Points and Hearts

At six in the evening, four buses pulled up one after another at the school gate of Advanced Nurturing High School.

The moment Hanyu Xiuyi stepped off the bus, the familiar campus air hit him—the tidy campus road, the orderly teaching buildings, and... the long-awaited craving for a hot bath. Five days of wilderness survival had left his whole body reeking of dirt and sea salt.

"Finally back!" Sudo Ken stretched his arms wide. "I'm hitting the shower first, then I'm gonna eat like crazy!"

"Me too!" Ike Kanji chimed in. "School cafeteria, I've missed you so much!"

The Class D students chatted and laughed as they headed toward the dormitories. Though exhausted, everyone wore relaxed smiles on their faces.

"Everyone, head back to your rooms to freshen up, and be in the classroom by seven o'clock sharp!" Hirata Yousuke reminded them. "Chabashira-sensei said she'll announce the exam results tonight!"

Hanyu Xiuyi returned to his room, and the first thing he did was rush into the bathroom. The feeling of hot water washing over his body nearly made him groan—five days without a proper bath made this luxury indescribable.

After showering and changing into a clean uniform, He Sat at His Desk and opened his student ID.

The screen lit up, displaying the current number: 4,682,350.

He had spent quite a bit over these five days—Training Guidance Fee, Material Procurement, Reward Distribution—totaling about 320,000 points. But considering the Special Exam rewards he was about to receive, this investment was completely worth it.

He was about to turn off his student ID when he Noticed a small icon next to the balance. Tapping it revealed:

Special Exam Personal Contribution Evaluation (Preliminary)

- Leadership Ability: A

- Decision-Making Ability: A

- Team Collaboration: B+

- Crisis Management: A

- Resource Management: B+

Overall Score: A-

Estimated Personal Reward: 500,000 Points

Five hundred thousand points! Hanyu Xiuyi's eyes lit up. Adding that to the 10 Million Points for Class Victory, Class D's haul this time far exceeded expectations.

But the rewards wouldn't be officially distributed until the evening class meeting. He closed his student ID and began organizing his notes from the past five days.

Seven O'Clock Sharp, Class D classroom.

When Hanyu Xiuyi walked in, he found everyone already there. All forty students sat neatly in their seats, faces brimming with anticipation and nervousness.

Chabashira Sae stood at the podium, holding a file in her hand. Her expression was as cold as ever, but as her gaze swept across the class from behind her glasses, there seemed to be a hint of scrutiny.

"Everyone's here," she said. "Now, I'll announce the results of the Special Exam."

The classroom fell silent instantly, so quiet that even breaths were clearly audible.

"First, the Class Overall Score." Chabashira Sae opened the file. "Class D, Total Score 873 points, ranking among the four classes..."

She deliberately paused.

Everyone held their breath.

"First Place."

The classroom was silent for two seconds, then erupted into deafening cheers.

"We won! We actually won!"

"No way! First place!"

"This is amazing!"

Students hugged each other; some jumped up in excitement. Hirata Yousuke's eyes crinkled into slits from smiling, Kushida Kikyo covered her mouth and wept tears of joy, and even the usually composed Horikita Suzune showed a rare smile.

"Quiet." Chabashira Sae's voice wasn't loud, but the classroom immediately fell silent. She scanned the crowd, and the corner of her mouth seemed to lift slightly.

"Don't get too excited. This is only the first Special Exam. There are many more to come. And your score is only 12 points higher than second-place Class A—a very narrow margin."

Twelve points. That number sobered some people up.

"However," Chabashira Sae continued, "the reward for First Place is 10 Million Class Points. These points will be evenly distributed among all forty students in the class, 250,000 points each. Additionally, Personal Reward for individual contributions will be distributed separately."

250,000 points each! That meant overnight, every Class D student's points had more than doubled. Those who originally had only tens of thousands now had savings of over 200,000.

"Also," Chabashira Sae looked at Hanyu Xiuyi, "Student Hanyu Xiuyi receives a Personal Reward of 500,000 points, along with other Special Rewards. Check your student IDs for the exact amounts."

Hanyu Xiuyi nodded and opened his student ID. Sure enough, the balance had become 5,182,350—an increase of a full 500,000 points.

But that wasn't the most important thing. What mattered most was another number he saw—Class Points.

Class D Class Points: 873 Points

Though different from Personal Points, this number directly determined the class ranking. 873 points still fell short of Class A's 1,000, but it had surpassed Class C's 680 and Class B's 815.

Class D was no longer in last place.

This fact left everyone silent. Then, someone started clapping. The applause grew louder and louder until it filled the entire classroom.

After the applause died down, Chabashira Sae continued, "Finally, one announcement. Starting next week, the school will adjust the monthly Personal Points distribution standard based on this exam's performance. Class D students will receive 80,000 points per month, 30,000 more than before."

Another round of cheers.

"Alright, dismissed." Chabashira Sae gathered her file. "Go back and rest well. Starting next week, regular classes will resume."

She reached the door, then suddenly stopped and looked back.

"Hanyu, come with me."

In the hallway, Chabashira Sae stood with her back to Hanyu Xiuyi. The setting sun's glow spilled through the window, gilding her silhouette in gold.

"Do you know why I called you out?" she asked.

"I don't know," Hanyu answered honestly.

Chabashira Sae turned to face him. "In this Special Exam, your performance exceeded my expectations. No—it exceeded everyone's expectations."

"Thank you, teacher."

"Don't thank me so quickly." She adjusted her glasses. "What I need to warn you about is this—your current position is very dangerous."

"Dangerous?"

"You're too conspicuous." Chabashira Sae said. "Winning five million points in one night, leading Class D to a comeback in the Special Exam. These feats have already spread throughout the entire grade. The other classes will see you as their greatest threat."

Hanyu was silent.

"Katsuragi and Sakayanagi from Class A, Ichinose from Class B, Ryuen from Class C—they're all staring at you." Chabashira Sae continued. "In the days ahead, they'll test you in every way, challenge you, even try to crush you. Can you withstand it?"

Hanyu lifted his head and met her eyes directly. "Teacher, I knew from the start that this path wouldn't be easy. But I won't back down."

Chabashira Sae stared at him for a few seconds, then gave a slight nod. "Good. Remember, in this school, one person's strength is ultimately limited. You need more allies."

With that, she turned and walked away, the sound of her heels echoing down the corridor.

Hanyu Xiuyi stood still, watching the sunset through the window. Chabashira Sae's words echoed in his mind.

More allies...

He already had Horikita, Hirata, Kushida, Sudo, Yukimura, Hasebe, Sotomura... these were all trustworthy partners. But facing the challenges from other classes, this was far from enough.

He needed more people.

He needed deeper bonds.

By the time he returned to the dormitory, it was nearly eight o'clock. As Hanyu Xiuyi approached his door, he spotted a figure crouched there.

It was Sakura Airi.

She was curled up by the door, her brown hair covering half her face, clutching something tightly in her hands. Hearing footsteps, she jerked her head up. Seeing it was Hanyu, her face instantly reddened.

"H-Hanyu-kun..."

"Sakura? What are you doing here?" Hanyu was a little surprised.

Sakura stood up, flustered and fidgeting. "I, I... I came... to thank you..."

"Didn't we already do that on the island..."

"Th-that was the first thank you!" Sakura gathered her courage and thrust the object in her hands toward him. "This is the second! I made it myself... though it might not taste good..."

Hanyu looked down. It was a bag of handmade cookies. The packaging was careful, tied with a pink ribbon into a bow.

"You made these?"

"Mm..." Her voice was as faint as a mosquito. "I, I made them after I got back... to express my gratitude... If Hanyu-kun hadn't come to save me, I don't know what would have happened..."

Hanyu took the cookies and said sincerely, "Thank you, Sakura. I'll enjoy them."

Sakura's face flushed even deeper, but her eyes sparkled with joy. "Th-then I won't bother you anymore! Good night!"

She turned to run, but Hanyu called her back.

"Sakura."

"Y-yes!"

"If you ever have any trouble, you can come to me anytime." Hanyu said gently. "You're not fighting alone."

Sakura was stunned. She looked at Hanyu, her eyes gradually reddening, but this time she held back her tears and nodded firmly.

"Mm! Thank you, Hanyu-kun!"

This time she really ran, disappearing at the end of the hallway.

Hanyu Xiuyi looked at the cookies in his hand, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. He opened the door and stepped inside, when his phone vibrated.

It was a mass email from Horikita Suzune.

"Meeting tomorrow at 9 AM in the library seminar room. Discussing the next class strategy. The following are required to attend on time: Hanyu Xiuyi, Hirata Yousuke, Kushida Kikyo, Yukimura Teruhiko, Sudo Ken, Ayanokoji Kiyonaga, Matsushita Chiaki, Hasebe Haruka, Sotomura Hideo. —Horikita"

Hanyu counted the names. Exactly nine people. Including Horikita herself, that made ten.

This was his initial core team.

After replying "Received," he sat at his desk, opened his notebook, and began organizing his thoughts.

The first Special Exam was over. Class D had won. Everyone received points, and the class ranking jumped from last place to third—no, according to class points, it should be second, right behind Class A.

But this was only the beginning.

In the days to come, even more challenges would await them. The Other Classes wouldn't sit idly by while Class D rose—especially Ryuen of Class C; he would definitely find a way to retaliate.

They needed to be prepared.

They needed to make the class more united.

They needed to let everyone Realize Their Value.

Hanyu Xiuyi closed his notebook and gazed out the window at the night sky. Countless stars twinkled, like hopes waiting to be ignited.

He picked up the cookies Sakura had given him, opened the bag, and took one out, popping it into his mouth. It was unexpectedly crisp, with just the right amount of sweetness.

"Delicious," he murmured to himself.

Outside the window, the moon quietly rose, casting a silver glow.

That night, all the students of Class D slept soundly.

Because they knew that when they woke up tomorrow, everything would be different.

And a better future was still waiting ahead for them.