Chapter 151: What a Pity—You Ca All This Way for the Exam, Only to Fall Out of Class A!
Sakayanagi: "—"
On the other side, in the area belonging to the forr Class A:
Forty students were either sitting or standing, their faces etched with complex emotions. So stared at the floor with heads bowed, so leaned against the walls in a daze, and others stood with arms crossed, brows furrowed in a tight knot. The air felt frozen, so quiet that they could hear each other's breathing.
An entire day had passed since the exam ended, but the sense of frustration still surged through the hearts of every Class A student like a rising tide. It was precisely because the exam was over that Katsuragi needed to gather everyone. So things had to be faced.
"Everyone," Katsuragi Kohei began, standing in the center of the room. His voice was steady, yet it carried a hint of unavoidable hoarseness. His signature bald head shimred slightly in the sunlight, but his expression was far more solemn than usual. "You have all seen the results."
He paused, his gaze slowly sweeping across everyone present, as if confirming whether they were prepared to accept reality.
"Once we return to school, we will no longer be Class A. First-year Class B—that is our new identity."
A deeper silence fell over the room.
No one likes being demoted. Especially at Advanced Nurturing High School, the status of "Class A" carried imnse weight—it was the label of the elite, a promise of a limitless future, and the reason for the envious and awe-stricken looks from other classes. Now, all of that was gone.
Worse yet... they would likely be mocked by the lower classes, especially Class D. The re thought of that possibility brought a sense of despair.
Soone let out a soft sigh, the sound echoing clearly in the silent room. Soone else looked down, their nails unconsciously picking at the edge of the sofa, leaving faint marks. Masumi Kamuro, who cared about the Class A status more than anyone, leaned against the wall by the window with her arms crossed. Her habitually cold face showed no expression, but her eyes involuntarily drifted toward the slender figure in the corner.
Arisu Sakayanagi sat on a single-seat sofa by the window. She didn't say a word.
As the "puppy" who understood Sakayanagi best, Kamuro had expected her to look exhausted. Instead, Sakayanagi displayed a sense of relief, as if she were willing to accept a punishnt. In other words, Sakayanagi had already co to terms with the failure of this exam.
Morishita Ai sat on a chair next to Sakayanagi. Her violet-blue hair was slightly ssy, with a few strands falling across her cheeks, making her delicate face look surprisingly pitiful. Losing the Class A status truly saddened her; she sat with her chin resting on her hand, her eyes vacant, lost in thought. The sunlight fell on her, illuminating the fine fuzz on her face.
Hashimoto Masayoshi stood at the edge of the crowd, head down, his expression unreadable. However, his shoulders were slightly tense, as if bearing an invisible weight.
Katsuragi cleared his throat and continued, "Though we failed this exam, there are still things that must be done. First, the distribution of points."
He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. He had already morized the numbers, but he used the action of unfolding it to give himself a mont of breathing space.
"In the end, sixteen Class A students reached Result 1. We also have two 'VIPs.' Fourteen tis 500,000, plus the two million from the two VIPs—that makes a total of 9 million private points in rewards."
Several people looked up, a flash of surprise in their eyes. Nine million points was not a small sum, even for Class A students. Of course, compared to the massive debt of 52.8 million incurred during the island exam, it was almost negligible. They wondered how Katsuragi would handle it—would he pay off part of the debt, or...?
Katsuragi paused before continuing, "I suggest we deduct 50% of these points to be kept as class funds for the next exam or the one after that. The remaining 50% will be divided equally per capita."
No one spoke. No one objected.
This silence was, in itself, a form of consent.
Because they were—no, had been—students of Class A. They understood perfectly that while they were individuals, they were mbers of the class first. Squabbling over personal interests and performance-based distribution was the unsightly behavior of the lower classes.
They didn't need to argue about "why those who didn't get Result 1 should get points." They knew that if they could better handle exams and climb back up, these points would an nothing.
Morishita Ai looked up, a complex emotion flickering in her violet-blue eyes. She opened her mouth as if to speak but ultimately just sighed softly and looked down again.
Shiraishi Asuka sat in the corner, her blonde hair draped over her shoulders. The small mole under her eye was particularly striking in the sunlight. She sat quietly, her clear eyes scanning everyone in the room before resting on Sakayanagi for a few seconds and then moving away.
She was well aware of the class demotion and knew Katsuragi was now in charge, but she was interested in Sakayanagi's state. When they had t early this morning, Sakayanagi had seed a bit low, but now, she appeared to have no "negative debuffs" left.
Katsuragi frowned slightly as he watched the group. He knew that what they needed most right now wasn't a point distribution, but morale. A class without morale is just a pile of loose sand, no matter how many points they have.
"I know everyone is hurting," his voice steadied, carrying a reassuring power. "But this failure shouldn't be Sakayanagi's responsibility alone."
At those words, several gazes snapped toward him.
Katsuragi t those eyes without flinching. He straightened his back, his round face filled with unprecedented seriousness. "Being led on by Hikigaya, believing there was a pattern to the VIPs, deciding to attack other classes and end the exam early—I participated in those decisions, and I agreed to them. If responsibility must be assigned, I have a share in it as well."
He paused, his gaze landing on Sakayanagi.
"So, Sakayanagi, you don't have to carry this alone."
Sakayanagi had been sitting quietly, but upon hearing Katsuragi's words, she looked up. A flash of surprise crossed her eyes; she truly hadn't expected Katsuragi to step up for her at a ti like this.
However, she quickly regained her composed expression.
She had known from the start that Katsuragi was this type of person. Even if their factions clashed, even if she had once plotted to take his leadership away, Katsuragi would prioritize the big picture and refuse to kick her while she was down. It was because of this that she knew if Katsuragi were the one to fail, she wouldn't have purged him from Class A either.
"I appreciate your kindness, Katsuragi-kun," Sakayanagi said, her tone firm. "However, the decisions were mine, and the responsibility is naturally mine to bear. I will not evade it. I will take responsibility for this miscalculation.
However—" Sakayanagi added, "while I was staying back at school alone, I had contact with an upperclassman. That senpai revealed so information."
She paused deliberately, as if building tension.
"In the second sester, the school holds a special exam as per tradition: the Sports Festival. We can prepare in advance."
The room went instantly quiet, so still that they could hear the cries of seagulls outside the window.
Katsuragi's brow furrowed slightly. "A Sports Festival?"
"Yes," Sakayanagi nodded. "While the specific rules are adjusted every year, the core content is related to physical ability. Which ans—"
Her gaze swept across everyone, her violet-blue eyes now burning with a certain searing light.
"During the upcoming month of vacation, we can prepare. Those with good physical strength can use this ti to intensify their training; those who lack it and cannot improve can find a position that suits them."
Morishita Ai snapped her head up, her eyes lighting up like ignited fireworks. "Does that an... we still have a chance?"
"Of course," Sakayanagi nodded. "It's only the first sester of our first year. Giving up now would be the true failure."
The room was silent for a few seconds, and then—
"Yeah!"
Soone shouted first, followed quickly by many others joining in.
"We only dropped down for now!"
"We can climb back up!"
"That's right!"
"Just you wait, Hikigaya!"
Voices rose one after another, and the heavy atmosphere in the room finally began to break. So clenched their fists, so straightened their backs, and others exchanged smiles—the unyielding fighting spirit of Class A students.
Morishita Ai jumped up from her chair and ran to Sakayanagi's side, grabbing her arm. Her face was full of excitent, her eyes shining as if they held stars. "Sakayanagi-san! Thank you! This information is so important!"
Sakayanagi swayed slightly from the pull, tapping her cane on the floor to steady herself, but she showed no sign of displeasure. She simply shook her head with a hint of helplessness. "Morishita-san, you're too excited."
"Of course I'm excited!" Ai's eyes sparkled. "Now we have a direction! There are so many things I can choose to do over the break—running, swimming, the gym!"
With morale restored, the crowd began to disperse, discussing the Sports Festival in small groups. So began calculating the remaining ti, so discussed training thods, and others were already making plans to exercise together during the break.
Katsuragi stood to the side, watching this scene with a quiet sigh of relief.
Just then, Sakayanagi leaned on her cane and slowly walked over to him.
"Katsuragi-kun."
Katsuragi turned to look at her.
Sakayanagi's gaze fell on the bustling crowd, a faint, phantom-like smile playing on her lips. "A divided Class A was our greatest weakness. Being able to unite now is the foundation for this class to fight its way back up."
Katsuragi was silent for a few seconds before slowly speaking, "Do you really not intend to be the leader anymore?"
Sakayanagi shook her head gently. "I need to take responsibility for this failure. However—"
She turned to him. "That doesn't an I won't think for the sake of Class A. If I can be of help, I will still assist."
Katsuragi t her gaze, and the weight that had been hanging over his heart finally vanished.
Previously, he had always worried that Sakayanagi would sabotage things due to internal strife or trip him up at critical monts. But now—
Looking at the slender girl in front of him and her serious eyes, Katsuragi suddenly felt that perhaps this failure had allowed Class A to find its true direction.
With a unified class and Sakayanagi offering her suggestions, he felt there was still a ray of hope even though they had been demoted.
Yes. It was only the first sester of the first year. Why be discouraged?
Only being in Class A at the ti of graduation in the third year decides everything!
Katsuragi took a deep breath and straightened his back.
.
.
.
anwhile, in Class B's area, a victory party was indeed underway.
The air was filled with the aroma of food and cheerful laughter. Forty students were spread across a dozen tables; so were clinking drink cups together, so were picking food at the buffet, and others were gathered to take commorative photos.
The atmosphere was even more enthusiastic than expected.
"Cheers—!"
Soone led the shout, followed by the echoing sound of clinking glasses and laughter. Mako Amikura ran to Ichinose's side with orange juice, insisting on a toast, and Ichinose responded with a bright smile.
Kanzaki Ryuji stood by the window with a cup of coffee, a slight smile on his lips. His personality was rather introverted, so he wasn't entirely comfortable with such lively scenes,
but observing was fine. Shibata Souta was huddled with a few boys, laughing hysterically at so joke.
The girls were gathered in groups, chirping about their vacation plans. They had just asked their horoom teacher, Hoshinomiya-sensei—though they had to attend classes for a week after returning to school, there would be no exams. It was just a week of classes followed directly by a month-long break.
For students, the number two favorite thing is the school exploding; the number one is no classes and no exams. Naturally, everyone was in high spirits.
As the horoom teacher, Hoshinomiya Chie also participated in the Class B gathering. Standing in the middle of the room with a cup of juice, she watched the scene, unable to suppress her smile.
"My, my—" she sighed softly, her tone nostalgic. "Moving up a class feels rather nice, doesn't it?"
She hadn't originally been obsessed with class ranks. Class B or Class A—they were mostly the sa to her. But seeing the radiant smiles on her students' faces and hearing their heartfelt laughter, she suddenly felt that this feeling was quite good indeed.
"Oh, right, right!" Amikura Mako suddenly rembered sothing, her eyes lighting up. "Hikigaya-kun, don't you have a cara? The one you used to take pictures of the seagulls on the deck!"
As she spoke, several students around her looked over.
Hachiman was startled and instinctively touched his pocket. The cara was indeed still on him. He hadn't gone to photograph seagulls today.
"I have it, but..." Before he could finish, Mako interrupted.
"Then let's take so pictures!" Mako clapped and cheered. "It's a rare occasion for all of us to move up to Class A together. How can we not have a souvenir?"
This imdiately drew a chorus of agreent.
"Yes, yes! Photos, photos!"
"A class photo! It's a must!"
"Hikigaya-kun, take it out!"
Hachiman's mouth twitched as he looked at the suddenly excited classmates. But seeing those expectant faces, he pulled the cara from his pocket.
"Fine."
As soon as he held up the cara, Shibata Souta imdiately began directing. "Co on, co on, everyone stand together! Amikura, you stand here. Kanzaki, move toward the middle—"
Laughing and joking, the students gathered. So stood on tiptoe, so leaned down, and others playfully flashed peace signs. Ichinose was pushed to the center of the crowd, her strawberry-blonde hair particularly striking in the sunlight. She wore a gentle smile, her bright eyes curving into beautiful crescents.
"Are you ready?" Hachiman raised the cara, looking at the smiling faces through the viewfinder. "Three, two—"
"Cheese—!"
The shutter clicked, and the mont was frozen.
"One more!" Shibata Souta wasn't satisfied. "A different pose this ti! And Hikigaya-kun, you co over too. Let Hoshinomiya-sensei take it for us—"
Thus, Hachiman was also pushed into the crowd. They took another, then another. The boys started acting goofy, the girls dissolved into laughter, and the entire restaurant was bathed in a joyful atmosphere.
After the group photo, Amikura Mako suddenly ran to Hachiman and grabbed his arm.
"Hikigaya-kun, co, co! Let's get one with you!"
Before Hachiman could react, he was dragged to the window. Mako waved to the crowd. "Ichinose! Co over here!"
Ichinose was slightly stunned but followed obediently. "What is it?"
"A photo together, obviously!" Mako said as if it were the most natural thing in the world, then pushed Ichinose next to Hachiman. "You two stand together, I'll take it!"
Ichinose's cheeks flushed slightly, but she compliantly stood beside Hachiman. Sunlight poured in through the window, falling on them and casting their shadows close together on the floor.
Hachiman looked at the lens with his usual listless expression. Ichinose stood beside him with a gentle smile, though the tips of her ears were quietly tinted pink.
Mako held the cara, watching the two through the viewfinder, her smile widening. Several girls nearby leaned in, whispering and giggling behind their hands.
Kanzaki Ryuji stood not far away, shaking his head slightly with a knowing smile.
"Are we done?" Hachiman asked.
"Almost, almost!" Mako pressed the shutter. "One more! Ichinose, lean a little closer to Hikigaya. Why be so formal?"
Ichinose's face turned even redder, but she followed the instruction and moved half a step closer to Hachiman. Hachiman didn't react much, only tilting his head slightly to glance at her.
The shutter clicked again.
"Perfect!" Mako looked at the cara screen and nodded with satisfaction. "I'll send the photos to you both later!"
Ichinose gave a soft "mm," her gaze involuntarily drifting to Hachiman. He was looking down, adjusting the cara settings, and didn't notice her look.
She withdrew her gaze, but a vague warmth welled up in her heart.
'It's just a photo between friends.'
She told herself this. But that warmth was impossible to ignore.
The celebration continued, but Hoshinomiya-sensei's gaze remained fixed on Hachiman. She quietly circled around the crowd, walked up to him, and gave a light cough.
"Ahem."
Hachiman turned to look at her.
Hoshinomiya winked at him, her large eyes flashing with a mischievous glint. Then, her gaze moved to the phone in her left hand.
Hachiman was montarily stunned, then realized sothing. He pulled his phone from his pocket and tapped the screen. Sure enough, a new ssage sat there quietly.
[Hikigaya-kun, do Teacher a favor later~ After the party, I'll find a chance to invite Sae-chan out. You just "happen" to pass by. I'll leave first, and then you help get so info out of her. I want to know who on earth changed Sae-chan. Her attitude lately is too strange, and Teacher is very unhappy! (`^')]
Hachiman stared at the text for a few seconds, then looked up to et Hoshinomiya's expectant eyes. He let out a soft sigh.
"Sensei." His tone was helpless. Previously, Hoshinomiya had only asked him to investigate, but now she was asking him to directly engage with Chabashira. "Are you asking to be a spy?"
Hoshinomiya blinked, her face showing a harmless, innocent expression. "Oh, don't call it spying. It's just a small favor for your teacher. Besides, you're the class representative of my class. If you go to her—I think Sae-chan actually has quite a good impression of you—she definitely won't refuse to talk."
Hachiman's mouth twitched.
A good impression? Chabashira Sae had a good impression of him?
He was the person who had directly severed her long-cherished wish and woken her from her dream. No matter how you looked at it, "good impression" didn't fit.
But Hoshinomiya had already turned and left, leaving only a light back and a "Please~!" floating into his ears.
Hachiman leaned against the window, watching her figure disappear into the crowd, and shook his head gently.
Still, going to see Chabashira-sensei... wasn't out of the question.
He thought of Hiratsuka Shizuka from Sobu High. Although she was often rough, preachy, and physically aggressive with him, Hachiman knew she cared for him and understood him best. Perhaps because he knew Hiratsuka-sensei, he didn't actually have an aversion to female teachers in their thirties. He was probably used to it.
And Chabashira Sae—
Hachiman's gaze fell on the azure sea outside the window, the woman's image surfacing in his mind. Long black hair, a cold expression, always carrying an aura that warned people not to get close. In the original "Classroom of the Elite," her reputation wasn't great—using students, doing whatever it took, losing her moral compass. People also knew her for her obsession with the "Great Horikita" or her bunny girl outfit at the cultural festival.
But now...
Because of his appearance, Chabashira seed to have changed. She seed more like a human being.
Hachiman's brow furrowed slightly.
If that were true, didn't that an he, Hikigaya Hachiman, also had the potential to be a teacher or educator?
As soon as this thought surfaced, Hachiman himself was stunned.
Teacher? Educator?
He quickly shook his head as if trying to shake out the terrifying thought.
No, no, no. Almost fell for it.
Hikigaya Hachiman's ultimate ideal was to be a house husband, a man supported by an excellent wife. How could he go to work? How could he beco a corporate drone? Too scary, truly too scary.
Hachiman took a sip of coffee, trying to calm himself down. Just then, his phone vibrated again. He looked down; it was a new ssage from Hoshinomiya.
[Tomorrow at 3 PM, the café on the third floor of the ship. I've already made the appointnt with Sae-chan ~ I'll leave the rest to you, Hikigaya-kun! (•̀ᴗ•)́ و
]
Hachiman stared at the emoticon for a few seconds, his mouth twitching. That was fast.
He exited the chat with Hoshinomiya, opened his contacts, found Chabashira Sae's na, and typed quickly.
[Chabashira-sensei, are you free tomorrow at 3 PM? Hoshinomiya-sensei asked to bring so words to you.]
Not long after the ssage was sent, his phone vibrated. He opened the screen; it was Chabashira's reply.
[Understood. Coincidentally, I have sothing I want to say to you as well. See you at the café tomorrow at 3 PM.]
Hachiman was slightly taken aback.
'Sothing she wants to say too?'
He thought for a mont and continued typing.
[Chabashira-sensei, have you noticed that you and Horikita Suzune are actually very similar? Especially your way of thinking.]
After sending the ssage, he waited a mont. This ti, the reply was a bit slow.
[...] [How am I similar?] Chabashira asked.
Hachiman's lips curled into a slight arc. He was about to reply when Chabashira's next ssage popped up.
[Never mind, we'll talk when we et tomorrow.]
Hachiman put his phone away and didn't reply again.
But on Chabashira's side, she fell into a brief silence because of that ssage. She leaned against the window, an unlit cigarette in her hand, her eyes on the phone screen while another scene surfaced in her mind.
It was from the tenth day of the first month after enrollnt. That day, she had been in a bad mood, realizing that this year's Class D was still hopeless—worse than the previous two classes she had led. They had lost all 500 class points in just ten days. Feeling low, she had gone to the rooftop alone to smoke. She rembered the wind was very strong, ssing up her hair. She leaned against the railing, smoking one cigarette after another.
Then, the door was pushed open. It was Horikita Suzune and Hikigaya Hachiman.
Back then, Suzune was still quite green, and it was from then that she wanted to buy the truth about the school's information from Hachiman. Chabashira was the witness.
However, at the beginning, Horikita had tried to drive her away. Her words were: "Chabashira-sensei, could you go down first? I have a few words I want to say to him."
Back then, Horikita Suzune had actually tried to kick her off the roof directly.
"..."
One could say it was the first ti she had been so bluntly "dismissed" by a student.
Thinking of this, Chabashira Sae couldn't help but let out a laugh. She was laughing out of exasperation. She put her phone away, relit the cigarette, and took a deep drag.
Hikigaya Hachiman said she and Horikita Suzune were similar?
Chabashira shook her head, exhaling a cloud of smoke. How were they similar? At the very least, she wasn't as socially inept as that little girl.
The white smoke drifted slowly in the air, the sunlight casting mottled shadows on her face through the haze. Chabashira Sae leaned against the window, looking at the distant sea, a faint, unidentifiable smile on her lips.
Tomorrow at 3 PM. She truly did have sothing to say to that man.
.,
.
.
At dusk, Ichinose Honami returned to her dorm. But as soon as she sat down at her desk, her phone vibrated. She opened it to see a ssage from Mako Amikura.
[Ichinose, Ichinose! The photos are here! (≧▽≦)]
Imdiately following, several photos popped up.
The first was the class photo—forty people crowded together, every face wearing a brilliant smile. Ichinose looked at the photo, unable to stop her own lips from curving upward. The second and third were various goofy candids; Shibata Souta's funny face was perfectly captured, making Ichinose chuckle.
Then, the last photo appeared. Ichinose's finger paused.
In the photo, Hachiman stood before the lens with his usual listless expression. She stood beside him with a gentle smile, the sunlight on her face making her bright eyes look exceptionally soft. The distance between them was very close—close enough that she could see the flecks of light on his shoulder.
Soon, another ssage from Mako popped up.
[No need to thank ! (^▽^)]
Ichinose stared at the text, stunned for several seconds.
'No need to thank her? Thank her for what?'
She blinked, and scenes from the afternoon photo session flashed through her mind—Mako's mischievous smile as she pushed her toward Hachiman, the way the other girls whispered and giggled, and Kanzaki-kun's aningful gaze.
Ichinose's cheeks began to burn. She opened her mouth to say sothing, only to realize she was alone in the room. She looked back down at the photo on her phone screen.
The sunlight was perfect, the smiles were perfect, everything was perfect.
But Mako had surely misunderstood sothing. She and Hikigaya-kun were just... just very good friends, comrades-in-arms, and classmates who understood each other. That was all.
Ichinose told herself this. But her finger gently tapped the "save photo" option.
[Saved to Album]
The notification flashed across the screen. Ichinose looked at it, stunned for a few seconds, and then sighed softly. She didn't know why she saved it. She just felt... this photo was taken quite well. That was all.
She placed her phone on the table and looked out at the sky as it grew dark. The afterglow of the sunset dyed the sea in a warm orange, shimring beautifully. Looking at that sea, another image surfaced—the warmth she felt standing next to Hachiman this morning when the sun shone on them.
What was that feeling? She couldn't say. She just felt that if things could stay like this forever, it would be quite nice.
The phone screen went dark, but that photo now lay quietly in her album.
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