Seeing that the points on his phone were still sitting at over four hundred thousand, Takahashi knew, from the frowns on his classmates' faces as they stared at their own phones, that today was bound to be interesting.
"Click, click, click."
As the sound of high heels drew closer, Teacher Chabashira entered the classroom.
The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead. Chabashira Sae leaned against the metal frame of the lectern, her dark-red-polished fingertips tapping leisurely on her tablet. Its blue glow sharpened the fine lines at the corners of her eyes. When she read, "Class D's remaining points this month: 0," her final word pierced the still air like an icicle.
"It seems you've all managed to perfectly embody the definition of 'useless.'" She gave a cold laugh and slammed the tablet onto the lectern. The dull thud of plastic against wood made the students in the back row flinch. "The other classes are racking their brains to earn more points. And you? You can't even earn enough to maintain the bare minimum standard of living. I'm impressed."
Kushida Kikyo sat in the front row, her fingertips gripping her skirt until they turned white, tears welling in her eyes. Hirata Yosuke forced a smile, trying to ease the tension, but his Adam's apple bobbed uncontrollably. In the corner, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka lowered his eyes and twirled a ballpoint pen. Cold glints reflected off its metal barrel, scattering like stars in his gaze.
"Do you know what zero points means?" Teacher Chabashira strode toward the first row in her high heels. Her perfume mingled with the sharp scent of tobacco. "Starting this month, you won't receive a single point."
The cicadas outside suddenly sounded deafening. One student pressed his forehead against the cold window, his knuckles tracing desperate marks across the desk. Losing all their points wasn't just an economic penalty; it was a humiliating brand stamped on Class D's forehead, a sign that they were destined to sink to the very bottom of the school's food chain.
Of course, that didn't include Takahashi. He still had over four hundred thousand points.
Chabashira Sae suddenly pulled out a stack of test papers. Their rustling cut through the oppressive atmosphere like blades. "Hah. I thought hitting zero points was rock bottom, but you've still managed to surprise me." She sneered and slammed the grade sheet onto the lectern. "Look at this ridiculous average—sixty-five! You're barely clinging to the passing mark. You've disgraced the school!"
Her gaze swept through the classroom like a cold dagger before settling on Sudo and Ike. "Sudo, fourteen points. Ike, twenty-four." Her voice brimmed with undisguised contempt and mockery as she read their names. "Are you here to study or to make people laugh? With grades like these, getting expelled would be too good for you! According to school regulations, seven people are facing expulsion after this quiz!"
The classroom fell silent, as if even the sound of breathing had frozen. Sudo's face flushed bright red. He clenched his fists, but couldn't find a single word to argue with. Ike lowered his head, his bangs hiding his panicked, regretful expression.
"However..." Chabashira Sae suddenly changed tack and picked up a test paper. A rare trace of surprise entered her voice. "Takahashi Shinma, perfect score." She held up the paper for the class, her gaze settling on the quiet figure in the back row. "Among a bunch of useless students like you, someone actually managed a perfect score. It's a miracle. But one bad apple can spoil the whole barrel. One person's excellence can't conceal the incompetence of the entire class!"
Takahashi Shinma sat quietly at his desk, lowering his eyes to hide his feelings as his long fingers lightly brushed the edge of his textbook. He knew that in this hostile, mocking environment, a perfect score wouldn't earn him praise. Instead, it would make him seem like an outsider. As despair and fear engulfed the rest of the class, he couldn't tell how many conflicting emotions were mixed into the looks they directed at him.
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