The seasons change quickly, and more and more students are visibly bundling up in scarves, gloves, and long socks against the cold.
The chill in the air on the way to school, the overcast sky outside the window that looks ready to drop snow at any moment, and the classroom heating running at full blast—all of it signals the arrival of a true cold snap.
At this time of year, what falls is snow. As I observe the stratus clouds spreading across the sky through the window, I predict the weather for after school.
It's a decent way to pass the time until homeroom begins, and once I conclude that the weather will hold until I head home, Sakagami-sensei walks into the classroom.
"Homeroom will now begin. I'll warn you in advance that it may run a little long today, as there are some announcements."
The students who had been looking forward to their after-school plans openly pull displeased faces.
Whether it's club activities or just hanging out, any restriction on freedom provokes a visceral reaction in everyone.
"The tallying of the previous special exam was completed a short while ago."
Just that opening line is enough to change the expressions on my classmates' faces.
Some smile at the long-awaited moment; others grimace at being forced to confront a truth they wanted to avoid.
The reactions split into two clear types, but no one is wearing the kind of slack, tension-free grin that would make them look like an idiot.
"The previous special exam—commonly called the Paper Shuffle—pitted Class A directly against Class B, and Class C against Class D.
The format is that the class with the higher total score receives 100 Class Points transferred from the losing class."
Since the losing class surrenders 100 CP to the winner, the effective shift is 200 CP—a number too large to dismiss.
"I'll get straight to the results.
In this Paper Shuffle, Class C defeated Class D in overall score."
At Sakagami-sensei's announcement, my classmates' expressions gradually brighten.
Victory in the exam means more Class Points. The gap with the classes above us has shrunk.
Class C operates under a tax system where Ryuen-kun collects the distributed Private Points, so the direct joy of a larger monthly allowance isn't felt, but everyone is still satisfied with the tangible progress toward catching Class A.
"For reference, Class B won against Class A by a narrow margin.
As a result, there will be no class reshuffling from this special exam."
Sakagami-sensei clearly writes out the Class Point changes from this special exam on the whiteboard.
Class A 1468 CP → 1368 CP (−100 CP for losing to Class B)
Class B 845 CP → 945 CP (+100 CP for defeating Class A)
Class C 530 CP → 630 CP (+100 CP for defeating Class D)
Class D 185 CP → 85 CP (−100 CP for losing to Class C)
Until now, Class A had been pulling far ahead, but this result has closed the gap a little.
Even so, Class A's lead remains formidable.
For Class C to graduate as Class A, we would need more than double our current Class Points.
"Now, on to the other announcement—those who received failing grades this time."
After finishing with the board, Sakagami-sensei continues in a low voice.
At his tone, several students clasp their hands in silent prayer or swallow nervously.
In the Paper Shuffle, unlike regular exams, there are two conditions under which a failing grade is not permitted.
One is when a pair's combined score in any single subject falls below 60 points. The other is when the pair's overall total falls below the border set by the school.
This year's border was 692 points—seemingly lower than usual—but depending on the difficulty of the questions, it could still be a high or low hurdle.
And since the questions are created by the students themselves, the potential for expulsions was very real depending on their quality.
After a brief pause, Sakagami-sensei delivers the verdict.
"In this Paper Shuffle—no expulsions occurred in any class."
Relieved sighs escape from my classmates the moment the words are out.
Ishizaki-kun in particular looks ready to leap up in a standing ovation.
"Outstanding work. Having no expulsions at this stage is proof that this year's students are above the usual level."
Sakagami-sensei offers frank praise, but the reverse side of that statement is that in previous years, expulsions had happened by this point.
The school year began in April and is now approaching December; it seems upperclassmen and graduates have experienced seeing off classmates who shared their fate.
If you think about it coldly, it's pathetic—but some students must have grieved the sudden loss of close friends.
Will the same thing happen in this class someday?
"That concludes today's homeroom. Any questions?"
He checks as a formality, but no one speaks up.
Once Sakagami-sensei leaves the podium, the classroom shifts into the usual after-school bustle.
Freed from the weight of the special exam, the students start discussing their plans in their respective groups.
Some groups are even considering splurging a little with their points.
"Kamukura-san~ I did it!!"
Ishizaki-kun, having finished getting ready to leave, sidles up to me as I stand from my seat. The anxiety has clearly lifted from him, leaving him in high spirits.
"Yes. It's the fruit of your hard work."
I wish he would maintain at least some distance, so I deftly deflect Ishizaki-kun as he presses in like an eager puppy.
"Points are up, grades are up! If Ryuen-san and Kamukura-san keep leading us, reaching Class A isn't just a dream anymore!"
After saying that cheerfully, Ishizaki-kun glances at his phone. A quick peek shows he's checking his remaining Private Points.
He's probably planning to go out and have fun after school today. For the record, his current balance was just over 30,000.
"Starting next month we'll have 630 CP… so after everything, I'll have 33,000 PP to spend. Just 10,000 more than this month already gives me a lot more freedom."
Muttering to himself as he does the mental math, Ishizaki-kun voices his thoughts.
In Class C, Ryuen-kun collects 30,000 points each month, so we can't freely use everything that's distributed.
Some students grumble about it, but given how unique this school's special exams are, most reluctantly hand the points over to Ryuen-kun.
"Why do you only have that much left anyway?"
Having finished preparing to leave, Ibuki-san bluntly asks after catching sight of Ishizaki-kun's balance.
"Why… all sorts of stuff. Food, going out—it adds up. You're saying you have more than me?"
"Of course. Unlike you, I actually save a little. Plus I took the Private Points I earned at the sports festival."
The sports festival reward refers to the bonus given for placing high in individual events.
The bonus could be exchanged for either exam score improvements or Private Points; Ibuki-san chose points, while Ishizaki-kun chose the score boost.
Eight months have passed since we enrolled here.
With various rewards and uses like these, everyone's point totals naturally differ.
"Didn't you say something like, 'Winter movies are starting, so I'm gonna spend a ton of points~'?"
Recalling a recent casual remark of hers, I bring it up. While I'm at it, I combine several voice-related Ultimate talents—Singer, Actress, and the like—to perfectly imitate her voice.
"Ugh—that's seriously creepy!? Don't come out of that face with my voice!!"
Her reaction is exactly as expected. Boring.
Couldn't she manage something a little more interesting?
"W-Wow, that's insane! Kamukura-san, can you do other voices too!?"
His reaction is just as boring. I nod anyway, and he lights up even more.
"So, how much do you have left?"
I brush aside the still-excited Ishizaki-kun and steer the conversation back to confirm Ibuki-san's balance.
"…Around a hundred thousand, give or take."
Her voice dropped on the "give or take," so she's clearly rounding up. Probably closer to seventy or eighty thousand.
Still, managing to save that much while keeping living and food costs low is respectable enough.
"And how many do you have?"
She's wearing the smug look of someone who thinks it's only fair to ask after answering herself. Ibuki-san really does have a childish streak.
"Who knows?"
"Ehhh, come on, tell us, Kamukura-san!"
Ishizaki-kun looks genuinely disappointed.
He's curious how many points I have after doing well on the special exam. With no other choice, I hand my phone to Ibuki-san.
"Password?"
"None."
"…Huh? You're serious?"
She operates the phone with obvious suspicion, but when it unlocks without resistance, she can't hide her shock.
Ishizaki-kun reacts the same way.
Then—
"No way…"
"A-Amazing!"
Ibuki-san recoils slightly, Ishizaki-kun practically vibrates with excitement as they see my balance.
Different reactions, as expected.
"How do you even have this many? You didn't take a bribe from Ryūen, did you?"
"I didn't."
Their stares sharpen.
She said "bribe" loud enough that the few remaining students in the classroom perk up and start listening in.
Being suspected is annoying, so I explain the details to the two of them—and loud enough for the eavesdroppers to hear.
I limit it to everything since the sports festival, though.
"First, the basic premise: I lost all my Private Points during the cruise ship special exam.
After that, keep in mind that a certain student gave me 500,000 Private Points."
"…Huh? Hold on, what are you talking about?"
I continue without letting her interrupt.
The monthly points for September and October were based on 580 Class Points, so after Ryūen's collection, 28,000 each month.
For November and December, 530 Class Points, so 23,000 each month after collection.
That's a total of 102,000 Private Points from the school.
For the sports festival individual events, I chose Private Points for every reward.
100-meter dash, hurdles, obstacle race, 200-meter dash, scavenger race, and three-legged race.
First place in each gave 5,000 Private Points. I took first in all six, for 30,000 Private Points.
On top of that, the overall MVP reward was 100,000 Private Points, and the year-group MVP reward was 10,000, adding another 110,000.
So from zero points, I gained 242,000 Private Points.
Adding the 500,000 I received brings the total to 742,000.
After various expenses—
"—700,000 Private Points. That's my current balance."
I keep food costs almost nonexistent by using the free goods corner and having others pay when I cook for them—barely 3,000 a month.
Even so, there are other living expenses, which brings us to this number.
And for this Paper Shuffle, Ryūen-kun is giving me 300,000 Private Points, so I'll finally reach a million.
That's the reward for acting as the question creator.
A fixed 200,000, plus a 100,000 performance bonus for the class victory.
When he told me that, I was a little suspicious of him.
"Hey, Kamukura."
As I finish explaining, one student approaches.
A boy with sharp eyes and hair swept upward in front.
His name is Tokitō Yūya.
He's one of the handful in this class who resent Ryūen-kun's methods.
"What do you want with Kamukura-san, Tokitō?"
Ishizaki-kun steps forward like a bodyguard.
His glare and expression suggest he's picked up on the dangerous vibe coming from Tokitō-kun.
"Move, Ishizaki. I've got no business with you."
"Hah? I asked what your business is."
Tokitō-kun responds in a low, threatening tone; Ishizaki-kun matches it.
The classroom falls silent in an instant, tension thick in the air.
Ryūen-kun, the leader, is still seated at his desk.
He's clearly noticed the atmosphere but remains a bystander, phone in hand.
"Ishizaki-kun."
My voice is flat, deliberately lowered as I call his name.
Ishizaki-kun flinches, shoulders jumping, and when he turns, his face twists obviously.
"I'm not criticizing your actions. But please refrain from unnecessarily adding fuel to the fire."
Ishizaki-kun respects both me and Ryūen-kun.
That's why he acts like a loyal underling.
This behavior comes from genuine intent—his own way of showing goodwill.
It's almost instinctive for him, so it's hard to refuse.
But this time, I need to handle it myself, so I have him step back.
"…Y-Yes, sir. Sorry."
After apologizing, Ishizaki-kun takes one step back.
Now I can speak face-to-face with Tokitō-kun.
"So, you have a question about what I just said?"
"…Yeah, that's right."
He answers warily.
I've only really spoken to him once before, when I gave him advice during the sports festival.
This seems like a good chance to probe why he resents Ryūen-kun.
"You probably want the details on how I got the 500,000 Private Points, correct?"
"Exactly. If those points came from Ryūen, then that bastard really did bribe you.
He promised he wouldn't use the points he collects from the class for personal gain."
His tone is openly hostile toward Ryūen-kun.
Ishizaki-kun's expression stiffens at the attitude, but I need him to hold back for now.
I'm the one who gave an incomplete explanation.
I can't mention Horikita Manabu's name, so I kept it brief.
Tokitō-kun's suspicion is perfectly reasonable.
"Rest assured. These points were given to me by an upperclassman, so it's not a bribe."
"Private points from an upperclassman? Who gave them to you? That doesn't prove it wasn't a bribe."
"I can't say who. That was part of the agreement.
If you want proof, just ask Ryuen how he's using the points he collected from the class.
If it really was a bribe, there would be a discrepancy in the numbers."
Mentioning Manabu Horikita's name would be troublesome, so I brush it off vaguely.
I send a glance toward Ryuen, who's watching from the sidelines.
But the tyrant only smirks; he shows no sign of stepping in.
He probably wants to see how I handle Tokito.
"You're right, that would work. But I don't think that bastard would tell the truth.
I can't trust him. So you—someone who still seems trustworthy—prove to me it wasn't a bribe."
He clearly harbors strong suspicions about the points I hold.
His tone is so forceful that he might as well already be convinced.
He's proceeding on the assumption that I'm lying, pressing me like this to test it.
"Is telling the upperclassman's name supposed to be the proof? That's pretty weak evidence.
Things would be settled much faster if you just showed me Ryuen's current private points."
"Then I'd verify it with the upperclassman afterward. It's time-consuming, but it's the most reliable method when Ryuen isn't involved."
"That's extremely inefficient. You're a hopeless idiot."
No matter who he confirmed with, they'd be more trustworthy than Ryuen.
In his mind, Ryuen's credibility sits at rock bottom.
"As I said before, I promised not to tell anyone.
I can't break that promise, so is there another way to prove it?"
"…Then tell me the circumstances under which you received them. I'll decide whether I'm satisfied after hearing the story."
Tokito declares this arrogantly to me.
Ibuki, irritated by his attitude, joins the conversation.
"Hah? Who the hell do you think you are?"
"I'm just a student in Class C. I found someone who might be cheating, so I'm questioning him.
You're curious about where these points came from too, aren't you?"
"Of course I'm curious. But Kamukura says he didn't do anything wrong."
"Hah, why take his word for it so easily? This guy is Ryuen's right-hand man.
Besides, his behavior has been suspicious in all sorts of ways.
In the last special exam, it wouldn't be strange if he'd made under-the-table deals with the points he collected to look after students he wasn't even close to."
Once Tokito finishes, the stares from those around us grow harsher.
He has a point.
Even if the class acknowledges my talent, it's a plausible enough reason for why I'd cooperate with Ryuen.
"That's ridiculous. It's nothing but speculation in the end."
"As long as the possibility exists, suspicion is necessary.
I'm not as close to Kamukura as you are. I can't just believe him easily."
Ibuki clicks her tongue at those words.
To calm her before she gets too heated—and to stop the conversation from dragging on—I steer it back.
"I made a certain promise and received the points as compensation for it. Does that satisfy you?"
"What was the promise?"
"It's private, so I can't say."
"Then the possibility it was a bribe still remains."
Tokito smirks.
It looks as though he's succeeded in planting doubt, but his real goal is to determine whether Ryuen is taking bribes.
Even so, the satisfaction on his face comes from controlling the conversation.
He despises Ryuen, and he's delighted to have created a disadvantage for me—someone in the position of Ryuen's right-hand man.
How dull.
Still, someone in this class with the will to oppose Ryuen is rare.
It would be wasteful to crush him immediately, so I'll observe for now. There's no need to break his spirit yet.
"Does it matter if the possibility remains?"
"…What?"
Tokito's already sharp gaze grows even keener.
If rumors spread that I accepted a bribe, I'd certainly be viewed with suspicion every day.
Tokito probably meant that if I didn't want those looks, I should explain myself.
But I don't care about such stares.
"There's a saying that rumors last only seventy-five days, isn't there? I'm not lying.
If that's the case, I can simply wait until the distrust you're trying so hard to sow disappears."
My stance has been consistent.
It won't even take seventy-five days—it will vanish soon enough.
"…Hah, is that so."
Tokito snorts and ends the conversation.
He seems to realize that continuing would only lead to the same circles.
He readjusts his school bag and leaves the classroom.
"Hey, are you sure that was okay!? That makes it look like Kamukura-san lost face!"
Ishizaki says in a flustered tone.
It's as if the de facto leader of Class C stayed silent and offered no retort to a single student's challenge.
Compared to Ryuen's usual method of brandishing violence, it's certainly a mild response.
Because people know Kamukura won't hurt them even if they talk back a little, disrespectful behavior toward me might increase.
"Discovering a rebel and letting him go—what a soft heart."
Ryuen, who had been watching the entire exchange, finally joins in.
Albert's figure is visible behind him.
"Kuku. Are you planning to toy with the rebel's movements in the palm of your hand too?"
"Who knows? I don't understand what you're talking about."
It could be seen as letting him go, or as letting him run loose.
Those who are suspicious would conclude the latter is correct.
"You don't understand? Hah, what a boring joke."
Ryuen snorts, then surveys the classroom.
"Just to make it clear, I didn't give any points to this guy.
If anyone doubts it, come ask me directly. I'll show you my private points."
Ryuen announces this loudly enough for every remaining classmate to hear.
I wonder how many people actually have the courage to take him up on it.
"Is this your way of settling things?"
"I have my own methods. Dealing with every single disrespectful attitude would just be a pain."
He's surely calculated that this conversation would reach the other classmates' ears as well.
He apparently wants to solidify his absolute rule.
"Now that the pointless little play is over, shall we get to the real matter?"
"Real matter? Do you have business with me?"
"Tonight. I have something to discuss. Your room is the place. Make dinner for me too and wait there."
Ryuen throws out an outrageous demand.
To treat me like a servant—quite the nerve.
"Hey, that's not fair, Ryuen-san! Getting Kamukura-san's cooking all to yourself! I wanna come too!"
"Yeah, Ryuen. You're the only one getting special treatment—that's unfair."
"Shut up, you morons. The food's just a side thing. I told you I have something to talk about."
The three of them start noisily bickering in a strangely friendly way.
Yet beneath Ryuen's casual dismissal of his two subordinates, I can sense not only boredom but genuine seriousness.
"It seems you're not just coming for a free meal."
"That's right. Since it's an important discussion, it can't be seen by anyone else."
Ryuen says this calmly.
A conversation that can't be held in public, conducted only between the two of us.
The reason we're not going to the usual karaoke place is likely because today marks the end of the special exam, and he judged that the popular karaoke facility would be packed.
"Fine. But don't forget—I'll be billing you for the ingredients later."
"Kuku, go all out then."
I nod, quickly finish packing up to leave, and head for the supermarket.
The two subordinates' stares stab into me the whole time, but I ignore them.
I bid them farewell and start on my way home.
***
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