The euphoria in Classroom 1-C slowly subsided, replaced by a pressing sense of curiosity. Sudou Ken was back in his seat, though his face was still red from his tears of relief. Ike and Yamauchi were still sniffing quietly, but their eyes were now fixed on their homeroom teacher.
Chabashira Sae wasn't finished. She still stood at the podium, exuding a thick aura of authority. The marker in her hand remained uncapped.
"You've celebrated your passing grades," Chabashira said, her voice slicing through the remaining whispers. "Now, let's talk business. At this school, exam results aren't just about passing or failing. It's about capital."
She erased the detailed breakdown of the students' scores, leaving a blank space on the chalkboard for the Class Points (CP) recapitulation.
"The Class Point evaluation for June has been calculated based on the results of these Midterm Exams. There is a basic rule: class points can increase by a maximum of 100 points based on behavior and average scores, unless there is a special achievement recognized by the school."
Chabashira began to write with swift, precise movements.
Latest First-Year Class Standings (June)
1. Class A (Ichinose's Class):
Initial Points: 985
Behavior & Average: +90
New Total: 1,075 Points
Gasps of awe slipped from the mouths of several students.
"One thousand and seventy-five..." Hirata Yosuke muttered in disbelief. "They broke the one thousand point barrier. That means every student in Ichinose-san's class will receive over 100,000 yen next month."
It was a terrifying number. Ichinose Honami hadn't just maintained her top position; she had widened the gap. Her class was an almost impenetrable fortress.
Chabashira moved on to the second line.
2. Class B (Sakayanagi & Katsuragi's Class):
Initial Points: 946
Behavior & Average: +100 (Perfect)
New Total: 1,046 Points
"Class B isn't playing around either," Horikita Suzune commented, her eyes narrowing analytically. "They received the maximum points from the standard evaluation. Sakayanagi and Katsuragi must have tightened their grip after dropping in rank last month."
The competition at the top was fiercely tight. Only a 29-point difference between Class A and Class B. One tiny mistake, and those positions could flip right back.
Then, Chabashira's hand moved to the very bottom position.
3. Class D (Ryuen's Class):
Initial Points: 490
Behavior & Average: +0
New Total: 490 Points
"Zero?" Ike blurted out. "They didn't get any bonus points at all?"
"Poor behavior, classroom disruptions, and barely passing average scores," Chabashira explained coldly. "Ryuen's class is lucky their points weren't deducted. They are stagnating at the bottom of the abyss."
And finally... Chabashira wrote on the third line. The line that belonged to them.
4. Class C:
Initial Points: 910
Behavior & Average: +80
The class fell silent for a moment.
A +80 was good, incredibly good considering they had multiple "ticking time bombs" like Sudou and the gang. However, if they only added 80, their total would be 990. Still below 1,000. Still lagging far behind Classes A and B.
However, Chabashira wasn't finished writing. She added another plus sign (+) next to the 80.
Special Merit Bonus: +50
"Huh?"
Chabashira turned around, staring straight at Seiji Koroizumi, who was sitting casually in the back.
"This school rewards anomalies," Chabashira said, the corners of her lips lifting into a proud smirk. "In the history of written exams at Advanced Nurturing High School, getting a high average score is common for Class A. But achieving a perfect score of 500 points across all subjects—including the Japanese and History essays, which are graded subjectively—is practically impossible."
"The school administration decided to award a Special Merit Bonus of 50 Class Points for Koroizumi Seiji's achievement."
Chabashira tallied it up.
New Total for Class C: 1,040 Points
"O-ONE THOUSAND AND FORTY?!"
A desk was slammed. This time by Sudou, but not out of anger—rather, out of explosive joy.
"We broke a thousand! We have over a thousand class points!" Ike screamed hysterically.
Suzune sat frozen in her chair. Her eyes stared at the number.
1,040 points.
They were only 6 points behind Class B. And only 35 points behind Class A.
The gap that had once felt like an entire ocean was now merely across the river.
"Koroizumi..." Suzune turned to look back.
Seiji was scratching his cheek with his index finger, looking slightly embarrassed—a remarkably human expression for a former monster. "Well, it's not bad for some extra pocket money, right?"
"You..." Suzune shook her head in sheer amazement. "You single-handedly elevated our class points by an amount equivalent to an entire cohort's month worth of effort."
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, sitting nearby, stared at Seiji's back.
He didn't just save the weak, Ayanokouji analyzed internally. He also became our main offensive weapon. That bonus point... he was intentionally aiming for it from the very beginning. He knows this school values individual genius just as highly as teamwork.
Chabashira let them bask in the moment for a while before putting her serious face back on.
"Save your cheers. These points will be transferred on July 1st. For now..."
Chabashira pulled a travel pamphlet from her bag and held it up high. Images of the blue sea, white sand, and a luxury cruise ship were plastered across it.
"As I mentioned this morning. Because no one was expelled, the school will keep its promise. A two-week summer vacation on a private island owned by the school's foundation."
"The cruise ship will depart three days after the closing ceremony for the semester. Pack your belongings. Swimsuits, sunscreen, and..." Chabashira narrowed her eyes, delivering a meaningful look that was only caught by Seiji, Suzune, and Ayanokouji.
"...your mental fortitude. Because this school never gives anything without a reason."
Chabashira stepped down from the podium and walked out of the classroom.
"Class dismissed. Enjoy your victory today."
The door closed. And for the first time, Class 1-C didn't feel like a dumping ground. They felt like predators who had just realized they had fangs.
Classroom 1-A (Ichinose's Class)
The atmosphere in Class A felt warm and harmonious, as usual. However, beneath the laughter and chatter about vacation plans, a subtle tension crept among the elite students.
Ichinose Honami stood near the window, holding her tablet which displayed the latest point acquisition graph.
"1,075 points," Kanzaki Ryuji muttered, standing beside her. "We broke last year's cohort record. Your strategy to maintain solidarity and help each other study was highly effective, Ichinose."
"Thank you, Kanzaki-kun," Ichinose smiled, but the smile didn't quite reach her bright blue eyes.
Her eyes were glued to a maroon bar graph. Class C.
"They're catching up," Ichinose whispered.
"Class C?" Kanzaki frowned. "They certainly shot up quickly. But that's to be expected since they have Horikita Suzune, the Student Council President's younger sister. What's surprising is that they didn't lose any points at all from those problem students."
"It's not just Horikita-san," Ichinose corrected him. Her finger tapped the screen, right on the footnote detailing the Student Bonus Points.
Koroizumi Seiji: Perfect Score (500/500).
Ichinose let out a long sigh. Her memory drifted back to the past, to the moment that young man had taught her about "value."
You really didn't hold back at all, did you, Koroizumi-kun? Ichinose thought to herself.
She remembered running into Seiji in the library a few days ago. The boy looked completely at ease, surrounded by students the school considered to be trash. But now, he had proven that in his hands, even trash could be spun into gold.
"Ichinose?" Kanzaki called out, concerned seeing his leader spacing out.
Ichinose turned around, flashing her dazzling, leadership-ready smile.
"It's nothing! Everyone, listen up!" Ichinose called out, drawing the attention of the entire class.
"We may be at the top, but Classes B and C are right behind us. This upcoming island vacation... my instincts tell me it won't be an ordinary holiday. We have to stay united. Don't let anyone shake our trust in each other!"
"Yeah!!" her classmates cheered.
Deep down, however, Ichinose knew the truth. Trust was the currency she dealt in. But Seiji Koroizumi... he used an entirely different currency. He used evolution. And evolution is always more terrifying than stability.
Classroom 1-B (Sakayanagi & Katsuragi's Class)
In contrast to the warm Class A, Class B felt cold and divided.
On one side of the room, Katsuragi Kohei sat with a rigid face, surrounded by his loyal followers who looked anxious.
"1,046 points. We're still in second place," Katsuragi muttered heavily. "But the gap with Class C... is only 6 points. This is a disaster. How is it possible that a class containing Sudou and Yamauchi managed to get an average score that high?"
"Maybe they cheated?" whispered Yahiko, Katsuragi's loyal follower.
"No," Katsuragi cut him off firmly. "This school is strict. If they had cheated, they would have already been expelled. They did it legitimately. That's what makes this even more dangerous."
Katsuragi massaged his temples. His solid defensive strategy was apparently not enough to stem the explosive potential of the lower class.
"Fufufu... Katsuragi-kun, you look like a man suffering from a toothache."
An elegant chuckle sliced through the tension in Katsuragi's faction.
Across the room, Sakayanagi Arisu sat in her chair, casually twirling her cane. She didn't look worried in the slightest. On the contrary, her eyes sparkled with sheer amusement.
"Sakayanagi," Katsuragi reprimanded her. "This is no time to be laughing. Our position is threatened. Class C—"
"Class C is very interesting, isn't it?" Sakayanagi interrupted. She stared at the bulletin board on her tablet, her eyes locked onto a single name.
Koroizumi Seiji.
"A perfect 500 score..." Sakayanagi murmured softly, the smile on her lips widening into a somewhat predatory smirk. "Even I lost a few points on the Japanese essay due to a difference in interpretation with the teachers' archaic answer keys. But him... he managed to perfectly read the minds of the test makers."
Sakayanagi recalled the boy's bizarrely polite smile during the entrance ceremony.
She thought Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was the only interesting person in this school because of his White Room background. But as it turned out, there was another player.
A player who didn't hide in the shadows like Ayanokouji, but a player who stood directly under the spotlight while pretending to be a kind-hearted "teacher."
"Kamuro-san," Sakayanagi called out to the girl standing silently behind her.
"What?" Kamuro Masumi answered curtly.
"For the upcoming island vacation... make sure you bring me a nice hat. I want to look pretty when I greet our neighbors."
"You're planning something wicked again," Kamuro accused.
"Wicked? No," Sakayanagi chuckled. "I just want to greet the new King who has just ascended the throne in Class C. Seiji Koroizumi... I wonder, can he play chess as well as he takes exams?"
For Sakayanagi, dropping in rank or the threat of losing points wasn't a problem. It was merely seasoning. What she truly desired was a worthy opponent. And finally, she had found one.
Classroom 1-D (Ryuen's Class)
The atmosphere in Class D wasn't warm, nor was it cold; it was toxic.
Ryuen Kakeru sat on the teacher's desk, his feet planted on the podium where their homeroom teacher, Sakagami, had just stood. His class received 490 points. No increase. No bonuses. Only stagnation.
Before him, the students of Class D kept their heads bowed in fear. Ishizaki and Albert stood beside Ryuen like gatekeepers of hell.
"Kukuku..." Ryuen's laughter sounded dry and dangerous. "So that's how it is, huh? Suzune's class shot up to 1,040 points. They left us in the mud."
Ryuen hopped down from the desk. He paced around the front row, making the students there hold their breath.
"Originally," Ryuen said quietly, "I planned to crush them one by one with physical violence. That mad dog Sudou... he's an easy target. Provoke his emotions, get him to hit Ishizaki, and he gets expelled. Simple."
Ryuen stopped walking. His eyes stared at the blank chalkboard, as if picturing the faces of his enemies.
"But now... there's a new variable."
He pulled out his phone, staring at the name that was the talk of the entire school today.
Koroizumi Seiji.
"A perfect 500 score," Ryuen hissed. "A guy who can pull that off isn't just some bookworm. He's a meticulous monster. Someone like that... isn't going to let his guard dog off the leash carelessly."
Ryuen's street instincts—the very instincts that had kept him alive in a lawless world of violence—screamed in warning.
This guy is dangerous, his instincts whispered. He's not a rigid leader like Horikita, or a defensive one like Katsuragi. He's the type who will smile while stabbing you.
"Oi, Ishizaki," Ryuen called out.
"Yes, Ryuen-san!"
"Cancel the plan to attack Sudou for now."
"Eh? Why?"
"Don't be an idiot!" Ryuen snapped. His eyes flashed sharply. "If we attack Sudou now, we'll walk right into Koroizumi's trap. I don't know how that bastard plays yet. Before I destroy Class C, I need to dissect his brain first."
Ryuen smirked, his tongue swiping across his lips as if he had just spotted a challenging prey.
"That island later... it's going to be an interesting hunting ground. I'm going to see whether Seiji Koroizumi is a god or a demon. And once I figure out his weakness..."
Ryuen crushed the soda can in his hand until it dented.
"...I'm going to make him kneel."
In the back corner of the classroom, Shiina Hiyori closed her book slowly. She heard Ryuen's muttering.
Koroizumi-kun, Hiyori thought, feeling a mix of concern and pride. You've really caught the attention of all the wolves in this school. I hope you're ready.
School Hallway - After School
The late afternoon sun bathed the school hallway in a golden-orange hue. Seiji strolled leisurely toward the vending machine, intending to buy a juice box as a reward for himself.
However, his footsteps halted.
At the hallway intersection, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka stood leaning against the wall, as if he had been waiting for him.
"Good job on the 500 points," Ayanokouji greeted flatly.
"Good job to you too, Mr. Average," Seiji replied with a smile. "Your consistency in staying average is truly commendable, Ayanokouji-kun."
Ayanokouji stared at Seiji. His normally empty gaze now carried a little bit of... weight.
"You made yourself a target," Ayanokouji said. "Sakayanagi, Ichinose, Ryuen... now all eyes are on you. Horikita might be the leader on paper, but they know who's actually holding the reins."
"A teacher must always be ready to act as a shield for his students, no?" Seiji replied nonchalantly. He inserted a coin into the machine and pressed the button for strawberry juice.
"Besides," Seiji retrieved his juice can, then looked at Ayanokouji. "With me in the spotlight, you get to continue enjoying your peace in the shadows, right? You should be thanking me."
Ayanokouji fell silent for a moment. The analysis was spot on. Seiji had effectively become a lightning rod, drawing all dangerous attention away from Ayanokouji.
"You're weird," Ayanokouji finally commented. "You have the ability to dominate this school single-handedly, yet you choose to go through the trouble of taking care of Sudou and the others."
"Dominating is boring," Seiji popped open his juice can. Click.
"Watching growth... seeing someone who couldn't do something become able to, seeing the weak become strong... that's far more satisfying than merely sitting on a throne."
Seiji started walking, then stopped right beside Ayanokouji.
"This upcoming island vacation... my instincts tell me it's going to be troublesome. I might need your help again."
"Leave me out of it," Ayanokouji refused automatically.
"We'll see about that. Nurufufufu."
Seiji walked away, leaving his signature laugh echoing down the hallway.
Ayanokouji stared at Seiji's retreating back. The young man's shadow looked long and massive on the floor, almost as if there were invisible tentacles waving around him.
Seiji Koroizumi, Ayanokouji thought. You are the ultimate variable in this school.
And for the first time in his monotonous life, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka felt a little... enthusiastic about greeting tomorrow.
Summer vacation was fast approaching. And a brand-new storm had only just begun to gather on the horizon.
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P - Gem_Blanks
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