After their "relaxing and enjoyable" luxury cruise ship trip ended, the first-year students returned to their familiar campus.
Thanks to the school, only one week of summer vacation remained. For the first-year students, this was probably their last real chance to relax. After all, for most of them, the luxury cruise ship trip had been anything but enjoyable.
The official changes to Class Points wouldn't be announced until school started, but every class already had a good idea of the exact figures.
A: 1220 B: 1035 C: 1140 D: 0
"That junior did a really good job." The Student Council had received the first-year results as soon as the exam ended. Looking at the notice that would be posted at the start of the new term, Nagumo sounded impressed.
"But it looks like Class 1-D is completely out of the running."
The gap in Class Points among first-year Classes A, B, and C was less than two hundred. Any exam could have a significant impact on a class. As for Class 1-D, to borrow the phrase commentators liked to use, they still had a theoretical chance of qualifying. Keep up the good work.
"Don't interfere with exams for the other years, Nagumo," Horikita warned from beside him.
"Sure, sure, sure." Nagumo responded perfunctorily. "But all the Special Exams for the three years are over now. I bet there'll be a lot of people at the swimming pool tomorrow."
"Mm. You and Kiriyama will go maintain order tomorrow." Horikita nodded, then gave the instruction.
"Does the chairman really not want me getting near that junior?" Nagumo pouted. With this arrangement, it was obvious that tomorrow Sagara and the chairman would be assigned together to maintain order. And, well, a certain little sidekick would definitely tag along, so there'd probably be three of them.
It was already a story about three people, and he still didn't have a place in it.
"Remember to bring a few female students along to help," Manabu Horikita added, without responding. After all, having boys near the girls' changing room wasn't very convenient, both morally and legally.
"Got it. I've got a date, so I'll be off, Chairman."
"What should we do for fun tonight?"
"How about karaoke?"
"Sounds great."
The Class C first-years discussed what they should do next as they rode the bus back to school.
"Looks like everyone's got plenty of free time, huh?" Sagara narrowed his eyes and spoke up. The class fell silent at once. Manabe and the other two, who had just been discussing where to go, wore stiff expressions.
"School starts in a week, so you should start getting your minds back on your studies. You don't want to be out of sorts when the term begins. Every night this week, everyone has to attend study sessions."
"Whaaat!" The students all grimaced at the news. Even Kaneda, who was already good at studying, looked unhappy.
"And everyone has to complete an assignment before school starts. Think about your future ambitions: what you want to do, what field you want to work in, and what kind of person you want to become. There's no word count, but everyone has to turn it in. Anyone who doesn't will lose all their points next month."
Sagara handed out the assignment to his classmates like a Japanese teacher.
When the students from all four classes got off the bus, they found that the students from the other three classes were either relieved that the school hadn't pulled any more tricks, or smiling as they discussed their plans for the next few days. Almost every Class C student, though, wore a gloomy expression. Anyone who didn't know better might have thought Class C had suffered a crushing loss in the summer Special Exam.
"What's with those Class C guys? Putting on airs," Ike from Class D said irritably. They'd earned so much, so who were they scowling at?
"Exactly." Yamauchi nodded in agreement beside him.
Ayanokoji watched Sagara smiling at the very front of the Class C group, deep in thought.
"Is there a reason you assigned us this, Sagara?" Shiina asked as she sat beside him during the study session that evening.
"Mm, Shiina, I'm confident that when we graduate in three years, our class will be Class A of the Third Year. Even if we aren't, I'll have at least thirty tickets to get into Class A." For once, Sagara showed absolute confidence in his own abilities.
"But have you thought about how you'll use those tickets?"
"Huh?" Shiina paused, then thought it over carefully. Only then did she realize that she'd never considered what she might ask the school for if she graduated as a member of Class A.
After all, simply earning and maintaining Class A status already took everything students at this school had.
"So you'll ask the career guidance teacher for advice. Then, on their recommendation, you'll choose an offer that might not suit you or even be what you want." Sagara calmly described another side of the school.
That was the truth about this school: it trained middle managers for the conglomerates. After three years of being honed in the school's miniature society, most students had far more real-world experience than graduates from ordinary schools, especially the very best students who had fought their way into Class A.
So those students were "sold" to the conglomerates as products.
Some might say they could choose other paths, like going to university.
"The job market hasn't been very good these past few years. Honestly, even after graduating from university, it won't be easy to find a job like this. I suggest you accept this offer first. You can also tell the company that you plan to continue your education. That way, the company will cover part of your university tuition, and after you graduate, you can get a higher position. Doesn't that sound good?"
What choice would students with no clear plans for their future make when words like these came from the mouth of a friendly career guidance teacher?
Though all three parties benefited from this arrangement, the school met its employment targets, the conglomerates got the talent they wanted and filled gaps in their middle ranks, and the students got well-paying jobs.
"But isn't it sad to have your still-unclear dreams stifled, step by step, as you're forced down a path like this?"
There was something unusual in Sagara's eyes, as if a fire were blazing within them.
"I'm looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to every student who graduates from this school going where they truly want to go."
A student's file lay on the desk in the Chairman's Office.
Confidential
Name: Sagara Zoya
When this student was in his second year of middle school, he was involved in an incident between a politician's son and a female student. It ultimately led to the politician's son committing suicide out of guilt and the politician stepping down. At the time, the incident was thought to have been the work of another politician. Only after the politician who had stepped down was questioned repeatedly did it come to light that this student had plotted and orchestrated the incident.
The student also obtained a villa and compromising information about another politician from the politician. The villa was eventually given to the female student, while the compromising information was handed to the student's adoptive father, who used it to send the politician to prison.
The student is extremely capable and mature beyond imagination. However, his thinking and actions are deeply rebellious toward those in power.
It is therefore recommended that the student be placed in Class D or Class C for observation.
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