...On the day of the small quiz
Yoshii Akihisa came up to Saiki waving the multiple-choice pen he was holding and boasted: "This time just watch, Saiki. Even if it's just a small quiz, I'll make even more progress."
[Luck like that doesn't happen twice in a row. Akihisa, if you don't put in effort, the results are going to be brutal for you when they come out.]
Sakamoto Yuuji: "Saiki's right, Akihisa. The goddess of luck isn't going to visit you again. This time you might actually be in trouble."
"What did you say? Fine then, let's settle this once and for all, Kuma-nii."
Sakamoto Yuuji spread his hands: "What gave you the courage to challenge me? Fine, let's settle it once and for all, then..."
Tsuchiya Kouta: "It's just a small quiz. Is it really necessary? Just fill it in casually."
(That kind of attitude is definitely going to lead to bad scores.)
Akazawa Itsuki patted Saiki on the shoulder: "Hello, Saiki."
Saiki glanced over—it was his acquaintance, Itsuki.
[It's Itsuki! What's up? Want to challenge me again? Sure, go ahead. Use this exam to settle it.]
"What are you even talking about? Why are you like this again? If I tried to compete with you on an exam, I'd have to have water on the brain. What kind of level are you at? With your insane scores where even cows would be shocked and fly to the sky, how could I possibly compare?"
[If you're going to use idioms, at least use them right.]
"Hehe."
Akazawa Itsuki: "I'm here to ask if you're free this Saturday. Want to hang out together? It's been a while since we went out."
[Like that... but honestly, I really don't feel like going out much. This week I just want to rest properly at home.]
"Oh, I see."
Akazawa Itsuki sighed. Just when Saiki thought he was about to give up, Itsuki smiled and said: "Then let's just come to your house. We can invite Chi-chan too. Ah, I've never seen your place before. That should be fine, right?"
[Seriously, you're really persistent. At home? If it's at home... that should be okay...]
Saiki thought of Shiina Mahiru.
[No... let's go out after all. Where do you want to go?]
Akazawa Itsuki ¯_(⍤o⍤)_/¯: "What's wrong? Suddenly changing your mind?"
Saiki explained with a blank face:
[No, I just think going out is pretty good. Young people shouldn't stay cooped up at home too long. Let's go out.]
"Oh, got it, got it."
Seeing Saiki's unusually firm attitude, Akazawa Itsuki had no choice but to agree [I didn't expect Saiki to actually like going out this much. He's probably been looking forward to it for a while. Hehe, you should've said so earlier!]
(I haven't.)
...
"Alright, alright, quiet down. First listen to me—I have an announcement."
Hiratsuka Shizuka walked up to the podium with her hands in her pockets, holding a stack of test papers, and smacked the desk.
"Then it's settled. I'm heading out first."
Akazawa Itsuki waved and returned to his seat.
Everyone looked at the test papers Hiratsuka Shizuka was holding on the podium.
"So we're still doing the exam after all?"
"Whatever, I'll just half-ass it."
"Yeah."
...
"Bam!!"
Hiratsuka Shizuka slammed her hand hard on the desk, making a loud bang.
"I said quiet!!"
The murmuring voices below instantly disappeared.
"Ahem."
Hiratsuka Shizuka cleared her throat twice and began handing out the papers while speaking: "Okay then, next up is the small quiz. And let me give you a heads-up—anyone planning to just half-ass it, don't. If your score is bad this time, you'll have to come to school on Saturday for remedial classes..."
"Eh, why like this..."
"Hiratsuka-sensei, is that really necessary?"
...
Hiratsuka Shizuka ignored the protests below and continued distributing the papers: "Hmph, so do your best this time!"
...
Hiratsuka Shizuka handed the papers to Saiki, leaned down, and whispered in his ear: "Good luck, Saiki-kun. This exam is quite a bit harder than the previous ones."
Saiki looked speechless and gave Hiratsuka Shizuka a glance.
(Yare yare daze. I made the questions myself—do you really think I wouldn't be able to do them? Seriously, no matter what the questions are, it's still full marks, obviously.)
...
"Ring ring ring ring."
The bell rang, signaling the end of the exam.
After school, many classmates stayed frozen in their seats. Saiki packed his bag and walked over to Akazawa Itsuki, who was still dazed in place.
[What's wrong with you?]
Akazawa Itsuki sighed: "Saiki... don't you feel like this exam was a little harder than usual..."
[It was fine. No problems at all. Why?]
Akazawa Itsuki: …
Akazawa Itsuki waved his hand: "No, no, no—I think there's a pretty big problem!"
(Did I set the scope of the exam questions too broad? I measured it against my own standards for high school first-year material... it shouldn't have gone wrong.)
Saiki thought for a moment.
(I think I based it on my own level...)
Akazawa Itsuki: "Whatever. As long as I pass, it's fine."
...
The next day—Friday—after the exam results came out, Hiratsuka Shizuka hummed a tune and leisurely walked from the classroom door to the podium.
"Ahem... So everyone is probably very concerned about yesterday's scores, right? Mm, pretty much what I expected."
Some classmates already started raising their hands to ask:
"Hiratsuka-sensei, don't you think this exam was way harder than the previous ones?"
"Yeah! Last time I could get 90, but this time I feel like 70 would be lucky..."
Hiratsuka Shizuka looked at Saiki and smiled: "It was fine, right? This time we just focused on key points. There will be more exams like this later. Saiki-kun, did you find it difficult?"
Saiki: ...
[It was... okay. Probably about the same difficulty, I guess?]
Hiratsuka Shizuka: "But you still got a perfect 100 this time too."
"So amazing. Saiki is still Saiki. We really can't compare to him."
"Eh! What kind of questions could possibly stump someone like him..."
Yoshii Akihisa looked puzzled at the class and said: "Was it hard? I thought it was about the same as last time..."
(No matter what the questions are, you just use that multiple-choice pen of yours. Of course you wouldn't notice any difference.)
Sakamoto Yuuji: "Akihisa, you wouldn't understand any question anyway, so that's why you think nothing's different."
"Don't lie!"
Kinoshita Hideyoshi: "This old one also felt the difficulty was a bit high this time..."
Hiratsuka Shizuka: "Alright, I won't say more. Let's directly announce who has to come to school for remedial classes on Saturday. First: Sugawa Ryou, Yoshii Akihisa, Sakamoto Yuuji..."
Akazawa Itsuki prayed silently below [Don't include me, don't include me.]
Hiratsuka Shizuka continued reading the list: "Tsuchiya Kouta... Mm, and finally Akazawa Itsuki. Oh, and those who want to come voluntarily are welcome too. You can come to school."
Akazawa Itsuki: No!!!
Snowflakes drifting, north wind howling~
(Yare yare daze. Looks like Saturday I'll just get to sleep in properly at home again.)
After class, Hiratsuka Shizuka beckoned to Saiki: "By the way, Saiki, come to the office for a moment..."