Partnering With First Years

The bell rang, signaling the start of lunch break.

Many things happened today with the introduction of the OAA application, which showed our overall ability in terms of grades, and the declaration of the first special exam of our second year session.

The OAA (Overall Ability Assessment) system was a new app that showed each student's scores in four areas: Academic Ability, Physical Ability, Adaptability, and Societal Contribution.

These scores were used to calculate an overall ability score, which anyone in the school could see.

The app was meant to help students improve and compete, but it also came with a warning. If a student's score got too low, there could be serious consequences.

Apparently, it was the idea of the new student council president, Nagumo Miyabi.

I didn't have much of an impression of him, other than he wanted to have a serious match with Horikita Manabu, in volume 8 of year 1.

Then, he appeared in Ichinise's breakdown volume.

But, his complete character is still unknow to me.

After explaining the OAA system, Chabashira-sensei told us about the first special exam of the year.

Basically, it was a normal test, but with a twist.

We, each of the second years have to partner up with a first year.

The tests have 5 subjects with 100 marks each.

After the results are declared, the total marks of each pair will be calculated.

If it falls below 500, then the pair have to face penalty.

And that is, expulsion for the second year, and no pocket money for the first year.

Class Rewards For Each Grade Level

The winning class will be determined based on each class's average

score, which will be derived from the scores of all members of the class and

the scores of all their partners. The Class Point rewards are fifty points,

thirty points, ten points, and zero points, in descending order of average

score.

Individual Rewards

Winners are determined based on the combined scores of each pair of

partners. The top five pairs will receive 100,000 Private Points each as a

special reward. Pairs who score in the top thirtieth percentile will each

receive 10,000 points. In the event that a pair has a total score of 500 points

or less, the second-year student will be expelled, and the first-year student

will not receive any Private Points for a period of three months, regardless

of how many Class Points their class has.

In addition, any student determined to have manipulated their scores,

such as by purposefully answering questions incorrectly, will be expelled,

regardless of their grade level. Similarly, in the event that a third party is

found to have forced another student to lower their score, that third party

will be expelled.

Methods and Rules for Determining a Partner

Students are allowed to send a partner request per day to the person

they wish to partner with, using the OAA app. If the partner request is not

accepted by the other party, your ability to send a fresh request will be reset

at 24:00.

If the other party does accept your partner request, the partnership

will be confirmed, and you will not be allowed to cancel the partnership

afterward.

*Note: The only exception to this rule is certain extenuating

circumstances, such as if the other student has been expelled or is seriously

ill.

Once a partnership has been confirmed, the OAA app will be updated

at 8:00 a.m. on the following day, and both students will not be able to

accept any new partner requests.

*Note: The names of who students have partnered up with will not be

shown in the app.

***

After lunch at the cafeteria, I walked aimlessly through the halls, still thinking about the special exam. The rules were simple enough, but the implications were heavy. Partnering with a first-year was not just about matching scores; it was about strategy, trust, and influence.

The expulsion penalty for second-years was especially harsh. One mistake, one bad decision, and you could be forced out of school. For first-years, losing their pocket money for three months wasn't as severe, but it still wasn't something to take lightly.

The rewards were tempting too. 100,000 Private Points for the top five pairs was a significant amount. It could cover a lot of expenses—or even be used strategically later. But the pressure to avoid the bottom was far greater than the incentive to reach the top.

As I continued walking, I considered the partner selection process. The OAA app would play a key role. Students would evaluate each other's abilities and send partner requests, but the limited daily attempts meant there was little room for error. If someone popular among the first-years got too many requests, they could easily pick the strongest partner, leaving the rest of us scrambling.

It also wasn't clear how the first-years would approach this. Would they aim to partner with the strongest second-years, or would they settle for whoever asked first?

Well, they are completely new to this school, so they must be quite confused about all this.

Finally, I found myself in the library.

It was quiet, with only a few students scattered among the shelves.

I picked a spot near the back, away from any distractions, and sat down.

The calm environment helped me organize my thoughts.

At the corner, I noticed a silver haired girl, quietly immersed in a bookbook, which had been an usual scenery for my lunchbreak.

However, today seemed different.

There was a boy sitting opposite to her, occasionally initiating a conversation.

It seemed that he was studying a normal second year textbook, and was taking help from the girl, whenever he couldn't understand something.

Unusual, but somehow understandable.

Her class is filled with students with below average grades in academic ability as I checked in the OAA.

So, I got up and took a seat near them.

As both of them noticed. I greeted her first.

"Hello, Shiina-san. "

"Yamauchi-kun.... Has your leg been alright? "

"Yes, it's improving."

It seemed like the whole school knew about that incident.

As Shiina Hiyori asked me with such concern, I glanced at the boy opposite to her.

"Didn't expect you to be studying, that to in a library, Ishizaki."

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A/N

The explanation of the OAA part has been summarized along with the special exam part.

And things would change with the special exams and all, from here on.

Next chapter : The First Years

Please comment down your thoughts.

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