What was discussed in the last fifteen minutes before the lunch break in the student council meeting room on the third day of school remains known only to the three people present at the time.
After that, the student council did not reach out again, and the frail-looking Ryuuen Kakeru seemed to have disappeared beneath the surface, his voice falling into temporary silence.
Meanwhile, school life continued as usual.
Classes were attended on time, meals were eaten on schedule, and club activities proceeded without disruption.
Kure Ragna had settled into his routine as well—going to school, eating lunch, and leaving with Karuizawa Kei every day. At first, their classmates were intrigued, gossiping about their relationship. But as time passed, their curiosity faded. What had once been a hot topic gradually became mundane, and eventually, people barely paid attention.
Well, almost everyone.
The exception was Kushida Kikyo.
Ever since Kure Ragna had witnessed her breakdown at the beach, he couldn't shake the feeling that her gaze lingered on him whenever he and Karuizawa were together—especially when fewer people were around.
It wasn't overt hostility, but there was something in her eyes.
Unease? Dissatisfaction? Maybe even... resentment?
But it didn't seem that serious.
Forget it. He pushed the thought aside.
Aside from Yukinoshita Haruno, everyone had seemingly accepted the reality—Kure Ragna and Karuizawa Kei were officially dating.
Yamauchi and Ike Kanji, however, had a rather bizarre reaction.
Upon learning that Kure Ragna had chosen Karuizawa over their so-called "angel," Kushida Kikyo, they went out for a celebratory feast. Apparently, they had been worried about competition, and now that the "famous male god" was off the market, they could finally relax.
Never mind the fact that Kushida had never shown interest in either of them.
Regardless, school life went on, and before anyone realized it, half a month had flown by.
And now, the end of the month had arrived.
Some were excited. Some were nervous. Some were a mix of both.
The excitement came from the anticipation of receiving their monthly allowance. Even if it wasn't as much as last month, it would likely be somewhere between 100,000 and 150,000 points.
The nervousness?
That came from the fact that today's third period was Chabashira Sae's social studies class.
Despite introducing herself as a history teacher at the start of the year, she mostly handled general subjects that lacked a designated instructor.
Not that it mattered much. Everyone knew "social studies" was just a fancy name for what was essentially a free discussion period.
Or at least, that was the expectation—until Chabashira walked in with a thick stack of test papers.
The classroom fell silent.
Wait... a test? In social studies?
Even Kure Ragna, who usually enjoyed goofing off in this class, was caught off guard.
He had built a solid reputation for engaging in witty banter with Chabashira, often turning their exchanges into unintentional comedy acts. But now? Now, there was an exam?
Chabashira's voice cut through the confusion.
"Today, we'll be conducting a monthly quiz. Pass the test papers back."
As the sheets made their way through the rows, the sound of rustling paper filled the room.
Chabashira continued, her tone as blunt as ever.
"Listen up. While this quiz isn't particularly difficult and won't have a significant impact, I still advise you to take it seriously. Next month is the midterm, and the difficulty will only increase from here."
She paused.
"And let me remind you—anyone who fails any subject in the midterms will be expelled."
The classroom tensed. No less than five students froze mid-motion, hands stiff over their desks.
Kure Ragna, however, remained unbothered.
Just because he wasn't interested in studying didn't mean he lacked the intelligence. Quite the opposite—he had a sharp mind. As long as he paid attention in class, he could absorb the material effortlessly.
Even in social studies, which he had never taken seriously, he could recall most lessons without issue.
If he wanted to, he could probably memorize an entire textbook within two days.
No big deal.
With that confidence, he flipped through the test paper.
It wasn't just a social studies quiz—there were five subjects: Japanese, Mathematics, English, Chemistry, and Social Studies.
Wait… Advanced Nurturing High School doesn't teach physics?
Newton would be furious.
For the first ten minutes, the test was smooth sailing. The questions were easy—almost laughably so.
But then, he reached the final three questions.
And suddenly, the difficulty spiked.
The shift was so drastic it was as if someone had accidentally stapled an entirely different exam to the end of the paper.
If the previous questions were simple linear equations, these were multi-variable functions tangled in a mess of symbols and logic jumps.
The last question, in particular, was a nightmare. Even a rough mental calculation told him it couldn't be solved without a full breakdown of complex formulas.
Emm... too much trouble. Not worth the effort.
He glanced sideways.
Yukinoshita Haruno, seated nearby, had also slowed down, seemingly stuck on the same section. Unlike him, though, she wasn't giving up—she had already pulled out a draft paper and was diligently working through the problems.
Wow. She's really trying.
Kure Ragna contemplated for a moment.
Maybe I should put in some effort too?
He thought about it for all of two seconds before deciding, Nah.
Instead, he picked up his pen and carefully wrote his answer:
"Obtuse angle."
Then, in the blank space, he doodled a cat. And a dog. And a turtle. And a spider for good measure.
By the time the test ended and Chabashira collected the papers, Kure Ragna had successfully turned his quiz into an impromptu art project.
Chabashira, holding the stack of completed exams, was about to leave when she suddenly stopped.
"As a side note," she said, "your P.E. teacher is currently on leave due to health issues."
A few students perked up.
"So... does that mean gym class is canceled?" Yamauchi asked, raising his hand.
Ike Kanji looked equally hopeful, as if the mere thought of skipping physical activity was a blessing.
"No," Chabashira replied flatly. "The school takes physical education seriously. You'll be getting a substitute."
Groans filled the room.
"Who is it?" Someone asked.
Chabashira thought for a moment. "If I recall correctly… his name is Mochigase."
She gave a vague warning.
"I suggest you take his class as seriously as you would an exam. Otherwise… well, let's just say you'll regret it."
That set off alarm bells.
"Wait, is he a devil instructor?"
Chabashira didn't answer. Instead, she just smirked and walked off.
Even without confirmation, a sense of impending doom settled over the classroom.
Kure Ragna, sitting in the last row, rested his chin on his hand, his expression unreadable.
Mochigase…
Could it be the one I know?
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