Chapter 30 - Even Failure Has Its Uses

As the saying goes, whether it's happiness or despair, everything is felt through comparison.

(Ts deep 😭🙏)

It's not that Class D scoring zero points is terrifying—what's truly horrifying is that Classes A, B, and C all earned over 800 points. That contrast alone was enough to crush any hope.

"Ahhh! How could this happen? We're the worst class!"

"Without personal points, how am I supposed to survive this month?"

The classroom filled with wails of misery, but Hikigaya didn't feel the slightest bit of sympathy. In fact, he felt something close to refreshment—the kind of grim satisfaction that comes from watching people finally face the consequences of their own stupidity.

The corners of his mouth twitched upward. Maybe this is the "pleasure" Kouenji Rokusuke was talking about.

Though, if he had to choose, Hikigaya preferred tax evasion over schadenfreude.

"Wait a minute, Chabashira-sensei! We were never told about any of this!"

As the acknowledged leader of Class D, Hirata Yosuke stood up to protest.

"Hah. Hirata, don't you think what you just said sounds ridiculous?"

Chabashira's lips curved in a faint, icy smile. "Isn't it only natural for high school students to follow the school's rules and classroom discipline?"

"Why should I have to give explicit instructions for that?"

"Or did you think you were still in elementary school?"

Faced with Chabashira's biting logic, Hirata was at a loss for words.

"Horikita, Yukimura," Chabashira continued, her gaze sharp, "don't look so unconvinced. I know you two perform well academically and actually pay attention in class."

She paused. "But those are just the bare minimum expectations for students."

"If you're only doing your part individually, that won't earn your class any extra points."

Her words made it clear—they needed to shift their mindset from individual achievement to collective responsibility.

"I don't accept that!" Yukimura Teruhiko said indignantly, adjusting his glasses. "Why should I be punished for other people's mistakes?"

Horikita Suzune said nothing. Her expression turned thoughtful, and from time to time, her eyes flicked toward Hikigaya—there was a trace of understanding there.

That reaction surprised even Chabashira. She had expected Horikita, with her usual stubborn logic, to respond with self-righteous lines like 'I don't belong in Class D,' or 'I'll protest to the school.'

But instead, she seemed… restrained.

Did someone change her perspective?

Feeling isolated, Yukimura turned toward Horikita for support. "Hey, Horikita! Say something! Have you really accepted being part of this garbage class?"

Ah, another social genius.

As expected, his tactless words immediately turned the rest of Class D against him.

Insults came flying one after another—"Loser with glasses," "bookworm blockhead," "self-righteous freak."

Horikita stayed calm through the barrage. "Normally, I'd agree. There's no logical reason I should've been assigned to Class D," she admitted plainly.

The class held its breath.

"But I've been thinking… can ordinary students attend a school that provides free tuition, free housing, and 100,000 points a month with no restrictions?"

Her sharp reasoning silenced the entire room.

"Since we enjoy those benefits, we should also accept the school's rules—even the unreasonable ones."

She turned slightly toward Hikigaya. "Wouldn't you agree, Hikigaya?"

You were doing fine on your own. Why drag me into this?

"You noticed the school's irregularities from day one," Horikita continued. "You didn't complain or protest—you simply accepted them and acted accordingly."

She was recalling that first day, when her brother had pointed out Hikigaya's behavior—scavenging free supplies from the supermarket and quietly gathering information from senior students.

"Ahem—well, I'm just a realist," Hikigaya said quickly, interrupting before she could reveal more. "Think of it like a company. You work overtime to finish a project, but one coworker screws up, so the whole thing fails. The boss doesn't praise your effort—he just calls you all useless, and your bonus disappears."

A heavy silence followed.

…Did I just depress the entire room?

"Your analogy," Chabashira said, almost grimacing, "was… accurate. Just don't use it so casually next time."

Even Chabashira—who'd been working for years—looked momentarily stunned by how painfully realistic it was.

"Fish-Eye Boy," Kouenji Rokusuke called from the back, "you seem to have talent for management. Interested in working for my company after graduation?"

As expected of the "Young Master CEO"—already headhunting before midterms.

"No thanks," Hikigaya replied instantly. "I hate working."

"Haha! People who hate work are often the ones destined to work the hardest. Life is cruel, isn't it?"

Are you cursing me right now? Hikigaya's expression darkened.

"Let's return to the main topic," Chabashira said briskly, cutting through the chaos. "Any other questions about today's class meeting?"

"Then could you at least tell us the specifics about how class points increase or decrease?" Hirata asked earnestly.

Still taking responsibility, even now. Class D might have fallen face-first into the mud, but Hirata was still trying to crawl forward.

Hikigaya respected that—though personally, he'd given up on Class D the moment it became inconvenient.

"That's impossible," Chabashira replied coldly. "According to school policy, the detailed scoring criteria are confidential. Just like in the real world—when you start working, no company will tell you the exact standards of your performance evaluation."

Her words extinguished what little hope Hirata had left.

"Even if you fix your lateness, absences, and class discipline issues now, the points lost this month won't be restored," Chabashira continued. "The only good news is that the S-System doesn't have a negative scoring mechanism. In other words—no matter how many points you lose, your score can't go below zero. Fascinating, isn't it?"

"…How is that supposed to help?" Hirata muttered, his tone bitter.

The way she phrased it almost sounded like she was encouraging them to keep failing.

But Hikigaya caught something critical in her words.

No matter how many points you lose, it won't affect your score…

That was basically saying Class D was invincible.

As the saying goes, the barefoot man fears no one wearing shoes.

If handled cleverly, Class D could exploit this loophole to pressure the other classes for gain.

Not that Hikigaya had any intention of trying such a reckless plan himself. But others… might.

He glanced toward Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, who sat diagonally across from him. His eyes were calm—too calm—yet there was a flicker of cold calculation behind them.

Or maybe I'm just imagining things, Hikigaya thought.

Ayanokouji's mask was so perfect that no one could truly read him.

Still, Hikigaya had already labeled him in his mind—

"The Evil Uchiha."

***

Expect the Last Update later today 🤧