Seiji Koroizumi lay on his narrow yet comfortable dorm bed. The white ceiling of his room felt like a projector screen for his racing thoughts.
That incident in the library earlier... it wasn't just a mere social coincidence. It was a battlefield.
"Ritsu," Seiji called softly.
"Present, Master," the AI's cheerful voice immediately responded from the computer speakers. "Your heart rate spiked by 15% during the library incident. Are you feeling unwell?"
"Not sick. Just... in shock," Seiji admitted, massaging the bridge of his nose.
In his previous life as a three-meter-tall yellow octopus monster, romance had been an abstract concept to him (aside from his memories of Aguri). He was a teacher. His students viewed him as a bizarre yet amusing creature—sometimes annoying, but always dependable. There were no romantic boundaries to be breached.
But now? He was Seiji Koroizumi. A sixteen-year-old teenage boy with a fairly handsome face (by human standards) and an intellect that naturally drew attention.
"It turns out, physical form changes everything," Seiji muttered. "When I was a monster, I could offer attention, advice, and protection without causing any misunderstandings. But now that I'm a classmate of their own age..."
Seiji recalled Kei's possessive gaze as she clung to his arm. Ichinose's competitive glare when challenging Hiyori. And Suzune's cold yet subtly caring look.
The attention he had given them—advising Kei in that rainy alley, discussing books with Hiyori, teaching business to Ichinose—all of it had been interpreted on a much deeper level by their developing teenage hearts.
"Statistics indicate that emotional rescue maneuvers performed on adolescent female subjects have an 85% probability of triggering romantic attraction, Master," Ritsu presented the data in an ironically deadpan tone. "You have, essentially, been raising flags."
"Quiet, Ritsu," Seiji chuckled, though his laugh sounded rather exhausted. "I have no intention of building a harem. My duty is to educate them so they can stand on their own two feet."
However, he couldn't deny reality. The jealousy radiating in the library earlier was undeniable proof.
"I need to be more careful," he concluded. "Maintaining a professional distance is crucial. If their emotions become too involved, it could disrupt their focus on the exams. And in these exams... their futures are on the line."
Seiji sat up from his bed. His expression turned serious once more. "Teacher" mode was fully engaged.
"Enough matters of the heart. Now, let's talk about the brain."
The final two weeks leading up to the Midterm Exams turned into a hellish marathon for Group 5.
Seiji was no longer merely playing around with basketball or anime metaphors. He began injecting the "Past Exam Papers" material into his curriculum with surgical precision.
In the empty classroom after school, Seiji stood in front of the chalkboard.
"Listen closely," Seiji said, staring down the seven problem children in front of him. "These questions in your hands follow a pattern. This school is lazy. They recycle the logic of the questions year after year."
Seiji wrote a physics formula on the board.
"Ike, Yamauchi," Seiji called out. "You don't need to understand why this formula works. You only need to memorize when to use it. If the question is about 'a ball thrown from a building', use formula A. If it's about 'a braking car', use formula B."
"You got it, Boss!" Ike exclaimed, highly motivated now that Seiji had promised him a game voucher if he passed.
"Sudou," Seiji turned to the basketball player. "I've created a mental cheat sheet for you. Treat every variable in this equation as a player's position on the court. 'x' is the Point Guard, 'y' is the Center. Figure out where the ball needs to be passed."
Sudou nodded seriously. His eyes, once clouded with boredom, now possessed a razor-sharp focus. "Got it. Pass to 'y'. I understand."
Meanwhile, Sakura Airi and Hasebe Haruka were working on their English problems.
"Haruka," Seiji gently reprimanded as he noticed the girl starting to space out. "Remember the Supreme Parfait. Sweet, cold, with a giant strawberry on top."
Haruka snapped to attention, practically drooling. "Don't tempt me! I'm trying to focus on this damn Past Perfect Tense!"
Seiji laughed. "Good. Hold onto that anger."
Sotomura Hideo, the "Professor", was muttering to himself as he memorized archaic kanji. "Thousand Shadow Clone Jutsu... no, Thousand Kanji Jutsu..."
Seiji paced around the table, correcting Sakura's posture, dropping hints for Akito, and making sure Yamauchi hadn't fallen asleep. He moved like the wind, seemingly present everywhere at once.
This was his ultimate expertise: Educational micro-management. He knew exactly when to apply pressure, when to offer praise, and when to give them a break.
However, Seiji's duties didn't end with Group 5.
During breaks or late at night in the dorm lobby, he also took the time to "polish" Class 1-C's primary weapons.
"Horikita," Seiji called out one quiet night in the dorm lobby.
Suzune, who was reading a history book with a furrowed brow, looked up. "What is it? Do you need a progress report on Group 5?"
"No. I want to check your understanding," Seiji said, taking a seat on the sofa across from her. "You might be an academic genius, but this school's Social Studies exams often lay traps with questions regarding 'social morality' and 'political ethics.' That is your weak point."
Suzune fell silent. She knew Seiji was right. She struggled with questions that required empathy or an understanding of morally gray social dynamics.
"Try answering this," Seiji offered a case study. "If a nation is experiencing a food crisis, is it ethical to sacrifice a portion of the population to save the majority? What is the expected answer from a school that so highly upholds meritocracy?"
Suzune thought for a moment. "In terms of pure efficiency, sacrificing the unproductive portion would be—"
"Wrong," Seiji cut her off. "This school may be a meritocracy, but they are also testing for stability. The correct answer is to seek alternative solutions or redistribute resources. A leader who discards their people will inevitably be overthrown. That is history."
Suzune was stunned. "So... the answer isn't just pure efficiency?"
"No. The answer is balance. You need to learn how to think like a politician, not just a machine."
Seiji caught the flash of realization in Suzune's eyes. The girl was absorbing his lessons like a sponge.
On a different occasion, Kushida showed up at Seiji's room under the pretext of "dropping off some snacks."
"Koroizumi-kun~" Kushida entered with her sickly-sweet smile, which instantly dropped into a deadpan glare the second the door clicked shut. "Math question number 15 is pissing me off. I want to set this paper on fire."
"Don't burn it just yet," Seiji said, taking the paper from her. "This is about probability. You're an expert at manipulation, Kushida. Probability is just manipulating numbers. What is the percentage of your secret being exposed if you tell one person? What is the percentage if you tell two?"
Kushida formed a wicked smirk. "Oh... so it's a question about spreading rumors?"
"Think of it that way," Seiji smiled. "Now, calculate the risks."
Kushida immediately tackled the problem with renewed enthusiasm. "Who knew math could be so useful for villainy."
"Knowledge is neutral," Seiji replied wisely. "It all depends on who wields it."
And finally, Karuizawa Kei.
She usually demanded to be tutored in the crowded cafeteria, likely to show off to everyone that she was close to Seiji.
"I don't get Chemistry at all," Kei whined, twirling her hair. "Why do I even need to know about atomic bonds?"
"Because fashion is also chemistry, Kei," Seiji explained patiently. "Hair dye, cosmetics, synthetic fabrics... it's all chemistry. If you mix the wrong chemicals, your beautiful hair could get ruined."
Kei grabbed her hair in a panic. "Seriously?!"
"Dead serious. So, study these oxidation reactions so you don't end up picking the wrong shampoo."
Kei immediately started reading her chemistry textbook with a look of absolute horror, yet entirely serious.
Seiji smiled in satisfaction. The three female leaders of his class were growing sharper by the day. They weren't just studying for grades; they were studying to upgrade their own respective arsenals.
The night before the Midterm Exams.
All preparations were complete. The past exam papers had been thoroughly dissected. The "Seven Dwarves" were mentally pumped. The Queens had honed their blades.
Seiji stood on his room's balcony, gazing up at the crescent moon in the night sky.
A gentle night breeze blew past, carrying the faint scent of the approaching summer.
"Get some rest," Seiji whispered into the wind. "You've all worked hard."
Tomorrow was judgment day. The day Class 1-C would prove whether they truly deserved their rank up, or if their previous promotion had just been beginner's luck.
Seiji wasn't anxious. He wasn't afraid.
As a teacher, he knew one absolute truth: If the students are prepared, the exam is nothing more than a formality.
He stepped back inside his room and switched off the lights.
"Ritsu, set an alarm for 6 AM. I need to make sure Sudou doesn't oversleep."
"Right away, Master. Good night."
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