Chapter 18: Paper Shuffle Announcement

A/N: I just realized that my new written review two days ago wasn't shown at all... 

Out of some reason, whenever I'm publishing it, it's just shown for me, but not any other person. I'm deleting it, writing it anew, but still, it's just being shown to me, again.

I thought that I might have used an 'offensive' or not wanted word, as WebNovel might delete it automatically, perhaps, but the only thing I mentioned was that I'd consider writing R-18, perhaps...

On my Laptop it's being shown as success, but somehow, it still doesn't upload. Really annoying...

Laptop, Phone, Computer, none of that works, so well, WebNovel really hates me... Anyhow, here's the picture of Hiyori. I thought it would work there, but doesn't seem to be the case... 

[Image:]

Does anyone perhaps have the same problem like me? Or is this an issue because I'm the author of the fic? 

Anyhow, here's the Chapter.

--

[Kurushima Pov]

[13th October, 8.31]

Right now, everyone was quite concerned regarding the results of the midterm Exams. While most of us knew of the opportunity to buy points introduced by me, they also knew our class was rather mediocre regarding academics.

If too many failed, how would we be able to buy themselves these Points? Besides, nobody wanted to be at fault for reducing the Points at the Class Bank, which is responsible for managing our Private Points all-put together. 

Especially, since we were now allowing fewer Points from now onwards, as we lost in the Sports Festival 150 Class Points. 

An amount of 45,000 Private Points sounds for many of my classmates too much, as we will only get 88,700 Points allotted now, so we agreed to allot 30,000 Private Points. 

It wasn't like I cared for it, since I had with these two accounts together, an amount of nearly 20 Million Private Points.

They were both, after all, under my name registered, so it means, these two phones, and their respective Private Points, were also mine. They have no reason to doubt me, but they better should... actually. 

[Kurushima Kaoru:]

[Private Points: 9,704,184 - 250,000]

[Private Points: 9,454,184

[Class Bank:]

[Private Points: 8,510,000]

Coming from next month onwards, I'd get additional 200,000 Private Points from Nagumo, alongside the 1,170,000 Private Points from my class.

I didn't need them quite anymore, but well, you never know what the future holds.

Perhaps, I might be... expelled? Haha, no, of course not. 

But she'll need them, once I leave.

I guess, I'm leaving her with that much, huh, then?

Nagumo's Private Points in the future, once he graduates, all of my Private Points, her invaluable position in Ryūen's class.

No matter what, she wouldn't get expelled, once I leave. Ryūen also has plentiful amounts of Private Points, so she won't get expelled.

But why? If she also were to drop out, we could still...

No, I'm not going to have her drop out, because I will. She should stay here, in this school, and ensure her future.... 

I'm just ensuring that nothing happens to her, at all.

It's better this way, right?

Yes... probably...

I'll soon become a Monster, after all, and then, the boy she loved once, won't exist anymore, in reality... 

I really had to fall in Love in my limited stay here, huh? It really makes me feel complicated about everything so suddenly...

Anyhow, that's not the precise time to space out.

"I hope I passed the Midterm Exams," Ike exclaimed.

"If you're still failing the Midterm Exams now, after all the learning we did, I don't know what to say anymore..." Horikita exclaimed.

Horikita, Kushida, Hirata, Yukimura, and I formed learning groups regarding the Midterm Exams, with 7 people each, aside from Yukimura's one with 6, which results in 34 Students in total, as Koenji wasn't taking part in them. 

However, they were slightly sorted differently, this time. 

I was in charge of taking the students with low academics, since I was to my surprise a great teacher according to them, who could easily explain the different subjects, where many of my classmates were still lacking.

Although, people like Sudo, Ike and Yamauchi still preferred their old learning group, that with Horikita.

In particular Sudo, since he liked Horikita. 

"Let's trust Suzune," shouted Sudo, to Ike and Yamauchi. 

Horikita gave him apparently a side-glance, since Sudo corrected himself, "I mean, Horikita."

I heard of it from Sudo, if we were to win, he got from her the allowance to call her by her first name; Suzune. But as we lost, he didn't, anymore. 

A bit later, our teacher, Chabashira Sae, walked in. Without saying anything at all, the scores were slowly revealed, by her. 

Beginning from the lowest score, to that of the highest, in the end. Sudo's name, contrary to what everyone believed didn't appear first. It was rather that of Yamauchi's, who was at the last place. 

"Oh!? Oh!? You're kidding!?"

Ike, slightly having a smirk, had immediately lost it, when he saw his name being next on the list. "The second to last place? Are you kidding me?!"

Soon after, the next couple of people were announced. Sotomura scored better than usual, as he got a 10-Point Deduction due to him placing last place in nearly all the competitions at the Sports Festival, receiving the penalty. 

"Haah..." he sighed out of relief. 

"Professor, you did it."

"Damn right!"

After six additional people were revealed, it was now Sudo's turn, as he was the 12th Person, having moved up from last place to 12 spots up. His scores averages about 57 Points, a fairly well feat, considering his prior results. 

"I've smashed my personal-record by so much in one go!!! Do you see it!? Furthermore, it almost averages out to 60 points!"

As soon as Sudō found his results, he shouted and stood up, dancing around happily.

"That score isn't worth making a racket over. You've only been saved due to the sports festival. It's honestly a broken system if you ask me."

"Oooh dammit..."

Sudō was shut down by Horikita's harsh words. He quietly returned to his seat, a bit discouraged.

After everyone else names were revealed, it was as usual time for the 1st Place, myself.

"And once again, you score an Average of 100 Points, Kurushima. Do your best in the next exams, too," Chabashira-sensei said.

I nodded simply. "Will do."

"The unbeatable number one, huh? I don't think I will be ever able to overtake you, Kurushima-kun."

"I was lucky. That's all."

Seeing how she wouldn't make any progress by refuting what I said, she asks me something else. "By the way, how's your injury, Kurushima-kun?"

"Fairly well. I'm still getting used to the constant pain in my ribs, but with the help of painkillers, I feel certainly a lot better."

Not that I'm using painkillers, though. There's no need for it. I don't feel much pain. If I ever feel pain, it's regarding my emotional state. Physical Pain... it's not even a percentage of all my emotional pain.

"Good to know," I smiled, slightly awkwardly, asking myself what I am even doing. 

I never really was an Extrovert, as a matter of fact. I was an Introvert, who likes to daydream a bit. So I'm still to that extent not accustomed to all this. I only talked with Aoki, in the last seven and a half years, actually. 

My progress, it certainly is quite impressive. Never did I think, this would be possible for me.

But it's also, because I don't have to be that careful around mere children, in the end. My entire life resolved of being careful of those who tried to use me after their death, so I began to get reserved, very quickly.

Although I used to initiate conversations in my Private Middle School sometimes, from the amount of times I visited it, but it never was genuinely from my side.

I did it, because getting into ANHS was easier if you weren't home-schooled, as a matter of fact, and more of the cooperative and good side, apparently.

Nurturing the Elites of Japan?

I knew I was one, always was, but I never wanted to rely of this being only possible through being their child, in actuality.

I was prideful, in my abilities, I honed over these past years, so if, I wanted to be accepted, through that, not by my Status. 

Once they died... my progress was exceptionally immense, something my lazy self would have never done, before, truthfully.

I was exceptionally gifted, but before their deaths, I wasn't particularly interested in anything else, besides my siblings... 

Making them a joy, that was the thing I loved the most. Reading books, helping them with homework, playing with them, it was...

Undeniable precious, something I'd have loved to enjoy more...

Their futures, their chances, their lives, their laughters, it was taken away from them... All of it...

At the very least, I'll make sure your children feel the same thing. Expelling them, ruining their future outside, so you'll know, how that feels.

Only then, I think, I'll be satisfied, in the end. 

"And you, Kurushima? Have you gotten used to the school?"

Suddenly, I saw our teacher, who was in front of me, speaking to me. I looked up awkwardly, having missed the conversation she had, with Hirata, I presume, since she came from his direction to that of mine. 

She must have asked him the same question, then?

Does she want to confirm something with her question? Whether we'll stand with our position, not letting anyone be expelled or something else?

In an awkward manner, I answered. "Ah... It's been fun, lately. I've met interesting people, found friends, a girlfriend, and I'm enjoying the campus-life, fairly well. It's far different than Kyoto, if I'm being honest...."

"Kyoto? Ah, I remember, you lived there until you enrolled here, didn't you?" 

"Yes, I did. It's a beautiful city. Very beautiful, actually. My family already lives there since generations, I believe."

"I see... Do you also plan to study there?"

"Study, huh? The University of Kyoto isn't really a bad choice, but as of now, I'm not quite sure, truthfully. It's between that, or the University of Tokyo."

Was she actually asking me indirectly of my well-being? As someone who knows of my past, it might be possible.

Unlike Ayanokoji, she never threatened me, to achieve something, like Class A before.

I just randomly caught up on it actually, at the cruise ship, since I had forgotten Icarus was playing there, so I wanted to at least, see it.

But what I saw was Chabashira-sensei threatening Ayanokoji, at the very back row of the seats, where no students were. 

But was it really that bad for Ayanokoji to return outside, and attend a normal high school?

He did say once, his parents were strict, so I guess, that wasn't a lie, after all...

His cold and apathetic eyes, must come for that sole reason, don't they?

Perhaps, he was unloved by his parents, that would explain it, at the least...

Do I really want to ruin someone else's future, who isn't involved in all of this? 

Yeah... he isn't my target, after all.

It's just Chairman Sakayanagi, his daughter, Arisu Sakayanagi, and Ryuji Kanzaki...

Now that Plan A works perfectly, I don't have to worry about him, truthfully.

I wanted to cause a mass-expulsion, and wanted to assess the ability of him, and those, who might be able to realize it, or prevent it.

But more than anything, I still wanted to remain anonymous, even then, so I was actually eager to test out, those who might be a threat to that plan, along him.

But it's not needed anymore.

I made my own poison, with the things I got from the Island Exam, and a couple of other things, here from the school. 

Although he injured Hiyori... she wouldn't want me to expel him, regardless of it. She's very forgiving, actually. 

Haah... I'm not even sure, what I want to do, regarding him, actually...

In a kind of sense, I understand what he did, testing out, whether I'm loyal to the class or not. It's just the method, I dislike, of injuring her, precisely...

Since no one tested whether I'm loyal to the class or not, he wanted to know of it, tested it, and did it with the means available for him, currently...

I admit...

I wouldn't want to fight myself, after all, too.

I know better than anyone else of my abilities, so I really would be afraid, if my opponent were like me, someone trained to perfection. 

In that sense, I understand his thought process, very well. I'm the best leader they could ask of, but I could also become their greatest enemy, if I wanted.

Testing that, what Horikita and the others could never ever do, is something he accepts to do. 

"You're from Kyoto? Not Tokyo?" The person who interrupted me out of my thoughts was Horikita, who seemed to be greatly surprised.

"Is it that surprising?"

"Yes, of course. I think everyone here is from Tokyo, or at least near to it. I didn't think you'd be coming from so far away, actually."

A couple of people nodded. "So it's that surprising, huh? I thought it was quite normal, if people came from Kyoto or Hokkaido here, in this school..." he muttered.

Horikita shakes her head in disdain, looking at me in awe. She's unable to understand me, but well, I couldn't care less of it, her understanding me. 

"How is it? Kyoto, I mean, Kurushima-kun?" Mei Yu Wang asked, curious apparently. 

She's a good friend of Hiyori, isn't she? Yeah, one of her few friends, along those of her class, I guess. 

"I can't describe it actually in words, but it's tremendously beautiful. The Atmosphere, the climbing of Mount Hiei-zan, and in particular, gliding down with the Eizan cable car from the mountain, until you can see the Lake Biwa. There's so much to tell, but in short, Kyoto is really breathtaking."

We always lived in Kyoto, as small as I remember. We lived near Nagaokakyō, since their work was at Osaka. Although Osaka was a bit away, we wanted to live in Kyoto at all costs, including my parents, too. The Mansion, was very... special, for us.

It was more of a family tradition, perhaps, because Kyoto, or the place we lived, was somewhere where my family lived for entire decades.

My grandfather, before he died, made the mansion far more modern, and bought a couple of other properties, to make it larger, while my father enrolled in the new governmental high school, known now, as ANHS.

The Advanced Nurturing High School was founded by the Government in 1985, my parent's enrolled 1987, so they were the 3rd Generation, of the school, in fact, you might say so.

Once my parents married after school, they studied actually at Tokyo first, before later moving and changing in Kyoto, studying there.

In the early 1990's, the financial crisis hit Japan, affecting grandfather much, which made him lose his company, his shares, but the only thing he was able to ensure, was the mansion, and a minimal amount of money, for the marriage and tuition for my father and mother.

The wealth stagnated so much, to the point, the only thing we had, was the mansion, with very hard efforts. Not soon after, two years later, Grandfather died, but the mansion, was still in our possession.

Around that time and later, the company founded by my parent's became a huge success, and years later, they bought the company of my grandfather, who died. It was at that time it became a conglomerate, and later, into the one it is now.

Until January 2005, my Father worked in the conglomerate, until entering politics, to change Japan, into a better country. He was one, you could consider a true politician, who cared for his people.

Not the old geezer's currently, who run the office.

I'll change it, definitely, Father. The things you wanted to achieve, I'll make sure it'll happen.

You died too soon, to make any actual changes, in Japan. You were, after all, only two years long a politician, from January 2005, until July 1... 2007.

2007... just mentioning that year, brings me back my most miserable memories. Just when we solved the things with the inheritance Tax, at August 1st, and fined a 100 Billion Yen successful lawsuit against the car company days after, the World Global Crisis happened, on the 7th August...

But the people who benefited from my family's deaths the most... were Kanzaki and Amasawa.

Kanzaki's Father bought himself 1,3% of the shares after their death, alongside Amasawa, a billionaire Investor, who obtained 4,2% of the shares, overall.

1,5% from me, because these damn banks didn't buy everything, no matter what we did, so we had to sell it to someone else.

Before the share prices would decrease even further, I had to get down with the fact that he was the best choice, among all.

Some of them would likely not sell it back, but he'd.

He told it to me, at that day, clear in my face. Once I hit the age of 20, the age when I'm officially an adult and able to oversee their wealth on my own, he'll offer me to buy them back, but the price was... exceptionally high.

Damn Bastard...

Anyhow, I'm shifting away, remembering once again, details of my past. I can think of these things later always, so why do I reminisce myself of my past in these kinds of situations?

Recomposing myself, I continue. "I suggest everyone to visit it, at least, once! It's great there. Really great. It's an experience nobody should miss."

Unlike usual, I was talking more brightly, with deep enthusiasm.

Of course, Kyoto was my hometown after all, the place where I lived my entire life, mostly, so it's a very positive place, for me, personally, mostly.

My family died in Osaka, and I was left, in the huge mansion, unable to visit half of the rooms, even now. 

It was the largest mansion in Kyoto, I believe, with a length of 300 Meters, and wide of 200 Meters. Although, it was located on the outskirts, though, so there weren't any issues at all, having such a large property, despite it being Kyoto, where you don't have such large properties and estates.

It's Japan ancestral city, after all. 

"Ahem," Chabashira coughed, indicating me to be quiet.

"I'm sorry, Sensei, I got carried away by my enthusiasm."

"No problem, Kurushima. I'll be continuing, then, if it's fine for you?" With a slight smile, she remarked at me.

Slightly embarrassed, I nod my head. "Please continue."

"As I'm sure you all know, there will be an eight-subject quiz next week as part of the second semester's final exam. I think some of you have already started studying for the exam, but I'll remind everyone again."

"Eh!? I'm just now feeling relieved that the midterm exam is over! Another test!?"

The cold season has begun, and students who aren't adept at studying will only continue to suffer from here. There will be a swift barrage of tests in the near future that students will not be able to escape. In particular, the interval between the second-semester exams is a short one.

"There's a week left until the quiz!? I haven't heard anything about this!"

Despite Ike's shouting, the teachers of each subject had been constantly informing students about the upcoming quiz. Some couldn't help but feel like sighing at his ignorance of the situation.

"Saying that you haven't heard of it isn't going to work, I'd love to tell you otherwise, but I can't. Regardless, don't worry too much about it, Ike."

Chabashira-sensei smiled as if she was extending a thread of salvation to him.

However, we're all learning to know better than to think it's done purely out of kindness.

"Really sensei? So I can take it easy then!? Booyah!"

Chabashira-sensei took her eyes off Ike and continued:

"First of all, the quiz will have 100 questions for a total of 100 points, but the subject matter of the quizzes will be at the same level as what is expected of a third-year middle school student. That is to say, this quiz will serve as a means for us to confirm whether you remember your foundations or not."

"Moreover, like the mock exam from the first semester, these quizzes will not have any influence on your grades. Even if you score a 0 or a 100, it doesn't matter. It will be used solely to determine your current ability."

"What do you mean by influence? Tell us in a way that we can understand." Many of us understand why Sudō wants to ask for more information. 

"It would be nice to explain it to you in a way that makes it easy for you to understand, Sudō. The school has stipulated that the results of this quiz will be used as a basis to pair you up with someone else in the class."

"Pair?" Hirata expressed his doubt over the word that seemed the most out of place.

"That's right. The pairing created from the quiz will share the same fate and challenge the final exams together. The exam will be worth 100 points for each of the 8 subjects, and each subject will have 50 questions, for an overall total of 400 questions."

She continued with her explanation of the Exam, later known as 'Paper Shuffle', in which she listed the requirements, such as, the possibility of achieving 700 Points in total to pass, it could be also, lower, however.

It wasn't known to us, currently. Because if some people were sick, the total score might differ, in the end.

I didn't listen as attentively anymore, actually. I did, partially, while I did not. 

I thought of questions, wrote in the meantime the scores down of everyone from the blackboard down, while listening to the end. 

"That's it for the preliminary explanation of the quiz and final exam. The rest is up to you to think about."

Chabashira-sensei summed it up this way, and with that, today's class came to an end.

Hirata approached me, immediately. "Kurushima-kun, do you have any ideas? Who'll attack us, and who won't? And how we're able to get through this all-together? Unfortunately, I don't have any ideas currently..." said Hirata, in slight hope, thinking of how I can save our classmates. 

I nodded. "I do."

"You really know a method, Kurushima-kun?" Hirata asked, happily.

I nodded. "I do. As a matter of fact, it's quite easy to manipulate the pairings we'd like to have. Any ideas—perhaps, Hirata, Horikita, Yukimura? Don't worry, I'll announce it a moment later, regardless, but I want you to think, because it's quite easy, actually."

I don't want them to overly rely on me. I knew very well how many people relied on me, but... I had my own goals, in the end.

Staying at this school... wasn't one of them.

I'm not sure how long I'll be here, but at least, it's going to be until Hiyori's birthday, since it'll take a while, to expel Sakayanagi and Kanzaki.

Ayanokoji and Ryūen can deal with Kanzaki, after all, he should be 'Y' in both of their minds, as the likeliest suspect, so I'll deal with Sakayanagi, in the meantime. 

She'll regret it, very soon. Although, this exam might prove to be an opportunity, it isn't, in the same time, at all.

I didn't bring Chairman Sakayanagi to talk yet, so expelling her now, by framing her partner for cheating... wouldn't be logical at all.

It really had to be around this corner of time, didn't it?

The Paper Shuffle, I mean. It's both the perfect exam to expel someone, yet, I can't use it, to my advantage, for any of these two.

If I were to expel Kanzaki now, also, all my efforts into making Ryūen and Ayanokoji believe Y is Kanzaki would be in complete vain.

Besides... it's too soon, yet.

I'm not sure if Chairman Sakayanagi truly knows valuable information, so in case, I'll have to befriend Kanzaki, approach his father, and thus get the information from his father, in case...

Both are protected, currently, ironically... 

But it wouldn't be fun, either way, if I were to expel them now. Once these two reach the apex of despair, I'll expel them.

They're just blessed, since until December 11th, I can't do anything, for now.

Hahaha, talk about bad luck, huh?

Hiyori... should I help your class, again?

I helped your class in the Island Exam, because I wanted Private Points, initially, since I had a video recording of two people in your class bullying someone else, actually.

Extorting your class, gaining Private Points, gaining security against expulsions, and, as a matter of fact, gaining influence, and manipulating your class, the way I would like...

I had many plans for your class....

But contrary to what I believed, once I read the manual at the start of the exam and saw that 'venomous' snakes were present on the Island, I couldn't help but think of my excitement nourishing me, at that time. 

It was the precise reason I spaced out so long—because it felt so surreal, actually. Opportunities, like that, suddenly opened themselves up to me. There's no way; I wouldn't use them, at all.

To make it even better, not soon after, I found poisonous berries on the island. In the end, I also let myself deliberately bitten by many of these snakes, actually.

While I did say that I was doing it, to figure out whether Ryūen was there or not, it wasn't like that, in truth.

I wanted to make Ibuki aware of that location, so I used Yukimura, led her there, once I got the opportunity, and made her realize it, thus being able to successfully retire, without anyone's suspicion.

That was my plan, in the end. 

Once I forcefully got retired, having fooled everyone, I hid from the medic a couple of locations where I was bitten, so I could extract the poison myself, putting the fluidity of the venomous poison later in one of the water bottles, which I hid...

Manipulating your class, making your class advance, testing Ayanokoji and his abilities, placing hindrances for him, deceiving him and everyone else in the school, increasing my popularity, obtaining several poisons, planning my forced retirement from Ryūen, the mysterious Y appears who's believed to be in Ichinose's class, who's suspected of being Kanzaki, of course—everything went so perfectly, in just a matter of days.

The Inhabited Island Exam was really special, after all...

I never expected myself to do these kinds of things, actually, when I first heard the Teacher's announcement of the survival exam, truthfully. 

But in the end, I was successful, as always.

I did a few other things, too, like constructing the Faraday Cage, which was quite important, of not having anyone figure out me being Y, or observing every one of their sleeping hours and their rhythm.

Ayanokoji included, at day one, since I hardly could sleep, without my sleeping pills, so I could snuggle the Anagram's later, to Ryūen, which I realized, you'd solve easily, Hiyori.

We weren't a couple, at that time, so I, too, used you, for my plan...

I'm hardly better than Ayanokoji, yet I want to judge him of what he did to you? What hypocrisy of me...

But Hiyori... would you still be fine, dating me, if you knew of my manipulative side?

Perhaps... she might?

Because this side, is also a part of me, of Kurushima Kaoru...

But perhaps she also won't...? 

Anyhow... I'm drifting away, once again.

Being an introvert, yet acting like an extrovert, is truly not an easy task, at all. 

I should focus myself, on the class again. 

Horikita thought a bit, until she realized it, I presume. As expected, it didn't take for her much time to realize it. She grew, after all, in comparison to before. 

I helped a bit regarding her development, but it was Ayanokoji fairly, who made it possible, in fact. 

Giving her a thumbs up, I signaled for her to explain it. "Kurushima-kun, you said we could manipulate the pairings, didn't you? That itself, was a pretty big hint, wouldn't you say so?"

"Perhaps... but mind explaining it?" I teased her slightly.

"I'm not sure why you want me to explain this, despite you having figured it out already, but fine, whatever. There's a possibility of us being put into the pairs we'd like. The method Kurushima-kun was hinting at is regarding the oncoming quiz tests, that decide in which pair we're."

"If we remember well what Sensei said, there was a rule: 'high scores will be paired with low scores'. In that principle, if Sudo-kun were to score 0, and Kurushima-kun 100, those two would be paired together, as they're the farthest away."

"If the high scores among our class were to score high in the quiz, while those with low scores don't write anything, they'd be put together, in the end."

Horikita suddenly moved towards the blackboard, writing it on it. "From that, we could deduce four kinds of different pairing groups that can be made, based on our academics. Group 1, the high level; Group 2, the mid-high level; Group 3, the mid-low level; and Group 4, the low-level academic students."

"Group 4, the people with academic low ability, will leave their test sheets blank so they'll get paired with Group 1, the high-level academic students, while Group 2 and 3 will be paired together, Group 3, writing one right answer, Group 2, writing 2 and more answers right."

"With that, we should be able to ensure that we're 'manipulating' our pairings the way we want. If you hadn't used the word 'manipulate', I wouldn't have realized this, Kurushima-kun. You gave us a big hint."

"Not really. I just formulated Sensei's words slightly differently. Anyway, good job, Horikita-san! I knew you could do it." 

"Kurushima-kun... you're certainly very impressive, being able to catch onto this so quickly." Horikita murmured. 

"Is that so? I'm just a bit attentive, that's all," I said, with a slight smile.

I coughed. "We should stop now. A couple of eyes are in our direction." I said, glancing over to someone, who was hiding himself.

Horikita and the others looked to the side, seeing a blonde-haired guy, looking at us, slightly smiling and waving. 

"Let's talk tomorrow in the lesson further."

Everyone nodded, deciding to leave.

In the meantime, I wondered, whether Kushida would use this as her chance, to get Horikita out of this school. 

If that's so, I won't interfere.

After all, she should be able to deal with her on her own. Someone like Kushida, shouldn't pose a threat to her, should she?

If she does regardless, I might have overestimated you, Horikita Suzune...

If I leave, or happen to change classes, how are you supposed to lead the class, then, if you can't even deal with someone like Kushida?

After all, you shouldn't rely on Ayanokoji, too.

I doubt he's doing this for any small reason, like wanting to help you; he's doing it for himself, in the end. 

As for his reason...

I'm not sure...

I don't know him, after all...

--

A/N: And this concludes the chapter.

Yesterday, I wrote one chapter completely anew, which is now, a SS Chapter. Perhaps, you might be interested in reading it.

It's not long, just about 600 words. It's Chapter 8, in V1, since I had written, Chapter 1 to 7 anew. 

Kurushima sadly can't expel Kanzaki nor Sakayanagi, yet.

They're really lucky, currently, it seems. 

Also, do any of you have perhaps any suggestions regarding this fanfic?

Or any particular wishes? 

The Paper Shuffle is one of the rather boring Exams, but since the class rankings are so near, it shouldn't be that boring. 

Here, just as an overview, the class rankings:

[Class A: 922] - Ryūen

[Class B: 877] - Kurushima

[Class C: 824] - Sakayanagi

[Class D: 545] - Ichinose

Although, they'll be applied on the 1st November, so Kurushima is still technically in Class A, currently. 

Our Dragon-boy got manipulated into Class A, really, quite interesting.

Did any of you see the illustrations of Y2 V11, yet?

Hiyori draws the Joker Card from Morishita Ai...

But I also read on reddit, some say, Ryūen or Sakayanagi might be expelled...

...

First Takuya, and now any of these three?

Mate... I'll do them justice here in this fanfic...

...

Anyhow, how do you feel about Kurushima? How smart or how good is he, in your opinion? 

Do you feel he's justified in his revenge? Or rather not?

I would love to hear your opinions. Anyway, that'll be all.

Have a great day.