You Want Me to Help? Give Me a Reason / Don't Hide. If You Want to Spy, Come Over and Watch

"Right. Two of the questions were at a second-year high school level, one was at a third-year level, and another was at a university level. So let me ask you: could you get all ten questions right?"

"No."

Of course she couldn't. She was only a first-year. How could she possibly get those questions right?

By guessing?

"Heh. I'll tell you this: someone in Class D can do it. Here, look at her answers."

Chabashira Sae tossed a sheet of paper to Horikita so she could see it clearly. "Does Class D really only admit students who are bad at studying? Why do you think the school set the passing mark so low? If you were willing to think a little harder, you might figure it out. But never mind. Since you're here, I'll be blunt."

"You, along with everyone else in Class D, are defective goods. You're trash that can't fit into society."

"Trash?"

As Horikita listened to Chabashira, anger began to flare in her eyes. "Teacher, I don't think what you're saying is right."

"Then prove it. The school says you're trash, so prove it wrong. It's not my decision, anyway. The school says so. Class A is made up of future elites, Class B of ordinary people, and Class C of society's bottom rung. As for you in Class D... you've been abandoned."

Chabashira grew more animated as she spoke. She looked at Horikita and pounded on her desk, as if venting her anger. "Do you know how to get into Class A? Twenty million points. If you can manage that, go ahead and do it. Otherwise, find a way to surpass Class A. Understand?"

"Surpass Class A? How am I supposed to surpass Class A when the classes have already been decided?"

Horikita's retort left Chabashira at a loss for words. She stared blankly at Horikita, just watching her in silence.

Her eyes held pity, mockery, and amusement. She stared for a long while, then let out a quiet laugh. The laughter grew until she was cackling loudly, laughing without restraint. Her mocking expression made Horikita's face turn red. "What's so funny? What's wrong with what I said?"

"You don't understand! You haven't noticed a thing! I thought you'd come to see me with some brilliant idea. Forget getting into Class A—you still haven't figured out this school's rules?"

Someone who still doesn't understand this academy's rules will probably be expelled before long.

Horikita suddenly remembered the argument from a few days ago.

Back then, that boy called Hoya had said the same thing to her.

The academy's rules? What rules?

Looking at the mockery on Chabashira's face, Horikita began to panic.

Cold sweat slowly beaded on her forehead. The more unhinged Chabashira became, the more anxious Horikita felt. She'd become a clown, standing before her teacher like some pitiful, laughable clown.

"Enough. Come back when you've figured out this school's rules. From what I know, the other three classes have already discovered them. But you... Heh. Class D. Ha, Class D. You're not the one who can save Class D."

"What are you talking about? Who could possibly understand that?"

"She does. She understands, you know! I'll tell you right now: there are plenty of people in Class D who are better than you. Ayanokoji Kiyohime, get out here!"

Chabashira shouted toward the door of the tearoom, but Ayanokoji inside didn't heed her.

"Ayanokoji Kiyohime, if you don't come out right now, I'll have you expelled! Do you understand?"

"Yes, yes..."

At the mention of expulsion, Ayanokoji had no choice but to come out of the little room.

She'd come to this school to escape her family's pursuit. If she left, it wouldn't be long before they caught her and dragged her back.

"Here, I'll tell you. She can answer all ten questions correctly. Now look at her grades. Do you think you're clever? Look at her scores. She ended up in Class D, so what about you?"

Chabashira threw the grade sheet onto the floor. Horikita crouched down, picked it up, and searched for Ayanokoji's scores.

All five subjects were 51 points. Not a point more or less.

"See? Compared to her, do you think your grades are good? Look at her. Do you understand what Class D is? You're all flawed products, rejects, trash—a bunch of useless people who can't fit into society. Ayanokoji, tell me: have you figured out this academy's rules?"

"Points?"

Ayanokoji Kiyohime asked without thinking. She remembered Hoya had once told her about S-Points. She'd sensed something was off back then, but she hadn't seen enough of the world to think it through any further.

She didn't understand the concept of money, and had no idea just how enormous a fortune ten thousand points per student each month represented. She could tell there was something wrong with the points, but she lacked the experience to pinpoint what.

"Did you hear that? She noticed it, but you didn't notice a thing."

"Points... What's wrong with the points?"

Horikita looked at Ayanokoji. Her face had gone pale. She seemed to have an inkling, but no matter how she thought about it, a thin sheet of paper still seemed to block her from understanding.

"Points... They probably aren't always ten thousand every month. Otherwise, the cafeteria and supermarket wouldn't have free items. So there must be some kind of calculation that determines how many points we're supposed to get each month. And the results of that calculation probably decide which class is Class A and which is Class D."

Ayanokoji voiced her theory. Her words tore through that thin sheet of paper and let Horikita see the truth.

Chapter 53: You Want Me to Help? Give Me a Reason

"Have you noticed the difference now? Do you know what you should do? If you want to join Class A, either save up twenty million points and transfer there yourself, or lead your ragtag bunch of losers in a charge toward Class A. If you understand, leave. At least don't let me see you again for now. I thought you'd come to me with some great determination, but... that's it?"

Chabashira seemed to have finished venting. She sat in her chair, her eyes vacant, and no longer looked at Horikita.

"Teacher, I..."

"Enough. Go."

Even Ayanokoji could tell that the two of them needed to leave.

Ayanokoji took Horikita by the hand and led her out of the office. "Goodbye, Teacher."

The two of them left, but Chabashira continued staring blankly at the ceiling.

Watching Horikita, she murmured softly.

"Just like... so much like her... Stop struggling. You can't escape this fate. A Class D has never become Class A in this school. Never..."

Only her murmurs remained in the office.

Ayanokoji watched Horikita stand there in a daze, looking as if she'd lost her soul. She hadn't expected herself to be so... useless.

She hadn't understood anything or noticed a thing. She'd thought she was supposed to be as exceptional as her brother, and that the school had made a mistake this time.

But... she was still far behind.

Someone in each of the other three classes had figured out the truth. And what about her? She wasn't even as sharp as the seemingly dim-witted Ayanokoji beside her.

She couldn't help looking at Ayanokoji. Was she really foolish, or just pretending? Was she wise beyond her years, or exactly as she seemed?

"What's wrong?"

Ayanokoji turned to look at Horikita. She didn't understand why Horikita had suddenly been staring at her so intently.

And with a look that seemed like she wanted to devour her.

"You... What else do you know?"

"What do you mean?"

"About this school."

"Well... I've already told you about S-Points, and I've explained the competition between the four classes. And finally... I think the ways to earn S-Points are through various exams and activities."

Ayanokoji thought it over with her limited wits. She was pretty sure she'd gotten most of it right.

"I see... Then, Ayanokoji, I need your help."

Horikita Suzune held out her hand. "I want you to help me turn Class D into Class A."

She extended her hand in friendship, but Ayanokoji tilted her head. "Why should I help you?"

"..."

Fair enough. That was a solid reason.

Ayanokoji didn't care which class she was in. She simply wanted to understand the people of the world better.

She didn't mind being in Class A or Class D. As long as she wasn't expelled, she was fine.

"For... your points?"

"Points? That's one reason, I suppose. We might not have many points next month."

"What do you mean?"

"What do you think of our class's situation? How many hidden points will we lose? I don't even have to think about it. We'll probably lose so many that we won't have many points left next month."

"Then why don't you tell everyone?"

"Tell everyone? Who'd believe me? Do you have proof? I know it'd sound like nonsense without proof, so they definitely won't believe me. They won't learn their lesson until they suffer for it."

Ayanokoji understood the situation perfectly. She also knew why Hoya hadn't had much to say about Class D this month.

Because Class D was simply too weak.

They'd ruin themselves.

That was why he'd said they should buy off some of the girls. Girls had a harder time accepting a drop in their standard of living than boys. If he had enough points, he might be able to live comfortably.

Like Koenji.

Ayanokoji had seen it before, and Koenji had bragged about it himself: many upperclassmen girls used their points to treat Koenji.

They were about to graduate, and since they weren't in Class A, they knew what their final outcome would be. The Koenji family was a prominent family. He might not have any other talents, but he had money.

That money couldn't be used in this academy, but the girls were about to graduate. They gave Koenji points, and he could send money to their families. Ayanokoji didn't know how he managed that in a school where students couldn't contact the outside world, but he clearly wasn't ordinary.

Class D was full of hidden talents. Besides Ayanokoji, Koenji was one of them. As for the others... Hoya hadn't told her.

Right. After all, he couldn't easily explain how he'd learned about the rest. For instance, the idol-in-the-making Sakura Airi and the otaku Sotomura Hideo. They each had their own abilities. That was how this academy recruited talent.

Everyone had a special skill in some area, though it didn't necessarily have anything to do with studying. And having a special skill was a different matter from being able to survive in society.

"So... all we can do is sit here and watch our hidden points plummet?"

"Well... in theory, yes."

Ayanokoji seemed to understand why Hoya had allowed Ryuen Shoko to run wild. Indeed, forcing a bunch of rowdy students to obey without resorting to violence was a difficult problem. He could use force to fight force, but... she didn't think that was appropriate.

So she chose to wait and see.

Meanwhile, while Horikita and Ayanokoji were worrying about Class D's future, Hoya was enjoying his lunch.

Well, morning classes were over, and he hadn't run into any strange trouble. It was certainly cause for celebration.

At last, he could relax for a bit this week.

"Chukai-kun, there you are."

Hoya was having lunch on the rooftop when he heard someone call him. He turned around and saw Ichinose.

Hmm... Were they close enough now for her to call him by name?

Well, girls had the right to do what they wanted. He didn't mind.

"What's up, Ichinose?"

He didn't call her by her first name. After all... he was worried he might come across as a flirt.

It was up to her what she called him, but he couldn't be that casual in return. Otherwise, she might get the wrong idea, and then things would get troublesome.

It wasn't that he was embarrassed to call her by name. Definitely not.

"It's Friday, so I was thinking of going to the shopping district. I wanted to see if you were free."

"Go to the shopping district? Aren't you going with your classmates?"

"Ah, I've already gone with them before. This time, I was mainly thinking of bringing Ayanokoji along. She's a little too withdrawn, so I invited several people. Do you want to come too?"

"Sure. See you this afternoon?"

"See you this afternoon."

Chapter 54: Don't Hide. If You Want to Spy, Come Over and Watch

When you had something to look forward to, life felt wonderful.

Even though the two afternoon classes were terribly dull, Hoya was still looking forward to going to the shopping district.

After all, he'd be able to get away from a certain crazy woman. That was a very satisfying thought.

Come to think of it, the crazy woman had been surprisingly quiet today. He wondered what she was thinking about.

Hoya watched Ryuen Shoko, who was playing with her phone. She hadn't been using it in class, but she'd still been slacking off.

Sitting behind her, Hoya could see exactly what she'd been doing during class.

For instance... drawing stick figures in her notebook.

Well, in a way, he really had no idea what Ryuen Shoko was planning. He just felt like something was on her mind.

Well... what did he care? Ryuen Shoko could have whatever on her mind.

Would he actually be bothered by it? Impossible.