June sunshine, bright and full of the energy unique to early summer, generously bathed the campus of Advanced Nurturing High School. The cicadas hadn't yet reached their deafening crescendo, but the air already carried the dry heat of approaching summer and the fresh scent of plants growing in abundance. A new month had begun, bringing with it the exciting Class Points settlement.
That morning, Hoshinomiya-sensei appeared at the classroom door earlier than usual. Her face beamed as brightly as the sunshine outside, and she waved a freshly printed notice, still fragrant with ink.
"Good morning, everyone! June's gift package is here!" Like a cheerful butterfly, she "flew" up to the podium. Her clear, pleasant voice instantly dispelled the last traces of morning drowsiness. "Guess what the good news is?"
"Good morning, Hoshinomiya-sensei!" The students perked up and replied in unison, their eyes fixed on the paper in her hand.
"Ta-da!" Hoshinomiya-sensei projected the notice onto the screen. It clearly listed each class's Points for the month. "The June Class Points Settlement Results are out! First, I have some good news for the whole school!" She raised her voice and announced joyfully:
"Since every student in every class passed the Midterm Exams, and nobody dropped out, the School Administration has decided to reward every class with an additional 100 Class Points! This is recognition of every class's hard work!"
"Wow! That's great!" Cheers rang out across the classroom. A 100-point Base Reward was certainly an encouraging start to the month.
"So," Hoshinomiya continued with a beaming smile, "on top of that, after taking each class's Overall Performance last month into account, here are the final Class Points adjustments!" She pointed to the top of the screen.
"Class A: 1,004 Points! That's an increase of 64 Points from last month! Looks like Class A's Top Students are careful in other areas, too, not just their studies."
Then, with an air of pride, she pointed to Class B's figures. "And now for our Class B! 747 Points!" She drew a sparkling star around the number, her voice filled with pride. "That's an increase of 97 Points from last month!"
She paused and looked around the class, her expression appreciative and a little wistful. "Have you noticed? We received a 100-point Base Reward, but our actual increase was 97 Points. What does that mean?" She looked at the students.
Kanzaki Ryuji understood immediately and answered in his usual measured tone. "It means that, despite receiving the 100-point Base Reward, our class lost only 3 Class Points due to our Overall Performance last month."
"Bingo! Exactly right, Kanzaki-kun!" Hoshinomiya nodded emphatically, satisfaction and pride plain on her face. "Only 3 Points deducted! That's practically a perfect performance! It's all thanks to every student in Class B following the rules of their own accord, participating actively in class activities, and working together to uphold our class's honor! I'm truly proud of your Self-Discipline and sense of community! You've earned every one of these 97 Points!" The moment she finished, the classroom erupted in applause, louder and prouder than before. The students' faces shone with the joy of being recognized and a Sense of Belonging to their class. Losing only 3 Points was almost miraculous at Advanced Nurturing High School, with its fierce Competition and strict rules. It showed just how capable and united Class B was.
Hoshinomiya's gaze moved down to Class C's figures. "Class C: 543 Points. That's an increase of 53 Points from last month." Her tone returned to a calm, analytical register. "This means that, despite receiving the 100-point Base Reward, they lost 47 Points because of their Overall Performance last month. It seems Class C still has a lot of room to improve when it comes to discipline and following the rules." The deduction was a stark contrast to Class B's mere 3 Points.
Finally, her finger stopped at Class D's score: 87 Points. Hoshinomiya's expression grew serious. "Class D: 87 Points. That's an increase of 87 Points from last month."
The number prompted a few whispers.
"87 Points? What about their 100-point Base Reward?"
"If they gained 87 Points and the base was 100... does that mean they lost 13?"
Hoshinomiya's gaze seemed to pass through the wall toward the Neighboring Classroom. Her tone conveyed the understanding one teacher might feel for another, along with a simple statement of fact. "Class D's balance last month was zero. They also received the Base Reward. Their net increase of 87 Points means that, after receiving the 100-point Base Reward, they lost 13 Class Points due to their Overall Performance last month."
She paused, her voice even. "Chabashira and her class... really have been trying to Escape Difficulties this time. Passing the exams as a class and earning the 100-point Base Reward after falling into the abyss of zero Points, then managing to hold on to 87 of them—that perseverance speaks for itself. Their Points are still low, but at least they've taken the first step. Still, the 13-point deduction also shows that their internal management and discipline have improved considerably. They're still a long way behind us, but we can't afford to overlook the effort they're making."
Hoshinomiya's explanation gave the students in Class B a clearer picture of Class D's situation: they were fighting to survive, but their foundations were unstable and their problems numerous. They were, however, working to improve, and might become an opponent they couldn't afford to underestimate.
"All right!" Hoshinomiya clapped her hands, her trademark brilliant smile returning as she drew everyone's attention back to her. "To sum up: Class B has 747 Points, a net increase of 97 Points—100 base Points minus 3 deducted! Self-Discipline and hard work brought us a near-perfect result! Class A has 1,004 Points, a net increase of 64—100 base Points minus 36 deducted! We're closing the gap! Class C has 543 Points, a net increase of 53—100 base Points minus 47 deducted! They've got some serious problems. Class D has 87 Points, a net increase of 87—100 base Points minus 13 deducted! They've made a difficult start, and their initial lack of management is still a weakness." She clenched a little fist, brimming with enthusiasm. "A new battle is beginning! In June, we'll keep up our excellent Self-Discipline and teamwork. For a place in Class A, and for our promise to go to a sunny island beach, let's give it everything we've got! Charge!"
"Yes!" Class B's response rang out, strong and confident, full of pride in their hard work. Losing only 3 Points was like a medal, and everyone could feel the strength that came from their collective Self-Discipline.
With June officially underway, school life settled into a new rhythm. During the break, Shibata Hayato couldn't help excitedly discussing it with the student beside him. "Ha ha, we only lost 3 Points! I told you our class was the best! It's all thanks to everyone being so conscientious, even rushing to take their turns on cleaning duty!" His voice brimmed with pride at being part of Class B.
With June officially underway, school life settled into a new rhythm. One noticeable change was happening around Shimiya Kuki.
Thanks to the intensive and effective tutoring before the Midterm Exams, the cold barrier around Shimiya Kuki that said "keep your distance" seemed to have quietly melted away. He was still silent and expressionless, but his classmates—especially those he had tutored—now looked at him with more than just their usual awe. Their eyes also held genuine gratitude and a sense of closeness.
The biggest change was the number of students asking him for help. Before, almost nobody dared disturb Shimiya Kuki unless they had to. Now, once the bell rang or lunchtime began, students would occasionally approach his desk with a workbook or exam paper, looking a little nervous but mostly hopeful, and ask:
"Shimiya-kun, did I draw the auxiliary line in the right place for this math problem?"
"Shimiya-kun, I feel like I'm missing a force in my free-body diagram for this physics problem. Could you take a look?"
"Kuki-kun"—more and more people had begun cautiously trying out this form of address—"I keep getting this chemical equation wrong when I try to balance it..."
The most dramatic change, and the most frequent, was Shibata Hayato.
The soccer-loving boy who had once been so nervous around Shimiya that he could barely manage a word had now become a regular at his desk. He no longer watched from a distance or hesitated forever before approaching. Instead, he would casually wander over with an open grin, though he still looked a little sheepish now and then.
"Hey, Shimiya!" Shibata Hayato cheerfully pulled out the chair in front of Shimiya and straddled it, resting his arms on its back. He spread a physics problem set on Shimiya's desk and pointed to one of the questions. "For this one, I set up the equations using conservation of energy and Momentum Conservation. I got as far as the final answer, but it feels wrong. Can you see where I went off track?"
He spoke and acted as casually as if he were asking an old friend. The other students had gone from being surprised by the sight to taking it for granted.
Shimiya Kuki glanced at the problem, then at Shibata's "old pals" posture. His face remained expressionless. He simply picked up a pen, wrote a few key steps on some Scratch Paper, and pointed out an algebra mistake in Shibata's calculations. His explanation was brief. "Your sign's wrong here. Recalculate."
"Ah! That's it! Thanks, Shimiya!" Shibata slapped his forehead, suddenly understanding. He grabbed the Scratch Paper and hurried back to his seat to check his work. Before leaving, he called back, "I'll buy you a drink after our next practice!"
Shimiya Kuki watched Shibata Kaede's retreating figure for a moment. Friend? The word still felt strange and distant to him. But there was no denying that being accepted so naturally, able to communicate effectively without many words, was... certainly less troublesome than being completely isolated. At the very least, Shibata Hayato could now be considered an... acquaintance he could communicate with reasonably well.
The sunlight outside grew more intense. In the warmth of a small stir over the final Points and quietly easing relationships, June's story began in earnest. Class B, with its 747 Points, was steadily sailing toward greater goals.
PS: In the original, only Class A's and Class D's point increases were announced; the other classes weren't. I also set it so that every class received 100 Points because no one dropped out. Class D started at zero Points. The exams took place at the end of May, and after the results came out, Class D had 100 Class Points. When the Points for the previous month were settled on June 1, let's say Class D lost 13 Points! (Sudo had been slacking earlier.)
Before you continue