Points Zero

Looking at the phone screen where his points still hovered over one hundred thousand, and seeing the other classmates frowning at their own phones, Takahashi knew today was bound to be an interesting day.

"Click, click, click."

As the sound of high heels grew closer, Teacher Chabashira entered the classroom.

The fluorescent lights hummed overhead as Chabashira Sae leaned against the metal edge of the podium, her dark red nail polish tapping leisurely against her tablet. The blue glow of the screen made the fine lines around her eyes look even sharper, and when she announced, "This month's remaining Class D points: 0," her voice cut through the stagnant air like an icicle.

"It seems you've all perfectly embodied the definition of 'trash.'" She let out a cold laugh, slamming the tablet onto the podium. The dull thud of plastic against the desk made the students in the back row flinch. "Other classes are racking their brains to earn points, and you? You can't even manage to keep enough points to maintain the bare minimum standard of living. You've truly opened my eyes."

In the front row, Kushida Kikyo's fingertips turned white as she gripped her skirt, tears glistening 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 kept his eyes lowered, spinning a ballpoint pen, the cold light reflecting off the metal barrel shattering into starlight in his pupils.

"Do you know what zero points means?" Chabashira Sae clicked her heels as she approached the first row, her perfume mixed with a sharp scent of tobacco. "Starting this month, you will receive no points at all."

The cicadas outside suddenly grew piercing. Some students pressed their foreheads against the cool glass of the window, their knuckles scraping against the desks in traces of despair. Zero points wasn't just a financial punishment—it was like a brand of shame stamped on Class D's forehead, signaling that they had completely fallen to the bottom of the school's food chain.

Of course, this didn't include Takahashi. He still had over one hundred thousand points in hand.

Chabashira Sae's slender fingers suddenly pulled out a stack of exam papers, the rustling sound sharp as a blade cutting through the oppressive atmosphere. "Ha, I thought zero points was the bottom line, but you've managed to surpass my expectations." She sneered, slamming the grade sheet onto the podium. "Look at this laughable average score—65 points! Barely clinging to the passing line. You're a disgrace to the school!"

Her gaze swept across the classroom like a cold dagger, finally landing on Sudo and Ike. "Sudo, 14 points. Ike, 24 points." As she read out their names, her tone was filled with undisguised disgust and mockery. "Are you here to study or to be a joke? With grades like these, expulsion would be letting you off easy! According to school rules, this quiz has put a full seven people on the verge of expulsion!"

The classroom fell into dead silence, as if even breathing had frozen. Sudo's face flushed bright red, his fists clenched tight, but he couldn't find a single word to argue. Ike kept his head down, his bangs covering his panicked and regretful eyes.

"But," Chabashira Sae suddenly shifted her tone, picking up one exam paper with a rare hint of surprise in her voice, "Takahashi Shinma, perfect score." She held the paper up for the whole class to see, her gaze landing on the quiet figure in the back row. "Among you bunch of trash, a perfect score actually pops up. What a miracle. But unfortunately, one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel. One person's excellence can't cover up the incompetence of the entire class!"

Takahashi Shinma sat quietly in his seat, his eyes lowered to hide the emotions within, his slender fingers gently tracing the edge of a book. He knew that in this environment full of malice and mockery, this perfect score wouldn't bring praise—instead, it would make him an outcast in everyone's eyes. And as for the others in the class, under the shadow of despair and fear, the looks they cast at him now were mixed with who knew how many complicated emotions.