Chapter 8: The Association of Failures

May 1 came and went, and before we knew it, the school week wasover. Ike and the others had started listening to the teacher. Only Sudou kept unashamedly falling asleep in class, but no one tried to reprimand him. Because we hadn’t yet found a method to increase our points, he’d apparently decided not to fix his habits. However, many of our classmates grew to disdain him.

I was a little sleepy, myself. It was hard to stay awake just before lunchtime. Also, I’d stayed up late last night watching an online video. Ah, sleep would feel so nice…

“Ah?!”

Just as my head started to bob, sudden pain shot through my right arm.

“What’s the matter, Ayanokouji? You cried out. Have you started your rebellious phase or something?”

“N-no. Sorry, Chiyabashira-sensei. I got some dirt in my eye.”

Normally, the other students would have started whispering. But, wary of potentially losing points, they instead shot me pained glances. As I rubbed the sting on my arm, I glared at my neighbor. Horikita brandished her mathematical compass. This was insane. Why did she even have a compass ready in the first place? You didn’t even really need one of those for this school. After class, I immediately went over to her.

“Certain things are off limits! It’s dangerous to stab someone!”

“Are you angry with me?” she asked.

“You put a hole in my arm! A hole!”

“What? When did I stab with you a compass needle, Ayanokouji-kun?”

“You’re holding a dangerous weapon right now.”

“So, just because I’m holding something means I stabbed you?”

I’d spent most of the class wide-eyed, not because of the lecture, but the pain.

“Be careful. If you get caught sleeping, that would undoubtedly lead to a loss in points.”

Horikita had started to take action within Class D. Her protests to the school had gone nowhere. Ah, that hurt! Damn it, if Horikita ever fell asleep in class, I’d return the favor. When everyone got up for lunch, Hirata spoke.

“Chiyabashira-sensei mentioned that the midterm is coming up soon. Remember that if you fail, you’ll be expelled. Therefore, I think it would be a good idea to form a study group.”

Apparently, the hero of Class D had started another project.

“If you neglect your studies, you’ll get a failing grade and be expelled on the spot. I want to avoid that. However, studying won’t just prevent expulsion; it may also help earn points. If we receive high marks, our class’s assessment should improve as a result. I asked some of the students who scored high on the test to help prepare a study plan. So, I would like people who are anxious to come join our group. Everyone is welcome, of course.”

Hirata stared directly at Sudou while making his grand speech.

“Tch.”

Sudou averted his gaze, crossed his arms, and closed his eyes. Ever since Sudou had stomped all over Hirata’s introduction game, their relationship had been rocky.

“Starting today at five o’clock, we will plan to study in this classroom for two hours a day until the test. If you’d like to join us, please come whenever you like. Of course, I don’t mind if you need to leave partway. That’s all I have to say.”

Immediately after he’d finished speaking, several of the failing students got up and went over. There were three people with failing grades who didn’t rush to Hirata, though: Sudou, Ike, and Yamauchi. Ike and Yamauchi seemed unsure of what to do for a moment, but in the end, they stayed in their seats. I couldn’t tell whether they were afraid Sudou might lose his temper, or because they were jealous of Hirata’s popularity.

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