating your own test questions, which will then be given to one of the other three classes."
"In other words, when you launch an 'attack,' your class will be in a defensive position as well, and the total scores of both classes will be compared. The winning class earns fifty class points from the losing class."
Hikigaya frowned. It sounded simple, but something about it felt off.
"What if two classes attack each other?" Hikigaya asked.
"If there's a direct duel, like Class A attacking Class B and vice versa, the points at stake will be increased to a hundred," Hoshinomiya explained.
"I see," Ichinose nodded thoughtfully. "Teacher, are there any restrictions on the exam questions we create?"
"The school will review the questions to ensure fairness. If your questions don't meet the standards, the school will replace them with pre-made ones, which are generally easier."
So much for fairness, Hikigaya thought. Adults love making their rules sound reasonable.
"When you decide which class to challenge, just report it to me the day before the quiz. If there's an overlap, representatives from each class will draw lots to settle it. Okay, that's all. See you tomorrow!"
With that, Hoshinomiya waved and left, looking more like she was running away than leaving gracefully.
Hikigaya couldn't help but think, how had Hoshinomiya not been fired yet? It was almost impressive.
After school, Ichinose called out to him.
"Hikigaya, don't leave yet. We need to have a strategy meeting."
"But I have club activities..." Hikigaya tried to wiggle his way out.
"The Wool Club, right? It's fine. We can have our meeting there."
"Uh... No, really. If it's just a little while, that should be fine."
Hikigaya forced a smile. His precious secret base, the Wool Club, was not a place he wanted invaded by the entire class.
The whole class gathered around Ichinose for the strategy meeting. As he hovered awkwardly at the edge of the group, Hikigaya glanced around, searching for a place to sit. But not wanting to intrude on anyone's spot, he opted to stay standing.
Ichinose took charge. "Although this exam doesn't seem difficult for us, we can't be careless. What do you all think about continuing our study sessions?"
"Agreed. We shouldn't slack off and risk getting overtaken by other classes."
Everyone in Class B agreed enthusiastically. Hikigaya couldn't find any reason to object.
Ichinose continued, "The pairing method is probably designed to match stronger students with weaker ones. Does anyone have other ideas?"
Kanzaki nodded. "That seems the most balanced way to distribute scores. We should confirm it with seniors."
"I'll ask around." Shibata Junqing, the reliable football club member, added. "But I doubt the third years had many dropouts, even in Class C and D."
Ichinose's eyes were filled with determination. "Then, we should take advantage of this rule to maximize our chances of success."
She paused. "Now, we need to decide which class to challenge."
The room fell silent. Everyone seemed to be waiting for Ichinose to make the decision.
"I think we should target Class A," Ichinose said firmly. "If we defeat them, we can finally reach Class A status. Even if it's just temporary, it will give us a huge advantage in future exams."
Hikigaya's eyes narrowed. Something felt off. Everyone seemed too eager to follow Ichinose's lead without question. He couldn't be the only one who thought this was a risky plan.
Yet, looking around, all he saw were supportive smiles. Was he the only one questioning this?
He hesitated, wondering if he should voice his thoughts or just keep quiet and go along with the plan.