Chabashira Sae entered and tapped her fingers against the podium, a rhythmic sound that pulled the class's attention back from the post-introduction euphoria. In her hand, she held a sleekly designed smartphone—the standard terminal that would become the lifeline for these students over the next three years.
"Student Council staff and guides will distribute these terminals now," Chabashira said flatly.
Several upperclassmen entered, handing out the devices to every desk. Seiji accepted his, turned it on, and was immediately greeted by the futuristic school logo.
"Login with your student ID," Chabashira commanded. "There, you will see your balance of Private Points or S-Points. As I mentioned before, these points are money. You can use them anywhere on school grounds. The cafeteria, convenience store, movie theater, and even to buy useless trinkets."
A simultaneous beep echoed as the entire class logged into their accounts.
The next second, cries of shock and joy erupted.
"One hundred thousand?!" Ike shouted, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. "Is this for real? One hundred thousand yen?!"
"Whoa, insane! I can buy a new game console!" Yamauchi chimed in.
"I can buy as many clothes as I want!" squealed a girl in the front row.
The classroom atmosphere turned into a carnival. For teenagers aged 15 or 16, 100,000 yen was an astronomical amount for a monthly allowance. They felt like they had just won the lottery. The illusion of an "elite school that spoils its students" was instantly implanted in their minds.
Seiji stared at his phone screen. The number 100,000 was clearly displayed.
Delicious bait, Seiji thought. This school fattens its cattle until they are full before deciding which are worthy of the slaughter.
He glanced behind him. Suzune's back was straight, not trembling in the slightest. The girl didn't touch her phone with excitement. She was thinking.
Chabashira let the commotion continue for a full minute, observing the greed and naivety radiating from her students' faces with a cold gaze.
"Are you done being surprised?" Chabashira asked, bringing the class back to silence. "This school evaluates talent. Your placement here, and the points you receive, are a reflection of the school's expectations regarding your potential. Use them wisely."
The woman straightened the stack of papers on her desk, preparing to leave.
"Any questions?" she asked, more as a formality, as usually no student asked questions while intoxicated by the shock of free money.
Normally, Class D would have let her go.
However, the sound of a chair shifting broke that scenario.
"I have a question, Sensei."
Horikita Suzune stood up. Her voice was clear, cutting through the remnants of joyful whispers in the classroom.
Chabashira stopped moving. Her eyebrows raised slightly. "Go ahead, Horikita."
Suzune held her phone, facing it toward Chabashira. "These points... is this a one-time allowance given as startup capital at the beginning of the year, or will we receive the same amount next month?"
The question silenced several students. They hadn't even thought about that.
Chabashira offered a faint smile—a smile that was hard to interpret. "The school system transfers points automatically on the first of every month. Provided there are no changes, you will receive the same amount next month."
"Provided there are no changes," Suzune repeated, catching the key phrase with the precision of a lawyer. "What is the definition of 'change' in this context, Sensei? Are these points an absolute right, or is this a performance-based salary?"
Class 1-D began to realize the shift in atmosphere. Ike and Yamauchi looked at each other, confused as to why Horikita had to ruin the happy mood with complicated questions.
"Points are a reflection of the school's evaluation," Chabashira replied, diplomatic and evasive. "As long as you maintain your worth as students of Koudo Ikusei, you will receive them."
"An ambiguous answer," Suzune retorted sharply, yet remained polite. "One last question. How does this school's grading system work? What are the variables that can reduce or increase our 'value'?"
Chabashira stared at her student. Sharp. She was looking for loopholes in the rules of the game from the very first minute.
"That is a trade secret, Horikita," Chabashira answered, her tone slightly heavier this time. "Just like in the real world, you aren't always told how your superiors evaluate you. You simply need to work as best as you can. Anything else?"
Suzune paused for a moment, digesting the information. "No. Thank you, Sensei."
Suzune didn't sit down immediately. Instead, she turned her body to face her classmates. Her face was serious. Her leadership aura, once obscured by arrogance and a desire for isolation, now radiated as a cold but protective charisma.
"Classmates," Suzune called out. "May I have your attention for a moment?"
Kushida, sitting in the front row, immediately propped her chin on her hand, ready to provide support. "Of course, Horikita-san. What is it?"
"It sounds cliché, but there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world," Suzune said. Her eyes swept across the room, pausing briefly on Seiji, who gave her a small, encouraging nod.
"We were placed in Class D. Alphabetically, D is the fourth in line. If this school evaluates talent, logically, we are the lowest. So, why would the school give 100,000 yen—an amount equivalent to an adult's part-time salary—to the 'lowest' students without conditions?"
"Maybe because the school is rich?" Ike blurted out innocently.
"Or maybe it's a trap," Suzune cut in. "Chabashira-sensei just said, 'provided there are no changes.' That implies this amount can change."
Suzune took a deep breath.
"I propose one thing. Consider this month a probation period. Do not spend your points impulsively. Save at least half as an emergency fund."
"Huh? Why do we have to be micro-managed?" Yamauchi protested quietly.
"And more importantly," Suzune continued, ignoring the protest with a sharp gaze, "mind your behavior in class. Don't be late. Don't sleep during lessons. Don't play on your phones while the teacher is explaining."
"Hey, that's boring!" another student exclaimed. "We're in high school, not elementary school!"
"Correct," Suzune said calmly. "We are in high school. Which means the consequences will be heavier. If this point assessment is based on classroom behavior—which is highly likely given this elite school system—one person's bad behavior could destroy the income of the entire class."
An uncomfortable silence blanketed the room. Suzune's logic made sense, but the urge to splurge was still strong. They needed more of a push.
Hirata Yosuke stood up.
"I agree with Horikita-san," Hirata said with his reassuring smile. "Better safe than sorry, right? If it turns out our points remain safe next month even if we slack off, we lose nothing. But if our behavior really is graded, we'll be grateful we were careful."
Support from the "male leader" made half the class start nodding.
"Besides," another voice chimed in. Karuizawa Kei twirled her pen in a bored yet elegant manner. "Buying useless trashy junk is tacky. Save your money for quality items. I agree with Horikita. We should look classy, not like some tacky nouveau riche."
Support from the "female leader" (or at least, the most fashionable girl in class) silenced the protests from the trend-following clique of girls.
But the final key was Kushida.
The short-haired girl smiled broadly. "Horikita-san is right! Imagine if next month we get zero points because Ike-kun was snoring in class? We'd all starve, and I'm sure Ike-kun doesn't want to become our lunch menu, right?"
The joke broke the ice, making several people laugh.
"Okay, okay! I get it!" Ike said, his face turning red. "I'll restrain myself!"
Even Sudou, who was usually the most anti-rule, just snorted roughly. He glanced at Seiji, then at Hirata.
"As long as it doesn't interfere with my basketball practice, whatever," Sudou muttered.
Suzune nodded, satisfied. She sat back down.
"Thank you for your cooperation."
At the podium, Chabashira Sae was transfixed.
Her face remained flat, a perfect mask of professionalism. But inside, a storm of confusion was raging.
What is this?
Chabashira's eyes flicked to the student data file on her desk.
[Horikita Suzune][Notes: Academic A, Physical Ability A. Social Assessment: E. Extremely difficult to work with. Tends to look down on others. Unhealthy obsession with her brother, Horikita Manabu.]
The data didn't lie. The reports from her junior high were clear. But the girl who had just taken control of the class... she wasn't the girl in the report.
She saw the shadow of Horikita Manabu in Suzune.
No, perhaps something different. Manabu led with absolute dominance and cold intimidation. Suzune had just led with logic, negotiation, and building consensus.
She didn't force her will. She convinced the class. She used Hirata, Karuizawa, and Kushida as supporting pillars.
Chabashira felt something that had long been dead in her chest throb back to life.
Ambition.
Years ago, Chabashira herself was a student of Class D. She failed to reach Class A due to internal division and her class's naivety. Since becoming a teacher, she had always been assigned the hopeless "trash" classes. She had given up. She was simply fulfilling her duty as an observer of destruction.
But this year...
Her eyes shifted to the student sitting in front of Suzune. Koroizumi Seiji.
The young man was resting his chin on his hand, staring at Suzune's back with the proud smile of a father—or a teacher.
Chabashira remembered that smile. It was the same smile Seiji gave her during introductions.
Is he the cause? Chabashira wondered. Is the monster in this class not just Ayanokouji?
"Very well," Chabashira's voice trembled slightly, so subtly that perhaps no one noticed. "Homeroom is over. The first lesson begins tomorrow. Don't be late."
She picked up her files and walked out of the classroom with brisk steps.
In the quiet corridor, Chabashira stopped for a moment, leaning her back against the wall. She stared at the ceiling.
"Horikita Manabu..." she whispered to the empty air. "Your sister might just become the greatest threat to your throne."
A thin smile, a smile that was genuine and dangerous, etched itself onto Chabashira's face.
"Interesting. Very interesting."
Back in the classroom, the atmosphere had become calmer. There were no more hysterical screams about crazy shopping sprees. The students began discussing their spending plans more cautiously.
"You were great back there," Seiji whispered, leaning back.
Suzune didn't turn around, but her ears turned slightly red. "I only stated what was logical. If we fall into this point trap, we'll lose our footing before the race even begins."
"And you managed to make them listen," Seiji added. "That's the hardest part. Logic alone isn't enough to move humans. You need emotional momentum."
"That was thanks to Kushida-san and Hirata-kun," Suzune admitted humbly. "And... thank you for signaling Karuizawa-san."
Seiji chuckled softly. "I didn't do anything. Karuizawa acted on her own instinct to protect her territory."
Suzune finally turned slightly, her eyes looking at Seiji sharply yet warmly. "A good teacher doesn't claim credit for their student's success, is that it?"
"Precisely."
Across the room, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka observed the interaction while twirling his new phone.
In his mind, Ayanokouji revised his calculations.
Horikita Suzune wasn't just a smart, antisocial girl. She possessed leadership capacity. This class had an unnatural initial cohesion. And the center of this anomaly...
Ayanokouji's gaze fell on Seiji.
Koroizumi Seiji.
He didn't lead, but he directed the current. He let Horikita be the face, while he became the backbone.
Ayanokouji sighed softly. His plan to live quietly as an ordinary student seemed like it would be much harder than he anticipated.
The school bell rang, marking the end of a first day full of surprises.
For most students, this was the end of orientation day. For Seiji Koroizumi, this was the completion of laying the first stone of his fortress.
He packed his bag, ready to go home. There was a new mapo tofu recipe he wanted to try cooking in the dorms tonight.
"Nurufufufu," he laughed softly as he walked out of the classroom, flanked by Suzune and Kushida on his right and left.
Class 1-D had survived their first landmine.