Classroom of the Elite: Alter - Self-Test

Vol. 2: Chapter 3.2 - Small Steps

July 1st, Thursday. It was the start of a new month, and the new class standings will be released to the students.

"Good morning, Class B." Chabashira-sensei came in with her usual despondent face.

Without wasting a moment, she pasted the poster displaying the class points of each freshman class.

"Sensei... Our class points have gone up, haven't they?" Hirata asked nervously.

"That's right." Chabashira-sensei lightly tapped the blackboard after she finished sticking the magnets. "Well, take a look."

Class A: 1004 cl (+94)

Class B: 789 cl (+95)

Class C: 663 cl (+90)

Class D: 492 cl (+82)

"Oh! We got the highest increase in points!"

"Ayanokouji-kun's strategy is the best!"

"We're getting there!" they cheered.

"Congratulations. Your class has once again closed its distance with Class A." Chabashira-sensei praised us with a satisfied smile.

All of us received 78,900 private points this morning-- a big increase from the 69,400 points that we got in June. We discussed it in the class group chat and in the classroom earlier but of course, we could only be a hundred percent sure once Chabashira-sensei finally confirmed it herself.

"Yes, Horikita?" Chabashira-sensei entertained Horikita, who was raising her hand.

"Chabashira-sensei, I just found it odd that we were awarded points so quickly," she said.

"Ah, is that so? Well, you don't have to think too much about it. It might've been the school's way of rewarding the first-year students for passing the midterms," she answered.

"I see," Horikita sat back down.

The rest of the classes nodded understandingly upon hearing Sensei's response.

"The school can be kind sometimes, huh?" Ike commented with a grin.

"You can expect the same thing for your Final Exam at the end of July. The results of the test will be given right after getting checked, but the rewards might be given on October 1st."

So the points will be given one month after the exam was taken, huh?

At that moment, Matsushita also raised her hand curiously. She stood up after Chabashira-sensei acknowledged her.

"Sensei, is it alright if I ask Class A's class average for the exam?"

If she didn't raise her hand, I would've asked that question to her later myself.

"If I remember correctly, there's was 85."

Horikita and I immediately looked at each other.

"This is bad," we thought-- or at least, I think we thought of the same thing.

"I understand... And these rewards came with the deductions, right?" Matsushita followed up with another question.

"Of course," Sensei nodded. "The same thing applies every month."

I observed my classmates after Chabashira-sensei gave her reply, and finally got an idea of who were the sharpest students in the class.

After another normal day, I was finally back in my room. I read the list that Chabashira-sensei gave me a while back-- the list of first-year students with their names and faces.

"I thought the chairman would see through my act, but I guess that wasn't the case," I murmured.

Because of this list, I already knew about the existence of Sakayanagi Arisu, beforehand. I just didn't want him to ask unnecessary questions that would lead to suspicion.

What caught me off-guard was Sakayanagi Arisu's knowledge about me and the White Room.

Sakayanagi Airsu, Katsuragi Kouhei, Ichinose Honami, and Ryuuen Kakeru, huh? They were the big names of our rival classes. Once I get to know how they work, and how their closest companions work, I won't need to lurk in the backstage anymore.

I said that I would be able to act more freely in the shadows, but the opposite is actually much better in one condition: I must know about my enemies first. Once I do that, it won't matter even they target me all they want. I can prepare and guard myself with little to no errors.

Snapping my mind back into reality, I remembered that I needed to prepare for my Sunday plans with my friends...