Kouenji, We Have No Grudge Against Each Other... / Suzune Horikita's Expectations Are Dashed

"Yeah, I got them."

Kamio Tatsuya's voice wasn't loud, but it quickly silenced the classroom.

"Y-you received Points?"

Even Ike, who hadn't spoken to Kamio Tatsuya for a long time because of the earlier incident, turned around in surprise and asked what everyone wanted to know.

"That's right. I received them."

Kamio Tatsuya answered firmly. Receiving zero Points still counted as receiving them. What was the problem?

Several students immediately took out their phones and checked their balances, but the result was exactly the same as before.

Not a single Point had been deposited into their accounts.

"What the heck? Not even a single Point was deposited."

"Exactly. Same here."

"Could the school have forgotten us?"

"But Kamio said he received them."

"He must be lying. He hasn't shown us his balance, either."

After a brief uproar, Ike looked at Kamio Tatsuya again.

"Hey, Kamio, didn't you say you received Points? Show everyone your balance."

"Why should I?"

Kamio Tatsuya's reply left many people in the class stunned.

"Didn't you say you received Points? It's not like showing us will hurt. Don't tell me you were really lying?"

"I merely stated a fact. Whether you believe me is up to you. I have no reason to force you to believe me."

To be honest, having idiots like this in the class had its advantages.

They could put on a comedy routine anytime, anywhere, making things less boring.

Just then, the school bell rang. Chabashira-sensei entered the classroom as usual and began preparing to conduct the morning meeting.

However, the atmosphere around her was completely different today. Her expression was more serious than usual, so it seemed the earlier speculation had been correct.

Today, the school's rules would be revealed.

Moreover, Chabashira-sensei had probably been rendered speechless by Class D's behavior. Ending up with a group of students like Class D was certainly no blessing.

Hopefully, she won't get breast nodules or delayed menstruation from all this anger.

"Sae-chan-sensei, don't tell me your period's late!"

Kamio Tatsuya had thought he already understood how stupid these people were, but the other party had refreshed his understanding in the blink of an eye.

Even someone with terrible social awareness should know what could and couldn't be said, right?

That's blatant sexual harassment, you bastard!

However, Chabashira-sensei didn't react to Ike's words. As usual, she simply prepared to begin the morning meeting.

"We'll begin the morning meeting now. But before that, you should have something you want to ask, shouldn't you? If there's anything concerning you, it's best to ask now."

"Um... I checked this morning, but the Points hadn't been deposited. Weren't they supposed to be paid to us on the first of every month? I went to the Supermarket this morning to buy some juice, but I couldn't pay for it. It was so embarrassing."

As soon as Chabashira-sensei finished speaking, someone began to complain.

"Bento, I explained this before, didn't I? That's exactly right. Points are deposited on the first of every month. Without a doubt, they were deposited this month as well."

Bento?

Kamio Tatsuya had been in the same class as the other person for a month, yet he still didn't know who this guy was.

Although Chabashira-sensei usually acted as if she didn't care much about her students and spent far less time with them than Kamio Tatsuya did, she was still a teacher. So she had done a good job memorizing their names?

Huh?

Why was that phrased as a question?

Could Chabashira-sensei actually be a responsible teacher?

Koenji, We Have No Grudge Against Each Other...

Faced with Chabashira-sensei's words, Bento, Yamauchi, and the others exchanged glances.

"Er, but... we really didn't receive any Points."

Chabashira-sensei didn't look at them. Instead, she began scanning the entire class, seemingly observing every student's reaction.

Kamio Tatsuya had his head lowered, but he could feel her gaze linger on him for a moment.

Hey, hey, I haven't done anything outrageous. Don't tell me you've got your eye on me?

Kamio Tatsuya felt somewhat depressed. To be honest, he only wanted to be an ordinary student and muddle through these three years peacefully.

If he became a typical example now, his ordinary life might leave him forever. So he chose to keep his head down.

Thus, his actions were basically the same as those of the other students. He simply watched Chabashira-sensei.

To be honest, he was already regretting the things he had said before Chabashira-sensei arrived.

They made it look as though he had confessed without being asked.

Could Chabashira-sensei have heard what I said back then?

I'm screwed.

"You really are a bunch of foolish students."

There was amusement in Chabashira-sensei's voice. It was hard to tell whether she was laughing because their stupidity was amusing or because it had driven her to laughter.

"Foolish...?"

Most of the students stared blankly at Chabashira-sensei with their mouths hanging open.

The Chabashira-sensei before them and the one from earlier were completely different people.

It was like a hero suddenly turning into a demon king.

"The Points have already been deposited into your accounts. That much is beyond doubt. The idea that only this class was forgotten is nothing but an absurd fantasy. Understand?"

"No, even if you ask whether we understand... the Points really weren't deposited..."

Bento looked confused and glanced around for support, but no one responded. They had all been frightened by Chabashira-sensei's current demeanor.

Kamio Tatsuya quietly turned his head and looked at Horikita Suzune to his left. Her face was gloomy. Even now, he still didn't quite understand why Horikita Suzune had done nothing for the entire month.

At that moment, loud laughter suddenly rang out through the classroom.

"Hahaha, I see now, teacher. I've solved this riddle."

Koenji Rokosuke mixed Japanese with English, making Kamio Tatsuya feel that the guy was deliberately showing off.

I don't really like him.

Without a care in the world, he put both feet on his desk and pointed arrogantly at Bento.

"The answer is simple. The number of Points distributed to Class D is zero."

"What? Why? Weren't we told we'd receive one hundred thousand Points every month?"

"I don't recall ever hearing anything like that, do you, beautiful boy?"

Koenji said this.

But... what the hell was "beautiful boy"?

Was "beautiful" really appropriate for describing a boy?

And who was he even talking to?

Seeing that the atmosphere had grown somewhat awkward, Koenji spoke again.

"Don't you intend to say something? After all, you discovered this secret even earlier than I did, beautiful boy, Kamio Tatsuya."

What?

Me?

Although he was handsome and quite satisfied with his appearance, what did Koenji mean by calling him beautiful?

"Er, did you mistake me for someone else? I'll admit I look decent, but I'm not exactly beautiful."

"No. To challenge the culprit to a duel for the sake of a Lady's reputation was truly beautiful. Although you cannot compare to me, you qualify for the title of beautiful boy."

Kamio Tatsuya was instantly speechless.

You little punk. Your rules for giving people nicknames are pretty special.

What the hell does "beautiful" mean?!

And what's with that expression that says, "Come thank me"? Huh?!

What the hell is this?! (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

We have no grudge against each other. Why are you screwing me over?

Do I need your help to show off?

Could you please stop getting the wrong person involved?!

Then, when he noticed Chabashira-sensei's half-smiling expression, Kamio Tatsuya felt that he had somehow gotten himself into trouble. His suspended heart finally sank.

Whatever. Who cares? I'm tired. Let the world burn.

"Points represent evaluations, but evaluations are not unchanging. If the students of Class D were evaluated as excellent talents worth one hundred thousand Points when school began, then now, we're worthless trash. Yes, that's how it is."

Kamio Tatsuya stated this flatly, and Chabashira Sae at the podium nodded.

"Evaluations are not unchanging. That was an excellent summary. Tardiness and absences: ninety-eight incidents in total. Private conversations or phone use during class: three hundred and ninety-one incidents. One fight in the classroom."

Hey, hey, you deliberately singled me out with that last one, didn't you?

Kamio Tatsuya was speechless.

"In just one month, you committed so many acts unbecoming of students. As a result, the one hundred thousand Points that should have belonged to you have now been completely deducted. If negative scores were possible, your current total would be lower than zero."

In reality, Chabashira Sae was also utterly dumbfounded. These were her third batch of students. Although the first two batches had also been placed in Class D, this was the first time she had seen a class reduce its Points to zero within its very first month.

Regardless of what Chabashira-sensei thought, Kamio Tatsuya was simply glad negative scores didn't exist. He didn't want the Points in his account deducted because of this bunch of idiots.

"Chabashira-sensei, I don't remember ever being told about any of this..."

The class's leader, Hirata Yosuke, spoke on behalf of the students, saying what they had wanted to say. However, Chabashira-sensei immediately refuted him.

"Hirata, that's a strange thing to say. Why would it require a special explanation? Following classroom rules is only natural, isn't it? Didn't you learn that in elementary and middle school?"

Hirata Yosuke was rendered speechless. In reality, he knew that was how it worked, but if he didn't say it aloud, the students in the class probably wouldn't understand.

"Since you received that education during your nine years of compulsory schooling, why would you think those rules automatically ceased to apply in high school?

'You can't accept it without being told'? What twisted logic. If you had simply done what was expected of you, I believe you wouldn't have ended up with zero Points. This is entirely your own responsibility.

Come to think of it, you're also the first class to waste all its Points within the first month. I imagine you'll go down in school history."

Please stop. Please stop.

Kamio Tatsuya wanted to laugh, but he also didn't dare.

"Moreover, you've only just entered your first year of high school, yet you really believed you could use one hundred thousand Points without restriction every month? What a joke.

This is a school whose purpose is to cultivate outstanding talent. Did you really think it would allow you to behave so recklessly? Of course not.

Even common sense should have told you that was impossible, right? Indeed.

Why didn't you think any further? You did think about it.

Why didn't you notice the problem? You did notice it.

If you noticed the problem, why did you continue to ignore it? We didn't ignore it. The more than three million Private Points in my account were the result of my efforts!"

Chabashira-sensei's soul-searching questions left the classroom utterly silent.

Kamio Tatsuya, meanwhile, silently answered every one of Chabashira-sensei's questions.

Horikita Suzune's Expectations Were Dashed