Chapter 283 Adjustment of Class Treatment / Still Jealous After All
After the sports festival ended, two weeks of October slipped away quietly, and it was soon the end of the month.
Shimizu Akira's first thought regarding October was: Wait, where did my vacation go?
He felt like there should have been a seven-day break.
Here, as soon as the sports festival curtain fell, the school—far from giving students a rest—immediately arranged mid-term exams.
This school had a rigid rule: failing a single subject in mid-terms or finals meant immediate expulsion. Consequently, he had spent the last two weeks cramming and had only just stepped out of the examination hall two days prior.
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but Shimizu felt this mid-term was easier than before; many questions were basically middle school level. He felt he did quite well.
The results weren't out yet, but he saw an announcement in the class group chat that Chabashira-sensei would announce them this afternoon.
Today was Monday, but Shimizu and the rest of Class 1-C weren't in their classroom; the entire grade was gathered in the gymnasium. It was the day of the Student Council General Election.
As discussed during his dinner with Horikita Manabu back in September, Manabu was stepping down as Student Council President once October arrived.
This timing was actually earlier than in previous years; Shimizu's research showed that the council usually turned over at the end of December, but it was currently only the middle of the second semester. He wasn't sure if this was Manabu's personal choice or the school's arrangement.
The rules for selecting the new president were clear: candidates couldn't be third-years and had to be current members of the student council. As for the process, since the school advocated for student self-management, it was a voting system. However, only second and third-year students had the right to vote, and it was entirely anonymous via email.
The results were just announced by the staff:
1st Place: Nagumo Miyabi, 162 votes. 2nd Place: Kiriyama Ikuto, 42 votes. 3rd Place: Asahina Nazuna, 21 votes.
This outcome was expected. Nagumo had long ago subjugated all four classes in the second year. When Shimizu first saw the name "Kiriyama Ikuto," he thought it belonged to a girl, but
seeing him today revealed a serious male senpai who remained calm upon hearing the results.
The third-place winner, Asahina Nazuna, simply stated she never intended to fight for the presidency anyway.
Interestingly, the new council member Ichinose Honami actually received 8 votes, ranking 8th. She looked perplexed, likely thinking it was odd to receive so many votes after being in the council for less than two months.
Standing in the crowd, Shimizu felt that Ichinose stole several glances at him while on stage, though he wasn't sure if he was imagining it.
The staff member at the podium spoke into the microphone: "Based on the results, Nagumo Miyabi is elected as the new Student Council President! Do the second and third-year students have any objections?"
"No objections!"
"We're graduating soon anyway, doesn't matter who it is."
"I didn't vote. Nagumo's conduct with the opposite sex is problematic; his presidency is questionable!"
"That's only around 120 votes for him? I remember when Horikita Manabu was elected, he won by a landslide with 290 votes, didn't he?"
The first-years remained mostly silent as the vote didn't involve them, but whispers rippled through the upperclasses.
Shimizu listened in and realized the second-years mostly supported Nagumo, while the third-years were split.
The gossip about Manabu's 290 votes surprised him—with 320 students across two grades (not counting expulsions and council members), that was a staggering majority.
"Since there are no objections, President Horikita, as the outgoing president, do you have any comments?"
"None. The vote was fair. According to regulation, Vice President Nagumo, you are now the new Student Council President," Manabu nodded without hesitation.
Nagumo, who had been watching Manabu's expressions, finally relaxed and said confidently, "Thank you for your support, President."
"Then, please, President Horikita, deliver your farewell speech."
Manabu stepped to the mic.
"Having served as President for nearly two years, I sincerely thank everyone for your trust. However, as President, I rarely intervened in the school's special exams. Even when invited to
help design them, I declined. Looking back, perhaps participating could have secured more reasonable arrangements for the students."
He paused.
"I believe students are students; overstepping into the school's pedagogical affairs is inappropriate. Though this school follows 'meritocracy,' I sometimes feel using expulsion to determine a student's stay is too cruel.
Thus, I occasionally used council resources to help lagging classes.
Yet, every time I did, I felt conflicted—after all, once we leave this campus, we face a society far more realistic and ruthless. I haven't fully found the balance. For these shortcomings as President, I apologize."
He bowed slightly. The crowd immediately erupted.
"President, you did great!"
"You never used exams for personal gain; that's rare enough!"
"You never took a single personal point from us and even used your own money to help students in need! How is that not good enough?"
Shimizu watched this, thinking Manabu was far too humble. He had seen forum posts detailing Manabu's contributions; the teachers even considered him the best president in the school's history. And yet, the man was still reflecting on his "failures." It made sense why he had been elected with such a high margin before.
Interestingly, Shimizu realized the Student Council President actually had the power to influence special exam designs.
The position was much more powerful than he thought.
As the applause died down, Nagumo Miyabi stepped forward. He bowed 90 degrees to Manabu.
"I am Nagumo Miyabi of Class 2-A. President Horikita, thank you for your strict yet kind guidance. I disagree with some of what you said—your contribution is unparalleled. In my heart and everyone's, you are the best president ever. I wish you a brilliant life in university."
It didn't sound like a lie. Even though Nagumo had personality issues, his respect for Manabu was genuine. Manabu was the one who scouted him into the council; as long as Nagumo had a shred of humanity, that respect was real.
Straightening up, Nagumo's expression shifted to one of absolute confidence.
"I am Nagumo Miyabi, and as of today, I am the President. I look forward to working with you all."
Then, his tone shifted.
"President Horikita mentioned 'meritocracy.' I've always wondered—has this school truly achieved that? I don't think so.
Aside from class names and graduation placements, the four classes seem to have no major differences.
In this regard, I believe the school and President Horikita have been too lenient. This school should select the most useful and elite students for society. If these students have no privileges, how do we motivate the strong to climb?
Therefore, my first measure is to announce an adjustment in class treatment: The 'trash' Class D will no longer enjoy the same treatment as the other three. Specifically, their dormitory environment and classroom equipment will be replaced with old, worn-out gear starting today. Rest assured, this will not affect teaching staff; educational fairness must be maintained.
As for Classes A, B, and C, there are no changes for now. But I promise that Class A, as the first place, will receive more benefits and rewards in the future.
I pledge that all my actions will revolve around one core: 'The capable climb, the incapable fall.' I will turn this school into a true meritocracy. Thank you."
The gym went silent for a few seconds before erupting in chaos. Most of the noise came from Class 1-D.
"Based on what?! Just because we're Class D, we get crappy dorms and broken equipment?"
"This is unfair! Everyone was treated the same before!"
"That's not meritocracy; that's just targeting us!"
Some Class D students tried to rush forward but were stopped by a grim-looking Ryuen Kakeru.
Class 1-A was silent, many looking satisfied—especially Sakayanagi Arisu, who looked amused at the prospect of new privileges.
Classes B and C whispered among themselves, relieved it wasn't them but feeling Nagumo was being extreme.
Shimizu was surprised.
He knew Nagumo would create a hierarchy, but he didn't expect him to be this aggressive right out of the gate, using Class D as his sacrificial lamb.
A "new official's three fires," perhaps?
Nagumo spoke into the mic again, smiling.
"Quiet. I know Class D has objections, but these are the rules of meritocracy. If you fall behind, you accept the punishment. If you want better treatment, use your abilities to climb to a higher class."
He looked at the first-years.
"Especially you. The upcoming exams will be crucial. If you don't want to live in a dump or use broken gear, work hard. Don't let yourselves fall into the Class D pit. Fight your way up!"
This threw cold water on Class D's anger, replacing it with clenched fists. The school staff quickly stepped in to end the assembly and dismissed the classes.
As Shimizu walked out with Class C, he heard the chatter.
"This new president is brutal."
"Life's going to be hard if we drop down."
"We are Class D! And we just fell here!"
"President Horikita would never do this... I miss him already."
At the gym entrance, Ryuen Kakeru from Class 1-D stared at Shimizu's group intently.
After being targeted by Nagumo, Ryuen would likely take his frustration out on other classes—and Class C, being the closest to them, was a prime target.
'Wait, is this one of Nagumo's goals?'
Provoke Class D to stir up conflict and make the competition among the lower years more intense. But how exactly did Ryuen offend Nagumo so badly that the man couldn't wait to cut Class D down the second he took office?
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Shimizu returned to the classroom just after 10:30 AM. He remembered he hadn't checked his "Daily Intelligence" yet.
October 20th is the birthday of both Ayanokouji Kiyotaka and Ryuen Kakeru. Yukimura Teruhiko of Class 1-C hates being called by his first name, Teruhiko. In this mid-term, Yamauchi Haruki of Class 1-C was 11 points short of passing several subjects and should have been expelled, but he spent a large amount of personal points to buy those 11 points from Chabashira-sensei.
Regarding the first point, Shimizu was stunned.
'Ayanokouji and Ryuen share a birthday?'
Today was the 16th, so it was in four days. Ayanokouji was his friend, so he needed to prepare. He'd contact Ike and Sudo later to plan a surprise.
As for Ryuen... he didn't care, but the coincidence was amusing.
Point two: Yukimura has that taboo? Noted.
Point three: The school had lowered the standards for this exam, yet Yamauchi still failed by 11 points? He recalled that because Yamauchi slacked off during the sports festival, he was in the bottom ten and lost 10 points on his exams.
Shimizu had confirmed with Manabu back in the first semester that buying points was a thing. You could buy them for yourself or others, but at 100,000 points per point, it was painfully expensive. Yamauchi needed 1.1 million points.
Where did Yamauchi get that much? He got 200,000 from Ryuen during the VIP exam and 300,000 after the sports festival.
That's 500,000—still 600,000 short. And knowing Yamauchi, he probably spent most of it already.
The answer was obvious: Ryuen must have quietly covered the 1.1 million. Ryuen was ruthless—he had probably sunk nearly 2 million points into Yamauchi by now just to have a useful pawn inside Class 1-C to gather info or stir up trouble.
His seatmate, Horikita Suzune, looked up at him. She looked like she wanted to say something, hesitated, then looked back at her book.
"Just say it," Shimizu prompted.
Suzune looked him in the eye. "...I just want to know your thoughts on Nagumo's new policy."
"Aggressive, but it fits his style," Shimizu replied.
"Using Class D as a test case establishes his authority and lets him observe the other classes. It'll probably motivate some people."
Historically, many students (including Shimizu) weren't that proactive about class rank. But Nagumo's "the strong get more, the weak get less" rule provided a tangible incentive.
Regardless of Nagumo's ulterior motives, Shimizu didn't think it was entirely a bad thing. They weren't Class D, so they weren't affected for now.
"I agree," Suzune said after a moment.
"The previous state looked fair, but it encouraged laziness. A bottom class could stay at the bottom and still have the same dorms and gear. Nagumo's rule is extreme, but it puts 'effort equals reward' on the table.
To live well, you have to win. It adds pressure and drive. And since teaching staff won't change, fairness in education is preserved."
"True." Shimizu nodded, looking at her.
"The school isn't a charity. Nagumo just ripped off the veil. If you can't handle this pressure, you'll be weeded out in society anyway."
He could feel that Suzune was analyzing things logically now, rather than emotionally. She had matured significantly.
One thing was a bit surprising: after their kiss in the dorm, he had told her he had two girlfriends, but their relationship hadn't changed. Suzune, as she said, didn't seem to care and treated him normally.
Suddenly, the voices of two girls drifted from the front of the room. Hasabe Haruka walked up to Kushida Kikyo.
"Kikyo-chan, thank you so much for talking me through things! I'm so glad I went to you this weekend!"
"Hehe, no need to thank me," Kushida smiled gently. "I'm happy to help a classmate. As long as everyone is happy, I'm satisfied."
"You're too kind, doing so much for the class. You even tutored me so many times for the mid-terms," Hasabe continued.
'Another private consultation?' Shimizu thought with a pained expression.
'That's another entry in Kikyo's 'dark history' notebook.'
How many secrets was his girlfriend hoarding now?
Suzune noticed his reaction and looked at Kushida.
"I didn't expect even Hasabe to be completely won over by her."
"Hasabe is a decent person, isn't she?" Shimizu remarked instinctively.
"Only to you, Kushida, and Sakura-san! She's only kind and friendly to you three," Suzune's tone sharpened.
"To everyone else, she always has a sour face."
"Is that so?" Shimizu thought about it. Indeed, Hasabe was cold to others but different with them.
The next second, Suzune dropped a line that made him freeze: "So, besides Kushida, Kamuro, and me, are you planning to make a move on Hasabe-kun as well?"
"Uh..." Shimizu's lip twitched.
Okay, scratch what he thought earlier.
Suzune did care about the girlfriend situation; she just buried her emotions deeper than before.
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The afternoon classes began. Chabashira-sensei walked in but didn't speak immediately, scanning the room. Ike, Sudo, and others looked serious; no one whispered.
After a few seconds, she smiled—an unusual sight.
"Good. You can keep your composure now. Compared to the start of the year, you've grown. No one even asked for their grades early."
She picked up the score sheet.
"I'll post the results on the board. Check your names and scores to see if you passed the red line."
She pinned the sheet to the board. Shimizu looked and saw Yamauchi Haruki at the very bottom. He had hovered around 40 in every subject—dead last. Sato was second to last, then Ike. Sudo was slightly higher at 11th from the bottom.
This made sense.
Sudo had taken several first places in the sports festival, earning bonus points that boosted his grades. At the top were the usual faces: Hirata Yousuke, Horikita Suzune, and Koenji Rokusuke. Yukimura Teruhiko was 4th; considering he lost 10 points due to the sports festival, it was an impressive rank. Shimizu himself was 5th.
He scanned his scores—perfect in almost everything. Only Japanese was an 88, and that was only after he applied the 12 bonus points he earned from the sports festival.
He hadn't slacked off, but Japanese reading comprehension was a weakness that couldn't be fixed overnight. If he could improve that, ranking in the top three would be easy.
Chabashira picked up a marker and drew a heavy line on the board. The class held its breath, expecting a list of expulsions. Instead, she wrote a "0" below the line.
"Congratulations. For this mid-term, the number of expulsions in Class C is zero," she said with rare praise.
"In all my years teaching here, this is the first time I've seen a zero-expulsion mid-term. I must say, you've done very well."
"Yes! The effort in the sports festival paid off!"
"Even Chabashira-sensei praised us! This is incredible!"