"Senpaku, I am Sakamoto. What brings you here?"

A new month, a new beginning.

These minor flaws from the past can be put aside for now.

The most important thing right now is to consolidate our gains and then look to the more distant future.

He was determined to win.

First Grade Midterm Exam: Author's Note

It will be on the shelves tomorrow.

This is the first time I've had my work published since I started writing.

To be honest, I have a lot to say, but a meme just popped into my head:

I cut up a hundred books!

Haha, just kidding. I have indeed cut up many books, which is a weakness of mine as an author.

I write books primarily out of interest. Occasionally, I'll come up with an interesting idea and write a few chapters for fun. Even when I have an outline, I often get stuck because I lose interest.

The same goes for this book. It was a sudden, whimsical idea that led me to write it. At the beginning, I hadn't even thought about some basic concepts or the plot development. I just wrote a paragraph on my own, and I felt that the language wasn't very smooth. After thinking about it, I decided to have the first few chapters edited by AI and then upload them directly, so that readers could have a better reading experience.

But I really didn't expect so many people to read this book. I'm truly flattered by the sheer number of readers.

But I also realized that cutting this book might not be a good idea.

So please rest assured, readers, I will take this book seriously and at least finish it.

I will listen to your suggestions and feedback.

I am truly grateful for the support of all my readers along the way.

Regarding the plot development, I was thinking of releasing the book right after the first month of school.

Surprisingly, it actually got stuck.

Please stay tuned, readers! The plot may accelerate a bit from here on out.

There's more bad news: I didn't add any extra chapters after I published the book.

Because readers are going back to school! All the drafts are saved for the first week of school!

But rest assured, the tradition of updating twice a day will not change.

Thank you again for your support. Your continued reading is my greatest motivation to keep updating!

See you tomorrow!

First Grade Midterm Exam: Chapter 050: Hashimoto and Sakamoto

After announcing the class rankings and follow-up matters, Class A's homeroom teacher, Tomoya Majima, left the classroom.

The moment the door closed, the restrained exterior of the classroom seemed to loosen slightly.

A relaxed yet proud atmosphere filled the air.

A perfect score of 1000 points, unprecedented.

This is undoubtedly an achievement that every student in Class A should be proud of.

But the joyful atmosphere in Class A's classroom did not last long.

As the initial excitement and pride gradually subsided, some students with more meticulous thinking...

When my gaze returned to the crystal-clear ranking data on the blackboard, a sense of doubt quietly surfaced.

[Class Point Ranking]

[Class A: 1000 points]

[Class C: 910 points]

[Class B: 820 points]

[Class D: 0:00]

Class A got full marks, which is only natural.

Class D scored 0 points, which was somewhat unexpected, but considering their chaotic performance over the past month, it seemed to be within reason.

Class B's score of 820 is a good but not top-tier result, and it's still within the realm of understanding.

But Class C...

910 point?

This number, like a sharp thorn, pierced the hearts of many students in Class A.

One month into the semester, the overall impression that Class C left on the students of Class A could not be described simply as "excellent".

Disorganized, chaotic, and even somewhat unpleasant—that's the general impression most people have of Class C.

How could a class like that possibly get such a high score in an assessment that emphasizes discipline and behavioral norms?

They even overshadowed Class B, who seemed very united and proactive.

This is extremely unreasonable.

Katsuragi Kohei sat in his seat, his burly frame leaning slightly forward, his thick eyebrows furrowed.

His eyes were fixed on the scores of Class C on the blackboard.

As an active organizer and coordinator in the class, he has a sensitivity to abnormal data far exceeding that of ordinary people.

He was almost certain that Class C would achieve this score.

It is by no means based on so-called "class quality" or "effort".

The only reasonable explanation is that they knew the rules in advance.

But where does the information for the rules come from?

The first person that flashed through Katsuragi's mind was naturally Sakamoto.

It was Sakamoto who first discovered the rules and shared them within Class A by letting them explore them on their own, which led to Class A's perfect score miracle.

Did Sakamoto also leak information to Class C?

The moment the idea popped into his head, Katsuragi dismissed it.

Based on his observation of Sakamoto, Sakamoto was definitely not the kind of person who would casually spread crucial information.

Every move he made seemed to have a deeper purpose.

Then,

The problem most likely lies within Class A.

It's someone from my class.

They leaked the information to Class C.

This thought weighed heavily on Katsuragi's mind.

This means that Class A is not a monolithic entity and that there are potential loopholes and risks within it.

He secretly resolved that he must pay closer attention to what was happening within the class.

Find this possible "mole".

In another corner of the classroom, there was Hashimoto Masayoshi, with his meticulously combed blond hair and a small braid tied at the back of his head, always wearing a somewhat cynical smile.

They were also staring at Class C's bizarre score.

Masayoshi Hashimoto considers himself a somewhat special individual in Class A.

He acknowledges Sakamoto's strength and influence, and enjoys the glory and tangible benefits of achieving a perfect score in Class A.

However, unlike Katsuragi, he did not wholeheartedly endorse the operating model centered around Sakamoto.

Or rather, his understanding of Sakamoto's "laissez-faire" and unfathomable style...

There was always an indescribable sense of wariness and unease.

He prefers to have a backup plan and make multiple arrangements.

Back at the beginning of the month, after learning the rules and understanding that activities might revolve around the class,

He then began to act in secret.

He decided to find out more about the other classes first.

Class B was his first choice at the time, after all, it was only one grade lower than theirs.

His entry point was not the current publicly acknowledged leader of Class B—the sunny and cheerful Honami Ichinose.

Hashimoto, with his keen social instincts,

They chose another key figure from Class B—Ryuji Kanzaki.

Ryuji Kanzaki appears calm, reliable, and even somewhat unassuming.

However, after several encounters, Hashimoto discovered that this person was not as simple as he appeared on the surface; his words and actions revealed a subtle scheming and calculating nature.

He is clearly a strategist or similar figure in Class B.

Hashimoto did not engage in any substantive point or information exchange with Kanzaki.

They maintained a friendly, distant relationship.

He was adept at interpersonal relationships and understood that in such situations, establishing initial trust and communication channels was crucial.

It is far more important than seeking quick and easy gains in the short term.

Future class competition is inevitable, so it's never a bad thing to prepare in advance.

Through his conversation with Kanzaki, Hashimoto also learned that Class B was actively exploring the rules themselves.

Honami Ichinose is indeed guiding everyone towards better behavioral norms.

Hashimoto would occasionally "unintentionally" reveal vague, harmless information about how everyday behavior might influence evaluations.

He demonstrated value to Class B, but never touched on the core rules.

However, Hashimoto was more cautious about Class C.

He began to be in contact with Class C about two weeks after the start of the semester.

But the situation in Class C was even more complex than he had imagined.

The students in Class C have a bad attitude outside, but they seem to be completely different people in the classroom.

They all looked like model students.

He didn't directly contact the people in Class C, but he used some of his own channels.

An investigation was conducted into Long Yuanxiang, the rapidly rising new leader of Class C.

The survey results surprised him somewhat.

Although some rumors portray Ryuen as a violent delinquent.

However, the way Longyuan integrated Class C was not simply through violence, threats, or intimidation, but rather it seems that they first established absolute authority in some way.

Then... focus on guiding and improving the "quality" of class members.

He seemed to be actively correcting those bad behaviors and urging them to abide by the rules.

This way...

Hashimoto narrowed his eyes slightly, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table.

This method is practically a clumsy imitation of someone from their Class A—

Sakamoto.

That style of guiding from within, rather than forcibly suppressing,