The Start of June

The June sunlight, with its unique brightness and vitality characteristic of early summer, generously bathed the campus of Advanced Nurturing High School. The cicadas had yet to reach their peak clamor, but the air already carried the approaching summer heat and the fresh scent of thriving greenery. A brand-new month had begun, bringing with it the exciting settlement of class points.

That morning during homeroom, Hoshinomiya-sensei appeared at the classroom door earlier than usual, her face beaming with a smile as radiant as the sunlight outside, waving a freshly printed notice that still smelled of ink.

"Good morning, everyone~! June's gift package has arrived!" She fluttered onto the podium like a cheerful butterfly, her voice crisp and pleasant, instantly dispelling the last traces of morning drowsiness. "Guess what the good news is?"

"Good morning, Hoshinomiya-sensei!" The students perked up and responded in unison, their eyes fixed intently on the paper in her hand.

"Ta-da~!" Hoshinomiya-sensei projected the notice onto the screen, which clearly listed each class's points for the month. "The June class points settlement results are announced! First, I have a school-wide piece of good news!" She raised her voice, announcing with joy:

"Since all classes in the school achieved a perfect pass rate on the midterm exams, with no one dropping out, the school administration has decided to reward each class—an increase of 100 class points! This is recognition of everyone's hard work in studying!"

"Wow! That's great!" Cheers erupted in the classroom. A base reward of 100 points was undoubtedly an encouraging good start.

"So," Hoshinomiya continued with a smile, "on this foundation, combined with each class's overall performance last month, the final class point adjustments are as follows!" Her finger pointed to the top of the screen:

"Class A: 1004 points! Showing an increase of 64 points from last month! It seems the top students in Class A are cautious in areas beyond just academics."

Then, her finger moved with pride to Class B's data: "And then there's our Class B! 747 points!" She drew a sparkling star around the number, her voice brimming with pride. "Showing an increase of 97 points from last month!"

She paused, her gaze sweeping across the class with approval and a hint of emotion. "Did everyone notice? We received the base 100-point reward, but the actual increase shown is 97 points. What does that mean?" She looked toward the students.

Kanzaki Ryuji immediately understood and responded calmly, "It means that while we received the 100-point base reward, only 3 class points were deducted last month due to overall performance."

"Bingo! Kanzaki-kun is absolutely right!" Hoshinomiya nodded emphatically, her face showing undisguised satisfaction and pride. "Only a 3-point deduction! That's nearly perfect performance! This is undoubtedly the result of every classmate in Class B consciously following the rules, actively participating in class activities, and working together to uphold our class's honor! Teacher is truly proud of your self-discipline and collective consciousness! These 97 points are well-deserved!" As her words fell, the classroom erupted in applause even more enthusiastic and proud than before. The students' faces glowed with the joy of being recognized and a sense of belonging to their class. A mere 3-point deduction, in the fiercely competitive and strictly regulated environment of Advanced Nurturing High School, was almost a miraculous number, fully demonstrating Class B's overall high quality and strong cohesion.

Hoshinomiya's gaze continued downward, landing on Class C's data: "Class C: 543 points. Showing an increase of 53 points from last month." Her tone returned to a calm, analytical one. "This means that while they received the 100-point base reward, 47 points were deducted last month due to overall performance. It seems Class C still has considerable room for improvement in discipline or other norms." This deduction stood in sharp contrast to Class B's mere 3 points.

Finally, her finger stopped at Class D's number—87 points. Hoshinomiya's expression turned serious. "Class D: 87 points. Showing an increase of 87 points from last month."

This number sparked some whispered discussion.

"87 points? Then what about their base 100 points?"

"An increase of 87 points, with a base of 100... does that mean they were deducted 13 points?"

Hoshinomiya's gaze seemed to pierce through the wall toward the neighboring classroom, her tone carrying a teacher's understanding and a statement of fact: "Class D's previous month balance was 0 points. They also received the base reward of 100 points. This net increase of 87 points means that after receiving the 100-point base reward, 13 class points were deducted last month due to overall performance."

She paused, her voice calm: "Chabashira's class... they really are trying to escape their difficulties this time. To go from the abyss of 0 points, secure the base 100 points through a perfect pass rate, and ultimately hold onto 87 points—that persistence itself speaks volumes. Although their points are still very low, at least they've taken the first step. However, the 13-point deduction also shows that their internal management and discipline have improved considerably. Even though they're still far from us, we can't afford to overlook their efforts."

Hoshinomiya's words gave Class B students a clearer picture of Class D's situation: struggling to survive, with unstable foundations and numerous problems. But they were actively improving, and might become opponents not to be underestimated in the future.

"Alright!" Hoshinomiya raised her signature bright smile again, clapping her hands to draw everyone's attention back. "To summarize: Our Class B has 747 points, a net increase of 97 points (100 base - 3 deduction)! Self-discipline and hard work have brought nearly perfect results! Class A has 1004 points, a net increase of 64 points (100 base - 36 deduction)—the gap is narrowing! Class C has 543 points, a net increase of 53 points (100 base - 47 deduction)—significant issues remain. Class D has 87 points, a net increase of 87 points (100 base - 13 deduction)—a difficult start, with zero points in initial management still a weakness." She clenched her little fists, full of drive. "A new battle begins! In June, we must maintain this excellent self-discipline and unity. For the position of Class A, for our promise of sunny beaches and island vacations, let's give it our all, charge!"

"Yes!" Class B's response was resolute, filled with confidence and pride in their own efforts. The mere 3-point deduction, like a badge of honor, made everyone feel the powerful strength of collective self-discipline.

As June officially began, campus life entered a new track. During break, Shibata Hayato couldn't help but excitedly discuss with a nearby classmate, "Haha, only 3 points deducted! I told you our class is the best! It's all thanks to everyone being so self-disciplined usually, even fighting over who gets to do the cleaning duty!" His tone was full of pride as a member of Class B.

As June officially began, campus life entered a new track. A notable change occurred around Shimiya Kuki.

Thanks to the in-depth and efficient tutoring sessions before the midterms, the icy barrier of "keep away" that surrounded Shimiya Kuki seemed to have quietly thawed considerably. Although he remained as silent and expressionless as ever, the classmates, especially those he had tutored, now looked at him with eyes that still held reverence but also carried more genuine gratitude and closeness.

The most obvious change was in "problem consultations." Before, unless necessary, almost no one dared to disturb Shimiya Kuki easily. But now, as soon as the class dismissal bell rang or during lunch break, classmates would occasionally approach his desk with practice books or test papers, carrying a bit of nervousness but more anticipation, asking:

"Shimiya-kun, is this auxiliary line I drew for this math problem correct?"

"Shimiya-kun, I feel like I'm missing a force in my force analysis for this physics model. Could you take a look?"

"Kuki-kun" (this form of address was being cautiously tried by more people), "I keep messing up the balancing of this chemical equation..."

Among them, the one who changed the most and was most frequent was Shibata Kaede.

This soccer-loving youth, who used to be so nervous around Shimiya that he didn't know what to do with himself, had now become a "regular" at Shimiya's desk. He no longer watched from afar or hesitated for ages before approaching. Instead, he came over naturally, with a bright smile (though occasionally still a bit embarrassed).

"Yo, Shimiya!" Shibata Kaede casually pulled up the chair in front of Shimiya, sat on it backwards, rested his arms on the back, and spread a physics exercise book on Shimiya's desk, pointing at one problem. "This one, combining conservation of energy and conservation of momentum. I've written out the equations, but the final answer feels off. Can you check which step I messed up the calculation?"

His tone was familiar, his movements natural, as if he were asking a friend he'd known for a long time. The surrounding classmates, initially surprised by this scene, had grown accustomed to it.

Shimiya Kuki glanced at the problem, then at Shibata's "buddy-buddy" posture. His face remained expressionless as he picked up a pen and wrote a few concise key steps on scratch paper, pointing out an algebraic error in Shibata's calculation. "Here, wrong sign substitution. Recalculate."

"Ah! That's it! Thanks, Shimiya!" Shibata slapped his forehead in sudden realization, grabbed the scratch paper, and rushed back to his seat to redo the calculation, not forgetting to shout back, "I'll buy you a drink after practice next time!"

Watching Shibata Kaede's retreating back, Shimiya Kuki's gaze lingered on him for a moment. Friend? That word was still unfamiliar and distant to him. But undeniably, this state of being naturally accepted and able to communicate effectively without too many words was, compared to his previous complete isolation, indeed... saving a lot of trouble. At least, Shibata Kaede could now be considered an "acquaintance" with acceptable communication efficiency.

Outside the window, the sunlight grew more intense. The chapter of June, amid the small commotion after the points were settled and the subtle warmth of easing interpersonal relations, had officially begun. Class B, with 747 points, was steadily sailing toward a higher goal.

PS: The original work only announced the point increases for Class A and Class D; the other classes were not announced. Additionally, I set it so that because no one dropped out, each class received 100 points. Class D's base was zero points. The exams were held at the end of May. After the exam results came out at the end of May, Class D had 100 class points. On June 1st, when the previous month's points were settled at zero, let's say Class D had 13 points deducted! (Sudo slacked off earlier.)