The next morning....
The academy's grand auditorium hummed with quiet conversation as hundreds of participants settled into their seats. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, illuminating rows upon rows of students while the polished wooden stage stood at the front of the vast hall.
A lone figure emerged from behind the stage curtains.
He was a middle-aged man with neatly combed white-gray hair. Dressed in a formal black attire, he carried himself with the quiet dignity of someone long accustomed to addressing crowds. Each measured step of his vintage black leather shoes echoed softly across the wooden stage as he approached the podium, a stack of papers resting neatly in his hands.
He adjusted the papers, swept his gaze across the sea of students, then began to speak.
"Before the examination begins, there is one final announcement regarding this year's certification programme."
The chatter gradually died away.
The host smiled.
"Many of you are already aware that the passing score remains unchanged. Every participant must obtain an average of 115 points out of a possible 230 to earn certification."
He paused, allowing the information to settle.
"The examination itself will be conducted over the course of three consecutive days, with each day dedicated to a different field of study. Your final score will be determined by the combined results of all three examinations."
"However..."
"This year, an additional evaluation has been introduced."
Curious murmurs spread throughout the hall.
"As you all know, the certification programme is organized into five classrooms."
He turned toward the board behind him.
"Once the three-day examination concludes, the total score earned by each classroom will be calculated."
"The scores of every student within each classroom will be calculated as well once the examination concludes."
He pointed toward the board.
"The classroom with the highest total score among all five classes will receive a special academic privilege."
The room became noticeably quieter.
"Any participant from that winning classroom who fails to reach the required passing average may receive up to 30 bonus points."
A wave of surprise swept through the audience.
The host raised a finger.
"Do not misunderstand ...This bonus is not awarded automatically."
"It exists solely to assist students who narrowly miss the passing mark."
"No participant may receive more than 30 additional points, and no one may exceed the maximum examination score."
He folded his hands behind his back, "This means the strongest classroom gains the opportunity to rescue its struggling classmates."
The realization spread quickly through the hall, students exchanged glances.
Some frowned, others immediately began calculating the implications. The examination was no longer an individual contest.
A talented student could no longer think only of their own success, likewise, weaker students now carried the burden of not becoming dead weight to the rest of the class. Victory would belong to the classroom that balanced excellence with unity.
The host gave a final nod, "From this moment onward ...You are not only competing for yourselves ...You are competing for everyone seated beside you."
Silence settled across the auditorium.
For the first time... The examination had become more than a test of knowledge.
It had become a test of the class itself.
Few minutes later....
The classroom gradually filled as participants settled into their seats, the usual chatter carrying through the room while many made last-minute preparations for the examination, anxious conversations drifted from desk to desk. A moment later, the classroom door slid open.
Their tutor entered with a leather-bound attendance ledger tucked beneath one arm. Reaching the front of the classroom, he placed it carefully upon the desk before adjusting his spectacles.
"The examination begins shortly," he said calmly. "Before we proceed, attendance will be confirmed."
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He opened the ledger.
"Participant Number One."
"Present."
"Participant Number Two."
"Present."
"Participant Number Three."
"Absent."
Without pause, he marked the ledger before continuing.
"Participant Number Four."
"Present."
The orderly exchange continued throughout the classroom. Each participant answered only once before the tutor recorded their status and moved on to the next number.
Eventually, his eyes settled farther down the page.
"Participant Number Twenty-Seven."
Silence.
"...Participant Number Twenty-Seven."
The classroom remained still.
His gaze briefly shifted toward the empty desk in the front row near the windows.
After waiting several seconds, he drew a neat mark beside the number.
"Absent."
Without another word, he continued.
"Participant Number Twenty-Eight."
"Present."
The roll call resumed as though nothing had happened.
Several minutes later.... The morning session came to an end.
The classroom slowly filled with conversation as students stood from their seats, stretched their stiff limbs, and gathered into small groups, Kairo remained where he was, his eyes lingered on the empty desk at the front of the classroom.
Tap.
A finger poked his shoulder, he looked up.
Bobo stood beside him "...Hey."
"Hey."
Bobo glanced toward the front row before looking back at Kairo, "You've been staring at Morri's desk all morning."
Kairo didn't deny it, "...He wasn't here."
"No." Bobo rubbed the back of his neck.
"You don't think..." He hesitated before lowering his voice ... "You don't think those guys had something to do with this... do you?"
Silence.
Kairo's gaze returned to the empty seat.
The chair remained neatly tucked beneath the desk, untouched since attendance had begun.
"...I don't know." His voice barely rose above a murmur.
Neither of them spoke after that.
The empty desk seemed louder than the classroom around them.
The examination began beneath an almost suffocating silence.
Every scratch of a pen echoed through the classroom as dozens of participants bent over their papers. Even the tutor spoke little, pacing quietly between the rows while keeping watch over the room. Near the front...
Morri finally arrived.
The sliding door had opened only moments before the examination started."...S-Sorry..." his voice barely rose above a whisper, the boy looked worse than he had two days earlier, his face had grown noticeably paler, dark circles rested beneath tired eyes, even walking to his seat seemed to drain what little strength remained.
Kairo watched him in silence, Morri lowered his head without meeting anyone's gaze and quietly began the examination.
...........
Several hours later...
The first day's written examination concluded.
Students gradually relaxed, conversations replacing the silence that had filled the classroom.
Then....
"...Did you hear?"
"I heard someone leaked our preparation notes."
"What?"
"The other classroom already knew what we were planning."
The whispers spread rapidly.
"What are you talking about?"
"Someone from our class has been feeding them information."
"That's impossible."
"It has to be true."
"Our strategy got exposed."
Within minutes the room erupted, voices overlapped, students who had worked together only yesterday now eyed one another with suspicion.
"We trusted everyone!"
"So who's the spy?"
"Someone has to know something!"
Near the back of the classroom... Kairo and Bobo watched quietly.
Bobo scratched the back of his head, "...This is bad."
Kairo said nothing, his eyes simply moved from one arguing student to another.
The trust that had taken weeks to build... Collapsed in only a few minutes, the classroom door slid open.
The tutor entered.
Silence slowly followed....
"An internal investigation has confirmed that a participant from this classroom has been leaking confidential examination intelligence to another class."
The students froze.
"So, it's true..."The tutor nodded once, "Unfortunately... The individual responsible has not yet been identified." A heavy silence settled "As a result ...Effective immediately, your class will receive a deduction in its overall examination score."
The announcement landed like a hammer. "WHAT?!"
"That's not fair!"
"We didn't do anything!"
"You can't punish everyone!"
The tutor remained unmoved.
"When a class cannot govern itself..."
"The class bears responsibility together."
"The deduction has already been recorded."
He gathered his papers, "I suggest you spend less time accusing one another ...and more time proving your innocence." The door closed behind him.
The classroom exploded; arguments became shouting, friendships began cracking apart, some students demanded searches, others insisted someone confess. No one trusted anyone anymore only one student... Remained completely silent.
Morri.
He sat motionless at his desk, his breathing looked uneven, his face had somehow grown even paler than before, his eyes remained fixed on the floor.
"...We're finished." Bobo let out a groan, "If this keeps happening ....Our whole class is going to fail."
He looked toward Kairo, "What do you think's going to happen now?"
No answer.
"Kairo?" Still nothing, his friend wasn't listening, Kairo's eyes had settled on Morri; Every bruise hidden beneath that oversized uniform, every exhausted breath, every trembling movement.
The image beneath the bridge replayed itself.
"If you tell anyone..."
"We'll kill you."
His fingers slowly curled, the classroom noise faded, one thought remained, he's still enduring it, keeps pretending... Even now, something inside him tightened.
Then...
His chair scraped across the floor, the room fell quiet, without saying a word Kairo walked toward the front row toward Morri.
Morri slowly looked up, "...K-Kairo...?"Confusion filled his face, Kairo stopped directly before his desk, neither spoke.
Then....
He grabbed the front of Morri's shirt.
"Gah—!" Morri gasped, "K-Kairo...!" His body jerked upward "W-Wait...!"
The classroom erupted
"What the hell?!"
"Kairo!"
"What are you doing?!"
Morri desperately grabbed Kairo's wrist. "L-Let go!"
"P-Please!" his voice shook, almost breaking, Kairo never answered. His expression remained frighteningly calm, he simply turned... And began walking.
Dragging Morri behind him.
"Kairo!!"
"S-Stop!"
"I said let go!" Morri stumbled helplessly as he was pulled toward the door. Students leapt from their seats, no one reacted quickly enough, the classroom door slammed open. Kairo continued into the hallway.
Morri's panicked cries echoed through the academy.
"Kairo!"
"Please!"
"LET GO!"
The commotion spread from classroom to classroom, sliding doors opened one after another, students stepped into the corridor, trying to discover the source of the shouting. Dozens of confused faces turned toward the unfolding scene... As Kairo silently dragged Morri down the hall.