Delayed Points

Sakura Airi took a deep breath, and in those clear blue eyes, a flicker of unprecedented, resolute light shone through—a mix of reliance, gratitude, and shyness.

"Um... Natsukawa-kun..." She summoned all the courage she possessed; her voice was still soft, but every word was incredibly clear. "I... I... in the future... may I... may I call you by your first name?"

She paused, as if afraid he would refuse, and hurriedly added, "Calling you... Sosuke-kun... would that be okay?"

"In exchange," her small face flushed bright red, yet she stubbornly refused to look away, "please... call me by my first name as well."

Calling him Natsukawa-kun could no longer contain the emotions currently swelling in her heart. She wanted to be closer to him, even if just by a little.

Natsukawa Sosuke looked at her eyes, which were filled with nervousness and anticipation, and a faint, almost imperceptible softness stirred in his calm gaze. He nodded.

"Alright, Sakura-san."

"...!"

The gentle response she had anticipated did not come, and Sakura Airi froze instantly. Then, a wave of shame and indignation welled up in her heart. The courage she had just mustered felt as if it had been doused by a bucket of cold water.

She glared at him indignantly, her cheeks flushed like ripe apples from embarrassment and frustration, and a hint of moisture even gathered in her blue eyes, as if accusing him of breaking his word.

Watching this vivid, lively expression that she had never shown to anyone else before, the corner of Natsukawa Sosuke's mouth finally curled into a faint smile.

He corrected himself: "Alright, Airi."

These two words were like the gentlest breeze of spring, instantly blowing away all the gloom in Sakura... no, in Airi's heart.

Her face turned even redder in a flash, and the previous frustration vanished, replaced by overflowing joy. She no longer hesitated; with a small skip in her step, she took the initiative to reach out and wrap her arms tightly around Natsukawa's arm, leaning her entire body against him as if declaring her ownership to the whole world.

"Mm!"

Standing to the side and witnessing the entire scene, Ichinose Honami finally couldn't watch anymore.

She was certainly happy for Airi; seeing her open up like this, and even take the initiative, was a miraculous growth. But... what was with this cloyingly sweet atmosphere the two of them were radiating without a care for their surroundings? (I was the one who came first, though.jpg)

"Ahem!" Ichinose cleared her throat intentionally, a vibrant yet slightly helpless smile on her face, forcibly interrupting them. "Um—I don't mean to disturb you two! But if we don't head to the cafeteria now, the limited-edition dessert for today might really be gone!"

Her tone was as cheerful as ever, but for some reason, it felt just a little bit sour.

Reminded by her, Airi woke from her trance and pulled her hands away as if electrocuted, though her face remained flushed.

Natsukawa Sosuke naturally withdrew his arm and looked at Ichinose: "Let's go. I'll treat you to the meal today."

"Eh? Really? That's awesome!"

The sun was just right, and the breeze was gentle. The three of them walked side by side toward the cafeteria. This time, Airi did not lag half a step behind; instead, she walked right by Sosuke's side, tightly and with a hint of shyness.

July 1st.

As the new month arrived along with the morning sun, an irrepressible excitement and anticipation, like thawing spring water, quietly spread through the classroom of Class D.

Having survived the hellish months of May and June, the students of Class D were, for the first time, feeling such a genuine and fervent expectation for the concept of "Point Distribution Day." The reversal in the midterm exams, combined with the relatively restrained behavior of the entire class over the past month, made everyone believe that this time, the points arriving on their personal terminals would no longer be that humiliating zero.

"Hey, have they arrived yet?"

"Should be soon, right? Didn't they say 8:00 AM on the first of every month?"

"God, I've been living frugally all last month, only daring to eat the cheapest bread for lunch, just waiting for today!"

A group of boys led by Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki had been restless since they entered the classroom in the morning. They unlocked their personal terminals almost every thirty seconds, hopefully refreshing the point balance interface that represented their lifeline, as if their willpower could urge the cold numbers to jump a second earlier.

Even the students who usually didn't care about their surroundings couldn't help but focus their attention on their phones. After all, in this school, points were equivalent to everything. They were not only a guarantee of survival but also the only affirmation of their hard work over the past month.

However, time ticked away second by second.

The bell for eight o'clock sharp rang through the school's broadcast system, crisp and punctual.

The air in the classroom seemed to solidify at this moment. Everyone held their breath and pressed the refresh button one last time with trembling fingers.

The numbers on the screen remained unchanged.

"...What's going on?"

"Is the system lagging?"

The initial anticipation, after a brief silence, quickly fermented into confusion and anxiety. The once-bubbly atmosphere felt as if it had been doused with cold water, instantly cooling down, leaving only whispers and uneasy agitation.

"Creeeak—"

The classroom door was pulled open, and Chabashira Sae walked in, her heels clicking, wearing her unchanging, icy expression. Her gaze swept over the pairs of eyes filled with agitation and questions below like a scanner.

"Stand up. Bow."

Under the command of Hirata Yosuke, the etiquette before the homeroom meeting proceeded in an orderly fashion. But it was clear that everyone's mind was no longer here.

Just as Chabashira Sae was about to announce the end of the homeroom meeting, someone finally couldn't hold back.

"Um... Chabashira-sensei!"

Ike Kanji stood up abruptly from his seat, his voice carrying obvious impatience. "Isn't today the first? Why... why haven't our points arrived yet?!"

This question, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirred a resonance throughout the class. Everyone's eyes were focused squarely on Chabashira Sae at the podium.

Chabashira Sae glanced at him, her eyes devoid of any ripples, as if she had long anticipated this question.

"Regarding that, the school has just issued a notice."

She paused, seemingly enjoying the sight of the students waiting anxiously below.

"Due to a minor incident that occurred during this month's settlement process, the distribution of points for all first-year students will be delayed. Barring any further issues, they will be deposited into your accounts no later than two days from now."

A dispute?

This vague term caused the students of Class D to erupt in an instant.

"Are you kidding me! Two days? I don't even have enough points for dinner tonight!"

"Exactly! Why would there be a dispute? Did the school system glitch?"

"Will the school compensate us for this?"

However, no matter how noisy the room became, the expression on the face of Chabashira Sae remained unchanged.

"This is the school's decision. Once the matter is resolved, the points will be distributed as usual... if there are any points left by then."

After saying this, Chabashira Sae turned and walked away.

The bell rang for the end of the school day, and the students, as if drained of all their strength, sluggishly packed their bags.

Just then, the cold, hard voice of Chabashira Sae rang out once more in the noisy classroom.

"Sudo, come to my office."

Sudo Ken, who had been preparing to rush to the gymnasium at the first possible moment, stiffened.

"Huh? Why me? I have basketball practice to get to!"

To him, basketball was far more important than dealing with this gloomy homeroom teacher.

Chabashira Sae stood at the doorway without even turning her head, merely glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

"I have already spoken to the basketball club advisor regarding this matter."

"Whether you come to the office or not is up to you."

With that, she turned and walked away, the "clack-clack" of her high heels against the floor fading into the end of the hallway.

Although Sudo Ken looked displeased, he eventually walked out of the classroom, grumbling and following her with a look of extreme reluctance.

Inside the classroom, most students merely cast a curious glance before returning to their own business, with some even beginning to whisper bad things about Sudo.

Only a few individuals caught a whiff of something unusual in this seemingly ordinary scene.