The rooftop door was ajar, and a cool breeze slipped through the gap, carrying faint sounds of commotion.
Chabashira-sensei had probably wanted to get some fresh air up here during the break.
Ayanokoji didn't hesitate for a moment. He pushed the door open and went up.
The metal door creaked softly.
Suzune Horikita immediately stopped and motioned for Lin Mu to stop, too.
The two of them quietly stepped behind the wall beside the door and listened.
The wind was stronger on the rooftop. Chabashira-sensei's voice wavered slightly in the breeze, but it was still clear:
"Is something the matter? Class is about to start."
Her tone sounded relaxed, even a little languid—a far cry from the cold verdict she'd delivered in the classroom moments ago.
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji's voice was calm and emotionless. He skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point:
"Sensei, may I ask you a question?"
"A question?" Chabashira's voice held a hint of confusion.
"Do you believe that society today is equal?"
Ayanokoji spoke calmly, as if he were merely discussing some trivial academic topic.
Chabashira raised an eyebrow, her tone tinged with impatience. "That's rather abrupt. What's the point of asking?"
"It's very important. Could you answer me?" Ayanokoji insisted.
Chabashira pondered for a moment before answering. "In my opinion, society is obviously unequal. Completely so. Equality is nothing more than an illusion that conceals the truth."
"But we humans are capable of thought. At the very least, any rules or regulations should appear to be equal."
As he spoke, Ayanokoji took out his Student Terminal and tapped the screen before holding it out to Chabashira.
"Please sell Sudo one point for his English grade."
Chabashira was taken aback, then chuckled. Her eyes held a playful gleam.
"You're certainly interesting. I didn't expect you to make a request like this—buying a point."
"Didn't you say on the first day of school that purchases had to be made using the points on our Student Terminals?
"Any rules or regulations should at least appear to be equal. This exam is no exception."
Ayanokoji remained expressionless, his reasoning clear.
"But with the points you have, I doubt you can afford even one."
Chabashira held up a finger, her tone deliberately challenging.
"Let me think. If you can pay me a hundred thousand personal points right now, I'll make an exception and sell you that point."
Ayanokoji's expression remained unchanged as he replied mildly, "Sensei, you're rather mean."
When Suzune Horikita, listening in, heard the words "buy a point," her eyes visibly lit up.
Her hand curled slightly at her side, and she leaned forward, clearly waiting tensely for Chabashira's response.
Lin Mu, meanwhile, remained lazily leaned against the wall. His lollipop made a faint crunching sound in his mouth—he had bitten through the last bit of candy.
Although he'd already seen this conversation in the vision of the future, hearing Ayanokoji say, in that utterly flat tone, "Please sell him one point" still made him feel...
Suzune Horikita could no longer hold back.
She took a deep breath and pushed the door open, stepping out.
The metal door banged against the wall with a loud clang, making the two people on the rooftop turn toward her.
"Then what if you add my personal points?"
Horikita's voice was firm, and she looked Chabashira straight in the eye.
She coolly weighed the pros and cons, her reasoning clear and her tone earnest and unequivocal:
"I don't know whether a class is punished when someone is expelled. Keeping Sudo would benefit Class D more than it would harm us."
Lin Mu, following Horikita, saw that their eavesdropping had been discovered and simply stepped out as well.
He had both hands in his pockets and the bare plastic stick of his lollipop in his mouth. Lazily leaning against the doorframe, he looked like someone who'd just happened to be passing by.
Ayanokoji and Chabashira both looked at them.
Ayanokoji's expression didn't change. He simply called their names in a mild tone. "Horikita. Lin Mu." He acted as though their presence here were perfectly normal.
Chabashira raised an eyebrow, her smile growing wider. It held a hint of amusement, a hint of appreciation... perhaps?
"You two really are interesting."
Her gaze swept over Horikita, then shifted to Lin Mu, leaning against the doorway. She asked, "Lin Mu, are you here to plead for Sudo, too?"
Everyone's attention turned to him.
Lin Mu licked his lips, savoring the last hint of grape sweetness as it melted across his tongue.
He spoke slowly, his voice as languid and unconcerned as ever:
"Sensei, I'm just here to watch the show."
He shrugged, the plastic stick tilting at the corner of his mouth. "I'm not interested in Sudo's situation.
"As far as I know, students have been expelled from every class in both the second and third years. It's inevitable that the classes will weed out the weak. It's only a matter of time."
His gaze passed over Horikita and Ayanokoji, his tone flat. "What Horikita and Ayanokoji decide to do is none of my business. I won't interfere or get involved. Carry on."
His words were blunt and cold, even a little cruel—but strangely, they fit the impression he'd always given:
A slacker who didn't care about class affairs and only wanted to make life comfortable for himself.
Chabashira looked at him for two seconds without asking anything else. She simply smiled faintly and turned her attention back to the deal.
What followed was straightforward: Ayanokoji and Horikita pooled together a hundred thousand points, Chabashira accepted them, and she agreed to "sell" the point.
Just like that, Ken Sudo's expulsion crisis was casually resolved, at a price high enough to make an ordinary student who'd only just enrolled wince for a long time.
It was just like this school. Everything had its price.
Lin Mu scoffed inwardly, figuring that was about enough of the show.
He nodded slightly to the three people on the rooftop and said casually, "I've seen enough. I'll head back to the classroom."
With that, he turned and ambled back the way he'd come, his hands still in his pockets.
Behind him, the conversation on the rooftop continued. He could faintly hear Chabashira talking with Ayanokoji and Horikita, but none of it had anything to do with him anymore.
When he returned to the Class D classroom, the atmosphere inside had barely changed.
Ken Sudo was still slumped in his seat, his face ashen. Yosuke Hirata was still trying to comfort him, but to little effect.
The other students were either silent or whispering among themselves, their faces full of helplessness.
Kushida was standing with her hands clasped tightly in front of her chest, brows furrowed. She was clearly still anxiously thinking of a solution.
The moment she saw Lin Mu return, her eyes lit up, and she hurried over.
"Lin Mu! You..."
Lin Mu raised a hand and gestured for her to keep her voice down, then motioned for her to come closer.
Kushida looked puzzled, but she obediently leaned toward him.
Lin Mu dipped his head toward her ear and whispered so softly that only the two of them could hear:
"Don't worry. Sudo's going to be fine."
Kushida's body stiffened noticeably.
"Ayanokoji and Horikita have already worked things out with Chabashira-sensei."
Before you continue