Chapter 247
"With limited time until election day, let me continue explaining the rules. The results of all votes cast in the class, whether for praise or criticism, will be made public at the end of the exam. In other words, everyone's vote count will be announced, but who voted for whom will remain anonymous forever."
Anonymous voting is easy to understand.
Putting aside the issue of praise votes, if the identities of those who voted for Criticism Vote were revealed in front of the whole class, wouldn't the interpersonal relationships within the class be completely shattered and never be able to be repaired again?
However, this is not a problem in Class A, since no one has dropped out. At worst, Aragaki Shun can just be the last one.
"Furthermore, every praise vote and Criticism Vote will affect each other. If you collect Criticism Vote from ten people, and then receive praise votes from thirty people, the result will be a bonus of twenty votes. Whether it's a praise or Criticism Vote, you cannot vote for yourself, and you are not allowed to fill in the same person multiple times."
"Can we abstain?" a student asked. "For example, can we just fill out the praise vote?"
"Of course not. Whether it's a praise vote or Criticism Vote, you have to fill in three different names. Even if you're sick and have asked the school for leave on the day of the exam, you still have to get the vote done in your dorm or the infirmary."
In short, the school has set very strict rules, and students are not allowed to find loopholes.
"Furthermore, this Special Exam can only have one [first place] and one [last place], so please don't try to control the votes in this regard."
"Whether intentional or coincidental, if the voting results show multiple [first place] or multiple [last place] candidates, the school will require everyone to vote again. In short, this process will continue endlessly until a decision is made on who should withdraw."
It seems that Aragaki Shun's suggestion to "remove the limit on the number of people who can be ranked first" scared Tsukishiro Tsunenari Hoshinomiya-sensei, as requested, specifically emphasized the relevant rules and stated that if there are multiple ties, the school will use a special method to determine the winner.
This completely blocked even the last resort: the entire first-year class cooperating to buy time through repeated tie votes...
"In short, the only way to safely pass this Class Vote is with Twenty Million Personal Points. It's frustrating, but I can assure you, any other attempts to exploit loopholes in the school rules are absolutely doomed to fail. The rest is up to you to decide."
Chie Hoshinomiya clapped her hands, stepped back to the door, and handed over the remaining class meeting discussion time to the students themselves.
Upon seeing this, the students of Class A instinctively turned their gaze to their leader.
"No one in Class A will drop out," Aragaki Shun immediately assured all his classmates. "The class's main goal in this exam remains the same: to continue recruiting suitable combatants to join us."
"As for the students who dropped out of Class C and Class D, I do not intend to use my personal account or Class A funds for relief."
No one doubted this point.
After all, the resources accumulated by Class A should be preserved and used to help the members of their own class first, rather than wasted on strangers from other classes.
Ultimately, Class C and Class D are subordinate classes of Class A. What kind of sect leader would open their heart to their vassal?
"The last Class B... let's wait a bit. I'm sure they're even more anxious than we are."
"Of course, if you have good friends in Class B and think you have a chance to persuade them to transfer to Class A, you can give it a try. With enough praise votes from other classes, theoretically we can decide the first place in Class B as well."
With just a few words, Aragaki Shun easily arranged this Special Exam involving four first-year classes.
That effortless demeanor immediately instilled confidence in all the members of the class.
There will be absolutely no surprises; Class A will win this competition once again!
Meanwhile, the students of Class B, who had just learned the full details of the Class Vote from Mashima Tomoya, all wore somber expressions.
In the corner of the classroom, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's expressionless face remained unchanged, but a strange and awkward feeling welled up inside him.
In his view, the arrangement of this additional exam was very strange.
--[Exam content: Each student is given three votes for praise and Criticism Vote within the class. The class then votes to determine the results.]
--[Rule 1: Praise votes and Criticism Vote influence each other. Praise votes - Criticism Vote = Result.]
--[Rule 2: You cannot vote for yourself in either praise or Criticism Vote.]
--[Rule 3: It is strictly forbidden to enter the same person multiple times, or to leave it blank or abstain.]
--[Rule 4: Exams will be held repeatedly until the first and last place winners are determined. The last place winner will be expelled.]
--[Rule 5: Each student will also have a special vote to cast for praise of students from other classes; this is mandatory.]
That's all for the exam. It's very simple and straightforward, practically without any difficulty; you just need to fill in a few names.
However, its content is arguably the most brutal of all exams to date.
What puzzles this Masterpiece is what exactly the school wants to teach its students through this Class Vote?
Could it be the importance of everyday interpersonal relationships and maintaining one's reputation?
If these are indeed the two points, then Ayanokoji can only conclude that the school has indeed found his weakness.
"As expected, it was that man who made his move. He's already sent his subordinates to influence this school's Special Exam..."
Having confirmed this, the Masterpiece's gaze grew even more profound.
In some ways, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that his reputation at the school was utterly infamous. In any class other than Class B, he wouldn't doubt that he would be the last in the Class Vote.
Even in the current Class B, if there were no interference and all students were allowed to vote freely, his probability of dropping out would definitely be among the top two.
Why not necessarily be number one?
Because in the list of all the students in Class B who are disliked, there is one person whose ranking is definitely no lower than his!
"Ms. Mashima, what exactly does the school mean by this? Why would they create Special Exam that requires so many Private Points? Are they deliberately targeting our class?"
After Mashima Tomoya explained all the rules of the Class Vote, Totsuka Yahiko could no longer hold back and slammed his fist on the table, complaining angrily.
"Or is it that the Student Council President really has that much power, and this assessment was actually a joint effort between Aragaki from Class A and the school?"
The others in the classroom remained silent, but they also pursed their lips and looked at Mashima Tomoya, seeking an answer.
That makes absolutely no sense!
Currently, the situation among the first-year students is dominated by Aragaki Shun. Under his unified command, Class B has to fight against the combined forces of Classes Class A, Class C, and Class D, and they are almost powerless to resist in every Special Exam.
In this situation, shouldn't the school, as the referee, secretly support Class B to prevent this last flame of resistance from being extinguished so easily?
Now, Special Exam has suddenly appeared that Class A can easily pass by relying on Private Points, while Class B will definitely suffer heavy losses. How did this happen?
Does the school feel that Aragaki Shun isn't strong enough and want him to fully integrate Advanced Nurturing?
Mashima Tomoya: "..."
You ask me, but who should I ask?
The newly appointed Board Chairman is acting arbitrarily and insists on doing this. What can I, an ordinary class teacher, do?
"Unfortunately, the school may have other considerations in this regard, but this Special Exam is a done deal. There are still four days until the official vote, and the future of your classes is a decision you will have to make yourselves."
With a sigh, Mashima Tomoya looked around at all the students in the classroom, as if trying to memorize their names and faces.
With the current assets of Class B, it is absolutely impossible to raise Twenty Million Personal Points to lift the expulsion penalty for the last-place student.
If nothing unexpected happens, in a few days, one of his students will disappear permanently.
But as a teacher, he couldn't do anything about it.
As Mashima Tomoya walked dejectedly to the door, the students from Class B below the stage were somewhat at a loss.
The class advisor's performance undoubtedly proved that there was no room for maneuver in this Class Vote, so all they could do was select the student who would be expelled.
Thinking of this, everyone in Class B held their breath and looked at Koenji Rokusuke in the center of the classroom.
At this moment, Beautiful Brother did not shirk responsibility. He tapped the table twice with his index finger, pondered for a few seconds, and then looked in a certain direction.
"Hashimoto boy, it's time for you to leave!"
329. Koenji Rokusuke's Promise; Class B's Stuck Plan
"Hashimoto boy, it's time for you to leave!"
As Koenji Rokusuke finished speaking, all the students in Class B turned their attention to Hashimoto Masayoshi, who was subconsciously trying to make himself less noticeable.
Many people breathed a sigh of relief, while also showing expressions of having expected it.
Clearly, they also agreed with the plan to have Hashimoto Masayoshi take last place and bear the punishment of expulsion.
Frankly speaking, if you had to pick someone in Class B who was even more disliked by the class than Ayanokoji, there would be no other possibility but Hashimoto Masayoshi.
Unfortunately, in the minds of the students in Class B, the culprit for the class's current predicament is undoubtedly Sakayanagi Arisu.
But the little princess with the powerful father has already run away with the core members of her faction, leaving Hashimoto Masayoshi to bear all the blame.
Who told the other party to willingly act as a front, carrying out the rumor-mongering incident on behalf of Sakayanagi Arisu, causing such heavy losses to Class B!
This criminal not only escaped due punishment, but also loitered around the classroom all day. As the situation in Class B became increasingly dire, the dissatisfaction and resentment among the students naturally grew.
If someone absolutely has to be expelled from school in this Class Vote, then this jerk is definitely the best choice; even Ayanokoji Kiyotaka would have to be second.
After all, Ayanokoji is capable. Even though taking photos without consent is considered irredeemable by the girls, he is far less likely to attract hatred from Class B than Hashimoto Masayoshi, who actually harms their interests.
Seemingly aware of his impending fate, the blond-haired, blue-eyed boy with the strange hairstyle remained relatively calm under the watchful eyes of all his classmates.
A bitter smile appeared on his face as he looked at Beautiful Brother as if grasping at the last straw, his voice trembling.
"Can't you really give me another chance? Your Koenji, when it comes to running errands, I'm confident I surpass most of the students in Advanced Nurturing."
"I'm sorry, but I'm not lacking in any of the things you've mentioned," Koenji Rokusuke said casually, his expression unchanged. "Hashimoto boy, before you leave this school, I hope you can maintain the decorum you're entitled to."
If you're not dignified, someone else will make you dignified!
Although Koenji didn't say it directly, everyone in the classroom could understand the meaning behind his words.
This chaebol heiress, who prides herself on being the most beautiful woman in the world, actually despises anything ugly.
With this in mind, Hashimoto Masayoshi dared not make any further unnecessary moves.
After all, even if he leaves Advanced Nurturing, he can still transfer to another high school to start over. But if he offends the only son of a tycoon, his future life might end right after he leaves school.
"... I understand. Ever since that incident, I knew this day would come. When the Class Vote officially begins, all the Criticism Vote can be cast for me."
Slumped helplessly in his seat, Hashimoto's voice was filled with melancholy, and he looked particularly miserable.
No one in Class 1-B pitied him; most of the students were more relieved that they wouldn't be in danger.
A very small number of people, like Katsuragi Kohei, with a high moral standard, quickly suppressed the pity that welled up in their hearts as soon as they recalled the losses the other party had caused to the class.
In any case, one student from Class B will inevitably come in last place in this Class Vote.
In this situation, the most suitable person to drop out of school is, of course, Hashimoto Masayoshi, who has made a serious mistake in the past.
If we insist on protecting the other student, then we would have to choose one of the other innocent students to drop out of school, which is clearly unreasonable.
In a way, it's not a bad thing that the class now has a universally recognized most suitable sacrifice... at least the class's cohesion won't be affected by this Special Exam.
As for directly offering 20 million to waive the penalty of expulsion?
Unfortunately, not only is Class B incapable of doing this, but even if they could raise the funds, they would absolutely not spend them on Hashimoto Masayoshi.
Since the Mixed Training Camp Exam ended, the debt that Class B needs to transfer to Class A each month has risen to 3.8 million, and the Class Evaluation Points has dropped to 1646 as a result. However, the total number of Private Points that the 36 students in the class can receive from the school each month is only 5.92 million.
Koenji Rokusuke's Transfer Ticket started being used up last August, while Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and Ryuen Kakeru transferred to Class B last September. All three of them paid their transfer fees in ten installments.
In other words, Koenji Rokusuke's transfer loan won't end until May, while the other two's will end in June. It's currently March, so they still have two and three installments left, respectively.
The problem is that after struggling for several months, Class B's own savings, the gold coins they got from Miyabi Nagumo, and the sponsorships they received from shops during the winter break have all been almost completely depleted.
Currently, the class account managed by Katsuragi Kohei only has 10.08 million Private Points left. The monthly income consists only of Private Points issued by the school and 300,000 points supported by Mashima, but there are still monthly debts of 3.8 million, monthly transfer fees of 6 million, and monthly living expenses and miscellaneous expenses of about 600,000... Such a precarious financial situation gives people the feeling that bankruptcy could happen at any moment.
It's just that the Baldy himself has alopecia; if a normal person were to manage the class funds, they would definitely be so worried that they would all lose their hair.
Katsuragi just hopes the school won't pull any more tricks to deduct their Private Points and Class Evaluation Points. Otherwise, Class B's current savings really won't last until Koenji and Ayanokoji can finally complete their transfers.
Only three episodes left!
"Before leaving school, I'll give Hashimoto- boy a beautiful autograph. As the man who will inevitably bear the weight of Sakurajima in the future, cherish it as a family heirloom with gratitude!"
Sensing the heavy, silent atmosphere in the classroom, Koenji pondered for a moment, tapped the table twice with his fingertips, and after everyone's attention was drawn to him, he made a promise to Hashimoto Masayoshi in his narcissistic and arrogant tone.
The man, who had already decided to drop out of school as a sacrifice, suddenly saw a glimmer of hope.
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Most of the students in Class B are realistic, pragmatic, and profit-driven, so they easily understood the hidden meaning in Koenji's promise.
According to the agreement made by the chaebol heir when he transferred to this class, all members of Class B would be at his disposal, and Koenji Rokusuke would be required to provide them with sufficient security. If he could not lead them to successfully graduate from Class A, he would arrange a decent job for them outside of school.
Clearly, this chaebol heir has no intention of sacrificing his reputation in this matter.
Since Hashimoto Masayoshi is being expelled under his instructions, he will keep his promise and have someone arrange things for him after he leaves Advanced Nurturing.
"Thank you very much, Koenji! I wish you a triumphant graduation from this school, and I hope to have the opportunity to serve you again in the future."
It was like finding a new path after a long and difficult journey.
Upon hearing the promise, Hashimoto Masayoshi immediately abandoned all his frustration and, like a fly rubbing its hands together, reverted to his usual sycophantic attitude.
Unlike leaders Sakayanagi Arisu, who are too lazy to even make promises and run away when they get bored, this young master actually provides security and compensation!
That's fine then. I'll just follow the leader's instructions and drop out of school. Who else but me can take this position?