Chapter 321 Dissing Nagumo Miyabi in Public / Is This Guy a Tsundere Villain?!
"So, does anyone have thoughts on how to specifically arrange the members of these six groups?" Kaneda Satoru pushed up his glasses.
"I personally lean toward an '11+1+1+1' model. Each class provides 11 people, and the other three classes provide one person each to form a team. This maximizes the multipliers."
"According to the rules, the maximum multiplier for a first-place finish is: 3 (Base Points) * 3 (Four Classes) * 1.4 (14 People) * 2 (Responsible Person) = 25.2.
Rounding it gives 25 class points per person. A group has 11 members from our class, meaning a first-place finish could net the class 275 points in one go."
"And for second place, 1 * 3 *1.4 * 2*11, which can bring in up to 92 class points."
"I think this distribution is acceptable."
"No objections from me." Kanzaki Ryuji and Hirata Yousuke exchanged looks and nodded in succession.
This was indeed a relatively fair competitive plan. The current standings were:
Class 1-A: 1,160 points Class 1-B: 885 points Class 1-C: 695 points Class 1-D: 590 points
Class A had completely lost the possibility of getting the most class points in this exam. For the remaining three classes, whoever took first place had the chance to leapfrog the others.
No wonder the school set the "redemption" cost at 400 class points; this exam offered the largest potential point gain so far. It made sense to set the punishment threshold high.
Soon, Kaneda, Hirata, and Kanzaki began gathering members as the leads of their respective first groups. Since these groups had the highest winning potential and the best private point rewards—and consisted mostly of classmates—people flocked to them.
After five or six minutes, Hirata's group was full. Left behind were only five people: Shimizu Akira, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, Yukimura Teruhiko, Koenji Rokusuke, and Miyake Akito.
Miyake walked over to Akira and Yukimura, whispering, "Hirata cares too much about protecting classmates... he didn't filter by ability at all, just took whoever came first. Compared to him, Kaneda and Kanzaki are being much stricter. At this rate, our chances of winning are low."
"I agree," Yukimura pushed up his glasses. "Shimizu, you should have joined Hirata's group. At least then you'd have a shot at a high rank."
"Well, that's just Hirata's style," Akira said, unbothered.
"Don't you think people feel safer because he's like that? Protecting classmates isn't a bad thing. Besides..." He paused, glancing at the upperclassmen teams forming nearby.
"Even if I joined Hirata, a win isn't guaranteed. Don't forget, the senpais can sway the outcome too."
"Fair point. The first years only influence a third of the result," Ayanokouji added calmly.
"So why didn't you guys move?" Akira asked.
"I'm not good with large teams," Ayanokouji replied simply.
"Fewer people means more freedom."
Miyake nodded.
"And I heard the dorms have bunk beds. 14 people in one room... I can't imagine the squeeze. Fewer people is better."
"I felt like I might hold them back, so I didn't go," Yukimura admitted hesitantly.
"My stamina has always been an issue."
"Stamina isn't everything! There are academic components too!" Akira patted his shoulder.
Eventually, the first years formed four main teams. Out of the 79 boys (C: 19, others: 20):
Group B: (11B, 1A, 1C, 1D) = 14 people Group C: (11C, 1A, 1B, 1D) = 14 people Group D: (11D, 1A, 1C, 1B) = 14 people Group A-support: (10A, 4B) = 14 people
The fourth group was Kaneda's idea to absorb the excess Class A students. Since it only involved two classes, it had no multiplier, effectively capping Class A's potential gains.
This left 23 students (7A, 3B, 6C, 7D), enough for two more groups.
"Whoa... Ryuen Kakeru is in there!"
"I don't want to be in a group with a violent freak like him!"
Many of the remaining students showed clear rejection upon seeing Ryuen. Only Ishizaki Daichi and Yamada Albert stood loyally by his side.
"Tch, that guy..." Miyake clicked his tongue. "Ostracized as expected. Actually, he and I were middle school classmates."
"Classmates?" Akira was surprised. "No wonder you seemed to know so much about him."
"Hey! Kaneda! Hirata! You said we'd only target Class A! What's with targeting Ryuen-san now?!" Ishizaki charged toward the completed groups to demand an answer.
"Given Ryuen-kun's long-term management style... it's only natural for people to react this way," Kaneda shrugged helplessly.
"Hehe, there are 23 of us. Why not just dump Ryuen and let the other 22 form two groups?" someone from Class A chimed in maliciously.
"You want our class to lose 100 points for nothing? Bastard!" several Class D students barked back.
"Since you care so much about Ryuen, why don't you just take him in?"
The first-year progress ground to a halt because of one man. Akira's mouth twitched.
'This guy gets hated everywhere he goes... in a way, that's a talent.'
Ryuen himself looked pissed and kicked Ishizaki and Albert.
"Beat it. I don't need your charity!"
"It's come to this," Kaneda said with a sour face, proposing a compromise.
"Fine. Anyone willing to join Ryuen's group, Class D will subsidize you with 100,000 private points. Please just cooperate."
"100k points..."
"Tch, even for money, I don't want to be on his team!"
The response was cold. 100k wasn't much to Class A—it was just a month's allowance. What if the guy hit them in the middle of the night?
Miyake Akito shook his head at the stalemate. He stepped forward.
"Fine. I'll form a group and serve as the Responsible Person, and Ryuen can join. In exchange, Class D pays me 200,000 private points. Acceptable?"
"...Accepted. I'll transfer it after the exam," Kaneda agreed after a moment. 200k could be paid from class funds; it was worth it to avoid a disaster.
"Good. Then we can move forward." Miyake sighed, looking at the crowd. "I'm short on points lately. Joining my group carries no risk—even if we come in last, I'm the only one who gets expelled. As for Ryuen," he glanced sideways, "I'll keep an eye on him. If he steps out of line, I'll just take him down with me when I get expelled. That should settle your safety concerns."
"Hmph. Miyake, you think you can take me down? Interesting." Ryuen finally spoke, turning his gaze to Kaneda. "And you, Kaneda, you're quite good at playing the generous host with my old class funds."
"This... this is a necessary expenditure to get you into a group," Kaneda replied, his voice trembling slightly despite his attempt at composure.
Ryuen didn't say another word. Ishizaki and Albert silently stood with the two. Miyake joined them, and the four stood together. Even with the 100k incentive, no other students stepped up—until Akira, Ayanokouji, and Yukimura walked over.
"Eh? You three..."
"Miyake, I'm not comfortable letting you handle Ryuen alone. Safety in numbers."
"I'm here for the points."
"Since you're the leader, thinking rationally, the multiplier for your group is better value."
"...You guys." Miyake was momentarily speechless, his gratitude too deep to voice, so he just turned away.
Seeing this, the other students finally began filling out the sixth group. Ten minutes later, the roster was complete:
Class C: Shimizu Akira, Yukimura Teruhiko, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, Miyake Akito, Koenji Rokusuke Class B: Moriyama Susumu Class A: Hashimoto Masayoshi, Katsuragi Kohei Class D: Ryuen Kakeru, Ishizaki Daichi, Yamada Albert Total: 11 people.
Hashimoto, Katsuragi, and Moriyama joined voluntarily. Koenji was only there because no other group would take him. Miyake, considering Koenji was a Class C student whose expulsion would cost the class 100 points, dragged him in. With Ryuen already there, adding one more "troublemaker" didn't make much difference.
"Katsuragi... why did you crawl over here? Hehe, I guess things in Class A are rough if a mere 100k points lures you in."
"Don't trouble yourself, Ryuen. At least I haven't fallen to the point where everyone avoids me like the plague."
(Conversation between Katsuragi and Ryuen)
"My, my, well done, Miyake-boy! Now I can spend another special exam completely stress-free~"
"Don't get it twisted. I didn't let you join to protect you; it was purely for the class."
(Conversation between Koenji and Miyake)
"This group's strength seems okay... we've got Ryuen-san and Shimizu! But that four-eyed guy looks like he'll be dead weight."
"You're Ishizaki-kun, right? This exam isn't just about athletics."
(Conversation between Ishizaki and Yukimura)
"Hashimoto, why did you join? What task did Sakayanagi assign you this time? I haven't forgotten the island."
"Katsuragi, this was my own idea. I didn't have a choice back then, but I want to be a good person... I truly think this group is interesting."
(Conversation between Katsuragi and Hashimoto)
Akira glanced at Ryuen, who snorted and looked away. That was the extent of their conversation. Aside from the classmates, almost everyone had a grudge against someone else. A gathering of troublesome personalities; the atmosphere was delicate.
"I wonder what will become of this group..." Ayanokouji muttered to himself.
Once all six rosters were finalized, the Responsible Persons submitted them to the school. No more changes could be made.
"It seems you have successfully grouped within your grade. Next, please form Large Groups with other grades. The school will not interfere; negotiate freely. You must finalize the six Large Groups by 8:00 PM," the school staff announced via microphone.
"Any ideas? Which senior group should we pick? Anyone know any upperclassmen?" Hashimoto asked, as no one else was speaking. The others just shook their heads.
Just then, the leaders of the 2nd and 3rd years walked to the center. Nagumo Miyabi spoke with a smile: "I have a proposal. One representative from each of the six first-year groups will play Rock-Paper-Scissors. The winner gets first pick of the senior groups, and so on."
He turned to Horikita Manabu. "What do you think, Horikita-senpai?"
"...I want to hear the first years' opinions first. If they agree, I have no problem." Manabu's calm gaze shifted to the first years.
"Everyone, this is beneficial for you too. No objections, right?" Nagumo pressed confidently.
"But I already talked to a senior I know. This makes it random!"
"But our group doesn't know anyone... if we can win priority through RPS, that sounds okay?"
The crowd murmured. Nagumo's eyes suddenly landed on Akira.
"Shimizu-kouhai, you've performed excellently in previous exams, even taking first in the 10km run. I'd love to hear your thoughts on my proposal. Speak up for the first years."
'Here it comes...' The exam hadn't even started, and Nagumo was already targeting him. Speaking for the whole grade was a trap—one wrong word could offend half the students.
Akira looked up calmly. "Nagumo-president, you aren't seriously using such a ridiculous proposal to test us, are you? Is this... truly your honest thought?"
Nagumo's lip twitched. "It is. It's not a test."
"Alright, I see." Akira nodded, his tone indifferent. "Then I'll just say a few words. Everyone, just listen."
"First, the theme of this exam is the growth of 'Spirit, Social Skills, and Social Adaptability.' I believe the school set this up to simulate real-world social challenges. Conversely, Nagumo-president's proposal simplifies the process into a game of chance, turning this exam into something like a variety show segment. This runs completely counter to the social adaptability the school wants us to develop.
If this were just a random student's idea, I could understand it as being lazy. But you are the Student Council President; you bear the responsibility of testing and guiding students. The Council has the right to know about exams in advance. Tell me, President, have you actually read the documents for this exam? Themes are important. Our homeroom teacher emphasizes this every time. How can you not understand that?
Just like your proposal at the start of the second semester to strip Class D of dorm amenities and AC, I find this 'Rock-Paper-Scissors' proposal equally terrible. I suggest you withdraw it."
"...What a sharp speech!"
"First time I've heard Shimizu be so blunt."
"Straight to the point! He's right!"
Many first years nodded in agreement. Even the school staff glanced at Akira. Akira's aggression was at its peak.
If Nagumo were a regular student, Akira might not have found fault; everyone is free to suggest things. But as President, with early access to info and privileges, he had an obligation to design a process that actually tested students. Using RPS to save effort was an insult to the opportunity for students to showcase their social skills. Simply put, it was irresponsible.
"The theme is important!"
"True... our teacher always stresses that. Changing it to RPS is definitely a problem."
"By the way, doesn't Nagumo-senpai still owe Class D an apology? Didn't he say he'd apologize at the start of the third semester?"
"Yeah! Where's the apology?!"
The Class D students were still fuming about the AC incident; many had just recovered from colds.
Nagumo's face darkened, his fists clenching. He'd been countered on his own turf.
'This guy can not only fight, but he can talk too?'
Mocking his irresponsibility while digging up his past failures? Akira was too underhanded!
"Everyone in Class D, regarding compensation and the apology, I promise to handle it once we return to school after this exam. The incident regarding amenities... was indeed my mistake. Therefore, I am willing to compensate each Class D student with 200,000 private points."
"What if there are long-term effects? You taking responsibility?!" Ryuen roared.
"Hey, just 200k? What about the students who got sick?"
"...Students who got sick, if they can provide records of medicine purchases or doctor visits, I will pay an additional 500,000 points," Nagumo added through gritted teeth.
He bowed his head. "The matter of class treatment ends here. As for the grouping process, the Rock-Paper-Scissors method was indeed inappropriate. As President, I was inconsiderate. I apologize. And thank you, Shimizu-kun, for giving me a profound lesson."
Akira withdrew his gaze without responding.
Nagumo was sensible enough not to keep arguing; he'd backed down quickly.
Honestly, Akira thought Nagumo was a bit of an idiot. Proposing such a crude plan and specifically asking Akira for his take was like begging for a public scolding. It felt good to let it rip.
He glanced at Ryuen. Ryuen was smirking and caught his eye.
'This guy certainly seized the opportunity...'
Ryuen had jumped in to hike the price, squeezing even more points out of Nagumo. Between the flat compensation and the medical bonuses, Class D was looking at over 10 million points from Nagumo.
'How many points does that guy have saved up? Must be at least 30 million by now.'
Nagumo then asked Akira for his suggestion on grouping.
Akira wasn't stupid—he wasn't going to stick his neck out further. He was just a first-year kouhai.
In Japan's strict senpai-kouhai hierarchy, he only spoke up because Nagumo forced him to. This time, he decisively handed the lead back to Horikita Manabu. In terms of experience, prestige, and ability, the former President of Class 3-A was the only one fit to moderate.
Manabu quickly proposed a four-stage process:
Self-Presentation: Reps introduce their groups' composition and members. Free Exchange: Groups talk to find compatibility in personality and interests. Voting: Groups list preferred partners from other grades in order of priority. Matching & Negotiation: Mutual selections are finalized; non-mutuals are negotiated.
Each stage was time-consuming. Presentation alone required members to actually know each other first—after all, you can't introduce a team you don't understand. By the second stage, Akira's group managed some awkward conversations but found a couple of decent 2nd and 3rd year teams.
The third and fourth stages took the most time. Nagumo's group and Manabu's group were high-demand targets. Eventually, with Manabu coordinating, the six Large Groups were finalized by 5:00 PM.
"I'm exhausted... self-presentation is really not my thing."
"Yeah, and having to turn down those polite senpais..."
"Hmph... I bet they were all just after the Koenji family fortune? Hmph!"
"You're overthinking it, Koenji!"
Akira's group sighed in exhaustion.
"But this was a test in itself. After that round, I suddenly feel confident talking to strangers... I learned how to show my strengths."
"More like Horikita-senpai's process was just that good. It was seamless. Even the school staff looked impressed."
"I saw them talking to him—they'll probably use this model for future exams."
"I really can't tell who the actual President is anymore!"
"Hmph, a piece of trash like Nagumo isn't fit to shine Manabu's shoes," Ryuen sneered. He surprisingly respected Manabu's ability.
Akira's group ended up paired with 2nd-year Mikitani's group and 3rd-year Tsunoda's group. It wasn't the ideal result—everyone wanted Manabu—but Manabu's group was simply too popular.
Finally, it was time to disperse. Lugging their bags, they followed a teacher to their assigned dorm. The room featured wooden bunk beds. Since there were 11 of them and five sets of bunks, there was, surprisingly, one single bed.
'The school is being mischievous again!'
"A single bed!"
"That's the prime spot!"
Koenji smiled and headed toward it, but Ryuen blocked him.
"Hey! Koenji."
"Oh? Ryuen-boy is making a move on me for the first time? What, you want this bed too?" Koenji asked with a playful grin.
Ryuen didn't answer him. He looked at Miyake.
"Hey! Miyake! You decide. You're the Responsible Person."
"Fair call."
"I have no problem with that."
Hashimoto and Katsuragi agreed.
Koenji raised an eyebrow.
"Hehe~ Ryuen-boy acts tough, but he's actually quite grateful for Miyake-boy saving him earlier!"
"Drop dead! I just don't want to see someone like you getting cocky!" Ryuen snorted and tossed his bag onto a top bunk by the window. Albert silently took the bottom bunk below him.
'Is this guy... a tsundere villain?'
Akira thought, watching the exchange.
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