The royal academy's grand hall was packed.
Every third-grade student from every section had gathered, their faces pale and anxious as the final rankings were about to be announced for all to hear. Whispers filled the space, a chorus of dread, hope, and speculation.
The teachers stood at the front, holding the final list. The principal himself had taken a seat among them, curious about the outcome after yesterday's Eligibility Exam. The entire academy had been abuzz with talk of Kazuki — the prodigy whose every step seemed to defy expectations.
And now… everyone awaited the final name.
The rankings were called one by one, from the highest scores to the lowest. Cheers erupted for the five students who had managed to pass the eligibility grade, while sighs and silent tears followed for the rest.
Finally, a tense hush fell over the room.
"And in the last place," one of the teachers announced, his voice trembling, "Kazuki Ayanami."
For a moment, the world seemed to stop.
Gasps filled the air. The students turned toward Kazuki in unison. Even the teachers wore stunned expressions, and the principal's brows furrowed in disbelief.
But the most unsettling thing of all — Kazuki didn't move.
No surprise.No frustration.Not a flicker of emotion.
He simply stood there, a faint, almost amused smile playing on his lips, as if he had been expecting this exact outcome from the very beginning.
The staff members responsible for grading the exam papers exchanged nervous glances. One of them leaned over to the other.
"Are you sure about this?" he whispered urgently."That he actually scored this low?"
The other staff member nodded hesitantly."I checked it myself… three times. The answers were… wrong."
They both glanced at Kazuki from afar, unease creeping into their expressions. It didn't make sense. This was the boy who had aced every exam in the second grade without even attending lectures. How could someone like him fail so miserably now?
Even the principal was visibly unsettled, his sharp gaze fixed on the boy. He could sense something was off — this wasn't an accident, nor a misjudgment.
Kazuki had planned this.
The entire academy was now caught in a storm of whispers and speculation.
"Why is he smiling?""Is he… mocking us?""What's he up to…?"
But Kazuki simply glanced out of the nearby window toward the distant mountains, a knowing look in his eyes.
"As expected," he thought calmly."Everything is proceeding exactly as I intended."
No one in that academy, not even the principal or the staff, could fathom what Kazuki's true goal was. And that mystery… was exactly what he wanted.