Setback, Swimming Class

May 1st, morning.

"Why haven't the points been issued yet?"

"Yeah, I was waiting to buy a tablet."

The Class D students buzzed with discussion.

"Everyone, return to your seats. Homeroom is starting."

Sae Chabashira walked up to the podium carrying a rolled-up poster.

Yamauchi impatiently asked, "Sensei, the points haven't been transferred. Aren't they supposed to be paid on the first of every month?"

"You're wrong. This month's points have already been transferred."

"There is no doubt that the points have been transferred. It is impossible that only your class was overlooked."

"But we didn't receive anything," Kanji Ike replied.

"Exactly..."

The discussion in the classroom continued without pause.

Chabashira-sensei cut them off directly.

"You really are idiots."

"105 instances of tardiness and absence.

385 instances of whispering during class and using phones.

You've all been quite impressive this past month."

"At this school, your performance each month is reflected in the points transferred to you.

As a result, you have lost the 100,000 points you received upon enrollment. This month's transferred points are zero."

Everyone was stunned by the result.

"Are we supposed to live on zero points?"

"How could this happen? No one told me."

Some clenched their fists, some lowered their heads, and some remained silent.

Seeing their reactions, Chabashira-sensei continued her barrage.

"Did you really think that mere high school students like you could receive 100,000 points every month without restraint?

How could that possibly be true? Try using some common sense.

Why did you simply set aside your doubts?

I told you at the start of the school year that this school evaluates students based on ability. You trash were evaluated at zero."

This time, everyone fell silent. Shinomiya, however, was quite happy to watch the various reactions of Class D.

Horikita appeared calm, but the way she gripped her pen revealed her displeasure.

Ayanokoji was calm as well. He genuinely did not care.

Kushida had not accepted the suggestion Shinomiya gave her earlier, so she still had not told the class about the school's rules.

Mainly because she felt that people like Yamauchi and Ike would not change even if they knew. If things blew up later, they might even blame Kushida for not forcing them to comply.

You should not place too much hope in people like that.

Chabashira-sensei explained the existence of class points—one class point would grant every student 100 personal points each month—as well as the system of classes rising and falling in rank, with class rankings determined by class points. Then she wrote down every class's points.

Class A: 980

Class B: 850

Class C: 690

Class D: 0

Shinomiya was somewhat surprised by those numbers.

Class A was understandable, and Class B had learned the rules late, but hadn't Class C lost far too many points?

After all, Shinomiya had sold the information to Class C and Class B at the same time.

Seeing the other classes' points, Class D fell even quieter.

But Chabashira-sensei was not done kicking them while they were down.

"As far as I know, Class D is the only class that failed to learn the school's rules.

And you are also the first class since the school's founding to squander every last point in a single month."

After dealing that blow to Class D, Chabashira looked toward Shinomiya.

Shinomiya acted as though he had not noticed, nodding repeatedly as if he were listening attentively.

Chabashira stared coldly at Shinomiya, as though demanding an explanation.

At that moment, Kushida spoke up.

"Is there any chance for us to increase our points?"

Only then did Chabashira withdraw her gaze and look at Kushida.

"The nearest opportunity is the midterm exam. If you do well, you can gain up to 100 class points."

Yamauchi muttered under his breath, "Only 100 points?"

Kanji Ike tried to reassure him. "It's better than nothing."

Just as everyone's spirits had recovered slightly, Chabashira delivered another fatal blow.

She unfolded the poster she had brought and pinned it to the blackboard.

"These are the results from your last quiz.

Every single one of you scored like trash.

From now on, if anyone fails a midterm or final exam, they will be expelled immediately."

Everyone was frightened by Chabashira again.

Koenji, meanwhile, sat with one leg crossed over the other, humming a tune and completely unconcerned.

Shinomiya was much the same. After all, Shinomiya was ranked first on that poster with a perfect score of 100.

What was there to worry about?

Once homeroom ended, everyone began talking at once.

Some were even looking for people to borrow money from.

Yamauchi, for instance, held up a game console with his arm around Sotomura's neck. "Professor, buy this from me for 20,000."

Kei Karuizawa approached Kushida.

"Actually, I spent too many points, so I'm really short right now. We're friends, right? Could you lend me 2,000 points?"

Kushida looked troubled and showed Karuizawa that she only had 5,000 points left.

"I actually spent too much last month too, so I don't have many points left either."

Kushida's points were all being held by Shinomiya.

Shinomiya had warned her long ago. Otherwise, how could an angel bring herself to refuse someone in need?

Swimming class, at the pool.

Because it was their first swimming class since spring began, the teacher simply let the students have free time.

Everyone quickly changed into their swimsuits, gathered in their respective groups, and began splashing and playing around.

Shinomiya spotted Ayanokoji sitting alone by the poolside.

"Looks like my plan to make friends failed." Shinomiya sat down beside Ayanokoji.

Ayanokoji sighed, but his eyes widened slightly at those words as he turned toward Shinomiya.

"How did you know what I was thinking?"

"Because it's written all over your face."

That was a lie.

There was nothing on Ayanokoji's face. Based on a month of observing him, Shinomiya had simply guessed that it was the most likely possibility. He was just testing it—if he got it right, then he was awesome.

Ayanokoji assumed Shinomiya simply did not want to explain, and found him somewhat interesting.

Kushida, Sato, Wang Meiyu, and the others played around, splashing water onto Kushida. Her figure swayed, her curves surging.

"Wait, don't do that!"

"Seriously, you're actually doing this!"

Kushida launched a counterattack, and the two sides splashed back and forth in delight.

Shinomiya took it all in.

The school's swimsuits really showed off their figures.

"What an excellent spot," Shinomiya remarked.

Ayanokoji did not understand. He thought Shinomiya was full of mysteries and always said strange things out of nowhere.

When Shinomiya saw that Ayanokoji did not react, he continued, "Didn't you choose this spot so you could watch them?"

"No, I just sat down here randomly."

Ayanokoji still wore the same expressionless look.

Shinomiya mentally added new data—the reaction of an ordinary boy to girls playing in the water.

He felt that he did not know Ayanokoji well enough and had not paid much attention to him before. He had assumed Ayanokoji was an expressionless, socially anxious, aloof type.

Now, it seemed he had been wrong. Ayanokoji was far more than that.

Shinomiya began observing him from up close.

"Ayanokoji, what kind of girls do you like?"

The abrupt question made Ayanokoji freeze for a moment, but he still answered honestly.

"There isn't any type I particularly like."

Shinomiya glanced over Ayanokoji's body.

"Do you work out often?"

Ayanokoji shook his head.

Just as Shinomiya was about to press further—

Horikita arrived.

"Ayanokoji, what are you two doing here?"