A Simple Life in the Classroom of the Elite

Inside my dorm, the air carried the warm scent of freshly cooked food A small assortment of traditional Japanese dishes was neatly arranged on the low table—onigiri, tamagoyaki, and even a modest serving of sekihan, red bean rice often used for special occasions.

"You really went all out, Ryuto!" Hirata said with an appreciative smile as he picked up a piece of tamagoyaki with his chopsticks.

"Are you sure you just started cooking? We won't judge you if it turns out you just enjoy it." Kushida teased, her grin playful yet curious.

"I'm not lying, I promise." I chuckled, feeling a swell of pride. "I thought it would be useful, and it seems I might actually have a talent for it."

"Is that so?" Kushida's smile faltered slightly.

"I figured we deserved something proper for cracking the mystery. Besides, knowing that behavior and exams directly affect our standing changes everything. We're officially one step ahead." I exclaimed, my excitement clear as day.

Kushida clapped her hands together "It's great that we know now, but the real challenge is what we do with this information. If our points can go down because of bad behavior, then we need to be careful about how we handle things moving forward."

"Should we reveal this information to the class?" Ayanokoji chimed in, his gaze steady as he scanned the table.

Horikita, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke up. "Regardless, there's one thing we all need to agree on—this class is in shambles. Even with this knowledge, we need a way to ensure people actually care enough to change their behavior. If we don't, this information is useless."

She picked up a piece of sekihan, inspecting it briefly before taking a bite. A small, nearly imperceptible pause followed. "It's edible, at least."

Ryuto froze mid-drink. "…What?"

"The rice could use a bit more flavour. And you should've let the azuki beans simmer longer—they're slightly firm in the center." Horikita continued, her tone matter-of-fact.

"You can cook, Horikita?" Hirata asked, tilting his head in surprise.

"I can at least make simple meals." She admitted with a shrug. "Unlike you all, I don't rely on convenience store food all the time."

"That's great, Horikita! I can cook too!" Kushida's eyes lit up, her interest in the topic suddenly piqued.

I watched the exchange between them with curiosity, wondering why Kushida was so eager to talk to her. But my thoughts quickly shifted as an idea began to form.

"Alright, we should really focus on what to do tomorrow." I said, trying to steer the conversation back on track.

"You've got something in mind?" Ayanokoji asked, his curiosity evident as the others turned their attention to me.

"Mhmh. With Hirata and Kushida on board, convincing the class shouldn't be too hard, but we still need to take precautions to prevent any mishaps in the class's behavior." I explained.

"But most importantly, we have to find ways to save our points. After all, we know that many of our classmates aren't in the best financial situation." I added, ready to share my thoughts.

…

The Seventh day of school.

It was still some time before lessons officially began, but Class D was already full—everyone had arrived at Hirata's and Kushida's request. I stood at the front of the class alongside them, while Horikita and Ayanokoji chose to remain uninvolved, keeping their distance from the following talks.

"Sorry for calling everyone so early, but there's something important we need to discuss." I began, keeping my tone direct. There was no reason to drag this out.

The class regarded me with a mix of curiosity, annoyance, and indifference.

"I hope you don't disappoint me, Simplici-ryu. I lost ten minutes of my beauty sleep because of you." Koenji smirked, the only one I had to personally seek out, knowing he wouldn't have come otherwise.

"I won't. I might even take you by surprise, Koenji." I returned his smirk, then leaned against the lectern, my expression turning serious.

"On the first day of school, we missed our chance to buy into Chabashira-sensei's offer to learn about the school rules. But I didn't give up simply because we couldn't pay."

A few students leaned in, now paying closer attention.

"I kept searching, and with help, I uncovered what the school tried to hide from us." With that, I pulled out my phone and sent the compiled findings to our class group chat, including the recorded slip-up from Kaito.

Nearly everyone checked their devices, their faces shifting as they processed the information. Some were shocked, others skeptical.

"Is this for real?" Karuizawa muttered.

"What do you mean we're not getting our points next month?!" Ike shot up, panic written all over his face.

"That's bullshit!" Yamauchi scoffed.

Murmurs of protest rippled through the room.

"I know it's hard to believe, but it's the truth." Hirata said, his calm voice cutting through the noise.

"Please, just listen to us." Kushida added, her sincerity helping to quiet the dissent.

"We can't be sure until next month when we receive our points." I continued. "But can you really afford to take that risk?" I scanned the room, letting my words sink in. "Can you risk receiving ten thousand, five thousand, or even zero points?"

That made them pause.

"If that happens, we won't just be struggling to survive—we'll be the laughingstock of this entire school." I pressed further, watching as their uncertainty turned into reluctant understanding.

"We just need to follow the rules for the rest of this month. That's all we're asking." Hirata's voice was steady, persuasive.

"Do it for us!" Kushida's eyes glistened slightly, her appeal striking a chord with the more sentimental students…the boys.

"Respecting the rules should've been a given." Yukimura scoffed, crossing his arms.

"I trust Ryuto! It's just three weeks, after all." Sato nodded in agreement.

"I'm not planning on ever eating that vegetable meal set, so I guess I'll do it too." Karuizawa sighed, her decision influencing the girls around her.

"If Kushida-chan is asking…" The boys wavered, their resolve crumbling under her watery gaze.

"This is such crap. I'm not losing my naps because of some points." Sudo grumbled.

'Why nap in class?' I refrained from commenting.

"Sudo, did you actually read the information I sent? The upperclassmen have dropouts in every class. Do you want to risk being one of them?" I raised an eyebrow.

Sudo hesitated. The thought of expulsion clearly unsettled him, but he wasn't one to back down so easily.

"So what, you expect me to just roll over? That's not my style." He crossed his arms.

"Then don't." I shrugged. "Fight to stay here instead of throwing everything away."

His jaw tightened, but after a few moments, he sighed. "Tch…fine."

"How interesting, Simplici-ryu. However, I don't feel the need to abide by any rules. I like living freely, spreading my wings." Koenji chuckled, admiring himself in his compact mirror.

"How will you spread your wings without points? Do you think you'll still be able to afford your extravagant lifestyle?" I replied with a smile.

Koenji twirled his hair, laughing. "A minor inconvenience at best. True excellence transcends material wealth, Simplici-ryu."

I shook my head, sighing at his demeanor. Despite the way he acted, I could tell he was considering it. "Now, onto my next point—ensuring our behavior is exemplary."

Kushida stepped in. "Even small things—using your phone in class, talking too much—could bring us down. If we want to move up, we need to take this seriously."

"That's why we're making some changes." Hirata added. "Starting with our seating arrangements."

A few groans echoed.

"I know, I know." I tried to appease them. "You all want to sit next to your friends, but that's exactly why we need to change things. Too many people are distracted in class. From now on, we'll rearrange our seats to help us focus."

"But won't we risk losing points for that?" Yukimura frowned.

"We'll say it's to promote a better learning environment. The school shouldn't care as long as it's not causing problems." I replied, acknowledging the possibility.

Before objections could continue, I pressed on. "Also, starting today, we'll have a box at the front of the class where everyone will put their phones before lessons begin. No more distractions."

The backlash was immediate, but I didn't back down.

"Look, I get it. No one wants to give up their phone, but if we're serious about improving, we need to do this."

"No way. I'm not putting my phone in some box." Ike scoffed.

"Then enjoy getting no points." I shot back. "Do you think it's worth it?"

He hesitated before grumbling in agreement.

"I know most of you don't want to, but it's a small sacrifice." Hirata continued. "If it helps us maintain our points, it's worth it."

Kushida smiled. "And we're not just asking you to give things up—we're offering a way to save points, too. Everyone spends too much on food, right? Well, we have a solution."

I smirked. "Instead of buying overpriced meals, we'll buy ingredients and cook homemade meals. Then we'll sell them way cheaper than the stores."

That caught the class's attention.

"Wait, so we'd actually save money?" Shinohara perked up.

"Exactly." I nodded. "And we'll make sure the food is good. Right now, I'll be handling most of the cooking, with help from Horikita and Kushida."

Of course, everyone had to agree to it first. Thankfully, Hirata and Kushida had helped me share samples. And as expected, reactions were mostly positive.

"Huh…it's pretty good." Karuizawa admitted.

"This is made by Kushida-chan?!" Ike's eyes sparkled.

'Did this guy even listen?' I fought back a sigh.

"You cook, Simplici-ryu? The surprises never stop." Koenji smirked. "But I expect my dish to be designed by the delicate hands of a girl."

"Shut up and eat." I huffed, smirking back.

"Was this your idea, Ryuto?" Matsushita asked curiously.

I paused before shaking my head. "No. It was Horikita's."

That caught everyone off guard—including Horikita herself.

"Really? But she's always so distant why would she care?" A girl muttered skeptically.

"Oh, Horikita, are you cold on the outside but actually hot on the inside?" Ike teased.

Kushida's expression didn't change, but her eyes flickered with questions.

I also caught Horikita's glare, but it was worth it. If the class saw her as more of an ally instead of an ice queen, it would make our future planning easier.

Soon, the students, albeit reluctantly, agreed. The seating chart was redone, the phone box was set up, and even more girls volunteered to help with the cooking—probably enticed after hearing there's a payment. The boys tried to join in, but…most of them couldn't even do the basics.

As the discussions wrapped up, I smiled in relief, happy there were no major setbacks. This was, after all, the first step toward improvement.

…

"I hate this. Why did I have to come up with such a good plan?" I lamented as I walked with Kushida toward the biggest grocery store on campus.

Not only did I have to create a whole separate group chat just for managing this, but I also had to draft an entire menu, keep track of who wanted to buy meals and when, and ensure we didn't run out of ingredients.

"It's such a bother…" I muttered under my breath.

"Don't say that, Ryuto-kun! We're doing this for the class!" Kushida replied with a bright smile.

I sighed. "I know…but does it really have to be so complicated?"

Convincing the higher-ups that this wasn't a business was a pain. The school had strict rules against commercial activities, and our "student welfare" excuse barely held up. They were skeptical.

Luckily, Hirata volunteered to stay behind and talk things through.

"Now that I think about it, If we convince the store to supply us, won't the other classes catch on and copy us?" Kushida suddenly asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

I smirked. "If we convince the store, we keep a monopoly over their supplies. Simple as that."

She gave me a blank stare. "You know, Ryuto-kun, you sound like a future businessman."

I exhaled tiredly. "Really? That's exactly what I've been avoiding..."

Growing up, I had little interest in my family's affairs. Too complicated. Too much effort. But somehow, it seems I still got roped into the business world.

Funny how life worked.

Anyhow, this whole process was tedious, but thinking about the insane amount of points this could bring me filled me with determination.

And if it helped my classmates too, well, that wasn't such a bad thing.

…

As Kushida and I entered the grocery store, the automatic doors slid open, welcoming us into the store filled with neatly stocked shelves of ingredients. A few students were browsing the aisles, picking out their meals for the evening.

We made our way toward the store manager, a middle-aged man with sharp eyes and a distant demeanor. He stood behind the counter, observing the store when he noticed us approaching. His gaze flickered between us.

"Can I help you?" He asked, his voice professional.

I exchanged a glance with Kushida before stepping forward.

I cleared my throat, trying to stand straighter. "We'd like to discuss a potential arrangement regarding bulk ingredient purchases."

The manager raised an eyebrow. "Bulk purchases? That's unusual for students. What exactly are you planning?"

"Cooking for our classmates." Kushida chimed in with a cheerful smile. "We noticed that a lot of students waste points on expensive meals, so we thought—why not cook ourselves and save money?"

The manager leaned back slightly, crossing his arms. "Cooking for yourselves is one thing. But buying in bulk? That sounds a little…excessive."

"It's not just for ourselves." I admitted, keeping my tone measured. "We plan to provide meals for our entire class. Everyone chips in, and in return, they get a meal at a lower cost than the cafeteria's options."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "That sounds an awful lot like a business."

"It looks like one–" I conceded. "But it isn't. The school prohibits businesses that exist for profit. What we're doing is cooperative spending—everyone contributes points, and in return, we make the meals."

He remained silent, studying me. I met his gaze, unwavering.

Kushida chimed in, trying to persuade him. "By working together, we make sure everyone in our class has affordable meals. It's more of a charitable work than anything else!"

The manager drummed his fingers against the counter, considering our words. "Even if I accept that reasoning, why should I agree to a supply deal? The store sells at set prices. Buying more doesn't change that."

"True." I acknowledged. "But if we guarantee a steady, consistent purchase of large quantities, wouldn't that benefit you? You'd have a reliable customer base rather than sporadic student purchases."

"And since we'd be sticking with your store, we wouldn't need to go elsewhere for ingredients." Kushida added smoothly. "It's exclusive business for you."

The manager exhaled through his nose, rubbing his chin. "Exclusive, huh…Not a bad offer. But what's stopping another class from doing the same thing and undercutting you? If I agree to supply you, what prevents me from offering the same deal to others?"

I clicked my tongue. He wasn't going to make this easy.

"We just follow the standard procedure." I exclaimed after a moment. "What do you think about making a contract?"

"A contract?" His expression turned more intrigued than skeptical. "You two are first-years, right?"

"Huh? Of course." Kushida blinked.

"Is that so…interesting." He studied me for a second longer before exhaling. "Alright. I'll entertain the idea. Let's see what you have in mind." He motioned for us to follow him.

I paused briefly, glancing at Kushida. A small grin formed on her lips—one I found mirrored on my own.

"We actually did it!" She whispered excitedly.

I chuckled. "Don't get excited too early. We're still not in the clear."

…

The sky began to darken as Kushida and I walked out of the man's office, a single sheet of paper in my hand. The contract wasn't finalized yet—just a provisional agreement outlining our intent. Until the school made its decision, this was as far as we could push.

Kushida stretched her arms above her head, letting out a soft sigh. "Well, that was nerve-wracking. But at least he didn't turn us down outright."

"Yeah." I muttered, scanning the document. It was mostly standard—terms about purchase consistency, supply expectations, and a clause that allowed the store to back out if the school deemed our operation a violation. Nothing surprising.

Kushida leaned in slightly, trying to read over me. "So, what happens if the school does say no?"

I folded the paper neatly and tucked it into my pocket. "Then we adapt. We'll either find a way around it or change how we frame the whole thing. As long as no one admits to making a profit, the school can't prove it's a business."

"Still…" Kushida twirled a strand of hair, a pensive look in her eyes. "They will suspect something. If you suddenly start making a ton of points, won't they start digging?"

"Suspicion isn't enough." I countered. "They need proof. If they accuse us of running a business, the burden of proof is on them. We just have to be careful—keep the operation framed as a group effort, and make sure no one slips up."

"I didn't think you'd be so scheming, Ryuto-kun." Kushida chuckled amusedly.

"Really?" I replied with a wry smile. "Well, I suppose I began to look at myself a little differently lately."

…

A few minutes later, the two of us approached the female dorm. Considering Kushida had to accompany me for so long, I might as well walk with her too.

"Ryuto-kun." Kushida suddenly exclaimed, her voice bright and warm. "I really appreciate you stepping up like this. I'm sure it means a lot to everyone." She smiled at me, her eyes sparkling with sincerity.

"Thanks." I replied, caught off guard by her gratitude. "But this was a group effort, we all had a part in it."

"Of course, but you came up with these ideas in the first place!" She chuckled, her tone light. "I'm sure the class will start to rely on you more from now on."

"Me? C'mon, don't exaggerate." I laughed, shaking my head in disbelief.

"We'll see then." Kushida said with a playful smile before we exchanged goodbyes.

I lingered for a moment, staring at the building, my thoughts drifting.

'Having to cook here…it won't be weird, right?'

"Was that your girlfriend?" A familiar voice pulled me from my thoughts.

I turned to see Kamuro and Arisu approaching.

"Yeah, she's my girl friend." I replied, nodding at Kamuro's question.

"Oh, we've got a jokester here." She huffed, but then her expression shifted, eyes sharpening as a sly smile crept onto her face. "I have to say…I don't mind the type."

"Huh?" I let out a confused sound, caught off guard by the sudden change in her demeanor.

What did she mean by that? Was she teasing me? I opened my mouth to respond, but the words caught in my throat as I stared into her eyes. They sparkled with an alluring mix of mischief and challenge. It made my heart race slightly.

My face began to redden until she burst out laughing. "Calm down, I'm not gonna do anything." She exclaimed, amusement in her gaze.

"Wha…" I stumbled over my words, feeling both embarrassed and bewildered.

"I'm sure you two have things to discuss, so I'll go ahead." She cast a gloating glance toward Arisu before walking away, her laughter trailing behind her.

"I suppose this was my fault…" Arisu sighed, tilting her head as she watched Kamuro leave.

I gazed at her, waiting for an explanation that never came.

"It seems you're doing well, Ryuto. Already walking girls to their dorms, huh?" Arisu's smile was sharp, her gaze intense.

"She helped me a lot. It was the least I could do." I shrugged casually, trying to downplay the situation.

"I see…did she help with exploiting information from my classmate?" Arisu's question froze me in my tracks.

"No…"

"Oh, it seems I was mistaken then." She said with a nod. "So the only ones involved were you and Ayanokoji."

"That's right." I quickly threw Ayanokoji under the bus, knowing Arisu's thoughts wouldn't change either way.

"I'm surprised you chose to interact with him. Though having his help is useful, you never know when he might turn against you." She remarked, beginning to walk off.

Before I could ask what she meant, Arisu continued, her tone shifting. "Now that I'm not with you, I hope you don't start getting entangled with all kinds of girls. You've already made a mistake by befriending that one after all." She sighed, most likely referring to Kushida, before heading inside.

I sighed, turning to leave.

"Why does she have to act so mysteriously?"

...

Points amount: 174.000