As Ichinose took the podium to continue where Hikaru left off, the atmosphere in the classroom noticeably relaxed.
After all, during Hikaru's explanation of Phase 1, his expression had been unreadable—
And by the end, he had even issued a cold warning.
His rational, detached demeanor had left an undeniable pressure lingering in the room.
In contrast—
Ichinose, the class's beloved "angel" figure, maintained a gentle smile as she addressed everyone.
Her presence alone was comforting, making the students feel at ease.
"Now that Hikaru-kun has finished explaining his plan, it's my turn."
Just like Hikaru had done, Ichinose picked up a piece of chalk and began writing on the blackboard.
"Since everyone has now joined Hikaru-kun's 20-Million-Point Plan,
we need a clear and structured system for managing our private points."
A student immediately raised their hand.
"What kind of system, Ichinose-san?"
Ichinose gestured for patience.
"I'll explain the specifics step by step."
On the blackboard, she divided the system into two key sections.
Part 1: The Private Point Contribution System
"The first part is the Half-Point Contribution Rule."
"Since our ultimate goal is to prevent any of our classmates from being expelled—"
"I propose that, starting next month, everyone will contribute half of their monthly private points."
"These points will be transferred to me for safekeeping."
Ichinose's gaze swept across the classroom, making sure she had everyone's attention.
"Hikaru-kun and I will also contribute our points."
"We will not use a single point for personal reasons, and everyone is welcome to monitor the process."
While her voice remained warm, deep down, Ichinose was fully aware of the risks.
Even though everyone had enthusiastically agreed to join Hikaru's plan earlier—
Trust among classmates was nowhere near strong enough for them to simply ignore their own interests.
Even if they trusted Hikaru and Ichinose,
Would they still be so willing once they actually had to give up half their private points every month?
Discontent was inevitable.
This was exactly why Hikaru had initially hesitated to bring the entire class into his plan.
Managing the self-interest of an entire class was an enormous challenge.
But now that things had progressed to this point, there was no turning back.
For Ichinose, this was more than just a class strategy—
It was her personal conviction.
She had insisted that she be the one to announce this plan.
Standing at the podium, Ichinose watched as her classmates' initial enthusiasm faded into hesitation.
Their expressions shifted, eyes flickering with uncertainty.
Her fingers tightened into a fist, nails digging into her palm.
"What does everyone think?"
Silence.
A heavy atmosphere settled over the room.
The reality of giving up half their private points every month was starting to sink in.
The students weren't rejecting the idea outright—
But they were struggling with the trade-off.
Then—
A voice broke the silence.
"I support this plan."
The speaker was Shibata, one of the more popular students in Class 1-B.
"As long as we maintain our Class Points under Hikaru-kun and Ichinose-san's leadership,"
"our monthly private points will remain high."
"Don't forget—"
"Hikaru-kun just earned us an extra 100 Class Points."
"If we can keep this momentum, we might even get more than 100,000 points per month in the future."
"So giving up half isn't a big deal."
Another student—Ando Sayo, one of the girls who had organized yesterday's gathering—spoke up next.
"I agree."
"No one can guarantee they'll never face an expulsion crisis."
"If we all contribute, we'll all have insurance for the future."
Her gaze met Ichinose's, offering silent encouragement.
Then, Kanzaki joined in.
"It's like buying insurance."
"We all contribute a portion—"
"And in return, if one of us is ever in danger of expulsion, we'll have a safety net."
With three influential classmates backing the plan, the rest of the class started reevaluating.
After a few minutes of discussion, the majority agreed.
After all—
It was fair.
Everyone contributed.
Everyone benefited.
No one could predict the future, but this plan ensured that no one would be left behind.
"I'm in. I trust Hikaru-kun."
"Me too. Starting next month, I'll transfer half my points directly to Ichinose-san."
As the tense atmosphere eased, Ichinose let out a breath of relief.
Her tightly clenched fists finally relaxed.
Throughout the discussion, Hikaru had remained silent.
Since he had entrusted the point collection to Ichinose, he saw no need to interfere.
If she couldn't handle pressure, she wasn't suited to be a class representative.
This was her test.
Part 2: The Excellence Exemption System
Now that the first part of the plan had been settled, Ichinose moved on.
Her smile returned as she refocused everyone's attention.
"Now, let's talk about the second part—"
"The Reward System."
She paused.
Then, she wrote four words on the blackboard—
"Special Exam Reward Program."
At the word "reward," the class immediately perked up.
After all, they still remembered that Hikaru had just earned 500,000 private points from the school.
"The concept is simple."
"According to Hoshinomiya-sensei, the school will frequently hold Special Exams."
"Every exam will have a ranking system and offer various rewards."
"We already know Class Points are one type of reward—"
"But there's a possibility that private points may also be included."
"Which brings us to the incentive system—"
Ichinose suddenly pointed at Hikaru.
All eyes shifted toward him.
"Me?"
Hikaru blinked, confused.
Ichinose winked playfully.
"Just like how Hikaru-kun earned 500,000 points for uncovering the school's rules—"
"The Special Exam rewards might include private points."
"So, here's how it works—"
"If a student performs exceptionally well in a Special Exam—"
"They will be exempt from the monthly point contribution."
A brief pause—
Then, a student exclaimed:
"So if we do well in exams, we keep all our private points?"
"Exactly."
Ichinose nodded.
"The criteria for 'exceptional performance' will be decided collectively by the class."
"That way, it remains fair and transparent."
With the new incentive in place, the class finally understood—
This plan wasn't just about sacrifice.
It was a system of risk and reward.
Work hard, reap benefits.
Slack off, pay the price.
Ichinose beamed.
"So, what does everyone think?"