You Will Regret This Ichinose! [22]
Kanzaki and the others sat with tense expressions, waiting for the points to be distributed.
Bzzzz—
Everyone's terminals vibrated simultaneously. It's here!
[Account Balance Update: 86,300 points]
Uesugi's prediction was correct.
The students of Class B exchanged knowing looks. Since Ichinose had already informed them of the theory the night before, they weren't too surprised.
"We actually got over 80,000 points? I thought 70,000 would be the upper limit."
Uesugi stared at his phone with a peculiar expression.
Based on historical data from previous Class B rankings and the information he had gathered, he estimated their class should have retained around 65,000 to 75,000 points.
The key difference between Class A and Class B was in their decision-making. Class A students prioritized optimal outcomes that benefited them the most.
Class B, on the other hand, considered multiple factors—friendships, long-term effects, and fairness—when solving problems.
Too many considerations meant suboptimal results, leading to a slow but consistent loss of points.
"The fact that the school adjusted our points confirms that our theory was correct. The rest is up to Hoshinomiya-sensei to explain," Kanzaki muttered, dark circles under his eyes. Clearly, Uesugi's question had kept him up all night.
Uesugi glanced at Kanzaki's exhausted face and burst into laughter.
"Haha! Kanzaki, this look suits you. You've got that brooding, mysterious aura now—real gloomy ikemen vibes."
Smack!
A light but precise thwack landed on Uesugi's head. Ichinose, wielding a textbook, sighed.
"Uesugi-kun, could you please be quiet for once?"
Though not as bad as Kanzaki, Ichinose also looked a bit drained. She had managed to cover her dark circles with a little makeup, but her usual vibrancy was dulled.
"…And whose fault do you think that is?" Kanzaki shot Uesugi a glare that radiated thinly veiled murder.
It was all because of him—dropping cryptic questions that triggered their paranoia, making them rack their brains for answers, and just when they solved one, he'd toss out an even harder puzzle, grinning as he claimed "this one is the key" before running off.
Damn riddler.
Feeling their hostility, Uesugi held up his hands in defense.
"Figuring things out for yourself is part of the fun, right?"
"Class is about to start," Himeno Yuki, who had been quietly playing on her phone, finally spoke up.
With that, the group dispersed, each returning to their seats.
With a swish, the classroom door swung open.
Hoshinomiya-sensei waltzed in, cheeks slightly flushed, humming a cheerful tune.
Did she just have a drink? And why does she look so… happy?
Uesugi frowned. Based on what he knew about Hoshinomiya, she was genuinely in a good mood. It wasn't the usual fake, polite smile she used when handing out compliments.
Yet, Class B's point increase wasn't enough to push them to Class A. The results weren't significantly different from what she had originally expected.
So what exactly was she so happy about?
"Alright, I'm sure you all have questions. Don't worry, your favorite teacher is here to answer them!"
With an exaggerated flourish, Hoshinomiya slapped a sheet of paper onto the blackboard like a poster, hands on her hips, brimming with smug satisfaction.
Class Rankings:
Class A: 940 CP
Class B: 863 CP
Class C: 490 CP
Class D: -100 CP
"…These are our class scores, right?" Kanzaki said hesitantly. The negative points for Class D threw him off.
"Ding ding ding! That's correct!" Hoshinomiya gave him a thumbs-up. "These are your official class points! From now on, your monthly personal points will be distributed at a 1:100 ratio based on these values. These rankings will also be displayed on the school bulletin board and updated whenever there are changes, so keep an eye on them."
"This fluctuation was due to a special assessment designed to evaluate student value. However, keep in mind that our initial class score was actually 763 points—we received a mysterious 100-point bonus for an unknown reason."
At those words, Ichinose and the others instinctively turned to the back row, toward the window seats.
They had a pretty good idea who was responsible for that extra 100 points.
There sat Uesugi, lazily rocking his head up and down like a drowsy kitten nodding off.
…Is he even listening?
The four of them collectively sighed.
This is a problem. I should've warned the school not to reveal the bonus points so blatantly.
If she caught wind of Class B's sudden point increase, she'd immediately suspect that he was behind it.
And once that woman identified him, with her ruthless efficiency and personality, she wouldn't sit still for long.
Still, it's not checkmate yet. As long as she doesn't have concrete evidence, the initiative remains in my hands.
What Uesugi didn't know was that the school had deliberately leaked the information.
After all, in the past month, what had he done?
Skipped class.
Played games.
Slacked off.
If they didn't find a way to keep him occupied, he'd be beyond salvation.
The administration wasn't about to let their 30 million yen investment go to waste.
"One more thing, and this is important."
Hoshinomiya's usual lighthearted tone shifted to something far more serious.
"The school's career and university recommendations only go to students who graduate as Class A. You all need to do everything you can to climb higher."
Ichinose and Kanzaki's eyes sharpened.
Just as we suspected.
For days, they had been trying to piece together Uesugi's cryptic questions.
Though they hadn't fully unraveled the mystery, they had already sensed the underlying truth.
If the 100,000 personal points per month came with hidden conditions, then it was highly likely that the school's other incentives also carried undisclosed costs.
And the most probable "price" for post-graduation support?
The requirement to graduate as Class A.
Unfortunately, neither of them had been able to find definitive proof, so they had been waiting for Hoshinomiya-sensei's confirmation.
Her statement sent ripples through the classroom.
"So, we'll be competing against other classes for the next three years until we graduate as Class A?"
"But when we enrolled, the school never mentioned anything about only Class A getting recommendations!"
"Yeah, that's unfair!"
While some students grumbled, Ichinose quickly stepped in to calm them down.
She clenched her fists, stealing a glance at Uesugi.
If only I could see through the school's intentions the way he does… We might already be Class A.
Kanzaki, too, turned toward Uesugi.
Was this why he hinted at the school's rules on the second day?
Did he want me to figure it out myself and help our class?
If Uesugi had heard this, he'd be shaking his head furiously.
I just wanted to give Kanzaki something to think about so he wouldn't go insane.
As for what Uesugi was thinking now?
I got scammed.
His eyes were locked on the giant -100 on the blackboard.
Never in past years had Class D ever dropped into negative points.
Even knowing they had some ridiculous people in Class D, the result was beyond his expectations.
With a heavy sigh, he reached a conclusion.
So many points down the drain...
But… maybe he should send his accomplice some points later.
Can't have her starving, after all. (lol)
...
After class, Uesugi's bad premonition became reality.
Ichinose took the stage.
"Everyone, to make sure we don't lose any classmates to expulsion, I'm organizing a study session this weekend. Let's work hard together!"
A chorus of enthusiastic voices erupted.
"I'm in!"
"Not bad, Ichinose!"
"I'll join too!"
Half the class signed up almost instantly.
"…I'll help as well," Kanzaki sighed. "There are too many people for Ichinose to handle alone."
Then, he turned and grabbed Uesugi, who was trying to sneak out.
"Where do you think you're going? Ichinose specifically told me to watch you."
"Let me go, Kanzaki! Have you become Ichinose's lapdog? You guys can study all you want—I have a world to save!"
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T/N: LMAO -100? BRO REALLY SPENT POINTS TO REALLY FUCK WITH CLASS D horikita is broken rn