A Brand New June

After the midterm exams, a brand new June arrived.

Early in the morning, before he even stepped into the classroom, Shinjo could hear the chaotic noise coming from inside.

"Who said Class 1-D is bad? This Class 1-D is amazing! In terms of sheer spirit alone, I don't think anyone can compare to Class 1-D."

As for the topic they were discussing, it naturally revolved around private points.

Because of their own self-inflicted troubles in April, the students of Class 1-D had suffered immensely throughout May.

Especially those who were not well-off to begin with and always had a habit of spending money lavishly.

I'm talking about you, Karuizawa Kei!

If it weren't for Shinjo taking the initiative to 'lend' her some living expenses to help her out, coupled with the occasional commission she took on that paid reasonably well, she probably would have resorted to using her status as a gal to bully other students again.

And this June, clearly, everyone had their phones out first thing in the morning, waiting for the points to be deposited.

However, as time ticked by second by second, the points were still nowhere to be seen.

"If we get 0 points again this month, I'm really going to have to eat dirt!"

"Exactly... can't the school see how well-behaved we were last month and how hard we studied, and just give us some class points?!"

Just as everyone was bickering endlessly, Chabashira Sae walked in, her heels clicking with a rhythmic 'tap', 'tap', 'tap'.

It seemed she was in a fairly good mood for the start of a new month; at least she was smiling as she spoke to the students.

"Good morning, everyone."

"Chabashira-sensei! We aren't going to get zero private points again this month, are we?!"

Ike, however, had no intention of exchanging pleasantries with her and threw his question out directly.

"Is this the reason you all are making such a racket so early in the morning?"

"Well, we worked ourselves to the bone this month! We even passed the midterm exams successfully; surely our class points can't still be 0? If that's the case, isn't that going a bit too far?!"

Speaking of which, Chabashira couldn't help but admire these kids; as long as they were willing to do it, they were actually capable of getting things done!

Whether it was being good students or studying hard.

"Don't be so impatient. I acknowledge your hard work and quick-wittedness this month; I have seen it all, and of course, the school has as well, so please calm down."

Hearing Chabashira-sensei say this, everyone quickly shut their mouths and waited quietly for what was to come.

Chabashira unhurriedly pinned the white paper she was holding onto the blackboard. The points for each class were as follows:

Class A: 1004 points.

Class B: 752 points.

Class C: 588 points.

Class D: 87 points.

Clearly, all classes had seen a certain increase in points, and Class A remained as lofty as ever, with their points having broken past the initial 1000 mark.

However, everyone's attention was now drawn to the very bottom line.

"Huh?! 87 points! 87 points! We have points!!!"

"You're all celebrating way too early. Look closely; the other classes also increased by nearly 100 points, so the gap between you remains just as large."

"In other words, just consider your 87 points as a reward from the school for passing the midterm exams. Keep up the good work."

Still, even if she said that, being able to receive points was considered good news!

87 class points translated to 8700 private points.

"Wait! If we already have class points, then why haven't the private points been deposited yet?!"

"There was a slight issue this time, so the points for the first-year students will be distributed a bit later. You'll just have to wait a little longer."

"Huh?! What kind of excuse is that?! If that's the case, then you have to compensate us with some points!"

Upon learning that it was due to the school's fault, the students of Class 1-D immediately formed a united front to demand compensation from the school.

But how could that be possible?

What is the school? A stingy miser!

It would be a miracle if they weren't thinking of ways to deduct points from the students, let alone expecting them to provide any compensation.

Time thus arrived at the afternoon club activity period, and everyone's points had still not been distributed.

"Hey, Katsuya..."

A cloying voice rang out from beside Shinjo. Intending to tease her, Shinjo responded in a daze:

"What is it, my dear Kei?"

!!!!!

Seemingly not expecting Shinjo to call her that in front of everyone, Karuizawa's face flushed bright red in an instant. She quickly stepped forward and covered his mouth, terrified that he might say something else that would make her feel ashamed, not realizing that such an action only made them look even more intimate.

"You, you, you, you! You!"

"Fine, fine, fine! I surrender!"

Having spent so much time together, Shinjo had gained a deep understanding of this girl's personality.

Sometimes she would be inexplicably brave, but as long as a third person was present, she would unexpectedly turn cowardly.

Verdict: a pure-hearted virgin who only knows how to attack but not defend, all bark and no bite!

"What's wrong?"

"Do you have any tasks I can do lately? My points are really not enough... I'm only getting 8,700 points this month, and this little bit of money will be gone in no time."

When it came to spending money, Karuizawa's financial views were surprisingly similar to Shinjo's.

Both of them belonged to the type who knew full well that money was important and that saving personal points might yield greater value, but in reality, as long as they encountered something they liked, they would absolutely pull the trigger and buy it.

In Shinjo's words: let the future me suffer, at least the current me and the me of a moment from now will be happy!

"This... I don't know what kind of tasks I'll receive yet. If there's any paperwork to process or stamping to be done, I'll take the initiative to share them with you."

"By the way, are your points enough for now?"

"Enough, after all, what I eat and drink now is all from the club."

Speaking of this, Karuizawa admired Shinjo even more. Aside from the Cooking Club, there was probably no other club that could manage to provide free food and drinks every single day, right?

(Cooking Club: We can't just eat for free every day either!)

"Speaking of which, actually I..."

Ring-ring~

Before Shinjo could finish his sentence, the phone in his pocket rang.

He answered the call.

"Hello, this is Shinjo."

"Shinjo! Uh, do you have any time right now?"

The person speaking was Sudō, and his voice sounded very flustered.

"I'm just about to head to club activities, you..."

"Forget about club activities for now! Shinjo! Uh... could you come to our secret base first?"

Sudō's tone seemed very grave; something major must have happened. And it was highly likely something bad for this guy, otherwise he wouldn't be acting so timid.

"Uh, alright."