Points Withheld

"Bang!"

"Ah, that hurt." Sakura rubbed her head and sat on the floor.

"Tch, this feels familiar, doesn't it, Sakura?" Takahashi held out a hand to her.

"U-uh, Takahashi, I'm sorry. I... I wasn't paying attention."

"It's all right. Were you taking pictures here, Sakura?" Takahashi asked, glancing at the Digital Camera hanging around her neck.

"W-well..."

Seeing Sakura hesitate, Takahashi said, "It's getting late. I'm heading back to the dorm. Want to come with me?"

"Mm..."

Back in his dorm room, Takahashi tossed his phone and a Divination Tube marked Great Misfortune onto the table.

The first of the month had come again. Everyone around him was staring at their phone screens, swiping repeatedly to refresh. There was no need to guess: their points still hadn't arrived.

Takahashi leaned over his desk toward Horikita, then quickly turned to Sakura and winked. Realizing he'd caught her peeking, Sakura hurriedly lowered her head, blushing as her fingers fidgeted with her skirt.

Teacher Chabashira walked into the classroom just as the bell rang, her heels striking the floor like the beats of a countdown.

"Teacher Saeda! Are we getting zero points again this month?" Ike's booming voice cut through the tense silence. Red-faced, he rushed to the front of the classroom. "I checked my balance this morning, and nothing came in! We made it through the Midterm Exam without even daring to whisper a word..."

Teacher Chabashira's gaze swept across the restless classroom.

"Don't jump to conclusions." Chabashira unfolded a document, revealing a sheet listing the points for each class. Class A: 1004. Class B: 987. Class C: 695. Class D: 87.

"Every class except ours gained nearly a hundred points. Class A even surpassed its points from the start of the school year..." Horikita analyzed the Class Points.

When everyone saw "Class D: 87," the entire classroom erupted. Ike and the others cheered excitedly.

"See? All our hard work paid off!" Sudo said, throwing both arms into the air.

"B-but, Teacher Chabashira, why haven't our points been transferred?" Kushida asked, voicing the question on everyone's mind.

"There's been a problem, so the first-years' points will be issued a little later." Teacher Chabashira's voice echoed through the classroom. Ike immediately jumped up. "The school messed up. Shouldn't we get some extra compensation?" The previously quiet classroom erupted, waves of student complaints rising one after another.

Teacher Chabashira rapped her knuckles on the lectern.

"Don't be unreasonable. If there are any points left after the problem is resolved, the school will certainly issue them on schedule."

Noticing Horikita, who sat beside him, lowering her head in thought, Takahashi casually remarked, "Eighty-seven Class Points. We should be able to do quite a lot with that."

"Are you saying something happened to our class?"

"Huh? Did I say anything?"

Horikita: "..."

Teacher Chabashira had deliberately stressed that the points would be issued only "if there are any left after the problem is resolved." Her vague wording clearly concealed an ulterior motive.

During lunch break, while everyone else went to eat, Takahashi stayed at his desk, leaning over it as he studied his phone and pondered something.

"Um... Takahashi?"

He looked up. It was Sakura who'd spoken.

She and Horikita were among the few students who made their own meals—or, more accurately, the only two in the class. Apart from Takahashi, who was still slumped over his desk, only Sakura and Horikita had brought out the bentos they'd prepared in advance.

"Takahashi, are you feeling unwell?"

"No. I'm just thinking about something."

"O-oh, I see. You shouldn't skip lunch. Um... I... I made this bento myself. Would you... would you like to try some?"

"Heh." Takahashi chuckled and tapped Sakura on the forehead. "If I eat it, what will you eat? Silly girl."

"I can just buy some bread at the convenience store."

Instead of heading straight to the convenience store, Takahashi left the classroom and went to another room.

"Hey, couldn't you have just sent me a message if you had something to say? Why'd you have to drag me out here?"

After the dull afternoon classes ended, the class announcement system carried Teacher Chabashira's voice: "Sudo, come to the faculty office."

"What? I've got basketball practice to go to! What a pain." Sudo grumbled as he left.

As soon as Sudo was gone, quite a few classmates began talking behind his back.

More than three months had passed since the start of the school year, and the various cliques in the class had taken shape. Unlike at the beginning, when his classmates had thought him aloof, Takahashi had now gotten to know quite a few girls in his class and year thanks to Hasebe and Ichinose. Things hadn't gone nearly as well with the boys. For some reason, he felt there was a bit of a barrier between him and Sudo's group of three. After the Midterm Exam, they'd held a celebration at Ayanokouji's dorm and invited Horikita and Kushida, but not him. Sigh. He'd put a lot into the Study Group, too! So much for not forgetting your roots once you made it ashore.

"Takahashi." He recognized the cool voice at once.

Ayanokouji and Horikita came over to Takahashi. Horikita spoke first. "About what Teacher Chabashira said this morning—"

Before she could finish, Takahashi said, "You mean the delayed points and what I said?"

"Right."

Takahashi picked up the Divination Tube and drew out a handful of fortunes, then pulled out the one marked Great Misfortune. "Sorry, my luck's terrible today. I'm going back to the dorm to lie low."

"Damn it, that guy..." Horikita muttered. Ayanokouji said nothing beside her, watching Takahashi's retreating back as if deep in thought.

"Moshi moshi." Takahashi set down his novel and answered Ayanokouji's call. "Sorry, my fortune says Great Misfortune today. I'd better stay holed up in the dorm."

He put his phone down and didn't reopen the novel. Instead, he picked up his coffee and walked to the window.

"Damn it, Takahashi's such a jerk. He actually brushed me off with that superstitious nonsense. I thought we were friends." Sudo grumbled. Then he looked at Ayanokouji and Kushida beside him. "You've gotta help me. I don't want to get suspended."

"Sudo, don't panic. Tell us exactly what happened," Kushida said, a flicker of disgust passing through her eyes.

"Yeah. I got into a fight with some guys from Class C last week. They were the ones who provoked me first. Teacher Chabashira called me in today because of it. I might get suspended, and now I'm supposed to wait for a decision." Sudo sounded downcast.

"You're saying you hit someone... What... exactly happened?" Ayanokouji asked, looking confused.

Sudo immediately waved his hands as he defended himself. "Let me make this clear: it wasn't my fault! Those guys from Class C came looking for a fight. I was acting in self-defense. And then they went and turned around and blamed me, claiming I started it. It's completely backwards!"

He spoke quickly, his explanation somewhat disjointed. They could understand the gist of it, but the details and what had led to the fight were still unclear.

"Sudo, take it easy. Can you tell us what happened in more detail?"

Kushida beside him nodded gently, concern in her eyes. "That's right. Take your time. We're listening."

Sudo took a deep breath and calmed down before speaking again. "A while back, the advisor talked to me and said they were thinking of putting me on the roster for the Summer Tournament."

They'd heard Sudo was a talented basketball player, but they hadn't expected him to have a chance at a starting position so soon.

"That's so soon. You're amazing," Kushida said.

"Nothing's set in stone yet. They're just considering it." Sudo scratched his head, pretending not to care, though the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. "But I'm the only first-year on the list of candidates. I made up my mind then that I'd do whatever it took to get the spot. Then something happened on my way home..." His expression darkened as he continued. "Komiya and Kondo from the basketball club called me to the Special Teaching Building, saying they needed to discuss something important. We'd often argued during practice, so I figured it'd be a good chance to work things out and have a proper talk. But when I got there, Ishizaki was waiting too. I found out later that Komiya and Kondo were his lackeys. They came right out and said they couldn't stand a Class D student like me having a chance to make the roster. They threatened me, telling me to quit the basketball club or I'd regret it. Of course I refused. We'd barely exchanged a few words before they attacked me. What was I supposed to do, just stand there and take it? I had to strike first and subdue them."

"So, Sudo, they provoked you first, and now you've been falsely accused?"

"Yeah. They're a bunch of scumbags."

"Hmm..." Ayanokouji thought for a moment. "Did you explain your side to the school?"

"I did, but they told me to produce evidence by next Tuesday. Otherwise, they'll decide it was my fault, suspend me through the summer break, and deduct Class Points. The worst part is that they might—I mean, they definitely will—take my spot on the roster while I'm suspended."

As he spoke about them taking his roster spot, Sudo slammed both hands on the table, startling Kushida.