After agreeing to Kushida's request, Hikaru noticed that Ichinose didn't seem pleased. Leaning in, he quickly explained, "It's fine, Ichinose-san. Explaining the rules isn't that complicated. Let's just wait a little longer."
"…Alright."
Since Hikaru had already agreed, Ichinose chose not to voice her discontent directly. She had already received the points, so waiting a bit longer wouldn't hurt.
"Alright then, I'll begin explaining. You've all spent a significant number of Private Points to obtain this information, so make sure you listen carefully—you don't want to waste your money, do you?"
Hikaru cleared his throat, picked up a piece of chalk, and began writing on the blackboard as he addressed Class D.
"First, let's talk about the S-System. You should have heard about it from your teachers on the first day. The Private Points in the S-System are the currency used within this school."
After writing this on the board, he glanced at Kushida, then asked, "Kushida-san, how many Private Points do you have left?"
"Me?"
Kushida checked her phone before quickly responding, "I have a little over 20,000 left."
"Alright, I'll use 20,000 as an example."
Hikaru wrote the number on the board, then turned back to the students.
"The first rule is called Class Points, which directly affect how many Private Points each student receives every month. The conversion ratio is 1 Class Point = 100 Private Points."
"For instance, if Kushida-san has 20,000 Private Points, that means Class D's total Class Points account for 200."
"Wait, so the free meal plans in the cafeteria and the free items in the convenience store—they exist because of this?" Kushida immediately caught on.
"Exactly. You're quite sharp, Kushida-san." Hikaru smiled, throwing her a compliment for good measure.
"Class Points are constantly changing. At the start of the school year, each class was given 1,000 Class Points, which is why everyone received 100,000 Private Points in their accounts for the first month."
Hikaru's gaze swept across the students of Class D, his voice calm and measured.
"But if for some reason your Class Points decrease, the Private Points you receive next month will also decrease accordingly."
The Classroom Erupts
"Wait… so if our Class Points go down, we'll get less Private Points next month?!"
"WHAT?!"
The classroom immediately descended into chaos.
Yamauchi looked horrified—he had already spent most of his Private Points and had planned to borrow against next month's stipend. If the amount wasn't 100,000, he'd be in serious trouble.
"Hikaru-kun, can you explain how Class Points are deducted? We need to know the details."
Hirata's expression was tense. He stared at Hikaru with serious eyes—this was critical information.
"Relax, Hirata-kun. Since I took your money, I'll tell you everything. No need to panic."
Hikaru chuckled, then turned to the class.
"The ways in which Class Points are deducted are actually very simple. Think back to all your years in school—what are some basic rules that students aren't supposed to break?"
"For example, using your phone during class, passing notes, talking while the teacher is speaking, being late, or leaving early—all of these things will result in point deductions."
"WHAT?!"
Many students' expressions changed immediately.
Class D's homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae, had been extremely lax, never scolding them for misbehaving in class. Some students openly violated rules right in front of her, assuming there were no consequences.
"How many points do we lose per offense?"
"Have we already lost a lot?"
"Shit… this is bad."
Now, some students were visibly panicking.
The Counterbalance—Point Recovery
Seeing Class D fall into turmoil, Kushida jumped in with a strategic question.
"Hikaru-kun, if Class Points can be lost, is there a way to increase them?"
"Of course."
Hikaru nodded, casting a brief glance at Kushida's worried expression.
Whether her concern was genuine or not didn't matter—her reaction boosted her stock in the eyes of her classmates.
"The school has designed Special Exams as a way to encourage competition between classes."
"The rules for each Special Exam will vary, but they are the most crucial battlegrounds for students. Performing well in Special Exams will allow a class to recover lost Class Points."
Hikaru's lips curled into a slight smile.
He was well aware that Class D would probably struggle in these exams.
"If your Class Points exceed 1,000, your Private Points will increase beyond 100,000 per month."
"Wait… so if we raise our Class Points, we can earn even more money?"
"Damn, that sounds amazing!"
Yamauchi's face lit up with excitement. If he could earn more than 100,000 per month, his standard of living would drastically improve.
"I see…"
Hirata nodded thoughtfully.
As the Class Representative, he had been troubled by his classmates' behavior. Most of them had no discipline, and without a concrete reason to behave, it was impossible to change them.
Now, however, he had a tool to motivate them.
If Private Points were directly linked to behavior, he could use this rule to maintain order.
Would it work? It was worth trying.
"Alright, Hikaru-kun, please continue."
Kushida's smile returned, eager to hear more.
The Bombshell—How Classes Are Ranked
"Now, for the most important rule—the one about how classes are ranked."
Hikaru smirked inwardly.
This was the real shocker.
It had stunned B-Class when they first heard it. He was curious to see Class D's reaction.
"This school's class assignments are not random."
"There is one very important principle behind it."
"What principle?"
Suzune suddenly asked, her voice sharp.
This was what she had been waiting for.
She needed to understand why those two upperclassmen had insulted Class D so bluntly.
"The class divisions follow a clear hierarchy: A, B, C, and D."
Hikaru wrote the four letters on the board, his expression calm—though he was internally amused.
"The school ranks students from best to worst. A-Class is made up of the most elite students, and as you go down the list, each class gets progressively weaker."
"At the very bottom, Class D is composed of the lowest-ranked students."
"...!"
"What?!"
"NO WAY!!!"
The classroom exploded in outrage.
Suzune shot up from her seat, her beautiful face filled with shock, anger, and disbelief.
No one wanted to hear that they were "inferior."
That was essentially what Hikaru was telling them.
"You're lying! How could we be the worst class?!" Yamauchi shouted furiously.
"No," Hikaru said calmly, meeting their angry glares head-on.
"This is the hidden rule you paid to learn."
"All of you took entrance exams and interviews before being admitted, correct?"
"The school didn't just assess your academic performance. They evaluated your overall abilities, past behaviors, and social aptitude."
"In the end, you were all ranked and sorted into one of four classes."
"This is the truth."
"If you don't believe me, you're welcome to verify it yourself."
A Moment of Silence
As Hikaru finished speaking, the entire class fell into stunned silence.
But he wasn't done yet.
He still had one last bomb to drop.
"Hmm… if this much already has you panicking, then Class D really is in trouble."
~~~
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