"Don't you have anything else to do?" Mikage Touji said, feeling utterly aggrieved. "Why are you all staring at my test paper?"
"And besides, is getting nine points in Japanese Literature really that strange? I refuse to believe I'm the only one in the class who got nine." Mikage Touji raised his voice in protest, then turned to Kito Hayato. "Kito, how many points did you get in Japanese Literature? Tell me."
"Fifteen."
A faint smile appeared on the usually taciturn Kito Hayato's face.
"Damn it, I don't believe you! There has to be someone else in the class who got a score close to mine in Japanese Literature." Mikage Touji ground his teeth and pounded the desk.
A purple-haired girl in the upper-right corner paused at his words, then silently stuffed her test paper into her desk.
"Mikage, getting nine points in Japanese Literature isn't strange. What's strange is that you're the one who got nine points," Hashimoto Masayoshi said, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
On the first day of school, Mikage Touji had noticed the existence of the school's S System and warned his classmates to stay alert. In the days that followed, he had even managed to uncover key information about the system, helping Class A further solidify its position.
Though he was a bit of a chūnibyō, occasionally went off the rails, and could be downright eccentric at times, he was talented, handsome, and kind to others—a standout among the many students in Class A.
That was how most of Class A privately described Mikage Touji.
Then, one day, Mikage Touji got nine points in Japanese Literature. It was like seeing a muscular tough guy on the train, listening to music through his headphones. He looked terrifying on the outside, but when you pulled off his headphones, you discovered he was listening to a magical-girl song...
"Um... Mikage, keep trying, okay?" Yamamura Miki, who had stayed silent the whole time, delivered the final blow.
Mikage Touji had no strength left to argue. He lay facedown on his desk, utterly despondent, like a fish stranded on land.
Chapter 28: The Tense Atmosphere in Class A
May 1. Sunny.
The weather was bright and clear, the sky a pristine blue. A few clouds drifted across the horizon, their edges shimmering softly in the sunlight as a gentle breeze brushed against people's faces.
But the atmosphere in Class A was not as relaxed as usual. The students sat solemnly at their desks, as though they were about to hear a royal decree passed down.
"Yaaawn~"
An ill-timed yawn broke the classroom's heavy silence.
"Why did you all come to class so early, only to sit at your desks without saying a word? Are you holding some kind of mysterious séance?"
"You're doing the same thing!" the whole class replied in unison.
"Guess I am. We've done everything we could, and besides, we're Class A. Technically, we shouldn't be the ones worrying," a boy muttered.
"Exactly!" Tamiya Emi nodded in agreement, fuming. "On my way here, I heard two girls from Class D discussing what clothes they were going to buy with their points today."
"I hope they can still smile after today," Tanihara Mao said, sounding a little gleeful.
"They probably won't have any points left. I often see them at Keyaki Mall. They finish eating, toss their trash on the ground, and run off."
"You've seen them too? Those students from Class D?"
"I didn't recognize them at first, but it kept being the same people. After a while, I learned their faces."
Gradually, the mood in the class turned cheerful again.
Mikage Touji opened his phone and tapped his personal account.
[Personal Points: 67,900 pt]
The page, which had previously shown only his points, had refreshed to display his personal points. A little over thirty thousand points a month seemed about normal.
He leaned back, tilting his chair, and rested his head on Morishita Ran's desk.
"How many points do you have left?"
"Forty-eight thousand."
"Did you buy something? Why's there such a big difference between us?" Most of Mikage Touji's view was blocked by the snowy-white curve of Morishita Ran's neck and chin, which struck him as rather novel.
Apart from the voice recorder at the very beginning, he and Morishita Ran had spent most of their time together. He'd spent most of his points eating at various restaurants and occasionally treating people. Morishita Ran should have been about the same, so why was there a difference of nearly twenty thousand points?
"I bought a fish tank." Morishita Ran's expression remained calm, but she quietly slipped a hand into her desk.
"A fish tank? You?"
The corner of Mikage Touji's eye twitched. He cautiously asked, "Forgive me for asking, but how many days did the fish in your tank survive?"
"If you know it's rude, why ask..." Morishita Ran's expression turned cold.
"Five days?"
"..."
"Three?"
"..."
"Don't tell me they didn't even last two days?"
"Correct!" With lightning speed, Morishita Ran pressed down on Mikage Touji's forehead, then stamped it with a seal. "Here's your reward: a Falling Devil Mark!"
Mikage Touji sprang back into his seat with a thud and vigorously rubbed the red mark on his forehead. "A sneak attack? Morishita Ran, what did you stamp on me?"
As if nothing had happened, Morishita Ran put away the seal, rested her chin in her hands, and gazed at the leaves swaying outside the window with a sigh.
"I followed the instructions in the book to prepare their food," she said, her voice growing melancholy. "And I saw how skinny they were. I was worried they weren't getting enough, so I gave them extra."
"How did they turn into floaty little fish the next day?"
Mikage Touji stopped washing his forehead with clean water and spoke to Morishita Ran in a flat, emotionless voice.
"Fun fact: fish don't have a satiety center. They have short intestines and no stomach, and can't secrete digestive enzymes to break down excess food. In other words, they ate themselves to death."
Morishita Ran, you really were a living grim reaper!
"..."
Three seconds later, Morishita Ran turned her head away. "This is something even little kids know, of course Lady Morishita knows it too."
Yeah, sure. Do you think I believe you?
"I've decided!"
Morishita Ran quickly rallied, speaking with renewed confidence. "When we get this month's points, I'll buy a few more fish and give it another try. This time I'll get guppies, then buy a turtle to keep them company!"
Mikage Touji sighed. "Please, just leave them alone. A fish's life is a life too."
"Mikage Touji, you really don't trust me?"
"When have I ever trusted you?" Mikage Touji replied, half-lidding his eyes.
"You heartless brute—"
Morishita Ran was about to retort when every student's terminal rang at once. The noisy Class A fell silent in an instant.
It was here!
Everyone took out their phones to check at the same time.
[Personal Points: 164,900 pt]
Converted into Class Points, that meant...
"970 points!" they cried, delighted but still a little incredulous.
The quicker students in the class had immediately calculated Class A's current Class Points.
"Oooh!"
The whole class cheered.
"Out of a thousand points, we only lost thirty. No problem—we're definitely still in first place."
"Don't get complacent. We don't know how many points Class B got yet."
"Should we message them and ask?"
"Forget it. We'll find out sooner or later. After today, they're our competitors."
"Hey, hey, why don't we all go to karaoke this weekend to celebrate? Our class has never really done anything together, while Class B has already gotten together several times."
"Great idea. I'm in."
After most of the students approved the suggestion, they all looked toward Katsuragi Kōhei, who had been standing with his arms crossed and a solemn expression ever since the beginning.
Katsuragi Kōhei usually handled most of the class's affairs, so everyone was counting on him to make the arrangements.
Katsuragi Kōhei put away his phone and let out a long breath. He nodded in agreement. "That's right. Let's all take some time to relax this weekend."
"Oooh!" the whole class cheered again.
The heavy air seemed to catch fire. Deafening cheers erupted throughout the classroom, and the students' pent-up tension and anticipation instantly turned into pure joy and excitement.
The boys slapped one another hard on the shoulders. Some leaped to their feet, knocking desks and chairs around with a clatter. The girls were just as excited, hugging each other with radiant smiles on their faces.
A knock sounded at the door.
Everyone looked over. Mashima Tomoya, the homeroom teacher of Class A, stood in the doorway.
"Looks like I got here at just the right time."
Mashima Tomoya had arrived early today, before the bell had even rung. He held a few posters in his hand, and a faint smile had appeared on his usually stern face.
"Mr. Mashima, you knew about the S System all along and didn't even tell us privately?" one of the girls in the class spoke up first.
"Exactly. Shouldn't a homeroom teacher give his own class special treatment?" the boys chimed in.
"It's a strict school rule. There's nothing I can do about it," Mashima Tomoya said as he put the posters up on the blackboard. "Besides, you did a fine job uncovering the truth about the school, didn't you?"
Just then, the class bell rang, its clear tone echoing throughout the classroom.
"All right, enough chatting."
Mashima Tomoya's expression turned serious again. He braced both hands on the podium and looked around at the class.
"Although you already know some things about the S System, I'll now explain the truth about this Classroom of the Elite."
Chapter 29: Welcome to the Classroom of the Elite
Mashima Tomoya slapped a hand against the poster on the blackboard and looked at the class.
Class A: 970 cl Class B: 790 cl Class C: 220 cl Class D: 0 cl
"These are the current Class Points for each class. The school ranks the classes according to their Class Points, which I'm sure you already know. Multiply that number by one hundred, and you get the personal points you receive. From now on, this information will be posted on the year's bulletin board. If you want to see it, you can check there."
The whole class nodded confidently from their seats. They already knew that.
"But that's a huge difference, isn't it?"
Satonaka Satoshi looked at the rankings on the blackboard and muttered under his breath.
"Pfft! Are Class C and Class D's scores supposed to be a joke?" Totsuka Yahiko laughed aloud.
Some students couldn't hold back their laughter either. Class C and Class D together had less than half of Class B's points, let alone Class A's 970.
"Cut them some slack. Class C is full of people who fight all the time. Getting that many points is already pretty good," Hashimoto Masayoshi said with a chuckle, coming to Class C's defense.
Mikage Touji tipped his chair back, looking like an old man checking his phone.
What the hell was going on with Class D?
He'd already done so much for them. He'd even made Ryuen Kakeru lose it by taking out the Class C leader, leaving him suspended for a week. Ryuen was still fighting with his classmates, and Class D still had fewer points than Class C?
And they'd scored zero!
Zero and ten points were completely different things. Zero meant there were no points left to deduct at all.
Even Ryuen Kakeru, who'd pulled off a sneak attack in the bathroom, was already absurd enough—nine, even ten, on the scale. Yet Class D was somehow even worse.
What kind of creatures were they?
"Cases like this for Class C and Class D are rare even in Kouiku's history," Mashima Tomoya said impassively. "Don't let your guard down. There have been cases in the past where Class A was overtaken by another class. The second year is the most recent example."
"And remember this clearly: the school's promise that you'll be 99.9% likely to get the job you want after graduation applies only to students who graduate from this school as members of Class A."
Mashima Tomoya's voice gradually turned mechanical and cold. For a moment, it seemed to reveal just how cruel the rules of this school really were.
Before you continue