Each Class's Reaction

Class A: 940 cp

Class B: 863 cp

Class C: 490 cp

Class D: -100 cp

"Um... these should be each class's scores... right?"

Kanzaki, standing beside him, tried to make sense of the numbers, but Class D's -100 points left him feeling uncertain.

"That's right! Ta-da! These are the Class Points. From now on, the points distributed each month will be based on these scores at a rate of one to a hundred. The Class Points will also be posted on the bulletin board and updated whenever they change, so remember to keep an eye on them."

Hoshinomiya-sensei gave Kanzaki a thumbs-up, then continued,

"This change in points came from a Special Exam designed to assess the value of the students. But keep in mind that our class actually scored 763 points this time. We received an extra 100 points for an unknown reason, which is how we ended up with 863."

At those words, Ichinose and the others all turned their gazes toward the window-side seat in the back row.

They had already guessed who was responsible for the extra 100 points.

Uesugi Gen sat at his desk, his head bobbing up and down like a kitten fishing—up, down, up, down—as if he were about to fall asleep.

Was he even listening?

The four of them all thought the same thing.

This was bad. I should've talked to the school beforehand and asked them not to disclose the details of the extra points.

If the Thief Lady found out about Class B's situation, she'd immediately guess that I might be in Class B.

That would make me a much bigger suspect. Given her personality and how quickly she acted, it probably wouldn't be long before she made a move.

Still, things hadn't reached the point of checkmate. As long as she didn't catch me in the act of taking pictures, I'd still have the upper hand.

What Uesugi Gen didn't know was that the school had deliberately released the information.

Just think about what Uesugi Gen had been doing during his first month at school: skipping class, playing games, slacking off...

If they didn't find something to keep him occupied soon, he'd be beyond saving.

The school didn't intend to let their 30 million go to waste.

"There's one more very important thing I need to tell you—"

Hoshinomiya-sensei dropped her usual carefree tone and spoke seriously.

"The school's recommendations for employment and further education will only be given to classes that graduate as Class A. So, everyone, you'll need to do everything you can to climb to the top."

Ichinose and Kanzaki's eyes narrowed.

Just as they'd expected!

Over the past few days, the two of them had tried in their own ways to answer the questions Uesugi Gen had raised.

They still hadn't figured out the whole truth, but they had begun to understand what was really going on.

In Kanzaki and Ichinose's view, if the benefit of 100,000 personal points came at a price, then it was highly likely that the benefits offered by the school came with a corresponding price as well.

The most important—and most likely—one was undoubtedly the recommendation for employment and further education, which applied to 99 percent of students.

Unfortunately, the two of them hadn't found any concrete evidence. They could only wait for Hoshinomiya-sensei to reveal the final answer.

Ichinose and Kanzaki had barely slept the night before because they were worried about this.

Hoshinomiya-sensei's words sent a shock through the class.

"So for the next three years, we'll have to keep competing against the other classes until we graduate as Class A?"

"We only get recommendations if we graduate as Class A? That's not what the school said when they first advertised the program."

"Exactly!"

Although Class B's students were a little unhappy, Ichinose managed to calm them down.

Sitting at her desk, Ichinose quietly clenched her soft, pink fist and glanced at Uesugi Gen.

If only I could see through the school's intentions like Uesugi-kun... Then maybe this time, we could be Class A...

Kanzaki Ryuji turned to look at Uesugi Gen, thinking,

So when Uesugi warned me about the school's rules on the second day, was he hoping I'd see through them and help the class earn points...?

If Uesugi Gen had known what Kanzaki was thinking, he would have shaken his head repeatedly and said that he'd only given Kanzaki something to do that day.

Given Kanzaki's state of mind at the time, Uesugi didn't want to drive his friend crazy.

As for what Uesugi Gen was thinking now—

I lost out. He stared at the huge -100 on the blackboard.

Even he hadn't expected Class D to pull off such an outrageous feat. Class D had always managed to hold on to at least a hundred points before. Kōiku had never seen a class go into the negatives; this year's Class D had made history.

He'd already heard from the Accomplice Lady that Class D had a lot of guys who were completely out of control, but this score still left him stunned.

In the end, Uesugi Gen reached one conclusion: the 30 million had definitely been a loss.

Still, was the Accomplice Lady doing all right? Maybe he should send her some points later. At least he couldn't let her waste away from hunger and lose weight (laugh).

"That's everything I needed to tell you, so pay attention."

Hoshinomiya-sensei pulled out another poster and put it up on the blackboard.

"This is—"

"That's right, the results of the exam from a few days ago."

The poster displayed everyone's scores in yesterday's exam. The class average was around 80, and the results were ranked from highest to lowest. Ichinose was the undisputed top student in the class.

Uesugi Gen's grades fluctuated, with scores ranging from 60 to 80.

"Everyone did really well on this exam. No one failed, but—" Hoshinomiya-sensei paused. "According to school regulations, failing even one subject on a midterm or final exam will result in expulsion. So you'll need to stay alert and keep up with your studies. You mustn't give up on your education at this school."

"Sensei, what's the passing score?" Ichinose asked, standing up with some concern.

"Half the average score for each subject. But from what I can see, our class doesn't need to worry about that for now." Hoshinomiya-sensei returned to her usual flippant tone, reassuring Ichinose.

Half the average score? Uesugi Gen seemed to think of a cheeky trick. He immediately raised his hand. "I have a question."

"Gen-chan, it's rare for you to ask a question. Go ahead and ask me anything," Hoshinomiya-sensei said, acting as if she'd take care of everything.

"So, what happens if a student is absent on the day of an exam?"

"If it's due to circumstances beyond their control, they can submit a written application to the school, and the school will arrange a makeup exam. If it isn't, their exam score will automatically be recorded as zero."

Uesugi Gen's eyes lit up when he heard that.

"Since the passing score is half the average for each subject, if we all got zeroes, wouldn't that mean no one would fail or get expelled?"

The entire class fell silent.

You had to admit, that plan was very much in Uesugi Gen's style.

The corner of Ichinose's eye twitched. Knowing Uesugi Gen, she was sure he'd suggested this plan because he wanted a legitimate excuse not to show up on exam day.

Hoshinomiya-sensei's smile froze. A vein began to throb as she snapped in frustration,

"Absolutely not! Even if you don't care about the school's reputation, at least think about how it would make me, your homeroom teacher, look! If the whole class got zero, I'd be nailed to Kōiku's pillar of shame and become a disgrace to the entire Japanese education system! Besides, if you want the whole class to pass, there are other ways to do it!"

"Oh." Uesugi Gen's face fell at Hoshinomiya-sensei's words.

"And another thing, Gen-chan, what do you even write on your tests? You put down a few numbers and formulas, then write the answer at the end. I don't even know how to grade that! Can't you learn from Ichinose?"

Uesugi Gen pursed his lips and spread his hands.

"Sensei, don't sweat the details of the work. The result is all that matters."

"Quiet! Anyway, don't do that. Just take your exams properly."

"Fine." Uesugi Gen raised both hands to show that he gave up.

Still, judging by what Hoshinomiya-sensei had just said, was there a guaranteed way to pass these exams?

Since the exams were fixed, his Nice Senior should know. He'd ask him and find out.

After class,

Uesugi Gen felt an ominous premonition as he watched Ichinose standing at the front of the classroom.

"Everyone, so that none of us get expelled in the future, how about we organize a study group? We can study together on the weekends and work hard to improve."

"Can we? I want to join!"

"That's so like Ichinose!"

"Me too! Count me in!"

The students in Class B enthusiastically joined in. Before long, nearly half the class had signed up.

"I'll help out, too."

Kanzaki Ryuji sighed. Ichinose couldn't handle so many people on her own.

"And Uesugi, you're staying here. Ichinose specifically asked me to keep an eye on you."

Kanzaki Ryuji grabbed Uesugi Gen as he tried to sneak away.

"Let go of me, Kanzaki! Have you become Ichinose's lapdog? If you want to do this, go ahead. I still have a world to save."

The Reactions of Each Class

Class A Classroom

Katsuragi Kohei stood with his arms crossed, his eyes fixed on Class B's score.

"They've kept their Class Points so close to ours?"

"It's all right, Katsuragi. I'm sure that under your leadership, we'll widen the gap between us and Class B by a lot in the next exam."

Totsuka Yahiko, Katsuragi Kohei's follower, flattered him from the side.

"We can't afford to be careless, Yahiko. A class that can keep its Class Points so close to ours is no ordinary opponent."

Katsuragi Kohei's strong voice was steady and composed.

Class B had always been Class A's biggest rival at the top of the first year. Our Class A had done everything we could just to maintain 940 points, yet Class B was still right on our heels. That showed they were no ordinary class.

"As for the midterm exam, we don't need to worry about it for now. No one in our class has failed an exam yet."

Class B's situation was certainly worth paying attention to, but before we could deal with outside threats, we first had to settle things at home. Before that, I needed to do everything I could to take control of Class A.

Sitting in the back, Shinsei looked at his own score of around 60, his face darkening.

"Goodness, is Kamuro worried about her score? If you ask me, I'd be happy to tutor you."

Sakayanagi Arisu sat beside him with a bright smile, as if everything that had just happened had been part of her plan. She didn't seem to care about the class at all, but she was very interested in Kamuro Masumi's teasing.

"Mind your own business. I'll handle it myself."

Kamuro Masumi immediately snapped back at Sakayanagi Arisu's teasing. But judging by her expression, she didn't look nearly as unconcerned as she claimed.

"Yes, yes. More importantly, Kamuro, did you hear what Masayoshi-sensei just said? Class B got an extra 100 points for some unknown reason."

Sakayanagi Arisu didn't mind Kamuro Masumi's retort and instead brought up something else with great interest.

Kamuro Masumi's face changed, as if she'd thought of something disgusting. She gritted her teeth and said,

"You mean it might've been that guy?"

"That's certainly possible. Aside from a Special Exam, I can't think of anything else that would make the school add 100 points all at once. Could you look into it for me?"

Sakayanagi Arisu's smile grew wider, as if she could see the little cat she'd been searching for all along right in front of her.

"I don't need you to tell me to investigate. But it's not for your sake. I'm going to find that bastard no matter what!"

Thinking of the way Uesugi Gen had teased her over the phone, Kamuro Masumi wished she could slam her hand on the table and go after him right away.