Just Want to Be a Slacker

"Yeah, I got it."

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

"You... you actually received points?"

Even Ike, who hadn't spoken to Kamio Tatsuya in a long time due to the earlier incident, looked over in surprise and voiced his question.

"That's right, I got them."

Kamio Tatsuya said it with certainty. Receiving zero points still counted as receiving them—what was the problem?

Immediately, students pulled out their phones to check their balances, but the results were the same as before.

Not a single point had been deposited into their accounts.

"What the hell, there's not a single point in here."

"Yeah, same for me."

"Could the school have forgotten about us?"

"But Kamio said he got his."

"He's definitely lying. He didn't show us his balance, did he?"

After a bit of commotion, Ike turned back to Kamio Tatsuya.

"Hey, Kamio, you said you got points, right? Then show everyone your balance."

"Why should I?"

Kamio Tatsuya's words left quite a few people in the class stunned.

"Didn't you say you got points? And it's not like looking would hurt. You're not actually lying, are you?"

"I'm just stating a fact. Believe it or not, that's up to you. I have no reason to make you believe me."

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

They could put on a show at any moment, keeping things from getting boring.

Just then, the school bell rang for class. Chabashira-sensei walked in as usual and began preparing to lead the morning meeting.

But today, her atmosphere was completely different. Her expression was far more serious than usual, confirming that the earlier speculation was correct.

Today, the school's rules were probably going to be revealed.

And on top of that, Chabashira-sensei was likely fed up with Class D's behavior. After all, being stuck with a bunch of students like this wasn't exactly a good thing.

Hopefully, she wouldn't end up with breast nodules or a delayed period from the stress.

"Sae-chan sensei, could it be that your period's late?"

Kamio Tatsuya thought he'd already fully grasped the depths of these idiots' stupidity, but they managed to surpass his expectations in an instant.

Even someone with zero social awareness should know what's okay to say and what isn't, right?

That's straight-up sexual harassment, you bastard!

But Chabashira-sensei didn't react to Ike's words at all. She simply started the morning meeting as usual.

"We'll begin the morning meeting now. But before that, you probably have questions, don't you? If there's something on your mind, it's best to ask now."

"Um... I checked this morning, but the points hadn't been deposited. Didn't they say they'd be paid on the first of every month? I went to the supermarket this morning to buy juice, but I couldn't pay. It was super awkward."

As soon as Chabashira-sensei finished speaking, someone started complaining.

"Bento, I explained this before, didn't I? That's exactly how it works. Points are deposited on the first of every month. They've been confirmed as deposited this month as well."

Bento?

Kamio Tatsuya noted that even though he'd been in the same class as this guy for a month, he still didn't recognize him.

But Chabashira-sensei, despite usually seeming indifferent to the students and having spent even less time with them than Kamio Tatsuya, had apparently memorized their names well enough as a teacher?

Huh?

Why was that a question?

Could it be that Chabashira-sensei was actually a very responsible teacher?

Chapter 27: Kouenji, We Have No Grudge...

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

"Uh, but... we really didn't receive any points."

Chabashira-sensei didn't look at them. Instead, she began scanning the entire class, as if observing everyone's reactions.

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

Hey now, I haven't done anything out of line. You're not targeting me, are you?

Kamio Tatsuya felt a bit annoyed. To be honest, he just wanted to be an ordinary student and coast through these three years.

If he became a target now, his peaceful life might slip away. So he chose to play it safe.

His movements were basically the same as any other student's—just staring at Chabashira-sensei.

To be honest, he was already starting to regret the words he'd said before Chabashira-sensei arrived.

Because it felt like an admission of guilt without being prompted.

Could it be that Chabashira-sensei had actually heard what they were saying back then?

He had a bad feeling about this.

"You really are a bunch of foolish students."

There was a hint of amusement in Chabashira-sensei's voice, though it was unclear whether she was laughing at their stupidity or simply exasperated by it.

"Foolish... huh?"

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

Because the Chabashira-sensei standing before them now was a completely different person from the one they'd seen before.

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

"The points have already been deposited into your accounts—there's no doubt about that. Fantasies like 'only this class was forgotten' are impossible, understand?"

"No, even if you ask us if we understand... the fact is, the points just haven't come in..."

Bento looked confused, glancing around for support, but no one responded—because they were all intimidated by Chabashira-sensei's current demeanor.

Kamio Tatsuya secretly turned his head to look at Horikita Suzune on his left, catching sight of her grim expression. Even now, he still couldn't figure out why Horikita Suzune had done nothing this entire month.

Just then, a burst of laughter rang out from the class.

"Hahaha, I see now, teacher. I've already figured out this puzzle."

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

Yeah, he didn't really like him.

Without a care for anyone else, Koenji propped his feet up on the desk and pointed at Bento with an arrogant attitude.

"The answer is simple. The points allocated to our Class D are zero."

"Huh? Why? Aren't we supposed to get a hundred thousand points every month?"

"I don't recall ever hearing that, do you? Beautiful boy."

Koenji said this.

But... "beautiful boy"? What the hell?

Isn't it a bit off to use "beautiful" to describe a boy?

And who are you even talking about?

Sensing the slight awkwardness in the air, Koenji spoke up again.

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

What?

You mean me?

Sure, I admit my face is pretty handsome, and I'm satisfied with it, but what's with you calling me "beautiful"?

"Uh, I think you've got the wrong person. I'll admit my looks are decent, but I'm not exactly 'beautiful.'"

"No, no. To challenge the instigator for the sake of a lady's reputation—that is truly beautiful. Though you can't compare to me, you still deserve the title of 'beautiful boy.'"

Hearing this, Kamio Tatsuya was momentarily speechless. This little brat sure had a unique way of giving nicknames.

What the hell kind of "beautiful" is that?!

And what's with that "come on, thank me" expression on your face? Huh?!

What a scam, (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

We have no grudges—why are you setting me up?

Do I need you to help me show off?

Don't get the wrong person, alright?!

Then, when he noticed Chabashira-sensei's half-smiling face, Kamio Tatsuya felt like he'd landed himself in trouble. His hanging heart finally gave up.

Whatever. Whoever. I'm tired. Let it all burn.

"Points represent evaluation, but evaluation isn't fixed. If at the start of school, everyone in Class D was rated as talented individuals worth a hundred thousand points, then now we're worthless trash. Yeah, that's about it."

Kamio Tatsuya said these words flatly, and Chabashira Sae on the podium nodded.

"Evaluation isn't fixed—that's a good summary. Tardiness and absences: ninety-eight total. Private conversations or phone use during class: three hundred and ninety-one. One fight inside the classroom."

Hey, hey, hey—you deliberately called out that last one for me, didn't you?

Kamio Tatsuya was speechless.

"In just one month, you've committed this many acts unbecoming of students. As a result, the hundred thousand points that should have been yours have been completely deducted. If not for the fact that negative points don't exist, your current balance wouldn't be zero."

In truth, Chabashira Sae was also stunned. This was her third batch of students. While she'd been assigned to Class D for the first two as well, this was the first time she'd seen a class drain their points to zero in the very first month.

Whatever Chabashira-sensei thought, Kamio Tatsuya was just relieved there were no negative points. He didn't want his own balance to get docked because of these idiots.

"Chabashira-sensei, I don't recall receiving any explanation about this..."

Hirata Yosuke, the class's leader, voiced what the students wanted to say on their behalf, but Chabashira-sensei immediately shot him down.

"Hirata, what you're saying is strange. Why would you need a special explanation? Following classroom discipline is only natural, isn't it? Didn't you learn that in elementary and middle school?"

Hirata Yosuke was left speechless. In truth, he knew that was the logic of it, but if he didn't speak up, the students in the class probably wouldn't understand.

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

You can't accept it without an explanation? How can you spout such twisted reasoning? If you had simply done the obvious things as a matter of course, I imagine you wouldn't have ended up with zero points. This is entirely your own responsibility.

Come to think of it, you're the first class to blow through all your points in the very first month. I'm sure this will go down in the school's history."

Stop roasting, stop roasting.

Kamio Tatsuya felt like laughing, but he didn't quite dare.

"And yet, you first-year high school students actually believed you could use a hundred thousand points every month without any limits? (Are you kidding me?)

This is a school aimed at cultivating excellent talent—do you really think it would allow you to be that reckless? (Of course not.)

Using common sense, you should have realized this was impossible, right? (Indeed.)

Why didn't you think it through further? (I did think.)

Why didn't you notice the problem? (I noticed.)

If you noticed the problem, then why did you keep ignoring it? (I didn't ignore it, and I even took action—the three million-plus Private Points in my account are the result of my efforts!)"

Chabashira-sensei's soul-searing questions left the class dead silent.

And Kamio Tatsuya silently answered every single one of Chabashira-sensei's questions.

Chapter 28: Horikita Suzune's Expectations Are Dashed