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 now the most handsome first-year boy?
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 stood a petite, slender figure.
It was Kushida Kikyou, dressed in a neat uniform.
Once she saw who had arrived, Kushida Kikyou shook off her still-sleepy state and instinctively greeted her classmate.
"Good morning, Shiba. What a coincidence."
Her voice was sweet and lively, brimming with energetic warmth.
Tatsuya Sakuya stepped into the elevator and leaned his back against its chilly wall.
"Good morning."
Tatsuya Sakuya spoke calmly, but his gaze involuntarily settled on Kushida Kikyou's upper body.
For a moment, he blanked out.
Kushida Kikyou noticed his gaze and asked,
"Shiba, 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. It's a perfect match, so I couldn't help admiring it a little longer."
Kushida Kikyou said, "Thank you. You look handsome today too, Shiba."
"Kushida?"
To ease the awkwardness from earlier, Tatsuya Sakuya added,
"How many Private Points do you have left?"
He asked it casually, just ordinary conversation between classmates about their points.
"Huh, points?"
Kushida Kikyou tilted her head in confusion, her voice soft and delicate.
"Probably a little over twenty thousand. Why are you suddenly concerned about that, Shiba?"
"It's nothing. I just suddenly remembered that tomorrow is May 1st."
Under the flashing elevator floor numbers, Tatsuya Sakuya slightly turned his head, his gaze profound.
"May 1st is the day we receive one hundred thousand points every month, isn't it?"
Kushida Kikyou wore a flawless, radiant smile.
"Everyone must be really looking forward to tomorrow."
Class 1-D classroom.
"Hey, did you hear? It looks like we're getting another hundred thousand points tomorrow."
"Seriously?"
"Tomorrow is 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 fantasizing about their happy lives after receiving their points.
Hirata Yousuke stood in the center of the classroom, trying to maintain order with his signature gentle tone.
"Um, could everyone quiet down a little? Class hasn't started yet, but the teacher will be here soon."
But the Class 1-D students were immersed in the coming carnival of point distribution.
No one paid him any attention.
Tatsuya Sakuya walked over and sat at the window seat in the back row.
Just then.
Horikita Suzune, who had been sitting beside him, unexpectedly took the initiative to greet him.
"Good morning, Shiba."
There was a hint of stiffness and awkwardness in her tone.
He was somewhat surprised by his deskmate's sudden initiative.
"Good morning, Horikita."
Tatsuya Sakuya leaned back in his chair, a teasing smile at the corner of his lips.
"It's rare to hear you take the initiative to say good morning. Did you sleep well after going back last night?"
At the mention of "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 shoved open.
Chabashira Sae walked steadily onto the podium.
There was not the slightest expression on her cold, beautiful face.
Normally, Chabashira Sae would simply ignore these noisy students and wait for the bell before mechanically teaching history.
But today was different.
With several minutes left before the bell, Chabashira Sae announced,
"Prepare for class now."
Ike Kanji swallowed and timidly raised his hand.
"Ch-Chabashira-sensei, there's still some time before the bell rings. Isn't this break time?"
Chabashira Sae folded her arms and looked down at the students beneath the podium.
"Break?"
Chabashira Sae spoke slowly.
"Starting now, the five minutes before class will be used directly for instruction."
Before her words had even faded.
A commotion immediately erupted in the classroom.
"Huh? You're canceling our break? Why?"
Sudo Ken was the first to stand up. He slammed both fists onto his desk, clearly dissatisfied.
"Why are you taking away our break time?"
Ike Kanji also muttered complaints from the back row.
"Exactly. Isn't that way too overbearing?"
Facing the students' protests, Chabashira Sae merely responded quietly, her attitude carrying a trace of indifference.
"If you think it's unfair, you're welcome to file a complaint with the school."
"But until that complaint takes effect, my words are orders, and my rules are rules."
Sudo Ken gritted his teeth, ready to make a scene, but Hirata Yousuke beside him interrupted.
"Sudo, calm down. Let's hear the teacher out first. Sensei, may I ask what the reason is?"
"Because according to the school's required teaching schedule, we are seriously behind. Our class has the slowest progress."
Chabashira Sae answered simply.
The students all felt that the phrase "our class has the slowest progress" sounded strangely familiar, as though they had heard it many times before.
"By the way."
"The matter 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, all exams, including midterms, final exams, and the school's special exams..."
Chabashira Sae paused.
"As long as the score in even one subject fails to meet the minimum standard set by the school."
She raised one finger.
"Even if the difference is only one point."
"Unfortunately, that student will be forcibly expelled."
Expulsion.
Those two words were like a time bomb reaching the end of its countdown, leaving the Class 1-D students stunned.
The entire classroom instantly fell into deathly silence.
Gulp.
Gulp.
Even the sounds of swallowing were exceptionally clear in the classroom at that moment.
"E-Expelled? You're kidding, right?"
Sudo Ken's pupils contracted violently, and his previously arrogant demeanor vanished in an instant.
"How is that possible? If you fail an exam in university, at most you take a makeup exam or repeat the course. How could you be expelled directly?"
"Sensei, you're joking, right? This has to be a joke, right?"
Even Hirata Yousuke, who had maintained his composure all along, revealed a trace of panic in his eyes.
"A joke?"
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