Expulsion

The moment Chabashira Sae pushed open the door to the Class D classroom, the low hum of discussion vanished instantly, and the air seemed to solidify.

All eyes snapped toward her, filled with suppressed tension and silent questioning.

She walked steadily toward the podium, the sound of her high heels clicking against the floor appearing exceptionally sharp in the overly quiet classroom.

She scanned every young face before her, a trace of imperceptible disappointment flitting through her heart—especially when her gaze touched upon the figure she had been observing in secret.

She had dropped hints about the key to the rules so many times, even hoping that the person she had her eye on would take action at this critical moment, but the result was... absolutely no reaction.

Was this three-year period destined to be another futile struggle in the quagmire of Class D, just like countless times in the past?

This disappointment left no mark on her face; Chabashira Sae remained as she always was, wearing her habitual, slightly weary, and indifferent expression.

She placed the documents in her hand gently onto the lectern, her movements unhurried.

Below the podium, the students were lost in their own thoughts.

Many were inwardly complaining that Chabashira-sensei had only informed them of the changes to the exam scope in the final days, catching them off guard and leaving them with severely insufficient time to review.

Many felt uncertain, sensing they had failed, especially those who had hovered near the passing line during the last quiz; they were now on pins and needles, their faces etched with panic.

A hot-headed boy finally could not hold back, his voice noticeably strained: "Sensei, I heard the exam results are being announced today... may I ask when that will be?" This question was like a stone thrown into a calm pond, instantly capturing everyone's attention.

Chabashira Sae raised her eyes to look at the questioner, her tone flat and ripple-free: "Don't worry, they will be announced now." She paused, her gaze sweeping across the class, and added, "If we wait until after school, there won't be enough time to handle the various procedures."

This sentence was like an invisible hand, instantly tightening the already strained nerves and bringing many students' hearts to their throats.

The short-tempered Sudo Ken was like a powder keg, his body leaning forward slightly, his fists clenched under the desk, waiting only for the moment the results were announced to light the fuse.

Chabashira Sae clearly had no intention of dragging things out.

She turned around and efficiently posted a large sheet of white paper, inscribed with all the students' names and their subject scores, right in the center of the blackboard.

The paper made a slight rustling sound as it unfolded, yet it struck the classroom like a thunderclap.

Dozens of gazes instantly glued themselves to it, eagerly searching for their own names and the numbers that would determine their fates.

After a brief, deathly silence, a scream laced with tears broke the calm: "I missed it by only one point! It's all the teacher's fault! Why didn't you tell us about the change in the exam scope earlier!" Yamauchi Haruki stood up abruptly, pointing at his glaring score on the white paper, his face deathly pale, his voice trembling with agitation, "I don't want to be expelled! I don't want to!"

Not far from him, a girl looked at her results, tears rolling down silently, her hands covering her face, her suppressed sobbing intermittent; she was clearly on the verge of a breakdown.

"Bang—!" With a loud crash, Sudo Ken kicked the leg of his desk, causing the stationery on the surface to jump.

His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at the blackboard, growling, "Why did it turn out like this? I worked so hard!"

Hirata Yosuke, acting as the class leader, took a deep breath and stood up.

He looked at Chabashira Sae on the podium, his voice steady but carrying an unquestionable tone of challenge: "Sensei, you only informed us of the change in the exam scope at the very last moment; this is simply unfair to us.

Now... is there really no way to remedy this?"

Hirata's decision to step forward was like lighting a fuse.

Other students began to speak up as well, their voices filled with unease and resentment.

Since it was someone else being expelled this time, who knew if it would be their turn next? They could not let their homeroom teacher decide their fates so "arbitrarily"!

The voices of dissent grew like a snowball, and those whose scores were also below their estimated "passing line" now grabbed onto this as a final straw, joining the chorus of complaints in an attempt to use collective power to change the outcome they might face.

Facing the public indignation, Chabashira Sae merely lifted her chin slightly, her eyes remaining calm and ripple-free.

"Don't be hasty." Her voice was not loud, yet it clearly drowned out the noise. Having witnessed too many storms, this scene was merely a minor affair to her.

Hearing these words, which seemed to imply a turning point, the classroom quickly fell silent.

Everyone held their breath, staring nervously at Chabashira Sae, waiting for what she would say next.

Chabashira Sae picked up a striking red pen from the lectern without any sign of hurry.

Her gaze wandered over the list, and finally, the tip of the pen descended, drawing a sharp, glaring red line solely across Sudo Ken's name.

"Sensei... what does this mean?" Sudo Ken's voice carried a trace of imperceptible trembling and immense confusion.

He had clearly seen that the scores of Yamauchi, Ike, and one or two others were also on the brink, yet now, only his name was marked with the red line of expulsion.

The outcome that should have been shared with "companions" had now left him alone; this sudden sense of being the "only one" caused an indescribable, subtle feeling to well up in his heart, a mixture of absurdity and the frustration of being singled out.

Chabashira Sae put down the red pen and turned to face the class, her tone devoid of any waves: "The passing line for this school is calculated based on half of the grade-level average for that subject." She raised her hand, her fingertips tapping lightly on the report card on the blackboard, "In this midterm exam, the average scores for certain subjects... were unexpectedly lower than last time. Therefore, the passing line has naturally been lowered accordingly."

Her gaze finally settled on Sudo Ken, her words clear and cold: "Therefore, Sudo Ken, only your English score is below the adjusted passing line."

The classroom fell into a deathly silence.

The previous clamor and questioning seemed as if they had never existed.

The facts were like a basin of cold water, extinguishing all unrealistic hopes.

Sudo Ken opened his mouth, but in the end, he said nothing.

He slumped back into his chair, his hands gripping his hair tightly, his knuckles turning white.

Regret coiled around him like poisonous ivy—if he had spent more time on English, if he had pushed harder in the final days... at this moment, all these "ifs" turned into heavy fists, striking his heart with force.

The first to break the silence was, once again, Hirata Yosuke.

Even though Sudo Ken had spoken harshly to him and acted with crude rudeness, his face still bore genuine concern: "Se, Sensei.

May I ask if Sudo-kun... is really going to be expelled? Is there really... no way to remedy this?"

Chabashira Sae's answer was decisive, leaving no room for negotiation: "This is a fact. If you fail the exam, that is the end of it. Sudo Ken, you are to be expelled."

Sitting in the back row, Horikita Suzune instinctively raised her hand as if to say something, but after her lips trembled a few times, she eventually lowered it powerlessly.

She furrowed her brows tightly, looking at Sudo Ken with a complex expression.

If it were a matter of one or two points, one might be able to argue about loopholes in the rules, but Sudo's English score... the gap was not just a small margin; it was a chasm that no remedial measure could bridge.

A deep sense of helplessness gripped her.

"Sudo, come to the teachers' office after school. That is all." Chabashira Sae announced the final decision crisply, no longer looking at anyone, then picked up the materials on the podium and walked straight out of the classroom.

The door closed softly behind her, sealing off the complicated and unspeakable atmosphere inside Class D.

Horikita Suzune could only watch helplessly as the figure representing authority and the final verdict disappeared outside the door, her heart screaming in silence: I can't do anything! A profound sense of frustration permeated the air.

Paradoxically, in this heavy silence, a secret, unspeakable collective sentiment was quietly spreading.

For most of the students in Class D, the fact that Sudo Ken—who was always causing trouble, had a short temper, and resorted to violence at the drop of a hat—was really being expelled... made the air in the classroom seem, as a result, a little lighter.

This thought made them feel a touch of shame, yet they could not deny that real, palpable sense of relief.

The moment Chabashira Sae pushed open the door to the Class D classroom, the low, buzzing discussion vanished instantly, and the air seemed to solidify.

All eyes focused on her in unison, carrying suppressed tension and silent questioning.

She walked steadily toward the podium, the sound of her high heels striking the floor appearing exceptionally clear in the overly quiet classroom.

She scanned every young face in the room, a trace of imperceptible disappointment flashing through her heart—especially when her gaze touched upon the figure she had been observing in secret.

She had dropped so many hints about the key to the rules, even hoping that the person she had her eye on would take action at this critical moment, but the result was... zero reaction.

Was this three-year period destined to be as futile as the countless times in the past, stuck in the quagmire of Class D?

This disappointment left no trace on her face; Chabashira Sae maintained her usual, slightly weary, and indifferent expression.

She placed the materials in her hand gently on the podium, her movements unhurried.

Below the podium, the students had various thoughts.

Many were inwardly complaining that Teacher Chabashira had only informed them of the change in the exam scope in the final days, catching them off guard and leaving them with severely insufficient review time.

Many felt uncertain and sensed they had failed, especially those who had hovered near the passing line during the last quiz; they were now sitting on pins and needles, their faces filled with panic.

An impatient boy finally could not hold back, his voice noticeably strained: "Teacher, I heard the exam results were to be announced today... may I ask when that will be?" This question was like a pebble thrown into a calm pond, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

Chabashira Sae looked up at the questioner, her tone flat and waveless: "Don't worry, they will be announced now." She paused, her gaze sweeping across the class, and added, "If we announced them after school, we wouldn't have time to process the various procedures."

This sentence was like an invisible hand, instantly tightening their already tense nerves and bringing many students' hearts to their throats.

The hot-tempered Sudo Ken was like a powder keg, his body leaning slightly forward, his fists clenched under the desk, waiting only for the moment the results were announced to light the fuse.

Chabashira Sae clearly had no intention of keeping them in suspense.

She turned around and neatly posted a large sheet of white paper, recording all the students' names and their subject scores, right in the center of the blackboard.

The paper made a slight rustling sound as it unfolded, yet it exploded in the classroom like a thunderclap.

Dozens of eyes instantly glued themselves to it, eagerly searching for their own names and the numbers that would determine their fates.

After a brief, deathly silence, a scream laced with tears broke the calm: "It's only one point! It's all the teacher's fault! Why didn't you tell us about the change in the exam scope beforehand!" Yamauchi Haruki stood up abruptly, pointing at his glaring score on the white paper, his face deathly pale, his voice trembling with agitation, "I don't want to be expelled! I don't!"

Not far from him, a girl looked at her grades, tears rolling down silently, her hands covering her face, her suppressed sobbing intermittent; she was clearly on the verge of a breakdown.

"Bang—!" With a loud crash, Sudo Ken kicked his desk leg hard, making the stationery on the desk jump.

His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at the blackboard, growling: "Why is it like this? I worked so hard!"

As the class leader, Hirata Yosuke took a deep breath and stood up.

He looked at Chabashira Sae on the podium, his voice steady but carrying an unquestionable challenge: "Teacher, you only informed us of the change in the exam scope at the very last moment; this is simply unfair to us.

Now... is there really no way to remedy this?"

Hirata's stepping forward seemed to light the fuse.

Other students also spoke up one after another, their voices filled with unease and resentment.

Since someone else was being expelled this time, who knew if it would be their turn next? They could not let the homeroom teacher decide their fates so "arbitrarily"!

The voices of dissent grew like a snowball, and those students whose scores were also below their estimated "passing line" now felt as if they had grabbed onto a final straw, joining the chorus of protest in an attempt to use collective power to change the outcome they might face.

Facing the public indignation, Chabashira Sae only lifted her chin slightly, her eyes remaining calm and waveless.

"Don't be impatient." Her voice was not loud, but it clearly drowned out the noise. Having seen too many storms, this scene was only a minor affair to her.

Hearing these words, which seemed to imply a turning point, the classroom quickly quieted down.

Everyone held their breath, staring nervously at Chabashira Sae, waiting for what she would say next.

Chabashira Sae picked up a conspicuous red pen from the podium without haste.

Her gaze wandered over the list, and finally, the tip of the pen fell, drawing a sharp, glaring red line across Sudo Ken's name.

"Teacher... what does this mean?" Sudo Ken's voice carried a trace of imperceptible trembling and immense confusion.

He had clearly seen that the scores of Yamauchi, Ike, and one or two others were also in jeopardy, yet now, only his name on the list was marked with the red line of expulsion.

Having expected "companions" in this outcome, he now found himself alone; this sudden sense of being the "only one" caused an indescribable, subtle feeling to well up in his heart, mixed with absurdity and the frustration of being singled out.

Chabashira Sae set down her red pen and turned to face the class, her tone devoid of any emotion: "The passing threshold at this school is calculated as half of the grade-wide average for that subject." She raised her hand, her fingertip tapping lightly against the grade sheet on the blackboard, "For this midterm exam, the average scores for certain subjects were... unexpectedly lower than last time. Therefore, the passing threshold has naturally been lowered accordingly."

Her gaze finally settled on Sudo Ken, her words clear and icy: "Therefore, Sudo Ken, you are the only one whose English score is below the adjusted passing threshold."

The classroom fell into a deathly silence.

The previous clamor and questioning seemed as if they had never existed.

The reality was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing all unrealistic hopes.

Sudo Ken opened his mouth, but in the end, he couldn't say a word.

He slumped back into his chair, his hands gripping his hair tightly, his knuckles turning white.

Regret coiled around him like poison ivy—if only he had spent more time on English, if only he had pushed harder during the final few days... At this moment, these "ifs" transformed into heavy fists, slamming hard against his heart.

The one to break the silence first was, as always, Hirata Yosuke.

Even though Sudo Ken had previously directed harsh words and rude, violent behavior toward him, his face still bore a look of sincere concern: "T-teacher.

Is Sudo-kun... really going to be expelled? Is there really... no remedial plan at all?"

Chabashira Sae's answer was resolute, leaving no room for negotiation: "This is a fact. If you fail, that is the end of it. Sudo Ken, you are to be expelled."

Horikita Suzune, sitting in the back row, instinctively raised her hand as if wanting to say something, but after her lips trembled a few times, she eventually lowered it powerlessly.

She furrowed her brows, looking at Sudo Ken with a complex expression.

If it were a matter of one or two points, one might be able to argue over loopholes in the rules, but Sudo's English score... the gap was not small; it was a chasm that no remedial measure could bridge.

A deep sense of helplessness gripped her.

"Sudo, come to the faculty office after school. That is all." Chabashira Sae announced the final decision decisively. Without looking at anyone else, she picked up the materials on the podium and walked straight out of the classroom.

The door clicked shut behind her, sealing off the complex and unspeakable atmosphere inside Class D.

Horikita Suzune could only watch as the figure representing authority and final judgment disappeared outside the door, her heart screaming silently: I can't do anything! A profound sense of frustration began to spread.

Contradictory as it may seem, amidst this heavy silence, a secret, unspeakable collective emotion was quietly spreading.

For most of the students in Class D, if Sudo Ken—who was always causing trouble, had a short temper, and resorted to violence at the drop of a hat—were really expelled... the air in the classroom seemed to become... a little lighter.

This thought made them feel a hint of shame, yet they could not deny that real, palpable sense of relief.