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Why would the homeroom teacher suddenly come looking for him?
Immediately after lunch, Akira hadn't even reached his classroom when he saw a teacher standing at the entrance of Class 1-D.
It wasn't their class's Chabashira, but Class B's Hoshinomiya.
She was wearing a short skirt today, her small lips pursed, a half-smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
Seeing him approach, she waved and greeted, "Shimizu-kun, good afternoon."
Her tone was as lighthearted as if she were talking about something trivial.
But Hoshinomiya just stood there at the entrance, her eye-catching figure immediately drawing the attention of other students.
After all, Hoshinomiya, to be fair, despite her somewhat erratic personality, her looks were undeniably stunning. Her figure was curvaceous, and her dress sense wasn't at all conservative like other female teachers. Instead, she was impeccably dressed every day, looking exactly like a university student going on a date.
Teenage boys, sometimes, are more easily attracted to older women with good figures than to the innocent beauties in their own class.
Plus, her personality was always easygoing, and she always greeted students from various classes, so she wasn't a stranger among the students.
Now, being cornered by Hoshinomiya at the classroom door, Akira felt the surrounding gazes filled with inquiry, mixed with a hint of undisguised envy.
Just like Yamauchi and Ike not far away, whispering together, their shoulders occasionally bumping.
Akira could guess what these two guys were thinking even with his eyes closed. Nothing but thoughts like "He's already dated Kushida, so how can such a cute teacher personally come looking for him?" probably even imagining some far-fetched scenarios.
He actually wanted to rush over and knock their heads: the school rules clearly stated that inappropriate relationships were forbidden, and even if this high school approved of student couples, relationships between teachers and students should be absolutely disallowed.
But with Hoshinomiya's gaze fixed on him, he didn't even have a chance to move, only able to let those two inquisitive stares burn two holes in him.
"Hoshinomiya-sensei, is there something you need me for?" Akira composed himself and spoke first.
"Come over here." Hoshinomiya waved at him with a smile, her tone lighthearted as if inviting him to share a secret. "I just want to say a few words to you."
"..." Although Akira couldn't guess her intention, his peripheral vision caught the surveillance camera in the corner of the hallway, and he still walked over as instructed.
To his surprise, he'd expected Hoshinomiya, given her personality, to most likely adopt a frivolous posture to tease him again, but at this moment, a rare seriousness appeared on her face.
"Shimizu-kun, what exactly is your goal at this school?"
"Graduation." Akira answered almost instinctively.
After all, the system sent him to this world, and his ultimate goal was to graduate successfully.
"Then before graduation." Hoshinomiya's eyes held more inquiry. "Do you want to graduate as a Class A student? Or as a Class D student?"
Akira didn't answer this time. In fact, this answer seemed not very important to him.
According to the system, his mission was simply to graduate from this school.
But from an ordinary person's perspective, Class A is naturally the best. As the top class in the entire school, graduates can easily enter elite universities, such as the top 100 ranked University of Tokyo. Graduating from such a prestigious school, entering a world-class company is simply a matter of course.
Hoshinomiya suddenly changed the subject, her voice lowered. "I'll tell you secretly, I'm also a graduate of this school. Speaking of which, I used to be a Class D student too."
She looked at the window at the end of the hallway, a hint of complexity in her tone. "I know Class D too well. Many times, what hinders Class D from advancing is never a lack of ability, but human nature. Everyone always dislikes unity, always loves to do inexplicable things, always focuses only on their own interests, completely disregarding other students."
As she spoke, her expression inexplicably darkened, as if she'd touched upon an unpleasant memory.
"I am not lying to you." She emphasized again, with a rare earnestness in her eyes. "Since this school was founded, no Class D has ever successfully risen to Class A. As for the fate of Class D graduates, you should be able to guess without me saying. Shimizu-kun, I genuinely want to tell you, there's no future for you if you stay in Class D."
Akira was truly surprised this time.
He could tell that Hoshinomiya's words weren't entirely lies. The Student Council President had mentioned to him before that no Class D had ever successfully entered Class A. As for her graduate status, last week's intelligence clearly stated: Chabashira was a peer in Class D during her first year, and since she was her high school best friend, she naturally used to be in Class D as well.
To be fair, her tone and expression at this moment truly resembled someone genuinely looking out for him.
But what was that old Chinese saying? "To take, one must first give."
She'd laid so much groundwork. She wouldn't be so kind to him for no reason.
"Then, do you want me to join Class A?" He followed her logic, tentatively throwing out an answer.
"Oh, Class A isn't that easy to get into." The seriousness on Hoshinomiya's face suddenly vanished, and she gave him a chiding glance, her tone returning to its usual cheerfulness. "Shimizu-kun, you little dummy, what are you thinking?"
She revealed that nonchalant smile again.
Only she knew that she'd just inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed he'd taken the bait.
After all, everything she said was the truth.
There was no reason for him not to believe it.
As for the matter of her and Chabashira having worked together to lead Class D all the way through, only to fall short of Class A by one final step, she naturally wouldn't mention that.
She wasn't stupid. Why would she openly tell him that Class D actually had a chance to rise to Class A?
However, to be fair, they really were just one step away back then.
The thought of the outrageous things Chabashira did back then made her stomach clench, and even the slight guilt about poaching her student largely dissipated.
'This is what Chabashira deserves!'
She snorted coldly in her heart, a smile still on her face, but a faint chill flashed in her eyes.
"But you know, Shimizu-kun, you've hit the jackpot." Hoshinomiya suddenly leaned in a step, her voice filled with joyful laughter. "I think you're handsome and you seem to catch Ichinose's eye, so it's not impossible to reserve a spot in Class B for you."
She threw out this sentence with a playful smile, her voice trailing off with a hint of triumphant pride, as if seeking credit.
All the heartfelt groundwork laid earlier, those sentiments about the difficulties of Class D, were merely a prelude.
This sentence was her true objective.