This Happened in the Very First Class? (Continued)

"Teacher, at the very least, please tell us the specific reasons for the changes in our points."

Yosuke Hirata tried to calm himself as he spoke to Sae Chabashira.

"Just like in the real world, we use performance reviews. I can't tell you the specific criteria."

A faint smile flickered across Sae Chabashira's face.

"I thought your points would be completely wiped out in less than half a month, but it seems there are at least a few people among you with a little sense."

"Then, could I ask... is there a chance to earn those points back?"

Kushida Kikyo raised her hand and asked.

"There is. If you can earn more points than Class C, they'll be demoted to Class D. Depending on your exam results, you can earn up to 100 points. But let me tell you something else. There may be occasional little quizzes, but starting with midterms, anyone who fails a formal exam will be expelled immediately."

"Expelled?!"

Sae Chabashira saw the fear on almost every student's face, and her smile seemed to grow more pronounced.

"Now that you understand, let's begin today's lesson."

But Keima Katsuragi's fingers never slowed as he played his handheld console, as though none of this had anything to do with him.

Volume One: Chapter Twenty-Three: Teacher Chabashira, You Don't Want Your Students Stuck in Class D, Do You?

Sae Chabashira began her lesson, but not a single student below the podium could focus on it.

The S-System, Class Points, expulsion...

It was all too much for them to digest at once.

On the first day of school, they had thought they'd arrived in paradise.

Now, they were beginning to realize that this place was hell.

At least no one whispered to their neighbors or played on their phones during class anymore—

Except for Keima Katsuragi.

When the bell rang, Sae Chabashira quickly gathered her things and left the classroom.

She hadn't gone far when she heard footsteps behind her.

"Wait a moment, Teacher Chabashira."

Sae Chabashira turned around. Keima Katsuragi stood behind her.

Even as he spoke to her, his eyes remained fixed on the handheld console in his hands.

"Katsuragi, what is it?"

"You said earlier that points could be used to buy anything at school. Is that right?"

"That's right. As long as it doesn't violate the law or school rules, you can buy it."

"Then I want to buy the right to play games during every class from now on."

Keima Katsuragi said.

"Oh?"

Sae Chabashira's eyebrows lifted slightly, as though she wasn't sure she'd heard him correctly.

Keima Katsuragi continued.

"I asked Teacher Mashima about it last class. He can only give me permission to play games during English. He can't interfere with other classes, and it costs twenty thousand points a month, which is a terrible deal. He told me to come to you, too. I figured that as my homeroom teacher, you'd offer me a better price."

"Are you serious?"

Sae Chabashira studied the boy in front of her. The screen of his game reflected in his glasses.

"I'm serious. Playing games in class should affect the Class Points, right? I want to buy out that effect. Once I've paid the points, playing games during class will be considered reasonable behavior, and I won't have points deducted for it."

"Why would you do that?"

A trace of confusion flashed in Sae Chabashira's eyes.

He already knew the school's rules, yet he'd still come to her to make this kind of deal.

Why?

"Because I want to play games during class. I spend an average of four or five hours a day in the classroom. That's the best time to play."

Sae Chabashira pressed her lips together. She'd taught several batches of Class D students and seen countless slackers, but she'd never met anyone who could say something as outrageous as Keima Katsuragi had.

While Sae Chabashira was momentarily at a loss, Keima Katsuragi continued.

"If I'm the only one, it probably won't affect our Class Points that much. But I'm sure someone in the class will end up unhappy with what I'm doing. It'd be a pain if they tried to stop me from playing, so that's why I want to do this."

"I see. You're willing to go to these lengths just to play games. Keima Katsuragi, you're the first person I've ever met like that."

A smile returned to Sae Chabashira's face.

"Fine. This is something you can buy. For eighty thousand points a month, you can play games in every class without having points deducted."

"That's not a good deal."

Keima Katsuragi rejected Sae Chabashira's offer without hesitation.

"What?"

"High school lasts three years, and we have about eight months of classes each year. That's twenty-four months in total, or 1.92 million points. That's no small sum. Besides, given the current situation, there's no way I can afford that much over the next few months. So I have another idea."

"Oh?"

"Of course I'm going to haggle."

"What makes you think you have the right to haggle with me?"

"My academic ability. Let me save my game first."

Keima Katsuragi saved his game, put away the handheld console, pushed up his glasses, and looked at Sae Chabashira.

"I have a decent academic record, and you said exam results would affect our Class Points. My grades should help the class. Since personal points are tied to Class Points, the benefits I can bring the class should be considerable."

"You've got some nerve, Katsuragi. Maybe your grades are good, but this school requires more than just academic ability. And in the end, you're all Class D students. Even if you're good at studying, how much can one person really change? Unlike Class A, Class D is a collection of the worst students."

There was a trace of mockery in Sae Chabashira's question.

"First of all, no matter what the exam is, it's no different from a game. You just have to find the right answers. And another thing—"

Keima Katsuragi's sharp gaze pierced through the lenses of his glasses.

It was one of the few times Sae Chabashira had seen Keima Katsuragi's face directly. He usually kept his head down as he played games.

"If we in Class D really are the worst students, then doesn't that make you one of the worst teachers, Teacher Chabashira?"

"You really do have some nerve!"

"Class D students do lack discipline and motivation. But as a teacher, it's your job to guide your students onto the right path. Otherwise, what's the point of having a school at all? But you haven't done that. You barely make an effort with your lessons, either. The reasons we were assigned to Class D and you were assigned as our homeroom teacher aren't all that different."

Keima Katsuragi's words were like a sharp sword, but Sae Chabashira simply stared at him with a stern expression.

She'd never met a student who dared to speak to her like that.

"Just like the characters in a game, if you ignore them and offer them no care or help, they might go astray and reach a bad ending."

Keima Katsuragi took a step forward, drawing closer to Sae Chabashira.

"Don't you want to go further, Teacher Chabashira? For example... move up to Class A?"

As Keima Katsuragi spoke, he watched Sae Chabashira's expression without blinking.

To make sure he could play games during class from now on, Keima Katsuragi had decided to take the initiative and approach Sae Chabashira.

He didn't know what she really wanted, so he deliberately spoke that way to test her.

Sae Chabashira wasn't one of his targets, but perhaps the methods he used in games would work on her, too.

The stronger the emotional reaction, the more clearly a person's true feelings showed.

As he watched the subtle changes in her expression, a smile appeared on Keima Katsuragi's face.

I can already see the ending.

Volume One: Chapter Twenty-Four: Anything Is Worth It for the Chance to Play Games

After hearing Keima Katsuragi's words, Sae Chabashira's expression changed noticeably. Her breathing seemed to grow heavier, too.

Sae Chabashira desperately wanted to reach Class A.

She herself had once been a Class D student. Back then, the gap between the four classes had been nowhere near as wide as it was now, and her class had come close to replacing Class A.

But in the end, they'd fallen short at the last moment.

Sae Chabashira had played a crucial part in what happened, which was why Chie Hoshinomiya had always hated her so deeply.

On the surface, Sae Chabashira seemed to have given up, but in truth, her desire to move up to Class A was stronger than anyone's.

This was the first time a student had ever brought it up in front of her.

But in less than two seconds, Sae Chabashira had composed herself.

"Move up to Class A? You're Class D. You'd be lucky just to make it to Class C. You've realized the truth about the S-System in time, but these past few days have already been enough to put you behind the other classes—"

"But the gap can't be that big yet, right?"

Keima Katsuragi said.

If the students in the class hadn't learned about the S-System ahead of time, they might not have realized something was wrong until the first of next month. By then, all their Class Points would surely have been deducted.

But it had only been a few days since the start of school, so they hadn't lost that many points.

This was when the gap between the classes was smallest.

"Interesting. Do you want to move up to Class A? You know, of course, that graduating from this school guarantees a promising career—but only if you graduate from Class A."

"I don't want that. Which class I graduate from isn't something I care about. I'm only doing this so I can play games more freely. Games are what motivate me to do anything else."

Keima Katsuragi pushed up his glasses, paused for a few seconds, then continued.

"I can improve the class's 'strength.' That's my advantage, so I want a lower price for the deal."

Sae Chabashira stared at the boy in front of her.

He was willing to go to such lengths just to play games?

Still, this batch of Class D students was unusual.

Besides Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, he might become another ace up her sleeve.

"Fine, I accept. Fifty thousand points a month. As long as you pay the full amount each month, playing games during class will be considered 'normal student behavior.'"

A meaningful smile appeared on Sae Chabashira's face.

"But in return for the discount, no one in the class can be expelled during the upcoming formal exams. And after every full academic year, the class ranking must rise by at least one place. If you fail, our deal will be terminated, and you'll have to pay back the entire discount you received."

Sae Chabashira was curious to see how Keima Katsuragi would react.

"I can't accept."

Keima Katsuragi rejected Sae Chabashira's offer without the slightest hesitation.

"Just as I thought."

Sae Chabashira had expected that reaction.

After all, no student would agree to a condition like that—

"Fifty thousand is still too much with those extra conditions."

"What?"

The smile on Sae Chabashira's face froze.

Keima Katsuragi wasn't concerned about the extra conditions. He was concerned about the fifty thousand points?

"If it's under twenty thousand, I might consider it."

"You're haggling with your teacher?"

"The school rules allow it, don't they?"

"You'd better think carefully. Once we make an agreement, it'll be binding."

Sae Chabashira's gaze grew stern.

"I know. Otherwise, the school's point-trading system would be completely pointless, wouldn't it?"