Hearing Ayanokoji's words, the expression on Horikita Manabu's face slowly disappeared.
He didn't expect Ayanokoji to be like this as well.
These first-year students really don't give anyone a moment's peace.
"Purchasing exam papers and saying it has nothing to do with the exam? Ayanokoji-kun, don't you think your statement is very flimsy?"
Kiriyama questioned Ayanokoji's statement.
The premise of buying exam papers must be to prepare for an exam.
And honestly speaking,
Among those present, including Class A, where Horikita Manabu belonged, who hadn't bought test papers during their first year?
Everyone knew the specific situation perfectly well.
Ayanokoji's rebuttal seemed meaningless to Kiriyama.
It could even be said to be akin to being unreasonable.
"Who is this?"
Ayanokoji looked at Kiriyama coldly.
For some reason, Kiriyama frowned deeply.
He had just been made to feel uneasy by this first-year newcomer.
Just a newcomer... there's nothing to be afraid of.
Kiriyama reassured himself, then tried to maintain his calm demeanor.
"Kiriyama from Class B, second year. Currently serving as the Student Council's Sports Committee Member."
After Ayanokoji nodded, he scrutinized Kiriyama.
"Committee Member Kiriyama, have you eaten?"
Facing Ayanokoji's perplexing question,
Kiriyama paused for a moment.
But he immediately responded instinctively.
"Not yet, I plan to eat after this meeting ends."
Kiriyama was a bit confused for a moment.
He didn't know what special meaning Ayanokoji's question held.
"Committee Member Kiriyama, do you like bell peppers?"
Ayanokoji then asked another seemingly childish question.
Kiriyama smiled.
He thought Ayanokoji was deliberately asking questions to buy himself time to think.
However, he didn't mind. After witnessing Nagumo Miyabi and Amane's confrontation earlier, he also wanted to show off in front of Horikita Manabu.
But when he was about to answer, he hesitated.
Do you like bell peppers?
If you asked this question in this setting, anyone you pulled aside would tell you they don't like them.
But this answer, in a formal setting, is only acceptable from children, who wouldn't be blamed. At most, they'd be lectured a bit about not being picky eaters.
But now he was in this school.
A place that champions meritocracy.
In a meeting where the expulsion of students from opposing classes could easily be decided.
Was he supposed to answer that he didn't like bell peppers, and then be laughed at for being a child and be ridiculed until graduation?
This was something Kiriyama absolutely could not allow to happen.
But is answering 'like' really the truth?
It's like 'not liking green peppers' is an answer everyone secretly agrees with.
But stating it openly would seem childish.
Especially the type who claims to like them.
They would be considered unreliable.
Since when did something like being able to eat green peppers become something to show off? If you really did that, others would still think you dropped out of kindergarten.
Committee Member Kiriyama's forehead began to lightly bead with sweat.
Just a simple question about eating green peppers, a topic that seemed more like small talk, yet social common sense was enough to corner Committee Member Kiriyama's reply.
Horikita Manabu couldn't help but let out a sigh of emotion.
Even Class D had quite a few promising talents.
It's a pity they faced such difficulties from the start; it seemed their future achievements would be limited, perhaps reaching Class B was already a blessing from the heavens.
His idiot younger sister would surely have a headache.
However, with Amane there... Originally, Horikita Manabu had planned to entrust Suzune to Amane after graduation.
But he was shocked by Amane's recent statement.
Now he needed to re-evaluate whether Amane was truly trustworthy.
After all, he still hoped to see his sister wear a white wedding dress one day.
If Amane led her life astray.
He would have nowhere to cry.
Just as Horikita Manabu fell into deep thought.
Kiriyama became even more nervous.
He heard Horikita Manabu's sigh.
He mistakenly thought Horikita Manabu was displeased with his hesitation.
Immediately, he clenched his fists in anxiety.
"Ayanokoji-kun, whether I like green peppers or not has nothing to do with this meeting, right? And even when eating, it's not necessarily mandatory to eat green peppers, is it? There's no inevitable connection between them."
As Kiriyama spoke, he felt something was off.
But after recalling what he said, he found no problem.
Yet, what was with that strong sense of déjà vu?
"If ingredients in a dish have no inevitable connection to eating, then do exam questions have a connection to the midterm exam?"
"You're changing the subject! Can eating be compared to an exam?"
Kiriyama began to panic.
He finally understood why he had such a strong sense of déjà vu.
Ayanokoji had intended to lure him into this trap from the beginning, attempting to mislead him by changing the subject.
Once he was rendered speechless by Ayanokoji's refutation, Ayanokoji might just get away with such sophistry and escape the penalty of buying the test papers.
Horikita Manabu nodded.
That Kiriyama could suddenly clear his head at this moment showed that he wasn't mindlessly following the other party's line of questioning.
However... Horikita Manabu looked at Amane, who was smiling.
He had a bad feeling.
He knew that, at some point, Ayanokoji and Amane had formed a united front without communicating.
In such a situation.
Were they really just trying to mislead Kiriyama.
To prove that their method of changing the subject was effective?
No.
It shouldn't be just this.
Interesting.
Come on, my young juniors, let me see your strength.
"Committee Member Kiriyama, are your dinner meals always the same?"
Amane, who was beside him, suddenly asked.
Seriously!
Why is it this kind of question again?
"Please don't ask questions unrelated to the exam."
"Answer me!!!"
Clap!!
Amane seized the initiative, forcefully slamming the table.
Her entire body slightly bent, looking like a cheetah about to pounce.
Facing Amane's sudden stern and sharp questioning.
Kiriyama felt as if something had suddenly choked him.
Nagumo Miyabi, beside him, took out his phone and looked down, playing with it.
He seemed completely unconcerned by Kiriyama's pleading gaze.
"Miyako..."
Tachibana Akane was about to tell Amane to sit down.
But Amane's cold gaze swept over her.
Tachibana Akane's voice abruptly stopped.
"Cough."
Horikita Manabu's light cough of reminder sounded.
Only then did Amane turn her gaze back to Kiriyama.
Tachibana Akane, as if granted a great pardon, quickly retreated a few steps and hid behind Horikita Manabu.
At the beginning of the school year, she was clearly a well-behaved young lady.
How could she possess such an intensely suffocating pressure?
And she had only felt a hint of this similar feeling when Horikita Manabu was furious... Seeing that he had no way out.
Kiriyama could only respond to the questioning head-on.
"Of course not! Who eats the same meal every day?"
"Committee Member Kiriyama knows that meals can't always be the same, so tell me, who would know that the midterm exam would also be the same?"
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