The May breeze carried the island's distinctive damp, salty air, sweeping away the last traces of April's lingering laziness. The sunshine over the Artificial Island was still bright, but it seemed a little less carefree than last month, and a touch sharper—as if heralding the start of a new stage.
Shimiya Kuki sat by the window, running his fingertips across the smooth screen of his Personal Terminal. It displayed a clear record of his Points from last month. The 15,000-Point refrigerator purchase stood out like a mark burned into the end of April. He had spent a long time weighing the cost of this "luxury item," which could keep fresh ingredients and improve his quality of life, but in the end, he had bought it. After that came a steady weekly expense of about 2,000 Points on groceries, plus other miscellaneous daily costs—necessary stationery and some basic Daily Necessities—which had taken nearly 3,000 more. Watching his balance steadily fall from its initial 100,000 Points, he had made careful budgeting second nature.
At exactly seven in the morning, a crisp notification chime rang out, breaking the classroom's silence. The Monthly Personal Points had arrived.
Shimiya Kuki glanced at the screen out of habit, then froze.
The number on the screen wasn't the six digits he'd expected. Instead, it was a glaring 65,000 Points.
Almost at the same instant, the air in the classroom seemed to tighten under some invisible force, then erupted into even louder cries and incredulous chatter.
"Hey, hey, hey! You've got to be kidding! Why do I only have 65,000 Points?!"
"Me too! 65,000! Did the system mess up?"
"Who doesn't have 65,000? Xiao Qiao, what about you?"
"Boohoo... I've only got 65,000 too... Weren't we supposed to get 100,000 Personal Points every month?"
"Yeah! Didn't Hoshinomiya-sensei say we'd get 100,000 Personal Points each month? It's only the second month!"
"Shibata, how much did you get?"
"Damn it! I've only got 65,000 too! What the hell is going on?"
Confusion, discontent, and panic rippled through Class B like a boulder dropped into still water. Kanzaki Ryuji furrowed his brow and quickly pulled up his Points record and the Class Directory, apparently checking whether the entire class had received the same amount. Ichinose Honami stared at the diminished number on her terminal. Her usual gentle smile had vanished, leaving only deep worry and bewilderment. Shibata Kaede irritably ran a hand through his hair and glared at his terminal.
Shimiya Kuki turned off his screen and slipped his terminal back into his desk, his expression unchanged. He felt little surprise, only the cold certainty of I knew it. 100,000 Points every month? For three years? How could a Highly Autonomous school, steeped in competition and rules at every turn, be that charitable? Three grades, twelve classes, and nearly five hundred students—if everyone really received the full amount every month, the total would be astronomical. The cost of last month's "harmless" End of Month Quiz, along with certain people's "rule-breaking," had clearly gone far beyond Hoshinomiya-sensei's casual mention of "reference." This sudden decrease in Points was the clearest, loudest warning of all.
Just then, the classroom door clicked open.
"Good morning, everyone!" Hoshinomiya Chie-sensei's signature voice rang out, sweet as melting honey. Carrying a folder, she strode in with a light step and the same flawless smile as ever. "Looks like the new month's Points came as a little 'surprise,' huh?" She seemed to have anticipated the mood in the room. With a playful lilt in her voice, she went straight to the podium.
"Sensei! The Points!" Shibata Kaede was the first to lose patience. He stood and pointed at his terminal, his voice loud and urgent. "Why did we only get 65,000 this month? Weren't we supposed to get 100,000 every month? Is there some mistake?"
"Yeah, Sensei, all of us only got 65,000!"
"What's going on?"
Questions flew at the podium like a rapid-fire barrage.
Hoshinomiya-sensei's smile didn't waver. She gently pressed down on the air with both hands, signaling everyone to quiet down. "Mm-hmm, that's exactly what I'm here to explain! In today's morning homeroom, we're going to talk about these 'Points.'" She picked up a piece of chalk, turned around, and wrote a few large characters on the blackboard:
Personal Points = Class Points × 100
"Can everyone see that?" She turned back around, still smiling, though her eyes had grown serious. "The Personal Points you receive each month aren't a fixed 100,000. They're determined by your Class Points! For every 1 Point your class gains, each student gets 100 more Personal Points every month. Conversely, if your Class Points are deducted, your Personal Points will decrease accordingly."
She paused, watching the students' expressions as they began to understand—and grew even more anxious.
"Unfortunately," she said, tilting her head slightly with an apologetic look, though her eyes remained clear and observant, "our Class B lost quite a few Class Points in last month's overall class evaluation." She opened the folder and pulled out a printed sheet, then read clearly, "Here are the final Class Points for each class as of midnight on April 30."
She held up the paper for everyone—or, more accurately, for the students in front who could see it. Kanzaki Ryuji immediately narrowed his eyes, trying to make out the numbers.
● Class A: 940 Points
● Class B: 650 Points
● Class C: 490 Points
● Class D: 0 Points
"Whoa—!"
"Class A has 940?!"
"We only have 650?"
"Class C has 490? Does that mean they only got 49,000 Personal Points?"
"Wait... Class D... has 0 Points?!"
Cries of surprise rose one after another. Class A's high score made some students envious, while Class C's low score was bad enough—but the zero for Class D was like a cold bolt of lightning, shattering everything they thought they knew!
"Zero Points?!" Shibata Kaede's voice was full of disbelief. "Does that mean the students in Class D didn't get a single Point this month?!"
"That's right." Hoshinomiya-sensei nodded. Her smile seemed to fade a little. "When a class has zero Class Points, every student in Class D receives zero Personal Points for the month. Without Points, they can barely get by at school. They can't buy anything at the Convenience Store or use any facilities that require Points, and..." She paused, leaving the class in a suffocating silence. "In some circumstances, even their basic living needs could become a problem. For example, they might not be able to buy meals and would have to rely on the most basic survival provisions the school provides—which usually isn't a pleasant experience."
The classroom fell deathly silent. The students who had just complained about having "only" 65,000 Points now truly understood the cruelty of the Class Points system. The plight of Class D's students weighed on everyone like a heavy stone.
"How could they have lost so many Points?" a girl whispered, sounding shaken.
"Yeah, what did we do to lose this many? And what happened to Class D?" another boy asked.
Hoshinomiya-sensei put down the sheet and resumed her sweet tone, though her words showed no mercy. "As for the specific deductions... Well, some students openly played games on their Personal Terminals during class, and not just once." Her gaze swept right past Shibata Kaede.
"There were unauthorized late arrivals and early departures from time to time, too!"
"And... well, some students left the Designated Area without permission during non-free time—in other words, they skipped class." When she said "skipped class," the temperature in the classroom seemed to drop a few degrees.
Several of the students she'd called out, especially Shibata Kaede, flushed again. He shot to his feet and bowed even more deeply to the teacher and the class.
"I-I'm sorry, everyone! I was the main one playing games and skipping class! I... I never thought I'd make the whole class lose so many Points! I dragged everyone down and made you all get so much less money this month! I didn't realize Class Points were this important, either! I, Shibata Kaede, promise I'll change starting today! If I touch my terminal during class again, I'll be a dog! And I absolutely won't skip class anymore! Please keep an eye on me! I'm sorry!" His voice was loud, filled with a sincerity and remorse he'd never shown before.
The other students who had been called out also lowered their heads and apologized.
Hoshinomiya-sensei looked at Shibata Kaede, an encouraging smile returning to her face. "I'm glad you understand what you did wrong and are willing to change, Shibata-kun! There's no greater virtue than correcting your mistakes!" She glanced around at the class, her tone growing a little more serious. "The rest of you should take this as a lesson, too. Class Points are a shared asset that everyone has to protect. They affect every one of us and our ability to live and thrive at this school! Every person's actions matter."
Just as the heavy mood began to ease, Ichinose Honami raised her hand. Worry still showed on her face, but there was a new resolve in her eyes as she sought a solution. "Hoshinomiya-sensei, I understand that losing Points reduces our Class Points. Then how can we earn more Class Points?" Her question spoke to what everyone wanted to know. They understood the deductions—but what about ways to earn Points? How could they escape the shadow of Class D, or even earn as many Points as Class A?
Hoshinomiya-sensei's smile instantly grew brighter, as if she'd been waiting for that very question. She clapped her hands lightly. "Excellent question, Ichinose-kun!" Her eyes curved into crescents, shining with an almost childlike anticipation. "The main way to increase your Class Points is through the Special Exams the school holds from time to time!"
"Special Exams?" Murmurs of confusion spread through the classroom.
"That's right!" Hoshinomiya-sensei's voice carried a note of excitement. "These exams come in many different forms, and each has its own objective. They might be direct contests between classes, special tasks that require teamwork, or even some... well, very interesting and very challenging events!" Her words were full of implication. "Excellent results or meeting specific goals in a Special Exam can earn your class a large Point Reward! It's much more 'efficient' than simply trying to avoid deductions!"
Her words were like a shot of adrenaline, lighting a flame of hope in some students' eyes. So there were chances to earn big!
"Of course," Hoshinomiya-sensei continued, her smile unchanged, though an inscrutable glint passed through her eyes, "the difficulty and risks of Special Exams are usually proportional to the rewards. If you fail, your Class Points could be deducted—or you might even pay some other unexpected price." She set down the folder, seeming about to finish her explanation, but then lifted a finger playfully as if she'd just remembered something. "Oh, right! We don't know yet when the Special Exams will begin, but..." She drew out the last word on purpose, her amber eyes sweeping over the class with a hint of smugness. "There are other ways to increase your Class Points!"
Her words immediately caught everyone's attention. Besides avoiding deductions and waiting for the unknown Special Exams, were there other ways?
"For example," Hoshinomiya-sensei said with a beaming smile, as if sharing a sweet little secret, "the Midterm Exams are coming up soon. If everyone does well, you can earn extra Class Points for Class B! So make sure you study hard and don't slack off!"
The morning Q&A had served its purpose. Hoshinomiya-sensei looked at the students below, whose expressions varied: some were still digesting the harsh reality of Class D's zero Points, shaken by it; others were excited by the prospect of Special Exams, rubbing their hands together; and some, hearing that Regular Exams could earn them Points too, clenched their fists and resolved to work harder. Shibata Kaede and the others looked remorseful, but were also determined to make amends. Ichinose Honami looked thoughtful, as if already planning how to help everyone improve together.
"All right!" Hoshinomiya-sensei clapped her hands. Her sweet smile was once again full of energy, and her voice rose with an irresistible call to action. "Everyone understands how the Points work now, right? Class D's situation is a warning, and Class A's lead is our goal! A new month has begun. Whether we're trying to avoid deductions, preparing for Special Exams, or working toward good results in the Midterm and Final Exams—"
Her gaze swept across every face, finally settling at the front of the classroom, as if imprinting her resolve on everyone's hearts.
"We all need to start working together, as one, from this moment on!"
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