Chapter 69: Chapter 69 – Internal conflict in Class A
As the results were announced, the students of Class A sat under the sunshade, but Katsuragi's bald head was unknowingly covered in sweat. Next to him, a male student, clearly dissatisfied, looked at Katsuragi with annoyance: "Katsuragi, aren't you going to say anything about these results?"
"Yeah!" Once someone took the lead, it was like a minor earthquake before a volcanic eruption, setting off this huge powder keg: "Say something! Can you stop sitting there so calmly and pretending to be dead?"
"We were promised over 300 class points this time! What's the result? Only 170 points!"
"Not only that, but from now on, every month, we have to pay one million personal points to those thugs in Class C! That's a deduction of 25,000 points from each of us!"
"Faced with this situation, Katsuragi, don't you have anything to say?"
Katsuragi clenched his teeth tightly. He was still in a state of shock, unable to understand why they only ended up with 170 special exam points. With such confusion in his heart, how could he respond to the angry questions of his classmates?
At this time, surprisingly, Hashimoto added fuel to the fire: "Katsuragi, everyone trusted your ability, that's why we signed such an unfair contract with Class C. Aren't you going to respond at all?"
With Hashimoto's provocation, Katsuragi's expression became even more unpleasant, like the air in an ancient latrine.
Kamuro felt a bit guilty. The reason they only had 170 special exam points was fundamentally due to her and Hashimoto. Seeing Hashimoto adding fuel to the fire, she found herself at a loss for words.
But while Kamuro remained silent, the other students did not. Led by Hashimoto, they began to reminisce about the other faction in their class: "If Sakayanagi was here, she would never have lost to Class C like this!"
"Katsuragi, you've disappointed us too much. Compared to Sakayanagi, how can you lead us to the final victory?"
"To be honest, Katsuragi, I originally had high hopes for you, thinking Sakayanagi was unreliable. But now, you really seem inferior to Sakayanagi."
The students' reproachful remarks, one after another, trampling and boosting, left Katsuragi fuming with a twisted expression, almost wanting to shout, "If you're so capable, why didn't you bring Sakayanagi to participate in the special exam!"
Facing the situation where the class leader is surrounded by expectations when things are going well, but faces blame and resentment during setbacks, Katsuragi felt an intense frustration. He wondered why the students in Class A couldn't understand the situation more clearly.
However, Katsuragi, known for his composure, managed to restrain his anger. He didn't let his emotions get the better of him or act irrationally. Instead, he stood up honestly in front of his classmates and deeply bowed, expressing his sincere apologies: "I am truly sorry for this outcome."
"I will provide an explanation to everyone," he promised. Acknowledging his mistakes openly and not resorting to excuses or shifting the blame is his way. But first, he needed to understand exactly where things went wrong.
After maintaining his bow for about half a minute, Katsuragi walked towards the only person from Class C present there – Ibuki Mio, the student who had previously informed him of the leaders of Class B and Class D.
...
Not only was Class A in turmoil, but Class D was also far from calm. Initially, everyone had been enduring the harsh conditions of the uninhabited island, hating the environment but keeping their struggles to themselves for the sake of earning class points. However, not long after the special exam started, Koenji unexpectedly returned to the cruise ship, causing the class to lose 30 points right off the bat.
Due to Koenji's actions, they had to tighten their belts even further, exchange for fewer resources, and endure an even more challenging survival experience on the island. They had managed to save up 120 points, thinking that life would get easier, but inexplicably, their total points dropped to 70!
The realization that all their hard work and effort turned out to be in vain, and they still ended up worse off than Class C who seemed to be enjoying their time carefreely, was crushing. It was like studying day and night, sacrificing sleep and fun, only to end up at the bottom of the class when the test results came out.
This left every member of Class D feeling a profound sense of disappointment and frustration. Horikita nearly bit her teeth in regret, while Sudou was so furious he felt like hitting someone. The rest of the students were also downcast, with some crushing the snacks distributed by the school in their frustration, and others crumpling both the water and the paper cups in their hands.
Only Karuizawa and Sakura kept their heads down, not wanting to stand out. They pretended to share the sentiment of "I am also very upset" to blend in with their classmates' mood.
But Karuizawa was inwardly marveling at Yukio's capabilities. She had intended to leak information during the special exam, but before she could act, Yukio and his class had already returned to the cruise ship, leaving her no opportunity to play her role.
Initially, Karuizawa had her concerns, but in a blink of an eye, Yukio led Class C to the first place, deepening her admiration for his strength. Her role as an undercover agent was unutilized, and Class D was already trampled into the ground. This experience truly made her realize the vast difference between them.
Sakura, on the other hand, was on the verge of laughter. For some reason, even though her class was at the bottom, she felt more joy than anyone else as long as Yukio was in first place. To avoid being noticed, she kept her head down to hide her smile.
While everyone was engulfed in their disappointment, Horikita, with a keen observation, noticed Katsuragi leading all the students of Class A towards Ibuki. It was then that something seemed to click for her, and she approached the scene.
The reason was clear, the person who came to her the night before to inform her of the leaders of Class A and B was none other than Ibuki!
Ibuki, undaunted by the crowd converging on her, remained defiantly seated: "What brings you all here? Eager to pay up?"
"Class transfers are handled automatically by the school, so your coming here is pointless. I can't process payments."
Katsuragi's face was still clouded with anger, but at least he managed to maintain his composure. "We just want an explanation. Why is our class point total different from what we were promised?"
The other students of Class A were also anxiously awaiting Ibuki's response, hoping for some clarity. If they were to go down, they at least deserved to know why.
Horikita and the students of Class D, witnessing this, were startled. What did she mean by 'different from what was promised'? Could it be that Class A also made a deal with Class C?
The realization sent a chill down Horikita's spine as she started to piece together what had happened.
Ibuki, however, remained unapologetically defiant: "Huh? What's different? I didn't shortchange you on what I promised! If you have an issue, take it up with the school, not me!"
Katsuragi was infuriated. Why did everyone in Class C have to be so difficult? Couldn't they have a civilized conversation?
Before the transaction, everyone had been all smiles, eager for a mutually beneficial deal. But after the transaction, Class A was treated like inferiors, while Class C acted high and mighty.
As Katsuragi struggled with how to proceed, Horikita coolly joined the conversation: "So, Class A, you made a deal with Class C as well?"
Katsuragi caught the implication in her use of 'also' and finally understood why they were left with only 170 points.
***
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