I Didn't Mean to Peek at the Diary

As the final bell rang, the sound of chair legs scraping against the floor echoed throughout the classroom, accompanied by the zipping of school bags and the chatter of students saying their goodbyes, all carrying the relaxed air of the school day ending.

Just then, Hirata stood up abruptly, his voice carrying a deliberate sense of gravity that cut through the noise: "Um, could everyone wait a moment? I have something regarding the class that I'd like to discuss with you all."

Shangguan Che was sitting at his desk, his fingertips just brushing his bag strap, but he froze upon hearing this—Hirata was finally going to make his move.

He scanned the classroom, and seeing a few students already shouldering their bags to leave, he immediately stood up, walked quickly to the back of the room, and pulled out his phone to open the camera, capturing a clear view of Hirata at the front and the restless students.

"Yes, what Hirata has to say is very important," he announced, his volume moderate but clear enough for the entire room to hear. "If you have an urgent matter, you may leave, but I will record what Hirata says and send it to anyone who needs it later."

His words appeared to offer a choice, but they carried a subtle implication—what Hirata had to say was so important that it needed to be recorded for everyone to know, so it was best if no one left.

After all, this concerned the future of the entire class, and everyone had to realize its significance.

If anyone insisted on leaving under such a serious atmosphere, it would likely be a major headache to unify everyone's thinking later on.

Sure enough, once he said this, the students who had already reached the door paused in their tracks.

A chorus of low complaints immediately broke out in the classroom: "What is this? I'm in a rush to get back and play games."

"I have club practice; I'll be late if I'm any later."

"Hirata, hurry up and say it, don't drag it out."

There were also students full of curiosity, whispering to each other: "What are Hirata and Shangguan doing? Is this about a class activity?"

"Alright, everyone, don't be impatient. I'll get right to it."

Hirata pressed his hands down, and once the commotion in the room subsided slightly, he began to explain the class points, the promotion rules, and the competitive relationship with other classes in a steady tone.

At first, the students listened half-heartedly, but as the rules were laid out one by one—especially the parts about "class points directly affecting promotion recommendations" and the "hidden competition between different classes"—the atmosphere in the classroom changed instantly.

Some sat up straight, some subconsciously gasped, and a few hot-headed students even interrupted Hirata: "Are you serious? These rules are too ridiculous!" "If we don't have enough class points, does that mean our future education will be affected?"

The classroom fell into a brief state of panic, but Hirata didn't lose his rhythm. He simply waited for the complaints to die down and continued, using even more critical information to forcefully suppress the unrest.

When he finally finished the core content, he added a final instruction: "Everyone must keep this information confidential. We are in a competitive relationship with other classes; once this leaks, the head start we currently have will be gone."

As his words fell, the classroom instantly plunged into an eerie silence.

The students who had been noisy just moments ago were now all looking down, lost in thought, their very breathing seeming to grow lighter.

Shangguan Che looked at the frozen image on his screen and silently pressed the stop recording button—thankfully, not a single person had left the classroom from start to finish.

As for the recording, it was merely a tool to keep everyone steady; now that the goal was achieved, there was naturally no need to send it out.

He walked back to his seat and exchanged a look with Hirata. The two had long since agreed not to reveal the fact that Class D was the worst class in the school, nor the true rule that only Class A could receive guarantees for promotion and employment.

They had only vaguely stated that "only one class can ultimately receive the highest benefits"—compared to the cruel truth, this phrasing was more likely to ignite everyone's fighting spirit rather than having them crushed by the "worst" label right from the start.

Shangguan Che's gaze swept across the classroom, noticing that Sakura was still looking down, her eyes fixed on her desk, her long bangs covering most of her face, making her emotions unreadable.

He couldn't help but let his mind wander: Hey, if I turned into the desk in front of her, would she keep staring at it? Would she reach out and touch the wood grain?

"What are you thinking about, Shangguan Che?"

He quickly shook his head to cast out these stray thoughts—this was the time to be doing serious work with Hirata, how could he be distracted?

Shangguan Che refocused his attention, carefully observing the reactions of his classmates: the literature-loving girl to his left, who usually held a book and acted cold, now had her brows furrowed, her fingers unconsciously twisting the pages, clearly shaken by the rules and having lost her usual composure.

Meanwhile, sitting diagonally in front, Ayanokoji remained as calm as ever, as if the important rules concerning their future he had just heard were nothing more than an insignificant weather report.

Just then, a boy wearing black-rimmed glasses and a neat uniform stood up; it was Yukimura, who always had a very serious attitude in class.

He pushed up his glasses and looked straight at Hirata: "Hirata, how do you know these rules? This information is far too confidential."

"Shangguan and I saw it in a diary dropped by a senior from the Soccer Club," Hirata answered calmly, without a moment's hesitation. "We've already returned the diary, so we can't show you the physical item."

Yukimura's gaze immediately shifted to Shangguan Che, who had just walked over to Hirata's side, his eyes filled with scrutiny.

Shangguan Che's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly waved his hands to explain: "Don't look at me! When we picked up the diary, how were we supposed to know who lost it without opening it to check the contents? What if the owner was worried? I absolutely do not have a hobby of snooping through other people's diaries."

Hearing this, the corners of Yukimura's mouth twitched imperceptibly; he seemed to want to say something but didn't.

Seeing this, Hirata quickly smoothed things over: "Shangguan, Yukimura isn't doubting your motives; he just wants to confirm if the source of the information is reliable."

"Oh, oh, I see! That makes sense!"

Shangguan Che had a sudden realization and felt secretly annoyed—why had he overthought it just now and assumed Yukimura was suspicious of him? "The facts are exactly as Hirata said. I was just trying to lighten the mood, don't mind me."

"So, does that mean the other classes don't know about these rules yet?"

A crisp voice rang out. Kushida Kikyo raised her hand, a bright smile on her face, though her eyes shone with shrewdness. "If we know now, doesn't that mean we have the advantage? As long as we work hard, maybe our class can get the highest benefits!"

"Yes," Hirata nodded, his tone firm. "As long as we follow the school rules and regulations, actively participate in class activities, and increase our class points, we have a chance to be the winners."

These words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, and the students in the classroom finally reacted completely.

The silence was broken, and everyone began to discuss it all at once: "Does that mean we have to participate in more school activities from now on?"

"What if someone violates the rules and points are deducted?"

"Should we draft a class code of conduct together?"

Watching the classroom become lively again, Shangguan Che quietly took out his phone, opened his chat with Sakura, and sent a message: "Did you hear the rules clearly just now?"

A moment later, his phone vibrated. Sakura replied with a single "Mm," followed by a small nodding emoji.

Another ten minutes passed, and once everyone had finished their discussion and Hirata had emphasized the importance of confidentiality a few more times, the students left in twos and threes with their bags.

Shangguan Che remained until the end. Looking at the empty classroom, he caught Hirata's eye before he left, and both saw a hint of relief in the other's eyes—at the very least, the first step was a success.

As for why Shangguan Che was the last to leave, it was, of course, because he had things to do.