Chapter 8: School Rules
Everyone looked relieved after learning that they were highly evaluated by the school and assigned to a class full of outstanding talents.
As if not noticing everyone's expressions, Mashima-sensei continued explaining in a methodical manner.
"In order to discover and cultivate talent, the school will continuously conduct various types of special exams, with increases and decreases in points used as rewards and punishments. There are two types of points: Class Evaluation Points and Private Points."
Class Evaluation Points, as the name suggests, are shared by the entire class.
Although students in each class may vary in abilities, all four classes were given the same 1,000 Class Evaluation Points at the start of enrollment.
The school has a rule of announcing the Class Evaluation Points for each class on a bulletin board once a month. Since there will be a special exam in the first month after enrollment, the points won't be published yet.
Private Points, on the other hand, are essentially a living allowance that can be used like money with the student ID. Every month, the school deposits points into the students' accounts, calculated as Class Evaluation Points × 100. Since it's the beginning of the school year and the Class Evaluation Points haven't changed yet, that's 1,000 × 100, meaning each student gets exactly 100,000 Private Points.
Additionally, over the three years at this school, the rankings of Classes A through D aren't fixed—they're influenced by the Class Evaluation Points.
The class with higher Class Evaluation Points will be ranked higher.
Moreover, apart from having both types of points deducted, students who fail school exams may face mandatory expulsion from the school.
However, since the school rules clearly state that anything can be bought with points, if one can accumulate 20 million Private Points, they can transfer to a better class or avoid expulsion as they please.
Finally, Mashima-sensei provided information about the first exam for the new students.
The exam in the first month after enrollment is called the "Conduct Test," and as the name implies, it evaluates whether students have the necessary discipline to be considered qualified students.
Unlike other high schools, this school places no restrictions on students' daily behavior, as long as they don't cross legal boundaries—no matter what they do, they won't be warned. Instead, any problematic behavior is recorded, and corresponding Class Evaluation Points are deducted.
In other words, if you make a frog pose with your fingers and sit alone making "ribbit" mouth movements during class, your class will get points deducted. So don't do that, okay?
Tch, frogs really don't get any love, huh!
"Given that, as students of Class A recognized by the school, all we have to do is behave properly and avoid getting points deducted. I believe that other classes, without this information and with the school deliberately letting things slide, will definitely lose points. That way, Class A can pull ahead of the others."
Katsuragi, always the steady one, analyzed the teacher's information and proposed a plan to solidify the class's advantage.
"Hikigaya, what's your opinion?"
Sakayanagi, who had been listening seriously to Katsuragi's speech, didn't express her own opinion but instead gently asked for Hikigaya's thoughts.
"Well, um, I think Katsuragi's suggestion sounds pretty good too."
"...I see." Sakayanagi's eyes changed from expectant to disappointed.
Hikigaya knew very well that Sakayanagi was, at her core, someone who enjoyed stirring things up.
She probably wanted to incite conflict among the other classes, cause them to lose a ton of points, and then sit back and reap the benefits while enjoying the chaos.
He had no interest in that.
Although the school encouraged inter-class competition among students of the same year, Hikigaya didn't harbor any hatred toward students from other classes, nor did he see himself as particularly capable.
He couldn't even be sure that deliberately provoking conflict wouldn't end up getting his own class penalized. So he figured he'd leave those troublesome matters to someone else.
"Well, that's all the information I have for you. How you use it is up to you. Now I'll hand out the textbooks needed for this semester.
The class schedule has already been sent to your student IDs. Today is just the entrance ceremony to welcome new students. Official classes will start tomorrow. With that, the class meeting is over. You're free to do as you please now."
After explaining all the school rules and handing out the textbooks, Mashima-sensei glanced around the classroom, lingering on the few students who had spoken, then announced the end of the class meeting and left the room.
At that moment, Katsuragi walked up to the podium and said loudly, "Sorry to take up everyone's time. I have something to say.
Since the school encourages inter-class competition, that means we'll eventually have to face off against other classes.
I think we need to choose a class representative—someone who can unite everyone, coordinate and lead during exams, and also prevent the class from losing points due to individual students acting on their own and dragging the class down."
The students in Class A nodded in agreement.
"As expected of the big bro! Super reliable! I think Katsuragi's suggestion makes a lot of sense. And he's even served as the student council's vice president before—he's got leadership experience. Why not just make him the class rep?"
The blonde-haired Totsuka Yahiko immediately began praising Katsuragi.
"Yeah, I think Katsuragi is a great choice too."
"That's right, we're the elite of Class A! Let's use Katsuragi's plan to widen the gap between us and the lower classes."
Several students who supported Katsuragi expressed their agreement.
Of course, there were some who voiced different opinions: "Katsuragi's plan is solid, but if it weren't for Yukinoshita pointing out the school's hidden trap, we'd all still be in the dark. So I suggest making Yukinoshita the class rep."
"I think Sakayanagi would be a great choice too. She's not just cute—like a little princess—but also quick-witted. She was the one who suggested using points to buy information!"
For some reason, Hikigaya seemed to be completely ignored.
Even though Yukinoshita was admired by her classmates, she remained indifferent: "I don't intend to become the class representative, nor am I interested in managing the class."
Sakayanagi, on the other hand, looked intrigued.
She smiled and looked directly at Hikigaya. "Me, becoming the class representative? That actually sounds kind of fun. It might even become a beautiful memory."
No, you just want to use me as a plaything.
Come to think of it, this girl looks like a porcelain doll, but her personality is so nasty it doesn't match her appearance at all!
Hikigaya grumbled in his heart.
"Hikigaya-kun, do you want to die?"
"S-Sorry…"
Startled, Hikigaya apologized obediently.
Wait, could she read minds?
"I don't know any mind reading techniques, you know. I just had a feeling that Hikigaya-kun might be saying something bad about me."
Isn't that basically mind reading?!