(Yuuto's POV)

There were twenty-four people in the classroom.

There had been twenty-five just a few days ago, but now one of them was gone.

This was because Yukimura Fudou had been suspended.

There was a trial held on Thursday that Yukimura lost. The rumours were that the student council was considering to expel him.

It was a wake-up call to even the worst of the E Class students. That the threat of expulsion was very real while we were stuck here.

But not even Yukimura's friends like Mitsuba or Akihiro could focus on that. There was a more pressing matter that weighed down heavily on E Class.

That straight after this homeroom, we would be taking our first midterm exam in our high school lives.

The air was suffocating... for a usually rowdy class, we were all strangely quiet. Was it the fact Yukimura was missing made it melancholic? Or was it the fact our midterms had came sooner than expected?

This feeling of dread and anxiety... it definitely started to affect me too.

Chabashira-sensei strode into the classroom with her stern face and began roll call. Afterwards, she stood behind the teaching podium and began to explain our situation.

"I hope you've all been studying over the weekend. Your midterms are today, and you will be sitting two of them per day. This should bring us to the end of the week, as the fourteen exams get done. Your morning exams will be straight after homeroom, and your afternoon exams will be straight after lunchtime. As I'm sure you're aware, you are not allowed to bring anything with you into the exam except a black pen, a clear water bottle or regular watch. Having anything else on you means you will be disqualified."

I checked my pockets. I probably should've left my phone at home today... since our class doesn't have lockers, it'll be hassle to put somewhere safe.

"Making sure you have nothing but those items on you, you will head down to the gymnasium fifteen minutes prior to the exam to receive a prep-talk from that subject's specialist teacher. When that finishes, you will leave and head to the exam hall to do your midterm exam. It's imperative you do not be late to the prep-talk. If you are, you won't be able to do the exam."

That threat made some of the students shiver.

"After all, these prep-talks are things we give to 1st Years only. It's a privilege, so if you cannot bother to be there on time at least, then you don't deserve to do the exam. Of course, and I know it's common sense but I am talking to you lot, but don't talk or mess about during the exams."

That was sly of the teacher. Her words secretly laced with calling us out for being E Class.

"If you do, you'll get disqualified and your papers will be null and void. You don't want that happening, since your midterm grades will affect your report, so try your best. If you have any questions, it's best to ask now."

Two exams per day, huh? The exam timetable we received on Friday said our Monday exams were Japanese paper 1 and math paper 1. This prep-talk thing is interesting... it might act like a life-line to us.

"Chabashira-sensei. I have a question." Matsushita raised his hand. "Yukimura-san... he's been suspended. What will happen to his midterm exams?"

"He will sit them at a later date when his suspension finishes. Of course, if you are unable to take the midterm for any reason, there will be rearrangements available to take them another time. As such, do not discuss the contents of the exam to students that have not taken it yet. If you do, it's immediate disqualification for that exam."

So a strategy like feigning illness and learning about the exam contents after everyone has done it would be impossible to do. There're CCTV cameras nearly everywhere in the public spaces, so this could only work out in private. Even then, it's risky.

"What happens if we fail?" Mitsuba asked.

"I wonder." Chabashira-sensei replied sarcastically.

"No, I mean... like..."

"I think Mitsuba-san means how it'll affect our class points." Sakigamiya chimed in.

"That, I cannot disclose."

"So either way I'm gonna have to get a good score... damn it!" Mitsuba cried.

"However, I will say that expulsion is still on the line."

That ominous line from Chabashira-sensei sent more existential dread down our spine. It honestly looked like she enjoyed torturing us.

"How am I gonna explain this failure to my parents..." Mitsuba slumped and buried his face into the table.

I have a strange feeling that these midterms will do more than just dictate what will be on our report. It could be a good opportunity to show to the school how much you've grown. Students aiming to reach to a higher class can take advantage of this to move up.

I looked at Yukina who was doing last minute revision. Seemed like she was doing a difficult math problem.

"Chabashira-sensei, is it okay if I give the class some words?" Matsushita asked.

"Feel free."

Chabashira-sensei stepped back and Matsushita stood behind the podium. Gripping its sides, he smiled refreshingly, as if to encourage us.

"Our first exam is Japanese. It shouldn't be too hard, since this paper doesn't require us to read any material beforehand. We just have to read the source we're given and answer the questions on it. We'll do fine. Try to remember to analyse specific words and their effects on the reader. If not, maybe look at the overall structure or comment on the techniques used. But above all else, relax. It may be our first midterm, but as long as we pass, that's okay! I want everyone to give it their best shot, even if you feel like giving up halfway through. Perseverance will be your best friend in this exam. So let's show GEN Academy what E Class are made of!"

The class began to have a rallying cry. Ikesugi made a blatantly disgusted face in response to his speech.

He's more honest than... some people. I looked at Kouji who was on his phone during the entire explanation. Yamaguchi was half asleep on the table. These guys really didn't want to take the exam seriously.

"I'd suggest everyone empty their pockets now. You have ten minutes until homeroom is over." Chabashira-sensei warned us.

"That's a problem, sensei... we don't know where to put it." Sakigamiya said.

"You could place it in a friend's locker, if you had any."

That was a cruel, low blow, sensei.

"If not, you can place it on your tables. I'll lock the room so no one can get in. Otherwise, let this be a lesson learnt to keep things at home."

The class grumbled and complained.

"It's not fair, why can't our class have lockers?!" Mitsuba exclaimed.

"I can't go a whole day without my phone! That's hell!" Hono said.

"This school is the worst..." Tanaka grumbled.

I took out my phone and checked the time. Well, I should be able to get there in time.

Some of the more popular students, like Sakigamiya and Yukina, left the class to presumably go to Ichinose or someone similar to ask if they can use their locker.

For me, I had one option only, but... it was a 50/50 chance.

I stood up and left the classroom, heading to Suzune's class, C Class.

I knocked on the door and got a "come in" from their teacher, Akusa-sensei. She's a former pro-fighter who played on the Asia circuit. She's really popular in Korea, for some reason.

I don't know how, but she ended up as a math teacher at this school. I guess if Mikazuchi-sensei can teach sex ed here, more celebrities have the right to come here and school us...

"Oh, Takanori-san. What brings you to C Class?" Akusa-sensei greeted me.

Of course, I'm purposefully omitting the fact that she's dating one of my mom's friends, Blaze Inu. He works for Ryuzaki & Co... yeah, the connections go on and on, surprisingly.

C Class was busy chatting away and doing last minute revision. It was hard to find Suzune in the crowd, but she was in the centre of attention for the girls.

"Uh... um... is it alright if... I use one of your class's lockers?"

"Go away, Drachma scum!"

"Akusa-sensei, tell him to go away!"

"I'll become more stupid if he's here!"

"Guys, it's the dude who lost to Mikazuchi-senpai! Ha ha!"

"What an eyesore..."

Oi, you can stop rubbing it in...

I wish I never spoke in the first place now.

"Hmm. Is anyone willing to let Takanori-san use their locker?"

"I will."

Surprisingly, one boy spoke up. He stood up and walked over to me. He had dark green hair and a clean uniform.

"Ikeda-san, always being a model class representative."

Ikeda... Wait, this is the Ikeda Arata I've heard about. C Class's male leader who works... alongside Suzune.

For some reason, I feel a little... how do I put it... strange in my chest. Yeah... like a pain.

Regardless, he's a foe... one day I'll have to beat him. But for now, keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.

"Really? You'd be willing to... let me use your locker?"

Ikeda nodded and leaned in. He whispered to me.

"Kinoshita-san's told me all about you. Don't worry, I'm on your side."

I tightened my fist. For some reason, I don't trust his words. They sound troublesome.

"Ah... Alright, then."

I followed Ikeda to the back of the class, where the lockers were. C Class was definitely most normal classroom I've seen so far. Plain and average. Just like that class.

I wonder if I could've stayed like that.

No... at this school, being average won't cut it. I need to take initiative and fight in my own way. This midterm... will be E Class's first step towards reaching A Class.

Of course, first I need to become leader... I'm getting ahead of myself, aren't I?

I placed my things into Ikeda's locker. Why am I putting so much faith into him... I looked at Suzune briefly, and she looked back at me. However, she looked away quickly after to talk to her friends.

"Thanks. I'll wait here to get my stuff back at the end of the day." I said.

"For sure. See you soon, Takanori-san." Ikeda said with a smile.

I walked away and returned back to my classroom. It was a strange sight, as everyone had creatively put away their stuff in a strange manner...

By sweeping it under their chabudai and placing their zabuton on it. Well, it works, I suppose.

The bell rang and homeroom was finished. As a class, led by Chabashira-sensei, we went to the gymnasium. Standing at the front was our resident Japanese teacher, Hiden-sensei. He was as gleeful and playful as ever, skipping across the front and talking to the faculty with a cheeky air.

Once all five classes were present, he began the prep-talk. Generally, it was just advice on what to do for some common questions, a little recap and a good luck message. After it was over, the first years headed out to the exam hall, located at the back and guarded tightly by faculty members.

Separating us and the exam hall were iron gates that slowly repelled each other open. The grandiose scale made my spine shiver. It began to sink in this was the real thing. That there was no turning back.

A Class got special privileges and entered the exam hall first, followed by B, C and D Classes respectively. E Class headed in last, passing through the gates and checking scanned by item detectors to check what we had in our pockets.

Since I was at the back of the line, I watched everyone pass through the detector. While everyone from A to D Class got past smoothly, E Class had a hiccup.

Kouji Tenma passed through the item detector, and it went off. A beeping noise occurred, and one of the guards at the gate grabbed Kouji aside and immediately began a patting down process. They found that Kouji had brought his phone with him to the exam.

The guards forced him back to the gymnasium, and he was escorted by the one that patted him down. We watched in disbelief as Kouji had made a reckless and fatal mistake. He was disqualified. His score zero. He had failed the test from the start...

Without anymore delays, thankfully, I was able to pass through the gate smoothly. Before I entered the exam hall, the people administrating the gate gave me a specific number. It was my seat in the exam hall: F5.

As I walked in for the first time, a wave of icy air blew past me. People were sitting at their own desks, staring at the contents of their paper with shaking eyes.

Already, one student was pulled out to the side. Terasaka Soichiro, D Class, had been disqualified. As I took my seat near the front of the hall, another invigilator pulled out another student...

...and to no one's surprise, it was Mitsuba. What did he end up doing now?

Weirdly, he and an A Class student were forced out of their seats at the same time. I think the other one was Mitsumori Jiro, which is surprising... an A Class student disqualified too. How ruthless was this school...?

As I was the last one in, I filled in my information and waited for the invigilators to tell us when to start.

I tried to keep a cool appearance on the outside, but deep down... I was terrified. One wrong move and I could be disqualified from this exam like Mitsuba and Kouji. Or even Terasaka and Mitsumori.

My hands felt frigid as they held my barely warm pen. It'd been sitting in my pockets for awhile, but it was just so cold in the exam hall...

Even wearing this blazer wasn't enough. It was too thin.

This sort of depraved battlefield was the perfect setting for our midterms.

I couldn't expect anything less from the great GEN Academy.

I placed my bottle onto the table and gulped. My own fears were starting to get at me.

But... I'll be fine. I just need to reassure myself that.

All that's left is to relax. This is our first midterm... Japanese. If I get a hand cramp from being nervous, it'd be the end of the line for me.

I'll cut through this one with the sharpened sword of my knowledge. My pen is my weapon. All I need to do is wield it and push on through, to victory.

As the three disqualified students made their way out of the exam hall, the invigilators readied us.

At 10:30am sharp, our first midterm exam began.

I flipped open the page—