When Friday arrived, Hikaru followed his usual routine of waking up early for morning training.
Over the past few days, he had started to find a comfortable rhythm in his workouts. Though it was still somewhat exhausting, he had gradually grown accustomed to sweating, and the benefits of exercise had become evident. His posture was now straighter, and he carried a more energetic presence than before.
After showering, Hikaru made his way to Class 1-B's classroom, still holding an unfinished sandwich. However, the moment he stepped inside, a familiar feeling washed over him.
Not again, right?
"Hikaru-kun!"
Someone in the classroom immediately called out his name, causing the relaxed expression on Hikaru's face to stiffen.
"What's up?"
Three times now—three times this had happened. Was there more intel coming in? Could they not let him have just one peaceful day?
Hikaru turned his attention toward the two students looking at him—Tsube and Ninomiya, both of whom were assigned to monitor Class 1-D students.
"We discovered some critical information regarding Class D yesterday," Ninomiya said, looking somewhat nervous as he pulled out his notebook. "I ran into someone I know from Class D, Haruki Yamauchi, while I was keeping an eye on Hideo Sotomura."
"And?"
"I saw Yamauchi carrying a brand-new gaming console—the latest model from the electronics store, priced at 30,000 points."
"…?"
Hikaru's expression immediately changed.
Thirty thousand?
That meant Yamauchi had already spent nearly a third of his points.
This was less than a week into the school term, yet he was already spending so recklessly. Did he honestly believe they'd receive 100,000 private points every month?
"Is that all? Any other findings?"
"We also tracked Sotomura's spending habits. He's been using a significant amount of points daily," Tsube reported, passing his notebook to Hikaru.
The more Hikaru read, the more serious his expression became.
He had overestimated Class D. His original plan was to wait until mid-month before approaching them for point collection, but if most of them were this careless with spending, there was a real possibility that by then, they'd have nothing left.
"Unbelievable… Another crisis already?"
Just after resolving Class C's issue, the next disaster was already looming over Class D.
At this rate, it seemed like Class A would be the easiest to deal with. Then again, that might just be because of the timing—after all, at the start of the school year, every class still had their full 100,000 points in hand.
Pressing his fingers to his temples, Hikaru dismissed Tsube and Ninomiya, instructing them to return to their seats.
The class meeting would be held later that afternoon. By then, he needed to compile all available information about Class D and make a decision—otherwise, their chance to reclaim points could slip away for good.
"Are you okay, Hikaru-kun?"
Sitting beside him, Ichinose noticed his troubled expression and leaned in, speaking gently. "Are you worried about Class D's situation?"
"Yeah… More or less. I think today's class meeting is going to shock a lot of people."
Hikaru nodded slightly. After going through the notebooks, he finally understood why these students were placed in Class D.
The morning classes passed quickly, and by the first period in the afternoon, it was time for the weekly class meeting.
As their homeroom teacher, Chie Hoshinomiya, stepped into Class 1-B, the students quickly understood that something important was coming.
This was the first-ever class meeting since the start of the school year—a moment to review their progress on the strategies Hikaru had proposed.
The first half of the meeting was just standard procedures—Hoshinomiya summarizing the past week, going over school announcements, and discussing upcoming academic tasks.
Once that was finished, the teacher glanced in Hikaru's direction, giving him a slight nod.
"Alright, with that out of the way, we now turn to our Class Representative's report. Ichinose-san, please come forward."
Hoshinomiya's voice was cheerful as she turned to Ichinose, the class's official representative.
Once Ichinose stood up, Hikaru followed suit.
By now, the entire class had come to recognize that only when the two of them stood together did it truly feel like Class B's leadership was in action.
"Everyone, over the past few days, we've been implementing our planned strategy," Ichinose said with a bright smile. "Now, let's hear from Hikaru-kun, who has been in charge of tracking our progress."
The classroom immediately filled with applause as students showed their support.
"Alright then."
Hikaru stepped up to the center of the podium, his gaze sweeping over the class.
As soon as he did, the atmosphere in the room shifted—everyone's expressions turned serious, fully prepared to listen.
"Earlier today, I received updated intelligence on Class D. So, our first order of business is to go over the progress of our point collection plan."
Hikaru glanced towards Ninomiya before giving his instruction.
"Everyone assigned to Class D surveillance, please stand up and report your findings in order. I'll be taking notes as you speak."
"Let's begin."
One by one, Class B students responsible for monitoring Class D stood up. Each carried notebooks, planners, or even used their phones to present their findings.
As the reports were shared, the expressions of Class B students gradually shifted—the situation was far worse than expected.
It wasn't just Yamauchi spending excessively. A significant portion of Class D students were wasting points recklessly—some on gaming consoles, others on expensive fashion items and makeup.
By the time the last student finished their report, Hikaru lowered his pen, looking down at the extensive notes he had compiled.
"…"
He stared at the figures in front of him.
Even after mentally preparing himself, the sheer scale of the problem exceeded his worst predictions.
"I assume everyone here just heard the full breakdown," Hikaru finally said, his voice serious.
"The situation in Class D is terrible."
He turned and began writing key figures on the blackboard.
"We originally planned to secure one million private points from them. But judging by this data, many Class D students are burning through their points at an alarming rate."
"This is just the first week of school, and yet, their total available points are rapidly declining."
Hikaru turned back to face the class, his voice filled with conviction.
"We can't afford to wait any longer. I'm proposing that we move up our schedule—on Monday next week, we make our approach and conduct the transaction."
"If we delay any further, there's a real risk that we won't even get the full million points."
"What does everyone think?"