The True Situation of Class D

Chabashira Sae opened the attendance roster and swept her gaze around the classroom.

Everyone fell silent.

"Yuto Hayashi."

Yuto froze for a moment when his name was called. The previous owner of this body probably had not been called on very often, and he still had not fully adjusted to this new name.

"Here."

He raised a hand, his tone casual.

Chabashira glanced at him without saying anything, then continued to the next name.

"Horikita Suzune."

"Here," Horikita replied beside him with a single curt word.

"Kushida Kikyo."

"Here! I hope we all get along from now on!" Kushida's voice was sweet and clear, accompanied by a brilliant smile.

Several boys unconsciously straightened up.

"Hiyori Shiina."

The black-haired girl with long straight hair in the corner answered softly, so quietly that it was almost inaudible.

"Sudo Ken."

"Here!!" Sudo's voice was loud enough to make the person in front of him shrink their neck.

The roll call continued. Ike Kanji, Yamauchi Haruki, Hirata Yosuke, Yukimura Teruhiko, Sato Maya, Shinohara Satsuki... There were more than thirty students, all with different surnames and given names. As Yuto listened, he matched the names to their faces in his mind.

His memories of the original story from his past life slowly resurfaced. Class D had plenty of problem children: the athletic Sudo, the comedic idiots Ike and Yamauchi, the serious class representative Yukimura, and the ever-helpful Hirata. On the girls' side, aside from Horikita, Kushida, and Hiyori, there were several characters with little presence in the original story who did not need much attention for now.

The roll call ended. Chabashira closed the roster and placed it on the podium.

"Now that everyone is here, I have a few things to tell you."

She braced both hands against the edge of the podium, her eyes passing over everyone.

"First, the point system."

The classroom was quiet for several seconds before a few students exchanged puzzled looks.

"Every month, this school will issue points to you. Each of you will receive one hundred thousand points. These points can be used as money at the convenience store, cafeteria, and vending machines on campus. Your dormitory water and electricity fees will also be deducted from them."

Sudo's eyes lit up.

"One hundred thousand points? So that's one hundred thousand yen? Every month?" His voice was filled with excitement. "That means 1.2 million a year! This school is loaded!"

"We get free food and lodging, and they give us money too?" Ike joined in. "This is awesome!"

"Right?" Yamauchi rubbed his hands together. "Doesn't that mean we're rich?"

Chabashira did not interrupt them. She merely waited for them to quiet down.

Sudo was still doing the math. "One hundred thousand a month, 1.2 million a year, and 3.6 million over three years! I've never seen that much money in my life!"

"But..." Ike scratched his head. "Why would the school give us money? Don't normal schools charge tuition? Why are they paying us instead?"

"Maybe it's to let us experience society," Hirata said gently. "Having students manage their own living expenses is also a form of education."

"Yeah, yeah!" Yamauchi nodded repeatedly. "Capitalist education!"

Yuto silently listened to their conversation from his seat.

Of course, he knew how naive they were being. This school's point system was no benefit—it was the core tool of its entire merit-based system. On the surface, one hundred thousand points per person per month seemed generous, but according to the original plot, the points Class D could receive would plummet starting next month. He remembered the reason clearly: points were distributed according to class points, and Class D's points would soon be dragged down to nearly zero by all kinds of deductions.

He did not remember the exact deduction rules too clearly. They involved tardiness, leaving early, talking in class, failing to submit homework, and so on. In any case, Class D's class points would eventually drop to single digits. When that happened, each person would receive only a few hundred points a month—not even enough for a meal.

Trouble.

Real trouble.

He knew what was coming, but he could not say it outright. A freshman who had just enrolled could not possibly know these inside details. He could only slowly guide things in his own way over the coming days.

Chabashira did not say anything more and moved directly to the next matter.

"Next is dorm assignment. All students are required to live on campus. The dorms are single rooms and have already been assigned by class. Go back and unpack your things. Assemble at the gymnasium at three this afternoon for the entrance orientation."

With that, she turned and walked out of the classroom.

The classroom instantly exploded with noise.

"One hundred thousand points, guys! Want to hit the convenience store tonight?" Sudo stood and called over Ike and Yamauchi.

"Yeah! Absolutely!" Ike waved his arms around. "I'm buying limited-edition chips!"

"I'm buying games!" Yamauchi chimed in.

Hirata smiled beside them. "Don't get too excited. We should probably figure out the school first."

"What's there to worry about? We get one hundred thousand every month anyway. Might as well spend it!"

Yuto remained seated, listening to the commotion around him.

His eyes slowly moved across the classroom.

Sudo, Ike, and Yamauchi had already gathered together to discuss what to buy. Ike was using his phone to calculate points, while Yamauchi lay sprawled across his desk, apparently lost in thought. Hirata stood nearby with a gentle smile. He did not stop them, but he participated in the conversation. Yukimura pushed up his glasses and lowered his head to flip through the school handbook, his expression serious.

Kushida was chatting with several girls, her voice crisp and pleasant. She was always smiling as she spoke, making people feel at ease. But Yuto noticed that even while talking, her gaze occasionally swept over the other people in the classroom.

It was as though she was gathering information.

She looked at Sudo, committing the three boys' names and relationships to memory. She looked at Yukimura, taking note of the bespectacled honor student. When her eyes passed over Yuto, they lingered for a second before naturally moving away.

Yuto neither avoided her gaze nor showed any unusual reaction.

He simply sat there quietly, looking like an ordinary, slightly introverted freshman.

In the corner, Hiyori Shiina had already opened a book.

She lowered her head, her long hair covering half her face, completely immersed in her own world. The liveliness around her had nothing to do with her. Her eyes rested only on the pages before her. She turned a page with an extremely light motion, as though afraid of disturbing someone.

Yuto glanced at her.

She had an air about her.

His first impression of the girl was that she was quiet. She had arrived quietly, sat down quietly, and read quietly. There was an unworldly calm about her that formed a sharp contrast with the noisy Class D.

He could not go talk to her yet. That would be too abrupt. Why would a freshman who had just enrolled go strike up a conversation with a girl he did not know? Besides, Hiyori was the kind of character who took a while to warm up to people. He would need time to approach her gradually.

The best way would be to run into her at the library.

This school surely had a library. According to the original setting, Hiyori was a regular there. All he needed to do was visit the library sometime and naturally read in the same area as her. Once or twice, she would notice him. Then it would be perfectly natural to find an excuse to start talking.

The plan is flawless.

"What bad thing are you thinking about now?"

A cold voice came from beside him.

Yuto turned his head and found Horikita staring at him.

Her eyes were sharp, as though she were examining a suspicious person.

"I was thinking about what to eat for dinner," Yuto said.

"You said that earlier too."

"Because I really was thinking about dinner."

Horikita frowned slightly.

"The expression you had just now didn't look like you were thinking about dinner," she said. "You looked like you were plotting something."

This woman's observational skills are sharp.

Yuto's expression did not change. "Then what do you think I was thinking about?"

"I don't know," Horikita said. "But it definitely wasn't dinner."

"Then what do you think I was thinking about?"

Horikita did not answer. She turned toward the window, as though their conversation had never happened.

Yuto silently raised his assessment of her vigilance.

Horikita Suzune, one of the strongest girls in Class D in the original story. She was cold and poor at socializing, but both her observational skills and judgment were excellent. She was the kind of person who did not easily trust anyone and viewed everything with suspicion.

It would take time to make her lower her guard.

Still, that was normal. They were desk mates, after all. There would be plenty of chances to slowly work things out.

"Hey! Yuto Hayashi!"

Sudo's voice came from behind him.

Yuto turned around and saw Sudo waving at him. "Come on! We're going to the convenience store! You got one hundred thousand too, right? Come with us!"

"I'll pass," Yuto said.

"Come on! It's more fun if everyone goes together! Let's go!"

"I have something to do."

"What could you possibly have to do on your first day of school?"

Yuto thought for a moment. "I want to check out the dorms first."

"What's there to see in the dorms? They're not going anywhere! Buy stuff first!"

Ike backed him up from the side. "Exactly! Buy things first! It won't be too late to go back to the dorm tonight!"

Yuto shook his head. "You guys go ahead."

Sudo looked as though he wanted to say something else, but Hirata came over and said, "Forget it. He might really have something to do. Let's go first."

"Fine." Sudo shrugged. "We'll go together next time!"

The three of them walked off with their arms around each other's shoulders.

Yuto did not need to watch them to know that the three would soon spend all their points. Sudo, Ike, and Yamauchi—the infamous trio of Class D—were also the three fastest at burning through points. When they failed to receive points next month, they would know regret.

People gradually left the classroom.

Kushida walked out with several girls. As she passed Yuto, she gave him a smile. "Bye-bye!"

Yuto nodded.

Hiyori Shiina was the last to stand. She closed her book, put it into her bag, and left the classroom with her head lowered. From beginning to end, she did not look at anyone.

Only Yuto and Horikita remained in the classroom.

"You're not leaving?" Yuto asked.

"You leave first," Horikita said.

"Why?"

"I don't like having someone behind me."

Yuto stood up. "Fine. I'll go first, then."

He left the classroom and headed down the corridor.

A gentle breeze drifted through the hallway in April. Sunlight slanted in through the windows, painting rows of golden squares across the floor. Through the glass, he could see the field outside and the school buildings in the distance. The sky was blue, with several white clouds drifting slowly past.

The school truly looked beautiful. If he had not known about the cruel rules behind it, he might have considered it an ideal campus environment too.

Rather than returning to the dormitory right away, Yuto took a lap around the school.

He needed to familiarize himself with the campus layout.

The academic building had four floors. Class D was in the corner at the far end of the fourth floor, while Class A occupied the best spot on the first floor. That alone revealed the school's hierarchy. The gymnasium was on the east side of campus, while the cafeteria and convenience store were on the west. The library and activity rooms were to the north, and the field and athletic facilities were to the south. The dormitory area was at the very back of campus, where several gray-white buildings stood side by side.

Overall, the school's facilities were excellent. Convenience store, cafeteria, library, sports field, gymnasium—it had everything. Students in uniforms could be seen everywhere across campus. Some were chatting, some walked briskly, and some sat on benches in a daze.

Everything looked peaceful.

But he knew it was only an illusion.

Starting next month, that peaceful façade would be shattered. When the students of Class D discovered that they could receive only a few hundred points, the school's true cruelty would reveal itself before them.

Some would rage, some would break down, and some would give up. But there would also be those who stood up and resisted.

And what he had to do was remain calm amid that chaos and quietly build his advantage.

Yuto arrived in front of the library.

He stopped and looked inside through the glass doors.

The library was large, with dozens of bookshelves and several long tables and chairs in the middle. There were not many people inside now, only a few students reading. He spotted a familiar figure—long black hair and a quiet profile.

Hiyori Shiina.

She had already arrived at the library and was seated by the window with a book spread open before her.

Yuto did not go inside.

It was still too early.

He memorized her location, then turned and left.

At the entrance orientation that afternoon, the principal and teachers delivered another long string of empty formalities. Things like "cultivating independence and self-reliance," "creating elite education," and "meritocracy is fair competition." To ordinary students, those words might have sounded like official jargon, but Yuto knew every single word was true.

This school truly would not look after anyone.

After the orientation ended, Yuto returned to his dormitory.

The dorm was a single room. It was not large, but it was more than enough for one person. There was a bed, a desk, a chair, a wardrobe, and a small balcony. The bathroom and toilet were shared. Overall, the conditions were decent. It was not luxurious, but it was much better than student housing.

Yuto sat on the bed and took out the tablet issued by the school.

All information from the school would be sent through the tablet: exam notices, changes to class points, school announcements—everything. He fiddled with it for a while and found a store where various goods could be bought using points. From stationery to electronics, snacks to daily necessities, it had everything.

Items at the convenience store were also paid for with points.

In other words, points were the school's only currency.

He checked his account balance.

100000 points.

For now, it was still full.

But starting next month, that number would shrink drastically.

Yuto put down the tablet and lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

His first day after transmigrating into this world had come to an end.

A lot had happened today, but for him, it was only the beginning of everything. There were many things he needed to do, but all of them required time. He could not rush or panic. He had to proceed step by step.

First, keep a low profile. Do not cause trouble, and do not reveal that he knew too much.

Second, observe. Figure out everyone's personality and position, and confirm whether they matched the original story.

Third, make arrangements. Run into Hiyori at the library, accept Kushida's approach, and gradually build rapport with Horikita.

Fourth, wait for an opportunity. The Sudo incident would be the first test and also the first stage for him to show his ability.

All these things required time. At best, a few weeks. At worst, a month. But as long as he followed the plan, everything would fall into place.

He closed his eyes.

The laughter and chatter of other students drifted in from outside. Someone was running through the hallway, while someone else was loudly calling another person's name downstairs. The liveliness belonged to them. It had nothing to do with him.

Right now, he only wanted to lie quietly in bed and get some sleep.

As for what would happen tomorrow?

Tomorrow could wait.