Hirata stood in the middle of the podium, raised his hands, and clapped several times, loudly and clearly.
"Clap! Clap! Clap!"
The applause sounded somewhat out of place in the noisy classroom, but it succeeded in drawing most of the students' attention.
Yosuke Hirata looked around the room, took a deep breath, and spoke in his gentle voice, trying to soothe the restlessness and anxiety stirring among Class D:
"Everyone, please quiet down and listen to me!"
As soon as he spoke, the students' chatter gradually died down.
Hirata's gaze swept over the faces before him, some apprehensive, others bewildered. He continued in a solemn tone, more serious than usual:
"I know everyone's shocked and worried right now. But what's done is done. Complaining or panicking won't solve anything.
We need to calm down and think carefully about what to do next."
He paused to make sure everyone had heard him, then continued to assess the situation, his voice tinged with urgency as he spoke for the whole class:
"Based on what we know now, the only way to earn Class Points again and change things is to completely turn around our old, lax ways!
We have to approach our studies with the attitude of truly good students!
Especially with midterms coming up, we have to give it our all and earn high scores if we want a chance at those precious 100 Class Points!
This is our only clear opportunity to earn Class Points right now!"
His gaze slowly swept over everyone in the room, trying to convey urgency and resolve:
"If we keep failing to earn Class Points, what will campus life be like from now on?
Are we really going to scrape by until graduation with zero points, relying on the school's free supplies?
Is that really the kind of life we want?"
His words struck a nerve with most of Class D.
The students who had already squandered all one hundred thousand personal points in April, or even spent more than they had, grew visibly more troubled. They started talking over one another, their voices full of anxiety and dread:
"Of course not! Without points, I can't even afford a bottle of soda!"
"The cafeteria's free meals are enough to fill your stomach, but they taste awful! How are we supposed to get by without points to spend at the snack street?"
"Are we really going to have to keep wearing the free underwear the school gives us and use the cheapest toiletries? That's a miserable way to live!"
"I bought a game console on installments... If I can't make the payments next month because I have no points, will I get a disciplinary record?"
Hirata listened patiently to their complaints without interrupting, only nodding slightly to show he understood.
He maintained his attentive posture, waiting until they had vented and their emotions had settled somewhat, and their voices had grown quieter before speaking again.
This time, his tone was firmer, carrying the kind of encouragement that could bring scattered grains of sand together:
"So! Everyone!" He raised his voice slightly. "For the next month, we have to give it our all!
"This isn't about any one person. It concerns everyone in Class D!
"Only if every one of us takes action, helps one another, and works together can we change things, earn points, and escape our predicament of having none! We're a team!"
Most of the students immediately nodded in agreement, their faces set with conviction and resolve.
Their most immediate interests, their future quality of life, and whether they could stay at the school were all at stake.
For once, Class D showed a degree of unity rarely seen before.
In the midst of it all, a few of the more diligent girls had already begun quietly discussing whether they should form study groups.
Even habitual slackers like Kanji Ike and Haruki Yamauchi wore sour expressions that said, "Looks like we really have to study this time."
But just as a hint of solidarity was beginning to take shape—
"Tch!"
A scornful snort rang out, completely undisguised.
Ken Sudō abruptly stood up from his seat in the back row. He was tall, his face dark, and impatience was written all over it.
He glanced indifferently at Hirata on the podium and the classmates who had "suddenly gotten serious," then sneered:
"Go ahead and hold whatever study sessions or make whatever plans you want. Just don't drag me into it! I couldn't care less!"
He shoved his desk with a screech of scraping furniture, then stormed out, slamming the door behind him!
(Sudō's seat was right by the back door, so he could leave as soon as he stood up.)
"Bang!"
The loud slam echoed through the classroom, making many of the students flinch.
The room fell silent, though this was a different kind of silence.
Many students looked irritated and muttered reproachfully toward the door Sudō had gone through:
"That guy... He's so selfish!"
"This affects the whole class. How can he act like that?"
"What a rotten apple!"
But some wore worried, helpless expressions. In the end, no one dared to get up and go after him, and no one spoke up to stop him.
Everyone knew Sudō had a short temper and was impulsive. He could lash out at the slightest provocation, and no one wanted to risk setting him off and getting into trouble.
Hirata looked at the door, still trembling slightly, and a deep sense of helplessness flickered in his eyes.
He wasn't someone who gave up easily in the face of setbacks, but it was still exhausting to see their "team-building" effort undermined right from the start, with no one daring to do anything about it.
Bringing together a class that was so scattered, with obvious "troublemakers" and "potential problems" within its ranks, was much harder than he had imagined.
Lin Mu took it all in.
Leaning back in his chair, he popped a new cola-flavored lollipop into his mouth. Its tangy, fizzy sweetness danced across his tongue.
He saw the helplessness in Hirata's eyes, the frustration of the other students, who were angry but hardly dared to speak, and the enormous cracks beneath the class's outward show of "unity."
(An order maintained only for the sake of personal gain.)
Still, none of it had anything to do with him.
Now that Hirata, a born "do-gooder" and leader, had stepped up to take charge and try to solve the problem,
there was no reason for him, a pure "bystander," to stay and watch their "passionate motivational rally."
The show was over. Time to leave.
So just as Hirata was about to speak again, perhaps to salvage the mood or lay out a study plan, Lin Mu slowly rose to his feet.
(I'm outta here, bros...)
In the quiet classroom, his movement drew everyone's attention.
He casually waved toward the podium and said in an even tone:
"Carry on. I'm heading out. Don't worry, Hirata—I'll fully support your decision."
Before you continue