Classroom of the Elite, I Can Add Points Infinitely Chapter 24

During her middle school years, Ichinose Honami had once dropped out and shut herself away at home due to a certain incident, only deciding to start a new life upon enrolling at Kodo Ikusei Senior High School.

Yet, even after neglecting her studies to such an extent, the young girl easily achieved the second-highest score in the entire grade on the entrance exam, trailing only the transmigrator and cheater, Aragaki Shun.

From this alone, one can see just how high the girl's academic talent is; it is far superior to those who spend over a dozen hours a day studying, yet still barely manage to rank in the top tier without ever breaking into the top three.

Talent is just such an unreasonable thing.

Given Ichinose Honami's natural charisma, Aragaki Shun also believed that those she tutored would surely respond earnestly to her efforts, so simply getting the whole class to pass would be quite easy.

After all, the passing grade at Kodo Ikusei Senior High School is actually only half of the class average.

In other words, even if the entirety of Class B were geniuses nearing perfect scores, those students at the bottom of the rankings would only need to score above 50 to guarantee a pass.

This is the maximum passing threshold, yet it is still far lower than the 60-point passing mark that Aragaki Shun considers normal.

In reality, even if Class B weren't entirely composed of geniuses, the internal passing line would only be around 35 to 40 points.

If someone still failed under those conditions, Aragaki Shun felt that either their attitude was the problem, or they simply weren't cut out for this.

Regardless of the reason, he would have to consider whether to just let them drop out.

This level of incompetence could not possibly belong to a Class B student; he deeply suspected they were people the school intentionally threw in to drag the class down.

Otherwise, if he had to fish people out of trouble every midterm and final exam, even a wealthy Class B couldn't afford the burden!

50. Pressuring Ichinose again

All in all, Aragaki Shun acknowledged that Ichinose Honami could help everyone in Class B pass their midterms and finals through study sessions.

But regarding this suggestion of hers, the young man still unceremoniously chose to refuse.

"This suggestion is rejected!"

The class deputy's lips parted slightly, her eyes widening a fraction.

It wasn't because of Aragaki Shun's refusal, but because when she had wanted to give Class C and Class D some reminders back then, the young man had been just as decisive, using the exact same phrasing both times.

Had she done something wrong again?

"I know you're kind-hearted, Ichinose, and don't want anyone in the class to fall behind, which is why you thought of organizing a study session yourself to save on tutoring costs."

"But are you planning to tutor every student in the class who lacks academic ability all by yourself? Or do you intend to have the top-performing students join you in organizing these sessions?"

Ichinose Honami's eyes were filled with confusion; she didn't understand why Aragaki Shun was asking this.

Everyone in the class is very enthusiastic, so isn't doing this perfectly fine?

Besides, even if others were busy, as long as she used her afternoons and evenings to split into groups, tutoring three or four people at a time, she should be able to handle it alone.

"Sigh~ you really only have others on your mind, don't you? Can't you think a bit more about yourself?"

Aragaki Shun sighed helplessly.

Since Ichinose herself didn't take this sacrifice seriously and naturally assumed that spending a massive amount of time and energy tutoring other students for free every day was normal, what could he, an outsider, possibly say?

Yet her infectious nature was terrifyingly strong, and she always unconsciously influenced everyone else in the class.

If Ichinose really were to organize a study session, he absolutely believed that a bunch of top-performing students in the class would be willing to join her in tutoring those at risk of failing.

"Then I'll be blunt!"

Aragaki Shun stared sharply at the pink-haired girl, whose cheeks had turned noticeably rosy at some point.

"Organizing a study session where top students tutor those at risk isn't impossible, but why should the high achievers have to sacrifice their own time and energy to do this? Don't they have their own things to do?"

"I..."

Ichinose Honami's slightly flushed face shifted.

She only felt that helping one another among classmates was normal, and she had never thought about having one part of the class make sacrifices to help another.

She was willing to use her own free time because she didn't want her classmates to drop out; if other students had their own things to do, she certainly wouldn't intentionally disturb them.

"Please face up to the influence you have in this class, Ichinose!"

Aragaki Shun said bluntly: "Given your status in everyone's hearts, as long as you speak up, most people will eventually agree with your opinion regardless of what they think inside, even if it makes them feel troubled!"

"This, how could that be?"

Ichinose Honami widened her eyes in disbelief, but Aragaki Shun, who was meeting her gaze, did not back down, proving he wasn't joking at all.

The girl stiffened and looked around, trying to gauge the thoughts of her friends nearby, but those classmates who were so enthusiastic, upright, and kind in her eyes were now turning their heads away one by one.

Me? That's impossible! Someone like me! How could someone like me, a sinner...

"Have I, have I really caused a lot of trouble for everyone in the class?"

Just as Ichinose muttered to herself, a sharp voice from the side directly interrupted the girl's self-pity.

"That's not true at all! Everyone acts alongside Honami-chan because they trust her. Isn't that what friends are for?"

It was Shiranami Chihiro, who rushed over in a flurry to comfort Ichinose.

"That's right, we all know Honami-chan is kind and gentle to everyone, so how could we possibly feel troubled?"

The girl who walked over and gently hugged Ichinose was Amikura Mako; she had a high ponytail and was overflowing with youthful vitality, and was also one of the top beauties in the class.

"Uh, I do think Ichinose spends a bit too much time on socializing; there's really no need to organize a gathering every two days."

Seeing everyone in the class rushing to comfort Ichinose, Himeno Yuki thought for a moment, then looked up at Aragaki Shun and decisively seized the opportunity to voice the thoughts she had been hesitating over for a long time.

As expected, the girl with twin tails instantly drew the attention of most of the class, but she remained composed and stated bluntly, "It's not that I dislike this about Ichinose, but if possible, I would like a bit more private time and space to myself."

"Alright, everyone, quiet down!"

Aragaki Shun signaled for everyone to return to their seats. Sensing the somewhat heavy atmosphere in the room, he spoke again, his tone having softened significantly.

"What I said just now was not out of dislike for you, Ichinose. On the contrary, like everyone else in this class, I truly appreciate everything you have done for us."

"But business is business, and personal matters are personal."

"You are, of course, free to organize study sessions after class; that is your liberty. Others volunteering to help you is a testament to your charisma, and I have absolutely no objection to that."

Aragaki Shun's words left everyone confused; it felt as though his statements were contradictory.

Only Kanzaki Ryuji, upon hearing the phrase "business is business, and personal matters are personal," had a flash of contemplation in his eyes.

"However, those must remain your personal actions. I am the leader of Class B, and I cannot make a policy that forces high-achieving students to tutor struggling students without compensation."

"No one should be sacrificed. According to the fine print of our class rules, if we encounter an exam where a portion of students must make sacrifices for the entire Class B to reap the greatest victory, we should use funds from our class treasury to compensate those who were sacrificed for all their losses."

"Therefore, if I am to officially authorize study sessions, I will require the students receiving tutoring to contribute a portion of funds into the class treasury, which the class treasurer will then use to compensate the high-achievers who sacrificed their free time."

Aragaki Shun presented this somewhat convoluted plan.

The students thought it over; although it sounded a bit cold-hearted, their reason told them that this was the proper way to handle things.

Just as the boy had said earlier, those high-achieving students were under no obligation to tutor the struggling students in the class for free.

Likewise, if one simply wanted to improve their academic performance, taking their questions to the teachers was always an option.

Doing that once or twice was certainly fine, but if one were to rely on teachers for after-school tutoring every time without offering compensation, it would be quite inconsiderate.

51. Three Tiers of Growth Goals

Watching the class fall into deep thought, Aragaki Shun displayed the three tiers of goals he had planned on the blackboard.

"You can hold your private study sessions if you want, but I am definitely going to establish a tutoring program. This isn't just to ensure that students at risk of failing can safely pass the midterms and finals; it is for the growth of every student in Class B."

"I hope that in three years, when all of Class B graduates from Kodo Ikusei Senior High School, each of you will have reached the first tier of the standards listed above."

Aragaki Shun pointed to the first tier of goals on the blackboard, and with the exception of a few, the rest of the class was nearly scared to death.

What did he mean by not needing a school recommendation and relying entirely on oneself to get into the desired school or land a job at a dream company? Was this not just wishful thinking?

"If you can achieve this goal, then the school's promise becomes irrelevant. In the future, you will only need to use your Kodo Ikusei graduation as a calling card, leveraging the connections it provides to assist your own future."

The students below were speechless; the goal was great, but it was a bit too idealistic.

So, they turned their attention to the next two tiers.

Then, they saw the explanation for the second tier on the blackboard—relying on raw strength to achieve one's dreams is a bit risky, so a school recommendation is needed, but one's ability is fully capable of handling the ideal university or career.

"This second tier refers to students who have the ability but aren't quite at the top. If they are in normal condition, they can get into the prestigious schools they want, but if they have a bit of bad luck on exam day, they might get squeezed out."

"Reaching this level means the benefits after graduating from Class A essentially eliminate unexpected circumstances for them, yet their abilities are qualified in every aspect, and they have considerable confidence in facing new environments."

According to Aragaki Shun's guess, the school's expectations for past Class A graduates likely peaked at this second tier.

Graduates at this level recommended to top universities and companies would be accepted 99 percent of the time without receiving a negative review.

After all, even if students at this level were to compete with others in the outside world, they would still have a 60 to 70 percent chance of getting into top schools or companies on their own.

It's just that their level isn't considered top-tier, requiring them to compete with too many people, and if luck isn't on their side, they could be squeezed out.

Hearing Aragaki Shun's explanation, the students of Class B felt that the difficulty of reaching this goal was still quite high, but it seemed they really did need to strive toward it.

Otherwise, suppose someone in the class wanted the school to recommend them for the University of Tokyo Faculty of Medicine, and they actually got in, only to have their spirit broken by the classmates and the curriculum after a while?

Just thinking about it was terrifying!

However, if the second tier was this, what was the situation with the third tier?

The students of Class B shifted their gaze downward to the explanation for the third tier—insufficient strength, but a good attitude, being diligent and responsible, and possessing self-awareness, so one can choose prestigious schools or companies that have fewer initial requirements and allow more time for growth.

"Although I don't want to say it, I have to admit that there are indeed many people in this world with insufficient ability who hold high positions through special connections; viewing the promise of Kodo Ikusei Senior High School as one of those connections is naturally feasible."

Aragaki Shun pondered for a moment, then his voice suddenly turned as sharp as a blade:

"But if your goal is only this, then I hope you can recognize your own limitations and try to find those easy, high-paying, low-stress positions. Do not take on jobs that require high ability and carry heavy responsibilities, otherwise, you will harm others and yourself. When that time comes, don't you dare say you came from my class!"

A cold, stinging sensation surged into their hearts. The students of Class B felt as if they were being buffeted by a cold wind, and they subconsciously avoided Aragaki Shun's gaze.

It really feels like Aragaki-kun's authority is growing heavier and heavier.

However, although this third tier lowered the ability requirements, it added restrictions regarding moral character, so it was hard to say which was more difficult between it and the second tier.

After all, for hot-blooded high school seniors, if they could obtain the school's promise to choose any prestigious school or company, they would inevitably want to find a way to make a big splash. How could they be willing to experience a semi-retired life in a low-stress position at this age?

"As for those who can't even reach the third tier, I don't think I need to say much, right?"

Aragaki Shun's voice was very calm, yet completely merciless. "For those who have neither ability nor attitude, the school must have been blind to assign them to Class B."

"However, after spending this week together, I approve of everyone's character in Class B. At least for now, I haven't found any such black sheep, and I hope there won't be any surprises in the future."

The students below responded enthusiastically—

"That goes without saying! We in Class B are a whole; no one can be left behind!"

"Rest assured, Aragaki-kun. It's impossible for our class to have weirdos like those in Class C or Class D."

"Everyone here is such a wonderful person. At the very least, we will definitely be able to achieve our goal for the third tier."

"..."

After everyone in the class had finished expressing their stance, Aragaki Shun nodded.

"It seems everyone is quite confident! But talk is cheap; show me whether your strength can live up to this resolve!"

"As for your concern, Ichinose, regarding the risk of expulsion in special exams and the hope of saving up twenty million private points early..."

Aragaki Shun looked at the pink-haired girl, who appeared no different than usual. "I stand by my previous statement. I will shoulder the trust of everyone in Class B. If someone truly ends up in danger of expulsion while following my orders, then that is my responsibility!"

"I will never let anyone from Class B fall behind. If someone were to be expelled due to a mistake in my decision-making, then I will take their place and help them realize their dreams!"

This was the second time Aragaki Shun had emphasized his authority and responsibility toward Class B.

Yet, even though they had heard these words a week ago, hearing the boy's promise once again still filled everyone in Class B with a profound sense of security.

Even though none of them felt they would ever need to rely on that promise, what reason was there not to give their all when they could advance toward Class A alongside everyone in Class B under such leadership?

"As expected... I really am a fool."

Looking at the vibrant expressions of his classmates, Ichinose Honami suddenly laughed out loud, then raised a hand high along with everyone else.

"Oh!!!" everyone shouted in unison.

"Let's move forward together!"

"Class B is the best!"

"No one will ever be expelled!"

"I can't wait!"

And so, amidst the surging passion and enthusiasm of everyone present, Aragaki Shun decisively began assigning tasks.

The first was—