Zero's Evaluation

Time flies like a white horse galloping past a crevice; April vanished like a shooting star, and in the blink of an eye, May had arrived. In the early morning, sunlight spilled through the windows into the classroom, and the bell signaling the first class of May rang out leisurely, as if a messenger of time were urging the students to begin a new chapter of their studies.

Before long, the classroom door was pushed open gently, and a figure walked in slowly. Looking closely, it was Chabashira Sae, holding a poster tube. Her gait seemed somewhat heavy, a stark contrast to her usual lightness. Moreover, her expression was exceptionally stern; her brows were slightly furrowed and her lips pressed tight, making one feel a trace of tension.

"Teacher, you wouldn't happen to be on your period, would you?" Ike Kanji suddenly blurted out, causing the entire classroom to fall silent. Everyone stared at him in astonishment, as if they couldn't believe he would actually say such a thing.

Watanabe Hayabara's lips curled slightly, revealing a faint smile. He sighed to himself, thinking that this Ike Kanji really didn't know when to die, daring to crack such a joke in front of the teacher.

However, Chabashira Sae was completely unaffected by Ike Kanji's words, her face maintaining its calm expression. She gave a light cough and said in a cold, sharp tone, "Next, we will begin the morning homeroom. But before we start, I would like to ask if anyone has any questions. If there is anything you are concerned about, it is best to bring it up now."

Not long after, several students raised their hands in unison, signaling that they had questions they wanted to ask.

"I went to check this morning, and the result shocked me—the points haven't been deposited! Wasn't it agreed that they would be paid to us on the first of every month? This is so strange! I was in a hurry to buy juice this morning; what am I supposed to do now?" Ryotaro Hondo said with an anxious look on his face.

Haruki Yamauchi chimed in from the side, "Yeah, I heard you say before that the points would be deposited on the first of every month, and this month shouldn't be an exception. But now the points haven't arrived; what exactly is going on?"

The two looked at each other, both seeing confusion and unease in the other's eyes.

However, Ike Kanji seemed completely unaware of this issue; he looked at Ryotaro Hondo and Haruki Yamauchi with a surprised expression, as if he found their discussion very strange.

"What are you guys talking about? Aren't points automatically deposited on the first of every month? I've never encountered a situation like this." A hint of confusion permeated Ike Kanji's tone.

Ryotaro Hondo and Haruki Yamauchi looked at each other, wondering if this guy really cared so little about his own points.

Just then, an abrupt voice cut into their conversation. Everyone turned their heads in astonishment to see Chabashira Sae standing there with an indifferent look, her gaze like a cold arrow, shooting straight at the students who were talking.

There was no expression on Chabashira Sae's face, only a clear sense of disdain in those eyes that was impossible to ignore. Her voice was cold and sharp, as if it could pierce one's eardrums, as she said to them without any pretense, "You students are truly foolish!"

This sentence exploded in the students' ears like a thunderclap, leaving them stunned for a moment. Some wore expressions of disbelief, while others were filled with anger, seemingly wanting to retort but being intimidated by Chabashira Sae's cold gaze.

[A bunch of rabble, after all.]

"The points have been deposited. That is beyond doubt. The school deposits the points to you on time on the first of every month." Chabashira Sae's face was as dark as water, her tone icy.

However, the students didn't buy it and began to clamor: "But there are definitely no points!" "Yeah, that's right!" In an instant, the classroom turned into a chaotic mess.

Just then, a low and powerful voice suddenly rang out: "Because our points for this month are zero!" This voice exploded in the entire class like a thunderclap, causing all the students to freeze. The person speaking was none other than Watanabe Hayabara.

"How could it be zero! Wasn't it said there would be one hundred thousand points every month!?" This sentence was like a bolt of lightning, bursting among the crowd and causing a huge uproar. The students looked at each other, their faces filled with disbelief.

"Right, wasn't it said there would be one hundred thousand every month?" someone echoed, their voice revealing a trace of despair. However, the cruel reality was placed ruthlessly before them, leaving them with no way to escape.

Just as everyone was immersed in shock and confusion, Watanabe Hayabara suddenly said, "This is exactly why you were assigned to Class D." His words were like cold water, extinguishing the last glimmer of hope in the students' hearts.

At this moment, Yosuke Hirata raised his hand, his voice trembling slightly, but he said firmly, "Teacher, may I ask a question? Please tell us the reason why we weren't issued points, otherwise we cannot accept this."

Chabashira Sae looked at Yosuke Hirata expressionlessly, her voice cold and mechanical, as if devoid of any emotion: "Tardiness and absences total ninety-eight times. Private conversations and phone usage during class total three hundred and ninety-one times. Given your performance, there is nothing shocking about receiving a score of zero at this merit-based school."

"Chabashira-sensei, I don't recall us receiving any explanation about this..."

"Are you unable to understand if no one explains it to you?"

"That goes without saying. We never heard that the deposited points would decrease. If we had been given an explanation, everyone wouldn't have been late or whispered in class."

"Hirata, what you're saying is truly incredible. I indeed don't recall explaining the rules that determine the point deposits. But, don't be late for class, don't chat privately during class—didn't you learn that in elementary or middle school?"

"That is..."

"You should remember it yourself, right? That's right, during the nine years of compulsory education, you must have heard 'being late or chatting in class is bad' until you were sick of it. And yet you insist you can't accept it because it wasn't explained? This kind of twisted logic doesn't hold water at all. If you had just done what was expected of you, you wouldn't have ended up with a zero. This is entirely your own responsibility."

"You have only just entered your first year of high school; did you really think you could use one hundred thousand points every month without restriction? And in this school established by the Japanese government to educate elite talent? Even using common sense, that's impossible. Why have you been ignoring your doubts all this time?" Chabashira Sae's words struck every student like a heavy blow.

"Then, at least tell us the detailed items for point increases and decreases... as a reference for the future." Yosuke Hirata looked into Chabashira Sae's eyes.

"That is impossible. Personnel evaluations... that is, the detailed review criteria, cannot be disclosed according to the school's regulations. It is the same in society. Even after you enter society and join a company, whether they tell you the details of your personnel review is up to the company. However, well... I'm not being cold because I hate you. This situation is truly tragic, so I will tell you one good thing."

Chabashira-sensei revealed a faint smile for the first time today.

"Even if you improve your tardiness or private conversations... assuming you manage to reach zero deductions this month, the points will neither decrease nor increase. Simply put, the points deposited next month will also be zero. Conversely, it doesn't matter how much you are late or absent. How about that? Remember it well, and you won't suffer any losses."

[Has she completely given up, Chabashira Sae-sensei?]

"It is about time we got to the main point." Chabashira Sae coughed, and the eyes of the whole class focused on her.

Chabashira Sae unfolded the thick poster in her hand, spread it out, and stuck it to the blackboard with magnets. The students were too stunned to even comprehend it, staring at the paper in a daze.

"This is the class point total for each class after the first month of evaluation. The ratio of each class point to the individual points distributed is 1:100."

Class A: 940bp

Class B: 650bp

Class C: 490bp

Class D: 0bp

"You have been truly free and unrestrained in school this month!" Chabashira Sae said expressionlessly, her voice echoing in the classroom so that every student could hear it clearly.

"The school has no intention of denying your way of living as you please," she continued, her tone calm and firm. "Whether it is being late or chatting privately in class, these behaviors will ultimately bring you corresponding consequences, and these consequences can only be borne by you yourselves. It is as simple as that."

Chabashira Sae paused for a moment, as if giving the students some time to think about her words. Then, she continued: "The same logic applies to the use of points. How you use the points you receive is entirely up to you; that is the freedom of the holder. The school will not place any restrictions on this aspect."

After saying this, Chabashira Sae scanned the classroom, her gaze meeting those of the students. Her eyes were sharp and stern, as if she could see through the thoughts in every student's heart. Finally, she emphasized again: "This is my final warning; I hope you will behave yourselves."

"So, do you understand now why you were assigned to Class D?" Watanabe Hayabara chuckled.