Classroom of the Elite: Standing Firm in Class A — Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Kushida Kikyo Obtains the Past Exam Paper

“I know.” Kaedehara Tetsu’s expression didn’t shift by a single fraction. “That is precisely why the price I am offering is a flat rate for the entire class. There are thirty-nine students in Class D. Divided evenly, each person only needs to contribute a little over a thousand points. I find it difficult to believe that your peers cannot scrape together such a pitiful sum from their Personal Point savings.”

Kushida Kikyo fell silent. Her mind raced through the logistics. If she asked everyone to pool their allowances, raising fifty thousand points wasn’t mathematically impossible. The real hurdle was the persuasion. Convincing a fractured, uncooperative class to empty their wallets for a past exam paper—one with no guaranteed relevance to the upcoming test—was a monumental task. Class D was already a chaotic mess devoid of discipline or mutual trust. Making them obediently bleed their scarce currency was far easier said than done.

Tetsu observed the subtle tightening of her jaw, reading her hesitation with effortless clarity.

“The midterm exam is in two weeks,” he said, his voice smooth and measured. “Fourteen days. To a diligent student, it sounds like an eternity. But for those with rotting foundations who need to rebuild their academics from absolute zero, every single minute of those fourteen days is a precious commodity.”

He tilted his head, his dark eyes locking onto Kushida’s conflicted features. “By securing this past exam paper now, you eliminate the blind fumbling. You precisely map out the scope of the test and the exact formatting of the questions. Even securing it half a day early would drastically inflate Class D’s overall passing rate.”

He didn’t bother vouching for the authenticity of the document, nor did he waste breath defending his own character. He simply weaponized the most fundamental variable of all: time. The sooner she acquired it, the greater her use. The longer she delayed, the closer its value dropped to zero.

Kushida’s chest rose and fell in a sharp, uneven rhythm. The subtext of his words pierced straight through her hesitation. Class D was currently a ship without a captain, drifting in a sea of panic. If someone were to use this crisis to anchor their loyalties, the resulting influence would be absolute.

What if she became that anchor? What if Kushida Kikyo was the one to drag this lifeline back to the sinking ship?

She could already picture the scene. The moment she laid the answer key before her desperate, terrified classmates, their eyes would well up with blind gratitude. Her already stellar reputation would shatter its current ceiling, eclipsing even Hirata Yosuke. She would cement herself as the irreplaceable, undisputed core of Class D. This wasn’t just a study guide. It was a psychological leash.

This deal had to be made.

In the span of a single breath, the hesitation melted from her heart, replaced by a cold, calculating determination. The troubled shadow vanished from her face, instantly swapped for her signature, radiant smile—a perfect mask of approachability and sweet resolve.

“Kaedehara-san, I understand.” She lifted her chin, meeting his gaze with wide, earnest eyes. “But… I cannot produce that many points on my own right now. Could you please grant me a short grace period? Give me three days at most, and I swear I will gather the funds for you!”

Her tone dripped with practiced sincerity.

“Of course.”

His immediate, crisp agreement caught her entirely off guard. Before she could process his lack of negotiation, Tetsu pulled his phone from his pocket. His thumb tapped the screen a few times, and right before her eyes, he hit send.

A sharp chime echoed from Kushida’s pocket.

Dazed, she retrieved her device. The screen glowed with a fresh notification: a file transfer from Kaedehara Tetsu.

“This… you just sent it to me?” She stared at him, the illusion of her sweet persona slipping just enough to reveal her genuine shock. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll welch on the deal and block you?”

“I trust you, Kushida-san.” Tetsu slipped his phone away, his lips curving into a faint, knowing smirk. “An ‘angel’ who is so deeply loved and trusted by her peers wouldn’t dare do something as foolish as breaking a promise. After all, you wouldn’t want to stain that flawless image of yours, would you?”

His voice was light, carrying a teasing lilt that bordered on mockery.

For a fraction of a second, the muscles in Kushida’s face locked. The sweet smile paralyzed into a rigid grimace.

“…Of course.”

A heartbeat later, the mask snapped back into place. Her smile bloomed once more, brighter and infinitely more artificial than before. “I love making friends with everyone. I would absolutely never let my friends down.”

Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the phone.

“Then I won’t keep you any longer, Kushida-san. I’ll leave you to run about for the sake of your beloved class.” Leaving the loaded remark hanging in the air, Tetsu turned his back and walked away, his posture radiating absolute nonchalance.

Kushida remained frozen on the bench. She stared at his retreating figure until he vanished completely into the afternoon crowd. Slowly, she lowered her gaze back to the glowing screen in her hand.

‘How could he… does he know?’Her mind spiraled into a frantic panic.’No, that’s impossible. I never saw him at my middle school. There is no way he knows about that incident.’

Unable to find a logical connection between Kaedehara Tetsu and her buried past, she forced the paranoia down into the darkest corner of her mind. Standing up, she smoothed out the pleats of her skirt. The dark, venomous look in her eyes evaporated, cleanly replaced by the sunny, cheerful aura of the perfect girl. With light, brisk steps, she hummed a soft tune and headed toward the dessert shop.

The afternoon lectures dragged on, finally drawing to a close amidst the distracted, anxious fidgeting of the student body. The moment the final bell rang, Kushida stood up from her desk, her signature smile firmly in place.

“Everyone, please wait a moment! I have a very important announcement to make!”

Her voice rang out clear and vibrant, instantly halting the students who were already slinging their bags over their shoulders.

“Regarding the midterm exam… I know everyone is terrified. Our Class Points have already hit zero. For Class D, this test is a battle of life and death!”

The air in the classroom instantly thickened with gloom.

“But please, don’t give up hope!” Kushida’s tone pitched upward, injecting a surge of warmth into the heavy atmosphere. “Just a moment ago, through my own efforts and the kindness of some upperclassmen, I managed to secure something crucial. Something that will help us survive this crisis!”

She didn’t drag out the suspense. Pulling out her phone, she forwarded the file directly into the Class D group chat.

“This is last year’s past exam paper. The format and questions are almost identical to the year before that. As long as we memorize these specific problems, I know we can all get amazing grades on the midterm!”

Her absolute confidence acted like a spark in a powder keg. The classroom erupted.

“Are you serious?!”

“Oh my god! Kushida-san, how did you even get this?”

“We’re saved! We are actually saved!”

In the far back corner of the room, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka sat motionless, his expression as blank as a fresh sheet of paper. He watched the girl basking in the spotlight by the podium, a strange, analytical glint flashing in his brown eyes.

‘Too early…’

Was it really a wise decision to distribute the answer key this far in advance? Handing a guaranteed shortcut to defectives who already lacked the motivation to study would only breed absolute complacency. They would abandon their basic reviews entirely.

A flicker of doubt crossed his mind, but his lips remained sealed. He was merely a background character longing for a quiet, ordinary high school life. Let the others handle the troublesome politics.

“You’re amazing! Kushida-san, you really are our savior!”

“Man, I thought I was getting expelled for sure…”

“Kushida-chan, you’re the absolute best!”