Chapter 300 Class Points After the Special Exam / Shiina Hiyori's Second Commission
The day after the final exams ended, Chabashira Sae walked into the classroom to deliver an important notice. The school had officially reached a decision: their classmate, Yamauchi Haruki, was to be expelled automatically for multiple violations of school regulations.
"Shimizu-kun! It's all thanks to you this time!"
"Yeah, yeah! You've done another great service for Class C!"
The students of Class C immediately erupted into joyous discussion, their eyes collectively shifting toward the figure sitting in the middle of the back row. Shimizu Akira's mouth twitched involuntarily.
Again—he wasn't the one who planned this from start to finish. The true mastermind was Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, with Class D's Ryuen Kakeru acting as the core executor of the plan.
In this "Yamauchi Haruki Expulsion Incident," Akira had actually only done two things: first, he raised his hand to report Yamauchi to Chabashira-sensei; second, he asked his girlfriend, Kushida Kikyo, to keep an eye on the soiled uniform to ensure no unnecessary extra moves were made.
To be honest, even he was a bit surprised by the outcome. From an objective standpoint, the plan had several holes, but with Ayanokouji controlling the situation from the shadows and Ryuen executing it with full cooperation, it worked perfectly.
'Should I say they have high compatibility because they share the same birthday? Their chemistry is unusually high.'
Ever since Yamauchi was led away by school staff on the first day of the exam, the students of Class C hadn't seen him again.
"Chabashira-sensei! Is that guy still in the school?" Ike Kanji raised his hand instinctively.
"I'm afraid that since he's expelled and has nothing left to lose, he might sneak back to get revenge on Shimizu!"
"Yeah! How about after school, we take turns escorting Shimizu-kun to dinner and back to the dorms?" Many students were worried about Akira's safety, fearing Yamauchi might do something desperate.
"You don't need to worry," Chabashira Sae said flatly.
"At 6:00 AM this morning, Yamauchi Haruki was officially removed from the school grounds by staff and sent to the nearby police station."
"Wait, he's gone already? I live in the room next to him, and I didn't see him pack anything!" "Sensei! His textbooks and bag are still in the classroom!"
"The school will arrange for professionals to pack and ship his luggage and clothing," Chabashira explained clearly.
"As for the textbooks and bags—you don't pay tuition or book fees here. Those items belong to the school, so they have been reclaimed."
"That's so harsh!"
"So that's the collateral cost of being expelled?!"
Shimizu Akira wasn't surprised. This school had emphasized "meritocracy" from the start; reclaiming textbooks was perfectly on-brand.
"The punishment doesn't end there," Chabashira raised an eyebrow. "Yamauchi Haruki's theft of Manabe Shiho's underwear is a serious violation of school rules. Per regulations, Class C will be deducted 50 class points."
"What?! They actually deducted points? 50 points? That's so many!"
"I thought it would be 20 or 30 at most!"
"Everyone, calm down first," Hirata Yousuke began to console them.
"Remember Sudo's fight? This is similar in nature. The school's handling is fair; it's impossible for only Class D to take a loss."
Back during Sudo's incident, they had caught Class D red-handed and counterattacked, costing Ryuen's class 100 points. Now that Class C had a student stealing underwear from a Class D girl, there was no reason for the school not to issue a penalty. This 50-point deduction was exactly the same as previous precedents.
"One more thing." Chabashira turned to the blackboard. "The results of the special exam from the past two days are out. Congratulations! Not a single group failed; everyone passed the exam successfully."
"Well, we all studied our hearts out!"
"Forget that! Sensei, what were the actual results of the special exam?!"
Chabashira picked up a piece of chalk and began writing line by line. Everyone leaned forward, eyes glued to the board.
Class A attacked Class C: Failure (Class A -50, Class C +50) Class C attacked Class D: Failure (Class C -50, Class D +50) Class D attacked Class B: Failure (Class D -50, Class B +50) Class B attacked Class A: Success (Class B +50, Class A -50)
Final Total: Class A -100, Class B +100, Class C & D: No change in special exam points.
"Three out of four classes failed their attacks?!"
"Only Class B succeeded? Well, there's no helping that! They got the senseis to write the questions!"
From the results, Class B was undoubtedly the big winner. Class A, conversely, lost 100 points—a stark contrast to their glory during the Sports Festival.
Horikita Suzune suddenly turned her head.
"This 'foolproof' method of getting teachers to set the questions... I have a feeling it was your idea for Class B?"
"Mhm, I suggested it," Akira nodded. There was no point in hiding it. He thought for a moment and added: "By the way, asking teachers for help clearly doesn't align with the school's original intent for this exam, so the method was ruled as a one-time-only deal. The school only allowed Class B to use it, which is why I didn't tell you guys. In a sense, I let you and Kikyo go through the trouble of making questions for nothing."
"I don't find it troublesome," Horikita rolled her eyes. She was used to Akira's personality. Since the incident with renting the surveillance cameras at the start of school, she knew he only became active in class affairs to pamper her and Kushida.
He was never truly proactive about "class contribution."
"After the special exam, these are your current class points," Chabashira continued writing on the stage.
1st Year Class A: (1260 - 100) 1160 pts 1st Year Class B: (785 + 100) 885 pts 1st Year Class C: (745 - 50) 695 pts 1st Year Class D: 590 pts
"It feels like Class D is really catching up!"
"And the gap between us and Class B has widened so much!"
The points between the classes were quite tight—roughly 300, 200, and 100-point gaps from top to bottom.
One slip-up could lead to being overtaken. Akira felt a bit of a headache. If they dropped to Class D, they'd have to endure broken desks, broken chairs, and dorms without air conditioning.
He had zero desire to experience that. He could endure hardship if necessary, but there was no reason to suffer needlessly.
Just then, Akira's phone buzzed with a message from Kanzaki Ryuji.
Kanzaki Ryuji: Thanks for the idea, Shimizu-kun!
Kanzaki Ryuji: If you hadn't helped, we definitely wouldn't have beaten Class A.
Kanzaki Ryuji: Here are the 1.5 million private points we agreed on. Please check your account.
Kanzaki had been the one to initiate the cooperation, so he sent the thanks and the reward. Soon after, a large transfer notification popped up.
Shimizu Akira: Is this okay? I even asked you for the answer key to help Kamuro Masumi a few days ago. You can give me less.
Kanzaki Ryuji: It's fine. We in Class B used up the teacher strategy first, making it impossible for your class to use it. In my view, you and Class C took the loss. Please accept this; it's the consensus of our entire class.
Since he put it that way, Akira didn't see any reason to be polite.
He clicked accept, and 1.5 million points were successfully deposited.
In reality, while Class B gained 3 million points, they had to pay the third-year teachers and then Akira; they didn't profit much in terms of private points. But the 100-point increase in Class Points was exactly what they needed.
"One last thing," Chabashira tossed the chalk into the box and dusted her hands. "Winter break officially begins on December 23rd. That means after two more weeks of classes, you can rest."
"Great! Just two more weeks!"
"December 23rd! So two days into break is Christmas!"
"And then New Year's!"
Akira was momentarily stunned.
'Wait? The final exams are over and we don't go on break immediately? What are we supposed to learn for two weeks? Surely not new material?' He could only conclude that the Japanese school system was truly unique.
Then he realized: Christmas and New Year's were coming.
In Japan, Christmas Eve is a major event where couples exchange gifts and spend the night together. Akira liked quite a few girls... just preparing gifts would be a massive undertaking.
And the real question was: On the night of December 24th, which girlfriend should he spend the night with?
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"That concludes this meeting!"
Chabashira Sae turned to leave the room but paused as if remembering something. She looked back at the figure in the corner.
"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, come to the office with me. I have something to say to you privately."
"Okay." Ayanokouji stood up expressionlessly and followed her.
They didn't go to the office. Instead, they went to a corner on the third floor labeled "Adult Smoking Area." Chabashira pulled out a pack and a lighter, lit a cigarette in front of the student, took a deep drag, and then turned to him.
"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, the expulsion of Yamauchi Haruki was planned by you and Ryuen, wasn't it? Shimizu Akira's report during the first exam was also at your instruction, right?"
Ayanokouji nodded. "That's correct. What of it?"
"What of it?" Chabashira furrowed her brows, her tone rising.
"I told you to get him expelled, but you did it like this? On the day of the exam? Why didn't you report him during the final subject?"
Seeing his silence, her anger flared.
"If you had delayed it, the school would have counted his previous exam scores as valid even if he was expelled. But because of you, he only got 20 points and didn't even get to take the other tests! That's why Class C failed its attack and lost to Class D!"
"The longer it's delayed, the more variables the plan has," Ayanokouji replied without hesitation.
"It had to be the first subject."
"You always have an excuse!" Chabashira grit her teeth. "And this special exam—our class points didn't rise, and we were even docked 50! How do you explain that?"
Last time, they were only 25 points behind Class B. After Ayanokouji's interference, the gap had widened to 200 points.
"I don't understand why you're angry," Ayanokouji said flatly. "Your request was to get Yamauchi expelled. Those 50 points were unavoidable from the start. You should have been mentally prepared for that, Sensei."
"Enough! Leave!" Chabashira waved him off. Every time she gave Ayanokouji a task, it veered off track in unexpected ways, ending miles away from her expectations. If she had known... she should have given the task to Shimizu Akira.
No, that wasn't right.
She remembered the "Miao Miao Cat" account that had threatened her, specifically demanding Ayanokouji take action. She still couldn't figure out who was behind that screen. And just now, she heard from Hoshinomiya Chie that Class B's overwhelming victory was thanks to Shimizu Akira's advice.
'What's going on? Hasn't he started feeling a sense of belonging to Class C? Why does he still seem like he was in the first month—putting personal interest above his own class?'
She lit another cigarette. Even though Yamauchi was gone, the pressure on her shoulders hadn't lightened.
Just then, her phone rang. She wanted to finish the cigarette first, but seeing the caller ID—specifically the word Chairman—she immediately lost the urge to smoke. She crushed the cigarette in the bin, patted the smoke off her clothes, and answered.
"Chabashira-sensei, is work going well lately?" Sakayanagi Narumori's gentle voice came through.
"Yes, everything is moving forward. I believe there is room for improvement."
"Haha, you're always so modest. In my view, you've made the most progress of the four teachers. Class C's momentum is strong.
Actually, I have some good news for you."
Hearing "good news," Chabashira's face brightened. This was the big boss of the school.
She had been here for years and knew the Chairman well. He was kind, didn't put on airs, paid on time, didn't force overtime, gave gifts on holidays, never denied vacation requests, never docked bonuses, and organized staff retreats.
These things sounded simple, but few companies actually did them. Sakayanagi Narumori was a rare, excellent leader.
Good news? Is he going to give me a promotion or a raise? Her dream was to reach Class A, but a raise was a welcome bonus.
"It's like this: Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's father, Mr. Ayanokouji, intends to visit the school to see his son," Sakayanagi said with a smile.
"As his teacher, I'd like you to bring Ayanokouji-kun to my office in a few days so they can meet.
That's all. Talk to you later, goodbye."
The moment the call ended, Chabashira almost dropped her phone.
'What "good news"?! This is another disaster!'
Ayanokouji's father was coming to the school? Wouldn't her threats to Ayanokouji—forcing him to act on her behalf—be completely exposed?!
'Who did I, Chabashira Sae, offend? Why am I so unlucky lately!'
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Shiina Hiyori felt she was having a lucky day. She went to the library and successfully found two mystery novels she had wanted for a long time. After checking them out, she returned to her dorm.
Upon entering, she instinctively wrapped her thick coat tighter. Class D had the worst treatment; the air conditioners had been removed. Even indoors, you had to wear heavy clothes to stay warm. She quickly turned on the space heater Ryuen had issued to everyone and warmed her feet.
"The treatment in Class D really is hard to bear," Hiyori whispered, clutching Keigo Higashino's Who Killed You.
No normal girl enjoys a dilapidated classroom and a freezing dorm.
Honestly, she had some small grievances with the new Student Council President, Nagumo Miyabi, and his new policies.
There were many gentler ways to handle things—like a tiered resource distribution based on monthly class points, rather than this blunt cut-off. Or using rewards instead of punishment: "Progress Rewards" where facilities are restored if the class improves from the previous month.
First-year Class D was lucky; they were only 100 points behind Class C. But what about the second and third years? Their Class Ds were separated from Class C by an abyss that couldn't be crossed in one or two exams.
The new President didn't seem to care about that. He was just pushing his "reform" through.
With a sigh, Hiyori put down her book and opened the class group chat.
"We didn't gain points, but we made Class C miserable!"
"Exactly! Not only did they fail their attack, but they lost 50 points for Yamauchi. The debt is finally paid!"
"Stay strong, everyone. Next special exam we'll crush Class C in one go and get our classroom and dorms back!"
"With Ryuen-kun and Shiina-san, we'll definitely make it back to Class C!"
Given her personality, Hiyori had little passion for these class wars. But she was the second-in-command, and responsibility came with the position.
Plus, Ibuki Mio was always complaining about the classroom and dorms; Hiyori could no longer stay out of it.
Ryuen's call came in right then.
"You saw the messages in the group!" he barked without pleasantries.
"The next time there's a brain-based special exam, Shiina, I'm sending you in. When the time comes, I want you to tear a piece of flesh off the other classes!"
"Ryuen-kun, I can only say I'll try my best. I can't guarantee a win."
"Hmph, why be modest? Didn't Shimizu Akira say himself that he thinks you're the smartest girl in the grade?"
"That... that was just Shimizu-kun's personal opinion," Hiyori felt a bit sheepish.
She wasn't stupid, but she never thought of herself as the smartest.
"No need for modesty. That guy rarely lies. What he says is basically fact," Ryuen interrupted her.
Hiyori blinked, surprised. Since when did Ryuen trust Akira's judgment so much?
"By the way, I'm transferring 200,000 points to you. Use your head to look into something for me."
"No need for points. What do you want me to do?"
"The same thing as before—that 'Yue' person who rented the cameras. Do you still not know who it is?"
Hiyori's expression stiffened slightly. Actually, she knew it was Shimizu Akira. But she had promised him she would keep it a secret; she couldn't tell Ryuen.
"Hmph, your silence tells me you haven't found out. Forget 'Yue' for now," Ryuen shifted gears. "I'm more interested in two others—'X' and 'Anonymous.' They are definitely in Class C. Find out their true identities for me."
"Okay, I understand. I'll tell you the moment I find out," Hiyori agreed immediately.
She thought to herself that she had already kept Akira's secret once. And this time, the two people Ryuen was looking for were clearly not him.
Since they were definitely from Class C, she would look into it seriously.
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