A Points Crisis, an Expulsion Crisis, or a Scam? (Continued)

Let this stupid teacher play her own games.

Maybe I should even thank her for cleaning out the trash in our class.

Hmph.

"What's so unreasonable about it? If you want people to treat you like a teacher, you should at least act like one. You're so bored you keep picking on me. You don't act like a teacher—what's the difference between you and those idiots behind you?"

"What I do is my business. Don't think you can control me."

Kageya Shinjitsu replied to Hirata.

He included Chabashira Sae and the idiots behind her in his response.

"If you want to play, then let's play. I have plenty of ways to deal with you."

"Calm down, Kageya."

Hirata hoped Kageya Shinjitsu would rein in his emotions.

Even he had rarely seen a student talk back to a teacher like that.

He was sure something must have happened between them in private to make Kageya Shinjitsu so hostile, and to make Chabashira-sensei keep calling him out in class and putting him on the spot.

If they kept this up, the class would be in serious trouble.

"Hmph."

Kageya Shinjitsu glanced at Hirata, who was acting like the class's mother, and gave a small laugh.

"See? Isn't there someone more suitable?"

"Keep bothering me, and I won't hold back."

"You have to rely on yourself."

Someone like this, who acted like a mother, wasn't she much more suitable?

Chabashira Sae hadn't been chosen, yet she insisted on clinging to him.

She really had something wrong with her head—ambitious but incapable, looking down on this and that without knowing whether she could lead them herself.

Laughable.

In his mind, he had a thousand ways to attack her.

He had already analyzed Chabashira Sae as a person.

Coming back to herself after hearing Kageya Shinjitsu's words,

Chabashira Sae calmed herself down, acting as if nothing had happened.

This problem student was seriously messed up. His temper was no ordinary one. He was truly hot-blooded and young.

He'd probably wreck Class D before leaving, even if it meant getting expelled.

Chabashira Sae couldn't help wondering if she had chosen the wrong target.

Or was Kageya Shinjitsu simply too dazzling? From the moment she received the information and noticed this student,

she had already taken a liking to him, sensing in him the hope of breaking into Class A.

Then, after one conversation, he rejected her and even mocked her.

The second time, she learned about the other classes. Everyone knew about this test, while their Class D knew nothing.

And the information had been leaked by their own Class D.

On top of that, this time they had gone straight down to zero points.

She was starting to lose her bearings.

Why was there someone like this? He had just started school and was already giving up on his class.

In all her years as a teacher, Chabashira Sae had truly never met anyone like him.

She kept her face expressionless, making it impossible to tell what she was thinking. Her words made it seem as though she had really given up on Kageya Shinjitsu, as if she were backing down.

"You've got some nerve, talking to a teacher like that."

"But I suppose it's normal to look down on your teacher after getting such excellent grades."

"Then I hope you enjoy your time in Class A."

"Speaking of grades, there's one more unfortunate piece of news I have to tell you."

Once again, a sheet of paper was posted on the blackboard.

It listed the names of everyone in the class, with a number beside each one.

They were the scores from the class's end-of-month assessment.

The others were quite unhappy about it. They planned to confront Kageya Shinjitsu and settle the matter once class was over.

That eighteen million points belonged to them too.

The lure of wealth worked the same everywhere.

"You should know what this is by now, right?"

"This is a class full of idiots. These are the results of your last quiz."

"Seven people failed. If this had been an official test, seven of you would be expelled barely after the school year started."

"That would certainly be something to celebrate."

Leaving aside some of the students at the top, most of the class had scored around sixty.

Quite a few others had scored in the teens or twenties.

The Idiot Trio in the back row, for example, hadn't even scored thirty.

If the scores were counted normally, they'd naturally be among the students facing expulsion.

There was no denying that the Class 1-D students had taken one blow after another today.

One wave after another.

After the points crisis came the threat of expulsion.

The Idiot Trio no longer had time to fret about Kageya Shinjitsu's points.

Points were the source of their livelihood, but expulsion meant losing everything.

If they were expelled, points wouldn't matter anymore.

"E-Expulsion? What's going on?"

Seeing the students below panic, Chabashira Sae spoke calmly.

"Oh? Didn't I tell you? This school's rules say that if you fail even one subject on a midterm or final exam, you'll be expelled."

"W-What? Whaaaaat?"

"What? What's going on?"

"Why have we never heard about this?"

"Chabashira-sensei, please don't joke about this!"

"Why would we be expelled? We didn't know!"

Naturally, they couldn't accept the news. It struck the class like a thunderclap.

Many students looked stunned as they considered their own abilities. It wasn't just the seven who had failed—even those with slightly higher scores felt afraid.

Hirata was also concerned by the news. He wasn't worried about himself, but about the others. Could so many people really be expelled? His face grew paler and more troubled.

Karuizawa Kei checked her score and breathed a small sigh of relief.

She'd been going to Horikita Suzune for help these past few days, and her score had indeed risen a little.

She wasn't in any danger. If she kept studying, she might not come out at the top, but she should at least be able to rank in the upper-middle of the class.

She admired Kageya Shinjitsu more and more, but she was also a little worried about him.

Given the situation, the boys in the class definitely wouldn't let him off once class ended.

Even knowing how strong he was, she couldn't help worrying.

Chabashira Sae didn't respond, and she certainly didn't look like she was joking.

The students still tried one last time to bargain.

"Teacher Sae-chan, don't joke around! Expulsion isn't something to joke about!"

"It won't make a difference even if you say that. These are the school's rules."

"Relax. This time doesn't count, since I already told you. But the midterms and finals coming up later are another matter."

"Everyone who fails will be expelled."

The students tried appealing to Chabashira Sae, but she announced the news without mercy.

"I can understand Gloomy BOY a little now. No wonder he doesn't want to associate with you. Stupidity really is contagious. Isn't it perfectly normal for a school to give tests? Why are you so surprised?"

"Oh, I suppose I can't call him Gloomy BOY anymore. Kageya BOY. How about Scheming BOY?"

"Scheming is all you ever think about. It suits you."

Koenji polished his nails, his legs stretched across the desk, smiling as if he were someone important.

When he saw Kageya Shinjitsu turn his head, he greeted him, and Kageya quickly turned back around.

This flamboyant pretty boy was truly unbearable.

He was definitely one of the people in the class who made Kageya feel like he couldn't take it anymore.

Far too flamboyant.

"Why are Koenji's scores so high, too?"

"I thought Koenji was definitely an idiot, just like Sudo."

Kanji Ike and the others, who had been feeling disgruntled, found Koenji's score and were shocked.

Not only was it high, it was near the top. He was another monster with outstanding academic ability, which was hard to believe.

It made them feel as if they'd all been academic failures together, only for one of them to suddenly turn things around and become a top student.

"Let me add one last thing. This school is run by the government and is renowned for its high college admission and employment rates. That's common knowledge. Most of you in this class probably came here hoping to go on to higher education or find a job."

"But the world doesn't hand out that many good things. If your ability is lacking, you won't get into college or find a job, no matter where you go. You might as well keep those daydreams to yourself."

Seeing that the mood had settled in, Chabashira Sae delivered another blow.

"So, to enjoy the benefits of achieving our goals of getting into college or finding jobs, we have to advance to Class C or higher, right?"

Hirata took the opportunity to ask.

However, the answer was more frightening than they had imagined.

"It's not that simple. If you want this school to help fulfill your future ambitions, the only way is to advance to Class A. The school gives no guarantees to students in any other class. You'll have to rely on your own abilities when you take your exams."

"Only Class A students receive special treatment, so work hard. The midterm exams are both a challenge and an opportunity. If you do well, you'll earn Class Points."

"Some people have already prepared to transfer to Class A."

After delivering that blow to the students, Chabashira Sae glanced at Kageya Shinjitsu.

The students in Class D were already devastated.

They didn't know what to say.

"Th-This is a scam, isn't it?"

"Why did we even come here?"

"Exactly! We came here for three years, and now you're telling us only Class A gets that?"

"This is too much, Chabashira-sensei!"

The special treatment had struck an even deeper chord with the students.

They could still grit their teeth and put up with the points crisis.

The threat of expulsion? They just had to study hard and do well on their exams.