Chapter 50: Ask Yourself—Are You That Kind of Person?
In the three days leading up to the exams, Ronan continued living his life as usual.
He attended his regular classes, reported to the student council office at noon, went to afternoon classes, participated in the non-existent club activities of the astronomy club, and played games after school.
During these days at home, Ishigami would often bring over newly released games to play together with Ronan.
Both of them were well aware that neither had any intention of studying.
"Hey, Ishigami, how many first-year students are there in total?"
"Exactly two hundred."
"I see... If I want to keep my position in the student council, I need to score better than that Fujiwara secretary, or at least not worse than her."
Ronan pondered for a moment, considering the possibility of ranking above 96th out of 200 students.
"Thinking about it, as long as I score better than half the students, I should be able to achieve that rank."
"...While I'd like to encourage you, Ronan, you might not know this, but Shuchiin Academy's academic standards are quite high. It's not that easy to outperform half the students."
"Doesn't matter. I have a foolproof strategy."
"Oh?"
Ronan continued pressing buttons on his controller, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Put laxatives in the lunches of 104 students."
"I didn't expect you to come up with a good plan, but it's probably better not to do something like that."
Ishigami had grown accustomed to Ronan's shocking remarks and could now respond to his bizarre suggestions with a calm, deadpan expression.
"You haven't been studying at all these days. You've been playing games with me every afternoon after school."
"Yeah, I've finally gotten used to a bit of peaceful life. If I had to study every day, I might as well go back to my old place."
Ishigami didn't know where Ronan's "old place" referred to, but he didn't press further.
He believed that his friend would likely end up with a similar score to his own, and perhaps they would share a sense of camaraderie as fellow underachievers.
And so, under these circumstances, the day of the exams arrived.
...
Shuchiin Academy places great importance on students' academic performance, holding five fixed mixed liberal arts and science exams each year.
After the exams, everyone's grades are posted on a bulletin board within the school, where students can check their rankings.
The results were announced shortly after the exams.
A large crowd of students gathered around the bulletin board to check their names.
Those who saw their rankings rise cheered with joy, while those whose rankings dropped looked dejected.
Of course, there were also those who didn't care about their grades and remained indifferent.
For example, Ishigami.
After seeing his own ranking at 198th, he chuckled and didn't bother looking further. Instead, he searched for Ronan's name.
Ronan happened to be standing there as well. After seeing his ranking, he nodded and was about to leave.
"Wait."
Before he could take two steps, Ishigami grabbed his shoulder.
"What's up?"
"Ronan, have you ever heard of a certain type of person?"
Ishigami's bangs were long, and when he lowered his head, no one could see the expression beneath.
"What kind of person?"
"The kind who plays with you, says they won't study, but secretly studies behind your back."
"Those people are absolutely terrible, utterly shameless," Ronan said seriously. "They're despicable and deserve severe condemnation and criticism."
"I knew you'd feel the same way."
"Of course I do."
"Then take a look at your ranking—fifth in the entire grade—and ask yourself if you're that kind of person." Ishigami pointed to the top of the ranking list.
Ronan's name was fifth from the top. The first place was held by Iino Miko, who had maintained the top spot since entering high school, and Ronan was right there in fifth.
"...Clearly not."
"Really?"
"Of course not. You know I've been playing games with you every day."
"Then how do you explain this result?"
"It's thanks to my genius brain."
"..."
"Do I go around telling people I'm a genius? Do I brag about being a genius? Even if I know I'm a genius, would I flaunt it everywhere?"
"You just said 'genius' three times in one sentence."
"It's not that strange. Think about it—I used to study in the U.S., so of course my English scores are good," Ronan explained.
"Well... that makes sense."
Ishigami remembered Ronan's background as an American-born Chinese, so it was natural for him to excel in English.
"I'm also naturally good at science. My math and science scores are almost perfect."
"What about Japanese, world history, and classical literature? I won't even mention the first two, but I remember you struggling with classical literature."
"Now we're getting to the heart of it."
Ronan smiled faintly.
"Japanese, world history, and classical literature are my weak points, but... if I just glance over the material before bed, it's enough to get a passing grade."
"Glance over it... for how long?"
"I skimmed through it for a bit before the exams, maybe less than four hours in total," Ronan said. "You know I haven't been to class for a month. I basically taught myself—it's not even proper studying."
"..."
"I told you I'm a genius."
Ronan shrugged.
"If I actually put in some effort to study, the top spot wouldn't go to that 'school cop' Iino Miko—it would be mine, Ronan's!"
"I can't just let that comment slide."
"Huh?"
Ronan turned his head and saw Iino Miko and her ever-present companion, Kobachi, standing nearby.
Miko looked at Ronan with an unusually serious expression. "If you want to take the top spot, a half-hearted attitude won't cut it."
"Huh?"
"I won't let you take the number one position so easily."
After delivering this bold statement, Miko, who only came up to Ronan's shoulder, walked past him.
Her companion, Kobachi, stepped forward and whispered, "Please don't take it personally. Miko needs the top spot to maintain her influence and authority, so anyone who dares to challenge that position is seen as a rival."
"That's not easy."
"Indeed. I hope you can understand."
Watching the two girls walk away, Ronan pondered for a moment before clapping his hands. "Well, it seems it's time to put in a little effort to boost my influence in this school."
Ishigami: "Oh? So you're going to start studying hard now?"
Ronan: "No, I'll make the decision today and start working hard tomorrow."
Ishigami: "...I don't think you'll even start this semester."
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