The School's Purpose

"Why are you following us, Hoshinomiya? Go back!"

Behind Mu Tianchen and Ayanokouji, Teacher Hoshinomiya was sneaking along with a beaming smile, but Teacher Chazhu spotted her anyway.

What had she been smiling about just now? Was she making fun of the two of us? This teacher really was...

"Saeko, don't be so cold! Let me listen in, okay? Besides, you specifically called two handsome guys to your Counseling Room and won't let me come along. Is there some special reason?"

"Hoshinomiya, what are you implying?"

"Oh, come on. Since you asked so directly, I'll be frank. You're not planning to overstep your bounds, are you?" Chie Hoshimiya replied with a knowing smile.

Overstep her bounds?

Hearing that, Mu Tianchen finally understood why Teacher Chazhu had called them there.

She probably wanted the two of us to contribute to the class and help improve its standing.

But she'd been acting like she'd given up before. Now, all of a sudden...

Could she have figured out Ayanokouji's identity?

No, he didn't believe the school's teachers had the ability to investigate students' backgrounds. At most, they could only know what the school knew.

Perhaps she'd noticed something—like Ayanokouji's rather conspicuous score on this latest quiz.

"Hoshinomiya, don't let your imagination run wild. I just have something to take care of." Seeing that Chie Hoshimiya was still following them, Teacher Chazhu continued, "How long are you planning to follow us?"

"Huh? I'm not following you. I just happen to have something to take care of in the Counseling Room. And since it's nothing important, there's no harm in my tagging along, right?"

Just then, a knock sounded at the door.

"Teacher Hoshinomiya, I have some questions about the Student Council I'd like to ask you. Could I have a little of your time?"

"Someone's here for you, too. Go on."

"Oh, my. I didn't expect Honami to come by so soon. What a shame. Well, Saeko, I'll be off. Bye-bye~"

After saying that, she ushered Honami Ichinose inside. Once she'd gathered her materials, she left with her.

Since Shibata had mentioned her several times before, Mu Tianchen looked at Honami Ichinose as she entered. The girl had light pink hair and very regular features. She was a great beauty.

Her manners were impeccable, too. There was none of Kushida's air of pretense about her.

Still, having a girl like her lead a class at this school and compete against the others seemed a little cruel...

After watching Chie Hoshimiya leave, Teacher Chazhu led Mu Tianchen and Ayanokouji toward the Counseling Room.

They arrived a moment later.

"Um... may I ask why you called me here?"

As soon as Ayanokouji entered the Counseling Room, he spoke first.

"Come with me to the Tea Room."

Teacher Chazhu didn't answer Ayanokouji's question. Instead, she opened another door and led the two of them into the Tea Room.

"Teacher Chazhu, can you tell us now?" Mu Tianchen asked as well. They couldn't just keep waiting like this.

"Well... stay here and don't go anywhere. I have something to take care of and will be right back." Teacher Chazhu glanced at the clock on the wall, then continued, "Also, don't come out or make a sound without my permission. Break the rules, and you'll be expelled. Understand?"

"Fine." Mu Tianchen was puzzled, but all he could do was wait.

"Um... well..." Ayanokouji seemed a little speechless.

"Ayanokouji, do you have a problem?"

"No."

"Good. Then that's settled."

With that, she closed the Tea Room door and walked out.

Before long, they heard a door open outside.

"Horikita, come in! What do you need?"

At the sound of the name Horikita, Mu Tianchen glanced thoughtfully at Ayanokouji. He spread his hands, as if to say he had no idea.

What was Horikita doing here? No, more importantly, Teacher Chazhu seemed suspicious. The way she'd acted just now suggested she'd known Horikita was about to come...

"Teacher Chazhu, I'll get straight to the point. Why was I put in Class D, the class of failures? I refuse to accept it!" Horikita sounded deeply dissatisfied.

So that was it.

"You refuse to accept it? Do you think you're especially capable?"

"Of course," Horikita replied without hesitation.

"Then what makes you think you're capable?"

"What makes me capable...? My test scores are near the top of the class, and I wouldn't do badly compared with the rest of the school. I don't think I performed poorly on the entrance exam, either. I don't believe the school would judge me to be one of its worst students."

Even Mu Tianchen found her words a little hard to take, never mind Teacher Chazhu. He didn't think this school judged students by grades alone. Besides, she wasn't the only one in Class D with outstanding scores.

She actually thought she stood head and shoulders above everyone else in Class D. That was a bit too...

"Since you put it that way, I'll make an exception and show you the entrance exam results. Students aren't normally allowed to see them, but I happen to have your paper here."

With that, Teacher Chazhu handed Horikita the exam paper beside her.

Happen to have it? Mu Tianchen didn't believe that for a second. She must have prepared it in advance. Ayanokouji beside him looked just as unconvinced.

Horikita took the paper. "Thank you. You're certainly well prepared... almost as if you knew I'd come."

"What can I say? I'm a teacher, after all. Naturally, I have some understanding of my students' situations."

"Suzune Horikita, your entrance exam results were exactly what you expected. You made no mistakes in the interview, and your written test score placed you among the top students in the entire first year."

"Then why was I placed in Class D?"

"Before I answer, tell me why you refuse to accept being in Class D."

"Why wouldn't I? You said before that only Class A gets to enjoy the school's benefits. I believe the school misjudged me, and that this mistake will have a huge impact on my future. Isn't it only natural that I refuse to accept it?"

"The school made a mistake? Hahaha, you're quite amusing." Teacher Chazhu laughed, then continued, "I admit that your academic performance is excellent. But this school has never said that students with good grades get placed in better classes. I never told you that."

"Are you joking, Teacher Chazhu? Isn't that common sense?"

"Common sense? Heh. That way of thinking is wrong. It might hold true at other schools, but here, academic ability alone isn't enough for the school to consider someone exceptional."

"The purpose of this school is to cultivate true, self-made geniuses. Thinking academic ability alone is enough is a huge mistake!"

Teacher Chazhu refuted Horikita without holding back.

Cultivating self-made geniuses?

But under this kind of competition, most people would still be ordinary. Only a small number could become geniuses...