Due to external factors, Yukio strolled towards the study room, curious to see what was causing the commotion.
Shiina, initially feeling a sense of regret that quickly turned into joy, followed Yukio closely. She understood the value of being content, having read many stories. Discovering a friend who shared her literary interests was enough for her, as greed could lead to undesirable outcomes, just as the stories often portrayed.
Unaware of Shiina's thoughts, Yukio reached the study room and observed students from Class C confronting a red-haired boy.
Ishizaki from Class C was taunting the boy: "Want to fight? Don't forget, this school is full of cameras. Any fight will cost our class points."
"Oops, my bad. I forgot your Class D is already at zero. You can't lose more points. How unfortunate!" Ishizaki mocked.
The red-haired boy, infuriated by Ishizaki's sarcasm, shouted, "You bastard! I'm going to make you pay!!"
"Hold on, Sudo!" Two Class D students were trying to restrain the red-haired boy, Sudo, obviously not wanting a fight to escalate.
"Let go of me!" Sudo's face contorted with anger as he yelled, "I'm going to take down this disrespectful jerk today!"
"Enough, Sudo," a composed girl from Class D spoke up, addressing Ishizaki coolly, "As you said, causing trouble here could lead to expulsion."
Sudo paused at the mention of expulsion, and the students restraining him breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, the girl countered Ishizaki, "Your Class C isn't that great either. In this school, any class other than A doesn't have much to brag about."
"You!" Ishizaki's face soured, "We're at least better than your Class D losers! It'll be interesting to see how many of you fail the midterms!"
"Don't worry about us," the girl responded with an unchanged icy demeanor, "Our class won't have anyone expelled. You should be more concerned about yourselves, given your academic performance."
Ishizaki laughed mockingly, "Ridiculous! Studying irrelevant stuff and expecting to pass? You must be dreaming!"
"What did you say?!" The girl's face shifted from cold to incredulous disbelief in an instant.
"Hey!" Sudo couldn't hold back anymore, "Don't push it! I'll beat you no matter what!"
Sudo's reaction prompted some of Class C's more aggressive students to stand, eager to respond. However, they were calmed by Ryuen, reminding them of Yukio's rule against causing disturbances in the library.
"That's enough," Yukio, leaning against the study room door, lightly clapped his hands to draw attention, "This is a library, not a place for loud arguments. I've already emphasized this, right?"
Seeing Yukio return, Class C students, especially Ishizaki, looked anxious, fearing his reaction.
"Ishizaki, your punishment is to treat everyone involved in the study session to dinner tonight," Yukio nonchalantly decided.
Maintaining his authority was crucial for Yukio. Allowing Ishizaki to break his rule without consequences would undermine his control. But with Class D present, he couldn't demean his own class, so making Ishizaki spend a substantial amount on dinner was an appropriate compromise.
"No problem!" Ishizaki hastily agreed, relieved it was only a dinner treat and not something more severe.
While Yukio managed his class, the students from Class D watched with intrigue, noticing Yukio's dominant role in Class C.
Yukio, unfazed, approached the cold girl from Class D and asked a student sitting across from her, "Hi, could you temporarily give up this seat? I just need to talk to her for a bit."
When Yukio asked for the seat, he gestured towards the aloof girl across from him, who seemed to be the key figure of Class D.
A listless boy with dead-fish eyes quickly nodded and vacated the seat, moving to another spot as if he didn't want to draw attention. Yukio, sitting down casually, was internally amused, recognizing that the seemingly dispirited boy was not as simple as he appeared.
Yukio noticed the boy's instant tenseness upon his approach, a subconscious vigilance that spoke volumes about the caliber of students at Advanced Nurturing High School, even in the supposedly lowest Class D.
Curious about the boy, Yukio casually flipped through a textbook and an exam paper in front of him, spotting the name of the owner – Kiyotaka Ayanokoji.
For a split second, Yukio's pupils dilated but he quickly composed himself, keeping any internal shock from showing.
It was a fortunate discovery. Yukio had enrolled at Advanced Nurturing High School primarily for two reasons: to gather data on the school's unique educational policies and to learn about a modern technological marvel known as the Learning Device.
Family intelligence indicated that the sole stable result of the White Room was none other than Kiyotaka Ayanokoji. Yukio had initially thought such an individual would be in Class A, yet here he was, placed in Class D. Was this intentional or an oversight?
Yukio didn't reveal his thoughts and instead looked at the cold girl across from him, careful not to alarm Ayanokoji: "How may I address you?"
"Isn't introducing yourself first the basic courtesy before asking someone's name?" the girl retorted sharply, unafraid to point out Yukio's lack of manners.
Ishizaki immediately bristled at her tone, "How dare you speak to our leader like that!"
Not just Ishizaki, but Albert and the rest of Class C seemed ready to react.
However, they were all stopped by Ryuen, who confidently remarked, "Everyone calm down. Do you want to make a scene in the library and end up treating everyone to dinner? Remember Yukio's rule?"
With Ryuen's reminder, the Class C students quieted down.
Ryuen added with a hint of schadenfreude, "Don't you know him yet? Who can make Yukio suffer a loss? That girl is in for it now." His words were filled with a mix of delight and malice, as if enjoying the prospect of someone else facing Yukio's wrath.