Chapter 75: But I can pretend to be sick!
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[No]
"Just one words? No specific reason was given?" Horikita Suzune frowned.
Just as she finished speaking, Chabashira Sae sent another message on Line.
[Even if you want to change classes, you have to wait a month before you can do so.]
"Why does it take a month to switch classes?" Horikita Suzune's confusion deepened.
Rin Matsuoka suddenly had a thought and said, "Could it be because of the class points? After all, the class points are only announced to students a month later."
"That makes sense. It looks like we have no choice but to stay in Class D and wait a month before we can transfer."
However, Rin felt Horikita Suzune was being too optimistic.
Why had Chabashira Sae specifically mentioned "one month"? It was likely that, after the class points were revealed, students wouldn't be allowed to switch classes. They would be stuck in Class D no matter how bad it was.
Soon, Chabashira Sae sent another message.
[Rin Matsuoka, while the poor learning atmosphere and lack of discipline are valid reasons for wanting to switch classes, haven't you considered trying to improve things and getting everyone to follow the rules?]
Rin and Horikita Suzune stared at the message on his phone, then looked at each other.
"No!"
"Not at all!"
They spoke in unison.
While Horikita Suzune was highly self-disciplined, her aloof and stubborn personality made her completely unsuited to managing others.
And Rin? He was even worse—he couldn't even manage himself!
If Rin were the type to manage himself, he wouldn't have planned to sneak back to the dorm to get his laptop during the break.
In truth, Rin wanted to act just like Ike and the others—sleeping in class, chatting, and playing on his phone during lectures.
Horikita Suzune glanced at Rin's face, noticing his sharp yet relaxed expression. She suddenly realized how close they were standing. A flicker of shyness and panic flashed across her fox-like eyes, and she quickly stepped back to put some distance between them.
"Alright... let's go back and figure out how to switch classes next month," she said, feigning calmness.
"Yeah." Rin nodded, and they both started walking back toward Class D's classroom.
As for going to his dorm to grab the laptop? Forget it—the break was almost over, thanks to their conversation.
Meanwhile, in her own dorm room, Chabashira Sae was feeling troubled.
Since she didn't have any classes that day, she had returned to her dorm to prepare a test paper to assess Rin Matsuoka's academic abilities.
However, Rin's message about wanting to switch classes had distracted her.
"Rin wants to transfer out of Class D… That's understandable. Class D's atmosphere is terrible," she muttered to herself.
Stretching out her hand, she picked up the cigarette and lighter beside her.
She brought the thin cigarette to her lips and clicked the lighter, igniting a small flame.
After taking a deep drag, Chabashira felt the fragrant smoke lift her spirits.
"Hah..."
She exhaled softly, a faint trail of smoke escaping her slightly parted lips. At this point, she no longer had the energy to finish preparing the test questions for Rin.
Chabashira Sae was optimistic about the boy named Rin Matsuoka, but the boy she liked was already planning to transfer out of Class D...
This realization left Chabashira Sae feeling deeply melancholic.
"But maybe this is a good thing," she muttered to herself, a hint of amusement creeping into her voice. "Rin Matsuoka wanted to switch classes because he couldn't stand the poor atmosphere and lack of discipline in Class D. But once he realizes that transferring isn't possible, he might finally think about changing the class himself."
A small, knowing smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
When people find that they can't change their circumstances, they usually either give up or try to reshape those circumstances.
They either adapt to the situation or attempt to change it to suit their desires.
However, Chabashira Sae knew Rin well—too well. He despised trouble and would never take the initiative to improve Class D.
Unless, of course, she could tempt him with a reward so compelling that he wouldn't be able to resist.
Yes, something irresistible…
Meanwhile, Rin Matsuoka, walking back to the classroom with Horikita Suzune, thought for a moment before sending another Line message to Chabashira Sae.
[Chabashira-sensei, if I take leave or go to the health room because I'm feeling unwell, would that be considered a violation of discipline?]
[No, it wouldn't,] Chabashira replied almost instantly. [Sickness or feeling unwell is beyond a student's control, so it wouldn't be considered misconduct.]
Rin's eyes lit up with excitement. "If taking leave or going to the health room doesn't count as a violation, then no points will be deducted!"
Horikita Suzune, who had been quietly observing Rin, narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Rin, don't tell me you're planning to skip class again by going to the health room?"
"Yeah," Rin admitted without hesitation.
He explained, "Class points are only deducted if students break the rules during class. So I asked Chabashira-sensei if taking leave or visiting the health room counts as a violation, and she said it doesn't."
In other words, skipping class under the pretense of being sick wouldn't result in lost points.
Horikita shot him a stern look. "You can't just fake being sick whenever you want. If the school catches on that you're not really unwell, they'll still deduct class points."
"Maybe," Rin shrugged, "but I can always act sick convincingly."
Horikita's frustration was evident as she glared at him.
This guy is hopeless, she thought to herself. Does he really just want to skip class that badly?
Why can't he stay in the classroom and study with her?
Tap, tap, tap.
Rin watched in confusion as Horikita suddenly picked up her pace.
"What's with her?" he wondered aloud. "Why does she look so mad all of a sudden? I didn't say anything wrong, did I?"
He clicked his tongue, exasperated. "Man, Horikita's personality is so weird. Tsundere girls are impossible to understand. Women's minds are seriously a mystery."
With a resigned sigh, Rin returned to Class D's classroom.
Inside, Karuizawa Kei, who had been chatting with a group of girls, noticed Rin's arrival. Her hands clenched in determination as she made up her mind.
"As soon as Matsuoka sits down," she thought, "I'll go over and ask for his Line account!"
Just as Rin reached his seat, Kei stood up, ready to approach him. But before she could take a step, another girl darted forward, quicker than Kei.
The girl beamed brightly as she greeted Rin warmly and cheerfully, stealing the moment Kei had been preparing for.