Unless he used violence to solve problems and rule them, like Ryuen Kakeru of Class C had been doing these past few days, a class like this would be hard to deal with. There would always be some people who were more likely to ruin things than get anything done.
As for violence, it was best left as a thought.
Given the state of this class, Kageya Shinjitsu felt that if he used violence openly, he might be expelled first.
The first person to oppose him would probably be Hirata, the popular, well-adjusted "friend" in his contacts.
People just need to focus on being themselves.
Class C.
Though he hadn't gained complete control, everyone in the class had chosen to follow Ryuen Kakeru.
Even the class's huge Black Giant, fed up with Ryuen's constant pestering, had recognized his ability and chosen to listen to him.
"What?"
"I don't have time for you, D-Class."
Ryuen Kakeru carried the unique air of a delinquent.
Kageya Shinjitsu calmly sat on a desk in their classroom and looked over at Ryuen.
"First, congratulations on becoming the leader of Class C, Ryuen. I came here to sell you some information and make a deal with Class C."
"Ryuen."
Kageya Shinjitsu had already decided how to protect his legitimate earnings.
He couldn't count on his classmates, so he'd earn some points himself.
After all, he already knew that points were everything at this school.
"That's something we can talk about."
Ryuen still wore a dark expression, but he wasn't as hostile as before.
"Before we talk business, I'll give you some information. Let me put it in order. What should I tell you first? You know the school claims to have a 100% rate of advancement to higher education and employment, right?"
Kageya Shinjitsu paused as if thinking, then spoke.
"Who doesn't know that? Did you come here to tell me something obvious?" Ryuen said.
"Good. Then I'll get right to it. Simply put, only students who make it into Class A in each year are eligible for that 100% rate of advancement to higher education and employment. None of us in Classes B, C, or D are."
Kageya Shinjitsu said it plainly.
"I knew there was something wrong with this school." Ryuen put on a tough front, though his expression darkened slightly.
He'd known something was off from the first day. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone straight to taking control of the class.
Their homeroom teacher had played a part in it, too.
"You probably don't know that each class is graded by a set of standards. Right now, the standards are the same for Classes A, B, C, and D, but that'll change starting next month. It all depends on how we perform this month."
"And if our score passes the class ahead of us, we might be able to become Class A."
"That's what I've learned."
Kageya Shinjitsu had pestered countless teachers and third-years to dig up this information.
He'd only told him about the competition between the classes, not that Class D was the worst of them all.
But anyone who'd looked into it should have figured that out.
There was no hiding Class D's behavior.
Ryuen Kakeru's Classroom of the Elite
"Humph."
Ryuen snorted.
"So you're here to work with me? Can you speak for Class D?"
"I can't speak for Class D,"
Kageya Shinjitsu said.
That made Ryuen a little angry. Then what the hell had he come here for?
"Nor am I here to cooperate."
"I told you, this is a transaction. I want your points."
"There's no reason for our classes to work together."
Kageya Shinjitsu replied.
An alliance with troublemaking Class C, on top of troublesome Class D—what, were the two dump classes supposed to take on all those people in Class A?
He'd have to be insane to think that was a good idea.
The people in Class D were already enough trouble. Adding Class C's problem children wouldn't make things better. More people didn't always mean better.
"That information isn't worth many points. Besides, do you think you're in a position to ask for any?" Ryuen said scornfully.
He already knew the information, so what did it matter if he reneged?
"Of course I know more than that. This is just the preface."
"What if I told you that next month, I'd make Class D the worst class in the school?" Kageya Shinjitsu said.
"By your own account, you're already at the bottom."
Ryuen replied.
"If Class A is the best, then the school must have chosen that from the moment we enrolled. I know what kind of people are in Class C. As for your Class D, heh..."
With a final scoff, Ryuen seemed to think he'd understood everything.
"No. I mean the kind of bottom that's almost impossible to recover from, so you won't have to worry about us catching up. For instance, our class score could drop straight to zero next time. Then the class wouldn't get any new points, and the gap between us and the other classes would grow even wider. Do you think they'd still feel like trying to catch up? You'd have one less rival."
Kageya Shinjitsu felt no shame at all about selling out his class.
In fact, he figured the class probably wouldn't get any points even if he did nothing.
He knew all too well what his classmates had been like these past few days.
"You... You're ruthless."
Hearing that, Ryuen began to take Kageya Shinjitsu seriously.
He really didn't hesitate to sell people out.
"Besides, you should know that being a problem child, a 'defective,' doesn't mean someone has no ability."
"How about it? We can have your homeroom teacher sign a contract and reach an agreement. Next month, I'll make sure Class D ends up at the bottom, or even scores zero. In return, I want six million points from your class. You can pay in installments."
Kageya Shinjitsu stated his terms.
"You're crazy. Six million?"
Ryuen couldn't stay calm.
Six million—when the school had only given their class four million in total at the start.
"Six million isn't much at all. We've only been at this school for a few days, and your class must still have at least three million of the money the school gave you. Even if your score drops later, you'll still get at least tens of thousands a month. If you can get your class points in order, that amount is nothing. Now that you know how the school evaluates you, are you really going to let your class points keep falling?"
"I'm selling out an entire class, and there may still be chances for us to work together in the future. I'm even putting something you can use against me right in front of you, so you can threaten me with it later. For a price this steep, is six million points really too much?"
Kageya Shinjitsu stared straight at Ryuen.
"I'm not going along with your crazy idea. You want our whole class working for you?" Ryuen said with feigned disdain.
"And there's something suspicious about you gathering so many points."
"Of course. Points are good to have. If we reach an agreement, I'll tell you all the information, too. Doesn't that sound like a good deal?" Kageya Shinjitsu said.
"Six million is impossible. At most, I'll give you two million, and it has to be in installments." Ryuen flatly refused.
He slashed the price in one go.
"Two million is too little," Kageya Shinjitsu said.
"You can go ask the other classes. You had a plan, didn't you?" Ryuen knew that he'd been going around to several classes earlier.
"I came up with the six-million figure after factoring in several classes. Six million from each class."
"You'd have one less rival, and you'd find out about the school's tests in advance. You're already getting a great deal."
"If I don't deal with Class D and I make this information public, what do you think will happen? Will Class D keep slacking off? Even if some people want to slack off, I can make them fall into line. At the very least, that would put Class C and Class D in direct competition."
"I could even drag you down with us and make sure you can't catch up to Classes A and B. If I make a deal with them and you refuse, I won't hesitate to make them go after Class C."
Kageya Shinjitsu spoke plainly.
"Think it over, Ryuen."
"You're the first person I came to. If you refuse, things will get difficult for the people I approach afterward."
Faced with Kageya Shinjitsu's relentless persuasion, Ryuen was indeed starting to hesitate.
"Do you think I'm afraid? If you really had that in mind, you wouldn't have come here."
"You get all the benefits. Why can't I work with someone else from Class D?"
Still, Ryuen wasn't willing to hand over six million just like that.
"Because they wouldn't have the guts. And because they wouldn't trust you."
"Besides, do you think the information won't get out to the people who come after you? It'll only make Class D resent Class C even more."
"If it comes out now, they'll blame me. Isn't taking that fall worth six million?"
Kageya Shinjitsu replied without a care.
Openly screwing over his own classmates was no small thing.
If there really was someone like that in the class, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Are the Teachers Defectives Too? The Deal Is Made
The two of them were in completely different positions.
One was doing everything he could to persuade the other, while the other was doing everything he could to resist being persuaded.
On the surface, they seemed deadlocked, but in reality, Ryuen was already starting to come around.
"Your ambitions are too big. Six million from three classes isn't enough for you—you want six million from each class? That's eighteen million. What exactly are you trying to do?"
"I can tell you that later. And you'd benefit from this, too. I'd take the points from the other classes, giving you a better chance in the competition. Besides, none of us would have any points left."
"Ryuen, don't expect to get every benefit for yourself. You'd know the school's situation and its grading standards in advance, you'd have one less class to compete against, and you'd have something you could hold over me. Isn't all of that worth a few million? Come on, Ryuen. Make your choice."
"Humph. Six million is still too much. One person can't collect that many points. I won't waste my breath arguing with you. First, come meet our homeroom teacher. After that, I'll give you an answer."
Naturally, Kageya Shinjitsu had no reason to refuse.
In this brief exchange, Kageya Shinjitsu had still achieved his goal.
After thinking it over, Ryuen Kakeru went to see Class C's homeroom teacher, Sakagami Kazuma.
After several attempts to talk it through, and several "reminders" from Sakagami Kazuma, Ryuen finally nodded.
They've locked the information down, but there are still some reminders, both openly and behind the scenes.
I have to say, the teachers in our class seem to have problems, too.
Could he be a defective as well?
Or had he given up on the class because none of the students had gone to see him?
Watching the friendly exchange between teacher and student, Kageya Shinjitsu felt a little suspicious, but he didn't pay it much attention. He hadn't bothered with the class much at all.
Before you continue