『』『』『』『』『』
"Hey hey, wanna go to karaoke later?"
"Dude, check this out!"
"Hey, let's play at the mall today!"
The classroom was lively despite it being the middle of a lesson. It had been three weeks since the entrance ceremony, and nothing much had changed. Students still did their own thing, paying little attention to the teacher explaining at the front.
Ike and Yamauchi, the loudest of the bunch, were chatting animatedly, while Sudo leaned back in his chair, half-listening. The three of them were already well-known as the "idiot trio." Meanwhile, Kumagawa and Ayanokōji had somehow become… well, something.
Even though Ayanokōji spent most of his time with the idiot trio, his reputation as Kumagawa's "close friend" had been permanently cemented. No matter what he did, it was a label that wasn't going away for the next three years. He had already come to terms with it.
"Hey, Sudo, wanna get lunch later?" Ike called across the room.
"Can't. Club," Sudo grunted.
"Tch, boring. What about you, Yamauchi?"
"Obviously! I'm starving already!"
The math teacher continued their lesson without even looking up. Normally, a teacher would at least try to discipline the students—maybe by flicking a piece of chalk or slamming a book to shut them up. But the teacher did nothing, either the teacher had given up, or they simply didn't care.
The only ones actually paying attention were Horikita, Hirata, Kushida, and—on rare occasions—Ayanokōji. But even then, he mostly spent his time staring blankly out the window, lost in his own world.
Kumagawa glanced up from his manga, watching the so-called "serious students" for a moment before turning his attention back to his book.
『Studying so hard won't change anything, you know? 』
Not that he said it out loud. Let them do whatever they wanted. It wasn't like he had any interest in pretending to be a model student.
"Shouldn't you at least pay attention?"
『Hm? What for?』
He didn't even bother looking up at Ayanokōji. His eyes stayed glued to the pages as he lazily flipped through his manga.
"I mean, it's for the future, isn't it? So you can make a better life for yourself."
『Ayanokōji, there's no such thing as a better future. Humans are born for nothing, live for nothing, and die for nothing.』
"That's a rather cynical way of looking at life, isn't it?"
Life was more than just that. At least, Ayanokōji thought so.
Though his actions often contradicted each other, Ayanokōji hadn't expected Kumagawa to be such an extreme nihilist. His personality was erratic—sometimes carefree, sometimes antagonistic—and yet, beneath all of that, he seemed to hold a worldview so fundamentally devoid of hope that it almost felt detached from reality.
『Well, that's what I would've said in the past. 』
"So now you have a differernt opinion?"
『Of course. People come into the world without purpose, Live without meaning, and leave it without significance. 』
"…That's the same thing," Ayanokōji said flatly.
『Well, for my transgressions and good advice, I sincerely apologize. 』
As usual, whatever came out of Kumagawa's mouth was a mix of nonsense, contradictions, and truths warped beyond recognition. Ayanokōji had long since learned to ignore most of it.
In his life, he had never met someone like Kumagawa. Someone whose words and actions never quite matched. Someone who contradicted himself at every turn. Then again, he hadn't met many people in his life to begin with.
But still, Kumagawa was definitely… unique. Ayanokōji decided not to press further. There was no point in trying to understand Kumagawa.
While they still in the lesson, Kumagawa coicndientally overheard some of his classmates conversation.
"Woah, seriously? He has a girlfriend? Awesome…"
"I know right, it's only been three weeks, and hirata already secured himself a girlfriend."
Apparently, the most popular guy in class already had himself a girlfriend. The girl lucky enough to be chosen was the class fashionista, Karuizawa Kei. Kumagawa could see how she gazed lovingly at Hirata from across the room, and he could also see some girls glancing at Karuizawa in not-so-good ways.
In terms of popularity among the girls, Karuizawa ranked pretty high—just below Kushida. Kushida's influence wasn't just limited to their class but extended to the entire first-year students. There was probably no one she didn't know among the first-years, and she was currently spreading her influence to the upperclassmen as well.
But with her being with Hirata, the most popular guy in the class, her status and influence in Class D has been pretty much cemented.
"Kumagawa, have you ever loved someone?"
It seemed Ayanokōji had also overheard the conversation. He wondered if he would ever get a girlfriend too someday. Maybe they would go shopping together, or maybe have dinner together. Ayanokōji couldn't help but imagine how his life would be then.
『Of course I have. I think I've been rejected twice?』
"…Why with the question mark?"
『Then, what do you think love is, Ayanokōji-kun? 』
Ayanokōji wasn't sure why the question was thrown back to him. He was the one who asked first, but in the end, he decided to answer.
"…I don't know. But if I had to say, love is when you feel a special kind of attachment to someone. You care about them, and their happiness matters to you."
『Ohh, that's pretty textbook answer. But what if that attachment disappears one day? What if one day, you stop loving that person? Then is your love real? Or is it just a temporary chemical reaction that forces you to love that person? 』
"Is that a roundabout way of saying you only like a person's face?"
『Who knows? Maybe I just like things that are nice to look at. 』Kumagawa shrugged. 『Or maybe I just don't trust something as flimsy as love. 』
Ayanokōji thought for a moment.
"If the feeling disappears, then it just means it wasn't real love in the first place. Or maybe, love is something that can fade over time."
Kumagawa smiled. He placed his manga down, looking toward the ceiling with an exaggerated sigh.
『You know, back in middle school, I once confessed to a girl. She smiled at me so brightly, told me she loved me too, and then… five minutes later, she called it a joke.』
"...."
『And the second time, the girl I liked rejected me before I even finished confessing. She said, "Ah, sorry, but no," before I could even get past the first sentence.』
Ayanokōji blinked.
"...Is that true?"
『No, I lied. 』
"...."
Ayanokōji stared at him for a few seconds. He regretted believing a single word that came out of Kumagawa's mouth. His story had been so convincing that, for a moment, even he thought it was real.
Just then, a sharp voice cut into their conversation.
"Could you two keep it down? Some of us are actually trying to pay attention."
Horikita, sitting just a few seats away, shot them an irritated glance. Unlike most of the class, she was diligently taking notes.
『Oh, my apologies, Horikita-chan. I didn't realize our deep, intellectual discussion about love was disturbing your precious learning time. 』
"Spouting nonsense doesn't count as intellectual discussion."
『Isn't love the most important thing in life? It's what drives people, makes them do stupid things, and ultimately leads them to despair.』
"…That last part was unnecessary."
Ayanokōji sighed. Horikita, too, seemed to pick up on the odd phrasing, but instead of questioning it, she shook her head and returned to her notebook.
『Well, Unless you're Ayanokōji-kun, of course. 』
"You're saying I don't have love?"
『I'm saying you're the exception to human nature. You function just fine without it, like some kind of advanced AI programmed to blend in with society. It's honestly kind of impressive.』
"...."
Horikita exhaled, clearly regretting joining the conversation.
"You talk about love like it's the center of the world, but you don't seem to care about it yourself." Ayanokoji said.
"Oh, but I do care, Ayanokōji-kun. After all, love has already rejected me. That's why I can talk about it so freely. It's like admiring the stars—you can appreciate how beautiful they are, but you know you'll never reach them or influence them."
With that, Kumagawa returned to his manga, acting as if their discussion had never even happened. Ayanokōji simply watched, making a mental note that if there was anyone less suited to talk about love, it was probably Kumagawa Misogi.
『』『』『』『』『』
For the third period, Class D was scheduled for a history lesson with Chabashira-sensei. When the bell rang, she entered the room right on time, as though she had been standing right outside, waiting for the exact moment to step in. Despite her timing, it did nothing to alter the usual noisy atmosphere of Class D.
"Quiet down a little, please. Today's lesson will be a little more serious."
"What do you mean by that, Sae-chan-sensei?"
Thanks to Kumagawa, Chabashira had become known as Sae-chan-sensei—a pet name that had somehow stuck. Not that it seemed to bother her too much, though according to Kumagawa, she had scolded him for it properly. As expected, no matter what he did, the consequences always found their way back to him in one way or another.
"It's the end of the month, so we're going to have a short test. Pass these to the back."
She handed a stack of papers to the students in the front row, who distributed them down the line. Before long, everyone had a test sheet on their desk.
"Huh? Nobody told us about a quiz! That's not fair!" a student whined.
"Don't say that. This test is just for future reference. It won't be reflected in your report cards. There's no risk involved, so don't worry. Of course, cheating is prohibited. I'm talking to you, Kumagawa."
『Sae-chan-sensei, why do you always single me out indiscriminately? Could it be that you're in love with me? If that's the case, I'll have to politely refu—』
"Kumagawa, shut up."
『... 』
The weight of her glare made Kumagawa immediately fall silent. It wasn't just any glare—it was the kind that felt like he was being held at gunpoint. Still, as always, he didn't seem particularly fazed.
The entire class snickered at the exchange, their laughter bubbling up like a fizzy drink that had been shaken too hard.
『By the way, Sae-chan-sensei. 』
Even after being shut down so coldly, he still had the audacity to keep going.
Chabashira looked like she was already giving up. She didn't even try to stop him this time, just letting out a long sigh.
『What do you mean by it won't be reflected in our report cards? 』
"It's exactly what I said. Don't worry and just answer the damn questions."
Even though Chabashira seemed resigned to her fate, that didn't mean her patience was infinite. Right now, she looked like someone on the verge of an explosion.
Ayanokōji, watching from the side, had a passing thought—perhaps this classroom had the worst student-teacher relationship in the entire school.
"Now you can start."
At Chabashira's signal, the students began scanning through the questions one by one, including Kumagawa.
The test had four questions per subject, totaling twenty questions overall. Each was worth five points, making the full score one hundred. For students at an elite school, this kind of test should have been relatively easy to answer.
At least, it was—until the last three questions.
"No way, these are seriously way too hard…"
"What is this supposed to be?"
Ayanokōji glanced around the classroom and saw most of the students struggling. Their faces ranged from deep concentration to outright despair. The last three questions were undeniably different in quality, far beyond high school level. Especially the math one. This wasn't something that could be solved with basic formulas—it was closer to a university-level problem.
What exactly were they being evaluated on?
Out of habit, his gaze shifted to Kumagawa. And to his surprise, he looked… completely fine. He wasn't hesitating, nor did he show any signs of struggle. If anything, he seemed utterly relaxed as he filled in his answers, twirling his pen absentmindedly between his fingers.
It was an unusual sight.
Ayanokōji had never seen Kumagawa actually work before. He was used to seeing him slack off, nap in class, read manga, or say something ridiculous just to annoy people. But now, he was just calmly answering questions like it was nothing.
Was he secretly a genius?
As Chabashira patrolled the classroom, keeping an eye out for potential cheaters, she maintained a firm, watchful presence. But strangely, her attention seemed to be fixated on one person in particular.
Kumagawa.
Even the other students began to notice how often her eyes lingered on him.
It wasn't just his imagination—Chabashira was watching him more closely than anyone else. But that didn't last long before the students turned their attention back to their tests—struggling, sighing, or outright giving up.
She really did think he would cheat.
Time ticked away, the sound of pens scratching against paper filling the otherwise silent classroom. Some students, like Horikita, remained focused till the very end. Others, like Ike and Yamauchi, were already slumped over their desks, staring at test as if they were written in an alien language.
Then—
Riiiiing!
The bell rang, signaling the end of the period.
"All right, time's up," Chabashira announced, stepping back to the front of the class. "Pass your answer sheets forward."
A wave of murmurs rippled through the room as students exchanged glances, some relieved, others frustrated. As the papers made their way to the front, Ayanokōji cast a final glance at Kumagawa.
He was smiling like an idiot as usual.
『』『』『』『』『』
On May 1st, the bell rang, signaling the start of the school day. Chabashira entered the classroom right on time, as usual. But this time, she was holding a a round tube, and her expression was more stern than usual. For a moment, Ayanokōji wondered if she was on menopause or something.
"Hey, sensei, did you start menopause or something?"
『Sae-chan-sensei, are you on menopause today? 』
Unbelievably, Ayanokōji had the same thought as someone he never expected to be on the same wavelength as. That was scary in its own way.
"All right, your morning homeroom is about to begin, before we start, does anyone have any questions?" Chabashira, however, completely ignored the blatant harassment from both Ike and Kumagawa. It was unclear whether she was just maintaining her professional image or if she truly didn't care.
A hand shot up from the back of the class.
"Hondō, I already explained this before, didn't I? Points are deposited on the first day of the month. I've confirmed that points were wired this month without any issues."
"Um… but nothing was deposited into my account, though?"
Most of the students exchanged glances, confused. They had all checked their point balances that morning, expecting the usual increase, but their totals hadn't changed. Even so, most of them had just assumed there was some kind of delay. But now, with Chabashira confirming that the points had already been distributed.
Almost simultaneously, students reached for their phones, checking their balances once again—just to be sure.
Kumagawa was no exception.
42.190 Points.
『Oh, looks like I still have enough for next week's Jump. 』
While most students had already spent a good chunk of their points on food, entertainment, or impulse purchases—luxury meals at Keyaki Mall, brand-name clothes, or just burning through vending machine drinks—Kumagawa's spending habits were a little different.
Not that he was particularly frugal. He just didn't care about the same things as everyone else. If something caught his eye, he bought it. Simple as that. A book with an interesting title, a random keychain from a capsule machine, or, more often than not, the latest issue of Weekly Shounen Jump.
That was about it.
"Are you kids really that dumb?"
The classroom fell silent.
That kind of remark was usually reserved for Kumagawa, and Kumagawa only. But today, Chabashira wasn't angry or exasperated—her voice carried neither emotion nor malice. She was simply stating a fact.
"Points were deposited. That much I know for certain. The school does not forget students. It does not make mistakes. To think otherwise is ludicrous. Understood?"
『But—』Kumagawa slowly raised his hand, only for Chabashira to shut him down immediately.
"Kumagawa, shut up."
『... 』
For once, he actually shut up.
Unlike Hondō, who had at least asked a valid question, Chabashira knew that whatever Kumagawa was about to say was pure nonsense.
But the rest of the class barely care. They were still processing what their teacher had just said. If the points had been distributed, yet none of them had received anything. That could only mean one thing.
Some of the smarter students began to piece it together, while others—like Ike and Yamauchi—were still struggling to catch up.
"Ha ha ha! I see, so it's like that then teacher? I think I've solved the mysteries." Koenji boomed laughing. Unlike the rest of his classmate, he doesn't seem to be bothered by the current compliction.
"It's simple. We're in Class D, so we didn't receive a single point."
"Hah? What are you talking about? They said we'd get 100,000 points every month!"
He propped his feet up to his desk and smugly pointed toward Hondō.
"I don't remember the teacher ever saying that, though. Do you, Misogi-boy?"
Despite being called out, Kumagawa didn't even bother reacting. No one else did either. All eyes were on Chabashira now.
"While he certainly has an attitude. Kōenji is exactly right. For crying out loud, I even gave you all hints, and barely anyone caught on. How deplorable."
With that revelation, the classroom exploded into an uproar.
"What the hell?! Are you serious?!"
"This has to be some kind of mistake, right?!"
"We were supposed to get 100,000 points every month! That's what they told us!"
Students shot out of their seats, demanding an explanation. Some turned to Chabashira with desperate expressions, while others started yelling at each other in frustration.
Ayanokōji observed the scene quietly. He had already suspected something like this from the moment Chabashira confirmed that points had been distributed. But still, seeing the reactions of his classmates only reinforced how little they understood about this school.
"Sensei, may I please ask you a question? I'm afraid I still don't understand." Hirata raised his hand. He appeared to ask on behalf of the class rather than out of selfish concern. As expected of the class's de facto leader.
"Can you tell us why we didn't receive any points? We won't completely understand otherwise."
That was certainly true.
Chabashira crossed her arms and answered bluntly.
"A total of one hundred forty-six absences and late arrivals. Four hundred fifty-one incidents of talking, using cell phones, or reading manga in class. You can thank Kumagawa for that. That is quite a large number of infractions over one month. In this school, your class's results are reflected in the points that you receive. As a result, you wasted all of the 100,000 points that you should have received. That's what happened."
Chabasira spoke iin a robotic fashion, devoid of any emotion. After hearing that most of the low evalution, is mostly thanks to Kumagwa, the rest of the class quickly turned on him.
A heavy silence fell over the classroom.
"Wait, what do you mean 'thank Kumagawa'?!" Ike suddenly shouted, pointing at him. "Are you saying this is all his fault?!"
『... 』
The rest of the class, still in shock, slowly turned their gazes toward him.
"You bastard! This is your fault?! If you hadn't messed around, we wouldn't be in this situation!"
"Yeah! You're the reason we lost all our points!"
"What the hell were you thinking?!"
A storm of accusations flew at him, but Kumagawa just sat there, completely unfazed. His expression didn't change, his posture remained relaxed. If anything, he looked mildly amused.
『Ehh? But I didn't do anything.』
That response only made the class angrier.
"Bullshit! Sensei literally said you're the reason our score is so low!"
"Everyone, calm down!"
Hirata's voice cut through the chaos. It was rare for him to raise his voice, and that alone was enough to make the class quiet down. He turned to Chabashira, keeping his tone composed.
"Chabashira-sensei, I don't recall you ever explaining this system to us before—"
"What? Are you incapable of understanding something unless it's explained in detail?" she shot back.
"Of course. There was never any talk regarding our points. Had there been an explanation beforehand, I'm sure we would have avoided being late or talking during class."
"That's a rather bizarre argument, Hirata. It is certainly true that I don't recall explaining the rules of point distribution. However, didn't you all learn in elementary school not to be late or talk in class? Was that not taught throughout your elementary and junior high years?"
"Well, that's—"
"I'm sure that in nine years of compulsory education, you learned that being late and talking in class are bad things. And now you say you can't understand because I haven't explained it to you? I'm afraid your reasoning is flimsy. If you had simply acted properly, then your points would not have dropped all the way to zero. This comes down to your personal responsibility."
There was no way for anyone to refute her perfectly valid argument. Everyone knew that bad behavior didn't pay.
"Having just entered your first year of high school, did you honestly think you'd receive 100,000 points every month with no strings attached? At a school established by the Japanese government for the express purpose of training gifted people? That's unthinkable. Try using some common sense. Why would you leave it to chance?"
Chabashira had effectively shut down all possible rebuttals. And then, as if dropping another bomb on them, she added—
"Even Kumagawa understood that. Since he managed to strip bare the entire system in just the first day of school."
This time, the entire class was stunned.
Even Horikita, who had been sitting quietly with her arms crossed, turned her head toward Kumagawa.
"…What?"
All eyes were on him now.
『Sae-chan Sensei, why are you trying to ruin my perfectly good reputation? Is this your secret way of caring for me? Or is this how you show your twisted kind of love in order to make me stronger? 』
"Stop with the nonsense, Kumagawa. You don't have a good reputation to protect in the first place."
Chabashira didn't even look fazed. It was clear she had no intention of indulging his usual antics.
"Since your classmates still don't understand what's going on, explain to them how this school works."
『But—』
"Now. Quickly explain before I expel you."
That shut down any further protest.
"Kumagawa-kun, can you please explain it to us?" Now even Kushida was pushing for an answer.
Kumagawa, being the ally of all girls, had no choice but to comply. With a dramatic sigh, he slowly stood up from his seat. The other students watched with mixed expressions—some wary, some annoyed, and some just outright pissed.
『Ahem. Ladies and gentlemen of the mob characters. Greetings. 』
"…."
『Now listen carefully. It's a bit complex, so I don't think any idiots would understand. 』
The room immediately exploded in anger.
"Who the hell are you calling an idiot?!"
"You bastard, just explain already!"
"What's with that attitude?!"
As expected of Kumagawa. In just a few words, he had already pissed off nearly everyone in the room. Being insulted by Chabashira was one thing., but Kumagawa? The guy who never took anything seriously, the one responsible for half the trouble in class? That was unbearable.
It was as if the lowest of the low was looking down on them.
『Alright, alright, let's go step by step, 』
The classroom fell into a tense silence. Most of the students were still fuming, but they also knew Kumagawa had information they didn't. That frustration made it even harder to accept.
『This school uses a system called the S-System. And no, it's not for Super Special Students—if anything, it's more like Suffering System, at least for us in Class D. 』
『You probably noticed how we get points every month, right? That's because this school treats us as one big, messy unit instead of individual students. Our class earns or loses points based on how well we perform as a group. 』
Some of the smarter students, like Horikita and Ayanokōji, remained quiet, listening carefully. Others, like Ike and Yamauchi, just looked confused.
『Let me break it down even further, so even idiots can understand. 』
『Let's start with the Private Points. They're not some random allowance. They represent our Class Points, which are converted into individual private points. As for the exact conversion rate… well, that's beyond me. But that doesn't really matter, does it? All you need to know is that if we had a "proper" amount of Class Points, we'd each get 100,000-yen worth of private points every month. But if we have zero…』
Realization finally dawned on some of them.
"Wait… does that mean…?"
『Yep. Our Class Points dropped to zero, so we get nothing.』
Murmurs of disbelief spread through the room.
『Now, how do we lose points? Simple. Sae-chan-sensei already explained it. Skipping class, being late, slacking off—those things get counted against us. Even the little things, like talking too much in class or using our phones, are noted. And, well… I may have contributed a little. 』
Before they could…. Kumagawa clapped his hands together, cutting them off.
『But~! Did anyone ever say we were guaranteed 100,000 points every month? Nope. You all just assumed that. And we all know what happens when you assume, right? You make an ass out of yourself.』
Chabashira, watching from the side, didn't interfere. In fact, she seemed almost amused by how he was handling the situation.
『And on the flip side, how do we gain points? By improving our behavior and excelling in tests. The better we perform as a class, the more points we get. Simple system, right? 』
"Correct," Chabasira finally said. "This school rewards merit. And it punishes incompetence. Class D's current state is the result of its own actions."
Then, from the tube she carried, she removed a rolled-up poster and spread it out on the blackboard, securing it with magnets. The numbers on it immediately caught the students' attention.
Class A : 950
Class B : 650
Class C : 490
Class D : 0
A murmur spread through the room.
"Are these the results for each class?" she asked.
"That's correct." Chabashira nodded. "These are the current Class Points for each year-one class. Do you finally understand now? Do you finally understand why you were placed in Class D?"
"Huh? But classes are normally divided like this, right?"
Some students exchanged glances, uncertain. In most schools, classes were assigned randomly, or at most, by minor academic differences.
Chabashira let out a quiet sigh, then turned her head toward Kumagawa.
"Explain it to them."
Kumagawa smirked. 『Oh? Are you relying on me now, Sae-chan Sensei? How flattering.』
Chabashira gave him a sharp glare, and he quickly raised his hands in mock surrender.
『Alright, alright. Here's the deal, everyone. Do you remember the purpose the government established this school for? It's to nurture leaders for the future of Japan. So, there's no way they'd just select some random students from the streets and expect them to lead the country someday. That'd be ridiculous. 』
The room was silent, everyone listening intently despite their initial irritation.
『Think about it. If you want to foster true competition, you need a clear hierarchy. Without failure, there's no success. Without incompetence, there's no excellence. Without bad deeds, there'd be no good deeds. That's why the government does this kind of thing—to spread conflict, to force growth. 』
Some students looked visibly uncomfortable with that logic.
『So, if you're in Class D, it's because the school judged you as inferior in some way. Either you're bad at studying, bad at sports, bad at teamwork, bad at being a person… or maybe you're just too much of a problem child.』
Horikita's expression stiffened. She looked genuinely shocked by Kumagawa's reasoning. And yet, it made sense.
『So, in short—』
Kumagawa look toward someone on the door and smiled,
『This entire school is one big competition. And right now, we're dead last. 』
Suddenly, Sudō kicked the leg of his desk with a loud thwack, his frustration echoing through the classroom.
"Won't the other classes make fun of us?"
Now that they knew classes were divided by merit, it was obvious how others would view them. The thought of being labeled as the worst of the worst made everyone uneasy.
Chabashira scoffed. "What? You're still worried about your dignity, Sudō? Well then, work to make your class the best one."
"Huh?"
"Your class points aren't just linked to your private points. They also indicate your class rank. Just like what Kumagawa said, this school encourages competition. And where there's competition, there's hierarchy."
In other word, If Class D managed to earn 500 class points, they would rise to Class C, while Class C would be demoted to Class D. It was a simple system. Ruthless, but fair.
Everyone fell silent, letting that information sink in.
"And now, I have one more bit of bad news to share with you all."
As if things weren't bad enough, she pulled out another sheet of paper and stuck it onto the blackboard. The moment it was up, students leaned in to get a better look.
It was a list of names, each accompanied by a number.
"Judging from these results, I can see that we've got quite a few idiots in this class." Chabashira's heels clacked against the floor as she walked past their desks. "These are the scores from the short test you took earlier. As your teacher, I was so happy to see such an excellent performance."
The atmosphere grew heavy as students checked their scores. With a few exceptions, most had scored below sixty. The class average was a measly sixty-five. Ayanokōji, score were average at most, noted that most students reacted with varying degrees of disappointment or resignation. But one score, in particular, stood out.
Even if you ignored Sudō's remarkable score of fourteen, there was one person who had managed to do even worse.
Kumagawa.
A single-digit score.
Contrary to Ayanokōji's previous assumption, Kumagawa was an academic failure in the truest sense. No matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, he would always receive the lowest score possible. Whether it was exams, competitions, or even luck-based events, he would always receive the worst possible outcome. Unless he resorted to cheating, there was no way he would ever score high through fair means.
"I'm so glad. If this were an actual test, then eight of you would've been expelled."
"E-Expelled?! What do you mean?"
"Oh? Did I forget to mention that?" Chabashira smirked slightly, as if enjoying their reactions. "If you fail a midterm or final exam at this school, you're expelled. No second chances."
The students froze.
"If we applied that rule here…" Chabashira pulled out a marker from her pocket and drew a red line across the list, separating eight names from the rest. "Anyone who scored below thirty-two points would be out. You guys really are hopeless, aren't you?"
The classroom erupted into murmurs and gasps. Someone named Kikuchi had scored thirty-one. That meant anyone below him—Sudō, Ike, and even Kumagawa—would have already failed if this had been a real test.
"Hey, don't jerk us around, Sae-chan sensei! Don't joke about kicking us out!"
"Frankly, I'm at a loss too," Chabashira said. "But these are the school's rules. You'd better prepare for the worst."
"The teacher is right. There do seem to be quite a lot of morons in this class." Kōenji wore a smug grin as he casually polished his nails, one leg propped up on his desk.
"What the hell, Kōenji?! You scored below the red line too!"
"Hah. Where exactly are you looking, boy? Look again."
"Huh? Kōenji is...huh?
Sudō scanned the list again, this time from the top. And then— There, at the very top of the list, was Kōenji's name. A perfect score of ninety.
"That means…" Horikita narrowed her eyes. "You managed to solve all the most difficult problems."
Kōenji chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "Naturally. Unlike you plebeians, I am an exquisite being. A test of this level is nothing more than child's play."
The sheer arrogance in his voice made several students visibly twitch.
"Oh, and one more thing. This school operates under government supervision, boasts a high rate of advancement into elite universities and workforce placement. That much is well known. However, nothing comes easy in this world. Mediocre people such as yourselves would be naive to think you could waltz into the college or workplace of your choice."
Chabasira word carried throughout the room.
Her words carried a weight that settled heavily over the room.
"To make your dreams come true, your only option is to take over Class A. This school guarantees nothing for students in any other class."
"Th-That's... absurd! We didn't hear anything about that!"
A bespectacled student, Yukimura, stood up in protest. From his appearance alone, it was obvious he prided himself on academic ability rather than physical prowess. And given that his test score was tied with Kōenji's, it wasn't just an act—he was smart. The kind of person who believed intelligence was everything.
Kōenji smirked. "How disgraceful. There is nothing more pitiful than a loser who loses their cool. Isn't that right, Misogi-boy?"
Once again, he singled out Kumagawa. Whether it was mockery or something else was unclear. Kumagawa, who had been completely silent throughout the entire discussion about grades, suddenly let out a casual remark.
『Man, that's rough. Imagine being smart and still ending up in Class D. 』
A single casual statement.
And yet, it sent ripples through the room.
Even Horikita, who had been quietly sitting in the back, now wore a cold, unreadable expression. Ayanokōji didn't know how Kumagawa had managed to provoke so many people all at once with such few words.
"Well, it looks like your bubbles have been burst. If you had simply understood the harsh reality of the situation from the start, then this long homeroom period might have meant something. Your midterm exams are in three weeks. Please think things over and be careful not to drop out. I have confidence that you can find a way to avoid getting red marks on your report cards. If at all possible, challenge yourself to act in a way befitting a skilled individual."
With that, she turned to leave. But just before stepping out the door, she gave one last glance toward Kumagawa.
"Oh, Kumagawa. When you're done here, go meet with the student council president."
She spoke as if she already knew something would happen after she left.
At those words, Horikita's eyes widened. She immediately turned to him, her expression sharp, demanding an answer. No, she wouldn't wait for him to answer—she'd pull it straight from his mouth herself if she had to.
But before she could take a step—
"KUMAGAWA!"
Sudō shot up from his seat and stomped over, grabbing Kumagawa by the collar. With his strength, it was easy to lift the smaller boy off the ground.
"You knew this school worked like this, and you didn't say anything?! Because of you, we lost all our points! Do you even understand how much you screwed us over?!"
The classroom erupted into chaos. Karuizawa, Ike, Yamauchi, and Onodera all joined in, their voices mixing in frustration and accusation.
"Yeah, what the hell, Kumagawa?!"
"You could've warned us!"
Kushida and Hirata quickly moved to intervene.
"S-Sudō-kun, calm down!" Kushida pleaded. "Violence isn't the answer!"
"Let him go, Sudō," Hirata said firmly, grabbing the taller boy's wrist. "This isn't going to solve anything."
But Sudō's grip remained tight. His frustration was boiling over, and Kumagawa was the easiest target. Yet, despite being lifted off the ground, despite all the yelling—Kumagawa just smiled.
『So, let me get this straight. You're all mad at me for not telling you about the S-System sooner? Let's be real. Even if I had told you, would you have believed me? It's not like I have the best reputation in the school or anything, but if I had just randomly said, "Hey, by the way, this school is one big survival game, and we're the losers," would any of you have taken me seriously? 』
The accusations paused. His words struck a nerve. Because, they all knew—he was right. At the end of the day, nobody would believe anything that came out of Kumagawa's mouth. Even now, after hearing him say it so plainly, some of them still refused to accept it. hey didn't want to acknowledge that they had ignored him, dismissed him, avoided him.
Because that would mean accepting that they were in the wrong.
『By the way, Sudō-kun. If you don't put me down soon, I might start crying. And you really don't want to see that, do you?』
There was no fear in Kumagawa's voice. Sudō gritted his teeth. Then, with an annoyed grunt, he shoved Kumagawa back into his seat.
"Tch. Whatever," he muttered, turning away.
Kumagawa slowly stood up, dusting off his uniform as he scanned each of their faces.
『Besides, would you ever take the word of a shoplifter at face value? 』
The air in the room changed.
『I mean, come on. Let's say I had told you. You'd just think, "Oh, it's that shady guy who probably stole a pack of gum from a convenience store. No way he's telling the truth."』
No one spoke.
『It's okay, I get it. 』 Kumagawa shrugged. 『Trust is a tricky thing. Like, right now, I could say, "I've never shoplifted a day in my life," and you'd probably think, that's exactly what a liar would say. On the other hand, if I say, "Yeah, I totally stole something," then suddenly it's, "See? I knew it! He's a criminal! Either way, I lose.』
Some students glanced at each other, unsure how to respond. Then slowly, his gaze landed on Hirata.
『But it's fine, right? Because I have Hirata-kun to protect me.』
Hirata visibly stiffened.
『After all, you're our class leader. You wouldn't let your classmate get treated unfairly, would you?』
A single sentence, yet it placed a heavy burden on Hirata's shoulders.
Even for Ayanokouji, this was a low blow. By framing it this way, Kumagawa had forced Hirata into a corner. If he defended him, it would mean going against the majority of the class, supporting someone they already saw as a burden. But if he didn't… then wouldn't that mean he had abandoned a classmate?
『See, everyone? I do have someone looking out for me. 』 Kumagawa clapped his hands together. 『Which means I have nothing to worry about. Isn't that great? 』
『So, it's not my fault, It's your fault. 』
『It's your fault for never asking me. It's your fault for ignoring me. It's your fault for thinking I wasn't worth listening to. It's your fault for breathing. It's your fault for sleeping. It's your fault for waking up this morning. It's your fault for eating cafeteria food instead of making your own lunch. It's your fault for trusting the school system. It's your fault for believing in rules. It's your fault for never saying 'hello' to me in the hallways. It's your fault for walking faster when I pass by. It's your fault for assuming I was a shoplifter. It's your fault for never even questioning whether that rumor was true. It's your fault for never inviting me to study sessions. It's your fault for being born in this era. It's your fault for existing at the same time as me. It's your fault for believing in hard work. It's your fault for thinking everything will be okay as long as you try your best. It's your fault for wearing shoes instead of sandals. It's your fault for choosing to sit in the front row instead of the back. It's your fault for drinking juice instead of tea. It's your fault for breathing through your nose instead of your mouth. It's your fault for assuming people change. It's your fault for trusting your friends. It's your fault for believing anyone would ever be on your side. It's your fault for thinking you're the main character. 』
By the time he finished, the classroom had fallen into a suffocating silence.
『But hey, it's fine. I forgive you. I really do. Because, in the end…』
Kumagawa smile grew wider.
『It's not my fault. 』
His voice, his expression, his entire presence—it was as if he had taken all of their accusations, their anger, their frustration, and twisted them into something incomprehensible.
No one could respond.
Because, in that moment, no one was sure what kind of person they were dealing with.
『END』
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