Scheming in the real world? I can also do a little.

"Yes, two questions were high school sophomore level, one was high school junior level, and another was university level. So I ask you, can you get a perfect score on all ten questions?"

"No."

Of course she couldn't. She was only a first-year high school student, how could she possibly get those questions right?

By guessing?

"Heh, let me tell you, someone in Class D can do it. Here, these are her answers."

Chabashira Sae threw a piece of paper to Horikita so she could see it clearly. "Are only the academically poor really entering Class D? Why is the school's passing line set so low? If you were willing to use your brain a little more, you might figure it out. But forget it, since you're here, I'll be direct."

"You, and everyone else in Class D, are all bad apples, all trash that can't integrate into society."

"Trash?"

Hearing Chabashira Sae's words, Horikita's eyes gradually blazed with anger. "Teacher, I don't think you are correct."

"Then prove it. The school deems you trash, so prove it. Anyway, what I say doesn't count, it's what the school says. Class A is the elite of the future, Class B is ordinary people, Class C is the bottom of society, and your Class D... is the existence that has been abandoned."

Chabashira Sae became more and more excited. She looked at Horikita, banging on her desk, as if venting her anger. "Do you know how to get into Class A? 20 million points. If you can do it, then do it. Or find a way to surpass Class A, understand?"

"Surpass Class A? How can I surpass Class A? Aren't the classes already decided?"

Horikita's retort actually made Chabashira Sae falter. She stared blankly at Horikita, just watching her.

Her eyes held pity, mockery, and amusement. She stared for a long time, then slowly chuckled, chuckled, and gradually burst into laughter. She laughed wantonly, her mocking expression making Horikita's face turn red. "What's wrong! Is there something wrong with what I said?"

"You don't understand, you haven't realized anything! I thought you came to me with some brilliant idea. Forget about entering Class A, you still haven't understood the rules of this school?"

'Anyone who still doesn't understand the rules of this academy now will probably be expelled soon.'

Horikita suddenly remembered the argument from a few days ago.

At that time, the boy named Hoya Chukai had said that to her.

The rules of the academy? What rules?

Looking at Chabashira Sae's mocking face, she also started to panic a little.

Cold sweat gradually broke out on her forehead. The more frantic Chabashira became, the more flustered she felt. She had become a clown, a pathetic and laughable clown in front of her teacher.

"Alright, come back and talk when you realize the rules of this school. As far as I know now, people in the other three classes have already discovered the rules, and you... heh, Class D, haha, Class D. The one who can save Class D isn't you."

"Who understands what you're saying!"

"She understands, she understands, you know! I'll tell you now, there are many people in Class D who are better than you. Ayanokoji Kiyohime, come out."

Chabashira Sae shouted loudly towards the door of the staff room, but Ayanokoji inside did not obey her.

"Ayanokoji Kiyohime, if you don't come out now, I'll get you expelled, do you understand!"

"Yes, yes..."

When expulsion was mentioned, Ayanokoji had no choice but to come out of the room.

She came to this school to escape her family's pursuit. If she left this school, she would be caught again before long.

"Here, let me tell you, she can answer these ten questions correctly. Take a look at her grades. Do you think you're very smart? Look at her grades, she's already in Class D, let alone you."

Chabashira threw the report card on the ground. Horikita squatted down and picked up the report card, looking for Ayanokoji's scores.

Five subjects, all 51 points, not one point more, not one point less.

"See? Compared to her, do you think your academic performance is good? Look at her, do you understand what kind of existence Class D is? You are all flawed products, scrap, trash, a bunch of good-for-nothings who can't integrate into society. I ask you, Ayanokoji, have you discovered the rules of this academy?"

"Points?"

Ayanokoji Kiyohime subconsciously asked. She remembered that Hoya Chukai had told her about S-Points. Because she had noticed the problem at the time, but due to her lack of experience, she couldn't think further.

She didn't understand the concept of money and had no idea how much a huge sum 100,000 points per month per student represented. She could only sense that there was something wrong with the points, but she lacked the experience to know where the problem lay.

"Did you hear that? Even she can sense it, but you haven't sensed anything."

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

Horikita looked at Ayanokoji. Her face was pale, as if she had thought of something, but no matter how she thought about it, there was a layer of paper blocking her thoughts.

"Points... it shouldn't be 100,000 every month. Otherwise, the cafeteria and supermarket wouldn't have free items. So, there should be a calculation method that determines how many points each of us should have each month, and this calculation result will determine which class is Class A and which class is Class D."

Ayanokoji voiced her thoughts, and her words directly pierced through that layer of paper, allowing Horikita to understand the truth.

Chapter 53: I'll Help You? Give Me a Reason

"Do you see the gap? Do you know what to do? If you want to join Class A, either save up 20 million points yourself to enter Class A, or lead your group of trash towards Class A. If you understand, then leave. At least don't let me see you again for now. I thought you came to me with some great resolve, but... this is it?"

Chabashira Sae seemed to have vented her anger. She sat in her chair with a vacant look, no longer looking at Horikita.

"Teacher, I..."

"Alright, go."

Even Ayanokoji could tell that the two of them should leave now.

Ayanokoji took Horikita's hand and led her out of the office. "Goodbye, teacher."

The two left, but Chabashira still stared blankly at the ceiling.

Looking at Horikita, she couldn't help but murmur in a low voice.

"It's like... too much like it... stop struggling, you cannot escape this fate. In this school, there has never been a case of Class D becoming Class A, never..."

The only thing left in the office was her whisper.

Ayanokoji watched as Horikita stood there in a daze, looking as if she had lost her soul; she hadn't expected herself to be this... incompetent.

She hadn't understood anything, nor had she known anything. She had assumed she should be as outstanding as her brother, and that this must have been a mistake by the school.

But... she was still far too lacking.

People in the other three classes had discovered the truth, and what about her? She wasn't even as good as the blockhead-like Ayanokoji beside her.

She couldn't help but look at Ayanokoji. Was she truly a fool, or was she just playing the fool? Was it wisdom hidden behind a dull exterior? Or was she exactly as she appeared?

"What's wrong?"

Ayanokoji tilted her head to look at Horikita, not understanding why Horikita was suddenly staring at her so intensely.

And that look—it was a gaze that could devour someone.

"What... exactly do you still know?"

"What are you referring to?"

"About this school."

"Hmm... I believe I've already mentioned the S-Points, and I've talked about the competition between the four classes, and finally... the way to obtain S-Points should be through various exams or activities."

Ayanokoji pondered with her little brain; she had guessed it pretty accurately.

"Is that so... then Ayanokoji-san, I need your help."

Horikita Suzune extended her hand: "In order to make Class D become Class A, I want you to help me."

She held out a friendly hand, but Ayanokoji tilted her head: "Why should I help you?"

"..."

Very well, that was a perfectly valid reason.

Ayanokoji didn't care which class she was in; she just wanted to understand the world better.

Whether she was in Class A or Class D didn't matter to her, as long as she wasn't expelled, anything was fine.

"For... your points?"

"Points? That could be considered a reason, I suppose. After all, we might not have many points left by next month."

"What do you mean by that?"

"How do you think our class is doing? How many hidden points will be deducted? I don't even need to think about it to know that we probably won't have many points left by next month."

"Then why didn't you tell everyone?"

"Tell everyone? Who would believe me? Do you have proof? I know that without evidence, it's just nonsense, let alone for them. Unless they suffer once, it's impossible for them to reflect."

Ayanokoji viewed this matter very thoroughly, and she also understood why Hoya Chukai hadn't had any designs on Class D this month.

Because Class D was truly too weak.

They would ruin themselves beyond recognition.

That was why he had said he would bribe some of the girls; compared to the boys, girls found it harder to accept a decline in their quality of life. If he had enough points, perhaps he could live a very good life.

Just like Koenji-san.

Ayanokoji had seen it before, and Koenji had even boasted about it himself; many upperclassmen had been using their points to treat Koenji.

After all, they were about to graduate, and not being in Class A, they certainly knew what their final outcome would be. The Koenji family was a prominent clan; he didn't have other skills, but he had plenty of money.

Although this money couldn't be used in this academy, the upperclassmen were graduating soon, so they gave Koenji points, and Koenji could send money to their families. Although she didn't know how he managed to do that in a school where contact with the outside world was impossible, it was clear that he was no ordinary person.

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

Right, after all, it would be hard for him to explain how he got the information about the rest of them. For example, the little idol Sakura Airi, or the otaku Sotomura Hideo, and so on—they all had their own unique abilities. This was the characteristic of the talent this academy recruited.

Everyone had a specialty in their own area, but it wasn't necessarily related to academics, and having a specialty was a different matter from whether one could survive in society.

"So... we can only watch quietly as our hidden points drop like crazy?"

"Hmm... theoretically speaking, that is the case."

Ayanokoji now seemed to understand why Hoya Chukai was so indulgent toward Ryuen Shoko. Indeed, for a group of slackers, not using violence to force them to obey was a troublesome matter. Although he could also fight fire with fire, she... she felt it wasn't suitable.

So she chose to wait and see.

While Horikita and Ayanokoji were having a headache over the future of Class D, Hoya Chukai was currently enjoying his lunch in leisure.

Well, the morning classes had ended, and he hadn't encountered any strange troubles; it was truly a joyous and celebratory occasion.

Finally, for this week, he could properly relax.

"Chukai-kun, you're here."

Hoya Chukai, who was eating on the rooftop, heard someone calling him. He turned back and saw it was Ichinose.

Hmm... had their relationship reached the point where they could call each other by their first names?

Well, girls had the right to be willful; it didn't matter to him anyway.

"What is it, Ichinose-san?"

He didn't choose to answer by using her first name; after all... he was worried about coming off as a creep.

How a girl chooses to address him is her own business, but he couldn't just be that casual himself, or else it would be troublesome if she misunderstood something.

It was definitely not because he was too embarrassed to use her first name, definitely not.

"Today is Friday, isn't it? I was thinking of going to the shopping district to hang out, and I wanted to ask if you had any time."

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

"Ah, we've already hung out before. This time, I mainly wanted to bring Ayanokoji-kun along. Ayanokoji-kun is still a bit too antisocial, so I've invited a few others. Would you like to come too?"

"That works. See you this afternoon, then?"

"See you this afternoon."

Chapter 54: Stop hiding, if you want to scout, just come over and look directly

If there is something to look forward to, then life is pretty sweet.

Even though the two classes in the afternoon were extremely dull, Hoya Chukai was still quite looking forward to hanging out at the shopping district.

After all, being able to get away from a certain crazy woman was a very satisfying thing.

But having said that, the crazy woman was unexpectedly quiet today, and he had no idea what she was thinking about.

Hoya Chukai watched Ryuen Shoko, who was fiddling with her phone there. Although she wasn't playing with it during class, she was still slacking off.

Sitting behind her, Hoya Chukai could clearly see what Ryuen Shoko was doing during class.

For example... drawing stick figures in a small notebook.

Hmm, in a certain sense, he really didn't know what Ryuen Shoko was trying to do. Anyway, Hoya Chukai just felt that she seemed to have something on her mind.

Hmm... none of his business. If Ryuen Shoko has something on her mind, then so be it.

Would he feel concerned because of that? Impossible.