The morning began like any other.
Students shuffled into Class 1-D, some carrying bags of snacks, others sporting new accessories, their laughter echoing across the room. A few still bragged about purchases from the last week—new headphones, branded watches, mountains of instant noodles stacked in their dorm rooms.
It would all come crashing down soon.
I sat at my desk near the window, watching the clouds drift lazily across the sky. My group knew what was coming. I had told them weeks ago. They sat scattered across the classroom, calm and quiet. Akito leaned back in his chair, arms folded. Yukimura was already reading. An and Haruka chatted softly, but their smiles held no anxiety. Even Airi, fidgety as she was, looked more composed than usual.
We were ready.
The others weren't.
Chabashira-sensei entered with her usual sharp gaze, a bundle of papers in hand. The chatter dimmed. She walked to the front, heels clicking against the floor, and set the papers on the podium.
"Good morning, Class 1-D. Before we begin today's lessons, I'd like to confirm something with all of you."
The air shifted. Her tone was too cold, too deliberate.
"As you know, every month each student is allocated private points. The amount you receive depends on your class points. I assume many of you have already checked your balances this morning."
A few students laughed. "Yeah, but nothing's come in yet!" one called.
"System delay?" another suggested.
Chabashira's smile was thin, cruel. "No. There is no delay. Your balance is correct."
Confusion rippled across the room. Dozens of students pulled out their phones, checking their digital accounts. Seconds later, the whispers began.
"What the hell?""Zero…?""This must be a mistake!""There's no way!"
Faces paled. Panic spread like wildfire. Students shouted across the room, demanding answers. Some cursed under their breath, others groaned in despair.
Chabashira raised a hand. "Silence."
Her voice cut through the chaos like a blade.
"You have no points because your class points are currently zero. The system is functioning exactly as intended."
Shock fell like a hammer.
"No points…?""How—how did that happen?""What does that mean for us?"
Chabashira's expression didn't soften. "It means your behavior has consequences. This school monitors everything—attendance, class participation, discipline. Each infraction reduces your class points. Class D accumulated so many that your current total is zero. Therefore, your private point distribution is also zero."
Gasps and cries echoed. Students slammed desks, cursed loudly, some even shouted at her directly.
"This is bullsh*t!""You didn't tell us the rules!""How are we supposed to know?"
But Chabashira only smirked. "I told you from the beginning: this school evaluates ability. Freedom is not without consequences. You chose to squander your chance."
While the rest of Class D spiraled into chaos, my group remained silent.
I watched the storm unfold with steady eyes. Haruka leaned back, whispering to Mei and An, but none of them panicked. Akito tapped his fingers against his desk, his jaw tight but his posture calm. Yukimura's lips were pressed thin, but he stayed quiet, analyzing the scene like I was. Airi clutched her notebook, glancing nervously at the others, but one quick look from me steadied her.
Chabashira continued, her voice cold and merciless. "Perhaps you'll understand better when I show you this."
She tapped on the board, and the monitor at the front lit up. Four columns appeared: Class A, B, C, and D.
Class A: 940 points.Class B: 650 points.Class C: 490 points.Class D: 0 points.
The room went dead silent.
The gap was massive. A chasm. While other classes had lost some points, they still held hundreds. We, the supposed bottom-feeders, had nothing.
Whispers turned into angry mutters. Some cursed Class A, as if their success were the problem. Others cursed the school.
But deep down, everyone knew the truth. The fault was ours.
We were the worst.
"Everyone, calm down!"
Hirata Yosuke stood, his voice raised but steady. His presence radiated calm, his smile forced but warm. "Panicking won't solve anything! We should listen carefully and think about how to recover. We're still a class. We can still work together!"
Some students quieted at his plea, but many ignored him, too caught up in their anger. Voices overlapped, accusations flying—
"It's because people were skipping class!""No, it's because of the fights!""Shut up, you're the one who kept messing around!"
Hirata kept trying, repeating his pleas for unity, but the noise drowned him out. His kindness was wasted on a room drowning in selfishness.
From my seat, I remained silent, my group doing the same. We didn't need to join this chaos. Our unity was forged weeks ago, in secrecy, through preparation. While the rest crumbled, we only grew stronger.
I glanced around, meeting eyes with each of my group members. A silent agreement passed between us. This was proof—proof that our path was the right one.
Chabashira allowed the chaos to run its course for a few minutes before slamming her hand against the podium.
"Enough."
Silence fell instantly.
"You've already lost your points. That is irreversible. However, there is another issue you should be aware of."
Her gaze swept the room, sharp and unforgiving. "In three weeks, you will face your first midterm exams. The rules are simple: those who fail will be expelled."
A stunned hush fell over the class. Expelled?
She continued mercilessly. "This school does not tolerate incompetence. If you cannot meet academic standards, you will be removed. Consider this your only warning."
The words hit like a sledgehammer. Students who had barely been listening before now froze in terror. Expulsion wasn't a punishment—it was exile. Their future, gone.
Cries of despair followed. "That's not fair!""They can't just—""What are we supposed to do?!"
But Chabashira didn't care. Her cold smile lingered. "You have three weeks. If you value your place here, I suggest you use them wisely."
And with that, she dismissed the class.
The classroom descended into chaos again, voices overlapping in fear and anger.
We didn't need to panic. Yukimura's study sessions had already begun weeks ago. Akito and An's training kept us disciplined. We had points saved from my shogi gambit. And now, with the midterms looming, we were already positioned to endure.
I leaned back in my chair, letting the storm rage around us. My group looked to me, quietly reassured. They didn't need my words now. My silence was enough.
As the students argued, Chabashira's voice cut through once more.
"Horikita. Ayanokoji. Come with me to the faculty office."
All eyes turned to the two. Horikita stood stiffly, her pride shielding her from showing any fear. Ayanokoji rose lazily, his expression unreadable as ever.
Together, they followed Chabashira out of the room.
The door closed behind them, leaving the rest of Class D in shambles.
I exhaled slowly, my fingers drumming lightly against my desk. The game was shifting. Horikita and Ayanokoji would soon learn the truth of this school, just as I had. Their path would unfold as it had in the original story.
But ours—my group's path—was different.