Changes

Meanwhile...

The atmosphere in Class A (formerly Class B) was like a stream thawing in early spring, more vibrant than it had ever been.

Although Class B had always been known for its cohesion, the current Class A radiated a brand-new vitality.

"When it comes down to it... it's all thanks to Ichinose."

Whispers of gratitude rose in the corner of the classroom, and several students turned in unison to look at the girl by the window.

Someone even leaned forward unconsciously, their fingertips brushing the back of a chair before pulling back abruptly—as if performing a restrained ritual of an embrace.

Morning light filtered through the classroom glass, dancing on the tips of Ichinose Honami's hair.

She held the edges of her textbook lightly, her voice as clear as a spring stream: "Our promotion to Class A this time is all thanks to everyone's collective effort!"

A familiar smile bloomed on her face—that cloudless, spirited energy, just like the morning sun breaking through the clouds.

Class A's promotion had come so easily that it left most students feeling a sense of unreality.

There were no life-or-death special exams, nor any undercurrents of inter-class maneuvering.

The Class A badge they held now was nothing more than a fleeting glory before the storm arrived.

The classroom was filled with exuberant noise, everyone indulging in the joy of their social ascent—

Only Kanzaki Ryuji leaned against the windowsill, his knuckles tapping the desk unconsciously.

He knew better than anyone: what was harder than reaching Class A was how to forge armor before the storm hit.

Hoshinomiya Chie tapped her fingertips against the podium, a smile spreading from the corners of her eyes: "Although you managed to reach Class A through the aptitude assessment..."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the students' jubilant faces, "But it's still class time—don't get too carried away."

In the admonition, with its slightly upturned tone, lay a hint of joy she hadn't even realized herself.

—The first class she had taught since becoming a teacher, and they had touched the threshold of Class A in just one month.

The air in Class C was uncharacteristically light—though the daily atmosphere remained stifling under Ryuen Kakeru's iron-fisted rule, the teenagers couldn't hide the relief of having survived the ordeal in their eyes.

The 750 class points settled at the end of the first month, while far from as glorious as Class B, had left the completely collapsed Class D far behind.

Ryuen watched the whispering students with cold eyes, his lips curling into a sharp arc.

If not for his ruthless methods, the current class points... would likely have been reduced to two-thirds.

A subtle realization permeated the Class C classroom; students who had once scoffed at Ryuen Kakeru's harshness were now, albeit slowly, chewing on the deeper meaning behind his iron-fisted discipline.

Ryuen leaned against the window, his fingertips tapping the frame nonchalantly.

He scanned the gazes in the classroom that finally carried a hint of conviction, and a barely audible snort escaped his nostrils.

"Hey, Ishizaki." He spoke suddenly, his voice like a dull blade scraping against sandpaper, "You should go to the bathroom."

"I understand."

After Chabashira Sae left, the discussions in the Class D classroom rose one after another.

A few students stared at their empty account interfaces, worrying about how to deal with the zero income this month;

But what caused more anxiety for the majority was the school's cruel rules themselves—"If only Class A gets a guarantee for further education and employment, then what's the point of us getting in here?"

"Are you kidding me? Why on earth... was I assigned to Class D?"

Yukimura tore off his glasses, his knuckles turning white as he clenched them.

"I can understand everyone's confusion, but please calm down first."

Hirata Yosuke stood up to mediate; this near-obsessive concern for the class would eventually become his fatal weakness.

"Reason? What do you expect me to be reasonable about!"

Yukimura stepped forward abruptly, his uniform collar almost hitting Hirata's chest.

Hirata Yosuke didn't retreat but stepped forward instead, his voice as calm as a frozen lake: "I understand your anger, but venting your emotions here will only make the situation worse."

"What did you say—!"

Yukimura's hand suddenly reached for Hirata's collar, his fingertips mere millimeters from the fabric—Kushida Kikyo inserted herself between the two like a wedge.

She placed her hand gently on Yukimura's clenched fist. Yukimura, not wanting to hurt Kushida, couldn't help but take half a step back.

Kushida's persuasion calmed Yukimura down, and the two later apologized to each other.

Irrationality, shifting blame onto others, combined with almost non-existent athletic ability—it seemed being assigned to Class D wasn't entirely unjust.

Hirata stood on the podium and gave a speech on "working together," calling on his classmates to supervise each other during class.

Although he received support from the girls, he hit a wall with Sudo; faced with Kushida trying to reason with him, he chose to kick his chair away and rush out the back door, leaving behind a swinging door panel and a room of stunned silence, with no one knowing if he would return for the class.

"Sudo-kun really doesn't understand the situation, does he? He's the one who's been late the most. If it weren't for Sudo-kun, we probably would have had some points left."

The answer was no—even without Sudo, the entirety of Class D would have eventually squandered all their points.

"Yeah... it's just terrible. Why am I in the same class as someone like that..."

The dissatisfaction among classmates was accumulating; even if Sudo were to be expelled later, I fear only Hirata Yosuke would truly care.

After school, Hirata stood on the podium, preparing to hold a strategy meeting.

The moment the final bell rang, Hirata Yosuke walked up to the podium to prepare for a class meeting.

Almost the entire class remained in the classroom. Seeing the large turnout, those who had run out of points seized the opportunity to take action.

Because he had run out of points, Yamauchi Haruki began trying to sell his second-hand game console.

What was even more absurd was that he had priced this device, which he originally bought for 20,000 points, at 22,000 points, attempting to force a sale onto Professor; it didn't seem like something a human would do.

Karuizawa Kei went around asking friends to lend her points, a relaxed smile always hanging on her face.

Although she only borrowed two thousand from each person, everyone knew deep down that this money was likely never coming back.

As a core figure in the girls' circle, her behavior was, in effect, an invisible form of oppression against others.

Looking around, it was clear that everyone who ended up in Class D had their own deep-seated issues.

The first month's aptitude assessment had settled, and the points of each class fluctuated as violently as water levels after a storm.

The reshuffling of class rankings was quietly altering the trajectory of every piece on the board—

The zero points that sank Class D to the bottom, the reversal of Class A's standing, the narrow gap between Class A and Class B...

Every crack in the numbers was tearing apart the predetermined tracks of the original story.

Hoshino Kanade leaned against the window, his slightly furrowed brow reflected in the glass.

At this moment, he knew better than anyone: in this torrent of upheaval, the waves he had foreseen had already receded to the shallows.

His only remaining advantage was his memory of the exam questions—

And the anatomical charts of every soul deeply etched into his mind: the history of Horikita Suzune's pride being pierced by the label of "defective product," the history of Sudo Ken's irritability ignited by his inferiority complex, the cracks beneath Hirata Yosuke's perfect mask...

Hoshino Kanade had never intended to lead Class D—probing the essence of these "defective products" had long since lost its meaning.

Even if Sudo were expelled in the next exam, it would merely be his own choice; what did that have to do with him?

If anything, the deeper Class D fell, the less likely his eyes, hidden in the shadows, would be noticed by anyone.

After the gentle prelude finished playing, an emotionless broadcast announcement echoed throughout the classroom:

"Class 1-D student Hoshino and student Ayanokoji, your homeroom teacher Chabashira has something to discuss with you. Please come to the faculty office."

The sound of the broadcast interrupted Hoshino Kanade's train of thought.

At the same time...

The atmosphere in Class A (formerly Class B) was like a stream thawing in early spring, more vibrant than usual.

Although Class B had always been known for its cohesion, Class A was now radiating a brand-new vitality.

"When it comes down to it... it's all thanks to Ichinose."

Soft murmurs of gratitude arose in the corner of the classroom, and several students looked toward the girl by the window in unison.

Someone even leaned forward unconsciously, their fingertips touching the back of a chair before pulling back abruptly—as if performing some kind of restrained ritual of an embrace.

Morning light passed through the classroom glass, dancing on the tips of Ichinose Honami's hair.

She held the edges of her textbook lightly, her voice as clear as a spring stream: "Reaching Class A this time is all thanks to everyone's collective effort!"

The familiar smile bloomed on her face—that cloudless, spirited energy, just like the morning sun breaking through the clouds.

Class A's promotion had come so easily that it made most students feel a sense of unreality.

There had been no life-or-death special exams, nor any undercurrents of inter-class maneuvering.

The Class A badge at this moment was nothing more than an illusory glory before the coming storm.

The classroom was filled with joyful noise, everyone indulging in the happiness of their social elevation—

Only Kanzaki Ryuji leaned against the windowsill, his knuckles tapping the desk unconsciously.

He knew better than anyone: what was more difficult than touching Class A was how to forge armor before the storm arrived.

Hoshinomiya Chie tapped her fingertips on the podium, a smile spreading from the corners of her eyes: "Although you've reached Class A thanks to the aptitude assessment..."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the students' jubilant faces, "It is still class time, after all—don't get too carried away."

In the instruction, with its slightly rising inflection, lay a hint of joy she hadn't even realized herself.

—The first class she had taught since becoming a teacher had actually touched the gates of Class A in just one month.

The air in Class C was uncharacteristically light—though their daily lives remained stifled by Ryuen Kakeru's iron-fisted rule, these teenagers couldn't hide the relief of having survived a disaster in their eyes.

The 750 class points from the first month's settlement, while far from as glorious as Class B's, had already left the completely collapsed Class D in the dust.

Ryuen watched the whispering students with cold eyes, a sharp arc pulling at the corner of his mouth.

If not for his iron-fisted methods, the current class points... would likely have dwindled to a mere two-thirds.

A subtle sense of realization permeated the Class C classroom; students who had previously scoffed at Ryuen Kakeru's harshness were now, albeit belatedly, chewing on the deeper meaning behind his brutal enforcement of discipline.

Ryuen leaned against the window, his fingertips tapping rhythmically and carelessly against the frame.

He swept his gaze over the students in the classroom, who were finally looking at him with a hint of conviction, and a barely audible snort escaped his nostrils.

"Hey, Ishizaki," he spoke suddenly, his voice like a dull blade scraping across sandpaper. "You need to go to the bathroom."

"I understand."

After Chabashira Sae left, the sound of discussion in the Class D classroom rose and fell.

A few students stared at their empty account interfaces, worrying about how to cope with zero income this month.

But what caused more anxiety for the majority was the school's cruel rule itself—"If only Class A is guaranteed advancement and employment, then what is the point of us getting in here?"

"Are you kidding me? Why on earth was I... assigned to Class D?"

Yukimura tore off his glasses, his knuckles turning white as he gripped them.

"I can understand everyone's confusion, but please, calm down first."

Hirata Yosuke stood up to mediate; this near-obsessive concern for the class would eventually become his fatal weakness.

"Reason? What do you expect me to be reasonable about!"

Yukimura stepped forward aggressively, the front of his uniform almost colliding with Hirata's chest.

Hirata Yosuke did not retreat but instead stepped forward, his voice as calm as a frozen lake: "I understand your anger, but venting your emotions here will only make the situation worse."

"What did you say—!"

Yukimura's hand suddenly lunged for Hirata's collar, his fingertips stopping just a hair's breadth from the fabric—Kushida Kikyo wedged herself between the two like a wedge.

She gently placed her hand on Yukimura's clenched fist. Not wanting to hurt Kushida, Yukimura couldn't help but take half a step back.

Kushida's persuasion calmed Yukimura down, and the two subsequently apologized to each other.

Irrational, taking his anger out on others, and possessing almost no athletic ability—it seems being assigned to Class D wasn't an injustice after all.

Hirata stood on the podium and delivered a speech about "working together," calling on his classmates to supervise each other during class.

Although he received support from the girls, he hit a wall with Sudo; faced with Kushida trying to reason with him, he chose to kick his chair aside and bolt out the back door, leaving behind a swinging door and a room filled with stunned silence. No one knew if he would even return for the rest of the class.

"Sudo-kun really doesn't understand the situation, does he? He's the one who's been late the most. If it weren't for Sudo-kun, we probably would have had some points left, right?"

The answer was no—even without Sudo, the entirety of Class D would have eventually squandered their points anyway.

"Yeah... it's truly terrible. Why am I in the same class as someone like that..."

The dissatisfaction of his classmates continued to accumulate; even if Sudo were to be expelled later, Hirata Yosuke would likely be the only one who truly cared.

After school, Hirata stood on the podium, preparing for a strategy meeting.

The moment the final bell rang, Hirata Yosuke walked up to the podium to convene a class meeting.

Almost the entire class remained in the room, and seeing the large number of participants, those who had run out of points seized the opportunity to take action.

Because his points were gone, Yamauchi Haruki began trying to sell his second-hand game console.

Even more absurdly—he priced this device, which he had originally bought for 20,000 points, at 22,000 points, attempting to force a sale onto Professor. It didn't seem like something a human would do.

Karuizawa Kei went around borrowing points from friends, a relaxed smile always hanging on her face.

Although she only borrowed two thousand from each person, everyone knew deep down—that money was likely never coming back.

As a core figure in the girls' circle, her behavior was, in a subtle way, already oppressing others.

Looking around, it was clear that everyone assigned to Class D had their own serious issues.

The first month's performance assessment settled, and the points of each class fluctuated violently like water levels after a storm.

The reshuffling of class rankings was quietly altering the trajectory of every chess piece—

Class D sinking to the bottom with zero points, the reversal of Class A's ranking, the tiny gap between Class A and Class B...

Every crack in the numbers was tearing apart the original, predetermined path.

Hoshino Kanade leaned against the window, his slightly furrowed brow reflected in the glass.

At this moment, he knew better than anyone: in the torrent of this upheaval, the waves he had foreseen had receded to the shallows.

His only remaining advantage was his memory of the exam questions—

And the anatomical charts of every soul deeply etched into his mind: the historical dialogue of Horikita Suzune's pride being pierced by the label of "defective product," the historical dialogue of Sudo Ken's irritability ignited by his inferiority complex, the cracks beneath Hirata Yosuke's perfect mask...

Hoshino Kanade had never intended to lead Class D—exploring the essence of these "defective products" had long since lost its meaning.

Even if Sudo were expelled in the next exam, it would merely be his own choice; what did that have to do with him?

If anything, the deeper Class D fell, the less his eyes, hidden in the shadows, would be noticed by anyone.

After the gentle prelude sound effect finished playing, an emotionless broadcast notification echoed throughout the classroom:

"Class 1-D's Hoshino-kun and Ayanokoji-kun, your homeroom teacher, Chabashira-sensei, needs to see you. Please come to the faculty office."

The sound of the broadcast interrupted Hoshino Kanade's train of thought.