"Hurry up, hurry up! Why are you moving so slow? And with this pace, you still want to rescue the princess?"
Amane was lying flat on the floor, completely absorbed in her game.
Though she was being a bit noisy, Horikita had long since gotten used to it.
So she just gently patted Amane's backside, signaling for her to quiet down a little.
"Crap, crap, I got crit! The healer—"
Before she could even finish, Amane slumped face-down onto the floor, not moving a muscle.
Clearly, the plan to save the princess had officially ended in failure.
"I told you, if you're going to play games, you can do it on the bed."
Horikita scooped up the listless, dejected Amane and dumped her onto the bed.
She also tucked the brown bear pillow into her arms.
Just as Horikita was about to return to her desk to continue reading, her phone suddenly buzzed with a message.
After opening it, Horikita Suzune was surprised to find it was a message from the school.
It ordered all first-year Class D members to assemble in the classroom before 10 o'clock, as there was an important matter to be announced. Anyone late without a valid reason would face expulsion.
Expulsion just for being late to a gathering?
Horikita Suzune found it hard to believe.
She glanced at the time: 9:45.
That meant they only had fifteen minutes to get there.
"Amane—"
Horikita started to call out to Amane, but then she saw that Amane was already in her school uniform.
"Let's hurry up and go. If we're late, we might really get expelled, you know? And besides, we might even get to see President Horikita."
Amane clearly already knew what this sudden gathering was about.
After a moment's thought, Horikita Suzune immediately realized it was to announce the actual punishment for those facing expulsion.
The harsh wording made it clear that a significant number of people were definitely going to be expelled.
Horikita Suzune's mood instantly sank.
The thing she had been trying to avoid had finally become reality.
By the time Horikita Suzune and Amane arrived, most of the class was already there.
After exchanging a glance, Amane and Horikita Suzune went to their respective seats to wait.
Soon, nearly all of Class D had gathered, sitting in their seats and discussing the sudden emergency meeting.
The students who had previously been identified as likely to be expelled were especially panicked, already beginning to pray.
Names of various local deities spilled repeatedly from their lips.
It seemed they were praying to every god they could think of.
Amane's gaze swept across the classroom.
She noticed two people were still absent: one was Sudō, which was no surprise—rumor was he'd been taken by security and hadn't been seen since, though the details were still unknown.
The other was Hirata.
Hirata's absence bothered Amane a little.
She knew Hirata was genuinely capable of dropping out for the sake of others.
But in this situation, getting expelled for absence wouldn't benefit the class or its students in any way.
So Amane was concerned about Hirata's whereabouts.
"Hey, have you heard? I heard a lot of people are getting expelled today."
This came from Satō, voicing something everyone knew but didn't dare discuss.
That people were going to be expelled today was obvious to anyone with a brain. So why wasn't anyone talking about it?
Because...
"Satō, stop running your mouth. Can't you see everyone's already worried sick about this?"
Yukimura spoke up with a stern warning.
But Satō just snorted coldly.
"What does their expulsion have to do with me? Even if my grades are bad, I'm not shameful enough to get expelled. And Yukimura, you got the third-highest score in the class, right? Why pretend to care about them?"
The moment Satō spoke, many glared at her with anger.
But Satō remained cheeky, her expression full of indifference.
Yukimura looked at Satō but chose not to retort.
Because, however unpleasant Satō's words were, they were true. He didn't really care about those who couldn't even pass their exams—and this time, most of the failing students were boys.
Yukimura didn't want Satō adding fuel to the fire, especially with the Sudō incident still fresh in everyone's minds.
He didn't want another scene like that.
"Satō, please try to be a little more considerate. Even though you passed this time, if people really do get expelled, can you guarantee you'll pass the next exam?"
Kushida's approach was clearly on a different level compared to Yukimura's.
Hearing Kushida's words, Satō, though displeased, shut her mouth. When it came to popularity, Kushida's social standing in the class was something Satō could never hope to match.
Just as the class thought things had finally quieted down, a series of hurried footsteps echoed from the hallway.
Instantly, everyone's hearts leaped into their throats.
The first to enter was a grim-faced Hirata.
Though he seemed to be trying to hide it, his expression was far too dark, making many start to worry.
Right behind him entered Chabashira-sensei.
As soon as she entered, she stood in the front row, making no move to go to the teacher's platform.
It seemed this emergency gathering was exactly as Amane had guessed. This assembly and the following announcements were likely under the student council's jurisdiction.
Soon, Horikita Manabu and Tachibana Akane entered, one after the other.
Outside the door, the figures of Nagumo and Kiriyama were faintly visible.
But the two of them suddenly turned and left right at the doorway.
Only Horikita Manabu and Akane entered Class D.
Once inside, Horikita Manabu went straight to the lectern.
He didn't even exchange greetings with Chabashira-sensei.
"My apologies. I was delayed by some matters and am two minutes late. I extend my thanks to all of you for adhering to the schedule and gathering in this classroom."
Horikita Manabu gave a slight bow.
For a moment, the entire Class D fell dead silent.
No one knew what such an opening from Horikita Manabu could mean.
"Next, I will announce the review results and explanation regarding the expulsions for Class D of the first year."
Horikita Manabu paid no attention to Class D's reactions.
As if just going through the motions, he took the documents from Akane and swept his gaze over the entire class from the podium.
"After an urgent review of the academic records of all Class D students facing expulsion, the student council determined that the previous evaluation standards were somewhat inappropriate. Therefore, this review employed an alternative method. The final result is…"
Horikita Manabu deliberately drew out his words.
For a moment, the only sound in Class D was the rapid, tense breathing of many students.
Even Horikita Suzune watched, holding her breath.
Only three people had different expressions.
Hirata Yōsuke was still caught between anger and despair.
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka looked as placid as ever, no emotion visible on his face.
Amane, however, wore a slight smile, her beautiful eyes gazing out the window.
Horikita Manabu felt a bit helpless at Amane's reaction.
Finally, he announced the final result.
"For first-year Class D, the original ruling was the expulsion of fifteen students. After review, the revised ruling is the expulsion of six students.'
"The list of expelled students will be written on the blackboard."
"Those individuals may return to the dormitory to pack their belongings immediately. The student council will process the expulsion procedures on the same day."
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.