Interrogating Class D's Divine Being

"From the moment the teacher stepped out of the classroom, you couldn't wait to start bickering and shifting blame, arguing for over twenty minutes without a single moment of rest."

"You people have truly opened my eyes."

Chihaya Rei said fiercely.

He pointed his finger at several spots, standing on the moral high ground as he rebuked them sternly:

"Look at the mess you've made of this classroom."

"Karuizawa's desk was shoved against the podium by you, and Hasebe's textbooks were knocked onto the floor..."

Karuizawa Kei: Is he doing this for me?

"And Hirata, who has been trying to reason with you the whole time—his clothes are all torn and disheveled because of you."

Chihaya Rei paused, sweeping a glance over Ike Koji and the others.

Those who were already in the wrong, seeing Chihaya Rei's tough stance, all turned their heads away with a sense of guilt.

"Our class points have been deducted to zero, and everyone here, save for a few, bears an undeniable responsibility."

"Is there any real point in arguing over whose actions caused more of the deduction?"

"I also used my phone during class, which also caused points to be deducted, so I am responsible as well."

Chihaya Rei threw himself into the fray.

He pointed at Hirata and the others, stating righteously:

"The only truly innocent people in this class are Hirata, Ayanokoji, and Wang Meiyu, who attended class seriously and committed no violations; they are the real victims."

Ayanokoji blinked: I'm involved in this too?

"They haven't said a word, they haven't blamed any of you, so what face do you have to shift the blame?"

"It's absolutely ridiculous!"

Chihaya Rei felt satisfied after his rant, finally pausing for a moment.

Although some in Class D didn't immediately realize who the Ayanokoji that Chihaya Rei mentioned was, they had to admit that what Chihaya Rei said was logical, and they had no way to refute it.

In the first month, only a few people in Class D followed the rules and were the victims.

These few were the only ones qualified to stand up and criticize the rest.

"Hirata, let them go first."

Chihaya Rei then placed his hand on Hirata's shoulder.

"This?"

A flash of hesitation crossed Hirata Yousuke's face, but out of trust for Chihaya Rei, and because the situation seemed to be under control, he released Ike and Yamauchi.

"I'd like to see if they actually have the guts to throw a punch."

"Since you can't stand the sight of each other, why not take advantage of the fact that our class points are already at zero and teach each other an unforgettable lesson?"

The corners of Chihaya Rei's mouth curled up slightly.

He wouldn't mind if they actually started fighting and beat each other black and blue; compared to the girls, Ike and Yamauchi might have the advantage in strength, but Shinohara's side had the numbers.

"No, please don't fight!"

Hirata's expression turned panicked upon hearing this, and he quickly stretched out his arms again, intending to block the space between the two sides.

But Chihaya Rei had already anticipated Hirata's move and grabbed him with quick reflexes.

"Hirata-kun, I know you're anxious, but don't be so hasty."

Chihaya Rei signaled with his eyes.

Everyone noticed that whether it was Ike and Yamauchi or Shinohara and her group, they were all standing stiffly in place, looking somewhat at a loss.

None of them had any intention of actually throwing a punch, and their expressions were slightly awkward.

"See? When you're actually challenged to fight, you don't dare."

Chihaya Rei spoke calmly; he had seen this situation many times before—people would curse and shout while someone was holding them back for fear of losing face, but once they were actually given the chance to fight, they would turn cowardly.

Kushida Kikyo arrived in front of the group at this moment, soothing them in a soft voice:

"Chihaya-kun makes a good point. Our class points are already at zero; continuing to argue won't benefit anyone."

"Please, everyone, let's make up!"

Kushida Kikyo said with an earnest expression; in truth, she had been trying to mediate earlier, but her voice was too quiet and had been ignored.

She couldn't let this opportunity to resolve class conflict—which helped showcase her kind persona—be taken by Chihaya Rei and Hirata Yousuke.

Shinohara took a deep breath and spoke on behalf of the girls: "Sorry... you're right. We shouldn't have shifted the blame."

As Shinohara finished speaking, her friends also expressed their agreement.

Ike and Yamauchi also quickly lowered their heads to apologize, saying they had been impulsive.

However, regarding the two of them discussing the girls' figures and appearances in the classroom, they were required to apologize to all the girls.

Interrogating Yamauchi Haruki, gained 1860 interrogation points.

[Tortured Ike Koji, obtained 1660 Torture Points]

[Tortured Shinohara Satsuki, obtained 1650 Torture Points]

[Current Torture Progress: 59%. Reaching 60% will unlock a reward.]

The Torture Points had accumulated to 59% so quickly, and aside from what he had just gained, Karuizawa Kei, who underwent training on the track field after school every day, had also contributed quite a bit.

No, he couldn't laugh yet.

Chihaya Rei suppressed the corners of his mouth, feigning indifference as he said:

"Since that's the case, you'd better think carefully about what to do for the upcoming midterm exams."

After dropping that line, Chihaya Rei returned to his seat.

Seeing the chaos subside, Hirata let out a sigh of relief.

Shortly after, he and Kushida Kikyo stepped forward to suggest holding study sessions, utilizing after-school club time and weekends for tutoring.

He and Kushida could tutor the students at risk of failing.

Many who felt their grades were lacking chose to join.

Except for Ike Koji, Yamauchi Haruki, and Ken Sudo.

Hirata had naturally invited the three of them, but they seemed to think they could pass the exams on their own.

During the break.

Hirata Yousuke came to Chihaya Rei's seat and thanked him:

"Chihaya, thanks to you just now, really. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to stop them on my own..."

Hirata Yousuke felt a sense of self-reproach.

Conflict had broken out among his classmates, and they had nearly come to blows right in front of him, yet he had been unable to effectively intervene.

"Don't thank me. I just found them too noisy and couldn't stand it anymore."

Chihaya Rei was slightly surprised, finding a casual excuse to brush it off, then immediately added:

"However, Hirata, your way of handling things is too gentle. In the end, that will only cause everyone to get hurt together."

"Too gentle, huh..."

Hirata Yousuke was stunned for a moment.

He knew all too well that his personality was just like that.

But if he were asked to criticize everyone with the harsh attitude Chihaya Rei used, he couldn't do it...

Hirata nodded, a helpless smile appearing on his face.

"Yeah, I understand, Chihaya. That is my shortcoming. Thank you for reminding me."

[Tortured Hirata Yousuke, obtained 1850 Torture Points]

[Current Torture Progress: 60%. Reaching 100% will unlock the next reward.]

[Torture progress requirement met, unlocking reward.]

[Random skill drawing in progress...]

[Obtained skill: AI-Level Chess Mastery.]

[Description: Master the most advanced AI-level chess techniques currently available. Note: As AI and algorithms improve, your chess skills will automatically upgrade.]