The Bottom Line for Sudden Expulsion on the Eve of the Revelry

April 30th, the last day of the first month since school began.

Tatsuya Sakuya stood before the mirror in his dorm room, carefully examining his appearance as he began talking to himself.

Was he the most handsome first-year boy now?

No?

Tomorrow's him would only be more handsome than today's.

After admiring himself for a while, Tatsuya Sakuya left Room 217.

Ding.

The elevator doors on the first floor slid open smoothly.

Inside the elevator stood a petite, slender figure.

It was Kushida Kikyou, dressed in a neat uniform.

After seeing who it was, Kushida Kikyou shook off her drowsiness and instinctively greeted her classmate.

"Good morning, Sakuya-kun. What a coincidence."

Her voice was sweet and lively, brimming with energetic friendliness.

Tatsuya Sakuya stepped into the elevator and leaned his back against its cool wall.

"Good morning."

Tatsuya Sakuya spoke calmly, but his gaze involuntarily fixed on Kushida Kikyou's upper body.

For a moment, he blanked out and drifted off.

Kushida Kikyou noticed his gaze and asked:

"Sakuya-kun, where are you looking?"

Dead eyes, stop looking.

Eyes:?

Tatsuya Sakuya placed a hand behind his head and pretended to scratch it, answering somewhat awkwardly:

"I just realized that outfit suits you really well, Kushida-san. It looks perfect on you, so I couldn't help admiring it for a little longer."

Kushida Kikyou said, "Thank you. Sakuya-kun looks very handsome today too."

"Kushida-san?"

To ease the awkward atmosphere from before, Tatsuya Sakuya added:

"How many Private Points do you have left?"

He asked it extremely casually, merely as part of an ordinary conversation between classmates about points.

"Huh, points?"

Kushida Kikyou tilted her head in confusion, her voice soft and sweet.

"Probably a little over twenty thousand. Why are you suddenly interested in that, Sakuya-kun?"

"It's nothing. I just suddenly remembered that tomorrow is May 1st."

Under the shifting elevator floor lights, Tatsuya Sakuya slightly turned his head, his gaze deep.

"May 1st is the day when one hundred thousand points are regularly distributed every month, isn't it?"

Kushida Kikyou revealed a flawless, radiant smile.

"Everyone must be really looking forward to tomorrow."

Class 1-D classroom.

"Hey, did you hear? Apparently, we're getting another one hundred thousand points tomorrow."

"Seriously?"

"Tomorrow's the first of next month. Chabashira-sensei said before that points are distributed on the first of every month."

The Class 1-D students were incredibly excited, already imagining the wonderful lives they would lead once the points were distributed.

Hirata Yousuke stood in the middle of the classroom, trying to maintain order with his trademark gentle tone.

"Um, could everyone quiet down a little? Class hasn't started yet, but the teacher will be here soon."

However, the Class 1-D students were all immersed in the revelry of their imminent point distribution.

No one paid attention.

Tatsuya Sakuya walked to his seat by the window in the back row and sat down.

Just then.

Horikita Suzune, who was originally sitting beside him, unexpectedly took the initiative to greet Tatsuya Sakuya.

"Good morning, Sakuya-kun."

There was a hint of awkward stiffness in her tone.

He was somewhat shocked by his deskmate's sudden initiative in speaking to him.

"Good morning, Horikita-san."

Tatsuya Sakuya leaned back in his chair, a teasing smile at the corner of his lips.

"It's rare to hear you greet someone first. Did you sleep well after going back last night?"

At the mention of the words "last night," Horikita Suzune's attitude changed.

"Thanks to you, terribly."

"However, I'll verify what you said last night in my own way."

Creak.

The classroom's front door was violently pushed open.

Chabashira Sae strode steadily onto the podium.

There was not the slightest expression on her cold, beautiful face.

Ordinarily, Chabashira Sae would simply ignore these noisy students and wait for the bell to ring before mechanically teaching history.

But today was different.

With several minutes remaining before the bell, Chabashira Sae announced:

"Prepare for class now."

Ike Kanji swallowed and timidly raised his hand.

"C-Chabashira-sensei, there's still some time before the bell rings. It's break time now, isn't it?"

Chabashira Sae crossed her arms and looked down at the students below the podium.

"Break?"

Chabashira Sae slowly spoke.

"From now on, the five minutes before class will be used directly for instruction."

Before she had even finished speaking.

A commotion immediately erupted in the classroom.

"Huh? You're canceling break? Why?"

Sudo Ken was the first to stand, slamming both fists heavily onto his desk. He was clearly unwilling to accept it.

"Why are you taking away our break time?"

Ike Kanji also complained quietly from the back row.

"Exactly. Isn't that way too overbearing?"

Faced with the students' protests, Chabashira Sae merely responded calmly, with a faintly indifferent attitude.

"If you think it's unfair, feel free to file a complaint with the school."

"However, before that complaint takes effect, my words are orders, and my rules are the rules."

Sudo Ken gritted his teeth, ready to make a scene, but Hirata Yousuke beside him interrupted.

"Sudo-kun, calm down. Let's hear what the teacher has to say first. Sensei, may I ask what the reason is?"

"Because according to the teaching schedule required by the school, we are seriously behind. Our class has the slowest teaching progress."

Chabashira Sae gave a simple reply.

The students all felt that the phrase "our class has the slowest teaching progress" sounded exceptionally familiar, as though they had heard it many times before.

"By the way."

"What I'm about to tell you is far more important than canceling break. It concerns whether you can continue studying at this school."

Chabashira Sae added.

"There is something I need to remind you of today."

"At Advanced Nurturing High School, every exam, including midterms, finals, and the school's special exams..."

Chabashira Sae paused.

"As long as your score in even one subject fails to reach the minimum standard set by the school."

She raised one finger.

"Even if you are short by only one point."

"Unfortunately, that student will be forcibly expelled."

Expulsion.

Those two words were like a time bomb whose countdown had ended, leaving the Class 1-D students utterly shocked.

The entire class instantly fell into deathly silence.

Gulp.

Gulp.

Even the sound of swallowing was exceptionally clear in the classroom at that moment.

"E-Expelled? You're joking, right?"

Sudo Ken's pupils contracted violently, and all of his former arrogance instantly vanished.

"How is that possible? If you fail a university exam, at most you have to retake it or repeat the course. How could you be expelled outright?"

"Sensei, you're joking, right? This has to be a joke, doesn't it?"

Even Hirata Yousuke, who had maintained his composure all along, revealed a trace of panic in his eyes.

"A joke?"