Competition Between Homeroom Teachers

As Mazumi Mami steadily solidified his nascent leadership position in the Class A classroom—leveraging his information advantage, crisis guidance, and actionable plans—

This entire scene did not escape the watchful eye of the homeroom teacher, who had never truly left.

Around the corner of the corridor outside the classroom's rear door, Majima Tomoya stood like a silent statue, his back pressed against the wall. Using the wall's cover and the hallway's shadows, he quietly observed everything unfolding inside the room.

He saw how Mazumi Mami calmed the restless students, laid out his deductions with clear logic, proposed the establishment of a "class common fund," and skillfully secured the whole class's support through an anonymous vote.

He also saw how he smoothly handed over the key position of fund management to his trusted companion, Runa Inoue.

Throughout the entire process, the calmness, decisiveness, grasp of human nature, and control over procedures that Mazumi Mami displayed far exceeded what an ordinary high school freshman should possess.

It was only after the vote concluded, when Mazumi Mami began his final summary and the class atmosphere had clearly shifted from panicked chaos to organized cohesion, that Majima Tomoya's perpetually stern and rigid mouth corners lifted into an almost imperceptible, yet genuine, faint arc.

A sharp glint, mingling approval and anticipation, flickered in his eyes.

"To gather this much information on the very first day of school, and even deduce the point rules of this school..."

"Mazumi Mami... it seems I've really stumbled upon a treasure."

Majima Tomoya thought silently to himself.

He didn't linger any longer. Turning around, he walked steadily toward the faculty office, his mood clearly lifted.

"Oh my, Majima-sensei, you seem to be in a great mood? Did something good happen?"

No sooner had he stepped into the office than a light, lively female voice tinged with a hint of playfulness rang out.

The speaker was Chie Hoshinomiya, the homeroom teacher of first-year Class B.

She had meticulously styled chestnut-brown hair, permed into bouncy shoulder-length waves that swayed gently with her movements.

Her violet eyes always held a hint of a smile, making her look lively and approachable.

Though she stood only 155 centimeters tall, her figure was well-proportioned. Dressed in a pink ruffled blouse and light blue high-waisted shorts, she exuded a youthful and radiant aura that belied her age of over thirty.

She was immensely popular among students and also served as the school nurse. Rumors even circulated that clumsy students would deliberately injure themselves just to receive her gentle care.

"Nothing special, Hoshinomiya-sensei."

Majima Tomoya reverted to his usual stern expression as he walked toward his desk.

"Ehh~ So mysterious?"

Hoshinomiya Chie pressed closer, unabashed, and blinked her large eyes.

"Let me guess... Something that lifts your mood must be about a student, right? Did you find a particularly satisfying 'good seedling' among this year's freshmen?"

Hoshinomiya Chie said.

Majima Tomoya paused slightly in organizing his lesson plans and didn't deny it. "...Something like that."

"Really! Who is it? Who? Tell me, tell me!"

Hoshinomiya Chie's curiosity was thoroughly piqued. "For you to take notice and be this happy, they must be extraordinary! Which class are they in?"

"Secret for now."

Majima Tomoya's tone was flat, but a flicker of certainty passed through the depths of his eyes. "However, I believe his name will soon spread throughout the entire first year. With his abilities and... his way of doing things, staying low-key will likely be very difficult."

"Hmph! Being so secretive!"

Hoshinomiya Chie pouted, but then puffed out her chest with a hint of pride. "But it's not just you, Majima-sensei, who has a good student! Our Class B also has a very outstanding child! Her name is Honami Ichinose!"

Mentioning her own student made Hoshinomiya Chie's eyes shine even brighter.

"Even on the very first day of school, she won the favor and trust of many classmates with her sincerity and cheerful personality! Everyone gathers around her, eager to listen to what she has to say. I believe that before long, her name will be known throughout the entire grade! She definitely won't lose to the student you've got your eye on, Majima-sensei!"

Hoshinomiya Chie declared.

"Is that so?" Majima Tomoya gave a faint, noncommittal smile. "Well then, let's wait and see."

"Majima-sensei, Hoshinomiya-sensei, discussing your prized students of this year's batch?"

Another gentle male voice joined the conversation.

The speaker was Kazuma Sakagami, the homeroom teacher of Class C.

He had neatly trimmed black hair, already showing a hint of gray at the temples. His face always wore a harmless, almost kindly gentle smile.

When he smiled, his eyes would narrow into thin slits, the crow's feet at the corners piling up. Paired with his thick-rimmed black glasses, he appeared utterly harmless, his gaze always filled with tolerance and indulgence, as if he could never get angry.

But Majima Tomoya and Hoshinomiya Chie, who had worked with him for years, knew well that this good-natured facade was merely a carefully maintained disguise for Sakagami Kazuma.

When it came to class competition and promotion opportunities, this seemingly gentle teacher's methods and cunning were far from simple.

"What a coincidence. My Class C also has a student who has caught my attention."

Sakagami Kazuma slowly pushed up his glasses, a glint of sharpness flashing behind the lenses.

"His name is Sho Ryuuen. A very interesting child. On the very first day of school, he had already used his own methods to grasp the 'wind direction' of most of the class. Though his methods... might not be conventional, the results are significant. I, too, believe his future holds limitless potential."

Sakagami Kazuma said.

"It seems the overall quality of this year's freshmen is indeed quite impressive."

Majima Tomoya concluded, a hint of scrutiny in his tone.

"Yes, the competition is bound to be spectacular!"

Chie Hoshinomiya clasped her hands together, looking genuinely expectant.

"The only question is which class can complete its internal integration and unification first. After all, during this first month's 'comprehensive observation period,' the more disciplined and unified a class acts, the greater its advantage."

She sighed, her tone tinged with a coquettish frustration born of disappointment. "Seeing how lazy and carefree our kids still look, with no sense of crisis at all, I almost want to give them a little reminder... but unfortunately, that's against the rules."

"Hoshinomiya-sensei is still too 'rule-abiding.'"

Kazuma Sakagami chuckled softly, his voice still gentle but his words carrying weight. "There are always gaps in the rules. Some... clever hints that don't cross the line are tacitly permitted. Being too rigid will only put your own class at a disadvantage."

"Hmm... I'll... think about it."

Chie Hoshinomiya nodded thoughtfully.

On the other side of the office, Sae Chabashira, the homeroom teacher of first-year Class D, sat alone at her desk, expressionlessly processing documents.

She had long, dark brown hair tied into a neat ponytail for convenience, with a slanted fringe and long side locks framing her face.

Her brownish-yellow eyes lacked warmth, and combined with her cold demeanor and crisp, efficient attire, she exuded a classic "ice queen" aura—unapproachable.

Chie Hoshinomiya's gaze swept over Sae Chabashira. The playful friendliness she'd shown toward Majima and Sakagami vanished instantly, replaced by a complex mix of mockery and coldness.

She stood up and walked over with light steps.

"Oh my~ Little Sae, why are you holed up here alone processing documents? Why not join our discussion?"

Chie Hoshinomiya's voice remained sweet, but her tone carried a deliberate sharpness and probing. "Your Class D... haven't you found any noteworthy talent worth mentioning? Why not share with us?"

She leaned in slightly, bringing her lips close to Sae Chabashira's ear, and whispered with undisguised mockery, just loud enough for the two of them to hear.

"Or is it that you really can't find a single one worth showing off, and you're too embarrassed to speak up? After all, it is 'Class D.'"

Chie Hoshinomiya said.

Sae Chabashira's fingers stopped typing. Without looking up, she coldly spat out two words: "Annoying."

"Oh my, did I hit a nerve?"

Chie Hoshinomiya straightened up, her voice returning to normal volume but growing sharper.

"That makes sense, I suppose. It is Class D. Most of them probably think this place is some kind of paradise, right? Right now they're squandering their points, indulging in a false sense of prosperity, with zero awareness of the crisis."

She crossed her arms, her gaze contemptuous.

"A gathering place for 'defective products' who can't even manage themselves—how could someone capable of uniting others and leading the way possibly emerge from there? Discussing something that doesn't exist is indeed meaningless."

Chie Hoshinomiya said.

"I have a class to teach."

Sae Chabashira snapped her folder shut with a sharp clap, stood up with a cold face, and grabbed her teaching materials. Her voice was icy. "Move. Don't waste my time."

Chie Hoshinomiya didn't step aside immediately. She held Chabashira's cold stare for a second, then snorted and shifted to let her pass.

Sae Chabashira strode out of the office without looking back. The door closed softly behind her, but it seemed to take all the warmth with it, leaving a stagnant awkwardness in the air.

The office fell silent for a few seconds.

"After all these years, you still can't let it go, Hoshinomiya?"

Tomoya Majima broke the silence, his tone calm.

"Let it go?"

Chie Hoshinomiya turned around, her sweet smile long gone, her violet eyes churning with visible resentment and bitterness. "I will never forgive that selfish woman. Never."

"That's only natural."

Kazuma Sakagami interjected with his usual gentle voice, though his words were equally cold.

"After all, she personally crushed that golden opportunity for Class D to rise to Class A back then. How many people's paths upward did she cut off? How many bright futures did she change—or even destroy?"

"Hoshinomiya-sensei merely harbors resentment without taking more extreme actions. In my view, that's already remarkable restraint and kindness."

He looked at Tomoya Majima and shook his head slightly. "Majima-sensei, on some matters, you're still too idealistic and naive."

Tomoya Majima was silent for a moment, then let out a soft sigh. "...Perhaps."

"However," he said, turning his gaze to Hoshinomiya, who had returned to her seat but still wore a grim expression, and Sakagami, who smiled with detached warmth.

"I still hope that the conflict between you two can find a resolution as soon as possible. The office atmosphere shouldn't always be so full of gunpowder."

Tomoya Majima said.

"Resolution?"

Chie Hoshinomiya let out a cold laugh, her voice resolute.

"Simple. As long as she leaves this school, everything between her and me is settled. Otherwise, as long as I remain at this school, I will do everything in my power to stop her—and her class."

"Her Class D will never have a chance to rise! That's what she owes those students, and what she owes... me."

Her tone was final, leaving no room for negotiation.

Tomoya Majima and Kazuma Sakagami exchanged glances, both seeing helplessness in each other's eyes.

They understood Chie Hoshinomiya's anger and obsession. From a certain perspective, her demand was even "reasonable."

But this was destined to be a difficult, tangled knot—deeply rooted in the past, persistently affecting the present, and inevitably reaching into the future. Especially for those caught up in this long-standing feud among teachers: the new batch of Class D students.

The office fell silent once more, broken only by the faint hum of the air conditioner and the occasional rustle of paper.

Four homeroom teachers, four classrooms, one hundred and sixty freshmen—a grand chessboard woven from personal ambitions, class rivalries, teacher grudges, and ruthless rules had already quietly placed its first pieces.

And Mazumi Mami, Honami Ichinose, Sho Ryuuen, along with the as-yet-unrevealed unknown factors of Class D, would each begin their struggles and battles on their own trajectories within this special school.