At the start of the second month, for once, Uesugi didn't show up to css at the st possible moment.
Kanzaki and the others sat with tense expressions, waiting for the points to be distributed.
Bzzzz—
Everyone's terminals vibrated simultaneously. It's here!
[Account Bance Update: 86,300 points]
Uesugi's prediction was correct.
The students of Css B exchanged knowing looks. Since Ichinose had already informed them of the theory the night before, they weren't too surprised.
"We actually got over 80,000 points? I thought 70,000 would be the upper limit."
Uesugi stared at his phone with a peculiar expression.
Based on historical data from previous Css B rankings and the information he had gathered, he estimated their css should have retained around 65,000 to 75,000 points.
The key difference between Css A and Css B was in their decision-making. Css A students prioritized optimal outcomes that benefited them the most.
Css B, on the other hand, considered multiple factors—friendships, long-term effects, and fairness—when solving problems.
Too many considerations meant suboptimal results, leading to a slow but consistent loss of points.
"The fact that the school adjusted our points confirms that our theory was correct. The rest is up to Hoshinomiya-sensei to expin," Kanzaki muttered, dark circles under his eyes. Clearly, Uesugi's question had kept him up all night.
Uesugi gnced at Kanzaki's exhausted face and burst into ughter.
"Haha! Kanzaki, this look suits you. You've got that brooding, mysterious aura now—real gloomy ikemen vibes."
Smack!
A light but precise thwack nded on Uesugi's head. Ichinose, wielding a textbook, sighed.
"Uesugi-kun, could you please be quiet for once?"
Though not as bad as Kanzaki, Ichinose also looked a bit drained. She had managed to cover her dark circles with a little makeup, but her usual vibrancy was dulled.
"…And whose fault do you think that is?" Kanzaki shot Uesugi a gre that radiated thinly veiled murder.
It was all because of him—dropping cryptic questions that triggered their paranoia, making them rack their brains for answers, and just when they solved one, he'd toss out an even harder puzzle, grinning as he cimed "this one is the key" before running off.
Damn riddler.
Feeling their hostility, Uesugi held up his hands in defense.
"Figuring things out for yourself is part of the fun, right?"
"Css is about to start," Himeno Yuki, who had been quietly pying on her phone, finally spoke up.
With that, the group dispersed, each returning to their seats.
With a swish, the cssroom door swung open.
Hoshinomiya-sensei waltzed in, cheeks slightly flushed, humming a cheerful tune.
Did she just have a drink? And why does she look so… happy?
Uesugi frowned. Based on what he knew about Hoshinomiya, she was genuinely in a good mood. It wasn't the usual fake, polite smile she used when handing out compliments.
Yet, Css B's point increase wasn't enough to push them to Css A. The results weren't significantly different from what she had originally expected.
So what exactly was she so happy about?
"Alright, I'm sure you all have questions. Don't worry, your favorite teacher is here to answer them!"
With an exaggerated flourish, Hoshinomiya spped a sheet of paper onto the bckboard like a poster, hands on her hips, brimming with smug satisfaction.
Css Rankings:
Css A: 940 CP
Css B: 863 CP
Css C: 490 CP
Css D: -100 CP
"…These are our css scores, right?" Kanzaki said hesitantly. The negative points for Css D threw him off.
"Ding ding ding! That's correct!" Hoshinomiya gave him a thumbs-up. "These are your official css points! From now on, your monthly personal points will be distributed at a 1:100 ratio based on these values. These rankings will also be dispyed on the school bulletin board and updated whenever there are changes, so keep an eye on them."
"This fluctuation was due to a special assessment designed to evaluate student value. However, keep in mind that our initial css score was actually 763 points—we received a mysterious 100-point bonus for an unknown reason."
At those words, Ichinose and the others instinctively turned to the back row, toward the window seats.
They had a pretty good idea who was responsible for that extra 100 points.
There sat Uesugi, zily rocking his head up and down like a drowsy kitten nodding off.…Is he even listening?
The four of them collectively sighed.
This is a problem. I should've warned the school not to reveal the bonus points so btantly.
If she caught wind of Css B's sudden point increase, she'd immediately suspect that he was behind it.
And once that woman identified him, with her ruthless efficiency and personality, she wouldn't sit still for long.
Still, it's not checkmate yet. As long as she doesn't have concrete evidence, the initiative remains in my hands.
What Uesugi didn't know was that the school had deliberately leaked the information.
After all, in the past month, what had he done?Skipped css.Pyed games.Scked off.
If they didn't find a way to keep him occupied, he'd be beyond salvation.
The administration wasn't about to let their 30 million yen investment go to waste.
"One more thing, and this is important."
Hoshinomiya's usual lighthearted tone shifted to something far more serious.
"The school's career and university recommendations only go to students who graduate as Css A. You all need to do everything you can to climb higher."
Ichinose and Kanzaki's eyes sharpened.
Just as we suspected.
For days, they had been trying to piece together Uesugi's cryptic questions.
Though they hadn't fully unraveled the mystery, they had already sensed the underlying truth.
If the 100,000 personal points per month came with hidden conditions, then it was highly likely that the school's other incentives also carried undisclosed costs.
And the most probable "price" for post-graduation support?
The requirement to graduate as Css A.
Unfortunately, neither of them had been able to find definitive proof, so they had been waiting for Hoshinomiya-sensei's confirmation.
Her statement sent ripples through the cssroom.
"So, we'll be competing against other csses for the next three years until we graduate as Css A?"
"But when we enrolled, the school never mentioned anything about only Css A getting recommendations!"
"Yeah, that's unfair!"
While some students grumbled, Ichinose quickly stepped in to calm them down.
She clenched her fists, stealing a gnce at Uesugi.
If only I could see through the school's intentions the way he does… We might already be Css A.
Kanzaki, too, turned toward Uesugi.
Was this why he hinted at the school's rules on the second day?
Did he want me to figure it out myself and help our css?
If Uesugi had heard this, he'd be shaking his head furiously.
I just wanted to give Kanzaki something to think about so he wouldn't go insane.
As for what Uesugi was thinking now?
I got scammed.
His eyes were locked on the giant -100 on the bckboard.
Never in past years had Css D ever dropped into negative points.
Even knowing they had some ridiculous people in Css D, the result was beyond his expectations.
With a heavy sigh, he reached a conclusion.
So many points down the drain...
But… maybe he should send his accomplice some points ter.
Can't have her starving, after all. (lol)
...
After css, Uesugi's bad premonition became reality.
Ichinose took the stage.
"Everyone, to make sure we don't lose any cssmates to expulsion, I'm organizing a study session this weekend. Let's work hard together!"
A chorus of enthusiastic voices erupted.
"I'm in!""Not bad, Ichinose!""I'll join too!"
Half the css signed up almost instantly.
"…I'll help as well," Kanzaki sighed. "There are too many people for Ichinose to handle alone."
Then, he turned and grabbed Uesugi, who was trying to sneak out.
"Where do you think you're going? Ichinose specifically told me to watch you."
"Let me go, Kanzaki! Have you become Ichinose's pdog? You guys can study all you want—I have a world to save!"
---
T/N: LMAO -100? BRO REALLY SPENT POINTS TO REALLY FUCK WITH CLASS D horikita is broken rn