A Brand New June

After the midterm exams, a brand new June arrived.

Early in the morning, before he had even stepped into the classroom, Shinjo could hear the chaotic noise coming from inside.

"Who said Class D is bad? This Class D is amazing! In terms of pure spirit, I don't think anyone can compare to Class D."

As for the topic they were discussing, it naturally revolved around private points.

Because of their own self-inflicted troubles in April, the students of Class D had suffered greatly throughout May.

Especially those who were never well-off to begin with and always had a habit of spending money recklessly.

I'm talking about you! Kei Karuizawa!

If it weren't for Shinjo taking the initiative to "lend" her some living expenses, coupled with the occasional commission she received that paid reasonably well, she probably would have resorted to using her status as a gyaru to bully other students again.

And this June, obviously, everyone had their phones out early in the morning, waiting for their points to be deposited.

However, as time ticked by second by second, the points were nowhere to be seen.

"If we get 0 points again this month, I'm really going to have to eat dirt!"

"That's right... can't the school show some mercy for how well-behaved and hardworking we were last month and give us some class points?!"

Just as everyone was arguing incessantly, Sae Chabashira walked in, the sound of her high heels clicking—tap, tap, tap—against the floor.

It seemed she was in a fairly good mood for the new month; at the very least, she was actually smiling as she spoke to the students.

"Good morning, everyone."

"Sae-chan! We aren't going to get zero private points again this month, are we?!"

But Ike had no intention of exchanging pleasantries with her right now and threw his question out directly.

"Is this the reason you all are making such a racket so early in the morning?"

"Well, we worked ourselves to the bone this month! We even passed the midterm exams successfully; surely our class points can't still be 0? If that's the case, isn't that just too much?!"

Speaking of which, even Chabashira had to admire these kids; as long as they were willing to do it, they were actually capable of getting things done.

Whether it was being good students or studying hard.

"Don't be so impatient. I acknowledge your hard work and quick-wittedness this month; I have seen it all. Naturally, the school has as well, so please, calm yourselves."

Hearing what Chabashira said, everyone quickly shut their mouths and waited quietly for what was to come.

Chabashira unhurriedly fixed a piece of white paper onto the blackboard. The points for each class were as follows:

Class A: 1004 points.

Class B: 752 points.

Class C: 588 points.

Class D: 87 points.

Clearly, all classes had seen a certain increase in points, and Class A remained as high and mighty as ever, with their total having broken past the initial 1000 mark.

However, everyone's attention was now drawn to the line at the very bottom.

"Huh?! 87 points! 87 points! We have points!!!"

"You're celebrating way too early. Take a closer look; the other classes also increased by nearly 100 points, so the gap between you remains just as large."

"In other words, just consider your current 87 points as a reward from the school for passing the midterm exams. Keep up the good work."

Still, even if she put it that way, being able to receive points was good news!

87 class points translated to 8700 private points.

"Wait! If we already have class points, then why haven't the private points been deposited yet?!"

"There is a slight issue this time, so the points for the first-year students will be delayed. You'll just have to wait a little longer."

"Huh?! What is that supposed to mean?! If that's the case, you should at least compensate us with some points!"

Upon learning that the delay was due to the school, the students of Class D immediately formed a united front, demanding compensation from the school.

But how could that be possible?

What is the school? A stingy miser!

It was already a miracle that they weren't finding ways to deduct points from the students; did they really expect the school to offer any compensation?

Time passed like this until the afternoon club activity period, yet the points still hadn't been issued.

"Hey, Katsuya..."

A cloying, cutesy voice rang out beside Shinjo's ear. Acting on a whim to tease her, Shinjo responded:

"What is it, my dear Kei?"

!!!!!

Seemingly caught off guard by Shinjo calling her that in front of everyone, Kei Karuizawa's face turned bright red in an instant. She rushed forward to cover his mouth, terrified that he might say something even more embarrassing. Little did she know, such an action only made them look even more intimate.

"You, you, you, you! You!"

"Fine, fine, fine! I surrender!"

After spending so much time together, Shinjo had gained a deep understanding of this girl's personality.

Sometimes she was inexplicably brave, but as long as a third person was present, she would unexpectedly turn cowardly.

Verdict: A pure maiden who is all offense and no defense, strong on the outside but weak on the inside!

"What's wrong?"

"Are there any requests I can take on lately? Because my points really aren't enough... I'm only getting 8,700 points this month, and that little bit of money will be gone in no time."

When it came to spending money, Karuizawa and Shinjo were surprisingly similar.

Both of them belonged to the type who knew perfectly well that money was important and that saving personal points might yield greater value, but in reality, whenever they encountered something they liked, they would absolutely pull the trigger and buy it.

In Shinjo's words: Let future me suffer; at least present me and near-future me are happy!

"This... I don't know what kind of requests will come in yet. If there's any paperwork to process or stamping to do, I'll take the initiative to share them with you."

"By the way, are your points enough for now?"

"Enough. After all, everything I eat and drink now is from the club."

Speaking of this, Karuizawa admired Shinjo even more. Aside from the Cooking Club, there was probably no other club that could manage to provide free food and drinks every single day, right?

(Cooking Club: We can't just eat for free every day either!)

"Speaking of which, actually I..."

Ring-ring~

Before Shinjo could finish his sentence, the phone in his pocket rang.

He answered the call.

"Hello, this is Shinjo."

"Shinjo! Um, do you have any time right now?"

The person speaking was Sudo, and his voice sounded very flustered.

"I'm just about to head to club activities, you..."

"Forget about club activities for now! Shinjo! That... could you come to our secret base first?"

Sudo's tone seemed very grave; something major must have happened. And it was highly likely something bad for this guy, otherwise he wouldn't be acting so timid.

"Uh, alright."