The clock read 8:25, and most of the seats in the classroom were already filled.
Katsuragi Kohei stood at the podium and tapped the cover of his notebook twice with his fingertips. His gaze swept over the silent classroom. "Regarding the 'strength measurement system' Teacher Mashima mentioned yesterday, I'd like to hear what everyone thinks."
A soft rustle rippled through the room. Some students exchanged glances, but no one spoke first. After all, it was only the first day of school, and nobody dared to jump to conclusions.
Katsuragi waited a moment. When no one responded, he pushed up his glasses. "Yesterday, I tried asking some upperclassmen, but they were all tight-lipped. Judging by the school's way of doing things, they were clearly under orders not to talk. It seems we'll have to find the answer ourselves."
"Perhaps the answer is hidden somewhere obvious." Sakayanagi Arisu's voice rang out. Her fingers rested lightly on the handle of her white cane, and her tone was even yet penetrating. "Yesterday, when Uesugi-kun and I were in the cafeteria, I noticed something interesting. There's a 'no points required' counter, and most of the students lining up there were thin, with dull complexions. Even their voices sounded drained of energy—a typical sign of long-term malnutrition. There are free items at the convenience store beneath the dormitory, too."
The moment she finished speaking, the classroom erupted.
"How could anyone be malnourished with a hundred thousand points a month?"
"Does that mean we won't get a hundred thousand points next month?"
"Teacher Mashima only said that points would be deposited every month. We got a hundred thousand this month, but he never said we'd get the same amount next month."
Amid the discussion, someone suddenly gasped. Only then did everyone realize that Teacher Mashima's seemingly clear statement had concealed such a subtle trap.
"How many points will we get next month, then?" someone in the front row asked.
Katsuragi Kohei picked up the thread. "I asked students from the other classes. At present, every class has 1,000 Class Points. Based on what we know, Class Points may be the core measure of a class's strength."
"But every class has the same number of points," someone else objected.
Sakayanagi Arisu spoke up at just the right moment, her voice clear and gentle, yet utterly certain. "Having the same number this month doesn't mean we'll have the same number next month. Uesugi-kun and I discussed it, and personal points may well equal Class Points multiplied by one hundred. Those malnourished students probably come from lower-ranked classes. Their Class Points may already have fallen below the baseline." She paused, tapping a finger lightly on the desk. "So our top priority right now should be to avoid losing Class Points."
"Teacher Mashima never mentioned any rules about deductions, which suggests they're a default policy at the school," Katsuragi Kohei added. "As students, the safest thing to do is to behave properly in our daily lives and meet the standards of a 'normal student.'"
"I agree with Classmate Katsuragi's assessment." Totsuka Yahiko suddenly stood, his gaze earnest. "To establish clear standards of conduct for the class, I nominate Classmate Katsuragi as our class leader."
As soon as he finished speaking, someone immediately objected. "Classmate Sakayanagi's analysis was just as sharp, and she's certainly no less capable than Katsuragi. Why can't she lead us?"
Like a second stone thrown into the water, the comment stirred up the discussion again just as it had begun to die down. Some looked toward the steady, dignified Katsuragi; others toward the faintly smiling Sakayanagi. The atmosphere in the classroom suddenly turned delicate. A class meeting that had started as a discussion of the rules had quietly become an unspoken contest for leadership.
"Uesugi Hara, what do you think?"
The sudden question was like a needle piercing the tense discussion. Every gaze shot toward Uesugi Hara, landing on him in a dense wave—some curious, some testing him, and some faintly amused to see what he'd do.
Uesugi Hara had just mentally concluded that neither side had the upper hand when he was unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight. His fingers paused around his pen, and his expression visibly froze for half a second.
What do I think? I'm not some all-knowing detective. Of course I'm just sitting here watching—with my eyes.
All he could do was force a smile and set his pen down on his textbook. "Both of your analyses make sense. Classmate Katsuragi is steady and methodical, while Classmate Sakayanagi is perceptive. But isn't it too early to discuss who should lead us?" He deliberately avoided taking a side. "Rather than that, shouldn't we first figure out how to protect our Class Points? Even the best leader won't help if our points drop next month."
"Besides, I think we should put off the election." Uesugi Hara looked over the class, his tone calm but reasonable. "We'll probably start competing against other classes next month, so this month gives us a chance to see what Classmate Katsuragi and Classmate Sakayanagi can each do for the class, and whether they're suited to leading us. Wouldn't it be safer to choose after that?"
It wasn't a particularly clever argument, but it struck a nerve with everyone. The attention focused on him began to ease. Some students lowered their heads to whisper with their neighbors about what they should do, while others looked toward Katsuragi and Sakayanagi, as if weighing the proposal in their minds.
Uesugi Hara quietly breathed a sigh of relief. From the corner of his eye, he saw Sakayanagi Arisu turn her head slightly. She rolled the handle of her cane halfway around beneath her fingertips, silver-white hair falling beside her ear and veiling half her face—but the slight curve of her lips seemed to say, Not bad.
Katsuragi Kohei swept his gaze around the class and spoke in a steady voice. "Uesugi Hara's proposal is reasonable. This month, let's make 'protecting our Class Points' our main goal and show what we can do through our actions." He paused, tapping the edge of his notebook twice. "In the meantime, I hope everyone will fulfill their responsibilities as students and behave properly in their daily lives. For now, that's the safest way to protect ourselves."
"I have no objections." Sakayanagi Arisu's voice came at just the right moment, carrying a faint smile. "Since we've reached a consensus, let's proceed in that direction. I also hope that next month we'll have convincing results to show, whether in points or in something else." As she spoke, she rested her fingers lightly on her cane and glanced toward Uesugi Hara as if by chance, then quickly looked away.
Their responses were one steady and the other unhurried, but they worked in unison to put this unspoken contest on hold. The tension in the classroom finally eased. Some students began tidying their desks, while others discussed what they should pay attention to when it came to "proper behavior." The class meeting, which had nearly turned into a confrontation, had settled on the most practical goal: protecting their points.
The first class was math. The teacher at the podium recited formulas about functions in step with the textbook, his voice as even as a straight line. Even the occasional breeze outside the window was more stimulating than the lesson.
Uesugi Hara propped his chin on his hand and held his pen over his notebook. Instead of copying down the example problems, he wrote "Ways to Earn Personal Points" on a blank page. He twirled his pen, thought for a moment, then added "competitions, part-time jobs..." After a brief pause, he crossed out "part-time jobs."
The teacher continued explaining functions, but Uesugi Hara's attention had long since wandered beyond the textbook. He tapped the page with his fingertips, already planning where he should check out after school.