Flipping the Table

Without a hint of hesitation, Kengo turned and headed straight for the Class A classroom. At this moment, the class was at a critical juncture; the instructor was quoting classics and speaking eloquently, while the students sat ramrod straight, their pen tips gliding rapidly across notebooks. Even their breathing carried a sense of tense focus, fully immersed in an atmosphere of high-efficiency learning.

Kengo, however, couldn't have cared less. He pushed the ajar classroom door open with one hand, the light sound of the door panel striking the frame instantly shattering the classroom's tranquility.

Amidst the sudden, frozen gazes of shock from the teacher and students, he sauntered into the center of the room, his leather shoes clicking crisply against the polished floor, carrying an undeniable presence.

"Pardon the interruption." His voice was not loud, yet it possessed a penetrating steadiness that instantly plunged the entire room into dead silence. "I have two findings to share: first, class ranking scores directly determine the distribution of personal points, at a ratio of approximately 1:100; second, the school's surveillance cameras record violations, which in turn deduct class points—this should be the school's first test."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a soft, playful female voice drifted from the front row: "What an interesting person."

Kengo followed the sound to see a girl with pale blue hair sitting upright in her seat. Her skin was as white as snow, her eyes like translucent sapphires, and a faint, elusive smile played on her lips. It was none other than the core figure of Class A, Arisu Sakayanagi.

She rested her chin lightly on her fingertips, observing Kengo with great interest, as if filled with an inquisitive desire regarding his words.

At the same time, a synchronized sound of gasping echoed throughout the classroom.

The focus on the students' faces was replaced by disbelief; some instinctively looked up at the camera in the corner of the ceiling, their eyes filled with suspicion and scrutiny, while others quietly gripped their pens until their knuckles turned white, clearly struggling to digest this subversive information.

Kengo remained noncommittal to Arisu Sakayanagi's response, simply stuffing his hands into his pockets and adding, "If you don't believe me, you can go check the ranking board on the bulletin board in the upperclassmen's building, or use your points to purchase the exact answer from a teacher."

With that, he ignored the teacher's livid complexion, Arisu Sakayanagi's probing gaze, and the complex expressions of the students below, turning to walk calmly out of the Class A classroom. The door closed gently behind him, leaving a room full of whispers in his wake.

The next target was Class B. Kengo pushed the door open just as unceremoniously, the sound of the lecture inside coming to an abrupt halt as all eyes focused on this uninvited guest.

"We meet again, Hoshinomiya-sensei." Kengo tilted his chin toward the podium, his tone casual and natural.

Chie Hoshinomiya put down her textbook, her eyes curving into crescents as she looked at him, a cunning smile hidden in their depths: "Is Tendo-kun here specifically to see me?"

"You could say that. I've already guessed the school's first test." Kengo walked straight to the center of the room and repeated the two findings he had shared with Class A, word for word.

As soon as he finished, Chie Hoshinomiya covered her mouth and laughed, walking toward him with a light step until her fingertips almost brushed his shoulder, her tone teasing: "Does Tendo-kun like me? Running all the way over here to give me such a big surprise~"

Her evasive, bantering attitude served as indirect confirmation of the accuracy of Kengo's information.

Kengo was momentarily choked by her eccentric train of thought, then looked her up and down, offering a playful retort: "Hoshinomiya-sensei is indeed quite attractive, but are you trying to end up in jail for preying on a minor? Still, I won't report you in private."

"What a naughty little one~" Chie Hoshinomiya's smile deepened, the corners of her eyes curving with even more cunning, though she didn't press any further.

"Goodbye, Hoshinomiya-sensei. I still have the next class to notify." Kengo waved his hand and walked toward the door with a light step, turning back before leaving to add: "Oh, by the way, I wonder if there's a hidden reward for cracking the school's test on the first day?" With that, he scurried off, leaving behind a classroom full of whispers and Chie Hoshinomiya's meaningful smile.

The process for Class C was identical to the previous two. Kengo pushed the door open, quickly stated his core findings, and the whole thing took less than a minute.

Just as he turned to leave, however, his peripheral vision caught a red-haired boy sitting in the back row—the boy wore his school jacket open, revealing a black T-shirt underneath, his hands tucked into his pockets. His posture was arrogant, and his eyes, like those of a delinquent, were fixed on him with undisguised scrutiny and provocation.

Kengo couldn't be bothered to care and simply closed the door behind him.

Having made his rounds, Kengo returned to the Class D classroom. No sooner had he pushed the door open than he sensed something was wrong: several of the seats that had been full were now empty, presumably because some students had seen him skipping class and followed suit.

He walked to the center of the room, ignoring the lingering noise and whispers, cleared his throat, and repeated the rules regarding class points, the point ratio, and the cameras. Then, his tone shifted, becoming a bit heavier: "Furthermore, I can confirm that the school has an elimination mechanism. The specific rules are currently unknown, but perhaps in the near future, our class will have a few fewer people."

His gaze swept across the room, observing the students' expressions of shock, panic, or disdain, and he added: "We are the worst class in the school, and our remaining points are likely the lowest. If we continue to let discipline fall into chaos, the point deductions for violations will only increase. By then, never mind getting points, it's questionable whether we'll even be able to stay in this school."

Having said this, Kengo ignored the classroom atmosphere that had been instantly ignited—some students were anxiously whispering to each other, some were looking around in a panic, and others were still slumped over their desks in a daze—and returned to his seat. He propped his chin on one hand and looked out the window, calculating how to verify the specific rules of the elimination mechanism.

Meanwhile, the commotion in the classroom intensified. Several hot-headed students stood up and rushed to the podium, surrounding Sae Chabashira and asking urgently: "Chabashira-sensei! Is what Tendo-kun said true? Are class points really linked to personal points? And what's this about an elimination mechanism?"

Sae Chabashira remained expressionless, tapping the podium lightly with her fingertips, her tone devoid of even a ripple: "If you can give me 2 million points, I will tell you all the rules."

"2 million?!" This number was like a thunderclap, instantly causing the classroom to explode.

"That's way too expensive! We only have 100,000 points each initially; with over 40 people in the class, that's only 4 million total. You want half of it?" Someone immediately wailed.

"But if we don't know the rules, we'll be eliminated sooner or later!" another retorted, their tone filled with anxiety.

Amidst the chaos, Yosuke Hirata stood up. With a steady face and a sincere tone, he proposed: "Everyone, calm down. Arguing now is useless. Why don't we each contribute 50,000 points to gather the 2 million and buy the answers from the teacher? We can split the cost later as we get more points. How about it?"

Kikyo Kushida nodded in agreement, a gentle smile on her face: "Hirata-kun is right. We can only overcome this crisis if we unite. 50,000 points isn't too much for everyone, and it's better than being eliminated."

But no sooner had she finished speaking than a lazy, disdainful voice drifted from the corner: "I disagree."

Everyone followed the sound to see Rokusuke Koenji leaning back in his chair, his hands behind his head, his eyes sweeping over the room with contempt: "Why should my points be used for you people? A bunch of losers who can't even figure out the rules—even if you knew the answers, it wouldn't change the fact that you're trash."

His words were like a fuse, instantly igniting the crowd's anger.

"How can you say that! We're all classmates; we should help each other!"

"Why shouldn't you have to pay? Are you not afraid of being eliminated?"

"Who knows if you already knew the rules and are just deliberately not telling us!"

Questions and accusations erupted one after another, and the already chaotic classroom descended into total disarray.

Some joined Rokusuke Koenji in stirring up trouble, some insisted on pooling money to buy the answers, and others were caught in the middle, torn between the two sides. The arguing was enough to blow the roof off.

Kengo sat in his seat, propping his cheek on one hand, watching the farce before him with great interest, a playful smile curling the corner of his lips.

This chaos, sparked by the 2 million points, had perfectly exposed the fatal weakness of Class D: a lack of cohesion. For a class like this, surviving in such a cruel school would likely not be easy.