Chapter 054: Congratulations! Class D Has Negative Points, This Is Also A First In The School's History!
Class D's evaluation points became -270 points!
"The good news is," Yukimura continued, "the school won't ask us for money. Negative points won't result in deductions from personal points."
Someone breathed a sigh of relief, but soon tensed up again. "What about the bad news?"
"The bad news is, during the period of negative points, the school will not issue living expenses." Yukimura pushed up his glasses, "In other words, starting from next month, we won't get a single penny each month. Not until our evaluation points become positive."
Ike Kanji's face changed. "Then what about the twenty thousand we get from Hikigaya every month? That doesn't count as being issued by the school, right?"
Hirata Yosuke's voice came from the side. "That money is transferred to us by Hikigaya-kun personally, and has nothing to do with the school. So it shouldn't be affected."
Ike Kanji breathed a sigh of relief, but Yamauchi Haruki nearby furrowed his brows again. "That's still not enough. What can twenty thousand points do in this school? If I buy a game console, it won't even be enough for food!"
"You can eat less food," Ike Kanji said.
Yamauchi glared at him. "You eat less food?"
"I never said I wouldn't eat."
The two of them were about to start arguing again, but this time no one paid any attention to them.
Everyone's focus was directed in another direction—Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
Ayanokouji stood in the corner of the tent with his hands in his pockets, expressionless. His sportswear was still stained with dust from the track, and the sweat on his forehead had already dried. He leaned against the support pillar of the tent, his gaze landing outside the tent, not looking at anyone.
But everyone was looking at him.
"Ayanokouji-kun," Hasebe Haruka's voice came from the crowd, seemingly preparing to launch an attack on Ayanokouji again, "do you have anything you want to say?" However, attacking Ayanokouji was indeed correct.
Because. Ayanokouji had betrayed the class, and he hadn't brought many points to the class either. l
Ayanokouji withdrew his gaze and looked at her. "Miscalculated prediction."
"Miscalculated prediction?" Hasebe's brow furrowed, "Just two words?"
Ayanokouji went silent for a second. "In the 1200-meter relay, I chased from second-to-last place to fourth place. If the people in front could have taken a bit more points, I could have won."
These words were like a pebble thrown into stagnant water; the ripples spread out circle by circle, and then exploded.
"What do you mean?" A girl's voice came from the crowd, carrying obvious anger, "Are you saying we held you back?"
"Like Horikita who ran the second anchor, but she also did her best!" Another girl's voice was even louder, "What about you? You did nothing earlier, just waiting for the final anchor to show off?"
"Matsushita also ran the third anchor; her legs were shaking after she finished running. Miyake ran the fifth anchor; he knelt directly on the track after finishing his run. You say we held you back?"
And there were also boys willing to stand out and speak.
Ayanokouji's brow twitched slightly. He didn't retort, he didn't explain, he just stood there quietly. Sato Maya walked out from the crowd and stood in front of Ayanokouji. Her expression wasn't very good, her brow furrowed.
Normally speaking, she had told everyone in the gyaru group that her preferred type of guy was someone good at sports and ran fast. And Ayanokouji indeed met this condition.
But her heart had not been moved.
Because.
"Ayanokouji-kun, what you said is wrong. Matsushita ran the third anchor, and she was able to maintain ninth place; she already did her best. Horikita ran the second anchor, and she dropped from third place to seventh place not because she didn't work hard, but because the opponent was too strong. You ran the final anchor by yourself and you were able to chase back, but you can't push all the responsibility in front onto others."
Ayanokouji looked at her and didn't speak. Sato waited for two seconds, and seeing that he didn't react, she turned her head away and walked back into the crowd.
Karuizawa Kei walked out from the side. Her expression was even colder than Sato's, her blonde ponytail exceptionally prominent under the setting sun, her arms crossed over her chest, and her chin slightly raised. She stood in front of Ayanokouji without backing down.
"Ayanokouji-kun, if you hadn't leaked the participation roster, Ryuen wouldn't have known who among us was strong or weak, wouldn't have targeted Sudo, and wouldn't have targeted us girls. We might not have lost this miserably."
Ayanokouji's expression remained expressionless.
"Therefore. Next time," Karuizawa continued nonetheless, "if there's an exam where the whole class votes to expel someone, I will vote for you."
The tent went quiet.
It wasn't shock, but a sense of relief that "finally someone said it."
Although Karuizawa had said it before, at that time, some people still more or less anticipated that the class's score could turn around due to the display of Ayanokouji's strength.
However, now, the facts were right before them.
Ayanokouji did not bring hope to Class D.
Therefore.
This time, Karuizawa said it out loud again, and although no one echoed her, no one objected either.
Meanwhile, the gazes of the surrounding classmates fell upon Ayanokouji, containing anger, disgust, fear, and also a feeling of wanting retaliation.
Sensing the atmosphere in the class, Hirata acted immediately.
Therefore.
Hirata Yosuke walked out from the crowd and stood in the middle of the tent. His face carried exhaustion, his brow furrowed, but he still tried hard to make his voice sound steady.
"This exam ends just like this." Hirata said, "Ayanokouji-kun, you need to learn a lesson. If you betray the class again, I will not be soft-handed." He paused.
"Of course. For your successful betrayal this time, I must also take responsibility. It was the participation roster I brought out, and it was the trap I set. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have had the opportunity to do these things."
Several Class D students hastily spoke up. "Hirata, don't say that..."
"Yeah, Hirata-kun set the trap for the sake of the class..."
"You tested out a traitor, which is already very not easy..."
Hirata shook his head. "No matter what, I am also a member of Class D. For the class becoming like this now, I also bear responsibility."
Ayanokouji stood there, looking at Hirata's back. His expression didn't show any change, but there was a trace of something indescribable in those golden eyes.
Of course, it couldn't be guilt or gratitude; it was the confusion one would only have when looking at a person from another world.
Hirata Yosuke, this person who was forever gentle, forever kind, and forever thinking of others in Class D, had set a trap. Not to hurt anyone, but to protect more people.
Ayanokouji didn't understand, but he remembered it.
Because if he had to attack Hirata in the future, he would have to update his data on Hirata.
Meanwhile, Hirata turned around and looked at everyone in the tent.
"The Sports Festival has ended.
No matter what the result is, we all did our best. Next, there are still new exams and new opportunities. Do not give up."
No one spoke. Some people nodded, some turned away, and some lowered their heads, looking at their sports shoes covered in sand.
Hirata took a deep breath and walked outside the tent. The sunlight fell upon him, casting his shadow on the ground, long and thin. He stood there, looking at the red track in the distance. The track was already empty, leaving only a few staff members packing up equipment.
The Sports Festival had ended... in this worst possible way.
.
.
.
And on the other side.
The clamor of the Sports Festival gradually dispersed, leaving only a few staff members packing up equipment on the red track.
The setting sun dyed the entire sports field into a golden-red color, and the school building in the distance stood quietly in the twilight, its windows reflecting the final light.
Nagumo Miyabi stood at the edge of the sports field with his hands in his pockets, his short blonde hair gleaming slightly under the setting sun. His expression was very relaxed, with even a trace of a smile hanging on the corner of his mouth. But his gaze landed up ahead—outside the tent of the second-year Class B, where Kiriyama Ikuto was currently standing, holding a notebook in his hand with a heavy expression and furrowed brows.
Nagumo walked over and stopped in front of him.
"Kiriyama." Nagumo spoke, his tone very casual, like greeting a friend, yet carrying a trace of indescribable pleasure.
Kiriyama raised his head and looked at him. The emotions in those eyes were very complex—there was alertness, unwillingness, and also a trace of indescribable exhaustion.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end merely remained silent.
Nagumo leaned against the railing nearby with his arms crossed over his chest. "The Sports Festival has ended; you've seen the scores too, right?"
Kiriyama's fingers pinched the notebook slightly. "I've seen them."
"Then you should be clear," Nagumo's tone slowed down a bit, "Class B won't be able to climb back up."
Kiriyama's brow furrowed.
Nagumo pulled out a folded report card from his pocket, unfolded it, and held it out in front of Kiriyama. On it were the final evaluation points for the second year.
Second-year Class A Nagumo's Class: 1455 points + 200 points (won Red and White confrontation) + 200 points (first place in school year) = 1855 points
Second-year Class B Kiriyama's Class: 1011 points - 200 points (lost Red and White confrontation) + 0 points (second place in school year) = 811 points
Second-year Class C: 440 points + 200 points (won Red and White confrontation) - 100 points (third place in school year) = 540 points
Second-year Class D: 310 points - 200 points (lost Red and White confrontation) - 200 points (last place in school year) = -90 points
Kiriyama stared at those few lines of numbers and remained silent for a long time.
1855 points versus 811 points, a difference of 1044 points. It was even larger than before the Sports Festival started.
It could be said that this data, to him, felt like an unendurable attack.
And what Nagumo said wasn't "you guys can't catch up," but "won't be able to climb back up."
Although it sounded harsh, the current situation indeed felt like... it wasn't a temporary lag, but a permanent, hopeless lag.
"You came to find me specifically just to say this?" Kiriyama's voice was somewhat dry.
Nagumo looked at him, the smile on the corner of his mouth deepening a bit. "Not entirely."
Kiriyama's brow furrowed again.
"Kiriyama, you should be clear," Nagumo straightened up from the railing, shoving his hands back into his pockets, "the joint campaign of Classes A, C, and D to surround and annihilate Class B is inevitable. This is the trend of the times, not something a single person can change. No matter how strong you are alone, you can't drag forty people along. This point, the Sports Festival has already proven to you. Especially since you also can't do what President Horikita did, dragging thirty-nine people by himself!"
Kiriyama didn't speak. He wanted to retort, wanted to say "it's not like that," wanted to say he still had a chance, to say Class B could still catch up. But the words reached his mouth and were swallowed back down. Because he knew what Nagumo said was the truth. In the Sports Festival, Class B was double-teamed from three sides by Class A, Class C, and Class D; there were people blocking them in every event, and every contestant was targeted. It wasn't that they didn't work hard enough, it was that there were too many enemies. They lost, thoroughly lost.
And he was indeed inferior to President Horikita. Working hard toward the President, but finding that he couldn't compare at all.
"However," Nagumo shifted his tone, "if even the class representative gives up, then Class B really won't have any hope. Wouldn't you say so?"
Kiriyama raised his head and looked at him.
There was a trace of confusion in those eyes, and also a trace of alertness. lzoxK
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
Nagumo looked at him, the smile on the corner of his mouth deepening a few fractions, not answering immediately.
.
.
.
Not far away, Asahina Nazuna stood next to the second-year Class A tent, holding a water bottle, looking in the direction of Nagumo and Kiriyama. Her expression was very calm, but her brows were slightly knit.
She was thinking—Nagumo going to find Kiriyama specifically wasn't to show off scores. Given his personality, the thing he wanted to do was never just "winning." What he wanted was to subjugate.
Asahina withdrew her gaze, lowered her head, unscrewed the cap of the water bottle, and took a sip of water.
Nagumo walked back from Kiriyama's side with brisk steps, his expression even more relaxed than when he went. He walked up to Asahina, stopped his steps, and put his hands in his pockets.
"Finished chatting?" Asahina asked.
"Yeah." Nagumo nodded, "He needs a bit of time to digest."
Asahina looked at him. "You didn't go to show off."
Nagumo's brow twitched slightly.
"You wanted to go subjugate Kiriyama." Asahina's voice was very calm, "Defeating an opponent is inferior to directly subjugating the opponent. If Kiriyama gives up his resolve and supports you, then the second-year Class B will never have a chance of winning again. When even the class representative has surrendered, what can the remaining people do?"
Nagumo looked at her and suddenly let out a laugh.
Amidst the laughter, he also appeared considerably pleased. Nagumo then said, "You're right. A person like Kiriyama isn't someone who can't be defeated, but someone who can't be subjugated. He is too stubborn, stubborn to the point where he still charges forward even when clearly knowing he can't win. This kind of person, either you completely crush him, or you let him admit defeat himself." He paused, "What I need is the latter."
Asahina looked at his profile, silent for a few seconds. "Then what did Kiriyama say?"
"Said nothing." Nagumo shrugged, "But he listened to it. That's enough.
At any rate, once he experiences despair and then I give him hope, he will understand.
When the time comes to accumulate the school year's points and secretly manipulate things to transfer a class promotion slot to Kiriyama, he basically won't resist anymore. After all, when his own future can be guaranteed, does he still want to accompany his classmates in hopelessness?" Nagumo said with a certain tone.
In other words, Nagumo still intended to clear the path using points.
But in this school, the most important thing was indeed points.
Asahina withdrew her gaze and didn't take up the conversation further. The two stood for a while, watching those staff members packing up equipment in the distance.
"By the way," Nagumo suddenly spoke, lowering his tone a bit, "during the competition, I saw you speaking with Kiryuuin."
Asahina's fingers pinched the water bottle slightly.
"Do matters between girls also need to be reported to you?" Asahina said, pretending to be displeased.
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