"I might be a little late." Shirogane said to Classmate Shiina.
As for why, Classmate Shiina understood perfectly well as the messenger: Shirogane was planning to head to the Student Council.
"Then should I save you a seat?" Hiyori asked.
She didn't have many friends at school, but she still hoped to find someone who truly shared her interests.
Still, she could handle ordinary socializing. Besides, she now knew what this school was really like, and her class had achieved such a result. That meant they had an important battle ahead. Since there was hope of reaching Class A, she would do her best.
So the person here now wasn't the Classmate Shiina who, after realizing promotion was hopeless, would go to the library and become an NPC reading books. She was Shiina, who saw hope for her class and wanted to contribute.
"Save me a seat? No need," Shirogane said. "I don't know how strict President Horikita's requirements for joining are, so I might not be back anytime soon."
As he spoke, Shirogane waved to her and left the classroom.
"Then I wish you good luck," Hiyori said, though she didn't immediately look away.
Shirogane was hardworking and earnest, and he took this school seriously. If he hadn't gotten involved, their class probably wouldn't have climbed to Class B so quickly.
That meant Ryuen Class would have a hard time catching up under normal circumstances, unless Class A fell on its own.
Remembering how Shirogane had just waved at her, Classmate Shiina raised her left hand too. But before she could wave, he had already left.
"..."
Classmate Shiina held her hand up to wave, feeling a little disappointed.
If she had always been better at getting along with people, she wouldn't have struggled even with something as simple as waving goodbye to a friend.
Just then, a girl with short blue hair walked over.
"Shiina, Ryuen's looking for you. He seems to be putting together a small team and is recruiting members. It's probably to prepare for the Special Exams each month."
"He's planning to collect protection money from the class, but if you join him, you won't have to pay," the girl said. "Even if you hate him and oppose him, this plan seems like it could help the class."
In other words, Classmate Ryuen still couldn't shake his delinquent mindset and was going after protection money. But he understood people well, too. He knew that simply collecting protection money wouldn't let him get by at this school.
Otherwise, if they had a Class Vote expulsion exam, Classmate Ryuen, as the exploiter everyone hated, would probably be the first one voted out.
"Oh."
Classmate Shiina nodded, then followed the girl.
"Classmate Ibuki, right? This is the first time we've talked in class," Shiina said.
"I don't mind," the girl replied, her expression unchanged.
"Then, Classmate Ibuki, do you hate Ryuen?" Shiina continued.
"I do." Classmate Ibuki seemed like a blunt person.
"Good. I hate him too," Classmate Shiina said.
The two of them headed out of the classroom.
Meanwhile,
Although Shirogane was headed for the Student Council office, he didn't go there directly. Instead, he went to the second-year area.
Soon, he spotted a small blackboard in the second-year area.
It had some numbers written on it.
A1400
B780
C500
D350
He took out his phone and compared them with the data he had photographed in the second-year area when school had just started.
A1210
B780
C430
D200
Now that he understood how the school worked and what its rules were, he could easily tell that these were the class point totals for the four second-year classes.
A month had passed for the first-years, and a month had passed for the older students as well.
Since there was a Special Exam every month, the second-year totals must be the results after one such exam.
The outcome was frightening.
All the classes except Class B had gained points. Classes A, C, and D had all earned points.
If second-year Class A was strong enough, it made sense that they would continue to lead. But the results showed that only Class B had been left behind, while Classes C and D had both gained points.
After all, second-year Class B had originally been Class A. There was no way its students were weak overall.
That left only one possibility.
Just as the Narrator System had said, Senior Nagumo had already managed to dominate an entire year. He had treated the Special Exams that terrified students and seemed impossible to deal with as benefits handed out by the school, and simply divided them up. An ordinary class clearly couldn't do that, but if he controlled all the examinees, then of course he could.
And now, by ensuring only second-year Class B earned no points, he was clearly trying to secure his position in Class A.
As he was thinking this,
"Even though we learned what this school is really like from the teachers today..."
"Our class is definitely way behind."
"I want to visit the Student Council later."
The faint sound of a conversation between a boy and a girl drifted over.
Shirogane looked over. The boy had slightly wavy purple hair and was quite handsome. His name was Kanzaki Ryuji. Shirogane had seen his photo long ago, and from the information Classmate Kushida had gathered, he was one of the strongest boys in their class. He excelled both academically and physically, though he was a little introverted.
As for the girl, she was someone Shirogane knew very well.
She had long, golden-pink hair and a very attractive figure. She was lively and exceptionally pretty, as well as outgoing. Shirogane had seen her surrounded by friends on several occasions.
Should he call it good luck or bad luck?
Once again, in the same place and under the same circumstances, Shirogane had run into Ichinose Honami.
When school had just started, Shirogane had looked into the school's information, then gone to the upper-year area, where he had met Classmate Ichinose, who was there for the same reason.
As a result,
Classmate Ichinose had honestly and innocently shared the information she had gathered, while Shirogane had let her experience the harshness of human nature.
She had treated Shirogane as a friend, while he had wanted to be her upperclassman.
So, in Classmate Ichinose's eyes, Shirogane was an upperclassman who had even put on the airs of a senior in front of her.
And now,
Was he about to be caught red-handed?
Actually, he didn't necessarily need to panic.
Almost a month had passed, and Ichinose and the others were students in Class B. Even if they were as naive as could be, they would have come into contact with students from other classes.
So Shirogane thought that although Ichinose hadn't come looking for him, she had probably already learned that he was a first-year too.
Thinking this, Shirogane remained calm. Kanzaki and Ichinose had already noticed him.
"That's... Shirogane, who moved up from Class C." The purple-haired boy walking with Ichinose seemed about to say something.
From the way he spoke, didn't he seem to know Shirogane?
That meant—
While Classmate Kushida was constantly meeting students from their own class and other classes, Ichinose Class was also making connections outside their class.
They were enthusiastic about joining club activities.
They were searching for what made this school unique.
And even during their first month, while they still had living expenses, they had started trying all the free meals in the cafeteria as a class.
They seemed worried about whether they'd have as much money next month, so they were trying to be as frugal as possible.
Their class might not have any cheats, but they were still using their powerful unity to face this school.
"Hey, Classmate Ichinose, Classmate Kanzaki. You're here in the upper-year area too?" Shirogane summoned the courage of a Social Butterfly. "I'm Shirogane Miyuki, from what's now First-Year Class B. Like you, I came to the upper-year area to see what things were like."
Before he entered this school, Shirogane had considered getting a part-time job as soon as he started high school.
And if he was going to work, he'd naturally have to set aside some pride.
So Shirogane had trained himself to be more outgoing.
Don't be introverted, don't be introverted. You wouldn't get anywhere if you were introverted.
He had named this state he'd trained himself into being a Social Butterfly.
And now, he was taking the initiative to greet Classmate Ichinose, the girl he'd deceived back then.
"Classmate Shirogane." Classmate Ichinose responded, but couldn't help looking at him several more times.
But Shirogane was in Social Butterfly mode now, and his skin was at least ten times thicker than usual, so Ichinose's gaze didn't faze him at all.
"Then congratulations on moving up a class," Classmate Ichinose said. She was, after all, a genuinely kind person.
But the spot occupied by Shirogane's First-Year Class B was the one they had occupied before. So saying something like that was a little cruel to Ichinose and the others.
The fact that she could still congratulate Shirogane was already a sign of great magnanimity.
Chapter 57: Congratulations—An Encounter at the Student Council!
Ichinose showed great generosity.
"Your class had the advantage in last month's exam, but that doesn't mean our class is weak," Classmate Kanzaki said. "We've been working hard too."
"If the students from Class A hadn't provoked us, our class wouldn't have lost so many points."
Although the information Classmate Kushida had provided said that Classmate Kanzaki was rather introverted, he had taken the initiative to speak up.
Now he seemed easily provoked, as though someone had crossed a line.
The provocation by the Class A students he mentioned had probably happened after Class A learned the school's secrets and found out about the conduct assessment. To gain an advantage and widen the gap with the lower classes, they had targeted Ichinose's class.
They had paid two students from Class D to pick fights with students from Ichinose's class.
That had led to a fight being caught on camera.
So Ichinose's class had suffered a major setback, losing a lot of points for nothing.
That was why, at the end of their first month, they had learned what this school was really like from the teachers, only to drop a class before they could even get started, ending up in Class C.
"I can't do anything about what happened to you," Shirogane said. "But it does show that all four classes are aiming to graduate from Class A, and not everyone will play fair. They may resort to other methods, so you can't let your guard down."
"Oh." Classmate Ichinose looked at him again.
She stared.
She stared.
She stared.
Classmate Ichinose gazed at Shirogane with hopeful, innocent eyes.
Shirogane was in Social Butterfly mode, and his skin was thicker than usual, but even he had trouble with such an innocent expression.
After all, the last time they met, Shirogane had deceived her and obtained information from her.
Now, was Classmate Ichinose hoping he'd give her something in return?
How greedy, Classmate Ichinose.
Before you continue