Class C Classroom
"Damn it, so only Class A graduates get job recommendations?"
"This school actually dared to lie to us!"
"What do we do? If we fail the midterm, we get expelled. Baka—ga—" He rolled his tongue. "My old man's gonna beat me to death when I get home."
The Class C classroom rang with a cacophony of chatter and cursing, thick with the air of juvenile delinquents trying to act tough.
"Shut up, you trash!"
A voice—not especially loud, but not quiet either—came from the back of the Class C classroom.
The noisy classroom fell silent in an instant. Every student stared straight at the man, waiting for him to speak.
At the back of Class C, a red-haired man rested his legs on a desk. His sharp gaze swept over the class before he slowly spoke.
"Passing isn't a big deal. Just study like your lives depend on it. Kaneda and the other useless guys are your responsibility. Cram the textbook into their heads."
"Yes, understood."
A delinquent with glasses beside him hurriedly answered, pushing them up the bridge of his nose.
"As for moving up to Class A, listen up. If you follow my orders, I, Ryuen Kakeru, guarantee you'll all graduate from Class A."
The red-haired delinquent continued his chuunibyou-esque speech, issuing orders as if he were a commander.
"But if you dare defy me, I'll show you how terrifying I can be. Before that—"
Ryuen Kakeru turned his sharp gaze toward the blackboard, where Class D's -100 points were displayed.
"Let's use Class D as an appetizer and keep them under our feet forever!"
The red-haired delinquent burst into laughter, his over-the-top, chuunibyou cackle echoing through the entire classroom.
Class D Classroom
Everyone in the class stared straight at the -100 points displayed above.
"I believe I explained this clearly on the day of the entrance ceremony: this school measures its students by their abilities. The result is obvious. The school has judged you to be trash worth less than zero points!"
At the lectern, a woman in a black office outfit and sheer tights delivered her verdict to Class D with a blank expression.
Looking at Class D, silent as the grave, Chabashira Sae continued, mockery in her voice.
"I never expected you to go this far. In one month, you've lost a total of 1,834 points. The school even symbolically deducted 100 points from your Class Points—a score that normally couldn't go below zero—as a warning. You can be proud of that. You've made history at Kōiku."
Hirata: "Chabashira-sensei, I don't remember us being told about this..."
Chabashira Sae: "Don't be late to class, and don't chat during lessons. Didn't you learn that in elementary or middle school?"
Chabashira Sae: "Did you really think you could use 100,000 points every month without limits? Anyone with common sense would know that couldn't be true. Why did you ignore these issues?"
Chabashira Sae: "The good news is that the school won't ask you to pay back the points you've already spent. From now on, if your individual points are negative, you'll receive zero points. But, in return, if you want to earn any individual points, you'll have to make up these 100 points first. Well, aren't you happy?"
And so, Class D's homeroom teacher kept landing critical hits on her students.
If Uesugi Gen had been there, he probably would've blurted out, "Well, I'll be damned." He'd thought the students of Class D were already peerless, but now it seemed someone had outdone them. What kind of subordinate was this? Timid with outsiders, but throwing punches at her own people.
Still, Hoshinomiya-sensei was much better. She handed out praise as easily as she gave people nice-person cards, and she was pleasant to talk to. He could even go sleep over at her place sometimes. She was practically the ideal teacher.
Seeing that the Class D students seemed to have calmed down a little, Chabashira Sae sneered and brought out a sheet listing every class's points. She stuck it up and continued her assault.
Chabashira Sae: "You idiots, take a good look. Points have been deposited into every class except Class D, and there's more than enough for a whole month of living expenses."
Hirata: "Why... is there such a huge difference between the classes' points?"
Chabashira Sae: "Are you beginning to understand why you were placed in Class D?"
Hirata: "Why we were placed in Class D? Weren't we assigned randomly?"
Chabashira Sae: "This school assigns students to classes according to their ability. The best students go to Class A, and the useless ones go to Class D."
Chabashira Sae: "Simply put, Class D is the last refuge for all the deadbeats. You're all defective products of the worst kind—no, worthless trash."
Chabashira Sae had already massacred them.
Horikita Suzune, the cool, long-haired girl sitting at her desk, had clenched her pencil so tightly that it creaked.
Kushida Kikyo watched Horikita Suzune sit rigidly in her seat, her expression frozen and utterly blank. She was about to lose it.
Even as Class D fell into increasing chaos, Chabashira Sae didn't stop talking. Instead, she pulled out a sheet of the students' test scores, planning to press her advantage.
Chabashira Sae: "Well, isn't that great? If this had been a real test, seven of you would already be expelled, and the school year has barely begun."
Over-the-top Guy Number One: "Sae-sensei, stop joking around! Expulsion isn't something to joke about!"
Chabashira Sae: "What? Didn't I tell you? This school's rules say that if you fail even one subject in the midterms or finals, you'll be expelled. For this exam, anyone who scored below thirty-two points is subject to expulsion. You really are stupid."
Chabashira Sae: "Even if you tell me that, there's nothing I can do. Those are the school's rules. Prepare yourselves."
Chabashira Sae: "Let me add something. This school is managed by the government and prides itself on its high university admission and employment rates. That's a well-known fact. Most of you in this class probably hope to go on to higher education or find jobs."
Chabashira Sae: "But... there are no easy wins in this world. It's not simple enough for low-level people like you to get into university or find jobs wherever you go."
Hirata: "So, to benefit from the school's help in achieving our goals of employment or further education, we have to make it to Class C or higher... is that right?"
Chabashira Sae: "What are you dreaming about? To get a recommendation from the school, you have to graduate from Class A."
"If you want this school to help you realize your future ambitions, moving up to Class A is the only way." Chabashira Sae repeated herself, then suddenly looked as though she'd remembered something. A shadow fell over her face.
After speaking gravely, Chabashira Sae seemed to have vented all her pent-up frustration. Looking refreshed, she walked away in her high heels, leaving Class D in chaos.
"...So we're going to be looked down on by the other classes from now on?"
"No way. How could I have been placed in a trash class like Class D? The school must have made a mistake!"
"Hmph, this is utter nonsense. It's not even a fraction as beautiful as I am!"
"Come on, I'll be expelled if I fail!"
"Doctor, as my best friend, buy this game console for 22,000 points."
Chapter 24: The Predictable Office Scene
After finally evading Kanzaki's pursuit, Uesugi Gen made it to the teachers' office.
Just a moment ago, Nice Senior had told him about one of Kōiku's unspoken rules, which had given him an interesting idea.
But he needed Hoshinomiya's help, so Uesugi Gen had come here.
"Oh my, this is rare. Gen-chan, you actually came to see a teacher on your own."
When Uesugi Gen arrived, Hoshinomiya casually poured him a cup of tea, then patted her ample chest and promised,
"Leave it to me. No matter what the problem is, I'll help you solve it."
I haven't even told you what it is, and you're already offering to solve it?
Uesugi Gen looked at Hoshinomiya-sensei, who seemed ready to take on anything, and felt a little embarrassed.
Just then,
a teacher in an office outfit walked in, accompanied by a gloomy-looking boy with an expressionless face.
The gloomy boy seemed to have been loitering outside the door for a while. It looked like he'd been unable to find his homeroom teacher and didn't want to enter the office, so he'd waited outside.
When Hoshinomiya saw Chabashira Sae come in, she suddenly perked up. She gestured for Uesugi Gen to wait a moment, then hurried over with a smile.
"Sae~ What are you up to? This handsome young man has been standing outside all alone, waiting for you for ages!"
When Chabashira Sae saw Hoshinomiya-sensei coming over, she turned her down without changing her expression.
"It's none of your business. Don't you have students of your own? It's not very nice to leave him by himself. Hurry up and go look after him."
"It's fine, it's fine. Gen-chan won't mind. Besides, I think you're the one who needs help more, Sae."
Hoshinomiya leaned into her sociable side and kept advancing without the slightest embarrassment.
Seeing that Hoshinomiya had no intention of leaving, Chabashira Sae simply acted as though she weren't there and headed toward the Counseling Room with her student.
Hoshinomiya-sensei didn't feel embarrassed at all. She followed them.
Uesugi Gen sat in Hoshinomiya's seat, drinking tea and quietly watching the scene.
The atmosphere between those two was a little strange. On the surface, they seemed like close friends, but on closer inspection, it didn't seem quite that simple.
Uesugi Gen didn't intend to pry, though. When it came to love, it was best to let Hoshinomiya-sensei deal with it herself.
Before long, Hoshinomiya-sensei returned with her head hanging. It seemed she hadn't been able to withstand Chabashira Sae's resistance and had been sent packing.
When Hoshinomiya-sensei came back, she slumped into the seat beside him, looking as though she'd returned to her usual hungover state. Her voice was weak and listless.
"Gen-chan, wait a little. I'll be fine soon."
Then she laid her head on the desk and went limp.
Uesugi Gen left her alone. She'd pull herself together on her own after a while.
Just then, another student came in: a cool beauty with long, straight black hair, a piercing gaze, and a whole-body aura that said, "Don't talk to me."
Horikita Suzune glanced around the office. The only people there were the handsome boy in front of her and the teacher lying on the desk, so she asked,
"Hello, do you know where Chabashira-sensei is?"
"Over there, in the Counseling Room."
Uesugi Gen replied calmly without even looking up.
"Okay, thank you."
After politely thanking him, the girl walked toward the Counseling Room on her long legs, wrapped in black thigh-high socks. The gap between her socks and swaying skirt revealed a tantalizing glimpse of bare skin.
Hoshinomiya-sensei, who'd been lying there limp just a moment earlier, suddenly sat up with a smack. Her eyes were fixed on Horikita Suzune's back.
It seemed Hoshinomiya-sensei cared about Class D more than most.
If he didn't let her figure this out, their conversation later probably wouldn't go very well.
Seeing Hoshinomiya looking distracted, Uesugi Gen sighed and reminded her,
"If you're so curious, why don't you go follow her and listen?"
Hoshinomiya-sensei jolted at his words, as if a single remark had awakened her from a dream.
She turned her adorable little head toward him, her eyes shining.
"You're right, Gen-chan. Let's go together."
"Hey—"
Before Uesugi Gen could refuse, Hoshinomiya reached out with her soft, pale hand and pulled him toward the Counseling Room.
The door to the Counseling Room was already closed, but if they pressed their ears to it, they could just about make out what was being said.
Uesugi Gen glanced at Hoshinomiya's graceful curves as she pressed herself against the door, then silently looked away.
"Gen-chan, don't just stand there. Come listen, too. I can't hear very well."
Hoshinomiya grabbed Uesugi Gen and pulled him behind her. She had no intention of letting go.
Uesugi Gen pressed against Hoshinomiya's soft body. Their heads were close together, and he was practically holding her in his arms.
They stood one above the other, eavesdropping through the door.
"I'll get straight to the point. Why was I assigned to Class D?"
Her voice was cool and carried a hint of pride. It had to be the cool beauty from earlier.
"That really is straight to the point."
There was no mistaking this voice. It belonged to a busty, mature woman.
"Today, you said that the best students were assigned to Class A in order, while Class D was the school's last refuge for all the deadbeats."
Before you continue