"...Sigh."
Though he hadn't expected much to begin with, seeing Class D's points drop to zero within just half a month since the school year began, Mashima Tomonari couldn't help but sigh in frustration.
From his previous experience as Class A's homeroom teacher, the class would at most lose sixty points in a month due to classroom discipline. But with Class D, they lost more than that in a single day.
Tardiness, absences, using phones in class, sleeping, chatting...
As expected, Class D's students were lulled by the school's seemingly relaxed atmosphere. Although they held back from abusing points after the warning on the first day, their class discipline was still abysmal—except when Mashima himself was teaching.
Sitting across from him in the faculty office, Class C's homeroom teacher, Sakagami Kazuma, noticed Mashima's weary sigh and leaned over with a grin.
"What's wrong? Already hit zero?"
"Maybe this is just what it means to be Class D," Mashima said with a shake of his head. To be honest, even Class C, just one tier above, usually ended the first month with 400–500 class points.
Proudly, Sakagami added, "This year's Class C has a real standout. If this pace keeps up, we might even retain close to 500 points."
As a seasoned teacher at Advanced Nurturing High, Sakagami knew how wide the gap between the classes could be in just the first month. It often took two to three special exams to catch up—if at all.
Hoshinomiya Chie, the Class B homeroom teacher sitting diagonally across from them, chimed in cheerfully:
"This year's Class B is the best we've had in recent years. We might even catch up to Class A."
Both Mashima and Sakagami exchanged knowing smirks. They weren't new to this game—they knew the gap between A and B was wider than it looked. Especially during the first month's classroom behavior review, Class A consistently outperformed the others by 300 to 400 points.
If Class B ever scored higher than Class A in the first month, something would be seriously wrong.
"What's this? Don't believe me? What do you think, Chabashira-sensei?" Hoshinomiya turned with a smirk toward Chabashira Sae, Class A's homeroom teacher, emphasizing her title.
"Ah... well..."
"I believe in Class A. And my students."
Chabashira replied awkwardly before standing up to leave the office.
"I've got something to take care of."
Mashima and Sakagami weren't surprised—Chabashira had always been like that. They shared a glance before returning to their own work.
Hoshinomiya, however, sneered at Chabashira's retreating figure. She knew exactly what was weighing on her mind.
Kouenji Rokusuke—a student who would never have been placed in Class A under normal circumstances—had already cost the class 80 points in just two weeks. Don't underestimate that number: last year's Class A had only lost 60 points in the entire first month.
Idly running a manicured finger along a file, Hoshinomiya's eyes landed on a familiar name: Karuizawa Kei. After she exposed the school's point system, Hoshinomiya realized this might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity:
To let Class B surpass Class A in the very first month.
In all the school's history, such a thing had never happened.
Just imagining it made Hoshinomiya tremble with excitement.
If it came true, Chabashira Sae wouldn't even need outside pressure—she'd crucify herself.
Because she would have accomplished two unthinkable feats:
As a student, she destroyed her class's chance of reaching Class A.
As a teacher, she led Class A straight off a cliff.
Unfortunately, since then, Karuizawa Kei had gone quiet—spending all her time in a student club she formed with students from other classes.
It wasn't enough.
Hoshinomiya calculated the current difference between Class A and B. Even with Kouenji dragging them down, Class A would likely end the month with at least 800 points.
If nothing else interfered, this might still be the closest the two classes had ever come.
But—
She recalled Chabashira Sae's actions in the past. Driven by personal motives, she had once destroyed nearly three years of effort by an entire class.
The school's system dictated one simple truth: aside from Class A, all other classes were losers.
Hoshinomiya's nail traced down the file, stopping at another name:
Yagami Takuya.
-------------------------------------
"Ayanokouji-kun, are you coming after school today too?"
"...If it's not a bother."
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka looked down slightly at the girl smiling sweetly in front of him. Upon hearing his words, she quickly waved her hands in panic, looking adorably flustered.
"No, not at all! It's just that before, you always turned down our invitations, and I thought you were a bit reclusive."
"So I'm really happy to see you coming to find me now."
Before he could react, Kushida Kikyou had already taken hold of his right hand.
"It means Ayanokouji-kun is willing to treat me as a friend."
"...I suppose."
Ayanokouji still didn't fully understand the mindset of a social powerhouse like Kushida. However, her interpersonal skills were indeed worthy of her Coordination A rating. In just half a month since enrollment, she had not only made friends with classmates but also connected with students from the other three classes.
Katsuragi Kouhei, Hirata Yousuke, and Kushida Kikyou were the three public figures Ayanokouji had initially identified as suitable fronts for A-Class. Katsuragi had already become class leader with Ayanokouji's support, so he was now focusing his attention on Kushida.
Of course, there was another reason he was approaching her.
Katsuragi's stubbornness and conservatism were worse than expected. After spending time with him, Ayanokouji realized the man was like a rock—unmoved by persuasion. Katsuragi clung to the belief that as long as A-Class maintained the status quo, they were unbeatable. He refused to take action against the other classes and had instead focused all his efforts on trying to reform Kouenji Rokusuke.
"I heard you get along well with students from other classes, Kushida-san?"
"Just call me Kikyou."
She beamed warmly.
"Yeah, I know quite a few people from other classes."
Touching a finger to her lips, she teasingly asked:
"Are you hoping to invite a certain girl, Ayanokouji-kun?"
"..."
His silence only confirmed her guess.
"You're actually quite handsome, you know? Just a bit gloomy. If you fixed that, I bet lots of girls would want to date you."
"Thanks."
Seeing she wasn't going to let it drop, Ayanokouji decided to go along.
"Coincidentally, there's a mixer with students from other classes after school. Want to come?"
"Appreciate it."
"No problem."
Kushida smiled again. She seemed to genuinely enjoy being relied upon.
After the final bell rang, Ayanokouji quickly followed Kushida. Her phone had been going off nonstop since the last period. Watching her take calls and reply to multiple messages simultaneously, he was impressed.
Maintaining such a vast social web must require tremendous time, energy, and even points (money).
And yet she still performed near the top in academics and athletics. In that sense, Kushida was quite the remarkable talent.
By the time they reached Keyaki Mall, five or six cheerful students had joined them. None of them were familiar to Ayanokouji—they were clearly from other classes. As Kushida chatted smoothly with each one, she casually introduced him.
Being handsome and brought along by Kushida, he was quickly accepted by the group. A boy from Class B even teased if he was Kushida's boyfriend. Ayanokouji remembered his name: Yagami Takuya—a handsome and refined guy.
When the group reached the second floor of the mall, Kushida waved at two boys waiting nearby. One of them, a shorter student, responded with excitement and nearly tripped in his rush.
"These are Ike and Yamauchi from Class D," she said with a bright smile.
"Since everyone's here, let's go to karaoke!"
As they walked, Ayanokouji dealt with a talkative girl. But hearing "Class D" caught his attention. He glanced over: Ike looked frivolous, while Yamauchi, despite his height, was hunched, leering, and dumb-looking.
Once Ike and Yamauchi joined the group, conversation turned to Ayanokouji again when Yagami brought him up. Hearing someone call him Kushida's suspicious boyfriend made the two D-Class boys explode.
"Don't joke around! Kikyou's been my goal since forever! We're childhood friends who made a marriage pact under a cherry blossom tree! This is destiny!"
"Liar! You said you'd let me have Kikyou! I knew you were lying all along!"
It was astonishing they could say such nonsense in front of her. Others instinctively distanced themselves, and the girls looked at them with clear contempt.
"What?! I'm telling the truth!"
Yamauchi started boasting wildly. According to him, in just the past few minutes, he had a gifted singing voice, was scouted by foreign agents, became a choir star in junior high, and was destined to be a professional singer.
Unfortunately, his duck-like voice lacked all credibility.
Ayanokouji wasn't angry—he was barely holding in his laughter.
The fact that these two were in Class 1-D—Kitagawa Ryo's class—made him want to burst out laughing.
The dumber they acted, the better.
Eventually, Kushida managed to calm the two idiots. Students from all four classes followed her to karaoke, booking the largest room.
The shop was bustling with students, mostly first-years. Ayanokouji scanned the faces—they all had that fresh, naive energy unique to newcomers.
"Kikyou, are you singing?"
Yamauchi had already claimed the song selector.
"You all go first. Yamauchi-kun, could you queue up 'Memory' for me?"
"Uh... what? 'Mamore'?"
"It means 'memory.' M-E-M-O-R-Y."
Laughter rippled around the room. Everyone except Kushida looked at Yamauchi like he was a clown.
"Oh, that word! Too many homophones—I wasn't sure which one Kikyou meant."
Yamauchi didn't seem embarrassed at all. He kept boasting:
"I scored 900 on APEC once."
"What's APEC?"
Someone asked offhand.
"You don't know? It's a super hard English test!"
"Uh, I think you mean TOEIC."
Kushida gently corrected him.
Another girl added:
"APEC stands for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation."
"They're like... cousins, right?"
"More like complete strangers."
After that awkward episode ended, a girl beside Kushida asked:
"I haven't heard that song you picked."
"It's from the musical 'Cats.' It's a beautiful piece. I even performed it in junior high."
"Wait, didn't you go to Azabu Middle School?"
"Yup."
"I think I remember now—your school's drama club was really famous. Wasn't there a super well-known actor named... um..."
"Kitagawa Ryo. He was the club president. We were in the same year—really close."
The moment Ayanokouji heard that name, his body tensed. A chill crept up his spine. Using the dim lighting, he carefully observed Kushida's smiling face as she casually said they were "really close."
He suddenly realized something terrifying:
Everything about A-Class—
Kushida Kikyou might have already laid it all bare for him.
-------------------------------------
[Yamauchi Haruki], [Ike Kanji]
Kitagawa Ryo wrote the two names on the whiteboard using a black permanent marker.
Class 1-D's class points were likely close to zero by now.
On one hand, it highlighted the incompetence of Class D; on the other, it signified another undeniable truth.
Kitagawa drew a large "X" over both of their names.
Now, the next step was simple.
Drag Class A into it.
Drag them into this expulsion storm—one that no longer posed any threat to Class D.
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