Strange Tally

Stepping onto the second-year floor, a distinctly different atmosphere from the first year washed over him.

The hallway was no longer empty; almost every classroom's windows were wide open, revealing many students lingering inside.

Some were hunched over writing, others stared blankly out the windows, and more were either looking down at their phones or murmuring quietly to one another.

On the surface, it was just an ordinary free period on the afternoon of the first day of school.

But Mazumi Mami keenly sensed an indescribable oppression hanging in the air.

It wasn't the tension of heavy academic workload, but rather... a deep-seated powerlessness and fatigue.

Most students' faces lacked vitality, their eyes hollow or carrying a faint trace of numbness, as if they'd lost interest in everything around them, moving only by inertia.

The entire floor was shrouded in a strange, collective low pressure.

"A peculiar atmosphere..."

Mazumi Mami slowed his pace, observing without drawing attention.

"If it were academic pressure, there should be more people buried in their books or discussing studies. But here, those seriously reading are few, and there are no towering piles of reference books or test papers on the desks."

His gaze swept over young faces lacking luster.

"It's more like... being under some invisible, suffocating rule or evaluation system for a long time, losing goals and motivation, even starting to give up on themselves?"

This piqued his curiosity.

This school's so-called "meritocracy" and "elite cultivation"—did it ultimately breed such a dispirited state?

Or was this just a temporary phenomenon in a specific grade or class?

His thoughts were interrupted by a prominent notice board at the end of the hallway.

Above the board, bold lettering read "Real-Time Class Points Ranking (Second Year)," and below, four classes and their corresponding numbers were clearly listed:

Class A: 1400 points

Class B: 600 points

Class C: 400 points

Class D: 250 points

Mazumi Mami stopped in front of the board, his amber-gold eyes focused intently on the string of numbers.

"Class Points?"

He immediately ruled out the possibility of it being individual student points—the starting fund of one hundred thousand per person was far too different from these three-digit figures.

"This seems more like a... rating for the class as a whole? Or some quantification of resources or privileges?"

The gaps between the numbers were striking.

The highest-scoring Class A had more than five times the points of the lowest, Class D, and even between Class A and Class B—classes that should be close—there was an 800-point difference.

"Such a huge disparity can't be naturally accumulated from individual academic or behavioral performance alone. It's more like some powerful external rule is at work, heavily adding or deducting points from classes."

He analyzed quickly.

"And why is Class D so low? Did they violate some serious rule, or is the evaluation standard for these 'Class Points' different from the usual definition of 'excellence'?"

Another question surfaced.

"Why don't we first-years have this ranking? Has it not started yet? Or does it require meeting certain conditions to activate this evaluation system? Could this be one of the hidden rules that Teacher Majima hinted we need to 'discover' on our own?"

He was at a loss, with no one to ask.

Mazumi Mami pulled out the school-issued smartphone and, seemingly casually but with precise angles, took a photo of the ranking board.

He decided to continue exploring upward.

On the third-year floor, the atmosphere was noticeably different from the second year.

Though it was also a graduating grade, the air lacked that near-desperate oppression; instead, there was more of the restlessness of late adolescence, anticipation, and even a faint trace of competitive spirit.

The students' expressions were livelier, and their topics of conversation seemed broader.

"It seems different grades have vastly different reactions and situations when facing this 'Class Points' system."

Mazumi Mami mused inwardly, not slowing his pace as he quickly found the corresponding notice board for the third year.

The numbers there were indeed much larger than the second year's:

Class A: 2500 points

Class B: 2000 points

Class C: 1270 points

Class D: 850 points

"The point scale has jumped a tier. And Class A holds the top spot, with Class B close behind. Classes C and D lag, but the gaps aren't as despairingly wide as in the second year."

Mazumi Mami quickly compared the two rankings.

"This further confirms that 'Class Points' have a huge impact on students' school life, likely accumulating year by year or changing according to some rule."

"Third-year Class A managing to save up 2500 points shows this system isn't a fixed dead end. But the second-year Class D's slump... did they suffer a major setback along the way?"

"It seems we first-years will eventually be incorporated into this points system too, and the starting point likely won't be zero, but some initial value... What could it be? 1000? Or higher, like the third-years?"

He silently pondered.

"I must figure out the logic behind these rules as quickly as possible. This might be the key to understanding the true nature of this school."

Mazumi Mami continued his quiet contemplation.

"Oh? Isn't this Classmate Mazumi? Good afternoon."

While he was deep in thought, a soft yet clear voice came without warning from his side and slightly behind, accompanied by the familiar, rhythmic tap... tap... of small leather heels striking the floor.

Mazumi Mami had already sensed the visitor approaching from behind. His expression remained calm as he slowly turned around.

The first things to catch his eye were the slender calves wrapped in pristine white velvet stockings, and the iconic metal telescopic cane.

His gaze traveled upward, meeting Sakayanagi Arisu's composed violet eyes.

She was tilting her head slightly, looking at him, a faint, perfectly measured smile on her delicate face—the kind of smile one might offer upon encountering a classmate by chance.

Her silver hair gleamed softly under the light streaming through the window, her beret pulled down just a little, accentuating her fair skin and unique aura.

"Classmate Sakayanagi, good afternoon."

Mazumi Mami returned a smile that fit the persona of "Mazumi Mami"—warm yet carrying a hint of distance—and gave a slight nod.

"Indeed, I'm a bit curious about this ranking. It seems the upperclassmen are engaged in some kind of... competition based on class units?"

"I wonder, Classmate Sakayanagi, if you happen to know anything about this?"

He didn't hide the fact that he had been observing the blackboard. Instead, he proactively steered the conversation toward a direction where she might have information, while carefully watching Sakayanagi Arisu's reaction.

As the principal's daughter, how much did she know about this obviously crucial "Class Points" system? And how much would she be willing to reveal?

This brief encounter might become an important opportunity for him to delve deeper into the hidden rules of this school.

And the fact that Sakayanagi Arisu had initiated the conversation itself was worth pondering.