The moment I walked back into the classroom, Haruto followed closely behind, almost as if he felt the need to keep an eye on me. **A roach.** That's what he was. A persistent little pest that just wouldn't go away no matter how many times you tried to ignore it.
The classroom was tense. The heated arguments from earlier had died down, but the air was thick with unease. The teacher's sharp gaze landed on Haruto and me, clearly aware that we had snuck out. But he didn't say a word. **He didn't care.**
Instead, he broke the silence with something far worse.
"From here on out, any student who incorporates violence or fails a test will automatically fail the course. And as for Class D…" He smirked. "They all failed their exam. If they fail the next one, they will be expelled."
The class was silent, but the shock in their eyes was unmistakable. Expulsion. **This school had no mercy.**
Then the teacher continued.
"There will be a special event—a test of your physical capabilities. Since both Class D and Class C are filled with **retards** with no hope for an academic future, let's see if you can at least prove yourselves physically."
Daiko's knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists. He was still seething after Reika's little stunt earlier, but **this was his domain.** Daiko was known as one of the best athletes in the school. If there was one thing he had complete confidence in, it was his ability to dominate in physical challenges. **And that made him dangerous.**
The teacher then laid out the three possible trials:
1. **Survival Gauntlet** – Survive 3-5 days on a remote island. **(Super Hard)**
2. **The Endurance Relay** – A multi-stage obstacle course requiring teamwork. **(Hard)**
3. **Tactical Combat Simulation** – A game of capture the flag or flag football. **(Medium)**
"The first-years will vote on which exam they want. Choose wisely."
Daiko stood up almost immediately, smirking. **Cocky. Predictable. Idiot.**
"That's easy! We'll go with the **Tactical Combat Simulation.** I'm sure all of Year One will agree—**even Class A.**"
The teacher sighed, shaking his head. "Then you clearly don't understand Class A at all."
Daiko's face twisted. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"The harder the challenge, the more class points you can gain." The teacher smirked. "Class A wants to ensure their victory. Do you really think they'll settle for a 'medium' difficulty challenge when there are **thousands** of points on the line?"
"That's bullshit! Class A already has more points than everyone! Why the hell would they even bother?"
The teacher chuckled. "Because they want to stay on top."
Daiko opened his mouth to argue again, but then the teacher continued.
"As for Class B, they have a student named **Kaito Sugimura.** A master in **Aikido.** He's **6'4**, weighs nearly **200 pounds**, and is built like a fortress."
Silence.
Even I had to admit—I was surprised. **A monster.**
"So, Class B is confident in their victory. Class D, on the other hand, is desperate. They've already spent all their individual points. Participating in the **Survival Gauntlet** rewards each student with 25,000 individual points. And if a class wins? 5,000 class points.
Winning this exam could instantly **put us ahead of Class A.**"
Daiko fell silent. **Humbled.**
Then, Haruto stood up. **"If we vote for the island exam, I want to be the leader of Class C."**
The teacher nodded. "Very well."
Voting began. The students scribbled their choices and placed them in the basket. I already knew what the outcome would be.
---
**The next day, the results were in.**
**The Survival Gauntlet had won.**
Haruto stood at the front of the class, his voice filled with unshakable confidence. **"This time, we will secure victory as Class C. We will prove our worth and rise to Class B!"**
The class erupted in cheers. **Fools.**
Haruto was naive. He thought this was about moving up, about proving something. **He didn't understand the real game.**
If we moved up to Class B, **we would be at war with Class A.**
**And Class A does not lose.**
I wasn't about to let these idiots drag me into their fantasy. **I needed a solution.**
One that would ensure we never reached Class B.
One that required effort—too much effort.
**I would have to sabotage Class C from within.**