Horikita Suzune's Choice

"Everyone! Please, everyone, calm down for a moment!"

Kushida Kikyo stepped forward, trying to quell the storm.

"I know everyone has grievances, but... but Sudo and Chi are our classmates too! We can't just stand by and watch them get expelled, can we?"

Her words swayed a few of the softer-hearted students.

But Yukimura Teruhiko cut her off without mercy.

"Classmates? Kushida, don't be so naive. From the moment they gave up on studying, they stopped being our 'classmates.' Why should we pay for their irresponsibility?"

Kushida Kikyo's face paled. She opened her mouth, but not a single word came out.

In the midst of this chaos, Hirata Yosuke, who had been silent all along, walked to the center of the classroom.

"Everyone, please listen to me for a moment."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a penetrating force that miraculously quieted the noisy classroom.

All eyes turned to him.

"I understand Yukimura's thoughts, and I understand the feelings of everyone opposed to pooling points. Making those who worked hard pay for the mistakes of those who didn't—no matter how you look at it, that's not fair."

He first acknowledged the opposition's stance without launching into a moral lecture, which slightly eased the anger on Yukimura Teruhiko's face.

"But, everyone, what we need to discuss now isn't 'fairness' or 'should we or shouldn't we.' It's a more practical issue—one that concerns the points of everyone in Class D for the coming months."

"The result is already set. Now, only two choices lie before us."

"First, we abandon Sudo and Chi. What happens then? Our class loses two people. That will zero out our class points for next month. All our efforts in this midterm exam will come to nothing."

His words plunged everyone into deep thought.

"Think about it—when's the next chance to earn class points? The final exam. That means if we give up on them now, for the entire rest of the semester, our whole class's income will be zero. And the points we worked so hard to pool for the past papers? Those will be completely wasted because of this expulsion."

He didn't talk about "classmates" or "friendship." He knew those wouldn't calm them down.

"Second choice. We pool three hundred thousand points to save them. That's a huge expense, and it'll shrink everyone's personal points significantly. But we keep the class intact and avoid zeroing out next month's class points. At the same time, our midterm results—though not stellar—at least mean no one gets expelled, so we can get a small 'safety net' next month."

He laid out the pros and cons of both choices clearly.

The classroom fell into a deathly silence.

Hirata Yosuke's words made them pause their anger and consider the feasibility.

Kushida Kikyo seized the opportunity immediately. She stepped forward. "Hirata's right! I know asking everyone to give up their points is a tough thing. But this is a collective decision, one that affects all our futures. We can split the three hundred thousand fairly based on everyone's current personal points. Those with more points can take on a bigger share. Those with fewer can contribute less. That way, we solve the problem while minimizing the impact on each person."

She and Hirata worked in tandem—one analyzing from a rational, interest-based angle, the other soothing with emotional unity—forming a perfect combination.

In the end, under their joint leadership, Class D passed the resolution to pool points.

No one fiercely opposed anymore.

But the atmosphere in the classroom grew heavier than ever.

When Horikita Suzune took out paper and pen and began registering how many points each person could contribute, she could clearly feel the suppressed anger in the eyes of the students handing over their points—anger aimed at Xuteng Jian and Chi Kuanzhi.

And Xuteng Jian and Chi Kuanzhi, heads bowed, said nothing, enduring the scrutiny from all sides.

Three hundred thousand points were gathered.

But Class D's already fragile unity was torn to shreds in this fundraising effort to "save their classmates."

Horikita Suzune snapped back to reality.

She felt a sting in her palm. Looking down, she saw her nails had left pale marks on her skin.

She slowly unclenched her fist and took a deep breath.

She turned her head and, for the first time, truly focused her gaze on Kazehara Tetsu's face.

"You're right. This really is futile."

Her voice had returned to its usual coolness.

Kazehara Tetsu raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised that she admitted it so directly.

"Oh?"

"A 'rescue' built on others' sacrifices and compromises is just a delay at its core."

She continued, her eyes no longer dodging but meeting his straight on. "The problem isn't solved. It's just temporarily covered up."

"So, what do you plan to do next? Keep playing the thankless 'savior,' or..."

"I won't give up on promoting to Class A."

"To achieve that goal, I'll pay any price."

There, in that goal, was the back she had to catch up to.

Kazehara Tetsu watched her with interest. "Then it sounds like you already have a plan."

"I'll make them truly grow up. Make them understand the importance of studying and stop holding the class back. But..."

"If they can't even provide this last bit of 'Remaining Value,' then there's no reason for them to exist. Especially now that our Class Points have hit zero, culling these useless wastes ahead of time to cut our losses is the most rational choice."

The wind swept across the plaza, stirring her long hair.

In that moment, the stubbornness of a girl on her face had completely faded away.

Kazehara Tetsu let out a light chuckle. "A very rational line of thought, but making them grow won't be that easy."

"I'll change them in my own way."

Kazehara Tetsu stood up and stretched. "Then good luck to you, Horikita. I hope the next time we meet, you can show me something... a bit more interesting."

With that, he didn't look at her again, hands in his pockets as he strolled off leisurely.

Horikita Suzune sat alone in the plaza for a long time.