Twisting The Twisted

SC: Tsubasa Nanase

--After exam results--

A hush had fallen over Class D. The results of the special exam, the one that promised a chance to rewrite the hierarchy of this wretched school, were about to be revealed. My stomach churned with a nervous mix of anticipation and dread. On the one hand, the prospect of escaping this bottom-feeder class was undeniably appealing. On the other, the sheer difficulty of the exam, with its university-level final questions, had left me feeling utterly defeated.

Shiba-sensei stood at the front of the classroom, her usual stoic expression unreadable. The silence stretched, thick and suffocating, before she finally spoke.

"The results for the special exam are in. As you all know, the exam format was a partnership between first and second-year students. The total score for each pair was capped at 1000 points."

A collective intake of breath filled the room. 1000 points. A seemingly impossible feat, especially considering the brutal difficulty of the final questions.

Shiba paused, letting the tension simmer. Then, she began to call out names. Each pair's score was announced, met with varying degrees of disappointment, frustration, or quiet resignation.

My own name was called alongside Akhiro. I'd scraped by with a meager 704 points, a pitiful score that wouldn't budge our class's position in the slightest. As expected, disappointment settled over me like a lead weight.

But then, a name pierced the silence.

"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka and Kagenou Oreki."

A tremor of surprise ran through the class. Ayanokouji, the aloof and enigmatic second-year, paired with the seemingly uninterested Kagenou from our own class.

Shiba continued, her voice devoid of emotion. "Their score... 1000 points."

The classroom erupted in a cacophony of gasps and shouts. Perfect marks. It was unheard of. Even the most studious of upperclassmen rarely achieved such a feat.

My gaze darted towards Oreki, who sat in his usual spot at the back, a faint smirk playing on his lips. The nonchalant way he received the news only amplified the shock. He'd aced the exam? With Ayanokouji no less?

The implications were staggering. With this victory, Class D would not only avoid expulsion but would also rise to... Class B.

A wave of disbelief washed over me. Escaping Class D was one thing, but catapulting ourselves two entire classes was something out of a fantasy. Yet, here we were.

Emotions tugged at me – a mixture of relief, disbelief, and a strange sense of admiration for Oreki. He, the boy who seemed to sleep through life, had just pulled off the impossible.

A new chapter was beginning for Class D. We were no longer the dregs of the school. We were climbers, having taken a giant leap up the ladder. But with this newfound position came new challenges.

What awaited us in Class B? Would the upper classes accept our sudden ascent? And most importantly, could Oreki maintain his brilliance, or was this just a lucky fluke?

--After Kiyotaka Left with Oreki--

The weight of Oreki's accomplishment settled on the classroom like a thick fog. Stunned silence stretched for another agonizing moment before chatter erupted, tinged with a mix of disbelief, envy, and a grudging respect.

"A perfect score... how is that even possible?" Takehiko sputtered, his voice laced with a mix of awe and frustration. "Just waltzes in, aced the exam, and now we're in Class B?"