The waiting room was admittedly cozy. Though, without any of our phones or anything to play with in our pockets, it was an incredibly boring wait. Xuelan stood in the corner, overseeing us.

The only entertainment I had was staring at her boobs and getting hard over it.

"Good going getting us both disqualified."

Mitsumori broke the ice between everyone first. It was a weird gathering as we didn't know each other on a personal level.

"How was I supposed to know you could get a pen from the invigilators?!"

"They clearly stated not to talk, whatever the reason."

"And you talked back!"

"To warn you about it!"

"Then it's just bad luck that one of them saw us talk to each other. You can't blame it on me."

"Ugh, and that's the most annoying part of this ordeal. I got myself into this mess by speaking back."

Well, at least he wasn't being arrogant about it. Despite having a white tie, he accepted his mistakes. I respect that.

Still, I didn't feel bad for disqualifying him. Whatever gives E Class the advantage!

"All our cases revolve around talking. I say we discuss and form a defence in our appeal." Daita said.

"What could we even say as a defence...? We might be appealing, but we're appealing to..." Esumi began to shudder.

"The King is... he's... he's like a monster!" Mitsumori spat. "I... I can't breathe or think straight in his presence! It's like a storm absolutely crushes me and thrashes me about like I'm nothing! And I'm A Class for god's sake!"

"N-no way! I c-can't appeal to him! The room drops in temperature when he speaks! I can't, I can't, I can't!" Esumi screamed, curling up.

"Don't worry, we'll be okay. I don't think a King would be that cruel to his subjects." Daita said. "Regardless, if we show no hostility, smile and be open-minded, we'll have a better chance. Freaking out won't help you."

"Daita-san's right... we gotta come up with a strategy. We can't lament over it now. At the very least, I want to overturn Esumi-san's, Kamuro-san's and Daita-san's disqualifications. You guys did your exams at least and are in the lower classes. Me scoring 0 on a single test shouldn't affect me that much, since I'm in A Class." Mitsumori said.

Ah, the martyr type... Wait, what about me?! Don't you wanna overturn my disqualification too?!

"I think you scoring 0 on a test would affect you greater than anyone else, Mitsumori. After all, you're A Class, so you should have "high standards", no?" Kamuro said.

"Heh. I used to think that too, but a guy named Shimada Kuroshi-san in my class has even worse attitude than Kouji-san's. He scores even worse than E Class and bunks lesson all the time. Yet he's in A Class? I dunno how this school works anymore..."

"Huh?! If he really is that bad, why am I stuck in E Class?!"

"Because you can't shut your mouth for a second, you lecherous pervert. Stop staring at that secretary already, you're so obvious." Kamuro hissed.

Yikes, woman... chill, chill! That secretary, Xuelan, laughed slightly.

"I did such a stupid thing..."

Esumi muttered, beginning to cry real tears.

"Why did I say anything... why couldn't I have just waited... now those two hours of work have just been wasted..."

It was hard to see a girl cry, even if I didn't find her attractive.

"Terasaka and Kouji both had balls to speak to the King like that..."

I agreed with Kamuro's muttering. That was stupid of them.

"What was that E Class reject thinking? Failing all tests? I didn't think your class was that stupid, Mitsuba."

"Hey, hey, don't blame me, no one in E Class even likes Kouji-san. He's one of the big 3 loners! No one's friends with him!"

"The school should really expel him. There's no space for dead weight, especially if they're willing to show their uselessness this early on." Daita said.

I'm surprised Kouji even got in in the first place.

"Anyways, time's of the essence. Anyone got any ideas?" Mitsumori asked.

"Move blame to our teachers for not explaining the consequences of talking clear enough." Daita said.

"I'd say that the pressure was too much and we forgot about the rules. I mean, that paper was... something else." Kamuro said.

"True. I can't believe that's the midterms... wonder how bad the finals will be."

Oh jeez... the way they're speaking scares me. I only did a last minute cram to prepare, but that probably won't be enough, will it?

Maybe this disqualification is a blessing in disguise.

"I think I have a good shot at overturning disqualification. I was trying to tell Mitsuba-san to be quiet, after all."

"And my excuse will be I didn't know you could ask the invigilators for a pen!"

"Your one is flimsy, Mitsuba. You should've been well equipped for the exam."

I pointed at my red tie.

"I'll use my stupidity as a weapon. My excuse for not bringing one is that I'm a crippled E Class idiot!"

"That's stupid." Kamuro said.

"Well screw you too!"

"Sorry to interrupt your discussion, but Terasaka Soichiro-san's appeal has been finished." Xuelan said.

"What was the result?" Mitsumori asked.

"Fail. He has been disqualified."

Well, no surprise. Terasaka's a brute, even if he did do the exam he'd probably fail regardless. This way he fails on a technicality, rather than his own bad skills.

"Who would like to go next?"

Everyone looked at each other. Daita raised his hand.

"Yeah. I'll try my shot."

"Good luck, Daita-san."

Mitsumori and Kamuro encouraged him.

"Thanks, you guys. G'luck to you too."

Daita left, and then... there were four.

Ten minutes of tense waiting later, and Xuelan announced the results.

"Daita Hachirou-san's appeal has been... a failure."

A pit of despair dropped in our stomachs.

How...? How could Daita, the most calm and composed one from all of us... fail?

If he couldn't overturn it... was there any hope for us?

"No...... no...... no...... no......!!"

Esumi began freaking out, crying and screaming.

"I don't want to! I don't want to fail! Please, God, don't let me fail!"

Mitsumori gritted his teeth and stood up.

"My turn. I'll overturn it for sure!"

He stormed out of the waiting room with a resolved face. I hope he fails, that jerk.

And then, there were three.

Kamuro consoled the exasperated Esumi for the fifteen minutes Mitsumori took.

"Oh, looks like Mitsumori Jiro-san's appeal is over."

Xuelan read over her phone with a beautiful smile. I want her on my harem so badly!

"His appeal... was a success."

"Alright! He did- wait, this is a bad thing!!" I said.

"See, Esumi-san? Mitsumori-san did it! He appealed his! We can definitely save our tests!" Kamuro said.

Esumi wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled slightly.

"I'm glad... I'm glad Mitsumori-san got his disqualification removed..."

"Do you want to go now? Or should I go?"

"Please, be my guest, ladies first. I'm not going out there to die just yet." I said.

"I'm not talking to you, dumbass." Kamuro growled at me.

Why didn't she like me...

"I... I want to try."

Esumi stood up, wobbling slightly.

"Alright. Try your best, Esumi-san!" Kamuro said.

"I will!"

"Good luck!" I shouted.

"Thank you... Kamuro-san. Mitsuba-san."

Esumi left the waiting room. And then, there were two.

"Just us two left, huh..." Kamuro muttered.

"Yep! Can I get a good luck kiss before I go out there?"

"Disgusting."

Kamuro looked like she was going to actually throw up when I suggested that.

"I-it was a joke..."

Besides, she's not even that pretty. I'd rather have Xuelan kiss me and smother me in her big boobies as good luck!

"It's a poor one, much like you."

"Don't go after my money spending habits! I know I have a problem..."

"You're so weird..."

Kamuro shuffled away to be as far away from me as possible, shivering. Her disgusted face was a masochist's dream.

As we waited for Esumi's appeal, I realised the sound of the clock ticking was driving me insane. I think I've been in here for nearly an hour. I was really bored, and staring at Xuelan's boobs for so long made them start to lose their charm.

Her boobs are definitely top ten in the school, even rivalling Kazuraba's, but staring at the same thing for nearly an hour straight made me lose interest, y'know?

It's like when you eat rice and natto everyday. You love it at first, but over time it gets boring and you want to eat rice and eggs instead.

After 7 minutes, the shortest appeal time yet, Xuelan announced the results of Esumi's appeal.

"Esumi Chirie-san's appeal was a failure. She has been disqualified."

This was a punch in the gut to Kamuro, who was friends with her. Seeing how Esumi and Daita both failed, and Kamuro was disqualified for the same reason, her appeal seemed unlikely to go through.

"Do you want to go first, or should I go?" She asked.

"You go. I don't mind being last."

"Whatever suits you. It doesn't matter to me."

"Same here."

"Alright."

As she was about to leave, a crazy idea popped into my head.

"K-Kamuro-san!"

"What?"

"Try buying the overturn of your disqualification!"

"Huh? Are you nuts? You can't "buy" that."

"Use the school points!"

"Okay, no, that's a stupid idea. I don't even have my phone on me to do the transaction. And even if I did, what kind of ridiculous sum would you have to pay to overturn it? 100,000? 1,000,000? 10,000,000? Do you think I have that kind of money? These are our midterms. Not just any cheap mock exam. Maybe you don't realise it, but this was mine, Esumi-san's and Daita-san's last chances to make the last two hours of work we did mean something. There's no way the escape route for this would be a simple bribe. How about you keep your insane ideas to yourself, next time?"

"Wait, wait. Look, I get it's insane-sounding, but Kouji-san proved earlier that the King was able to listen to unreasonable requests. On the first day of school, Shizuka-chan-sensei told my class that we could spend the points on whatever we want. So why can't I spend my points on overturning it?!"

"What Kouji asked for was failure. That is much different to your request of saving yourself. And I think your homeroom teacher didn't mean it literally. So stop it with trying to find an exit already. The writing's on the wall, for both of us."

With those harsh words, Kamuro left with anger in her eyes.

I slumped in my chair. With only one success and three failures, the odds were stacked against Kamuro greatly.

It was eleven minutes when her appeal was finished. Xuelan told me the results. Though, I expected it.

"Kamuro Hokyou-san's appeal was a failure. Mitsuba Jun-san, it's your turn."

I took a deep breath and exited the waiting room, alongside Xuelan. The moment I stepped out of that door, I regretted not asking if I could squeeze her breasts for good luck beforehand.

I sat in front of the man who dual-wielded the titles of King and President, Kishou-sama, who looked as crisp and cool as when we first met him.

Our eyes locked, and I felt my entire being get torn to shreds by a powerful storm of authority.

This was the boss battle. The one thing standing between me and my test paper. I had no choice but to use the weapon that Kamuro called stupid moments earlier.

I had no real defence. If I tried to explain my situation, the holes Mitsumori poked through would be used against me. All I had left to cling on was the hope that the price of overturning expulsion was within my budget.

MY BUDGET OF TWO GOD DAMN POINTS!

"Mitsuba-san. You may begin your appeal process."

I slammed my hand on the table to assert my dominance. What the King said earlier is true.

He isn't above me. We're both students at this school. We're on an equal level.

So I don't have to be afraid.

I don't have to be scared.

I don't have to run away, like I always do!

Right here, right now, is the moment that will change me forever!!

"Let me buy the overturn for my disqualification!"

I huffed and huffed. All the air in my lungs were knocked out in one fell swoop.

The storm was beginning to build up again, and I could see the tornado that would knock me down.

Kamuro was right... this was a dumb idea!

"Alright. You can buy the overturning of your disqualification."

-excuse me?!

HOLY SHIT! IT WORKED! IT WORKED! MY INSANE IDEA WORKED!

OH MY GOD, I CAN BUY IT! I CAN BUY MY WAY OUT OF THIS!

ONCE AGAIN, POINTS PROVE SUPERIOR! YEEHAW!

I HOPE YOU'RE PROUD OF ME! THIS IS MY ONE BIG MOMENT, DAMN IT!

"...for 750,000 private points."

My heart sank when I heard that incredulous sum. It was definitely a steal. If I had that sort of money, at least...

My two measly points couldn't carry me to victory...

In the end, even if I didn't spend a dime of my fortune, I couldn't afford it...

This was fate... cruel fate that I would be disqualified from my exams...

Ah, what was all that about it being my shining moment......?

Kamuro was right... this was a stupid idea...

I think, I'm just going to...

"...I accept my disqualification, King Kishou-sama..."

"Very well then."

With that, I was officially disqualified from the exam.

I walked out of the student council room utterly defeated. I collapsed on the floor, where Daita, Kamuro and Esumi were waiting outside. They all peered over me with shocked looks.

"I can't believe you were right... you really can buy the overturn of your expulsion..." Kamuro gasped.

"B-But 750,000 Pr... we don't have that sort of money, Kamuro-san!" Esumi said.

"C Class might not, but B Class has. I'll talk it over with Ichinose-san to see if she can help you guys out." Daita said.

"Why are you being so helpful towards us? We're the enemy, you know." Kamuro said.

"I know, but I sympathise with you two. We all got disqualified for the same reason. At the very least, I want to salvage one of our tests. After seeing Esumi-san cry and scream and do her best to try to fight against it... I think I want her disqualification to be overturned. If possible, your one as well, Kamuro-san."

"I don't care about my test. I hate Japanese. But Esumi-san loves it, so I'll help you buy her overturn. Let's inform the president, right now!"

"Y-you guys... thank you! You're the best!" Esumi said.

"No problem. We're friends." Kamuro said.

"Yeah. Let's do it!" Daita said.

All of them went back into the student council room to inform Kishou-sama of their decision to buy Esumi's appeal.

Meanwhile, I headed back to E Class in a walk of shame that would last me for the rest of my life.

My one meaningful moment at this school was gone and stolen by some girls in C Class and an overly generous boy in B Class...

My life seriously sucks.