Chapter 35: Chapter 39 -Mid Terms

Preparing yourself for the worst still doesn't alleviate the potential issues that could still arise from it.

What do you believe the sound of a hypothetical clock counting down someone's impending doom makes?
Is it the traditional Tick Toc?
Maybe it's just the relaxing sound of pure white sand slowly but gently falling to the bottom of an hourglass. 
A musical clock that plays haunting sounds of sorrow, fright, and nervousness every hour? 
It could be a sundial. The grand position of the sun represents the highs and lows of the person's accumulated experience.

When their time is up and their card is pulled, will the occasion be marked with a chime as iconic as Big Ben's, or will it go unnoticed as a silent alarm?

Today is the day. We go into a battle not knowing who will be the one to die. Today, the only enemy we recognize is Mid Terms.

I stood alone outside of the already packed classroom. It was already 3/4 of the way filled, so the rest of the students were most likely coming a few minutes before the exam.

I've been told that it's good examination etiquette to arrive 15 minutes before the exam so you can deal with unexpected issues. Well, that's what Izumi once told me.

Checking my phone now. The time is 7:58am and the exam starts at 8:05am.

I should probably head into class now and settle into my seat. I turned the door handle and opened the door.

Surprising. There isn't the annoying creaking anymore that plagued my nightmares after my introduction bombing. Someone must have finally oiled those dang hinges. I must say that it's about time and a little bit too late in my book.

Entering the classroom. The entire atmosphere is quiet.

There isn't a giggle, a whisper, or even some form of heavy breathing. The sound of the air conditioner filled the medium-sized classroom. Other than that, it is a heavy silence. Dead silence would be my term of choice to describe it.

I slowly walk to my desk. I passed At first, Genji seemed to ignore my presence at first, but then his body became tense until I left his area.

He has a lot of pressure on him. Everyone expects him to be the student who gets expelled due to failing this exam.

The acceptable pass mark for midterms is 50%. Anything below that, even if it's just a half mark, is considered a complete failure. Pretty strict if you ask me, but in their eyes, we are getting a free advanced education, so the least we can do is not flunk any classes.

I took my seat and placed both of my hands on the cold metal desk.

Minori stayed quiet and ignored me.

That's not unusual for her. She most likely wants to get into the frame of mind to perform at her best during this exam.

I twirled my pen in between my index and middle fingers of my left hand.

I am ready to get this over and done with so I can relax a little.

The classroom door opened and in walked Miss Aiko, who appeared as calm as a person in a boat during a flood.

After all, neither her position nor her education was at risk here.

*Click-Clack* *Click-Clack* *Click-Clack* *Click-Clack* *Click-Clack* *Click-Clack* *Click-Clack* *C

The sound of her bloody red stilettos making contact with the floor, as she made her way to the teacher's desk,

*Complete Silence*

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I noticed some students' eyes following her as she made her way there. It almost felt like one of those horror movies where the eyes of a creepy painting would keep track of the unsuspecting character.

Like a long-awaited ship at the port. She finally reached her destination.

"Good Morning, class. I hope you are all prepared for the midterm that is scheduled to begin right now. As you already know, a 20% penalty will be applied to one unsuspecting student's final grade. So I suggest you try to score as high as possible to neutralize that looming threat."

Still nobody said anything. It was as if we all went mute. Not even Yogi uttered a word, and he is supposed to be the one person motivating the class as a leader.

The entire situation felt gloomy.

She then walked by each desk and individually handed each student their very own copy.

I observed Kaori as she stretched out her hand to receive the exam paper from Miss Aiko. Her right arm is bruised where the male student grabbed her last night.

Genji humbly received his paper. It's pretty much the polar opposite of the high-energy-filled statement he made in class when he bragged that he considered the midterms successfully passed.

Sena has this confident look on her face, so I'm assuming that she will attempt to place first in the class.

A few more students later, Minori quietly received her paper, and Miss Aiko approached my desk.

She paused for a split second, then handed me the exam paper.

Our eyes met for a brief moment, then she walked back to her desk.

"Ok, class, you may now begin."

The paper felt a bit thicker than our previous exam. Counting the papers, it came up to a total of 6 pages, which is a two-page increase from last time.

The questions didn't seem too hard. It was a bit more on the long-winded side due to the extended answers along with the workings which we had to provide.

Let's get started!

I could hear the song Eye Of The Tiger playing on a loop in my mind as I thoroughly made my way through each question.

Finally!

An hour and a half had passed, and now the exam papers were being collected.

I could see the anguish on the students' faces. One of us might be expelled within the next few days.

Such is the nature of human beings. When we finally realize that there are a few fleeting moments left, only then do we find our lost appreciation for the things in our possession. We regret what we took for granted then express further regret in some of the actions we did or didn't partake in. 
This is something I would call Death Bed Realizations.

Now that this bridge has been crossed, I can get back to my regularly scheduled program.

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