The following contains spoilers for Episode 9 of Classroom Of The Elite Season 2, "If you make a mistake and do not correct it, this is called a mistake," now streaming on Crunchyroll.
Events from the previous episodes of Classroom of the Elite finally climaxed in episode 9. The earlier episodes of the season introduced the high-stake Paper Shuffle exam, which involved a collaboration of all the classes in Class 1. Furthermore, episode 8 revealed Kushida's backstory and her deal with Horikita to get expelled from the academy on certain grounds.
On the contrary, episode 9 beautifully wrapped up the Paper Shuffle exam saga, and the three-way deal between Kushida, Ayanokoji & Horikita ended shockingly. The episode also hinted at a future clash between Ayanokoji and Ryuen. The impending clash between these two characters will be a sight to see for Classroom of the Elite fans.
The Birth Of Group Ayanokoji
After the three-way agreement between Kushida, Horikita, and Ayanokoji in episode 8, the strategy each person will use in this conflict piqued the interest of fans. The first scene in episode 9 revealed Kushida's strategy to win the deal. In a secret meeting with Ryuen, Class C's representative, Kushida suggested a two-way trade between the both of them. The beneficial trade involved Kushida getting Class C questions for Class D in exchange for her guaranteeing Class C’s success over Class D in the exam. This way, victory over Horikita was assured for Kushida, or so she thought.
Apart from central events such as the Paper Shuffle exam and the three-way deal, episode 9 also revealed the birth of a new friendship group. The group Yukimura and Ayanokoji were in charge of training for the upcoming exam bonded deeply. In a scheduled meeting, however, Ryuen showed up to rile up Ayanokoji. This development was an extension of one in episode 8, involving Ayanokoji receiving an email from Ryuen with the message, “Who are you?” However, despite Ryuen showing up to challenge Ayanokoji, he showed no expression whatsoever while retaining his unremarkable look.
After Ryuen left, the group resumed their usual activities. Later on, after the study session, the group members became friendly while talking about how ‘comfy’ the study was for each of them. Then, Mayase proposed for them to create a group just for themselves, which everyone agreed to. As a sign of friendship, they all decided to call each other by their given names. However, before the group became official, Sakura butted in, asking to be a member of the group, which everyone agreed to.
The group was surprisingly named the Ayanokoji group since he was the one responsible for the group's creation. For someone who tries to avoid being the center of attention, the group name makes Ayanokoji stand out. Although it's still unclear what Ayanokoji really thinks about the group, regardless, he seems to fit into the group, considering his laid-back personality.
After the group scene, Ayanokoji called Karuizawa regarding the strategy they would use for the Paper Shuffle exam. Interestingly, the strategy wasn't revealed in the phone call but moments later in a group meeting for the Paper Shuffle exam. During the meeting, Karuizawa pretended to be irritated over Kushida's over-friendly behavior in an unsuspecting matter. Still, under the pretext of being angry, she poured her drink on Kushida's clothes. However, Hirata butts in and talks to Karuizawa, leading her to fake a remorseful act and suggest washing Kushida's act as an act of atonement. The true intent behind Karuizawa’s act was to stick answers to Class C’s Paper Shuffle exam in Kushida’s uniform to incriminate her if Horikita’s plan goes wrong. Although Ayanokoji never implemented this contingency plan, it showed his devious and cunning nature.
Horikita Wins The Three-Way Deal
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Before the Paper Shuffle exam started, the episode revealed Kushida handing out the questions for Class C to Class D's teacher Chabashira, and also requested her to pretend to accept any future questions from students while discarding them. After meeting Chabashira, Kushida then gives Ryuen the same questions she gave her homeroom teacher. For a moment, it looked like Kushida won the deal until the exam day.
To Kushida's surprise, the questions she saw were different from the ones handed to her by Ryuen. After the exam, Kushida challenged Ryuen on his betrayal, still unaware that she fell prey to Horikita's plan. Apparently, Horikita predicted Kushida and staged a counter plan. On the same day, the Paper Shuffle exam, she had Chabashira agree to two things: To only accept Class D questions from her, the Class representative, and to discard any future fake questions from any of Class-D's members. This plan foiled Kushida's attempt even before it happened.
Furthermore, Ayanokoji alerted Ryuen of this development, forcing him to alter the question sheet he gave Kushida. This guaranteed Kushida's inevitable loss while securing Horikita's win. Following the terms of the deal, Kushida agreed to stop sabotaging Horikita, ending the squabble between the characters. However, the end of the battle between these two characters marked the inescapable conflict between Ayanokoji and Ryuen. Classroom of the Elite fans can only speculate on the outcome of this event, which is sure to be mind-blowing.