Chapter 18

"If you fail even one subject, you'll be expelled." Everyone seemed to have grown accustomed to one blow after another, and the atmosphere in the classroom grew heavy. That ungraded mock quiz—I hadn't paid much attention to it at first... It turns out the school had been planning this step by step all along! "Next are the results from the last test. Anything below the red line is a failing grade. Do your best, everyone; I certainly don't want to say goodbye to you all this early..." After posting the scores, Sakagami left the classroom. A moment later, panic permeated the entire class. "What do I do? Ishizaki, I failed two subjects!" a boy named Yamawaki said from behind Ishizaki. "What else can you do? Read your books before the test! The point is the private points! We're going to have to go back to living frugally again... Class A still has over ninety thousand points, it's so frustrating!" Ishizaki didn't seem to have any good ideas at the moment either. "Everyone! We should unite to face the challenges ahead." At this moment, Kaneda stood up, his voice rising above the murmurs of the crowd. "Unite, easier said than done. Who are we supposed to listen to?" As the leader of his own group and a somewhat well-known delinquent back in middle school, Ishizaki naturally thought of this point. "To improve our test scores, we naturally need to organize study sessions. I, for one, am willing to start by taking on this task to prove myself, help those students struggling with their studies, and lead everyone in opposing the other classes." "So you want to become the leader, then? Don't make me laugh! We can pass the exams without some measly study session. The important thing is how to increase our class points, right?" "That's exactly why we need to organize and get our grades under control! Even if we can barely pass the exams without study sessions, we definitely won't be able to increase our class points by much!" "So this is something that benefits the whole class? Do you have to use this to coerce us into supporting you as leader? Don't act like you're doing us underachievers a favor! We can't trust a leader like you." "Damn it! Can you stop being so unreasonable!? If you have a better idea, then spit it out!" "Is that the attitude you use to ask for support in an election? Kaneda, it's not like there aren't people in Class C with better grades than you. Why don't you weigh your own worth before you speak?" "If you don't want to participate, then fine. There will be others who do. If you don't join, you can all just get expelled!" Kaneda grew increasingly agitated, shouting directly at Ishizaki. "Say that again? Do you want me to tear your mouth open?" Just like that, the conflict in the classroom began to shift from a war of words to a physical confrontation. This heated argument soon turned into mutual accusations between Kaneda and Ishizaki. Kaneda accused Ishizaki and his gang of not paying attention in class, causing too many point deductions, while Ishizaki claimed Kaneda was just causing trouble because he was unhappy that Ishizaki wouldn't support him. Kaneda, who had a point, lacked the supporters to stand up to this group of bad boys, and for a moment, neither side could make any further progress. Sitting between Ishizaki and Kaneda, I had the perfect VIP seat to watch the show, but Shiina, who was sitting in front of me with her hands over her ears and trembling at her desk, clearly didn't have my leisure. "Alright! Class is about to start. If you two grown men want to fight, go find a place where no one is around after school. Causing trouble in the classroom will only lead to more deductions from our already meager class points." Glancing at the time, I stood up and said this. "Hmph! Kaneda, do you dare to come!" "..." Kaneda naturally couldn't beat this group of muscle-heads, and he found himself in a dilemma, only able to respond weakly, "Fighting is definitely against school rules, and it will cost us class points." "Coward, just find a place where no one is around! With your pathetic attitude, you think you can lead the class to defeat Class A? Don't make me laugh! You'd be better off letting me do it! Behind the gymnasium this afternoon—if you don't dare to come, stop bossing people around in the classroom! The same goes for everyone else! I accept anyone's challenge!" Ishizaki increasingly felt that my suggestion was a good one; he was fantasizing about taking the next step to become the class leader, unaware that he was merely being manipulated by me. Heh heh, if it really develops into a situation where Ishizaki controls the class, he'll undoubtedly be my puppet. "You..." Kaneda had nothing left to say. With things having reached this point, he was stuck in a situation where he couldn't back down. Glaring at me with resentment, Kaneda took out his textbook and buried his head in it. One down; now I just need to control this brawny, brainless (and by brawny, I mean his chest muscles) guy. It really is just Class C; there's no challenge at all... "Are we really going to watch them fight this afternoon? I feel like something is wrong! Why didn't Minya stand up? With his reputation and ability as the top student in the class..." Suzuki said in the group chat. "Don't overthink it, just listen to Minya and it'll be fine." Oda was much more laid-back. "I guess Minya doesn't want to step into the spotlight. That's fine too. We can control Ishizaki from the shadows to influence the whole class and make the other classes let their guard down." Sonoda was the most observant, having noticed a few subtle clues. "It's good that they're fighting! That Kaneda is full of bad intentions; he doesn't seem like the type who can take responsibility for the class. Honestly, I'd rather have Ishizaki than him!" "I bet he won't even go, though. That kid is sharp! If he brings a teacher along, that would be interesting." Sonoda wasn't optimistic. "No way, calling a teacher because you can't win? That's too pathetic." Volume 1: First Glimpse of Talent : 9 Violence Itself is an Economic Force. Violence is the midwife of every old society pregnant with a new one; violence itself is an economic force. -- Marx. The day passed quickly, and it was clear that no one in Class C was in the mood for class today. A tense and anxious atmosphere hung in the air, and even the girls who usually sat together giggling only dared to whisper behind their hands. When the bell rang for the end of the school day, Ishizaki slammed his desk, made a throat-slitting gesture at Kaneda, and then marched off with his lackeys in high spirits. "Minya, let's go too." Watching Kaneda leave from the other direction, Suzuki leaned in. "Um... Shiina-san, you should come along and take a look too. You're the leader of the girls, right? This kind of thing ultimately concerns the future of our Class C, so it would be best if you girls had a witness or something..." I suggested. Shiina turned around and shook her head in fear; it seemed she wasn't very reliable. There was no help for it, so I scanned the room, but the girls all lowered their heads, not daring to meet my eyes. Clearly, no one wanted to get involved in this mess. "Then I'll go! I can't stand these guys running wild either. Using violence to solve problems is just too ridiculous." An unexpected voice rang out from behind me—it was the big sister of the class, Ibuki, who hadn't made an appearance in a long time. "If it's Ibuki-san, then it'll definitely be fine..." Shiina said weakly, acknowledging Ibuki's status. "Alright then, but don't worry, I'll protect Ibuki-san for you all..." "Who asked a weakling like you to protect me!" Before I could finish, Ibuki drove an elbow into my chest, truly turning me into a shrimp. It seemed this heroic and cool move gave the girls in the class a sense of hope, and they began to chatter, establishing Ibuki as their representative. My heart aches for myself; I was clearly the one who...