"Your grades in Japanese, English, and Math are okay. At least, you should be able to pass. But for the other subjects… it's a bit shaky."
"So you're not too unbalanced in your strengths, but your foundation is pretty weak."
"Luckily, this midterm doesn't cover any really difficult topics…"
In the library, Hikigaya analyzed the problems on Sakura's test papers while she sat across from him, head down, gripping her pen tightly. It was unclear whether she was actually following what he was saying.
Even though this was already the second day of their one-on-one tutoring, Sakura was still just as shy and uneasy as before. Her nervousness was obvious.
Hikigaya rubbed his temples. It seemed like Sakura's issues were worse than he had thought—not in terms of grades, though. In his opinion, her scores weren't beyond saving. As long as she worked hard, she could still pull herself above the failing line.
The real problem was her unstable mindset. She couldn't focus, and she was too easily affected by outside factors. It was well known that, more than anything else, a student's mentality played a huge role in exams.
Plenty of students performed well in normal studies but ended up scoring much lower than expected during important tests. That's why Sakura's mindset was so crucial. If she had the ability to pass but still failed due to nerves, it would be a ridiculous outcome.
In that regard, Hikigaya and Sakura were complete opposites.
Hikigaya might not have reached the level of being completely indifferent to everything, but he's pretty close.
"Uh... sorry, am I just too dumb?"
The girl cautiously looked up.
"If you're dumb, then the three idiots might as well commit seppuku."
Sakura froze. She clearly recognized the nickname "three idiots" and couldn't help but let out a small giggle. But she quickly covered her mouth with both hands and lowered her head in embarrassment.
Still, it seemed like her self-doubt had eased a little.
"Hikigaya-kun, you're really funny."
Sakura genuinely admired him. Her mind flashed back to the joke about "scoring points for form" during the swimming class.
Hikigaya was confused. He didn't really get what was so funny. He had just spoken the truth. But since more than one person had said he had a talent for humor… could it be true?
"Let's go over how to approach the questions."
Hikigaya started tutoring Sakura, helping her with her studies and reviewing the basics. After the little break earlier, she was clearly in a better state than before. At least now, she wasn't just silently staring at her desk—she could actually gather the courage to ask questions when she didn't understand something.
Teaching isn't just about explaining things; you also need feedback to adjust the approach. But because of Sakura's personality, people could never really get feedback from her before, which made tutoring ineffective.
Minute by minute, time passed. Normally, these study sessions felt endless for the socially anxious and easily flustered girl, but now, before she even realized it, over half an hour had flown by. It was honestly unbelievable.
"Alright, let's take a short break."
Hikigaya stretched.
"Th-thank you, and sorry for the trouble."
Sakura said shyly.
Feeling a bit thirsty, Hikigaya decided to grab a drink and asked if she wanted anything. With a red face, she replied with the all-purpose "anything is fine."
Not long after, Hikigaya returned with two cans of coffee, only to find that Hiyori had somehow ended up sitting next to Sakura.
"Huh? Hiyori, what are you doing here?"
Normally, at this time, Hiyori should be helping her classmates with their studies. It was rare to see her alone in the library.
As he spoke, Hikigaya handed the coffee to both of them. Hiyori accepted hers without hesitation, while Sakura, after seeing Hiyori take it, nervously reached out as well.
Hiyori held her coffee in both hands, let out a sigh, and said with a troubled expression, "I've been abandoned~"
Sakura, who had just taken a sip, almost choked. Hikigaya also looked at Hiyori with a "what's up with this girl?" kind of expression. Hiyori stuck out her tongue, realizing her joke didn't land too well.
"I'm unemployed now."
Hiyori pouted and said, "My classmates don't need to worry about the midterms anymore, so they don't need me anymore either."
Hikigaya remained expressionless, already guessing what had happened.
"Hiyori, you mean…"
Hiyori sighed and nodded.
"Ishizaki-kun got his hands on last year's exam questions from some upperclassmen, so now the whole class is celebrating their 'guaranteed pass.'"
Hikigaya kept a neutral expression and asked, "What about Ryuen? He didn't stop them?"
"I don't really know. But if Ryuen-kun hadn't given the green light, Ishizaki-kun and the others wouldn't have acted on their own."
Hiyori suddenly looked a little annoyed.
"Seriously, even if they got last year's test, they shouldn't be acting like this. We worked so hard to create a good study atmosphere in class, and now it's all gone to waste!"
Her frustration wasn't about the test questions themselves but the effect they had on the class.
Until now, everyone had been studying hard to avoid expulsion— even guys like Ishizaki and Yamashita, who usually slacked off, had no choice but to pick up their books. That hardworking atmosphere was exactly what Class C had been missing.
Just when it seemed like Class C was finally making progress, everything had been reset in an instant. That was what really frustrated Hiyori.
As for whether all her tutoring had been in vain, she honestly didn't seem to mind that much.
Hikigaya could tell that Hiyori genuinely cared about the class. But some things in life don't change just because you want them to.
If Hiyori were the leader of Class C instead of Ryuen, maybe things would have turned out differently.
"I'm probably not the best person to say this, but hasn't Ryuen considered the impact of releasing the past exam questions too early? If they were only revealed on the last day..."
Hikigaya subtly reminded Hiyori.
Hiyori was stunned for a moment, then let out a bitter smile.
"Yeah, if the past exam questions were released on the last day, that would probably be the best choice. But it seems like Ryuen-kun doesn't really care about maintaining a good atmosphere in the class."
For Ryuen, as long as the students in Class C obey him completely, nothing else really matters.
Once again, Hikigaya saw how arrogant and overconfident Ryuen was. The nickname "tyrant" really wasn't an exaggeration.
The dangers of a dictator were on full display here. Ryuen was undeniably smart, decisive, and capable, but his limited "perspective" narrowed his vision.
That's why he could only be called clever, not wise.
There are countless clever people in the world, but truly wise ones are rare.
Hikigaya constantly reminded himself to stay humble. A person should never mistake what they know for knowing everything. The moment you think you know it all, you've already become ignorant.
It was obvious that after using force to become the leader of Class C, Ryuen had become overconfident. He thought he had figured out the true nature of this school and could manipulate the system.
He mistook what he "knew" for knowing everything about the school.
Whether it was dealing with Haruno or Hikigaya, Ryuen's methods always pushed the limits of the rules. He was like those people who operate in legal gray areas—always gambling.
That was probably what Hiyori was worried about.
She was clearly in a terrible mood. She had been trying to open her canned coffee for a while but couldn't get it open, which only made her mood worse.
Seeing this, Hikigaya instinctively reached out, took the can from her hand, and easily popped it open with a "click."
Hiyori grabbed it without hesitation and took a big gulp, her frustration easing a little.
Sakura, sitting next to them, silently watched this scene. She lowered her head, looking at the can in her own hands, then at the pull-tab, full of confusion.
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