How Can You Manage a Class Well When You're With This Bunch of Insects

After Chabashira Sae left, the classroom of Class D plunged into a chorus of despair, resembling a pot of boiling porridge filled with nothing but "negative emotions."

"It's over... it's all over... how are we supposed to survive school life from here on out!"

"If only... if only we had listened to those people from Class B..."

"Without points, does this mean I won't even be able to afford decent cosmetics later on?"

"Are we really going to be stuck eating that legendary, notoriously awful mountain vegetable set meal from now on? No way!"

"Waaah... the new game I had my eye on..."

Ike Kanji buried his head on his desk, letting out unintelligible whimpers; Yamauchi Haruki sat with a blank expression, as if his soul had been sucked out; some girls had reddened eyes; others remained indifferent; and some whispered curses at those who had broken the rules. A strange atmosphere permeated the entire classroom; at this moment, Class D could truly be described as a gathering of all sorts, from the wise to the foolish, the young to the old.

Natsukawa Sosuke watched all of this with cold eyes, his heart completely unmoved, even finding it slightly amusing. He leaned back in his chair, his gaze sweeping calmly over these faces—some desperate, some furious, some lost.

How can I build up this class when I'm stuck with a bunch of insects like these? he mused silently to himself. Counting on them to help me earn twenty million is less realistic than hoping the system glitches and wipes my debt. Although I expected this, I really can't rely on these people to develop or progress. Individual action and external cooperation are my only viable paths right now.

In truth, Natsukawa had several ways to help the current Class D preserve some points, but he feared that if he didn't shatter their illusions immediately, they would only develop a "good enough" mentality. Natsukawa's thoughts mirrored those of Chabashira; he believed Class D needed to hit rock bottom from the start. Only after tasting the bitterness of being at the bottom would they find the motivation to climb. However, he decided to let things take their natural course; after all, you can't truly expect these insects to break out of their cocoons.

Besides, the "Three Idiots" were truly hopeless cases in the early stages. He didn't want to exhaust himself trying to fix them, only to have Yamauchi and the others boast about how great they were later on. That would surely make his blood pressure skyrocket.

Enough thinking about them; time to consider what to do next.

Just as Natsukawa was contemplating his next plan, Hirata Yosuke, who was sitting at the front of the classroom, stood up. His handsome face was etched with visible anxiety. He clapped his hands, trying to grab everyone's attention. His voice was as gentle as ever, yet carried an urgency as he tried to turn the tide:

"Everyone! Please calm down! Now is not the time for despair! Chabashira-sensei said that as long as we work hard, our class points can increase! The most important thing right now is the upcoming midterm exam!" He looked toward the few students in the class with good grades, including Horikita and Koenji. "I hope those with good grades can foster a spirit of mutual assistance and help those who are struggling. I don't want to see anyone expelled for failing an exam!"

His words were filled with kindness, and his eyes were sincere enough. However, there were few responses. Most people remained immersed in their own sorrow and panic, while a few looked up at him with numb eyes before quickly looking away again. Long-term slackness and this sudden blow had caused the class to lose its centripetal force (if it ever really had any to begin with). Hirata's appeal was like a stone thrown into a quagmire, failing to stir up even a decent ripple.

Ever since Chabashira explained the true nature of this school, Horikita Suzune had seemed to be in her own world, but now she finally emerged from it. She closed the book in her hands with a dull thud. She lifted her head, her long, straight black hair cascading down like a waterfall, and her purplish-red eyes held their usual coldness and arrogance. She first glanced at Hirata and said indifferently, "I must reach Class A." Then, her gaze shifted to Natsukawa and Ayanokoji, her tone carrying an air of natural, directive authority:

"The two of you seem slightly more capable than these idiots. If I want to reach Class A, relying on myself alone is indeed inefficient. From now on, you will act as my 'pawns.' I will formulate the strategy, and you will be responsible for executing it."

Natsukawa almost laughed out loud. He turned his head, looking at Horikita's "it's your honor that I chose you" expression, and spoke slowly, his tone laced with amusement:

"Horikita-san, have you misunderstood something?" He extended a finger and shook it gently. "First, Ayanokoji and I are no one's pawns. Second, the foundation of cooperation is equality and mutual benefit, not one-sided commands. Third..." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the chaos in the classroom, "Do you really think that with your 'holier-than-thou' communication style, you can actually unite these 'sages'? Even a nice guy like Hirata-kun can't do it."

Horikita's expression darkened instantly, her eyes sharp as knives as she stared fixedly at Natsukawa. Natsukawa was certain that if he were Ayanokoji, Horikita would definitely be stabbing him with a ballpoint pen right now. She seemed to want to retort, but Natsukawa's calm gaze, which carried an unquestionable power, left her momentarily speechless. She snorted coldly, said nothing more, and turned around to open her book and continue reading. The air pressure around her dropped even further; clearly, she had treated Natsukawa's words as wind, though whether she was internally affected remained unknown.

Ayanokoji remained his usual poker-faced self, looking at Natsukawa and then at Horikita. Natsukawa was certain that Ayanokoji's internal monologue must be quite extensive right now, though he had no idea what the content was.

The class continued in a strange and oppressive atmosphere. Natsukawa's mind was no longer here. He began to silently tally his gains for the month.

On the surface, there was the 1 million personal points paid by Class B. This undoubtedly solved his immediate crisis and took a solid first step toward his plan to repay his system debt.

But the deeper gains went far beyond that.

First, he had established initial contact and trust with Class B, especially with that archangel, Ichinose Honami. This relationship would not just be a simple "transaction" in the future; it could evolve into information sharing or even serve as the cornerstone for tacit cooperation in future events.

And the more important gain was that he had successfully muddied the waters of the first-year grade!

As the saying goes, "It is easier to catch fish in troubled waters." Through a single piece of information, he had pushed Class B—which might have otherwise stayed safely in second place, living a "you're good, I'm good, everyone's good" life—directly to a position just one step away from Class A. With this, Class B could no longer maintain that harmonious, play-house atmosphere. Huge benefits and a goal within reach would give birth to strong initiative and aggression. They would inevitably find ways to seek opportunities to climb higher.

And what about Class A? Facing Class B as an unprecedented, encroaching challenger, they could never remain indifferent. Katsuragi Kohei's conservative faction and Sakayanagi Arisu's radical faction might temporarily unite against external pressure, but the inherent contradictions and information barriers between the two factions meant they could never operate as efficiently as the solid block of Class B. Internal friction and external defense would simultaneously consume Class A's energy and resources.

Class C? Class C was still being subjected to Ryuen Kakeru's hot-blooded violence. However, even if Class C were integrated by Ryuen Kakeru, his attention would inevitably be partially drawn by the suddenly powerful Class B. He would certainly be more wary of Class B, and in order to test the school's rules, he would inevitably target the soft persimmons of Class D, while also being more guarded against the "nice guys" of Class B. The entire landscape of the first year, due to his behind-the-scenes maneuvering, had shifted from a potential scenario where Class A sat securely on the throne while other classes remained deadlocked, into a dynamic equilibrium full of variables and opportunities.

With this, the water is muddy enough, Natsukawa's lips curled up in an imperceptible smile, and now I can finally catch the big fish I want.