"Why do you think they left school?"
When Hashima Hikaru posed this question, all the students present exchanged glances. They hadn't imagined that in just one year, Class B of the second year would have lost four students. This clearly indicated the seriousness of the situation.
"How could this happen... why?"
Ichinose Honami seemed the most shaken by this revelation. Her delicate features were now filled with panic, her blue eyes reflecting a mixture of fear, resistance, and disbelief.
"Ichinose," Hashima Hikaru quickly placed a hand on her shoulder, looking into her eyes and speaking softly, "Don't worry too much. It's only the first day of school. We have plenty of time to prepare."
"Oh, right, it's only the first day..."
Ichinose Honami looked up at the boy close to her, feeling the warmth from his hand on her shoulder. She gazed back at Hashima Hikaru's handsome face and asked softly, "Hashima, do you already have a solution?"
"Of course not. Do you think I'm some kind of omnipotent god?"
Hashima removed his hand from her shoulder and lightly tapped her head. Once her expression had returned to normal, he turned to the other Class B students.
"This is why I suggested saving twenty million private points. If someone is forced to withdraw from school during the future class competitions, this will be our trump card to save them."
"We've finally been assigned to a class together, so of course, we should graduate together, without losing anyone!"
"So I hope you'll listen to my initial thoughts. This is why I'm here today."
"Just tell us, Hashima. We'll fully cooperate with you."
After hearing his words, everyone had recovered from their initial shock. Faced with a real-life example, they gained a deeper understanding of the school's cruelty.
The precedent of expulsion was so close that it forced everyone to become tense.
"First, according to Hoshinomiya-sensei, the school will organize different types of special exams. These special exams are where the class competition is the most intense. The winning class will gain class points, while the losing class will lose points."
"If we rely on the normal way of earning private points, we only get the fixed amount on the first of each month, which is not enough. In the special exams, since the school offers class points as a reward, it's not impossible that there might be private point rewards as well."
"So, Hashima, you mean we can earn private points in the special exams?"
Shibata scratched his head, still confused. "But we don't even know the rules of the special exams; we can't prepare in advance."
"No, I think we can at least predict some general information." Hashima pointed down at the table, smiling. "Don't forget, even if the school's competition rules are exaggerated, this is still a school."
"And schools always have two types of competitions."
"Academics and athletics."
"That's right. If it's an academic competition, I think we can definitely gain an advantage. Ichinose was the top scorer in the entrance exam."
Ando, who had been silent for a while, brought the topic to Ichinose Honami. The girl had been listening attentively to Hashima Hikaru's analysis, and being suddenly called upon startled her.
She saw Hashima Hikaru looking at her and couldn't help but recall the moment he had tapped her head. A blush crept up her cheeks, and her heart beat a little faster.
Meeting everyone's gaze, Ichinose Honami managed to suppress her shyness and explained, "Yes, I was the top scorer in the written portion of the entrance exam. That's what the interviewer told me."
"That's great. If we're going to hold study sessions, Ichinose can certainly help everyone identify and address their weaknesses."
Hashima, unaware of Ichinose's flustered state, looked at Shibata Ibuki sitting across from him.
"Besides academics, I think Shibata should have a say when it comes to athletics."
"I was on the track and field team in junior high. If it's a running competition, I'm confident I won't lose to anyone." Shibata Ibuki seemed very confident, and his refreshing athletic appearance made him particularly convincing.
"I'm also pretty good at sports; at least I won't hold the class back."
Kanzaki Ryuji, sitting next to Shibata, chimed in at the right moment. He looked at the girls and asked, "How are you all at sports?"
"I'm alright; at least I won't fail."
"I'm confident in volleyball, but I don't know about other sports."
"I'm not very good at sports... During junior high sports festivals, I was always in charge of handing out water."
The last to speak was a girl with short brown hair and a flower-shaped hair clip, who looked very cute.
"It's okay, Shiranami, we'll help you."
Ichinose, seeing her shy demeanor, quickly responded and gently patted her hand.
"Thank you, Ichinose. I'll do my best."
Shiranami seemed to admire Ichinose Honami greatly, her eyes never leaving the girl's face as they spoke.
"In short, we can prepare in advance in these two areas. Whether it's academics or athletics, it will definitely be useful."
After listening to everyone's discussion, Hashima continued.
"Also, the method of collecting twenty million points is just an initial idea. I can't guarantee it will succeed, so I won't force anyone to join."
With that, Hashima Hikaru took out his phone and showed everyone a group chat page.
"I've created a group chat for those who are willing to participate in this plan. It's to protect classmates who are at risk of expulsion. If you're willing, I'll invite you to join."
"I'm in!"
As soon as Hashima finished speaking, Ichinose Honami immediately exclaimed.
She looked at Hashima Hikaru sitting beside her, impressed by his thoughtfulness. The intense emotions she had been harboring surged forth.
"I'm willing to join your plan, Hashima. It's something I want to do too!"
Ichinose Honami suddenly pressed herself against Hashima Hikaru's shoulder, her blue eyes gazing intently into his, her expression utterly serious.
"Alright, welcome to the plan, Ichinose."
[Ichinose Honami acknowledges the information about the expulsion risk and her trust in you has increased. Ichinose Honami's stock price has increased by 10, current price 80]
[Ichinose Honami is deeply moved by your twenty million point plan and has developed new feelings for you. Ichinose Honami's stock price has increased by 30, current price 110]
"?"
Did I already reach the goal?
That was fast!