When Fellow Townsmen Meet, Tears Fill Their Eyes

Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was May, and these first-year freshmen had already spent a month at this school.

Three days earlier, they had taken an ordinary quiz. Chabashira stood quietly at the podium, sweeping her gaze across the forty students present.

"Little Chabashira, why do you look so awful today? Don't tell me you're on your period?"

Ike loudly teased her, showing no regard for the fact that she was a teacher.

Chabashira sneered. Hachiman turned his gaze toward the window. Knowing what would happen next, he understood perfectly well what awaited them.

Then, in a flat tone, Chabashira swept away the cheerful atmosphere in the classroom, chilling everyone's hearts as though they had fallen into an ice cellar.

"Don't joke around, Little Chabashira. That isn't funny at all."

Ike said anxiously, while everyone else hoped Chabashira was merely trying to scare them.

A row of data labeled class points appeared on the screen before them.

Among them, Class D firmly occupied last place with zero class points. That glaring zero, along with Chabashira's sneer, seemed to be mocking them all—mocking them as the defective products they truly were.

Horikita, seated beside him, could no longer sit still. She had already been dissatisfied with being placed in Class D, and now this gulf-like gap dealt a harsh blow to her pride.

The personal points distributed each month were calculated as one hundred times the class points.

Zero class points meant that for the next month, perhaps even several months, they would receive no more personal points from the school.

That was because they had no idea how to increase class points. They had not even figured out the mechanism by which class points were deducted.

This was the first test the school had given them.

Of the forty people in the class, probably half had already spent their entire one hundred thousand points.

Even those who still had some left only had a small amount remaining.

They would have to survive at this school without any points at all.

"What do you think?" Horikita forced herself to calm down, ignoring the students who were losing control as she questioned Hachiman.

"I don't have any particular thoughts. Or rather, shouldn't it have turned out this way from the beginning?"

Horikita's expression darkened. They had discussed this issue back when school first started.

She had never expected things to develop in this direction.

What was more, the midterm exams beginning next month awaited them. Any student who failed would be expelled without exception.

That was the cruelty of this school.

Compared to the other three classes, Class D was like a group that had been in heaven moments ago, only for Chabashira to kick them all into hell.

"Calm down first. We should deal with the upcoming midterm exams."

Hachiman offered his suggestion.

Horikita snorted. "Can't you see that I'm already above the passing line?"

Horikita ranked among the best academically. She had no need to worry about failing the midterms and facing expulsion.

"I'm not worried about you. I mean the students who are failing."

Horikita looked at him as if he were an idiot. "What do their problems have to do with me? People without ability deserve to be expelled."

Hachiman covered his chest and said painfully, "Then could you maybe not say something like that in front of the person involved next time?"

Hachiman Hikigaya's name was clearly listed below the passing line.

"Honestly, I never thought I'd have anything to ask someone as incompetent as you for help with."

With that, Horikita rose and left the classroom, seemingly going after Chabashira.

Hachiman quietly remained in the classroom, listening as Hirata and Kushida soothed everyone's emotions and proposed organizing a study group.

Having people like them around was truly reassuring.

"Don't worry, Hikigaya. I'll help tutor you. I definitely won't let you get expelled!"

Kushida, who excelled academically, came over to comfort Hachiman.

Hachiman thanked her. At that moment, Kushida was like a shining angel, putting him at ease while also intoxicating him with her gentleness.

"Hikigaya, let's go together."

Sato came before Hachiman and invited him.

Recently, the two had been interacting more and more. Hachiman had also kept his word and, after one of Sato's invitations, visited her room.

Rumors had begun spreading among their classmates that the two were dating.

"Sure."

Hachiman did not refuse. After gathering his things, he left the classroom with Sato.

"Let's go to the Cafe and take a break."

After school, students generally rarely returned directly to their dormitories. Quite a few, like Sato, went to the Cafe to relax after class.

Hachiman nodded in agreement. The two went to the Cafe together and found an empty table.

"What a terrible day."

Sato looked deeply troubled. Even now, she found it difficult to process what Chabashira had said.

Among those who had spent their points, the proportion of girls who had used up all one hundred thousand points far exceeded that of boys.

Sato had not spent all one hundred thousand points within a month, but she probably did not have much left.

"Yeah, it really is a headache."

At present, Hachiman had no way to solve the problem of receiving no points for the next few months.

To obtain class points, they had to participate in special exams and achieve good results.

Hachiman remembered that the next special exam would probably not come until the end of the term.

Looking at it that way, the seventy thousand points Hachiman had left were not all that much either.

"You don't seem worried at all, Hikigaya."

Sato rested her cheek on her hand. Thinking about the upcoming midterms made her anxious.

"Yeah, because there are some very reassuring classmates in our class."

The study group led by Hirata would probably be put into action soon.

As long as no one's brain short-circuited, getting above the passing line should not be too difficult.

"Hikigaya, Sato, you're both here."

At that moment, several people entered the Cafe and greeted Hachiman and Sato.

Speak of the devil. The newcomers were none other than Hirata and the others.

Kushida was among them as well. It seemed they planned to discuss the study group at the Cafe.

After discussing it, they sat together. The two tables had just enough seats for all of them.

Hachiman was not familiar with many of the people there. Aside from Hirata and Kushida, he only knew Karuizawa, who was sitting beside Hirata, a little better.

After being rejected by Hachiman, Karuizawa had still chosen Hirata, making him the host she latched onto.

There was also someone Hachiman did not know. Though they were unfamiliar with each other, he had heard about her.

Wang Meiyu, an international student from China.

Perhaps because she was from the same country he once had been, Hachiman felt as though he had met a fellow townsman, leaving tears in both their eyes.