Chapter 12: Welcome to Class 1-D, Where Bankruptcy is Mandatory

The afternoon class schedule was noticeably lighter than the morning's.

Most likely, the school had designed it this way to counteract post-lunch drowsiness, ensuring that core assessment subjects were held in the morning. As for the afternoon, most classes—like geography and politics—required more reading and listening rather than active problem-solving.

While there were still assessment-based classes like physical education, they weren't held daily—at least not today. After all, not everyone could handle physical activity every single day.

With the last two classes of the day wrapping up in much the same manner as the morning, the students of Class 1-D welcomed the end of their first school day.

Well, at least most of them did.

For those who had joined clubs the previous day, their day was far from over. Club activities awaited.

Still, for now, it was time to unwind and enjoy campus life.

"Let's Go Have Some Fun"

"Hirata, want to hang out after school?" Ike Kanji called out.

"Now? Sorry, I can't. I joined the football club yesterday, and my application got approved. I have to attend practice from today."

"Ah… so that's how it is." Ike sighed in disappointment before turning to another potential companion. "What about you, Sudō?"

"Huh? Me? No way, I've got no time for that. I applied for the basketball club yesterday. First practice is today."

"What? Even you, Sudō…?"

"What do you mean 'even me'?" Sudō shot him a glare. "You looking down on me?"

Just as the two at the back of the classroom were about to start bickering, an unexpected sound silenced the entire room.

Boom!

A loud, jarring impact echoed through the classroom.

The previously noisy space fell into dead silence, as if someone had hit the pause button. Every student instinctively turned toward the source of the noise.

At the front of the classroom, Kure Ragna sat cross-legged on the podium's table, one hand resting against his chin. His other leg dangled lazily, still shaking slightly from the force of the impact. A small dent on the wooden baffle beneath him made it clear—the loud noise had come from his heel slamming against it.

The pressure in the air shifted.

"Alright, everyone." Kure Ragna pressed a hand down lightly, his voice calm but carrying an undeniable weight. "Take your seats, or just stay where you are. I have something important to say."

The phrase "important" sent a ripple through the class.

Even Kōenji Rokusuke, who had been about to leave for a date with an upperclassman, stopped in his tracks. With an amused smirk, he turned back, striking a relaxed pose as if watching an interesting performance.

Kure Ragna continued, his voice steady.

"What I'm about to tell you could very well determine whether we'll continue enjoying this comfortable and free school life—or if things will take a turn for the worse. So, I suggest you listen carefully."

…Though, in his mind, he added another thought.

More importantly, this is about whether I'll be able to afford food next month.

With that, he cleared his throat and began explaining what had transpired that morning between him and Chabashira Sae on the staircase.

Kure Ragna's explanation was precise and deliberate, covering the situation in under three minutes.

Some students—like Ike Kanji and Sudō Ken—listened with blank expressions, as if hearing a foreign language. To them, his words felt like nothing more than a dry, unexciting speech.

Others could sense something was off, but they couldn't quite put their finger on what.

Only a select few wore contemplative expressions.

"So, what you're saying," a voice cut through the moment, "is that all our actions are being recorded in some kind of system… and that this affects the entire class's standing?"

The speaker was Yukinoshita Haruno, who had stood up while piecing together the implications of Kure Ragna's words.

It made sense that she'd reach this conclusion quickly. After all, Kure Ragna had already mentioned the "S-System" to her earlier in passing.

"Not quite." Kure Ragna shook his head, raising a finger. "It's not just about ratings or simple rankings. It's something that directly threatens us—a problem that can strangle us at the throat."

A murmur spread through the room.

"Strangle us at the throat?" someone echoed.

A few students shifted uneasily in their seats. Some whispered concerns about grades or even graduation certificates. Others speculated about semester rankings.

Only Kōenji Rokusuke, still leaning casually by the back door, let out a knowing chuckle.

"So that's how it is…" he mused.

And then—

"It's about points."

The voice that answered was not Kure Ragna's.

Yukinoshita Haruno had taken the initiative, stepping up beside the podium as she spoke.

"All the keywords mentioned earlier—'lateness,' 'class quality,' 'punishments,' and 'resentment from the whole class'—they all point to a common denominator. The school is enforcing a rule where one student's mistakes affect the entire class."

She paused, letting that sink in before delivering the final blow.

"And what's the one thing that can make the entire class resent someone? Points."

The class fell into stunned silence.

"A-Are you saying…" Haruki Yamauchi gulped. "If one person screws up, we all lose points?"

Kure Ragna's gaze locked onto him.

"Now that you mention it," he said casually, "you've been playing games under your desk all day."

"That's nonsense!" Yamauchi scoffed. "Do you have proof?"

Kure Ragna's smirk widened. "Why don't you check how much battery your console has left?"

"Hah, fine! Look, it's still fully—" Yamauchi froze as realization dawned.

"Oh? And I suppose your power bank is also still at full charge?"

The color drained from Yamauchi's face.

Unfortunately for him, he had proudly shown off his 20,000mAh power bank that morning. Now, it sat on his desk—plugged in, nearly drained.

The class stirred again.

"Wait… doesn't that mean Yamauchi wasted our points just to play games in class?" Satsuki Shinohara blurted out.

"No, it's not that bad," Kure Ragna reassured them. "The school probably won't directly deduct points from individual student cards. But…"

He paused for effect, then delivered the final punchline.

"At most, it'll reduce the number of points we receive next month."

"WHAT?!"

The class erupted into a frenzy.

"No way! We were supposed to get 100,000 points a month!"

"Chabashira-sensei literally said we'd be given that amount every month!"

"You're just spreading paranoia!"

As the arguments grew heated, Hirata Yōsuke and Kushida Kikyo, ever the peacekeepers, stepped in.

"Everyone, let's calm down." Hirata's voice was gentle yet firm.

"Yes, there's no need to jump to conclusions," Kushida added with a smile. "Kure Ragna himself said this is just an inference—"

But Kure Ragna merely smirked.

"Who told you we'd get 100,000 points every month?" He glanced toward the doorway.

"Shall we review exactly what Chabashira-sensei said yesterday?"

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka remained silent, watching from his seat with an unreadable expression.

So, it's exactly as I thought.

He had suspected this from the moment the school failed to provide a clear grading structure. The vagueness was intentional—students were meant to remain unaware of how their actions influenced their class ranking.

After his conversation with Chabashira-sensei yesterday, he had already been about 80% sure that their point distribution wasn't arbitrary. Now, with Kure Ragna's explanation, that certainty had risen to 100%.

Still, this wasn't something particularly important to him.

But I suppose I should acknowledge that Kure Ragna figured it out. Even though it doesn't matter to me, it's still commendable.

Despite this thought, his expression remained blank, showing no reaction whatsoever.

At the same time, another person seemed completely unfazed.

Horikita Suzune sat with her arms crossed, her gaze sharp yet unreadable. She hadn't reacted to the initial uproar, nor had she shown any surprise when Kure Ragna spoke. Instead, she seemed mildly irritated.

"...I was already thinking along the same lines."

Her voice cut through the tension, causing a few heads to turn.

"Kure Ragna, your explanation was useful for those who hadn't realized it yet. But this isn't something groundbreaking."

Her tone was as cold as ever, carrying a hint of condescension.

"If anything, it's disappointing that so many students failed to pick up on it themselves."

Some students looked offended, but Suzune ignored them.

Kure Ragna, however, merely smirked.

"Well, congratulations on keeping up, Horikita."

"It wasn't difficult," she replied flatly.

Kure Ragna turned back to the class.

A heavy silence fell over the class.

And then—

"Isn't that right, Chabashira-sensei?"