Preparing to Challenge the School

The bell signaling the end of class cut through the silence of the classroom, and Chazhu Zuo Zhi, who had been leaning against the doorway, left right on time.

The moment she departed, the class, which had been suppressing itself for so long, instantly erupted into chaos.

The sounds of discussion, laughter, and the scraping of desks and chairs intertwined, with the core topic being, without exception, how to squander the 100,000 points that had just arrived in their accounts.

Among a group of boys, the two who had been rendered speechless by Chazhu earlier were now the loudest.

They hooked their arms around each other's shoulders, their chests heaving with excitement as spit flew with every word:

"One hundred thousand a month! I've never been this rich in my life!"

"I'm going to top up my game account first, then buy some limited-edition figures, and spend the rest on a feast!"

Their uninhibited, raucous laughter was particularly grating, causing the students sitting nearby to instinctively pull away.

On the girls' side, they had gathered in a circle, centered around a girl with tea-colored hair.

Her hair draped smoothly over her shoulders, the tips curling with a natural arc, and her smile was sweet.

"Let's go buy some new bags!"

"How about we go to karaoke until they close?" "We have to check out that dessert shop, too!"

The chattering discussion was equally enthusiastic.

Just as several girls were already impatiently grabbing their bags, ready to dash out of the classroom:

"Everyone, please wait a moment."

A gentle yet firm voice pierced through the noise as Hirata Yousuke stood up, a perfectly measured smile on his face.

Seeing the voices gradually die down and eyes turn toward him, he continued:

"Since we'll be classmates for the next three years, and everyone is here now, why don't we take this opportunity to introduce ourselves? It'll be a good way to get to know each other."

"That's a great idea! We're all classmates, and I don't even know everyone's names yet!" A student immediately chimed in loudly, and others nodded in agreement. The girls who had been about to go shopping also stopped and sat back down.

Seeing there were no objections, Hirata Yousuke spoke first: "My name is Hirata Yousuke, you can just call me Yousuke. My hobby is playing soccer; I was on the school team throughout middle school, and I hope to keep chasing that dream in high school." His tone was sincere, his eyes bright.

As soon as he finished, a round of rhythmic applause broke out in the classroom, and many girls exchanged appreciative glances.

"My turn next!" The tea-haired girl raised her hand, her voice crisp and pleasant.

As she stood up, her skirt swayed gently, and her smile remained sweet and captivating. "My name is Kushida Kikyo, and my hobby is making friends.

I really want to become close friends with everyone in this class!"

As she finished, she swept her gaze across the room with a look of genuine anticipation, as if carefully memorizing every unfamiliar face amidst the warm applause.

However, as her gaze swept past the cold-tempered girl sitting next to Hoshida No, a flicker of imperceptible gloom crossed her eyes, only to be completely covered by a gentle smile the next second, as if it had never existed.

Hearing the name Kushida Kikyo, Hoshida No's fingers, which had been replying to a message from Karuizawa, paused. He looked up, his gaze locking onto Kushida Kikyo's face.

So it really is her. When he first entered the classroom, Hoshida No had felt she was familiar, especially the faint scent of gardenias wafting from her.

The self-introductions proceeded in an orderly fashion. Soon, it was the turn of Hoshida No's desk mate, the brown-haired boy who had kept his head down the entire time, possessing a seemingly weak presence.

He stood up slowly, his wine-red school uniform looking somewhat loose on him.

"U-um... my name is Ayanokoji Kiyotaka..." His voice was low and flat, carrying an imperceptible hesitation, and he even paused before continuing, "Uh... I don't have any particular hobbies..."

By the end, his voice trailed off with an awkward stutter. "Uh... please take care of me from now on."

After the brief and perfunctory introduction, only a few sparse claps echoed in the classroom, quickly dissipating into the air.

Some students nearby even frowned subconsciously or exchanged glances of mild surprise.

Clearly, such a performance could hardly be considered ideal.

Sitting to the side, Hoshida No could clearly feel the awkwardness permeating the air, thinking to himself: This guy is really bad at socializing.

Feeling the surrounding gazes converge, Hoshida No was just about to brace himself against the desk to stand up when a harsh, impatient voice rang out through the noisy classroom: "Hey, how long are you going to keep doing these introductions?"

Before the words had even faded, there was a loud crash as the red-haired boy sitting in the back row kicked his desk over.

With his hands in his pockets and his brows knitted into a knot, his face was full of impatience, his eyes sweeping toward Hirata Yousuke with undisguised contempt: "I'm starving, and I have no interest in wasting time here with you lot."

Having said that, he completely ignored the frozen atmosphere in the classroom, indifferent to the shocked and dissatisfied gazes of the others, and swaggered forward.

He pulled the classroom door open and his figure soon disappeared at the end of the hallway.

Hirata Yousuke didn't show any annoyance at the provocation, maintaining his gentle smile.

He tried to smooth things over: "Don't mind him, everyone, maybe he was just really hungry..."

But before he could finish, his words were drowned out by the whispers erupting throughout the room, and the previously lively atmosphere had largely cooled.

Hoshida No sat in his seat, his brows furrowing imperceptibly.

This school was truly full of hidden talents; to have someone so antisocial appear on the very first day—was he just impulsive and hot-tempered, or was he intentionally testing the class's bottom line?

His gaze inadvertently swept over Ayanokoji Kiyotaka beside him, who was still keeping his head down, his expression unreadable.

The self-introductions concluded after Hirata Yousuke added his classmates to a group chat.

As they walked out of the school building, the afternoon sun filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled shadows on the ground.

Hoshida No walked along the gravel path toward the club activity area; he had already thought of a way to earn personal points.

Although I am unfamiliar with the point system of this school, as long as one follows the principle of "meritocracy," points should not be difficult to obtain.

My footsteps came to a halt before the gates of the Martial Arts Club.

The three characters for "Martial Arts Club" pasted onto the vermilion door panels were slightly worn at the edges, faintly revealing the dark wood grain beneath.

From within, a synchronized chorus of shouts drifted out, interspersed with the sound of fists and feet slicing through the air and the crisp clatter of wooden swords colliding.

Hoshida No peered through a gap, casting his gaze inside.

In the spacious dojo, over a dozen students clad in black martial arts uniforms were training; sweat trickled down their temples and soaked their collars, yet no one showed the slightest sign of slackening, their eyes filled with focus.

"Please, come in."

A steady voice sounded from behind me.

Hoshida No turned around to see a youth in a martial arts uniform standing not far away, a deep blue belt tied around his waist, clearly a core member of the Martial Arts Club.

"You're a freshman, right? Are you here to join the Martial Arts Club?"

The youth wore a gentle smile as he stepped aside to clear the path. "Our captain is currently overseeing the training. You can look around first, and if you're interested, you can sign up at any time."

Hoshida No withdrew his gaze, looked at the people sweating profusely in the dojo, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.

He slowly pushed open the doors of the Martial Arts Club and stepped inside, his footsteps sounding exceptionally clear in the vast, empty dojo.

"I'm not here to join." His voice was calm, yet it successfully drew the attention of several nearby students. "I'm here to challenge the dojo."