After her opening remarks, Chabashira began the actual lesson. The class stayed quiet throughout, but everyone was eagerly awaiting the break.
Finally, the moment arrived.
Chabashira left, leaving us alone in the classroom. Normally, people would rush out or grab something to eat at this hour, but right now, no one seemed inclined to leave.
The moment Chabashira's figure disappeared from view, the pent-up commotion erupted.
"Wow, what just happened?"
"I knew there was something fishy about those points…"
"Plus, there's the risk of expulsion if we slip up."
"What's with this madness?"
Everyone had something to say. It's fair to say they're still digesting the flood of information.
"When I think about it, if Kōenji-kun hadn't set up the study groups, I'm sure I'd have been in the red."
A classmate piped up.
"Yeah, without Kōenji-kun's intervention, our class would probably be in a total mess."
'I don't need to tell you. You'd still be in Class D with zero points…'
All eyes turned to me again.
"Did you already figure out what was going on, Kōenji-kun?"
Hirata asked.
"There's no way I could've known something like that, Hirata-kun."
My answer is simple, my tone emphasizing the obviousness of my words. How could I have guessed something so unlikely? Unless…
"Yeah, fair enough…"
Hirata realizes his question was off-base and backs off.
"There is a way."
It's Matsushita, my neighbor to the left, speaking up.
'Interesting.'
"On the first day of school, you asked a pretty intriguing question."
She continues but stops there. That's her style—plant an idea and let others run with it.
"Oh yeah, I remember! Kōenji-kun asked if the monthly allowance was fixed or variable."
Onodera Kayano, a short-haired brunette, adds.
"True, I remember that too."
Ike chimes in.
Now the stares on me intensify.
I let out a slight sigh and decide to respond.
"No point hiding it from you all. Yes, I knew something was off from the first day."
I stand and head to the podium. It's better to speak from here—I can see everyone, and they can see me.
Settling in, I continue: "Alright, let me explain how I reached that conclusion."
The class falls completely silent, all ears on me.
"As Onodera-chan pointed out, I first raised an eyebrow at the mention of the monthly allowance. We're just starting high school, and they're handing us 100,000 points a month with no conditions, at a government-run school designed to train elites. There *had* to be a catch…"
"That's why you asked if there was hidden information or stuff they hadn't told us."
Hirata cuts into my speech.
I nod in agreement and go on.
"But Chabashira-sensei brushed it off, saying we had the whole year to learn about the school, which is absurd since we got a student handbook on day one. What more could we need to learn beyond that?"
"So it was a trick question?"
Yukimura jumps in.
"If the school had nothing to hide, Chabashira-sensei's answer would've been to check the handbook, not 'time.' That alone confirmed something was off. But the mystery remained, so I kept digging. The points. I still remember Chabashira-sensei's exact words when she gave them to us: 'This school measures students' abilities. Everyone here who passed the entrance exam has shown a certain level of merit and worth. The amount of money reflects your skills.' Measuring abilities, merit, worth, reflecting skills. To test my suspicions, I confronted Chabashira-sensei one last time, but indirectly. As Onodera-chan recalled, I asked if the monthly allowance was fixed or would change. She dodged again, just stressing that our points reflect our skills. That's when my theory solidified: the school's running some kind of evaluation, and the points are the foundation."
I pause, scanning the room.
"But why didn't you tell us from the start, Kōenji-kun?"
A classmate, Minami Hakuo, asks.
"Even if he had, I doubt anyone here would've believed him."
Karuizawa answers for me.
"We weren't exactly cooperative with each other back then."
Karuizawa adds.
"I guess that's why you started uniting the class."
Hirata says.
"Exactly. That was the first necessary step."
I reply.
"I didn't know what skills the school was measuring, so I focused on academics and classroom behavior. Those seemed the most likely evaluation criteria for students like us."
"I get it now."
Yukimura says, as if he's just solved a nagging puzzle.
"Still, it's incredible, Kōenji-kun. Your hunch was spot-on, and thanks to you, we pulled through."
Satō Maya, a medium-height girl with long brown hair and a left-swept fringe, praises me.
I shake my head slightly.
"Nothing would've worked without all of your cooperation. Our position today is the result of our combined efforts."
'And that's actually true.'
I may have been steering, but if they'd refused to cooperate from the start, I'd have been stuck… Well, not really, but let's stick with that vibe.
"True, but that doesn't change the fact that we'd have been screwed without you. I know some people who'd have caused us serious trouble."
As she speaks, Shinohara shoots glances at certain back-row seats.
"What're you implying?"
Feeling targeted, Yamauchi raises his voice at Shinohara.
He's about to go off, but Ike stops him, grabbing his shoulder and signaling to chill.
"Ugly girls aren't worth your energy, Yamauchi-kun."
'Seriously…'
Though he tried to whisper, his voice is loud enough for everyone to hear.
"What? Who's the ugly one?"
Now Shinohara feels called out.
"Come on, guys, stop bickering."
Hirata, as usual, steps in to calm both sides.
They silently agree to a truce, but it's clearly temporary.
"You're wrong, Shinohara-chan."
"H-how so, Kōenji-kun?"
Shinohara asks, curious.
"Have you forgotten what Chabashira-sensei said earlier? The school initially judged all of us as defective, placing us in Class D."
At my words, Shinohara backs down. As for Yamauchi, I see him nodding in approval.
'That's nothing to be proud of…'
At the same moment, I notice someone about to speak, but I cut them off.
"I know what you're going to say, Yukimura-kun. Given your academic skills, you think it's absurd to be judged as Class D material, right?"
"Don't you feel frustrated too, Kōenji-san? You scored 100 on the mock exam, which suggests you're genius-level, yet you were still placed in Class D. It's completely illogical."
Yukimura vents.
"I agree, Yukimura-kun, it's illogical."
I back him up. But…
"But as far as I know, Chabashira-sensei never said it was just our academic skills at fault."
"So…"
"Based on the special exam we just went through, it's likely this school also judges our behavior. I'd bet our physical abilities and social skills are evaluated too. That makes sense, given this school prides itself on training elites. In the real world, academics alone aren't enough."
Yukimura falls silent, unable to counter.
"Personally, I know I excel in academics and physical activities. But I've always been a pathological narcissist, caring only about myself. It's only recently that I reflected and decided to change in high school. So, it's likely I was put in Class D because of that behavior. The same goes for all of you. Each of you has a flaw that landed you in Class D initially—whether it's academics, socialization, a troubled past, or poor physical condition. The fact is, we weren't judged randomly."
My words plunge the class into a silence deeper than silence itself.
"But…"
I raise my voice, snapping the class back to life.
"Despite all that, we're in Class A, and the school itself admitted it misjudged us. Instead of dwelling on the past, let's make the future better. Let's reflect on ourselves and fix what made us seem like low-tier people. Let's show everyone we didn't get here by luck. I want to stand on the roof of this school. Who's with me?"
"Me!"
"We'll show them."
"I'm not going back down."
At my call, everyone responds, each in their own way, but all positive. I notice a certain someone staring at me with empty eyes, but I ignore it for now.
'It's not time for us to clash…'
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