A.N. = Here you go. Two days late but I can't say anything except that this was a shitty week for me. Almost as if some higher being decided to screw me over multiple times.
Waking up with a clear mind on the 1st of May, I decided to just take a shower and get ready for school. Getting out of the room, I proceeded towards the lift while checking my phone to see the updated point balance.
1,601,450
I hadn't changed by a single digit from yesterday's count meaning our speculations were correct. We wouldn't be receiving 100,000 points every month. The 0 points received was not school anyways, seeing how the class was behaving during lessons.
And it looks like I spent around 50,000 points this month instead of the 30,000 points I expected. Which was fair as I had enough points to sustain for half a year while living luxuriously, so I had let myself loose in the financial department.
A sudden noise brought me out of my thoughts, indicating the arrival of the lift on my floor. Opening the sliding door, I entered the lift to see two familiar people, also on his phone.
Greeting the two, I situated myself in front of the door with Tatsuya beside me and his sister behind him.
Deciding to just clear my doubts, I asked the question in my mind.
"How much did you two get?"
"I received none."
"Same as her and you too, I assume."
Sighing, I closed my phone and put it in my pocket. There was no use to it now, since their replies had confirmed my doubts. No points were given to anyone in our class, meaning that Class D did something that made them deserve 0 points.
Now that I think about it, our class deserves these zero points if we put the class behaviour into consideration. Sleeping in class, coming late, talking in class, using the phone in between lessons, and just the plain old occasions of eating in classes.
If this was a normal classroom, they would have already been expelled. And let's not even think about what would happen to those who exhibit such behaviour in the white room.
"Do I really have to do it?"
It seemed that Tatsuya was still a bit annoyed at having been delegated the task of being a candidate for the class representative by us. He was already the best option out of us three, seeing as he had a good enough reputation among the class unlike the ever so mysterious me and the invisible Kuroko.
Over that, he had his sister's connection among the girls if needed. He had more than half of the class in his hand with only one opposing member over the job of the class representative.
Hirata.
He was a kind-hearted, fair and passive person with a great reputation throughout the whole 1st year. Normally, he was the most suitable person to be the class leader but that was only if this was a normal school. This school was too difficult for such a person with a naive outlook who wants to solve problems by talking.
You needed dirty hands to survive in this school, which showed that this was exactly like how a normal society worked.
Coming back to the conversation, I responded back with a sigh.
"Do we seriously have to go through this conversation again?"
Miyuki too gave her own consolation from behind Tatsuya.
"Don't worry nii-san, you are easily the best representative our class can have."
"Hirata still seems like the better choice."
I sighed again before responding. I am sighing a lot today.
"You already know what this school will be like for someone like Hirata. And he is too kind to fight you for the position if he understands what you are trying to do. And what she said was correct too. You are popular among the girls and half of the boys too. "
He frowned a bit in confusion. "GIrls I can understand but why the boys?"
"The dumber boys from our class think that they will be able to get close to your sister if they befriend you first." A foolish plan with zero chance of working. Only if they knew how easy it was to see through them.
"They really do that, Ayanokouji-kun?" Miyuki asked, shocked at hearing most of the class boys' plans. I don't feel sorry for them at all. Genuine individuals are rare to find in our class, it seems.
Tatsuya's reaction was a bit more surprising. A tired sigh later, he responded.
"I thought they would have stopped by now."
"What do you mean?"
"I asked them to stop after their first failure of a try. Their intentions were clearly false so I just told them to stop disturbing me and go away."
Oh. That also explains their not so subtle hostile gazes towards Tatsuya during class. He had hurt their oh-so-delicate feelings, judging by the unkind gazes and Tatsuya's smirk, rather badly.
Tatsuya's smirk grew rather wickedly as he fired a question at me with a sly glint in his eyes.
"What's your reason for getting close to me, then?"
Keeping an eye at both his sister's reaction and my non-extinct one, he waited for my answer hoping to see me fall for the cliche wordplay. Unfortunately, he underestimated me a bit too much to expect what he wanted from me.
And I wouldn't be a masterpiece if I fell for such wordplay. Going with the safe answer along with the extremely convenient opening of lift doors, I replied back without hesitation.
"Who knows? Anyways, let's go."
Ignoring the small 'dammit' from Tatsuya, we three exited the lift and headed towards the school. It was good that we were slightly earlier than others, so as to not be ambushed by questions from other classmates. The two siblings were rather popular for them to live a normal high-school life.
Entering the classroom, I headed to my seat, greeting Kuroko who was already there.
"You received zero points too?"
Responding back in affirmation, I sat back into my seat, settling comfortably so as to enjoy the chaos that was going to happen in just 20 mins from now.
Ignoring the devil beside me, I decided to immerse myself in the act of staring outside the window.
It was not long until the morning bell for the first school day of May rang. Soon after, Chiyabashira-sensei walked in, holding a poster rolled into a tube. Her face was grim and serious as always, but due to different reasons today. Most probably due to the information that we are going to receive today.
The only thinking left is for Ike or Yamauchi to crack some lame joke.
"Sensei~, are you in menopause?"
Ike really asked that out loud. Someone please punch him or something.
"Alright, morning homeroom is starting. Are there any questions before we start? If there's something on your mind, feel free to speak up."
Chiyabashira-sensei completely ignored Ike and continued to talk. She talked as if she was completely convinced that the students had something to ask. Immediately, several people raised their hands.
"Um, I checked my point balance this morning, and no points were deposited. Weren't they supposed to be provided on the first day of the month, every month? I was impatient because I couldn't buy the juice I wanted."
"Hondou, I explained it before, didn't I? Points are wired to student's accounts on the first day of the month, every month. They were wired without any problems this month as well."
"Uh, but... I didn't get any points."
Hondou and Yamauchi exchanged looks. Ike was too surprised to notice their looks. Now the only thing left is for Sensei to reveal it all.
"... Are you guys really that stupid?"
Is she angry? Delighted? Chiyabashira-sensei had an ominous feeling about her.
"Stupid? What?"
Chiyabashira-sensei had a sharp glint in her eyes as Hondou repeated her words like an idiot.
"Sit, Hondou. I'll explain it again."
"S-sae-chan sensei?"
Surprised by her strict tone, Hondou slumped down into his seat.
"Points were deposited. Without fail. The likelihood that this class was left out is very low. Do you understand?"
"No, even if I say I do understand, we haven't received our points...
Hondou had a dissatisfied expression on his face.
Chiyabashira-sensei really likes to add to the suspense.
Just reveal it already.
"Hahaha, I see, it was like that, teacher. I've understood this riddle now."
Koenji said in a loud voice while laughing. Putting his feet on the table, he pointed at Hondou with his self-important attitude.
"We didn't receive any points because we're in class D."
"Hah? What's that supposed to mean? They said we'd get 100,000 points every month..."
"I don't remember hearing that. Right?"
Smirking, Koenji then turned and pointed his finger to Chiyabashira-sensei.
It was to be expected of him to find out the truth and we had to do everything while keeping in mind his attitude. He was capable enough to at least back up his words.
"Your attitude has some problems, but what Koenji is saying is on the right track. Not many people seem to have noticed my hint. How sad."
The classroom erupted in uproar and confusion.
"... Sensei, can I ask a question? I still don't understand."
Hirata raised his hand. Rather than being concerned about his own points, it looks like he's asking to help the worried students in the room. As expected of a responsible class leader. He's taking the initiative again. But Tatsuya can steal the spotlight soon.
"Please tell me why we didn't get any points. If that's not possible, we can never understand.
After all, we were never given the reason for why we were never given points.
"98 total absences and tardies. 391 incidences of talking or using cellphones in class. I counted every infraction. In this school, your class performance is reflected in the amount points received. As a result of your behaviour, the 100,000 points you could've gotten went down the drain. That's all that happened.
I explained this all on the day of the entrance ceremony. That this school measures the abilities of its students. This time around, you guys were valued to be worth 0. There's nothing more than that."
Chiyabashira-sensei talked mechanically, without any expression. My initial doubts on the first day were finally confirmed. Although it's an unpleasant outcome, it's necessary nonetheless.
"In simpler words, even though you were given a great advantage of 100,000 points at the beginning, class D lost all of it in a single month."
I heard the sound of a pencil on paper. Horikita was calmly trying to get the grasp of the situation as she noted the number of absences, tardies, and infractions of talking during class.
She was doing everything a leader must do, but her position was confirmed from the first day. She needed allies in this school which she neglected. And knowing her, she would probably try to force me to be the first.
Dream on Horikita. Dream on.
"Chiyabashira-sensei, I don't remember ever hearing that explanation before..."
"What? Are you people incapable of understanding without any explanations?"
"Naturally. There was no mention of reducing the number of points transferred to us at the beginning of each month. If it was explained before, I'm sure that we would've tried not to be late and not to talk during class."
"An interesting argument, Hirata. I also don't remember explaining the rules about the points received at the beginning of each month. However, haven't you guys learned not to talk in class and get to class on time since elementary school?"
"That is..."
"I'm pretty sure you guys have learned. In the 9 years of compulsory education, they've always told you that such things are frowned upon. Talking in class and being late to class is bad. Also, did you say that you couldn't understand because I didn't explain it? That excuse doesn't fly. If you behaved as a student should, your points wouldn't have dropped to 0. It's your own self-responsibility."
Without any room for rebuttal, her argument was completely sound. Everyone knows what is good and bad behaviour, after all.
"After becoming first year high schoolers, did you really think that you would get 100,000 points every month without any restrictions? In this school created by the Japanese government to train excellent people? That's impossible, just use your common sense. Why leave doubts as doubts?"
While Hirata looked frustrated by her sound argument, Tatsuya decided to start his work. Looking her straight in the eye, he asked her an important question.
"Sensei, how do we raise our class points then?"
"We are not allowed to divulge the details of how we assess merit to the students. It's the same as the real world. When all of you enter society and find work in some kind of business, they probably won't tell you how you're assessed—that's up to the company, though. However... I'm not trying to be cold, nor do I hate you guys. This is such a pitiful sight that I'll tell everyone here one thing."
For the first time today, I saw a faint smile on Chiyabashira-sensei's face.
"For argument's sake, if we say that everyone stopped being late and stopped talking in class... your deduction would be zero, but that doesn't mean you'll get more points.
In other words, next month's allowance is also 0 points.
Not being late or not talking to class won't help you get back up from the bottom. Keep that in mind—it'll help you."
Not stopping there, Tatsuya continued to probe for information.
"Will our class points change depending on how we give our exams, then?"
"I can't reveal that. But be aware that being caught cheating has a lot of demerits for the class as a whole. "
A part of the class still failed to understand her explanation, which just showed how screwed our class was without someone controlling it. The students who wanted to change their bad behaviour had their mood dampened. That is Chiyabashira-sensei's; no, the school's aim.
The bell rang, signalling the end of homeroom.
"Looks like we had too much idle chit-chat. Hopefully, you understood. Anyway, let's move on to the main issue at hand."
She spread out the white poster that was rolled into a tube. Taking a magnet, she stuck it onto the board. The students looked at the paper, still confused.
"Is this... the results of each class?"
Horikita tried to explain the paper even though she was only half sure. Still, she's not wrong.
Classes A to D were listed on the paper, with numbers right next to them.
Our class D with 0. Class C with 570. Class B with 790. And class A had the highest number with 950.
1000 points would probably mean 100,000 yen. All the classes lost points in some way.
"Hey, don't you think this is strange?"
"Yes... the other class found out the true system too quickly."
Horikita had noticed that there was something strange about the points.
"For the first month, all of you have been doing as you please. Now, the school's not saying that this is prohibited. Your actions, such as talking during class and being late to class, just affects the number of points you get. It's the same with how you use points. You have the freedom to use points how you want. We haven't restricted how you use your points."
"This isn't fair! We can't lead a normal school life like that!"
Ike, who had stayed quiet until now, shouted out.
Yamauchi was also crying out in agony. That guy had already used up all his points...
"Look carefully, you stupid kids. Every other class except class D got some points. The amount of points you guys have should still be plenty enough to last for a month."
"H-how do the other classes have any points left? That's strange..."
"I'll tell you, but it's not like this is some kind of fraud. For this past month, all the classes were judged by the same rules. Nevertheless, they didn't lose as many points as you guys did. That's a fact."
"How... how is there so much difference in points between the classes?"
Hirata also noticed something odd about the numbers. The differences in points were too clean.
"Did you guys finally understand? Why were you put in class D?"
"The reason we were put in class D? Isn't that because we were appropriate for this school?"
"Eh? That's how ordinary classes work, you know?"
Everyone exchanged glances.
"In this school, all the students are divided into classes by merit. The best students are put in class A. The worst in class D. Well, it's a system that's found in major cram schools. In other words, class D is the collection of leftovers. That also means that you are the worst students, the defective products of this school. This is really an outcome worthy of defective students."
Horikita's face stiffened. Looks like the reason behind the class division really shocked her.
Certainly, it's better to put smart people with other smart people, and incapable people with other incapable people. If you put rotten mandarins with good mandarins, the good mandarins will rot faster. The superior Horikita is inevitably in shock at this sort of division.
However, it's probably good that I was put here. There's only one way to go and that's up. And this class is probably a lot easier to manipulate than the upper sections.
"However, this class D is the first one to lose all their points in the first month. On the contrary, I applaud you for living so lavishly until now. How praiseworthy."
Chiyabashira-sensei's unnatural applause reverberated in the classroom.
"After hitting zero points, does that mean we will always stay at zero points forever?"
"Yea. That is if you don't try to surpass the other three classes. Shiba Tatsuya's question just now was the key to an improved life. But if you don't want to try anything, your points will stay at 0 until graduation. However, be at ease, since you can still use your dorms, and there are free meals in the cafeteria. You won't die."
Although a student life with only the bare minimum is possible, a lot of the students probably won't like it. After all, the students lived their lives this month while indulging in every single possible luxury. Suddenly, having to live a life of self-control looks hard for a lot of the students.
Meanwhile, some of the students looked at Tatsuya with a ray of hope in their eyes which was what we wanted all along. A path towards being the class leader was visible for Tatsuya. Sure, Hirata may give him competition but cooperating with him for some time would be beneficial for us too.
Thank you Sensei for making him look like a saviour for the class. It just increased his chances of being the class leader.
"... Will we be made fun of by the other classes now?"
Sudou kicked his desk with a bang. After having learned that the classes are divided by merit, everyone will probably make fun of class D as the group of idiots. It's not unreasonable to be despairing.
"What, you're still holding onto your pride, Sudou? Then do your best and try to make the worst class the best class."
"Huh?"
"These class points aren't just linked to the amount of money you get each month. It's also indicative of the class rank."
So, in other words... if, for example, class D had held onto 600 points, they would be promoted to being class C. This is really like a company assessment. But with a higher difficulty level.
"All right, I have one more piece of bad news I have to tell you guys."
She put one more piece of paper onto the blackboard. The names of all the classmates were listed. Next to everyone's name was a number.
"From looking at these numbers, I came to understand that there are a lot of idiots in this class."
She glanced at the students as her heels clicked against the floor
"These are the scores from the test a few days back. Sensei was glad after seeing your wonderful performance. Seriously, what the hell did you guys study in middle school?"
Except for the top students in the class, almost everyone got below a 60. Ignoring Sudou's wonderful score of 12 points, the next lowest was Ike's score of 14. The average score was about 60.
"If this test was actually recorded, nine of you would already have to drop out of school. Good thing it wasn't, right?"
"D-drop out? What do you mean?"
"Why, didn't I explain? If you get a failing mark on either a midterm or a final exam in any subject, you have to drop out of school. On this test, that would be everyone who got below a 30. Man, you guys are really foolish and stupid."
"W-whaaaaat!?"
The nine people who failed, or in other words, Ike and his group, let out a surprised voice.
On the paper, there was a red line separating the rest of the class and the seven people, the highest of which was Kikuchi with a score of 31 points. In other words, everyone after Kikuchi failed.
"Don't fuck with me Sae-chan-sensei! Don't joke about dropping out of school!"
"Don't make me repeat myself, Yamauchi, I am completely serious."
"Fu, as the teacher said, there seem to be a lot of fools here."
While polishing his nails with his feet on the desk, Koenji had a smug smirk on his face.
"What's that, Koenji!? Your marks are in the red too!"
"Where are your eyes looking at, boy? Look carefully."
"H-huh? Hey, Koenji's name is... huh?"
Scanning from the bottom, his eyes gradually reached the top. And then—he finally saw the name Koenji Rokusuke.
To his disbelief, Koenji had the second-highest score in the class. 90 points. That means that he was able to solve one of the super-hard problems.
The first one was Tatsuya with 95 points. It seems that he's as much of a genius as his sister likes to tell.
"I never thought that Sudou would be a stupid character like me...!"
Ike said out loud with sarcasm in his tone.
"Oh, and one more thing. This school, which is under the control of the country, boasts a high percentage of alumni going to higher education and a high employment rate. That's a well-known fact. Most likely, many people in this class will go on to college or find work at a company."
That's obvious. As she said, this school has the highest employment and college acceptance rate. There are rumours that if you successfully graduate from this school, a usually difficult college or company will become a lot easier to join. Other rumours say that graduating from this school is like getting a recommendation to be admitted to Tokyo University. Basically, it's like the ticket to heaven, which makes sense for it to have a catch.
"But... things aren't that easy in the world. People like you guys, who are of a really low level, will probably have trouble getting into college or getting a job."
Chiyabashira-sensei's words echoed in the classroom.
"In other words, in order to make our dreams of getting a job or getting into college a reality, surpassing class C is probably a minimum."
"That's also slightly incorrect, Hirata. There's no way to achieve your dreams except for surpassing class A. The school doesn't guarantee anything for all the other students."
"T-that's... that's something I never heard about! This is absurd!"
Yukimura, who wore glasses, stood up. He was the person who tied Koenji's score.
"How shameful. There's nothing as pitiful as boys making a commotion and panicking."
As if he felt something from Yukimura's words, Koenji let out a sigh.
"... Koenji, do you not feel any resentment from being in class D?"
"Resentment? Why would I feel any resentment? I don't understand."
"Because we've been told that our class is the collection of leftovers and that our chances of getting into higher education or getting a job are slim!"
"Fu. That's nonsense. I can't even respond to that sheer stupidity."
Koenji didn't stop polishing his nails. He didn't even face Yukimura as he talked.
"This school just hasn't seen my full potential yet. I value, respect, and regard myself greatly, more than any other person. Even if the school puts me in class D, it means nothing to me. If, for example, I have to drop out of school, it's completely fine. After all, it's the school that will come crawling back for me."
That sounds like something Koenji would say. Is it masculinity, or is it self-conceit? Certainly, if you don't care about the school's class rankings, it doesn't matter at all. Considering his high intellect and physical ability, it is difficult to think that the students of class A are all better than Koenji. Or perhaps he was assigned to class D because of his personality.
"However, I'm not looking to go to college or find a job somewhere after I graduate. It's been decided that I will lead the Koenji Conglomerate in the future. It doesn't matter whether I'm in class A or class D."
For someone whose future has been guaranteed, there certainly is no need to be concerned about the class.
Seeing a hopeless case, he turned towards Tatsuya, hoping to get a different reply from him.
"What about you Shiba-kun? Don't you feel dissatisfied at being placed in class D?"
"Abit but it's better to find a way to improve our class ranking than to sit here and complain. And the nearest opportunity would be the midterm exams I guess. Anything is better than just complaining uselessly."
Without any words to retort, Yukimura sat back down.
"Looks like your happy mood has been dampened. If you guys understood the harsh environment you were put in from the start, we wouldn't have needed this long homeroom. The midterm is in three weeks, so please avoid getting kicked out of school. I'm sure everyone here can survive without getting any red marks. If possible, please challenge your situation with behaviour appropriate for a capable person."
Closing the door for emphasis, Chiyabashira-sensei walked out of the classroom.
The red-mark students were crestfallen. Even the normally proud Sudou hung his head down in shame.
[TImeskip]
It was after school. With Hirata's charisma and Tatsuya's analytical skills, it seems like everyone was being sorted into tutor groups.
"Ayanokouji~"
From under the desk, Yamauchi stuck out his face, still looking dead.
"The hell!? What's wrong?"
"Buy this for 20,000 points~. I can't buy anything because I have no points~"
Yamauchi put down the game console he was playing with the other day. What made him think I would even buy it...
Not like I cannot, but why would I?
"I will buy it for 500 points."
"Oi! Don't scam me. I don't have anyone else to rely on~"
Averting my eyes from his pitiful figure, I looked ahead. Meanwhile, he realized that asking me for points wasn't going to work, so he switched to another target.
"Kikuchi! I have a favour for my best friend! Buy this game console for 22,000 points!"
Looks like he's trying to get someone else to buy it now. Furthermore, he shamelessly increased the price.
"Must be hard for everyone who's used up their points..."
Kuroko said while watching the exchange between Yamauchi and Kikuchi.
"Are you ok on points?"
"Hmm, well, for now. I've used up about half my points. I used too many points this first month, so it'll be hard to control myself. Ayanokouji-kun, how about you?"
"I've practically used up none of the points. I don't have anything that I particularly need, either."
"It looks like Tatsuya is doing a better job than he himself expected."
He pointed out while observing the study group division which was well made.
"Yeah, All his complaints were pretty much false exaggerations."
It seems like I along with Kuroko was placed in Tatsuya's study group which was a joint one held together with his sister's group. Filled with around a quarter of the loners of the class, it certainly was an interesting group.
"Ayanokouji-kun from class D. Chiyabashira-sensei is calling for you. Please come to the staff room."
After a jingle, a voice came over the loudspeaker.
"Looks like you were called by the teacher."
"Yea...I'll be going, see you later."
Since the first day of school, I don't remember doing anything that would get me called.
Except scaring some senpais who wouldn't dare complain and not so late.
Feeling the heavy gazes of the other students, I exited the room.
I reached the staff room and timidly opened the door. Looking around the room, I didn't see Chiyabashira-sensei anywhere. I called out to the teacher who was checking their own face in the mirror.
"Um, is Chiyabashira-sensei here?"
"What? Sae-chan? She was here until a few moments ago..."
The teacher who looked back had wavy, shoulder-length hair that gave off an adult-like impression. She said Chiyabashira-sensei's name as if they were close. They also look close in age.
"Looks like she had something to do. Do you want to wait inside?"
"No, I'll wait in the hallway."
I don't feel comfortable in areas like the staff room. Because I didn't want to attract any attention, I decided to stay in the hallway. As soon as I thought that, the teacher walked out into the hallway.
"I'm Hoshinomiya Chie, responsible for class B. I've been best friends with Sae since high school. We're close enough to call each other Sae-chan and Chie-chan~."
I've never heard of her before, but it seems like some useless information.
"Ne, why did Sae-chan call you here? Ne ne, why?"
"Who knows. I don't remember doing anything that deserves the attention of the teachers. And seeing didn't even tell me anything..."
"I don't understand. You were called out without being given the reason? Fuu? What's your name?
A barrage of questions. She examined me up and down.
"My name's Ayanokouji."
"Ayanokouji-kun? Isn't that a cool name~. You're popular, right~?"
Also, What's with this overly casual teacher? She's closer to a student than she is to a teacher like Chiyabashira-sensei. If this were an all-boys school, she'd probably capture the hearts of almost every student.
"Ne ne, do you already have a girlfriend?"
"No. I'm not really popular."
I tried to make myself look offended and hurt, but Hoshinomiya-sensei still assertively approached me. With smooth motions, she grabbed my shoulders with her slender, beautiful hands.
"Fuun? That's weird, I would've totally gone for you if we were in the same class~. Is it because you're too innocent? Or are you tsuntsun?"
She poked my cheeks with her fingers. I wasn't sure what to say. If I suddenly licked her fingers, she'd probably stop, but if it's brought up at a staff meeting, I'd probably be expelled immediately.
"What are you doing, Hoshinomiya?"
Suddenly, Chiyabashira-sensei hit Hoshinomiya-sensei's head with a clipboard.
Hoshinomiya-sensei squatted down, holding her head in pain. Just like a child being scolded by her parent.
"Oww. What'd you do that for!"
"That's because you were doing weird things with my student here."
"I was only talking to him while he was waiting for you to come back!"
"Just leave it at that. Sorry for making you wait, Ayanokouji. Well then, let's move to the guidance room."
"No, I didn't wait long. Also, the guidance room... Did I do something? I thought I was living an unobtrusive school life."
"A good response. Come with me."
I followed Chiyabashira-sensei while thinking "What's this about...".
Suddenly, Hoshinomiya-sensei walked up next to me with a smile. When she noticed, Chiyabashira-sensei turned around and looked at her with a demonic shine behind her.
"Not you, you stay back."
"Don't say it so coldly~. It's no big deal if I listen too, right? Besides, Sae-chan isn't the type to give one-on-one lessons, right? Also, to take Ayanokouji-kun to the guidance room out of the blue... do you have some kind of goal?"
Replying to Chiyabashira-sensei's question with a grin, she got behind me and put her hands on my shoulders.
Keep some distance, lady.
I couldn't see Hoshinomiya-sensei's face, but I understood that there was electricity in the air.
"By any chance, Sae-chan, are you looking for a younger man?"
"Don't say stupid things. That's impossible."
"Fufu, certainly. It's impossible for Sae-chan~"
Hoshinomiya-sensei kept following us.
"How long are you going to follow us? This is a problem concerning class D."
"Eh? Can't I go with you? Is that not good? Look, I can give advice too~"
"Don't harass him, Hoshinomiya-sensei."
A timely interruption came in the form of Akashi who I think was from Hoshinomiya-sensei's class. Accompanying him was a beautiful girl with light pink hair that I had probably seen somewhere before during the first month.
"Hoshinomiya-sensei, do you have time right now? We want to discuss something with you."
The pink-haired girl looked at us for a moment before she went back to facing Hoshinomiya-sensei.
"Ehh! Really Honami-chan? Do we have to do it now? I am preoccupied right now. And I am definitely not harassing Ayanokouji-kun. Don't imagine such weird things, Seijuro-kun."
Akashi's eye twitched a bit before he replied back swiftly.
"The class matter needs to be discussed, Sensei. And don't call me by my first name without permission."
"Look, they're looking for you. Hurry up and go."
Chiyabashira-sensei took this as a good opportunity to intervene and hit Hoshinomiya-sensei's head with her clipboard.
"Mou~. I think she'll get mad if I stay any longer, so see you later, Ayanokouji-kun. Well, let's go to the staff room, Honami-chan and Seijuro-kun."
With that, she turned on her heel and went back to the staff room with Ichinose, ignoring the slightly annoyed Akashi.
What a peculiar teacher.
After seeing off Hoshinomiya-sensei, Chiyabashira-sensei lightly scratched her head and continued walking towards the guidance room. Soon after, we arrived at the guidance room, which was right next to the staff room.
"Then... What was the reason you called me?"
"Umu, about that... before I talk about that, come over here."
While glancing at the clock on the wall, she opened a door that was in the room. She put a kettle on top of the stove in the office kitchen.
"I'll be making some Damiana tea before. You probably haven't heard of it but it helps reduce stress which inevitably piles up from teaching your class."
Opting to stay silent, I picked up the container with dried damiana leaves.
A type of tea more common in South America and Mexican regions, it was surprising to see it in an isolated school in Japan. Damiana tea leaves were known for being used as traditional medicines during the old times. It was also used as an ingredient in a 19th-century remedy called Pemberton's French Wine Coca which would later evolve into modern-day Coca-Cola.
It was also coincidentally considered as an aphrodisiac, something which sensei probably didn't know.
"Take this and don't do anything extra. Enter quietly. Until I say it's ok to come back out, stand here quietly. If you don't, you'll be expelled."
"Ha? What do you mean—"
Without giving me an explanation, she closed the office kitchen door after handing me the cup of tea. What the hell is she trying to do? Nevertheless, I decided to stay quiet as she told me to, and before long, I heard the sound of the guidance room door opening.
Adjusting myself comfortably, I took a sip from the tea.
Switching my phone on, I pressed record. A voice record might be helpful for later on.
"Here, come in. Well then, what do you have to say to me? Horikita."
It looks like Horikita was the one who was called into the guidance room.
"I will ask you frankly. Why was I put into class D?"
"Are you really asking frankly?"
"Today, sensei said that the classes were divided by superiority. And that class D was the lowest collection of leftovers."
"I did indeed say that. It looks like you consider yourself as a 'superior' person."
I wonder how Horikita will reply to that. I'm betting that she'll confidently object to her words.
"I believe that I solved nearly all the problems on the entrance exam, and had no big mistakes during the interview. At the very least, I don't think I should be in class D. Class A or B is more suitable for someone like me."
It's pretty obvious that Horikita is the type to think of herself as the best. She isn't self-conscious either, and really thinks that she's superior to everyone else. On the results of the test, Horikita was also one of those who got spectacular marks, although less than Koenji and Tatsuya.
"Solved nearly all the problems on the entrance exam, is it? Usually, we can't show the results of the entrance exam, but I'll give you a special exception. I have your answer sheet here by chance."
"You are thoroughly prepared, I see. ...Looks like you also knew I would come here to protest my placement."
"I'm a teacher. I need to understand the students to some degree at the very least. Horikita Suzune. As you thought, on the entrance examination, you were in 3rd place among the incoming first-years. Your scores were behind first and second by only a small margin. You did very well. There were no particular problems that we observed during the interview either. Rather, you were highly rated."
"Thank you very much. Then—why?"
"Before that, why are you dissatisfied with class D?"
"There is no one that would be happy when they are not correctly evaluated. Also, the differences between classes also greatly affect future prospects. It's only natural that I'm unhappy."
"Correctly evaluated? Hey hey, your evaluation of yourself is too high.'
Chiyabashira-sensei snickered, or rather, openly laughed, at Horikita.
"I recognize that your academic ability is high. You are definitely smart. However, who decided that smart people were the ones who got into the superior classes? We never said that."
"That's—that's just common sense."
"Common sense? Didn't that 'common sense' create the broken Japan we live in now? Indeed, we used to separate the inferior from the superior using the test scores. As a result, incompetent people tried to make up the difference in desperation to defeat the truly superior people. In the end, it led to a hereditary system."
Hearing those words, I unintentionally let out a low groan. My chest hurts.
"Certainly, you have the ability to study. I won't deny that. However, this school's goal is to produce excellent people. It is a big mistake to think that you can be assigned to a superior class by only studying. That was the very first thing we explained, at the entrance ceremony. Besides, think about it calmly. Do you think someone like Sudou would make it if we determined acceptance only by intelligence?
"Tsu..."
Even though this is one of the best schools in Japan, they accept students that are interested in areas other than studying.
"Also, it's rash to say that there is no one that would be happy when they are incorrectly evaluated. Class A, for example, receives a lot of pressure from the school and a lot of envy from the lower classes. Competing under heavy pressure is harder than you think. Some students are fine with being evaluated lower than they actually are."
"That's a joke, right? I can't understand those kinds of people."
"Really? I think there are a few in class D. Oddball students that would stay in a low-level class with pleasure.
It's obvious that she was talking to me through the wall.
"You still haven't explained clearly. Is my placement in class D the truth, and was there no mistake in my evaluation? Please double check."
"It's too bad, but your placement in class D was not a mistake. You're definitely in class D. You are a student only at that level.
"... Is that so? I will hear from the school at another time."
It looks like she decided that her homeroom teacher was not the right person to ask, and didn't give up.
"You'll get the same result if you try to talk to anyone in a higher position. There's no need to be that disappointed. As I said this morning, classes can overtake and surpass one another. Remember that there is the possibility of rising up to class A before graduation."
"It does not seem like a very easy path. How will the immature class D ever get more points than class A? No matter how I look at it, it is impossible."
That was Horikita's honest opinion. There is an enormous point difference this time.
"I wouldn't know. It's your own choice whether or not to head down that reckless path. By any chance, do you have a special reason as to why you need to be in class A?"
It's probably related to the student council president.
"That is... I will excuse myself for today. However, please remember that I still do not understand."
"All right, I'll remember that."
I heard the sound of a chair being pulled. Looks like the discussion ended.
"Oh, right. Another person should be here in the guidance room. It's a person that's also relevant to you."
"Relevant to me...? No way... Niisa—"
Does she really expect the SCP to sneak around in the guidance room, overhearing conversations left and right?
"Come out, Ayanokouji."
Don't call me with such bad timing. All right, I won't come out.
"If you don't come out, you'll be expelled."
What a cruel teacher. You shouldn't unfairly use expulsion as a weapon. You also probably don't know that this is being recorded.
"How long will you make me wait?"
While letting out a sigh, I exited the office kitchen and into the guidance room. Naturally, Horikita was surprised.
"Were you... listening to us?"
"Listening? I know you guys were talking about something, but I didn't hear anything. The tea is too tasty for me to pay attention to random conversations that are happening near me."
"That's not true. You were clearly interested in our conversation for you to come out when I told you."
For some reason, it looks like Chiyabashira-sensei wanted to drag into the conversation.
"... Sensei, why would you do that?"
Horikita immediately noticed that this was a setup. The anger was clear on her face.
"Because I decided it was necessary. Well then Ayanokouji, I'll tell you the reason I called you."
Chiyabashira-sensei shot down Horikita's question and turned her attention to me.
"Excuse me then..."
"Wait Horikita. It is better for you to listen to the end. This'll be a hint for how you can get up to class A."
Horikita stopped in her tracks and sat back down in her chair.
"Please keep it short."
Looking down at her clipboard, Chiyabashira-sensei laughed.
"You're an interesting student, Ayanokouji."
"I'm not interesting at all, not as interesting as someone like Chiyabashira who has a strange surname."
"Do you want to prostrate yourself in front of all the Chiyabashira-san's in the country? Hmm?"
Not really. It's not like I know any other Chiyabashira in this country except you.
"After your entrance examination results, I was thinking about potential individual teaching methods, but after seeing your test results, my interest was piqued. I was surprised at first."
A familiar answer sheet from the entrance exam was on the clipboard.
"50 points in Japanese, 50 points in math, 50 points in English, 50 points in history, 50 points in science... and the result of the most recent test was also 50 points. Do you know what this means?"
In surprise, Horikita looked over my test form then shifted her gaze to me.
"The school staff are getting lazier than I expected."
"Hoh? You're going to claim that your results are a mistake on the school's side? It's clearly intentional ."
"It's either a mistake or some weird coincidence. You have no proof. Anyway, what benefit would I get from manipulating my own results? If I had a brain that could get high marks, I would aim for perfect scores in all subjects. The most appropriate response by the school now would be to investigate its staff."
Watching me feign innocence, she let out a sigh with a look of amazement.
"Honestly, you're a really weird student. Are you sure? Math problem #5 was only solved by 3% of all students this year. Additionally, you included a complex formula and used it flawlessly. On the other hand, the correct answer rate of #10 was 76%. Did you make a mistake? Or is that 'normal'?"
"I don't know what's normal in this world. It's a coincidence, a coincidence."
"Good grief. I admire your attitude, but it'll cause problems for you in the future."
"That's a future Ayanokouji's future problem, not mine."
Chiyabashira-sensei sent Horikita a look that said, "How was that?"
"Why do you... pretend that you don't understand?"
"No, as I said, it's a mistake or a coincidence. It's not like I'm hiding that I'm a genius or something.
"What do you think? He might be more intelligent than you are, Horikita."
Horikita visibly flinched. Sensei, please don't say anything unnecessary.
"I don't like studying, nor do I want to try my best. That's why I get those kinds of scores."
"It's not about the students who choose this school. Like you and Koenji, there are others who are fine with either class A or class D."
It's not just this school, but even the teachers aren't normal. During their conversation earlier, Chiyabashira-sensei was able to upset Horikita with her words. It's as if they hold the "secrets" of all the students.
My report is probably a blank slate, even after including my past achievements and past schoolings. Just like my life before coming here.
"What is it? What other reasons are there?"
"Do you want to hear about it in detail?"
I noticed that Chiyabashira-sensei had a sharp glint in her eye. Somehow, it seems like she's trying to provoke her.
"No, I'll stop here. If I kept listening, I think I would go crazy and destroy all the furniture in here."
"If you do that, Ayanokouji will be demoted to class E."
"There's such a class?"
"Certainly. Class E means expelled. In other words, dropping out of school. Well, the conversation ends here. Enjoy your student life from now on."
What a sarcastic remark. Continue along with such threats and I will do my best to have you assigned to Class F.
In simpler words, Fired.
"I will also leave. It's time for the staff meeting to start. I'm going to close this room, so let's leave the room."
She pushed the two of us out of the room. Why did Chiyabashira-sensei make the two of us meet? She doesn't look like the type to do meaningless actions.
Is she planning to use Horikita's drive to get to class A by making use of my calculated and laid-back attitude?
But it's clear that Tatsuya was the more competent one here and the one taking the better actions.
Or is trying to figure me out by manipulating Horikita into investigating me?
Or is she...
Anyways it's clear that she's more interested in getting our class to be promoted to higher classes than a normal teacher should be. Is it some kind of her goal to reach class A?
"Anyway... shall we go back?"
I started walking away without waiting for her to confirm. It's probably better for us to walk back separately.
"Wait."
Horikita called out to me to stop, but I kept walking. If I get away from her until we've reached the dorms, my goal would be successful.
"Is your score... really a coincidence?"
"I already said it was. Or do you have any evidence that I'm doing it on purpose?"
"I don't have any evidence, but... Ayanokouji-kun, I don't understand. You avoid troublesome things, and you don't have any interest in class A. And over that you have an insufferable attitude to boot."
"You also have some unusual thoughts about class A."
"... Should I not? I'm working to make my future prospects more advantageous."
"No, it's perfectly natural."
"That has been my goal ever since I entered this school. In truth, it's a bit different. I'm not even at the start line yet."
I noticed that Horikita sped up her pace and was walking beside me. I decided to increase my pace slowly.
"Then, are you aiming for class A?"
"First, I want to find the real intention of the school. Why I was put into class D. Chiyabashira-sensei said that I was only judged as someone fitting for class D, so... When I figure it out, I'll aim for class A No, I'm always aiming for class A."
"That's going to be really hard. You'll have to fix those problem children. Sudou's perpetual lateness, the talking during class, and the test scores. Even if you achieve that, it's still a long term goal."
"... I already know that. I'm still hoping that my placement was a mistake by the school."
Horikita's previously overflowing confidence had turned into anxiety. And do you really "already know"?
The only conclusion I got from today's information is the word "despair". If you follow the basic rules of school life, minuses can be avoided to a certain extent. However, minuses don't matter until we gain a few pluses. The most exceptional class, class A, still had a small detraction of points.
Even if we do find a way to increase our points efficiently, the other classes would also find a way to do the same.
Also, once there is a huge point difference, it is very difficult to stay competitive among the classes in a limited time. Most of them would give up on reaching class A if they raise their points by an amazing level.
"I can understand your thoughts to some extent. However, I don't think that the school will continue to carefully watch the students. Then there would be no meaning in competing."
"I see, you can also think of it that way."
I read that the school does not allow class A to escape in the first month of admission. In other words, Horikita believed that this was our chance to make a big increase in points.
"Are you thinking of taking care of this situation with your own hands?"
"Yes."
"What a quick answer."
A hand stabbed my sides. Horikita ignored me when I made a painful expression.
"Ouch... I understand your feelings, but it's not a problem you can solve on your own. I'm talking about Sudou. Even if you improve yourself, there's nothing you can do if the rest of a class is a minus."
"No, it's slightly different. Certainly, a person can't achieve anything by themselves, but if everyone doesn't put in their own effort, it'll be an extraordinarily difficult problem. Unless everyone does it, we can't even begin to compete against the other classes."
"So what are you going to do? All you've done is admit that it's a huge problem."
"There are 3 key points we need to fix in order to improve. Tardiness and talking during class. And then making sure that everyone passes the midterm."
"The first two will probably be done to some extent. And the midterms are being taken care of by Tatsuya. He seems like a far better candidate than you for our class leader."
The small test from a few days ago did have some hard problems, but overall it was easy. There's a lot of students who still fail at that level, so the midterms look bleak, to be honest. And from the one who could attempt the hardest three questions, Tatsuya was the one who came out as the top.
"Also—I want to ask for Ayanokouji-kun's cooperation."
"Cooperation?"
Horikita looked at me with a blatantly unpleasant expression.
"You refused Hirata earlier this morning, so I can refuse for the same reason, right?"
"Do you want to refuse?"
"Obviously duh. I am already helping the Tatsuya faction."
"I never thought you would help him that much in the interclass leadership competition, but I think you would be better suited at my side. If you really didn't want to help, then... I wouldn't ask further. It can't be helped if you refused the same way I did. Well then, can I expect your help or not?"
If possible, I want to remember the words she used to refuse Hirata before... However, I don't remember due to the lack of attention I was giving her. And if I say that I will help, I'll probably be worked to death until graduation. I need to have a heart like a demon here.
"I refuse.
"I believed that Ayanokouji-kun would agree to cooperate from the start. I give you my gratitude."
"I didn't say that! I completely refused!"
"No, I heard the voice in your mind. You said that you would help."
Is she resorting to such tactics now?
"I don't think there's anything I can particularly help you with."
It's not like I want to help her anyways. Not until she gets her attitude to turn upside down.
"It's nothing to worry about. I don't need your brainpower. Leave the plans to me, and you can be the muscle."
"And why should I be the muscle?"
"Aren't you worried about our class' points? If you follow my instructions, I promise to make our points positive. I can guarantee that."
"I'm sure you have some kind of plan, but you can rely on people other than me. If you make friends, you can ask them to help."
"It's too bad, but there is no one else in class D other than you that is remotely competent."
"No no, there are a lot of people. For example, Hirata or Tatsuya. A classmate like Hirata has a lot of influence in the class and is smart—he's perfect. Moreover, he is worried that you don't have any friends. And Tatsuya is doing a more than satisfactory job of a class leader."
If you reach out to either of them earnestly, you'll probably become good friends soon.
"Hirata's no good. Even if he has talent and ability, I can't accept him. And Tatsuya is, for the lack of better words, unpleasant. He would be difficult to work with. If I make a comparison, I need a chess piece. What I want now is not gold nor silver, but rather a pawn."
Are you calling me a pawn then? Is that what you're calling me?
The audacity of this...
Calming myself down, I let out a sigh. It's tiring to even talk to her. It's better to just shut her down here.
"Tatsuya probably feels unpleasant because he is better than you in everything you are confident in. Take my advice and just work with him."
Or just give up. Either is good for me. Just don't drag me into your hopeless fight.
"An interesting reply, but you're a person that wouldn't make much of an effort. Haven't you been thinking, 'I'm ok with being a pawn, but I don't want to admit it'?"
She shot back a reply on the spot, ignoring my harsh statement. If I were a normal person, my feelings would be hurt.
"Sorry, but I can't help you. I'm not suited for this."
"Well, you can contact me once you collect your thoughts. I will look forward to it."
My words didn't reach Horikita.
I sighed.
She was really going to regret this.
Word Count = 9332.
Another big chapter and mostly canon.
I was pretty tired throughout this week, with a dose of vaccination, two exams and the school calling us suddenly for offline classes on a sunny day. All that in 4 days.
I will try to not be late for the next chapter, which will be around next week's Wednesday or Thursday.
Any ideas are appreciated, don't hesitate to ask questions and Follow and Fav if you like it.
That's all.
Bye.