The dismissal bell had barely rung when the classroom filled with the scrape of chair legs against the floor, the rasp of zippers, and students saying their goodbyes. The room was suffused with the lazy air of the end of the school day.
Just then, Hirata sprang to his feet. His voice carried a deliberate solemnity as it cut through the noise. "Um, could everyone wait a moment? I have something about our class I'd like to tell you."
Shangguan Che was sitting at his desk, his fingers just brushing his bag strap. At those words, he froze. Hirata was finally making his move.
He glanced around the classroom and saw several students already shouldering their bags and getting ready to leave. He stood at once, hurried to the back of the room, raised his phone, and opened the camera app. On the screen, Hirata and the restless students in the front rows came into clear view.
"Yes, what Hirata has to say is important," he called out. His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for the whole class to hear. "If you have somewhere urgent to be, you can leave. I'll record what Hirata has to say and send it to anyone who needs it later."
On the surface, he was giving them a choice. In reality, there was a subtle suggestion in his words: what Hirata had to say was important—important enough to record and share with everyone—so it would be best if they all stayed.
After all, this concerned the future of the entire class. Everyone needed to understand how important it was.
If anyone insisted on leaving amid such a serious atmosphere, it would be a huge headache trying to get everyone on the same page later.
Sure enough, a few students who had already reached the door stopped in their tracks.
A chorus of quiet complaints filled the classroom. "What? I'm in a hurry to get home and play games."
"I have Soccer Club training. I'll be late if I don't hurry."
"Hirata, hurry up and say it already. Stop dragging it out."
Some of the other students were curious, whispering among themselves. "What are Hirata and Shangguan up to? Is it about a class activity or something?"
"Okay, everyone, don't worry. I'll explain now."
Hirata held up a hand and waited for the commotion to die down a little. Then he began speaking evenly about Class Points, the rules for advancing to the next stage of education, and the competition between classes.
At first, the students listened with little interest. But as he laid out the rules one by one—especially that "Class Points directly affect recommendations for further education" and that "there's an unspoken competition between classes"—the mood in the room changed in an instant.
Some sat up straight. Others gaped. A few hotheaded students even interrupted Hirata. "Is that for real? Those rules are ridiculous!" "If our Class Points aren't high enough, will our chances of advancing to the next stage be affected?"
The room descended into a brief panic, but Hirata didn't lose his rhythm. He waited for the complaints to die down, then continued, using one crucial piece of information after another to quell the commotion.
Once he had finished explaining the key points, he added, "You must keep this information confidential. We're competing against the other classes. If it gets out, we'll lose the small head start we have."
As soon as he finished speaking, a strange silence fell over the room.
The students who had been chattering moments ago all lowered their heads, lost in thought. Even their breathing seemed to grow quieter.
Watching the frozen image on his screen, Shangguan Che silently pressed the stop button. At least no one had left the classroom from beginning to end.
As for the recording, it had only been a way to keep everyone there. Now that it had served its purpose, there was no need to send it to anyone.
He returned to his seat and exchanged a glance with Hirata. They had already agreed not to reveal for now that Class D was the worst class in the school. They had also kept quiet about the actual rule: only Class A could receive guarantees for further education and employment.
Instead, they had described it vaguely as "only one class will ultimately receive the best benefits." Compared to the harsh truth, perhaps that phrasing would inspire the class to work hard, rather than crush them right away with the label "worst."
Shangguan Che swept his gaze across the room and noticed that Sakura was still looking down, her eyes fixed on her desk. Her long bangs covered most of her face, making it impossible to read her expression.
He couldn't help drifting off in thought. Hey, if I turned into the desk in front of her right now, would she keep staring at me? Would she reach out and run her fingers over the wood grain?
"What are you thinking about, Shangguan Che?"
He hurriedly shook his head, banishing the ridiculous thought. This is the time to work with Hirata. How can I let myself get distracted?
Shangguan Che focused again and carefully watched his classmates' reactions. The literary girl sitting to his left, who was usually buried in books and had a cool, aloof air about her, now had her brow furrowed. Her fingers absently turned the pages, and she was clearly shaken by the rules, no longer her usual composed self.
Meanwhile, Ayanokoji, seated diagonally ahead, remained as unruffled as ever, as though what he'd just heard wasn't a set of important rules about their future but an inconsequential weather report.
Just then, a boy in a neat school uniform and black-rimmed glasses stood up. It was Yukimura, who always took his lessons seriously.
He pushed up his glasses and looked straight at Hirata. "Hirata, how did you learn about these rules? This information seems far too confidential."
"I found out from a diary a Soccer Club upperclassman had dropped," Hirata replied candidly, without the slightest hesitation. "Shangguan and I found it. We've already returned it, so I can't show you the actual diary."
Yukimura's gaze immediately shifted to Shangguan Che, who had just walked over to Hirata. A hint of scrutiny showed in his eyes.
Shangguan Che's heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly waved his hands. "Don't look at me like that. When we found the diary, how could we tell who it belonged to without opening it and checking what was inside? What if the owner was worried and looking for it? I absolutely don't make a habit of reading other people's diaries."
At that, the corner of Yukimura's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. He looked as though he wanted to say something, but didn't.
Seeing this, Hirata hurried to smooth things over. "Shangguan, Yukimura isn't questioning your motives. He just wants to make sure the information came from a reliable source."
"Oh, oh, I see!"
Shangguan Che suddenly understood, secretly kicking himself. Why did I jump to the wrong conclusion? I thought Yukimura was suspicious of me. "Hirata's right. I was only trying to lighten the mood. Don't worry about it."
"So the other classes don't know about these rules yet?"
A clear voice rang out. Kushida Kikyo raised her hand, wearing a bright smile, though a shrewd glint shone in her eyes. "Now that we know, doesn't that give us a head start? If we work hard, maybe our class can get the best benefits!"
"That's right," Hirata said with a firm nod. "As long as we follow the school rules, take an active part in class activities, and raise our Class Points, we'll have a chance to win."
His words were like a pebble thrown into a still lake. At last, the students in the classroom took it all in.
The silence broke, and everyone started talking at once. "Does that mean we should take part in more school activities from now on?"
"What if someone breaks the school rules and we lose points?"
"Why don't we come up with some class rules together?"
Watching the room grow lively again, Shangguan Che quietly took out his phone, opened his chat with Sakura, and sent her a message. "Did you hear all the rules I just talked about?"
A moment later, his phone vibrated. Sakura replied with an "Mm," followed by a little nodding emoji.
Another ten minutes passed. Once everyone had discussed things to their satisfaction, Hirata stressed the importance of keeping the information confidential a few more times. Then the students shouldered their bags and left in twos and threes.
Shangguan Che stayed until the end. Before Hirata left, he looked at him, and they both saw a trace of relief in each other's eyes. At least the first step had gone well.
As for why Shangguan Che was the last one to leave, it was because he had something to do, of course.
Before you continue