The Class Points War Officially Begins

"Ring, ring--"

The morning bell, signaling the arrival of the first day of May, rang right on time, striking the hearts of every student like a small hammer.

Shangguan Che had just shoved his school bag into his desk compartment when his gaze involuntarily drifted toward Sakura Airi on his left.

Dark, heavy circles hung beneath her eyes, as if she had been punched twice; her complexion was deathly pale, and even her usually sparkling eyes had lost their luster.

She definitely didn't sleep well last night, Shangguan Che muttered to himself, his fingers tracing patterns on his textbook unconsciously while a war raged in his mind: Should I ask her what's wrong? But would asking directly be too deliberate? What if I stumble upon her secret and scare her off? But if I don't ask, seeing her like this makes me a bit worried...

After agonizing back and forth, by the time the final chime of the bell faded, he could only manage to blurt out: "Sakura, did you not sleep well last night?"

The moment the words left his mouth, he wanted to slap himself. Isn't that a stupid question? Her dark circles were practically hanging down to her chin; it would be a miracle if she had slept well!

Sakura looked up, her gaze drifting, and whispered: "Um... I had a bit of insomnia."

After saying that, she lowered her head again, burying her face in her arms, looking completely listless.

Watching her wilted state, Shangguan Che became even more certain that the pink envelope was the "culprit."

However, he couldn't point it out directly, so he could only sigh internally: Forget it, let's just get through class. I'll find a chance to ask after school. The most important thing right now is to keep an eye on that "box-opener" and make sure Sakura doesn't get bullied again.

Just then, the classroom door was pushed open, and Chabashira Sae walked in carrying a long poster tube. She was wearing a dark suit today, her face devoid of expression, looking several degrees more severe than usual; even the sound of her footsteps carried a sense of oppression.

Shangguan Che glanced at the poster tube, understanding dawning on him: Looks like the main event is coming. Although he had long guessed the reason for Chabashira's seriousness, he couldn't help but complain in his heart: Can you not be so serious? I was already sleepy this morning, and with you being this stern, I'm even less energetic.

Just as he was thinking this, Ike's boisterous voice suddenly came from nearby: "Teacher, don't tell me it's that time of the month--?"

As soon as those words were out, the entire classroom went silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Shangguan Che nearly choked on his own saliva, thinking to himself: Ike, you really have guts! If this were a teacher with a shorter temper, you would have been dragged out to stand in the hallway by now!

He recalled Ike's previous proclamations about "wanting to get a girlfriend in high school" and couldn't help but cover his forehead: You call that wanting a girlfriend? You're just "courting death"! With a comment like that, Class D's performance this month is probably in jeopardy again. Forget about a girlfriend, start thinking about how not to get expelled.

To everyone's surprise, Chabashira acted as if she hadn't heard a thing. She walked straight to the podium, set down the poster tube, and said calmly: "We will now begin the morning assembly. But before we start, are there any questions you want to ask? If there is anything you are concerned about, it is best to ask now."

Her tone was as calm as a pool of water, yet it carried a certainty that suggested, I already knew what you wanted to ask.

Shangguan Che looked at her, suddenly struck by an illusion: It's as if the mysterious veil of Advanced Nurturing High School is about to be lifted by her own hands. Even though I've been in this classroom for a while, this feeling is quite surreal.

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than Hirata and Yukimura raised their hands, their movements as fast as if they had been triggered by a switch.

I bet fifty cents that Chabashira will call on Hirata first, Shangguan Che wagered silently. After all, Hirata is the "social ceiling" of the class; the questions he asks are bound to be critical.

Sure enough, Chabashira's gaze swept over the two of them and she said: "Hirata, you go first."

Yes, nailed it! Shangguan Che cheered internally, though his ears were pricked up, listening intently to Hirata's question.

"Teacher, has the special exam for April concluded?" Hirata stood up and asked in a respectful tone.

Shangguan Che felt a stir: Not bad, Hirata's brain works fast. The behavioral conduct exam that started in April might not necessarily end in April. He actually thought of that; he's more observant than I am.

Chabashira nodded, her tone noticeably softening: "It has concluded, Hirata."

As her words fell, the tense atmosphere in the classroom instantly dissipated. Many students quietly let out a sigh of relief, and even their breathing seemed to lighten.

Shangguan Che took the opportunity to observe the class's reaction: Sudo yawned, seemingly relieved that he no longer had to be bound by behavioral conduct; Ike and Yamauchi were huddled together whispering, though he didn't know what they were talking about; Sakura was still the same, slumped over her desk, and Shangguan Che worried she might be secretly sleeping. After all, with dark circles that heavy, no one could hold up.

Just then, Yukimura pushed up his glasses and stood up: "Chabashira-sensei, may I ask what our class points are? Can we also know the points of the other classes?"

Right, my glasses are probably gathering dust in my desk compartment, Shangguan Che's thoughts suddenly drifted. I brought a pair at the start of the term, but I've barely worn them. I should find them and wipe them off later, or they'll rust.

"Certainly, I will show you now." Chabashira's voice pulled his thoughts back. He saw her take a thick stack of white paper from the poster tube, unfold it, and fix it to the blackboard with magnets.

Several large numbers appeared before everyone's eyes:

Class A: 940

Class B: 650

Class C: 490

Class D: 490

"Holy crap, the gap is way too big!" Ike couldn't help but shout. "Why are we and Class C both at the bottom?"

Shangguan Che looked at the numbers on the board, feeling no ripples in his heart, even wanting to laugh: Isn't this normal? Look at the state of this class: Kōenji Rokusuke has his legs propped up on the desk all day, acting like he doesn't respect anyone; Sudo is either sleeping or spacing out in class; and there are others passing notes or playing on their phones... With performance like this, I think getting 490 points is a stroke of luck.

Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly heard Horikita whisper to Ayanokoji beside her: "Hey, don't you think it's strange?"

Shangguan Che felt a chill: Did Horikita notice something? Could she have discovered that Hirata and I hid the details of the behavioral conduct exam? But it's no big deal; I'll just say the diary didn't record that information, and she can't do anything to me.

Although he couldn't hear Ayanokoji's reply, Shangguan Che guessed, based on his understanding of him, that he must have sensed the trickery too: After all, he is the protagonist; he has at least that much insight.

"These numbers represent class points. Multiply them by 100, and that is the amount of private points you receive each month," Chabashira's voice sounded again.

"Huh? That means we only get 49,000 private points a month?" Yamauchi looked shocked. "That's way too little! Doesn't that mean Class A students get 94,000 a month?"

Chabashira ignored his complaint and continued: "This school assigns classes based on the excellence of the students. The most excellent students go to Class A, while the useless ones go to Class D. This system is also very common in large corporate cram schools.

Simply put, Class D is the final fortress where the underachievers are gathered. In short, you are all the worst kind of defective goods. Work hard; perhaps you might succeed."

Her words were like a basin of cold water poured over everyone's heads.

The classroom went silent instantly. Many students wore expressions of shock and indignation, and some turned their gazes toward Hirata and Shangguan Che.

After all, the two of them usually appeared more reliable, and everyone subconsciously wanted to find an answer from them.

Shangguan Che looked at the gazes directed at him and thought to himself: This is trouble. If they keep pressing, I really don't know how to explain it.

Just then, Hirata stood up and bowed to the whole class: "Um, Shangguan and I actually didn't know this information either. Sorry, everyone."

As his words fell, the number of gazes on Shangguan Che instantly dropped by more than half. He secretly gave Hirata a thumbs-up in his heart: Good man, when it counts, I have to rely on you!

"It's okay, Hirata-kun, this isn't your or Shangguan-kun's fault." Kushida Kikyo's voice rang out at the right moment, a gentle smile on her face that instantly soothed the class's emotions. "Now that we know the situation of the class, we can just work hard together from now on."

Shangguan Che looked at Kushida, feeling a sense of awe: As expected of the second most popular person in the grade, her charisma is just different. But the most popular is Ichinose. Thinking of that, I suddenly feel a lot of pressure. Ichinose's Class B has so many more points than us; how am I supposed to help her?