"Immature love says: 'I love you because I need you.' Mature love says, 'I need you because I love you.'" - Erich Fromm
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「May 1st︱Mourning︱Advanced Nurturing High School 1D's classroom
The last weekend of the month flew by, and soon, a new week and a new month arrived.
May 1st.
The Class D classroom was as noisy as ever.
The little quiz at the end of the month was already forgotten by students like the idiot trio, who were now looking forward to the upcoming month after the weekend.
Yamasaki could hear the chatter from far down the hallway.
The girls were gathered in groups, talking about celebrity gossip, beauty influencers, and other trendy topics. The boys, mingling in their own cliques, talked about girls, games, and simply boasting about themselves. The idiot duo was still making ridiculous jokes and telling inappropriate stories.
A typical day in Class D.
But the moment Yamasaki stepped into the classroom, he noticed something was off.
The girls seemed lively in their conversations, but they kept glancing at their phones, frowning, then pretending nothing was wrong as they put them away.
As for the boys...
Yamasaki realized something unusual.
Students who usually cut it close to being late had arrived early today.
Even Sudou, the number one student in terms of tardiness and skipping class, was already here. Not only that, he wasn't even sleeping at his desk.
-"Huh? Ken? You're actually early on a Monday?" - Ike asked the first thing that crossed his mind. It was unnatural for Sudou to do the bare minimum of what is expected of an exemplary high school student.
Of course, there were exceptions.
Even during the day, they were supposed to receive points, but the idiot duo only arrived at the last minute. You can easily see the dark circles under their eyes.
It was obvious they'd been up all night over the weekend. They didn't seem to notice the strange atmosphere in the classroom, or simply didn't care, as they were much more concerned about their monthly allowance.
Everyone kept glancing at the classroom door, as if anxiously waiting for someone to arrive.
The tension was obvious, yet everyone tried their best to ignore this lingering uneasiness on the back of their minds.
They even acted like everything was normal.
Even Horikita, who usually didn't care about class affairs, seemed distracted. Her furrowed brows hinted at the unease she was feeling inside.
Not to mention, the weather further contributed to the tension-filled classroom.
Looking at the mirror, the sky was covered in thick clouds since morning, as if the world itself was warning them about an impending storm.
-"I only have 50,000 points left! There's no way that's enough! I demand compensation!" Yamauchi complained to Ike and the others while discussing what games to buy next month and where to have fun after school.
The idiot duo wasn't an exception.
Except for a select few people, their attitude was a reflection of the Class D collective attitude as a whole.
Many students thought, "Since we'll be getting 100,000 private points next month, we should spend everything this month."
They all planned to have a time of their lives during the weekend and welcome the arrival of May with excitement.
Student life was much like a corporate job: attend a few lectures, eat a meal, and suddenly it was Friday. Spend the weekend idling, and before you knew it, another week had slipped by.
Except, this is not your run-of-the-mill high school, where students are full-time employees, and who receive a salary for studying...
The truth is even more groundbreaking.
This high school literally paid its students.
Perform well, and you will receive points.
When Yamasaki walked towards his seat, he immediately noticed that today's atmosphere was different.
Early in the morning, he heard the students discussing more intensely than usual.
-"Why haven't 100,000 points been deposited yet? Isn't today the first of the month?" As soon as he entered the classroom, he heard Ike shouting at the door.
-"Exactly, I've already used up all my points." Yamauchi also started complaining along with Ike.
People tend to agree with others to show they fit in.
In just a few minutes, many students gathered around Ike, complaining about not receiving points.
But...
Spending 100,000 private points in a month?
These guys really are a piece of work.
An adult living in Tokyo, excluding utilities and rent, could live quite well with this amount of money. And you, mere high school students, spent all this money in less than a month?
Even fools should have limits.
-"Good morning, Airi." - Yamasaki greeted a beautiful, red-haired girl with a neutral expression on his face.
-"Good morning, Isao-kun." - Airi replied with a gentle smile and soft gaze, feeling happy and a little giddy from such a mundane greeting.
To this day, she can't believe it.
Only a month has passed, and she has already made friends.
Not only that, she is even a part of a group!
Usually, speaking with others makes her feel as if she has to constantly engage in an invisible battle with herself.
But with her friends' continuous support and guidance, she slowly but surely became more confident in expressing herself without feeling self-conscious.
She still has trouble speaking in front of strangers, especially at large crowds, but now she can speak to all the members of the Hasebe group without a stutter or breaking eye contact.
For many, this might be an insignificant step, a normal thing to be done by a high school student.
But to Airi?
This was a big step towards a fulfilling high school life she hoped for.
To simply enjoy her life as a normal high school student.
Well...at least as far as a "peaceful life" is possible at this school.
-"Good morning, Sao-kun!" - A blue-haired girl overheard the conversation between the two and immediately greeted the brown-haired boy with a bright smile mixed with playful tone, matching Airi's pure smile.
-"Good morning, Haruka." - Yamasaki reciprocated the sentiment to Haruka, having the feeling that Haruka was curious about the atmosphere in the classroom.
Yamasaki looked towards Akito, and the latter did the same.
-"Good morning, Isao. You are earlier than usual," Akito greeted Yamasaki with a neutral expression on his face. One might think he doesn't care whether or not he was here or not, but that wasn't the case. It was just his natural expression.
-"Mourning, Akito. I noticed the classmates seem to be over the edge." - Yamasaki brought up the common topic that would give a reason to participate, while making sure that no one would feel alienated.
-"Can you believe it, Sao-kun? I only received less than half of the points we were promised today. What do you think that means?" - Haruka asked the question of the day, the one that was lingering in the minds of all Class D students.
Even as the classroom door opened and Chabashira-sensei stepped in with an unusually serious expression, his private point balance remained the same.
Which means...
Today, Chabashira-sensei stood at the front of the class, exuding an unusually serious and cold demeanor. Most students could sense the change, but there were always a few oblivious fools or maybe just those who were too used to acting recklessly.
Ike, for example, had this "I'll lighten the mood" expression on his face.
Whether or not it will amount to anything is a separate topic.
-"Whoa, sensei, you look terrible. Could it be that your magic period has arrived? The great magician Chabashira Dumbledore makes her grand entrance!"
This guy really doesn't know the meaning of the word "awareness," or does he simply derive his entire self-worth from being a laughing stock in the group? Like Bart Simpson from The Simpsons?
That thought alone made Yamasaki chuckle, making his day brighter.
Ike burst into laughter, clearly thinking he was hilarious. Unfortunately for him, aside from Yamauchi chuckling in agreement, the rest of the class remained completely unresponsive.
Or rather, they had long since gotten used to Ike and Yamauchi's so-called "jokes."
The "monkey duo" loved throwing around what they thought were hilarious dirty jokes, completely ignoring both the situation and the audience. Most of the time, their jokes were crude and inappropriate, yet they always acted as first-class comedians.
And the most ridiculous part?
They actually believed their humor would charm the girls and make them more popular.
What kind of logic is that?
Do they think they're in some kind of adult game world?
Just look around at everyone's disgusted faces, you idiots.
"On the surface, this might seem like nothing more than inappropriate behaviour. But their behavior has much more severe consequences than anyone could realize. First of all, this type of behavior is exactly what allowed private points to be reduced to such a high degree in the first place, hence, only encouraging habitual slacking off during lessons."
"Second, a twisted yet dangerous kind of unity has formed among Class D boys. A shared sense of rebellion that would strengthen their resistance to any positive change within the class. Now that they have banded together under the foolish behaviour (girls, games, boasting, et cetra). This gives guys like Ike and Yamauchi a twisted sense of importance in the class, especially in the context of having their place among guys."
"Most Class D students only see them as clowns, laughing stocks to derive fun and to relieve boredom if things ever get static. They laugh at what they say and then ignore it. But from another point of view, their behavior is normalised much more than it should be, even acceptable. And what's the worst? They'd end up encouraging others to follow suit."
Meanwhile, Chabashira-sensei, being the mature and composed adult she was, completely ignored Ike's sexual harassment and continued speaking as if nothing had happened, and walked straight to the podium.
"Before the morning assembly starts, does anyone have any questions?"- The moment she finished her introduction, several students who had been trying to keep calm couldn't hold back anymore, raising their hands eagerly.
-"We will now start the morning meeting. But before we begin, you probably have some questions, right? If there's something you're concerned about, it's best to ask now."
-"Um.... I checked this morning and found that I only received some of the points you promised the school would deposit. Didn't you say the school would give us 100,000 on the first of every month? I went to the store to buy a laptop computer this morning, but couldn't pay. It was so embarrassing."
-"Miyamoto, I explained this before, right? Points are deposited on the first of every month. There is no malfunction. This month's deposit has also been confirmed without a doubt."
-"Sensei, weren't we supposed to receive 100,000 private points on the first of every month? I didn't get anything, all the money we should have received!"
-"Yeah! I only receive about 40,000 private points, either. Did the school's system really malfunction, or are you lying to us?"
More and more students began voicing their concerns, all saying they hadn't received their private points for May.
Frustration.
Anxiety.
Confusion.
Fear.
Curiosity.
All sorts of feelings and emotions have been emitted from the classroom towards Chabashira-sensei, as if hoping their little rebellion would magically solve the situation.
-"Huh? The private points haven't been distributed yet? I pulled an all-nighter grinding in LOL last night, so I didn't even notice!"
-"Let me check... Damn, I only have 40,000 points left!"
There were also a few slow-witted students, like the monkey duo, who hadn't realized anything was off until now. But at this point, it seemed like they were the only ones.
-"Private points are indeed distributed on the first of every month. The private points for Class D this month have already been confirmed. There are no errors or discrepancies." " Chabashira-sensei stated from the podium, looking down at the students with an ice-cold gaze, becoming more and more agitated and exasperated from having to state the obvious.
-"Even now, not a single one of you understands the situation?! Ha!" As she spoke, she suddenly let out a laugh.
The bizarre scene left everyone exchanging uneasy glances.
-"I see, I've finally solved the puzzle, teacher!" A bright, confident voice broke the tense atmosphere.
Koenji, looking completely self-assured, declared, "The school did give us our private points this month. It's not that we didn't receive them. It's just that the amount we got is 40,000!"
The classroom fell into silence for a brief moment before a wave of protests erupted.
-"That's impossible! The school clearly said we'd get 100,000 points!"
-"Yeah! Did the school just take our points for themselves?! This is totally unfair!"
-"What a ridiculous answer! Who do you think you are, you arrogant blond idiot?!"
Even though Koenji had pointed out the truth, many students refused to believe it. Or rather, they only believed what they wanted to believe.
However...
Facts don't care about feelings.
-"What a bunch of Idiots you all are." - Chabashira-sensei was so frustrated and amused by Class D's utter ignorance of the precariousness of their situation that she laughed out of sheer anger.
Everyone in the room looked puzzled by Chabashira-sensei's statement.
-"If I remember correctly, no one ever said that we'd receive 100,000 private points every single month. Isn't that right, teacher?" Koenji's statement was less of a statement and more of a means to gather information.
Koenji was smirking as usual.
Yamasaki realised this a while ago.
While Koenji's observation and intuition are not much inferior to his, Koenji is below Yamasaki in terms of deduction and analysis.
The same could not be said for the others, whose faces only grew darker as Chabashira-sensei was explaining about class points.
-"That doesn't matter." Chabashira Sae took out her phone and started reading: "Late arrivals and absences, a total of 48 times. Private conversations or phone use in class, 123 times. You did all this in one month." The sheer number of violations, along with how precise the records were, left the students speechless.
Koenji let out a cold laugh, then turned his gaze toward Chabashira-sensei.
-"I gave you so many hints, yet not a single one of you caught on. What a pathetic bunch of students. As much as I hate to admit it, Koenji isn't wrong," Chabashira-sensei said as she scanned the classroom.
Chabashira-sensei meticulously recounted a series of misbehaviors from the past month, each one a testament to their lack of discipline. With a sense of solemnity, she revealed how these actions had resulted in the loss of all their class points.
The room fell into an eerie silence, the heavy atmosphere making it hard to breathe.
Many still couldn't accept the reality that they had received zero private points this month. But Chabashira-sensei laid the harsh truth out in front of them without any sugarcoating.
Yamasaki glanced to observe Horikita's reaction. Her expression was slightly grim, but it gave Yamasaki a general idea of what thoughts she was having.
-"Sensei, I have a question." The class's warm and reliable "big brother," the social butterfly, and their de facto leader, Hirata, spoke up. "Then, sensei, please at least tell us the reason why we didn't get points, or we can't accept it."
As expected of the leader who brought the class together on the first day of school. This was exactly the kind of moment when a leader should step up.
Isn't this too late?
Hirata's feelings are complicated.
He is aware of what kind of people most of the class are, but at this moment, he had to put himself on the same level as them to gain support. By supporting them, he shows that even if what they did was wrong, he is on their side.
However...
Thinking that this alone would make the class listen was a fool's dream.
As for Yamasaki, he wasn't interested in those who blamed anyone for their own shortcomings.
The incompetent allies are much worse than a competent enemy.
A chill ran down their spines.
-"Look at all the stupid things you did in just one month. The school recorded everything. Your class performance is directly reflected in your private points. So, now do you understand why you got only 37,000 points this month? It was your own stupidity for being unable to do something as basic as being a proper student."
Chabashira-sensei's voice was as cold as a Siberian wind.
-"Like I said on the first day, this school measures a student's worth based on true ability. And right now, you've gone from 100,000 to 37,000. Consider yourselves fortunate. With the attitude you worthless lot showed during the last, it is already a miracle you receive any points at all."
-"This school, your grade, and performance determine your monthly points you're given in the end. Due to your 'performance,' it resulted in you lost 100,000 points. The points you will recover for this month are..... zero," Chabashira-sensei said, making everyone gasp in shock and disbelief.
As if venting all her pent-up frustration, Chabashira-sensei showed no mercy. Her words cut like knives, leaving wounds on every student in the room.
At this moment, the students of Class D truly "saw" their homeroom teacher for the first time—the person they had ignored all this time.
-"Chabashira-sensei, I don't recall you explaining that before." Hirata said, still not giving up to the despair amongst his classmates, and not to Chabashira-sensei's taunting.
Chabashira-sensei merely glanced at Hirata, her expression just as cold as ever. She didn't show him even the slightest bit of respect as she sneered, "An explanation? Hah, you've got some nerve to ask!" - She then began listing out, one by one, every instance of tardiness, early departures, absences, daydreaming, and phone usage in class over the past month.
-"..."
-"What? Are you incapable of understanding something unless explained in detail?" Chabashira said in a cold tone, experiencing both cold amusement and exasperation, having to explain the basic of basics to high school students attending one of the most prestigious institutions in Japan.
-"If sensei only explained things properly to us, everyone would take the lessons seriously." - Hirata attempted to convince Chabashira-sensei that while her words are true, saying that the school is at least somewhat responsible for not explaining the rules to them.
-"That's a strange thing to say, Hirata. Indeed, I didn't explain the rules for how points are decided. However, haven't you been taught in elementary and middle school not to be late for school or talk during class? Do you also need to be taught how to eat food with etiquette or that you shouldn't walk during a red light?" - Chabashira rhetorically repeated Hirata's question as if she couldn't believe a model student like Hirata would ask such a redundant question.
-"Well..."
-"You know it's true. For nine years of compulsory education, you were told countless times that being tardy and talking are bad. And now you're telling me you can't accept it because it wasn't explained to you? That logic doesn't hold. If you had done the obvious things, your points wouldn't have dropped this low. This is all your own responsibility."
A perfect argument. Everybody knew that bad behaviour was not rewarded.
Students weren't having any of it, complaining that the rules weren't explained to them.
However...
Being late?
Using your cell phone?
Not showing up to class?
None of these things should ever need any explanation.
They were just a given.
If they had simply acted properly, they wouldn't have lost so many points.
"Most people who are raised in any type of system are conditioned to be compliant."
"A true strategist knows systems are built to produce profits for the creator, not for the followers."
"This is why the strategist's first weapon is interpretation."
"One must learn to see the hidden architecture of the system you're in."
"What are the real constraints?"
"Where is the invisible leverage?"
"Which rules are real and which are just social compliance theater?"
"Without this perceptual upgrade, intelligence is useless."
"You can be brilliant and still be outsmarted by someone less smart but more strategically aware." - Yamasaki contemplated the tactical implications of Chabashira-sensei's words.
-"Did you honestly think you would be given 100,000 points every month without any strings attached, you who have just entered high school? At a school established by the Japanese government to educate outstanding individuals? That's common sense. Why did you leave your doubts as they were? From the first month, all of you have been doing as you please. Your actions, such as talking during class and being late to class, affect the number of points you get in total."
-"Then at least tell us the details of the point deductions. We'll use it for future reference." - Hirata was at a crossroads. Even after having to face the truth, he still wanted to help his classmates, but at the same time, he understood that his homeroom teacher shared that they lost their points with easy to easy-to-prevent mistakes, all caused by to lack of discipline.
-"That's something I cannot do. The details of the performance review, including the specific criteria, are not to be disclosed by the school's rules. It's the same in the real world. If you were to enter a company, it's up to the company whether or not they tell you the details of their performance reviews. However, it's not like I'm treating you coldly because I hate you. This situation is so pathetic, l'll give you one piece of good news." - Chabashira-sensei showed a faint smile for the first time today.
That's anything but good news...
-"Even if you correct your tardiness and talking... and even if you manage to keep the deductions at zero this month, your points won't increase. In other words, next month's points will also be zero. Inversely, it doesn't matter how many times you are late or absent. How about that? It's good to know, isn't it?"
-"This isn't fair! We can't live a normal school life like that!" Ike protested.
-"Yeah! The school has tricked us!" Yamauchi added, crying out in agony.
Chabashira retorted, "Look carefully, you stupid children. Every class got points. The number of points you guys have should still be plenty enough to last for a month. For the past month, all the classes were judged by the same rules. Nevertheless, they didn't spend as many points as you guys did. It's as simple as that."
Hirata finally spoke up, "How...how is the difference of points so different between one class and another?"
Chabashira answered, "Did you guys finally understand why you were put in Class D? In this school, all the students are divided into classes by merit. The best students are put in Class A, and the worst are put in Class D. It's a system that's found in major prestige schools. In other words, Class D is a collection of leftovers, meaning they're the worst of the worst."
Horikita's face stiffened.
She was shocked by the reason behind the class division, learning the truth that individual merit is meaningless in a school that encourages competition between groups.
Effort without the ability to adapt is meaningless.
Merit alone does not guarantee success.
Horikita's expression almost made Yamasaki laugh.
-"But Chabashira sensei, isn't that unfair? Why should we suffer because of a few bad apples in our class? Shouldn't our good performances also count for something?" Shinohara protested, sounding upset and frustrated.
-"It is astonishing how you fools still don't get it," Chabashira said, clearly annoyed.
"You are Class D," she said, and the class nodded. "Your objective should be to reach Class A, and there are various ways to do that, but the most common way is to work as a class. Your good performances don't matter in this case. You were only doing what students of a class are supposed to do. When you enrolled in this school, we assumed your value to be 100,000 points per student at your maximum potential as a class. Now look at your absences and your class incidents. Those numbers reflect your class's performance, so as you previously prospered as a class, now as a class, you will learn the consequences of failure, take note of the consequences the actions of the few can have." Chabashira concludes. The fact that she still has the patience to deal with those slow-minded students was impressive in its own right.
Chabashira placed one more piece of paper on the blackboard, and the names of all the classmates were listed with a number next to them.
She looked at the numbers and said, "Looking at these numbers, I now understand that there are a lot of idiots in this class."
Chabashira continued, "Anyways, these are the scores from the test a few days ago. I was glad after seeing your wonderful performance." She said the last part in a sarcastic voice and then continued, "Except for the top students in the class, almost everyone got below a 60. The average score was about 65. The lowest mark is Sudo, which is 14 points. The second lowest was Ike's score of 24. Surprisingly, Koenji got 90 points."
Chabashira added, "If this were actually graded, seven of you would already have to drop out of this school."
-"Drop out?!" Yamauchi exclaimed, fearing for his life, as if he heard his name to be put on a death sentence.
Chabashira said, "Oh, did I forget to explain? If you get a failing mark on either the midterm exam or the final exam in any subject, you have to drop out of this school."
The people who failed, in other words, Ike and his group, let out a surprised scream. On the paper, there was a red line separating the rest of the class and the seven, which was Kikuchi with a score of 31 points, and everyone below Kikuchi failed.
She paused for a moment before continuing, "Though, since this is such a pitiful sight that I will tell everyone one thing. For God's sake, I ask you guys to stop being late and talking in class. If you didn't do those things, your points wouldn't be zero. But still, next month's allowance is also 0 points. Not being late or talking in class will not help you. Keep that in your mind."
Everyone went completely silent.
They couldn't say anything.
They finally noticed that their stupidity and foolishness led them to this situation.
Yamasaki put on the face of shock and worry about his future.
Internally, he observed everyone's individual scores, especially his own.
Math: 60
English: 78
Social Studies: 71
Science: 63
Japanese: 69
This placed him comfortably between the upper middle and lower high-level threshold in terms of academics.
The chime rang, cutting off her speech and signaling the end of homeroom.
-"It seems l've wasted too much time. You all have a general idea of what's going on, don't you? Let's get to the main topic."
She took a thick, white paper from the tube she was holding, unfolded it, and stuck it to the blackboard with magnets. The students, still in a daze, stared at the paper in confusion.
Class A - 940
Class B - 650
Class C - 490
Class D - 370
-"Is this... each class's score?" Horikita asked in an uncharacteristically hesitant tone, almost as if she couldn't believe the wide gap between the classes, even though they started from the same position.
-"That's correct. The names of classes A through D were listed, with several up to four digits next to each. Our D class had 370. And the highest, A class, had 940. If these were points, then 1,000 points are worth 100,000 yen."
-"For the past month, you've lived your lives however you wanted. The school doesn't intend to deny that. All your tardiness and idle chatter will eventually come back to haunt you. The same goes for how you use your points. How you use what you've earned is up to you. We haven't placed any restrictions on that, have we?"
-"This is too much! We can't live like this!" Ike's cry echoed throughout the classroom filled with tension and emotion.
-"Look closely, you idiots. Every class except D class had points deposited. More than enough points to live comfortably for a month." Her tone shifted. "This shows just how far behind Class D is." She slapped a class-points chart onto the board with magnets, reading aloud: "Class A: 940. Class B: 650. Class C: 490. Class D: 370." - Chabashira-sensei made a short pause for other sinks in her words. A sardonic smile curled her lips. "In short? Dead Last. You are in last place in the class competition. Forget Class B or Class A. You're barely licking Class C's heels."
-"Why... is there such a huge difference in points between classes?" Other than Horikita and Koenji, only Hirata noticed the mystery of the posted paper.
The point difference was almost too neat.
And this can only mean one thing...
-"Are you starting to understand? Why were you chosen for D class?" - Chabashira-sensei reclaimed the class's attention to divert their focus on the most important question of the day.
-"Why were we chosen for D class? Isn't it just random?"
"Huh? I thought that's how class divisions were made?"
The students looked at each other's faces. Having no idea what's going on.
How much better it would have been if that were true...
-"In this school, students are divided into classes based on their excellence. The most excellent students go to A class. The worst students go to D class. It's a common system in large cram schools. In other words, this D class is a last resort for dropouts. You are, in other words, the worst kind of defective product. And this result is perfectly fitting for defective products."
Why would the school force students of different skill levels to compete against each other?
Given the school's high selectivity, there would be many students with decent potential, even if not on the level of the A class. So why did they create such an overwhelming difference in skill?
The answer is simple.
Everything is contained in her words, "defective products."
Being a "defective product" means you have the potential to become a quality product if you fix your flaws. The school's purpose is probably to make students with different strengths compete against each other and use that friction to foster growth...
-"So... that's it? We will only gain this much until graduation?"
-"These points will continue until you graduate. But don't worry, you can use the dorm rooms for free, and there's free food. You won't die. I'll add one more thing. This school, managed by the state, boasts a high rate of acceptance into universities and employment. That's a well-known fact. I'm sure most of you in this class have a target university or job."
At least 80% of this class, if not the entire year, enrolled for that very purpose.
-"But.. the world isn't kind. The world isn't sweet enough for people of your low caliber to get into any university or job they want. That would be ridiculous, no?"
-"Does that mean we have to get into a higher class, like C class or above, to receive the benefit of getting into our desired university or workplace?"
-"That's not it, Hirata. If you want this school to guarantee your future, the only way is to get into an A class. This school will guarantee nothing for students in any other class."
Long story short, only the victor's word matters.
The last one standing gets to enjoy the privileges this school has to offer, while the underdogs become stepping stones, stuck in a system that looked "free" on the surface but was really just a handout.
Every student who came to this school had big dreams for the future. But now, Chabashira-sensei was crushing those dreams completely.
The blow was far worse than just losing out on private points.
ANHS High School's 100% acceptance and employment rate might not mean much to those already at the top. It is just icing on the cake. But for students who came from middle-class and working-class families, it was everything. It was a golden ticket to success.
Even after graduation, being an ANHS alumnus was a hidden advantage. It meant instant recognition from others in the same network-like how connections from elite schools opened doors in politics.
This "status" was crucial for those wanting to climb the ranks of the ladder towards the upper layers of social hierarchy.
Most students hadn't thought that far ahead, but they came here hoping this school would help them achieve their goals.
ANHS was like a "Holy Grail" that could grant wishes. But to claim the Grail, one had to win the Grail War.
It was all in line with the school's founding philosophy.
Only the last one standing would get their wish granted.
-"I never heard that! You can't be serious!" A male student shouted his shock and dissatisfaction.
The student who stood up was Yukimura, a bespectacled student. He always gives the book a smart, overly serious student vibe. He was an academically gifted student whose academics were only below Koenji, whose score was 90. His overall score was 85, 5 points above Horikita.
As the top student in Class D, Yukimura had always been a loner, burying himself in books and never wasting points or caring about social status. He hadn't been affected by the chaos — until now. His only goal was to get into a top-tier university and receive the best education.
"How disappointing. This class really is full of idiots. There is nothing more embarrassing than a man who loses his cool. Something like this is to be expected from a school such as this, filled with peasants." Koenji chuckled.
The students glared at Koenji with contempt as he uttered those words.
Yukimura turned his attention towards him. "Don't you feel satisfied being in Class D, Koenji?"
The blonde man raised an eyebrow. "Dissatisfied? Why would I feel that way?"
-"Because the school is saying we're so low that we're basically delinquents and failures in the eyes of everyone else. There's no guarantee whatsoever that we'll be accepted into a college or get a job!" Yukimura showed no constraint in expressing his honest thoughts and feelings towards placement in Class D. Perhaps he thought, as another academically gifted student, he would acknowledge his perspective.
-"Ha! Nonsense! It is a stupid statement that l will not even bother to start an argument," he continued to polish his nails as if nothing else mattered. "The school simply hasn't seen my potential yet. I pride myself on being the perfect existence. I value, respect, and regard myself more highly than anyone. So, the school placing me in Class D means nothing. For instance, let's say that I dropped out of school. I would be perfectly fine. After all, I am certain that this school would come crying to take me back."
Koenji's words were a direct slap to many students, especially those who belong in the "underachievers" category, who insulted Koenji for his eccentric personality.
However, none of them said anything because it's clear that what he's saying may have some merit to them. He may be narcissistic, but he could back up his words without a problem. They were already treated to a first-row viewing of his physical abilities, and his test results on the blackboard spoke for themselves.
Koenji folded his arms and smirked. "Besides, I don't care in the slightest if the school assists me in attaining higher education or not. It has already been decided that I will lead the Koenji conglomerate group. Whether I'm in Class D or Class A is a trivial matter."
"I can understand why he would think that way. His future is already set in stone; whether the school deems him a failure or not is inconsequential. In addition, if you ignore the school's classification, it's not really a big deal. The only thing you'd be worried about is the number of points that you receive every month." Yamasaki thought to himself.
Several of her students had their heads down as they tried to process all of this.
This wasn't how they were expecting this day to go, with their teacher crushing their hopes of having an enjoyable life in this school.
Some of them were even close to crying.
Chabashira spoke with a smirk, "You should all remember that this school's alumni are all successful, and many of you might graduate and live a fulfilling life. But with your current performance, that is unlikely. If you want to achieve your dreams, you have no choice but to reach Class A," she said. "Otherwise, this school won't guarantee anything for you. If you all end up graduating from Class D, I wouldn't be surprised to see you homeless on the streets, so don't be surprised if I laugh at you then; after all, I've warned."
-"..."
-"It seems your blissful ignorance has been dispelled. If you've understood the harshness of your situation, then this long homeroom was not a waste of time after all. You have three weeks until the midterms. Take your time to reflect and find a way to avoid expulsion. I am confident that there is a way for you to pass without a single red mark. If possible, I hope you will approach this with the dignified conduct of an elite."
With that, Chabashira gathered her stuff and exited the room, even closing the door with force, leaving the poster of the different classes and their points behind.
Perhaps she did so that her students would reflect on their individual behavior and the influence it has on class performance.
ΨΨΨ🅄🄽🄵🄰🅃🄷🄾🄼🄰🄱🄻🄴 🄿🄾🅆🄴🅁ΨΨΨ
「May 1st︱Mourning︱Class 1D's Classroom
-"If we don't get any more points, what am I gonna do...?"
-"I can't enjoy my life with just 50,000 points. I want my 100,000 points!"
-"Does this mean we can't get into college now? Why the hell did we even go to this school? Does Sae-chan-sensei hate us or something?"
-"Forget the points. No prospects, and being stuck in the defective class... What are we going to do?"
Why were guys like Ike and Yamauchi so carefree, so indifferent about being labeled the worst students?
Simple.
The label as a Class D student never actually affected their daily lives. Whether they made it to Class A or not didn't matter. They could just goof off as usual.
After Chabashira-sensei left, the classroom was in an uproar, or rather, it was in a terrible state.
All the frustration, resentment, and conflict erupted at once.
And the person responsible?
Walked away without a care in the world.
Imagine being an innocent bystander, only to suddenly get splashed with dirty water right in the face, no less. Who wouldn't be furious?
The ones most enraged were the students who had been diligent since the start.
Those who followed the rules, studied diligently, and took things seriously.
Yukimura was a primary example.
Normally, he was as invisible as a background character. But now, it was like someone had lit a fuse in him. He was even more explosive than Sudou, firing off an all-out verbal assault against Ike, Yamauchi, Sudou, and the rest of the class slackers. His attacks were so relentless that people were left speechless. It was like watching a scene straight out of a courtroom drama.
During the break, the classroom erupted into chaos. It's like their teacher's words were a bomb that exploded, and this was the outcome.
Most of the boys and girls were in despair from this turn of events, some were calmly assessing the situation, and then there was Koenji, who didn't care at all.
-"Forget about the points. What about this class? Why was/put into Class D?!" Yukimura cried, obviously upset about his placement in a class whose students were considered 'failures'.
-"Everyone, I know that you are all confused, but we all need to calm down. Causing a ruckus won't help anyone," Hirata, sensing that the class was about to delve deeper into chaos, stood up and attempted to act as the voice of reason.
-"How are we supposed to calm down? Sensei just called us a bunch of failures! Aren't you even frustrated with all of this?!" Yukimura continued to rant, giving in to his emotions and letting his anger take over.
-"Even if I were, it's better for us to work together to turn things around."
-"Turn things around? I don't even agree with how we were sorted in the first place!"
Hirata nodded his head in sympathy. "I understand. However, whining about our situation won't help us right now."
That was something that Yukimura didn't take kindly. Marching over towards Hirata, he grabbed the blonde teen by the collar forcefully.
-"What did you say?" he growled.
-"What do you mean, 'calm down'? Aren't you frustrated, being called a loser?!"
-"Even if we're called that now, we can work together and prove them wrong."
-"Please calm down, you two. I'm sure that Chabashira-sensei talked to us harshly so we'd do a lot better next time," spoke Kushida, walking towards the two and gently prying them away from each other.
Yukimura didn't resist at all and simply listened to the girl who continued to speak. "Besides, it's only been one month since we started here. There's still plenty of time for us to get our points up, but we can't do it when we're all divided like this. Come on, everyone."
-"I-I mean... I certainly wouldn't say you're wrong, but..."
Yukimura's anger vanished in an instant. With that, the girl shifted her attention towards everyone else and flashed a sincere smile. "It's better for us to band together. There's no need for us to fight against each other. That would only make things worse, don't you think?"
-"I'm sorry. I lost my cool," Yukimura apologized.
Hirata waved the apology off. "It's all right, Yukimura-kun. I should have chosen my words a little more carefully, so we are both at fault."
If Hirata hadn't stepped in to calm things down, an actual fight might have broken out.
"The leadership duo of Hirata and Kushida is an effective one. With just a few words, they can command the attention of the class. While Hirata is more adept at pacifying and communicating with the girls, Kushida had a better connection with the boys for self-evident reasons. Even though she is more popular with the girls than Hirata is with the boys, people have a subconscious tendency tended to see her more as a deputy leader. However, one could argue that she may even have an edge over him in that respect."
Even so, Hirata's abilities were limited.
His inability to address the root of the problems meant he would never earn genuine trust.
While he managed to garner some support from the average students, his words held no weight over the real troublemakers in the class, such as Sudo, Koenji, and Horikita.
In reality, Hirata, Horikita, and others were victims in this mess too.
Yamasaki could understand why they were so angry.
They had worked hard, studied diligently, and done their best. But because of their classmates' incompetence, their efforts were being dragged down with them.
It was like working hard at a full-time job for a whole month, only to have your paycheck wiped out because of an incompetent coworker's mistake.
Who wouldn't be frustrated?
They had done nothing wrong.
Why should they suffer because of someone else's failure?
But that's what it means to be in a group.
Reality is that cruel.
The members of Class D voiced their disdain for Sudo without hesitation. This was to be expected, as most people tend to reject those who stand apart from the group.
Ike and the others, after getting chewed out by Yukimura, at least had the sense to stay quiet.
But Sudou?
He wasn't the type to back down.
Sudou being late, leaving early, skipping class, and sleeping was already a common sight in Class D. In fact, he was already fuming from Chabashira-sensei's earlier sarcasm, so he kicked over the desk and chair in front of him, looking ready to charge at Yukimura and teach that four-eyed guy a lesson.
For teenage boys, admitting mistakes and apologising is far less important than saving face.
They say their pride matters more than anything, but in reality, it's just an excuse to avoid responsibility and run from the truth.
Everyone was blaming each other, pushing responsibility away, making sure they weren't the ones in trouble.
Some were completely out of it, while others had just given up.
Even one guy was looking in a small mirror, fixing his hair with a smug expression.
Class D was in absolute chaos.
Students are panicking over points, no prospects, and being stuck in a defective class.
Just as Yukimura and Sudou were about to throw punches, Hirata, the peacemaker, stepped in once again. Kushida also came forward to calm things down. Both of them were popular and well-respected among the boys and girls in the class, and after some effort, they barely managed to get the situation under control.
In contrast, Yamasaki did not share their aversion.
Sudo is surprisingly astute.
Unlike the rest of Class D, who had completely given up thinking, Sudo's reluctance to communicate stemmed from pride and the deadlock facing their class.
In a certain sense, this did give him a touch of the lone wolf's charm.
-"Besides, it's only been a month since we started school, right? Just like Hirata-kun said, we can all work hard from now on. Am I saying something wrong?"
-"N-no, that's... Indeed, what Kushida said isn't wrong, but..." Yukimura's anger was already more than half gone. It would be difficult to argue back after being told that much.
-"Attention, everyone. I want you to listen seriously for a moment."- The classroom was still in an uproar until now, but Hirata quickly claimed everyone's attention when he stood at the teacher's podium.
His presence was enough to calm his classmates. Though it didn't make their situation any better than before.
-"While we won't be receiving 100,000 points this month, all hope is not lost yet. We still have the 9,700 points that were sent to us, but we can't afford to take this lightly anymore. Now that we are aware that our points can be deducted, we have to tread lightly and be careful about what we do in this school. I'm sure nobody wants our points to go any lower than they already are right now, right?"
-"Yes, Hirata-kun is absolutely right!" one of the female students shouted, her worries immediately remedied by Hirata's mere presence.
Hirata gave a nod in response before continuing. "Therefore, we must work to increase our points next month. To do that, we all need to cooperate. So please, take care not to be late to class or to talk during a lecture. Using cell phones during class is prohibited, too, of course. I hope everyone understands what we must do from now on. Chabashira-sensei may have been harsh in her words earlier, but like what Kushida-san said, she likely acted that way to make us do better next time."
After finishing his little speech, Hirata then stepped down from the podium.
Strangely enough, he didn't go back to his seat and instead, walked towards Horikita's desk.
-"Horikita-san, do you have a moment? I want to speak with you about how we can increase our points. Is it fine with you?" he asked.
-"Why should I?" Horikita returned the question to Hirata, though she didn't seem to care about it.
-"I want to hear everyone's opinions. I believe this challenge is the first step for the class to become united."
-"I'm sorry, can you ask someone else? I'm not good at discussing things with others," Horikita's voice was absolute, having no interest in Hirata's proposal.
Horikita's reasoning was simple: "If a bunch of idiots gather to talk, the only outcome is an even bigger mess."
Yamasaki shared Horikita's viewpoint.
There's a saying that "three ordinary people together can outthink a genius."
But...
He glanced at the students.
Given that the class was already falling apart, that was actually an impressive turnout.
But that was also the problem.
Too many people.
Too democratic.
Even more democratic than actual politicians.
Yamasaki could already see the disaster coming.
Every individual voice might have meaning, but when too many voices come together, they cancel each other out. Especially now, with Class D on the verge of collapse, what they needed wasn't more discussion-it was a strong leader.
To put it nicely, Hirata was too much of a nice guy.
To put it bluntly, he is a people-pleaser, incapable of making a clear stance, without being "everyone's" ally, a concept that is a meaningless as his hopes and expectations.
People often joked about Hirata being "too nice," but behind his back, even guys like Yamauchi and Ike would call him a "pushover."
Of course, part of that came from their jealousy toward him for his reputation, status, and the attention he gets from the opposite sex.
But it still showed that, even if they didn't say it out loud, deep down, many people were unhappy with Hirata's approach.
As a leader, it was fine to be gentle with your own people. But when dealing with serious situations and outsiders, you have to be firm.
The problem was, Hirata only had the "gentle" side. He completely lacked the "tough" side.
Yamsaki understood Hirata, but that's it.
He did not agree with his approach at all.
Hirata's actions looked like a smooth resolution, but it was nothing more than self-deception.
In Yamasaki's eyes, Hirata didn't actually solve anything.
He is simply delaying the problem.
"Keeping everyone happy" approach eventually backfires horribly.
In short, Hirata's actions are no different than enabling them.
"With this, I have finished my psychoanalysis on Hirata Yousuke."
"Hirata prioritizes the unity, or rather the environment of his class, where everyone feels welcomed, and everyone works together regardless of efficiency. Even if it means sacrificing the interests of any specific individual or even the majority, regardless of his personal feelings or lack of them. In other words, he prioritizes the collective harmony over personal relationships or even the well-being of the majority, which insinuates a utilitarian mindset."
"This combination of excessive kindness and indecisiveness will eventually lead to self-destruction. Hirata is afraid to wield power over people. It must stem from trauma or guilt. Most people would not reject power simply because of its negative connotation."
"Hirata is a passive leader. He is afraid of the very power that comes with leading others. He wouldn't impose on another even when he has every reason to do so. That makes him easy to deal with."
"If Hirata fears power, it's not simply because it comes with a negative association. He must have had a prior experience with it. A strong reason, personal enough to the point for him to fear and/or dislike it, it's either trauma or guilt. Much like most things in life, power is only harmful when used in excess. Hirata has experience with abusing his power over others, most likely on the giving end. Hirata would never impose his will on another."
"At the fundamental level, Hirata Yousuke is a flawed but sincere person who tries to do good deeds every day."
"However..."
"This altruism is slowly destroying him from the inside."
"To Hirata, altruism is like religion."
"To cope with all the stress due to living up to everyone's expectations and to live with his own inner demons, Hirata developed a saviour complex."
"Ironically, these types of people usually have a twisted sense of pride from torturing themselves. They do good deeds, not because it is the right course of action, but merely for the sake of it, and are unable or unwilling to see if their actions work in the bigger picture."
"People are egotistical."
"They have to be egoistical."
"Egoism is a natural and necessary aspect of our life because it is the foundation of our sanity, well-being, and confidence."
"Without it, we break and develop a masochistic slave mindset."
"Otherwise...we can't make our own choices."
"In the end, Hirata Yousuke is a person who is broken by his own "kindness". As a result, his mind is twisted to some degree. People like Hirata cannot truly think for themselves and make their own choices."
"Sometimes, leadership requires moral compromise. Pure idealism is impossible in a competitive environment filled with high stakes, limited resources, and opportunities, which not everyone can acquire. More often than not, pragmatic decision-making often overrides idealistic leadership. While kindness and unity are admirable traits, they can be insufficient or even detrimental when structural incentives demand sacrifice for the best outcome or for the greater good."
"A nice guy."
"A peacemaker."
"Weak."
"everyone's friend"
"Always compromising..."
"None of these words fully described Hirata."
"Almost like he was trying to atone for something..."
"Hirata's people-pleasing tendencies - to cater to the needs and demands of others is a form of penance, redemption, or self-sacrifice."
"Hirata's behaviour towards his irresponsible, self-absorbed, and incompetent classmates is too forgiving, borderline indulgent. Even when things were clearly someone else's fault (not paying to class, boys showing disrespectful attitude towards girls, and so on), he would always take the blame himself, trying to "absorb" the conflict and "resolve" it that way."
"The cause behind Hirata's 'I am everyone's ally'" attitude originates from some kind of guilt—something that happened in the past, making him feel the need to make up for it. Hirata must have experienced a type of helplessness, severe enough to the point that his personality underwent a drastic change. He probably lost someone close to him - a family member or a friend."
"When people are faced with consequences for their actions severe enough not to be able to ignore, but not use them as a learning experience, people react in 1 of 2 ways:
They either try to meet everyone's expectations to ease their guilt or they use self-sacrifice to escape from guilt entirely."
"On the surface, it looked like he was being kind to everyone."
"The truth is simple."
"He is simply numbing herself."
"It is self-destruction disguised as selflessness.No more, no less."
"In a way, Hirata's story can be interpreted as the cautionary tale about the perils of maintaining a pure altruism in a system designed to put people against each other."
-"Hirata-kun, your suggestion is useless." Horikita held no punches; whether someone took her words positively or negatively, she wasn't concerned about it in the slightest. - "This isn't something that can be solved through simple discussion. A gathering of students with poor ideas will only add to the chaos and change nothing." Horikita said as she left Hirata's side without a second thought.
-"Yamasaki-kun, what do you think?" Hirata suddenly glanced at Yamasaki as he observed the situation.
-"What do you mean, Hirata?" - Yamasaki returned the question to Hirata with a confused expression, as if he couldn't understand what he had to do with this.
-"Horikita-san says our actions are meaningless. What do you think, Yamasaki-kun? Shouldn't we be uniting as a class right now?"
Hirata's proposal was straightforward and reasonable.
Given the looming class conflicts and the potential for worse troubles ahead, Class D should indeed be coming together, brainstorming ideas together to solve this crisis and improve their cohesion as a group.
Yamasaki couldn't outright dismiss such a 'correct' notion.
However, 'correct' doesn't necessarily mean it is the right course of action.
Rather than needing unity, Class D seemed to be incapable of it.
With Hirata's approach, it was clear that bringing everyone together was an impossible task.
People like Sudou and Horikita, who distanced themselves from the class, were just the beginning. The members of Class D each had their agendas and were unlikely to heed his call for unity.
Class D has enough support-type individuals like Kushida, Hirata, and, to a degree, Karuizawa.
Hirata's "peacemaker" approach is only efficient for minor everyday conflicts. When faced with a serious crisis, his efforts can only soften the situation, not resolve it.
What Class D really needs is a leader-type person, someone who is commanding, strong-willed, and determined.
"Class D has no system. By now, most classes probably already formed some form of hierarchy. In this class, students just follow a select few popular students for no reason."
-"Unfortunately, I have no idea what to do, Hirata," Yamasaki said with a helpless expression, shaking his head slightly with a disappointed expression on his face.
-"It's alright, Yamasaki-kun. You don't have to blame yourself. Nobody could have known that this would happen. Would you still be willing to attend the discussion meeting, Yamasaki-kun? Although Horikita-san has dismissed the importance of this meeting, I still believe it holds value. I'm going to make an effort to prove that!" With that, Hirata left, leaving Yamasaki behind.
Out of nowhere, Yamauchi approached Yamasaki.
-"Hey, Yamasaki. Wanna buy this console? I will sell it only for 20,000 points."
-"200 points, I will buy it on the spot." - Yamasaki gave the most "generous" offer Yamauchi could ever receive.
-"200 points?! You must be joking! This bad boy cost me a fortune. You have no idea what you are missing out on."
-"..."
-"Come on, Yamasaki. This is a one-time deal. You won't get an offer like anywhere other than the great Yamauchi Haruki."
-"..."
-"Hey, Professor! This is a limited-type offer! Wanna buy this console? I will sell it only for 25,000 points."
Yamauchi Haruki, whose attention span is as a goldfish's, headed towards his other potential victim to scam points.
"He is a type of person who can't keep his attention towards one object." - Yamasaki showed zero reaction towards Yamauchi's actions towards him.
Unexpectedly, another person approached Yamasaki.
-"Hey, Yamasaki-kun! We are thinking of going to Keyaki Mall for a karaoke party, wanna come?" - Karuizawa approached with a big smile on her face, much brighter than the one she gives to her boyfriend.
-"Karaoke? What's the occasion?" - Yamasaki returned the question to Karuizawa, wanting to learn more details about the upcoming gathering among his classmates.
-"No, such thing, silly." - Karuizawa chuckled at his question, while shaking her head as she found his question amusing. -"Yousuke-kun and the others want to relieve all the stress from all of this stuff Chabashira-sensei just threw at us. Come on! It will be fun! Satou-san and Matsushita-san are particularly eager to talk with you." Karuizawa pointed out that today's announcement from Chabashira-sensei is the reason why Hirata's group wants to enjoy themselves even after learning about this school's true nature.
Yamauchi's expression shifted the instant he saw her.
Unlike Yamauchi Haruki, who stayed on the fringes of the class, one of the proud members of "Three Idiots", and the "monkey duo" of Class D was bound by the unspoken rules of the class hierarchy.
In any group of people, social hierarchies naturally form, and even in the seemingly equal environment of a school, status differences still exist. Officially, everyone was a student, but beneath the surface, different students held different statuses, forming various ranks.
In Class D, a social hierarchy had naturally taken shape within a month of the school year starting.
Karuizawa Kei, who became Hirata Yousuke's girlfriend two weeks ago, had risen to the top of the class hierarchy.
By comparison, Yamauchi, who was often ridiculed alongside Ike and others as one of the "three Idiots" and "monkey duo," was near the bottom of the social ladder.
His only source of pride was looking down on outliers and loners. The only way to avoid being at the bottom of the social ladder for someone like him is to step on someone even lower and use them as a stepping stone.
Because of this, when Yamauchi found himself next to Karuizawa, the queen bee of Class D, he instinctively shrank back.
This phenomenon is prevalent not just in inter-class dynamics.
An even more prominent hierarchy had formed between the classes.
The top classes looked down on the lower ones, and Class D sat firmly at the bottom of the food chain.
Even if no one openly said it, everyone understood it.
Being labeled as "the worst" by the prestigious institution left a deep psychological wound.
For teenagers, there was nothing more humiliating than being looked down on.
Call them useless, a loser, impotent, or a shut-in, and they'd instantly take offence, try to defend their pride, and maybe even get into a fight.
It was a weird aspect of Japanese society.
-"I am good, thanks. After today's fiasco, I just want to go to my room and sleep for the rest of the day." - Yamasaki politely declined Karuizawa's invitation.
Karuizawa chuckled at Yamasaki's response. "I know. What the sensei said was surprising. I never suspected that we might not actually receive 100,000 points every month." - Karuizawa shared the sentiment that most Class D students could agree with.
-"Shame. While we still can live a more or less comfortable life, we can't spend points lavishly like before." - Yamasaki, exasperated as he was feeling a little melancholy about his previous lifestyle, while being reminded of the class situation.
-"Yeah..." - Karuizawa embarrassingly brushed her right cheek, feeling caught by Yamasaki's comments, but a few seconds later she shook her head and regained her composure. - "No matter. Be positive Yamasaki-kun! With Yousuke-kun and everyone working together, we will gain more privacy in no time! Anyway, I need to return to my friends. Bye bye, Yamasaki-kun!" - Karuizawa enthuasiastically encouraged both Yamasaki and herself to salvage the atmosphere that had formed from discussing about Class D situation while leaving him behind a smile on her face as she ran towards the Satou and Matsushita.
Although Karuizawa wasn't particularly clever in academics or in the intelligence aspect, she has an intuitive understanding of social dynamics. She is quick to capitalize on her advantages to win people over.
The popular people can influence their surroundings to their will by leveraging an unspoken social rule - "Refusing means you don't belong."
Most people would be forced to act against their will because "everyone" said so.
Because "everyone" did it.
Otherwise, you wouldn't be part of "everyone."
Yamasaki recalled the introductory session on the first day at school.
Like that shy girl at the start, Inogashira Kokoro.
Like the socially anxious girl sitting to Yamasaki's right, acting like an ostrich.
And several other quiet, introverted students were also reluctantly following along.
At some point, self-introductions had turned into a way to compete for status in the class. Just from a first impression, you could determine your place in the hierarchy.
People like Hirata and Kushida, who were cheerful and friendly, naturally became the center of attention— the top of the class food chain.
Most students, who didn't stand out, ended up in the middle.
And then there were people like Idiot trio, and those who didn't belong in a particular group, especially those without abilities, destined to be the "sacrificial offerings" for others to step on and boost their own status.
If human society were a food chain, most ordinary people would be in the middle. They needed to fit in with others to survive, forming groups and moving forward together.
Then, what about Kushida?
A girl who wants to be friends with everyone?
Most people's dreams are shaped by their surroundings.
A kid wants to be an astronaut because they see cool astronauts on TV.
A kid wants to be a doctor because their father is a doctor.
In short, dreams usually have some connection to a person's environment. But most dreams are just talk.
And Kushida's dream?
To be friends with everyone?
That's not a dream. It's a fairytale.
Dreaming of befriending everyone?
Only two types of people would ever want to become friends with everyone:
Someone who had been left out of small social circles, or someone so incredibly capable and manipulative that they could navigate every social dynamic perfectly.
To Yamasaki, Kushida Kikyo was neither.
"To thrive in this environment, you must not only develop individual abilities. One must cultivate a strategic mindset."
"Becoming a master strategist to navigate this environment isn't just about a deliberate usage of information towards a specific outcome."
"It's an identity."
"In a hostile, asymmetric world, thinking like everyone else is a death sentence."
"And here's where this gets real."
"People live in a world of invisible games, and most of them don't even realise it: attention games, status games, academic games, psychological warfare, persuasion, and more..."
"If you are not strategically literate, you are someone else's resource, someone else's statistic, someone else's pawn."
"The roots of strategic intelligence are not just intellectual."
"They are existential."
"You are either designing the game or being played by it."
"To survive, one must learn to see symbolic "death"."
A while later...
-"Thank you for coming. I believe that with everyone's cooperation, everything will work out."- After classes finished, Hirata gathered a large group of students to discuss how to increase class points.
His charisma was genuine, and almost all the students except for Koenji, Horikita, and Sudou participated.
It seems he talked to each of them individually.
"When you approach people one-on-one, it's harder to deflect without making a bad impression, especially from someone who is a high position in a social ladder in the group. No audience to impress, no need to save face. Hirata's soft-spoken demeanor makes him seem less threatening, like a kind friend rather than someone pointing out their flaws. It is not just efficient. It is disarming, especially since Hirata's demeanour is genuine even if it exxagerrated to a degree." - Yamasaki immediately understood the methodology behind Hirata's actions, acknowledging Hirata's perseverance and usage of effective method to persuade reluctant students.
Hirata had been running around all day, from morning to afternoon, trying to find answers.
Even though Class D had never officially held an election, after everything that happened that morning, most students already saw Hirata as the "leader" of the class.
To be fair, Hirata was doing an excellent job.
He worked hard for the class without ever losing his temper. No matter the situation, he always had a calm and friendly attitude. Even when Sudou or the monkey brothers mocked him or gave him sarcastic remarks, he always responded with a polite "Sorry, that's my fault," diffusing the situation.
A student like him was naturally well-liked and respected. When he asked for help, most people were more than willing to lend a hand —whether they were boys or girls. His influence in Class D was undeniable.
-"Chabashira-sensei mentioned that midterms are coming up soon, and anyone who fails will be at risk of expulsion. So I've decided to organize a study group after school. If you're feeling unsure about your grades, I hope you'll join us. We'd be happy to have you."
As soon as Hirata finished speaking, the students who had failed the recent quiz immediately got up and gathered around him. They looked genuinely grateful for his help. After all, students on the verge of failing were usually ignored and left to figure things out on their own. Many people believed that as long as they took care of themselves, there was no need to worry about others. That was often how families raised their kids, too.
So naturally, some students had their doubts about Hirata's study group. After all, spending time helping others could take away from their own study time. Especially since many of the failing students had only themselves to blame, not everyone could be as forgiving as Hirata.
On the other hand, many students secretly appreciated having someone like Hirata around. After all, if they ever found themselves in trouble, they knew he would be willing to help them, too.
For those barely hanging on to passing grades, Hirata's kindness was a blessing.
Of course, not everyone cared.
The idiot trio didn't react at all.
Since the start of school, Sudou had never gotten along with Hirata. As for the monkey brothers, in addition to their lackadaisical attitude towards studying and life as a whole, they were jealous of Hirata's popularity with girls.
And to admit that they need help from a guy they are jealous of?
Their pride won't allow it.
Do these guys really think help was something they were entitled to?
If they didn't wake up and realise their situation soon, their names would be on the expulsion list.
People who get sympathy usually have something pathetic about them, but sometimes, they also have something that makes them hard to pity.
The students mostly sat around making self-serving demands, hoping the class would meet their desires.
As expected, by the end of the discussion, no new ideas.
However, it would be unfair if the meeting were completely worthless.
Hirata proposed the idea of study groups, and volunteered to help anyone who isn't confident to pass their exams on their own.
Except for Koenji, Horikita, and the idiot trio, everyone else decided to join the study session.
Even those confident in their academic abilities, like Yukimura and Mei-Yu, are no exception.
All academically gifted students like Yukimura, Mei-Yu were asked by Hirata to act as tutors.
After the class meeting, Miyake left the Hasebe Group members behind to join the club activities.
After some debate and back and forth, it was decided that Yukimura will be a leading tutor with Yamasaki being as his "right-hand".
To Yamasaki, it felt like he was being dragged into this simply because Yukimura wanted to vent his frustration because of his situation onto Yamasaki.
Hasebe Group snickered at Yamasaki's misfortune, especially Haruka.
So, how does the Class D face its first challenge?
Will they take a first step towards this milestone together, bringing them a step closer towards the top, or will they crumble under their own shortcomings and become the laughing stock and the source of entertainment for others until graduation?
Only time will tell.
ΨΨΨ🅄🄽🄵🄰🅃🄷🄾🄼🄰🄱🄻🄴 🄿🄾🅆🄴🅁ΨΨΨ