So Why Did This Happen?

Standing on the podium, Yuki Gyakukai looked down and casually scanned the entire classroom.

Seeing that everyone was listening, he couldn't help feeling pleased.

As expected of Class B, known in the original story as the class of good kids. They were so well-behaved.

Noticing the expectant looks, he didn't hesitate:

"Actually, I'd been suspicious of this school even before I came here.

After all, a 100 percent college and employment rate, along with three years of free tuition, seemed unrealistic. Even knowing the government was behind it didn't change my mind."

"So after coming to school today, I investigated it:

First: this school believes in the survival of the fittest. Both academic ability and physical strength are important criteria.

Second: the so-called 100 percent college and employment rate is a scam. According to my research, only students who graduate from Class A can enjoy this benefit.

Third: I visited the second- and third-year areas and noticed that none of the classes had their full enrollment. In other words, some classes didn't have 40 students. That doesn't make sense, because even if you can't graduate from Class A, nobody would give up on the school's excellent resources.

So it's reasonable to conclude that the school has a way to force students to drop out.

Fourth: the school doesn't give us 100,000 points on the first of every month. The number of points isn't fixed, though the initial amount should be 100,000.

Fifth: it is possible to transfer between classes, but it costs 20 million personal points.

Sixth: points are divided into Class Points and personal points. Both can be gained or deducted through interclass competitions called Special Exams.

Those are all the things I've discovered so far."

When he finished speaking, the entire classroom fell silent.

Judging by the expressions of the people sitting there, their brains seemed to have crashed.

"Um, Teacher Hoshinomiya..."

Fortunately, some of them still had their wits about them and turned to Teacher Chie Hoshinomiya, who was standing off to the side.

After all, their homeroom teacher was the only person in the classroom who truly understood the school's rules.

Asking their teacher for help would have been a good idea, but all they got was disappointment.

"Sorry, but I can't tell you about that. You'll have to figure it out yourselves."

Her refusal to answer directly had already given them the answer.

At that moment, Hoshinomiya's eyes seemed to sparkle as she stared at Yuki on the podium.

She hadn't expected to find a wild card after all—and apparently, one of the best.

Class B hadn't expected their homeroom teacher to answer that way. Their fantasies about the school had now been shattered.

But that only lasted a moment. From the start, they'd had some doubts about the benefits the school advertised.

Getting something for nothing was something that only happened in stories, after all.

Yuki cleared his throat and spoke again:

"Here's a hint: we're already in the middle of a Special Exam. It lasts one month, and it tests the discipline of the class. So I'm sure you understand what that means."

The others had already gained a general understanding of the school from his explanation of its rules.

Now, they couldn't help privately grumbling about the school.

"What a devious school. They didn't even tell us all the rules."

"Thank goodness it's only the first day of school. On the surface, all four first-year classes started on an even footing, but now we already know the rules ahead of time..."

"Yuki really is amazing. He only enrolled at the same time as us, yet he managed to uncover so many rules in such a short time."

"..."

"Okay, okay, everyone, settle down for a moment. I don't want to spoil your enthusiasm, but we're short on time. The opening ceremony is about to start, so if there's anything you need to discuss, do it quickly."

Hoshinomiya interrupted their discussion with a smile and raised her phone to show them the time.

Glancing at Hoshinomiya, Yuki felt most of the eyes in the room turn to him once again.

After all, it was the first day of school, and they didn't know one another very well yet. Everyone was still testing the waters.

Afraid of their unfamiliar surroundings, they instinctively saw the person attracting the most attention as their leader.

In other words...

"Everyone, I originally came to this school just to experience high school life. I just didn't expect the school to be like this...

"By now, you should have a general idea of what I'm capable of. Given the special nature of this school, I'd like to become the leader of our class."

Without a doubt, the moment Yuki said those words, he had already won over most of the class.

Of course, it was possible that some people didn't agree with him, but chose to follow the majority for the sake of their future school life.

From that day forward, Yuki became the class leader—on the very first day of school. In fact, he was probably the first class leader in the entire first year.

The opening ceremony ended.

The ceremony had been nothing but speeches, so it hadn't meant much.

During that time, the Class B students who'd been a little anxious earlier were now smiling again as they made friends with each other.

However, mindful of what they'd learned about the school's rules, they consciously avoided talking to students from the other classes in their year.

One reason: the more you said, the more mistakes you made.

Gaoyu's campus was exceptionally beautiful. The school was on its own island, with the sea all around. A sea breeze drifted by now and then, carrying a faint, salty smell.

Cherry trees and lush greenery covered the entire island. Judging by how neatly everything was arranged, the school staff must have taken care of it before the term began.

The scenery was lovely, but Yuki had no time to enjoy it. Instead, he stared at the group of girls in front of him, his face dark with dismay.

"Tomie, why did things end up like this?"

His arms were covered in shopping bags of all sizes, most of them filled with women's products like body wash, shampoo, and skincare items.

Every finger was occupied, and even a large shoulder bag hung around his neck.

At his question, Tomie gave an unhappy little snort, her dark, jewel-like eyes glaring at him.

"You tell me. Why do you think this happened, my fian-cé?"

The girls nearby who'd been considering offering to help all lowered their heads under Tomie's intimidating glare and turned their faces away.

Tomie, brimming with jealousy, strode forward with a dark expression and pointed at the red lipstick mark on his shirt.