After waiting in the cafeteria for about ten minutes, Hikaru and Iose finally saw the uppercssmaurn. He looked like he had sprinted all the way back, with sweat beading on his forehead.

  "I've got them. You trahe points now."

  The uppercssman held a stack of exam papers—five subjects from the midterms: Japanese, Math, Chemistry, English, and Social Studies. On top of that, there were additional quizzes, making for a sizable colle.

  Gng over the dots, Hikaru smiled. "Got it, senpai. Don't worry, we won't cheat you. After all, hoy is the most important virtue."

  He took out his phone and opehe friend request interface. Sihe deal amouo 15,000 Private Points, he decided not to have Iose split the cost. Given that Css 1-A members only received half of their designated monthly points, their finances were still tight.

  Oher hand, Hikaru had a surplus of points—this was the perfect ce to put them to use.

  "Here, let's add each other. I'll send the transfer right away."

  "Alright."

  The uppercssman quickly pleted the process, and moments ter, his phone dispyed a new notification.

  "Done. Senpai, you hand over the exams now."

  Hikaru pocketed his phone aended his right hand.

  "Here."

  The uppercssman, delighted to see his bancrease by 15,000 points, finally felt relieved—he wouldn't have to endure another meal of bable sets.

  "The top five are midterm exams, and the ones underh are quizzes. Since you didn't specify which quiz, I picked the first oook after entering school."

  "The answers are all included. You verify them yourselves."

  "Great."

  Hikaru passed the stack of papers to the pink-haired girl beside him, then o the uppercssman.

  "That cludes our deal. We'll take our leave now—see you around, senpai."

  "Yeah, see you."

  With the transa pleted, the two wasted no time and immediately headed back to Hikaru's dorm.

  As they walked, Iose kept her gaze fixed oack of papers in her hands. The more she read, the deeper her frown became, as if she were processing something.

  "Yetting way too absorbed, Iose. We still have several days before the midterms—there's o rush."

  Notig her intense focus, Hikaru casually reached out and blocked her view.

  "Eh? Hikaru-kun?"

  "No more reading while walking—it's bad for your eyes."

  He swiftly plucked the test papers from her hands, his tone carrying a hint of firmness.

  "Oh… okay. Sorry about that, Hikaru-kun."

  Realizing she had gotten a bit carried away, Iose's cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment.

  "I was just… too excited after getting my hands on these exams."

  "Let's get back first."

  Hikaru held onto the papers, his voice gentle.

  "After dinner, you study them as much as you want."

  "Mm."

  Ohey reached the dormitory, Hikaru unlocked the door, and Iose stepped in first. As per their earlier agreement, she would be making dinner, while Hikaru pced his bag and the newly obtaiest papers in his room.

  Helpiie on an apron, he caught a familiar, pleasant st, making his voisciously softer.

  "After we eat, we'll go over these exams together. o rush, Iose. They're not going anywhere."

  "I know."

  Rolling up her sleeves, Iose felt her heart warm at his words.

  That f feeling—she could never get enough of it.

  "Good. Apron's tied—I'll help you with dinner prep so we eat sooner."

  "Mm-hmm."

  By six o'clock, after finishing dihe two sat side by side at the table, meticulously examining the test papers.

  Just as the information suggested, the quiz questions provided by the uppercssman were identical to those they had previously taken—down to the exact order of the problems. If one memorized the answers, they could practically write them down without even reading the questions.

  "As expected… it's pletely identical."

  Holding a math test in his hands, Hikaru firmed the credibility of the information.

  "Yeah… which means there's a high ce our uping midterm will also have the same questions. Now that we have the answers…" Iurmured as she studied the correct responses on the paper.

  "But let's not rush to share this with the css just yet."

  Hikaru carefully stacked the five test papers and straightehem in his hands.

  "Why not?"

  "If we give them out now, everyone will just start blindly memorizing answers. That would render all their previous studying pointless."

  "More importantly, while the quiz questions were identical, we 't be 100% sure the midterms will be as well. If the test format remains but the questions ge, we'd be in trouble."

  "Let's see…"

  He pulled up the dar on his phohe midterms were set for Friday, which was six days away, and in two days, it would be June.

  "Sihe exams are on Friday, let's distribute the test papers on Wednesday," Hikaru expined, looking directly at Iose.

  "That way, everyone tiheir studies as phen, two days before the test, they receive this material, giving them a full day to prepare with the actual questions."

  "This way, we have dual-yer prote—ensuring high scores across the board."

  Hearing his well-thought-out pn, Iose's eyes gleamed as she smiled softly.

  "As expected of Hikaru-kun. You came up with such a solid pn in an instant."

  "It just came to me," Hikaru said with a light chuckle, handihe ly arraest papers.

  "I'll leave these with you, Iose. On Wednesday, we'll distribute them at a study group session."

  "Mm, I'll keep them safe."

  Tug the exams int, Iose lingered in his room for a while longer before finally heading back.

  Now alone in his dorm, Hikaru y on his bed, repying the day's events in his mind.

  The repeated use of midterm exams, the school's apparent leniency toward test-paper trading… his uanding of Advanurturing High School had once again shifted.

  Nearly two months had passed sihe school year began, and their grade had yet to experience a Special Exam.

  What kind of trial would it be?

  The school's Special Exams likely involved plex rules, possibly with deliberate loopholes for students to exploit—testing their ability to think critically from different angles.

  It was intriguing.

  What exactly was this scho to teach them?

  —

  By Sunday, Hikaru found himself with an uedly free schedule.

  With the study group session already pleted the previous day, and his personal review mostly done, he was fident about his midterm scores—even without memorizing the test answers.

  So, he decided to sleep in.

  But his rest didn't st long.

  The rhythmic pattering of raindrops against his baly soon pulled him out of sleep.

  "…?"

  Pushing open his window, he saw heavy rain p down in thick sheets, apanied by strong gusts of wind.

  "Well, it is summer. Sudden showers aren't that surprising."

  Shutting the window, Hikaru decided to spend the day rexing indoors.

  Rainy days made for perfeap weather, after all.

  Two hours ter, just before noon, the rain stopped.

  And then—his phone buzzed.

  Sakura Airi: Hikaru-kun, are you free today?

  "Huh? Sakura?"

  Surprised, he quickly typed a reply. Given that he had ied heavily iock, he o eh her whenever possible.

  Meanwhile, oher end, a red-haired girl sat anxiously on her bed, gripping her phoightly.

  She really wao go out with Hikaru today.

  Now that the rain had stopped, a faint rainbopeared in the sky. Using photography as an excuse, she had mustered the ce to send him an invitation.

  Hashima Hikaru: I'm free. What's up?

  Sakura Airi: I was w if you'd like to go out for some photography. The rain just stopped, and there's a rainbow outside.

  Hashima Hikaru: Sure. When do we leave?

  Her heart skipped a beat.

  She quickly typed back.

  Sakura Airi: Let's go after lunch! I'll meet you at your dorm.

  Hashima Hikaru: Sounds good.

  As soon as she got his firmation, Sakura set her phone down and eagerly opened her closet.

  If she was going out with Hikaru…

  She had to pick the perfect outfit.

  /TL - Tnx for reminding????

  ~~~

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