Obtaining Hidden Rules

"No way!? It's exactly like that text message said!"

"Looks like someone really wants to buy it."

"That's 20,000 personal points, though."

"But what if he just asked a teacher and found out it costs 2 million points, but doesn't know the hidden rule himself and is just tricking us?"

"Could be."

"Good point."

"Huh? What? What are they talking about? Hey, Yamauchi, you know?"

"Don't ask me, I'm just as lost. Go ask Sudo."

Ike scratched his head and looked back.

"I don't know either..."

The pitiful trio still had no clue what was happening.

On the podium, Teacher Chabashira's smile gradually faded, her gaze toward the students growing colder.

As expected of Class D...

Slap—

With a loud noise, Horikita slammed her hand on the desk and stood up, speaking loudly, "Don't you get it yet? Now isn't the time to hoard points—we need this information. Unless you'd rather spend 2 million personal points buying it from the teacher?"

"Well said, Horikita girl."

Koenji said this, feet propped on the stool, hands behind his head, leaning back with a relaxed expression.

Chabashira thought: Oh? Someone's selling the hidden rule to them? Class A or Class B? Either way, it's no loss for Class D. It's up to them whether they seize it.

The classroom fell silent. Hirata stood up, playing the peacemaker.

"...Horikita, don't get worked up. Let's buy the 800,000 personal points version, 20,000 per person. When class ends—"

Before he could finish, Yamauchi from the trio interrupted.

"20,000 per person? Never heard of it? When did that happen? Do I have to pay? I don't have it anyway, do what you want."

"Exactly, never heard of it. I might not even have enough points this month. I'm not paying either."

Ike chimed in.

Seeing this, Sudo decided to follow his two good buddies.

"I'm with them. Not paying."

Qiuyue watched the three from the front, thinking to himself, Kid, you're invincible.

The classmates began venting their frustration at the trio, criticizing them for refusing to pay.

With the tense atmosphere in the room, Horikita stepped forward.

"It's fine. I'll cover for them. The important thing now is getting the information. I happen to have 80,000 personal points."

"Horikita, thank you. But you shouldn't bear it alone. Let me split half with you."

"Why? Hirata, why are you covering for them?"

"Yeah, why?"

"..."

In the end, it was decided that the trio's points would be shared by the class. After class, the transfer was made.

Once Qiuyue saw the transfer go through, he reached into his pocket and sent a pre-written message.

The message read as follows:

What you know is that this school has four classes: A, B, C, D.

This school divides classes based on student excellence.

The best students go to Class A, followed by Class B, then Class C, and the most useless students go to Class D.

Advanced Nurturing School is famous for its 100% employment and advancement rates, allowing students to choose their desired jobs and universities.

But in reality, only Class A can enjoy this treatment. Classes B, C, and D are discarded upon graduation.

That's how it achieves its 100% employment and advancement rates.

In the first month of enrollment, all four classes—A, B, C, D—start with 1,000 class points. Rankings are based on class points, with Class A at the top.

1 class point equals 100 personal points. 1,000 class points equals 100,000 personal points, just like the 100,000 personal points received at the start.

The first month focuses on attendance.

No tardiness, no absences, no phone use, no slacking off, no skipping class, no failing to do homework—any improper behavior in the classroom is recorded and penalized. The many cameras in the room are proof.

At the end of the first month, class points are displayed, and personal points are distributed.

"What the hell!? We're the worst? That's gotta be fake intel, right? Right?"

The students in the class refused to accept their own inferiority and started rebutting one after another.

Class was over, but Teacher Chabashira, who still hadn't left the doorway, heard the protests from Class D and laughed in anger instead.

"...You people really are hopeless. You're the most foolish batch I've ever taught."

With that, she left.

Well, what else would you expect from Class D? Huh!? Ayanokoji's going out? What's he up to? I wanna follow him, but no, I'll get caught. Could it be he noticed something? Hope I'm overthinking this.

Qiuyue silently complained in his head.

The voices of protest still hadn't died down. Some students were even hurling insults at Teacher Chabashira.

"...But, even if I don't want to admit it, if it's true, then this whole week..."

The latter half of that student's sentence went unspoken, but everyone in the classroom understood.

No one knew better than themselves how unrestrained they'd been during class this week.

If it was true, they probably didn't have much class points left. Unwilling to face that reality, they all wanted to extract confirmation that the intel was false.

Before Teacher Chabashira spoke, the voices denying the truth of the intel were far from quiet.

But after she left, though the number of dissenters hadn't decreased, their confidence was steadily waning.

Qiuyue sighed and shook his head.

This was Class D. When something happens, they never look for the problem in themselves first. People who can't recognize their own issues are the most problematic ones.

Huh? Was that Horikita running out just now? Why's she running out too?

Is she going after Ayanokoji? Or, like in the original story, asking Teacher Chabashira why she was placed in Class D?

The emotions of Class D's students were extremely complicated. No one would be in a good mood after being told they were the worst.

Right as the atmosphere seemed ready to explode at the slightest touch, a hero still chose to step forward.

That was Hirata.

"Everyone! Cheer up! Even though we're Class D, we can work hard together to rise to Class A! First, let's all try not to zone out in class, not play on our phones, not be late or absent, and avoid losing points."