If this had been any other day, Kamio Tatsuya definitely wouldn't have gone so early. But today, he'd show the graduating seniors some consideration.
Kamio Tatsuya wasn't the only one who'd come to see the upperclassmen off outside the Gymnasium. Students from other classes—and even other years—were already waiting there.
In this school, which lacked any sense of human warmth, the bonds between clubmates were just as strong as those between classmates.
Quite a few students had received help from their club seniors.
"There are a lot of people."
"That means the club environment at our school is pretty good."
Kamio and Shiina chatted idly. Then, at last, the doors to the Gymnasium opened, and the graduation ceremony officially came to a complete end.
This was pretty much the last chance for graduates and current students to formally exchange their farewells.
The third-years were dismissed and filed out one after another. Most of them looked cheerful, even those who hadn't managed to graduate from Class A.
But some students weren't smiling, and quite a few of them were from Class A.
As soon as Horikita Manabu came out, he was surrounded by a crowd. That guy really was popular.
"Even the seniors who couldn't graduate from Class A don't look all that disappointed."
When Shiina brought it up, a smile tugged at Kamio Tatsuya's lips.
"Although graduating from a lower-ranked class doesn't give them a shortcut to their dreams, they managed to persevere for three years at a school this cutthroat. Once they enter society, they'll probably adapt to harsh environments better than most people.
"Whether they go on to higher education or get a job, as long as they have the ability, most things are achievable even without special privileges.
"I don't know if that was the school's intention