"Ah! Aren't you Ayanokōji-senpai!? It's me! Amasawa Ichika! Do you remember me? I can't believe I got into the same school as you, senpai. It feels like a dream!"

When I called out to Kiyotaka-senpai like that... Ichika-chan was actually extremely nervous inside.

'What if... Kiyotaka-senpai doesn't play along with my act!?'

Unlike the original world, I, Ichika-chan, approached Kiyotaka-senpai using exactly the same method as Takuya.

Even though I was certain that Kiyotaka-senpai, who is far more intelligent than Kushida-senpai, would understand the act that even Kushida-senpai managed to grasp...

A small anxiety still crept into my mind.

What if Kiyotaka-senpai doesn't go along with my act and my entire plan falls apart?

'Kiyotaka-senpai... please!!'

I desperately sent that message to him through telepathy in my mind.

Perhaps my prayer reached him.

"...Amasawa, huh. It's been a while. Have you been doing well?"

"Yes! Ichika-chan is really happy to see you again, senpai!!!"

He gave me exactly the response I wanted.

As expected of the masterpiece of the White Room.

"Um... you're Amasawa-san, right? From what I heard... you went to the same middle school as Ayanokōji-kun?"

"Ah! You're Horikita-senpai and Sudō-senpai, right? Nice to meet you! I'm Amasawa Ichika from Class 1-A!"

"Hey? Why do you know our names?"

"That's because yesterday, Ichika-chan secretly watched the interaction between you senpai and Hōsen-kun~!"

After finishing a brief introduction with Horikita-senpai and Sudō-senpai...

I quickly got to the main point.

"Ayanokōji-senpai! If it's alright with you, would you pair up with me for the special exam?"

"...With me?"

"Yes! Among all the senpai at this school, you're the only one I know!"

While I was inviting Kiyotaka-senpai to pair up...

Horikita-senpai pointed her smartphone toward me and seemed to be operating something.

She's probably checking my OAA stats.

"W-what... Academic Ability A+!?"

"Seriously!? Suzune... wait... what!? Physical Ability is A+ too!?"

Horikita-senpai was extremely shocked after checking my OAA stats.

Sudō-senpai, who peeked at Horikita-senpai's phone screen out of curiosity, looked even more shaken.

After all, in this world my OAA overall score is incredibly high.

It's said to rival—or even be second only to—Student Council President Nagumo.

"I remember now... A few days ago, Chabashira-sensei mentioned something about a 'real genius who saw through the S System on the very first day of school and used it to obtain 20 million points faster than anyone in history'... Don't tell me..."

"Oh wow~! So that's how people were talking about me~?"

But the real genius is Kiyotaka-senpai.

What I have is merely knowledge obtained from the previous world.

Thinking that, I showed Horikita-senpai my phone screen displaying the remaining balance of my Private Points.

When she saw it, Horikita-senpai seemed to come to some sort of conclusion and the surprise on her face faded.

"If you're a junior from the same middle school as Ayanokōji-kun... then it's not that strange."

"I see~! So Horikita-senpai actually knows about Ayanokōji-senpai's real abilities!"

"Yes... a lot happened over the past year."

Kiyotaka-senpai's gaze toward me has subtly become sharper.

Maybe I talked a little too much.

It feels like his level of caution toward me just increased.

"H-hey! I don't get what you guys are talking about! Explain it so I can understand too!"

"Don't worry about it! Sudō-senpai will understand soon enough~!"

"That just makes me even more curious!"

In the original world, Kiyotaka-senpai scored a perfect 100 on one of the subjects in this exam.

From there, his abilities gradually became known throughout the class.

So my statement that Sudō-senpai would understand soon isn't really a contradiction.

"More importantly... Ayanokōji-senpai? Will you pair up with me?"

"Amasawa, sorry... unfortunately I already have someone in mind as my partner."

"Ah~ I see! That's a bit disappointing..."

Is he planning to pair up with Hōsen-kun just like in the original world?

Honestly, I'm not satisfied with Kiyotaka-senpai pairing with Hōsen-kun.

But forcing him would just trouble him.

"Instead... would you consider pairing up with Sudō here?"

"Hmm? Me and Sudō-senpai?"

"Yes. Sudō is worried about the academic side of the exam. I'd like him to partner with a smart junior like you."

"Amasawa! I'm asking you too! Please!"

Sudō-senpai, who probably has quite a lot of pride, even bowed his head to ask me.

Looks like I'll be pairing with Sudō-senpai just like in the original world.

"Alright, I understand. Since it's a request from Ayanokōji-senpai after all~! Sudō-senpai, please take care of me!"

"Oh! Thanks! Amasawa, you're way too generous! You're completely different from those Class 1-D guys who demanded 500,000 Private Points!"

Ah well...

It's a shame I couldn't become Kiyotaka-senpai's partner.

But if I steadily deepen my relationship with him from now on, it should be fine...

“Amasawa Ichika... come to my room later. There are several things I want to ask you.”

“W-what? Me... to your room...? O-okay…”

My optimistic thoughts were instantly shattered by Kiyotaka-senpai whispering that into my ear.

'Hey... what's going to happen to Ichika-chan now~?'