After unexpectedly running into Sakura Airi, it wasn't long before the final month of the first semester for Shijiao's First Years arrived.
On July 1, not long after the Tian Shu Sha Exam ended, each class's Class Points were updated once again.
Since half of the 400 Bonus Points scheduled for July had already been used to hold a new Special Exam, each First Year class would receive only 50 Class Points this month.
Yamauchi Haruki had already been sent to the Juvenile Detention Center, and the effects of what he'd done had been quietly wiped away. That meant Class D could also claim the Midterm Exam's No Expulsion Bonus.
After deducting their daily Behavioral Norm Points, the classes' updated scores for July were as follows:
Class A: 955 → 980 cl
Class B: 719 → 760 cl
Class C: 663 → 700 cl
Class D: 125 → 170 cl
The new table showed that Classes B, C, and D had all lost no more than 20 points for their conduct, a considerable improvement over April. That included Class D, the Defective Products who had nearly scored zero for three months in a row!
Only Class A remained caught up in a fierce Factional Dispute, losing quite a few points to daily deductions.
In less than a week, Class D had soared from zero to 170 points. It was a true Underdog Comeback!
At long last, they'd regained the right to eat properly at Advanced Nurturing High School. A cause for celebration indeed.
Except for Horikita Suzune, who had to pay Kaede 30,000 Private Points every month!
During the Tian Shu Sha Exam, her Lord side had won a sweeping victory for Class D, while the Traitor Ayanokōji had achieved a Solo Victory.
But from Horikita Suzune's personal perspective, it had been a crushing defeat.
She'd received a mere 50,000 Private Points, not even enough to cover two months of Tribute Money...
Horikita now deeply regretted the contract she'd signed with Kaede.
After all, in the four months since Class D had started, each student had only received 117,000 Private Points...
And now, in July of the First Semester, she'd already paid Tennoji Kaede 120,000 Private Points over four months.
Horikita could barely scrape by, relying on handouts from Hirata, Ayanokōji, and the others.
Kushida Kikyo genuinely felt sorry for Horikita Suzune now.
If Kaede had considered her an enemy back then, if she hadn't gotten rid of that pervert Yamauchi Haruki, she didn't know whether she could have kept living in Class D. Maybe she would have snapped and been expelled by now...
By contrast, with Kaede's help, she'd been reborn from the ashes and returned to the comfortable life she'd always been used to. It was even better than before.
Kushida Kikyo was a cold, but not heartless, girl who'd suffered a great deal.
Class D owed her; they didn't hate her.
So she was no longer as hostile toward Horikita, who knew about her past.
Even if Horikita tried to expose her past someday, Kushida could just ask Kaede for help.
In the Class D classroom, Kushida turned her head slightly and looked coldly at Horikita's miserable, penniless state.
Tsk, can you really beat my big brother Kaede?
First Year Class A.
Kamuro Sumire walked up to Sakayanagi Arisu with obvious reluctance.
"What do you want now?"
Lately, Sakayanagi had been making her life unbearable.
Just like when Sakayanagi had kidnapped her to take part in the Tian Shu Sha Exam. Under normal circumstances, why would an outsider from Class A like her ever get to join a Special Exam?
Sakayanagi Arisu smiled sweetly. "Kamuro, will you be my friend?"
"Fine, you win. Let's do it. Do whatever you want!" Kamuro had no choice but to give up and go along with it.
She'd lost Class A's Lord-side match in the Tian Shu Sha Exam, and things had become even harder for her in Class A.
She could only join the Yanagi Faction and seek its protection. At least things seemed a little less troublesome on this side.
With Kamuro's submission, Sakayanagi finally felt a flicker of happiness. She couldn't say why, but she rather enjoyed bullying her tsundere classmate.
For Sakayanagi, the best reward from the Special Exam was right there in front of her.
Hashimoto Masayoshi came over from the side. "Kamuro-chan finally joined us of her own accord. Welcome, welcome."
Kamuro Sumire tilted her head slightly, her brows drawing together.
One of the main reasons she didn't want to join Sakayanagi's group was this man named Hashimoto. There was something about him that rubbed her the wrong way!
He did whatever he pleased and was devious, too. Even Tennoji was better!
Wait, why was she suddenly thinking of that person from Class C? Kamuro Sumire was a little surprised.
She had absolutely no special feelings for Tennoji Kaede.
She'd been caught red-handed, forced to sign a contract, and then reprimanded by her homeroom teacher for half the day. Now she couldn't steal anymore, and her hands were practically itching.
She'd have to be crazy to fall for him after all that.
Kamuro Sumire had always been rather cold.
But after enduring all those awful "strength above all" trials at this school, she had gradually begun to understand the reasoning behind his actions.
As a rational person, Kamuro Sumire had never considered betraying Class A to help Tennoji.
That said, she was more than willing to return the favor someday by helping him in whatever way she could.
First Year Class B.
Watanabe Norihito, sporting a trendy hairstyle, said, "After all that, we're back to a 60-point gap with Class C?"
Shibata Hayate, who was especially cheerful by nature, laughed. "Don't be so nervous, Norihito. We're still Class B, aren't we? And Ryuji, are you really that concerned about Class C, too?"
"No, it's nothing. I was thinking about something else."
Kanzaki Ryuji smiled and told a lie. In truth, he was thinking about Class C.
Last month, quite a few people in Class B had complained about being followed by students from Class C and feeling uncomfortable. That had become the main reason their points were docked for daily conduct.
The name of Class C's tyrannical leader, Ryuen Kakeru, had been spreading through Class B lately.
They had to find a way to deal with the threat he posed...
But Kanzaki looked up at the large group of classmates gathered around Ichinose nearby. They were transferring their Private Points to her to hold for them this month.
That was the leader they trusted most in Class B, and Kanzaki was certain of it, too.
In the end, he decided to let things take their course for now.
The atmosphere in First Year Class D suddenly grew lively.
Shinohara Satsuki, with her blue bob, excitedly asked her best friend, "Hey! The ranking's been updated. What do you think?"
At the mention of it, shy Inokashira Kokoro's face immediately flushed red. "The... the Handsome Ranking?"
"Of course! Two of the top ten are from our class! Though I'm surprised—I only just noticed how good-looking Ayanokōji is. Is he really that easy to overlook?"
Mori Nene from the Tea Party Group, a small circle of girls around Karuizawa, chimed in, "Ayanokōji? He's only sixth. What a boring guy. I don't think he has any charm at all. Right, Kei?"
"Y-yeah... Um, Satonaka Satoshi from Class A, in second place, is really handsome!"
Karuizawa Kei didn't really like talking about this sort of thing, so she forced out an awkward smile and agreed.
"Honestly, Kei, you're so lucky! You're dating Hirata, who's a super handsome guy in third place. Don't be so ungrateful~~~!"
Inokashira Kokoro asked curiously, "By the way, the guy in first place is from Class C?"
"Yes!" ×2.
Shinohara Satsuki and Mori Nene exchanged a glance, then quickly looked away as if nothing had happened.
Mori Nene immediately praised him. "Tennoji Kaede is so handsome~ I don't know why, but sometimes I just want to stare at him. He's so charming~"
Shinohara Satsuki snorted. "You've got it wrong, haven't you? Isn't Tennoji the Iceberg Handsome Man? He's got that Stoic CEO Style!"
Their conversation had grown a little too loud, drawing the attention of two other girls in Class D.
Kushida Kikyo glanced over, then went back to reading her book.
Sakura Airi sat quietly in a corner, unnoticed.
Were they talking about Tennoji?
Come to think of it, the Promised Day is tomorrow...
Before you continue