Class Randomization Test

—

After the school bell rang, the chatter in the hallway gradually faded. Students who had been gathered in the corridor now began entering their respective classrooms. In front of Class 1-A—the current honors class formed randomly—the atmosphere was quite lively, but it quickly calmed down once their teacher stepped into the room.

Inside the classroom, Hikari sat upright at her desk, though her expression showed mild annoyance. She was seated next to Renji Arata, who looked relaxed as he leaned back in his chair.

"Hikari," Renji called in a casual tone. "Looks like you haven't changed at all, huh?"

Hikari turned with narrowed eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Still quick to get annoyed, but still ranked second. Sweet on the outside, sharp on the inside," Renji teased with a grin.

"T-That's not funny!" Hikari turned her face away, her cheeks slightly flushed. "And who says I'm second? That's only because you always cheat somehow!"

"But you stayed up late studying too, didn't you?" Renji replied with a small laugh.

Hikari furrowed her brows, about to respond, but their conversation was interrupted when the classroom door opened.

A friendly-looking male teacher wearing a gray blazer entered, holding a large folder. He stood at the front of the room and smiled warmly at the students.

"Good morning, everyone."

"Good morning!" all the students immediately stood and replied in unison, following the typical Japanese school etiquette.

After asking everyone to sit down, the teacher opened his folder. "My name is Kenta Fujimoto. I'll be your homeroom teacher for today."

Whispers began to spread from the back of the room.

"Just for today?"

"Why only one day?"

Mr. Fujimoto smiled and explained, "As you were informed during orientation, the class you're in now is temporary. Today, you'll be taking the placement tests for the permanent class assignments."

"Huh!? We're having a test today!?" the whole class erupted.

Mr. Fujimoto nodded. "Correct. After this brief introduction, you'll begin the academic test. After lunch, we'll continue with the logic and reflex assessment in the gymnasium."

The classroom quickly grew noisy. Some students began to panic, while others groaned in frustration.

"No break at all?"

"I'm not ready!"

"We just sat down!"

Renji chuckled quietly and glanced at Hikari, who sat calmly and seemed focused on the teacher's explanation.

"You're taking this seriously, huh?" he whispered. "It's just an announcement."

Hikari glanced back at him. "I already read about this in the admission brochure. Besides, I don't want to waste time in a class that doesn't suit me."

"Ambitious," Renji commented with a faint smile. "I thought you'd be nervous like the others."

Hikari raised an eyebrow. "Why would I be nervous? Academic tests… are just about understanding. Isn't that right?"

Mr. Fujimoto raised his voice again, "The academic test will cover five subjects: Math, Japanese, Science, English, and History. You'll have a total of two hours. After that, we'll break for lunch. Then we'll continue with the logic and reflex tests."

Groans filled the classroom once again.

"Two hours?!"

"All five subjects at once?!"

"This system is so cruel!"

But amid the complaints, Hikari gave a slight smile. She pulled out her pen from her pencil case with quiet confidence.

Renji, watching her, narrowed his eyes. "Hikari... you look way too excited."

Hikari turned to him. "Of course. This is my chance to show—" she shot him a sharp look, "—that I can beat you."

Renji chuckled softly. "Still burning with rivalry after all these years, huh?"

Mr. Fujimoto tapped the board. "Alright, everyone get ready. The staff will be handing out the question sheets and answer papers. Don't be nervous. Think of this as your way of introducing yourselves to this school."

Hikari took a deep breath and adjusted her posture. This was the beginning of everything—and she had no intention of losing.

—

The classroom of 1-A suddenly fell into silence. After Mr. Fujimoto stepped out to call the test committee, the atmosphere turned tense. Not a single student dared to speak louder than a whisper. Only panicked breaths and small sounds like pencils falling or pages rustling could be heard.

Some students were biting their nails, staring blankly ahead. Others nervously flipped through their notes, hoping to find some last-minute summaries.

On the other side, Hikari sat calmly. Her slightly wavy blue hair fell over her shoulders, and her hands were busy rewriting important points in her notebook. Although she had felt nervous earlier that morning, her face now looked focused and full of determination.

When Mr. Fujimoto returned briefly, he glanced in Hikari's direction. He smiled faintly, as if admiring the student who seemed thoroughly prepared.

But in the seat beside her...

"Uuaaahhh…" Renji let out a long yawn while rubbing his eyes. He leaned his elbow on the desk and rested his head on his arm as if ready for a nap.

Hikari glanced at him in disbelief. "Are you seriously going to sleep at a time like this?"

Renji replied without opening his eyes, "Hmm? Yeah. I'm feeling sleepy."

"You can't be serious…" Hikari let out a slow breath and kept writing. "How can you be this relaxed?"

Renji raised an eyebrow, still with his eyes closed. "Because I've already memorized everything."

Hikari instantly stopped writing. "What!?" she half-whispered, staring at Renji with disbelief. "You… already memorized all the material?"

"Yup," Renji replied casually.

"No way! You didn't even seem like you studied at all!" Hikari whispered, almost scolding him.

Renji simply shrugged. "I don't need notes."

"You must have stayed up late playing games again, didn't you?" Hikari said with a suspicious look. "That's why you're sleepy now!"

Renji finally opened one eye and gave her a mischievous smile. "Wow, you're right. Still sharp as ever, Hikari. As clever as always."

"Ugh!" Hikari clicked her tongue in irritation, though her face turned slightly red. "Don't say it like that's a compliment!"

"Well then," Renji closed his eyes again, "Wake me up when the papers are handed out, okay?"

And just like that, he actually fell asleep—or at least pretended to. Hikari stared at him in disbelief. While most students were nearly panicking from the pressure, this boy could just sleep peacefully.

"Why… why do I always lose to someone so lazy like him…?" Hikari muttered softly, returning to her notes with quick strokes. Her eyebrows were slightly furrowed, but a faint smile appeared on her lips without her realizing.

Behind all her annoyance, a familiar feeling quietly returned. Renji Arata had… always been like that, from the very beginning.

—

Eleven minutes passed. The sound of the sliding door gently broke the silence.

Two committee members in neat uniforms entered Class 1-A, carrying large folders filled with exam papers. One of them, a man with glasses, a wide smile, and slightly messy hair, stepped to the front of the classroom.

"Good morning, everyone!" he greeted cheerfully.

"Good morning…" the students replied in unison, though without much enthusiasm.

The man chuckled a little, then tried to lighten the mood. "Wow, you all look so tense. Relax, it's just... a test that will determine your future!"

Some students froze. No one laughed.

"Eh? That… was funny, right?" The committee member smiled awkwardly.

Silence.

The atmosphere grew even more awkward. The other committee member beside him could only sigh and facepalm lightly.

The man with glasses quickly changed the subject. "Ah-hehe… alright then, let's go over the test rules, shall we?"

Some students started lowering their heads, trying to suppress their laughter, especially when the man adjusted his glasses dramatically like an actor. A few soft chuckles came from the back corner of the class.

Hikari simply stared straight ahead, her face still serious. She seemed unaffected by the jokes or awkwardness of the committee member. Her hands were ready on the desk, waiting for the next instructions.

"Okay," the committee member continued, "first, no cheating. Second, all bags and phones must be placed at the front of the class. Third, don't talk to your seatmates—even if you just want to know when break time is."

He smiled to himself. Once again, his joke received no response.

"Ehehe… well then, let's get started…"

After finishing the explanation, the committee members nodded at the teacher and began handing out the test papers.

Hikari glanced to the side and saw Renji still sleeping with his head resting on his arm. She let out a sigh.

"Hey… Arata, wake up," she whispered, gently flicking his sleeve.

Renji opened one eye and let out a long yawn. "It's starting?"

"Yes, of course it is! Sit up straight or they'll think you're sleeping during the exam," Hikari said with an annoyed tone.

The teacher, seeing Renji lift his head, simply shook his head slowly, looking like he was already used to this behavior. Renji gave him a relaxed smile, as if nothing was wrong.

One by one, test papers landed on the students' desks.

As soon as the paper reached Hikari's desk, she immediately skimmed through it and began answering with confidence. Her eyes were sharp, and the tip of her pencil moved swiftly across the answer sheet.

Renji, now fully awake, looked over the questions… then grinned. "Heh, this is easy…" he muttered softly before starting to write his answers.

Meanwhile, some other students looked frustrated. One of them held their head and whispered, "What is this... I only memorized the formula for volume of a cube…"

"Wait, was this covered in middle school?" muttered another student, glancing left and right—only to quickly look down again after remembering the rules.

"Once again," the teacher said from the front of the class, "all phones and bags should be placed at the front. Do not keep anything under your desks."

One by one, the students got up from their seats, walked to the front, and neatly placed their bags and phones. Some looked resigned, others were clearly panicked because they hadn't erased their cheat notes yet.

Before leaving, one of the committee members offered a final word of encouragement. "Alright then, good luck, everyone! Think of this as a warm-up before your real adventure in high school begins!"

After that, the door closed quietly. The exam began in total silence.

Hikari wasted no time. She was already deep into the questions, her eyes quickly scanning each line. Meanwhile, Renji… still looked relaxed, answering with one hand while resting his chin on the other.

—

Time continued to pass. The first hour went by.

Hikari was still sitting upright, her blue hair swaying slightly as the breeze from the window blew through. Her hand moved swiftly and confidently as she wrote the final answer on her math test. Her gaze was sharp, full of focus. Without wasting time, she straightened her papers, scanned them briefly one last time, then stood up slowly.

Her footsteps were soft as she walked to the front of the class. She was the first student to turn in her answer sheet.

The committee member on duty looked surprised. "Eh? Already done?" he whispered.

Hikari nodded, then returned to her seat. Her expression remained calm, though some students looked at her with admiration… and a bit of anxiety.

"Is she… even human?" whispered one student from the back.

A few minutes later, one by one, other students began to finish. About five minutes after Hikari, Renji Arata stood up from his seat. With a relaxed stride and a small yawn, he handed in his answer sheet with a smile.

"Question five was way too easy," he said softly to the staff member.

The committee member just smiled awkwardly.

Renji walked back to his seat and slumped down as usual. Hikari glanced at him briefly, then sighed—annoyed, yet also puzzled at how someone could be so laid-back and still finish early.

Not long after, the next staff member entered the class carrying a folder with Japanese language test papers. He greeted the students briefly, distributed the sheets, and announced the time limit.

The class fell silent once more. However, the students still tired from the previous test began to look overwhelmed—especially those who weren't academically strong.

"Uh… what does this even mean?" one student muttered.

"I was planning to memorize kanji… next week," sighed another.

Hikari returned to focus. She read quickly and began writing. Her expression was calm, and she even wrote small notes in the margins to mark the questions she wanted to review later. Fifteen minutes passed, and once again, she was the first to finish.

The committee member standing near the desk raised an eyebrow as Hikari walked up again. "You again?"

Hikari simply nodded and placed her paper down.

Renji finished a few minutes later, becoming the fourth student to submit his sheet. He glanced at Hikari and smiled.

"You're fast, Nao."

"Be quiet," Hikari muttered. "You finished fast too, and you were sleeping earlier."

"I studied… a little," Renji whispered with a small laugh.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the classroom…

"Two questions left! Ugh… I'm out of time!" one student whispered, holding their head in frustration.

"I'm still on question two…"

With each subject change, a different committee member entered and gave a short introduction. One of them tried to give a bit of motivation:

"Next subject: Social Studies! Come on, everyone, let's get excited—this is about learning the world!"

But the students' spirits didn't improve. Some were still frantically scribbling on their previous answers. The test had just begun, but some already looked defeated.

"This is like getting hit by a wave of subjects…" groaned one student, staring at the question sheet.

In the midst of the chaos, Hikari kept writing calmly, her eyes focused. She once again became the first to submit, followed by Arata a few minutes later.

The committee members started recognizing the two of them.

"You're first again, Hikari-san," said one of them with a chuckle.

Renji casually raised his hand. "I'm fifth this time, as usual."

It felt like the class had two extremes: those still struggling to finish their answers, and Hikari and Renji, who finished early and sat calmly like nothing had happened.

After two hours and all subjects were done, the classroom felt like a battlefield. Many students stretched, sighed heavily, and some were nearly falling asleep from mental exhaustion.

At the front of the class, however, the teacher just smiled at the sight—especially at Hikari and Renji.

"Interesting…," he murmured quietly.

—

The recess bell finally rang loudly, marking the end of the exhausting exam session. The students who had been tense and panicked now looked visibly relieved, though most of them seemed drained, as if they had just survived a battlefield.

"Thank you for your hard work," the teacher said with a tired smile. "The committee and I will go over your results, so for now, take a good break."

The exam committee members exited the classroom, met with a chorus of murmured complaints from some students.

"I think my brain melted…" groaned a boy in the back row, wiping sweat from his forehead.

"Why is there never enough time?! I didn't even answer the last question in session three!" exclaimed another, looking utterly defeated.

As the atmosphere began to lighten up, a group of top students gathered quietly at one side of the room. Among them was a girl with straight hair and glasses who briefly glanced in Hikari's direction. Her sharp eyes seemed to be analyzing something.

Hikari, who had just put her pen back in its case, suddenly felt someone watching her. She turned her head slowly and met that piercing gaze. Their eyes locked for only a second, but it was enough to make Hikari feel like she was being measured. Her heart skipped a beat.

(…Who is she? That look in her eyes… it's strange.)

But before she could dwell on it further, she overheard one of the students in that group speak clearly.

"The next test is supposedly about logic and reflexes. In the gym."

"Yeah, I heard that too. Probably something like rapid-response scenarios or sudden situations."

"Shouldn't be too hard, as long as we stay focused."

They all sounded confident, as if the earlier exams were just a warm-up.

Hikari closed her bag and stood up. She let out a small sigh and glanced at Arata, who was… sleeping again. His head rested on his arms, in his usual relaxed posture.

(…Is he seriously asleep? Again?)

But Hikari had grown used to Arata's behavior. She simply shook her head slightly and walked out of the classroom without disturbing him.

As soon as she stepped out, a cheerful voice called out loudly.

"Hikaarrii!!"

"Shera?" Hikari looked a little surprised.

Shera came running up to her, her expression a mix of exhaustion and drama. "That exam… was sooo hard! I give up!"

Hikari gave her a small smile and patted her on the shoulder. "You'll be fine, Shera. Just think of it as a warm-up."

"Warm-up, my head! It's boiling up here!" Shera whined dramatically, causing Hikari to chuckle softly.

"Let's go to the cafeteria, yeah? Yeah?" Shera pleaded while grabbing Hikari's hand.

"Alright, better than hearing you whine the whole time," Hikari replied, giving in.

But as the two began to walk…

"Uh, Shera… you do know where the cafeteria is, right?"

Shera immediately stopped. She turned with an awkward grin.

"Ehehe… not really…"

Hikari stared at her in disbelief. "…We're in a new school, and you invited me to the cafeteria… without knowing where it is?"

Shera scratched her head nervously. "Well… I thought I'd just wing it?"

"Unbelievable," Hikari muttered with a sigh.

But as usual, her brain shifted into problem-solving mode. "I saw a school map near the west staircase earlier. Let's check there first."

Shera immediately beamed. "I knew I could count on you!"

---

After several minutes of wandering around, Hikari and Shera finally managed to find the cafeteria, thanks to a school map they spotted in the corridor near the teachers' office. The cafeteria was bustling with students who looked exhausted yet cheerful, relieved to finally have a break. The clinking of spoons, lively chatter, and the tempting aroma of food filled the room.

Shera immediately dragged Hikari to an empty table by the window. "Finally! It feels like we just survived hell," she groaned as she plopped down onto the chair and began unwrapping a stuffed sandwich she had just bought.

Hikari gave a small smile and placed down her juice box and a small bento. "You were the one who insisted on enrolling in an elite school, Shera. You should've been ready from the start."

Shera winced. "Yeah, but I didn't think it'd be this hard! Surprise tests, weird examiners, heartless questions... This is nothing like our middle school, Hikarin..."

"Don't call me that…" Hikari sighed.

Just as they were about to start eating, a relaxed voice called out from behind.

"Yo."

Hikari and Shera turned around in unison. Standing there was Renji Arata, holding a tray with a bowl of instant ramen and a canned drink. Without hesitation, he took the empty seat beside Hikari.

Shera looked at him, puzzled. "Eh? Who's this guy?"

Renji glanced briefly at Shera, then pointed at himself with his thumb. "Renji Arata. Hikari's childhood friend, and—" he grinned, "her most annoying rival."

Hikari stared at him in disbelief. "Wait... weren't you asleep earlier? How are you here already?"

Renji shrugged and slurped his ramen. "I woke up when you left the classroom. You were too busy worrying about the test to notice."

Shera glanced back and forth between the two. "You guys… have a complicated relationship, huh?"

Hikari groaned, "Don't start."

Shera giggled.

Just as the mood began to lighten, the school's main speaker echoed throughout the cafeteria:

"All students of Class 1-A, please gather in the sports hall within 15 minutes for the logic and reflex test. Be prepared and do not be late."

The cafeteria's atmosphere instantly shifted. Some students panicked, others quickly packed up their things, and a few just sighed in quiet despair.

"Another test?" Shera whined hopelessly, "This school seriously doesn't know mercy…"

Renji stood up, rolled his neck a little, then looked straight at Hikari. "You ready?"

Hikari rose slowly, her eyes locking with his. "Of course. I won't lose to you."

Their gazes clashed—sharp, determined, yet accompanied by subtle smiles. Their long-standing rivalry reignited, and both of them knew… this was only the beginning.

---

Chapter 2 End(half of episode 1)