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**December 19th, 2026**
I arrived late. Not that it mattered. The student body was too busy clawing for attention or hiding in corners to notice one more name on the roster.
I was assigned a guide—someone who looked more like a shadow than a person. Dark hair, sharp eyes, silence thick enough to cut through. He didn't introduce himself. Didn't offer a hand. Just pointed at a signboard like I was supposed to memorize a campus in ten seconds.
I thought he might be mute. Or socially defective. Either way, I didn't care.
Still, the silence grated on me.
"What's your name?" I asked.
He didn't answer. Just pulled out his name tag like a robot. It only said *Kei*. No surname. Suspiciously blank.
"Where's your last name?" I asked.
He didn't flinch. Didn't answer. Just walked.
So I tried again. "What is this evaluation even about?"
No reply. He was either ignoring me on purpose or just fundamentally broken.
But then I said something that finally struck a nerve.
"If the evaluation is supposed to reveal a student's academic, physical, and strategic intelligence—and place us in proper classes—then why does my phone say I scored an S? There is no Class S."
He paused.
Slowly, he took out his phone. His evaluation score also read *S*.
"The reason you have an S in the student evaluation is because…" he began coldly. But then he stopped.
He pocketed his phone in one swift motion, eyes narrowing. "Put your phone down," he said, voice like a blade. "We're being followed."
I obeyed. Not out of fear—out of calculation.
We walked without speaking for a few more minutes. I asked, "Who is following us?"
He didn't answer. But the silence said enough: he wasn't sure either.
Eventually, he stopped in front of a door—my dorm.
"Are you gonna come in?" I asked.
"No," he replied immediately. Then, almost as an afterthought: "You have two roommates."
Before I could respond, he was already walking away. Like he couldn't get rid of me fast enough.
I turned toward the dorm, placing my hand on the doorknob, when another voice came from the shadows.
"And are you a friend of Kei?" I asked coldly without turning.
A boy stepped into the light. Calm, composed. Slightly smug.
"No," he said. "But I'm an associate of his."
"And your name?"
"Haruto. Also…" He tilted his head slightly. "I heard you and Kei talking about student evaluations."
I studied him. He didn't seem like the type to share info without purpose. So I lied.
"I got a rank of B."
"Oh," he said. "That's nice, I guess."
He turned to leave—but then paused.
"Oh, and by the way—Kei's last name is *Fushimiya*."
My eyes widened before I could control the reaction.
"As in *the* Fushimiya family?" I asked. "The one with the genius brother?"
Haruto shrugged. "No relation. Supposedly. His last name is hidden from the public database. Probably some system error. Or maybe not."
"Who told you?"
"Mr. Unagi. A month ago. But… the way he said it—it was almost like he wanted me to dig deeper."
He turned fully, now walking away. "That's all. Maybe we'll cross paths again, Rika. Oh, and—your roommates are Ayame and Mei."
Then he vanished.
And I was left at the door, wondering who the hell *Ayame* and *Mei* were…
…And why Kei Fushimiya was hiding a last name that could change everything.
(A day later . Mr unagi perspective.)
**December 20, 2026**
You'd think that by now, these kids would stop reacting like they're being dragged into war every time I announce a special exam. But no—same song, different verse.
As the students shuffled into the classroom that morning, I could already feel their nerves buzzing. I won't lie—I was in a surprisingly decent mood. A bit excited, even. I had something fun to announce, and watching their panic always adds flavor to my day.
I waited until they were all seated, their eyes locked on me like I was about to drop a bomb. Technically, I was.
"I am happy to announce that we have a new special exam," I declared.
As expected—groans, facepalms, a few students looking like they were about to pass out. Predictable. All except three. **Kei, Haruto, and the new girl—Rika.** Calm, unreadable, unbothered. I respected that.
Then came the noise pollution. Daiko—of course—shot out of his seat like a firework and shouted, **"HELL YEAH!!!"**
…And just like that, the moment was ruined.
Every student turned to him like he'd committed a crime against humanity. Some looked disgusted, others disappointed, and most just cringed. Honestly, same.
I stared at him and said, deadpan, "Why is it that I find kindergarteners easier to control than you, Daiko?"
He gave me one of his usual annoyed looks. "Why are you my least favorite teacher in the school?"
I didn't miss a beat. "And why are you *my* least favorite student in this class, Daiko?"
Ayame twisted the knife with a sly, "Dang, that must burn, Daiko."
He didn't respond. Just slumped back down into his seat like a sullen toddler. I ignored him—what else is new?—and turned to Rika.
"Since you're new here, Rika, would you like an explanation on what a special exam is?"
She gave a quiet nod. Good. Polite. Unlike *some* people.
"Special exams test every class's skills—both dependently and independently," I began. "Sometimes students will be expelled because of them. And if you do well, your class can overthrow the one above you."
Rika tilted her head slightly. "How many special exams have been released so far? Before I came?"
Naturally, Daiko couldn't keep his mouth shut.
"There've been two so far! There was the one on the cruise ship—the good team versus the moles—and then the survival gauntlet! *I* carried the whole class to victory in that one!"
I looked at the class. The reactions said it all.
Kei gave him a glare and turned back to the window. Ayame and Mei looked like they'd smelled something foul. Shuto just blinked at him like he was delusional—which, to be fair, he often is.
Even Haruto sighed. "We literally lost that exam. And you also left early because of some stomach ache."
Ayame chimed in with a sharper tone. "We lost major points because of your absence. And thanks to you, *Mei* got kidnapped by Class D, and we had to clean up your mess. And we still lost—because Class A cheated."
Daiko shrugged, clearly unfazed. "Why do you all love ruining the mood?"
I cut in, dry as ever. "Let's just hope you prove more useful this time."
He fired back, "And what's *that* supposed to mean, old man?"
Before I could say something worse, Mei stepped in with a smirk. "Let me translate for you, Daiko. What he's saying is: during the survival gauntlet, you contributed as much as an inanimate object."
Daiko blinked. "Huh?"
Exactly.
I moved on before the stupidity dragged me down with it. "The sports festival will have five activities, and you'll be going against the *seniors.*"
Haruto narrowed his eyes. "Wait—is that why the seniors have been observing us lately?"
I nodded. "They found out about the exam two weeks ago. Not the specific activities—just that they'd be facing the freshmen."
Daiko cracked his knuckles again, clearly preparing to interrupt. I raised a hand.
"Daiko. One more disturbance, and you get a month of detention. Guaranteed."
He went silent—but that little scowl of his was still glued to his face.
I continued. "The five activities are: **soccer, flag football, sword fighting, ice skating, and a martial arts fight.** Some of you may not participate due to low sports intelligence. Some will be allowed to choose your activity—others will be assigned based on skill, compatibility, and, frankly, necessity."
The room went tense. I let it sit before finishing.
"After class, some of you will receive an email regarding the exam. You may or may not be able to choose your sport. Later that night, you'll get a second email confirming who's participating in what. Activities will be held at different times and in different areas."
I pointed toward the whiteboard.
"**Day 1**: Soccer and Flag Football. Flag Football will reuse the same stadium—nets removed, of course.
**Day 2**: Sword Fighting.
**Day 3**: Ice Skating and Martial Arts.
**Exam Dates**: December 22nd to 25th. After that, winter break begins."
I paused, making sure they took it all in.
"And with that… class is dismissed early today. Go decide what you're participating in."
I walked back to my desk, ignoring Daiko's still-steaming presence.
God help us all.