The midterm exam, for which everyone had worked so hard, finally concluded with the ringing of the final bell. When the proctor for the last subject collected the test papers and left, some of the 1st Year Class D students practically collapsed onto their desks, then were enveloped by a tremendous sense of relief.
The nerves, stretched for too long, suddenly relaxed, followed by an almost cathartic excitement. The oppressive atmosphere before the exam was swept away, and the sounds of conversation and laughter in the classroom were more lively than ever. Students who had become familiar with each other through jointly preparing for study sessions gathered in twos and threes, discussing various topics animatedly, or simply enjoying this rare moment of joy.
A few days later, during the morning homeroom.
When Chabashira Sae walked into the classroom with the report cards, her usually stern face, for once, showed no trace of mockery or indifference. She scanned the faces below the dais, some nervous, some expectant, some feigning composure, and calmly announced:
"I'm genuinely impressed that you all managed to achieve this. Honestly, I admire you. In this exam, 1st Year Class D, no one failed."
"Yay!"
"That's great!"
"Wuwu... finally..."
Huge cheers and sighs of relief instantly filled the classroom. Many people cheered excitedly.
Chabashira raised her hand, signaling for everyone to quiet down.
"Additionally, based on each class's high score rate in the results, class points will be appropriately awarded. And this time, you have received," she paused, her voice clearly carrying throughout the classroom, "95 class reward points. This means that starting next month, each of you will receive corresponding individual points."
"…"
The dead silence lasted only a moment, followed by a storm of euphoria even more intense than before, almost threatening to blow the roof off!
"We have points! We have points!"
"95 points! That's amazing!"
"Finally... finally no more eating the wild vegetable set meal!"
For the first time, the sunlight of hope shone so clearly into 1st Year Class D. Almost everyone's face was beaming with genuine, radiant smiles. Many turned their grateful gazes towards Kushida Kikyo.
"Kushida-san, thank you so much!"
"Kikyo-chan, we adore you!"
"It's all thanks to you!"
Facing the flood of thanks, Kushida wore an impeccable sweet smile, responding to each with phrases like, "It's the result of everyone's hard work," and "I'm so happy I could help." However, her heart was so calm that even she was surprised. The gratitude and praise that she had once yearned for now sounded distant. In her mind, she inadvertently recalled Natsukawa's almost imperceptible nod before the exam. She shifted her gaze towards Natsukawa, only to see him still looking down at his book. An indescribable complex emotion, mixed with warmth and disappointment, quietly swept through her heart... Meanwhile, 1st Year Class B's classroom was also filled with a joyous atmosphere. Teacher Hoshinomiya Chie, slightly tipsy, her cheeks flushed, leaned on the podium and congratulated everyone in a syrupy voice: "Everyone~ you did great! Teacher knew you could do it~!"
"1st Year Class B's class points increased by 70 points in this midterm exam!" Kanzaki Ryuji calmly looked at the class points Teacher Hoshinomiya had posted on the blackboard, but even he had a relaxed curve to his lips.
Originally, 1st Year Class B's average score was not the best because the large-scale study sessions had dispersed the top students' focus. However, after Hirata Yosuke, with Kushida's tacit permission, shared past exam questions, 1st Year Class B also ensured a very high pass rate and a decent average score. Looking at the shrinking gap between 1st Year Class B and Class A on the class point ranking, every 1st Year Class B student's heart was filled with joy and affirmation of their cooperation with 1st Year Class D. This undoubtedly proved the correctness of Ichinose's vertical and horizontal alliance strategy.
Shiraha Chihiro, taking advantage of the cheerful atmosphere, hopped like a little bird to Ichinose's side, hugging Ichinose affectionately and saying, "Honami-chan is the best!" Ichinose returned a warm smile, gently patted her back, her blue eyes shimmering with relief and anticipation for the future.
Compared to the harmonious atmosphere in 1st Year Class B, the mood in Class A was heavy and oppressive.
Katsuragi Kohei stood before the posted class point poster, looking at the updated number: Class A, 1010 points. Although it had increased by 10 points from their initial score, proving they still maintained their lead and progress, the 960 points of 1st Year Class B behind them felt like an invisible thorn, pricking the hearts of every Class A student. That tangible distance brought an unprecedented sense of pressure.
Katsuragi found Sakayanagi Arisu, who was still calmly seated at her desk.
"Sakayanagi, you've seen the situation." Katsuragi's voice was low and serious. "1st Year Class B's catching up faster than expected. I think it's time to stop this meaningless internal conflict and unite against the outside. The overall interests of Class A are above everything else."
Sakayanagi Arisu's slender fingers gently tapped on the desk, as if playing a silent melody. She raised her purple eyes, which held no ripples, only a condescending indifference.
"Unite against the outside? The premise is that there can only be one voice internally." Her voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable resolve... In the end, Katsuragi's conversation with Sakayanagi ended unpleasantly.
After Katsuragi left, Sakayanagi instructed Kamuro Masumi, who was staring at her own grades beside her: "Kamuro-san, how's the observation of Ichinose Honami's schedule and the people she interacts with coming along?"
Kamuro pouted, lazily reporting: "At first, she spent most of her time holding study sessions with 1st Year Class B students; the atmosphere was incredibly good. Later... she went to tutor a girl from 1st Year Class D. It seems 1st Year Class B and 1st Year Class D indeed cooperated in this exam."
"The alliance of mortals is, after all, merely mortal wisdom." Sakayanagi's lips curved into a cold arc. "If Ichinose's performance is only at this level, then there must be someone else behind her. Look closely, is there anyone... special around her?"
Kamuro responded with extreme reluctance: "...Got it. Always ordering people around..."
...Meanwhile, in 1st Year Class C's classroom.
The air here seemed to have solidified, filled with a suffocating oppression starkly different from Classes A, B, and D. There were no cheers, no conversations; most students kept their heads down, not daring to look directly at the king-like presence in the center of the classroom.
Ryuuen Kakeru leaned casually against the back of his chair, one leg arrogantly propped on the desk. A few strands of his red hair fell across his forehead, unable to conceal his reptilian-cold, aggressive eyes. He was looking at the class points that had just been displayed on the board.
1st Year Class C's points remained at 600.
His finger carelessly swiped across the screen, his gaze lingering for a moment on the high numbers of Class A and 1st Year Class B. Finally, it settled on 1st Year Class D's number, which, although still at the bottom, had broken through from zero to 95 points.
A twisted, excited smile, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, slowly crept onto his lips.
"Heh... This school is indeed more interesting than I imagined," he muttered to himself, his voice hoarse and malicious.
His mind raced. The ambiguous areas of the rules, the reward and punishment mechanism for points, the gaps between classes... all of it was like a meticulously designed playground. And he, Ryuuen Kakeru, loved nothing more than to find loopholes in such places and enjoy the desperate expressions of those "honor students" and "goody-two-shoes" when the rules collapsed.
'Class A and 1st Year Class B... I can't touch them for now.' His cold gaze refocused on 1st Year Class D's numbers. 'But 1st Year Class D... a bunch of trash who just crawled out of the zero-point mud, thinking they can catch their breath after getting 95 points with some unknown luck and a bit of cleverness?'
In his worldview, the weak had no right to peace; their purpose was to be plundered and dominated. 1st Year Class D was undoubtedly the most suitable prey at the moment. It wouldn't provoke a strong backlash like touching Classes A or B, and it could effectively test the school's rule bottom line.
He needed information, he needed to find 1st Year Class D's weakness, he needed a... 'chicken' to make an example of.
Ryuuen Kakeru's eyes gleamed with cruel excitement. He seemed to already see the 1st Year Class D lamb, just learning to walk, about to be torn to shreds by him, the wolf lurking in the shadows. This wasn't just for points; it was for the thrill of domination, to announce his arrival, Ryuuen Kakeru, to this 'merit-based' school.