"Shouldn't be at this school?"
Kure Ragna was momentarily stunned.
The words felt odd, almost as if the students attending this school had been pre-selected.
It wasn't hard to understand why he would think that way. After all, while this school promised a 100% employment rate for those who reached Class A, its admission criteria remained a mystery.
If it were an elite academy for aristocrats, one would expect exorbitant tuition fees. Yet, there were none. Moreover, the average student in each class could afford extravagant living expenses amounting to hundreds of thousands of yen per month—hardly the profile of an ordinary school.
And if it were meant for academic elites, the standards didn't seem strict either. After all, even someone like Sudou, who practically slept through classes, had been accepted. Clearly, grades weren't the main criteria.
If anything, it felt more like an experimental setting—designed to simulate a miniature society by gathering all kinds of people together.
"Well, if we're almost done eating, let's head back."
Sakayanagi Arisu shifted the topic without elaborating further.
Kure Ragna didn't press her for more details. Instead, he pointed his chopsticks at the nearly empty bowl in front of her, still containing a bit of soup.
"Aren't you going to eat more? Hot pot tends to make you hungry again pretty fast."
Sakayanagi smiled and shook her head. "No, I'm full."
"Alright then—"
Respecting her decision, Kure Ragna nodded. Then, turning toward the waitress who was busy with the influx of customers, he raised his voice slightly.
"Excuse me! Another round, same order as before!"
"??"
Sakayanagi, seated across from him, blinked in surprise.
She slowly tilted her head, as if forming two invisible question marks.
"You… can still eat?"
To be fair, during their previous order, she had barely managed a bowl of mutton rolls, some vegetables, and a bit of vermicelli before stopping. The rest had all gone to Kure Ragna.
And now, he wanted another round?
"Of course, I can eat." Kure Ragna replied matter-of-factly.
"Before, I had to be frugal since I didn't have much money. But starting next month, my finances should be stable. So now, I can eat however much I want. And maybe even buy premium tea in bulk. Sounds good, doesn't it?"
Sakayanagi Arisu fell silent, deep in thought.
So… was that why he agreed to sign the contract?
And just like that, their long first day of school came to an end, lingering in the warmth of hot pot aroma.
---
The Next Morning
In the blink of an eye, a new day arrived.
Perhaps yesterday's warning had made an impact, or maybe Chabashira Sae's reminder about class points had finally sunk in. Either way, Class D had a complete change in attitude.
Everyone showed up neatly in the classroom before 7:45 AM.
Even Kure Ragna arrived at 7:30 AM with dignity.
He was never the type to be lazy, ignore time, or enjoy being late. If not for his conversation with Chabashira Sae the day before, he would have been on time then as well.
By the time Sae Chabashira stepped into the classroom at exactly 8:00 AM, the students were already seated. While some whispered quietly, at least no one was blatantly using their phones.
"Hmph. So, you do care about your class points after all."
Chabashira let out an indifferent chuckle as she scanned the room.
It was unclear whether she was acknowledging their effort or mocking them.
"Well, we all need to eat, don't we?"
Kure Ragna, seated in the back, propped his chin up with a fist and replied nonchalantly.
"Sensei…"
A voice cut in.
Yukinoshita Haruno raised her hand and stood up from her seat.
"I would like to request to lead today's homeroom session. May I?"
"Oh?"
Chabashira raised an eyebrow but didn't look particularly surprised.
"Go ahead."
Stepping aside, she gestured for Yukinoshita to take the podium.
After receiving permission, Yukinoshita Haruno confidently walked to the front of the class. She scanned the room, cleared her throat, and spoke.
"I won't repeat what happened yesterday—you all already know. On our very first day, our class fell behind by 58 points."
Her voice was calm, yet firm.
"However, this does not mean we will always lag behind!"
A sharp determination flickered in her eyes.
"Over the next three years, we will face countless competitions with other classes. Each one will be an opportunity to catch up—and even surpass them."
"This isn't just my personal opinion, but a logical deduction based on Kure Ragna's theory."
"That's right, that's me~"
With a grin, Kure Ragna stood up, waving like an actor at an award ceremony before casually sitting back down.
Yukinoshita paused for a moment to let the class absorb her words before continuing.
"So, I hope all of us can learn from yesterday's mistakes. But rather than dwelling on them, let's use them as motivation. Whether for the sake of our class or simply for the points we receive each month, we must work together, abide by the rules, and seize every opportunity to earn points. Thank you."
"I agree with Yukinoshita's speech!"
Hirata Yosuke was the first to clap.
As if on cue, others followed. The sincerity in Yukinoshita's words resonated with many, and the growing applause swept away any lingering hesitation.
"She's absolutely right!"
"Yukinoshita-san is amazing!"
"I want to be Miss Yukinoshita's dog!"
…Wait.
That last one was questionable.
Let's just pretend it didn't happen.
"You guys never fail to amuse me…"
Chabashira, standing beside the podium, rubbed her temple with a tired smile.
"Well, since you've managed to analyze things so thoroughly, even I can't argue with you anymore. As a reward, I'll share some valuable information today."
The classroom fell silent.
"Listen carefully—the next major opportunity to earn class points will be in the fourth week of next month: the midterm exams."
"What?! The midterms?!"
"Does that mean we have to actually study?"
"We have to pass, right?!"
The moment Chabashira's words registered, chaos erupted.
The realization dawned on them like a cold splash of water.
For these hot-blooded teenagers, caught up in the excitement of newfound motivation, reality had just slapped them in the face.
And somewhere amidst the noise, someone could be heard gritting their teeth.
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