The Loser

Most of the students in Class D could not understand the meaning of the text on the white paper posted on the blackboard.

"Is this... the grades for each class?"

Someone whispered, half-doubting, trying to explain it.

"For this month, you lived as you pleased within the school, and the school did not interfere. However, you must bear the consequences of actions like tardiness or private chatter yourself; that is all. The same applies to the use of points—how you spend what you have earned is the holder's freedom, and the school will not impose restrictions."

"That's too much! If this continues, I won't be able to survive at all!"

Ike, who had been listening to the conversation in silence, finally understood the current situation.

Yamauchi Haruki let out a painful wail; this was likely because his personal points had already been reduced to zero.

"You idiots, look closely. Points have already been credited to every class except Class D."

"Throughout this month, all classes were graded according to the same rules. However, the gap in points is this large; that is the reality."

"Why... would the class points differ to such an extent?"

Hirata could not understand.

In truth, Chabashira Sae did not understand either why this year's Class D had managed to squander all their points in just one month.

The original Class A's score was the highest in history, while Class B had managed to surpass Class A in the very first month to complete a comeback, and even Class C's score had exceeded that of previous years' Class B.

Three of the strongest in history and one of the weakest in history, perhaps.

How was she supposed to teach them? Chabashira Sae was already feeling resigned.

"Do you understand why you were selected for Class D?"

The students looked at each other; in their understanding, wasn't the class assignment just random?

"This school assigns classes based on the students' level of excellence. The most excellent students go to Class A, while the useless students end up in Class D."

Three years after three years, this year's Class D had shattered Chabashira Sae's hopes right from the start.

"Simply put, Class D is the final fortress where the laggards are gathered. In short, you are all the worst kind of defective products. This is a fitting end for defective products, isn't it?"

Horikita Suzune was not crushed by the news of zero points per month—her daily expenses were already limited.

But the label of "defective product" alone became a thorn in her heart that was difficult to resolve.

Chabashira Sae's cold laughter was particularly jarring in the classroom: "To exhaust all your points in just one month, you are truly unique among all previous Class Ds. Honestly, I am even a bit impressed that you could be this absurd. Impressive, truly impressive."

All the students in the class heard the sarcasm in their homeroom teacher's words, yet no one spoke up to refute it.

After all, this was a fact that no one could deny.

Hoshino Kanade also had to admit that he had been too reckless this month—since it was going to be zero anyway, he might as well have spent it all.

"Does that mean as long as the class points are zero, we will continue to have zero income?"

"Correct. These points will remain at zero until graduation. However, rest assured, you can use your dormitory rooms for free, and there is free food, so you won't die."

Although free room and board could guarantee basic survival, for most students, this treatment was hardly a comfort.

In just one month, they had already grown accustomed to a life of extravagance, and now, having to tighten their belts, this contrast was truly difficult to adapt to.

The consumption trap that Chabashira Sae had laid at the start of the term had led to this predicament exactly as she had expected—yet the "record" of this year's Class D, which had broken the lower limit, made even her gasp at the absurdity.

"...Does this mean we are going to be looked down upon by the others from now on?"

Sudo kicked the leg of his desk with a bang, the harsh sound causing the noisy classroom to fall silent for a moment.

When class rank became the yardstick for ability, the nameplate of Class D became a mark of shame—a nest of idiots that openly declared it was filled with the "defective products" of the entire grade, a fact so obvious it didn't even need hiding.

It seemed that for Sudo, this suffocating sense of inferiority was more heart-wrenching than eating unpalatable free meals.

"What's wrong, Sudo? Even you care about face? Then work hard to make the class climb higher."

"Huh?"

"Class points not only determine the amount of personal funds distributed each month, but they also directly determine the ranking of the classes."

The other party paused for a moment, pointing a fingertip at the current ranking table: "For example, the current Class A—is the one that just rose from Class B last month."

"Chabashira-sensei—this class assignment system itself has loopholes!"

Horikita Suzune suddenly stood up. Her voice rose sharply, and her fingertips dug deep into her palms: "The original Class A was crushed and overtaken by Class B in the first month's quality assessment. Then, when they started school—by what right did they enter with the title of Class A?"

Horikita Suzune had never believed she should have been assigned to Class D, and the original Class A being overtaken by the original Class B was good evidence of that.

Chabashira Sae's fingertips unconsciously rubbed the edge of her lesson plan—this question was indeed tricky for her.

According to the precision of the class assignment mechanism over the years, there should not have been any misjudgment.

The only reasonable explanation surfaced: Class B was hiding a precocious mastermind who had locked the collective's reins with iron laws.

However, this still could not prove that Horikita Suzune should not have been assigned to this class.

"Perhaps there is still controversy regarding the evaluation of Class B this year—but the zero-point score of Class D, which is like ironclad evidence, leaves no room for debate."

"But..."

Horikita Suzune wanted to say something more, but she was interrupted by Chabashira-sensei.

"Enough. If you want to question the school's decision, then rise to Class A and prove it."

Horikita looked frustrated, but she had no choice but to sit back down. However, judging by her posture, she still seemed quite confident.

"There is one more piece of regrettable news I must tell you all."

Chabashira-sensei posted another sheet of paper on the blackboard, which recorded the results of the last quiz.

"The quiz results are out—the class is packed with 'top students,' I'm truly touched." She suddenly leaned over, bracing herself against the podium, her gaze sweeping over the bewildered faces below.

"How delightful. If this were an official exam..." The drawn-out pause hung like a blade over their heads, "It's only been two weeks since school started, and seven of you would already be packing your bags to leave."

Class D fell into a state of chaos once again.

Compared to the bottom-tier Class D, the students who had just been demoted to Class B (formerly Class A) were equally low in morale.

To lose the title of "Class A" in just one month and have it snatched away by Class B was truly hard to swallow.

As people who prided themselves on being elites, they found it difficult to save face.

Just then, a student from Class C passed by the corridor on the way to the restroom. He deliberately leaned against the window frame to peer inside, drawing out his tone to mock them loudly: "Yo—is this the fallen former Class A? You've certainly degenerated fast."

Before the words had even faded, angry shouts erupted among the Class B students. Katsuragi Kohei's subordinate, Totsuka Yahiko, had veins bulging on his forehead; he kicked his chair away and lunged forward to pursue him, looking just like a terrier that had had its tail stepped on.

But the other party struck and vanished, entering an untargetable state.

Katsuragi Kohei also stopped Totsuka, "Quiet!" Katsuragi Kohei's iron-like command slammed into the air, and the ripples of unrest in Class B were crushed into dead silence before they could even spread.

Sakayanagi Arisu didn't seem to care about becoming Class B. She tapped the handle of her cane with her fingertips, her gaze sweeping over Totsuka Yahiko's flushed face before finally resting on Katsuragi Kohei's tense expression:

"If you continue to let your reckless follower bark like that, Katsuragi-kun..."

She suddenly let out a soft laugh, a mockery like shards of ice rising beneath her snow-white eyelashes: "I'm afraid we won't even be able to hold onto our position in Class B~"

Totsuka Yahiko dared to snap at others, but in front of Sakayanagi Arisu, he even made sure to swallow his throat-bob lightly. In the end, he simply lowered his head, hiding the frustration in his eyes.

"I don't need you to remind me."

Katsuragi Kohei's fist clenched suddenly by the seam of his uniform trousers, but his voice was as heavy as a steel nail driven into granite.

"That would be for the best."

Most of the students in Class D could not understand what the text on the white paper posted on the blackboard meant.

"These are... the scores for each class?"

Someone spoke up in a whisper, half-doubting.

"You lived as you pleased on campus this month, and the school did not object. But you must bear the consequences of behaviors like tardiness or private chatter yourselves; that is all. The same applies to the use of points—how you spend what you have obtained is the holder's freedom, and the school will not impose restrictions."

"That's too much! If this continues, I won't be able to survive at all!"

Ike, who had been silently listening to the conversation, finally understood the situation.

Yamauchi Haruki let out a painful wail; this was likely because his personal points had already hit zero.

"You idiots, look closely. Points have already been deposited into every class except Class D."

"Throughout this month, all classes were graded according to the same rules. However, there is such a gap in points—this is reality."

"Why... is there such a huge difference in class points?"

Hirata could not understand.

In truth, Chabashira Sae didn't understand either why this year's Class D had managed to squander all their points in just one month.

The former Class A's score was the highest in history, and Class B had managed to stage a comeback by surpassing Class A in the very first month; even Class C's score had exceeded that of previous Class Bs.

Three of the strongest in history and one of the weakest in history, it seemed.

How is one supposed to fight this? Chabashira Sae was already feeling resigned.

"Do you understand why you were chosen for Class D now?"

The students looked at each other in dismay. In their understanding, weren't classes assigned randomly?

"This school assigns classes based on the excellence of the students. The most excellent students go to Class A, and the useless ones go to Class D."

Year after year, this year's Class D had shattered Chabashira Sae's hopes right from the start.

"Simply put, Class D is the final fortress where the laggards are gathered. In short, you are all the worst kind of defective goods. This is quite a fitting end for defective goods, isn't it?"

Horikita Suzune was not crushed by the news of zero points per month—her daily expenses were already limited.

But the label of "defective goods" was the only thing that became an unresolved thorn in her heart.

Chabashira Sae's cold sneer was particularly grating in the classroom: "To exhaust all your points in just one month, you are truly unique among all previous Class Ds. Honestly, I'm even a little impressed that you could be this absurd. Impressive, truly impressive."

The entire class heard the sarcasm in their homeroom teacher's words, but no one spoke up to refute it.

After all, this was a fact that no one could deny.

Hoshino Kanade also had to admit that he had been too absurd this month—since it was all zero points anyway, he had just gone wild.

"Does that mean as long as the class points are zero, we will continue to have zero income?"

"Correct. These points will remain at zero until graduation. But don't worry, the dormitory rooms can be used for free, and there is free food, so you won't die."

Although free room and board guarantee basic survival, for most students, this treatment is hardly a consolation.

In just one short month, they had already grown accustomed to a life of unbridled extravagance; now, suddenly forced to tighten their belts, this disparity was truly difficult to adapt to.

The consumption trap Chabashira Sae had laid at the start of the term had led to this current predicament exactly as she had foreseen—yet, even she couldn't help but be stunned by the sheer absurdity of this Class D's record-breaking incompetence.

"...Does this mean we're going to be looked down upon by everyone else from now on?"

Sudo kicked the leg of his desk with a loud bang, the jarring sound causing the noisy classroom to fall silent for a moment.

When class rank becomes the yardstick for ability, the label of Class D becomes a mark of shame—a public declaration that this place is a dumping ground for the "defective products" of the grade, a nest of idiots so hopeless that even covering them up would be a waste of effort.

It seemed that for Sudo, this suffocating sense of inferiority was even more gut-wrenching than eating the terrible free meals.

"What's the matter, Sudo? Even you care about saving face? Then work hard to help the class climb higher."

"Huh?"

"Class points don't just determine the amount of personal funds distributed each month; they directly dictate the ranking order of the classes."

The other person paused for a moment, tapping a fingertip against the current ranking table: "For example, the current Class A—they just rose from Class B last month."

"Chabashira-sensei—this class assignment system itself has flaws!"

Horikita Suzune suddenly stood up, her voice rising sharply as her fingernails dug deep into her palms: "The original Class A was crushed and overtaken by Class B during the first month's aptitude assessment, so when they started school—on what grounds did they enter with the title of Class A?"

Horikita Suzune had never believed she belonged in Class D, and the fact that the original Class A was overtaken by the original Class B was the perfect proof of that.

Chabashira Sae's fingertips unconsciously rubbed the edge of her lesson plan—this question was indeed a thorny one for her.

Given the precision of the annual class assignment mechanism, there shouldn't have been any misjudgments.

The only logical explanation surfaced: Class B must have been hiding a precocious mastermind who held the reins of the collective with an iron grip.

However, this still did not prove that Horikita Suzune shouldn't have been assigned to this class.

"Perhaps the assessment of Class B this year remains controversial—but the ironclad proof of Class D's zero-point performance leaves no room for argument."

"But..."

Horikita Suzune wanted to say more, but she was interrupted by Chabashira-sensei.

"Enough. If you want to question the school's decisions, then prove it by rising to Class A."

Horikita looked frustrated, but she had no choice but to sit back down, though judging by her posture, she remained quite confident.

"There is one more piece of regrettable news I must tell you."

Chabashira-sensei posted another sheet of paper on the blackboard, which recorded the results of the last quiz.

"The quiz results are out—the whole class is packed with 'top students,' I'm truly touched." She suddenly leaned over, bracing herself against the podium, her gaze sweeping over the blank faces below.

"How congratulatory. If this were a formal exam..." The drawn-out, lingering tone hung like a blade over their heads, "School has only been in session for two weeks, and seven of you would already be packing your bags to leave."

Class D fell into a state of chaos once again.

Compared to the bottom-dwelling Class D, the students who had just been demoted to Class B (the original Class A) were equally low in morale.

To lose the title of "Class A" in just one month and have it snatched away by Class B was truly hard to swallow.

This made them, who prided themselves on being the elite, lose face.

Just then, a Class C student passing by the corridor on the way to the restroom deliberately leaned against the window frame to peer inside, drawing out his tone to mock them loudly: "Yo—is this the fallen original Class A? You've degenerated quite fast, haven't you?"

Before the words had even faded, angry shouts erupted among the Class B students. Katsuragi Kohei's subordinate, Totsuka Yahiko, had veins bulging on his forehead; he kicked his chair aside and lunged forward to pursue, looking exactly like a terrier that had just had its tail stepped on.

But the other party struck and vanished, becoming an untouchable target.

Katsuragi Kohei also stopped Totsuka, "Quiet!" Katsuragi Kohei's iron-like command slammed into the air, and the ripples of unrest in Class B were crushed into dead silence before they could spread.

Sakayanagi Arisu did not seem to care about becoming Class B; she tapped the handle of her cane with her fingertips, her gaze sweeping over the flushed face of Totsuka Yahiko before finally resting on the tense face of Katsuragi Kohei:

"If you continue to let this reckless follower of yours bark, Katsuragi-kun..."

She suddenly let out a light laugh, a frost-like mockery rising beneath her snow-white eyelashes: "I'm afraid we won't even be able to hold onto our position in Class B~"

Totsuka Yahiko dared to snap at others, but in front of Sakayanagi Arisu, he even had to be careful about the way his throat moved; in the end, he simply lowered his head, hiding the frustration in his eyes.

"I don't need you to remind me."

Katsuragi Kohei's fists clenched tightly at his sides, but his voice was as heavy as a steel nail driven into granite.

"That's for the best."