Night fell again, and the girls, having studied hard all day, were finally ready to rest.
"Great work today, everyone!"
In the classroom, Hifumi bead, speaking with both nervousness and anticipation: "Tomorrow is finally the second Special Academic Exam! After this week-long training camp, we should have developed the skills to pass smoothly!"
The other three girls nodded confidently in agreent.
Watching them, I couldn't help but think: "Everyone's worked really hard. I've seen it all, you know."
Being praised and acknowledged by soone they secretly admired, the girls' morale surely swelled even if they tried to appear calm on the surface.
"Next, we just need to pass the exam… and graduate from the Make-Up Work Club properly."
Hifumi took a deep breath and exclaid: "Let's prove that all our efforts so far haven't been in vain!"
To prove that, re effort wouldn't be enough.
No matter what remained, I could handle myself.
"Finally," Hifumi added, "I hope everyone can say goodbye with a smile…!"
At these words, the white-haired girl suddenly froze, her expression tinged with lancholy as she murmured:
"…I see… If we pass, we'll have to part ways…"
"W-wait, Azusa!?" Koharu panicked. "Why did you go quiet halfway through talking?"
Hanako, however, imdiately grasped the reason: "I see… I suppose all the things, including the camp, were really fun, right?"
From her expression, I sensed a trace of shared sentint.
"…Mm." Azusa closed her eyes and nodded gently. After a pause, she shook her head. "No. Even so, all good things must co to an end. Everything is but an illusion."
For so reason, the students I've t under Arius' guidance always seem to say things like this.
It's surely connected to Beatrice in so way.
"…I don't think you need to think like that," Hanako said reassuringly. "Everyone, including Azusa, isn't going to fly off far away just because the exams are over, right? Even if the Make-Up Work Club disbands, we're still students of the sa school. If you want to et, you can anyti."
Upon hearing this, Koharu hurriedly added: "Y-you see! I'll always be in the Justice Task Force's classroom! If you have ti, you can co over…?"
I nodded in agreent from the side: "If you don't mind, you can all co help with task at Schale too. Schale is quite big, so you're welco to co and have fun."
And if you get tired, it's fine to sleep in the guest rooms.
"Oh∼?" Hanako said mischievously, smiling. "So sensei actually wants to gather everyone for sothing fun? Hehe∼ Just thinking about it makes happy∼"
Hah. A little teasing like this, for who's gradually accustod, is just like a gentle breeze.
The key is that I anticipated Hanako's reaction beforehand, so my mind was unusually clear when speaking.
But Hanako wasn't really trying to tease this ti.
Koharu blushed instantly and pointed at Hanako: "W-what are you saying!? I absolutely won't allow that! Pervert! Death penalty!"
I rather think Koharu might secretly be the one who most wants such things to happen among those present.
The other three are probably indifferent types.
Hanako, looking a little sad, asked back: "Doesn't Koharu-chan think it's a happy thing that everyone can gather together again?"
"Eh? Th-that… I also didn't…"
"Or maybe Koharu-chan was thinking about sothing strange?"
Just a simple line sank Koharu, leaving her stamring and unable to speak properly, while the classroom's atmosphere beca lively again.
Having worked through her worries, Azusa smiled softly and gave a quiet "Mm."
Even so, because parting was ntioned, the mood in the classroom remained inevitably a little heavy and lancholic.
Hifumi couldn't help reminding them: "Well, our feelings are the sa, but we still need to pass the exam first. Why does it suddenly feel like the ending of a Seishun (youth) drama… Anyway, let's get so rest tonight and prepare for tomorrow's exam."
"By the way, is the exam location the sa as last ti?"
At this, Koharu belatedly asked.
"Ah, now that you ntion it, I don't think I've checked the announcent yet."
Hearing Hifumi say that and seeing Azusa and Hanako's expressions, I realized sothing was wrong.
Could it be that, because they studied so hard today, none of them had checked this yet?
…Coincidentally, I assud they would check it, so I didn't.
"Let see the Trinity bulletin board…" Hifumi swiped her phone, then suddenly froze, her mouth slightly open. After a brief mont of stunned hesitation, she made a shocked, uncertain noise, her expression trembling as if she'd seen sothing unbelievable.
"Hifumi-chan, what's wrong?"
"Eh… No way!?" Hifumi wailed. "It can't be!?"
Hanako, seeing the minister in turmoil and unable to respond, leaned over: "Let see… About the Make-Up Work Club's second Special Academic Ability Exam changes…? The exam scope has tripled…?"
Koharu exclaid: "Huh!? What does that an!?"
"And the passing score has been raised from 60 to 90…?"
"Even I've never scored above 90…" Hifumi, finally recovering a little, cried.
"Wh-what is going on…?"
"It seems it was suddenly announced yesterday… right before the exam…"
Yesterday…
It seems Nagisa never intended to let them pass the second retake.
Honestly, I didn't expect her thod to be this rough from the start.
That scolding of hers seems sowhat wasted.
Hanako's expression darkened: "…I see. Looks like Nagisa must have obtained the results of our mock exam by so ans. Such a blatant move… Does this an she really wants us expelled?"
Catching the keywords, Azusa's expression turned confused: "…Expelled?"
Koharu froze, then shouted: "Eh? E-expelled!? What's going on!?"
At this point, it was ti to inform the two girls who had been kept in the dark.
"Although I think it's about ti to tell you everything…"
Hanako paused: "But before that, there are other changes in this announcent."
Hearing this, Hifumi noticed: "Ah, the exam location and ti have also changed… The exam will be at the ruins on Street 77, District 15 of the Gehenna Zone… Gehenna?"
Rubbing her eyes, Hifumi confird she wasn't seeing things: "W-what? We're taking the exam in Gehenna!?"
"W-why!?" Koharu shouted. "When did Trinity hold exams in Gehenna!?"
Now I really feel that my earlier scolding still wasn't harsh enough.
Hanako said softly: "If we don't go, it counts as absent and we fail, right…"
During this special period before the Eden Treaty, students are forced to go to the Gehenna Zone. Any issues along the way to the exam location are entirely up to the Make-Up Work Club to handle, no help from the tea party…
Nagisa's side moves are so cruelly far-reaching that it proves her madness is even beyond what I expected.
Even using more extre thods to correct it would not be an exaggeration.
anwhile, Koharu's focus was elsewhere:
"Y-yes, that's true, but what did you just an by expelled!? I've never heard of this before!"
"This actually…"
I cut off Hanako, who was about to explain: "I'll explain this one."
Then, I concisely explained to the still-unaware Azusa and Koharu the truth about the Make-Up Work Club:
All mbers of the Make-Up Work Club were deed by Nagisa as potential threats to the Eden Treaty. Using Schale's authority, Nagisa simplified the original procedures, turning the Make-Up Work Club into a tool where failing all three retakes would automatically expel the student.
"Just because of the Eden treaty…!? Eh… Is that for real?"
Koharu was dumbfounded, muttering, her expression complex.
Azusa's reaction was comparatively calm, only murmuring: "…I see."
"I'm really sorry for keeping this from you…" Hifumi apologized, "I never expected things to develop like this…"
"Th-then what do we do…!? If I get expelled, I can't return to the Justice Task Force…!" Koharu panicked, nearly in tears.
Hanako pressed her lips together, unable to bear it: "This…"
"…I understand the situation."
Azusa finished thinking: "Anyway, let's go. The exam starts at 3 a.m. If we don't leave imdiately, we won't make it. Shock, anger, despair… we can deal with that after the exam."
Facing everyone's gaze, Azusa said firmly: "No matter how difficult the road ahead, the present situation won't change. What's important is to struggle with all our strength until the end."
Her words inspired the girls.
"…Yes," Hanako said. "Azusa-chan is right. For now, we have to act imdiately. And… hehe… this feels exciting. It's my first ti taking an exam in Gehenna!"
With that, Hanako even smiled.
"Ah, I really don't understand what's going on!"
Koharu couldn't make sense of it: "A-anyway, we just have to go, right!"
In conversation, the girls quickly regained their fighting spirit. Though anxious about the unknown, they gathered their equipnt and set off toward Gehenna.
I, accompanying them, also reaffird my determination.
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