COTE :  Oh No, I've Become the Substitute

May 1st. Sunny.

The weather was warm and pleasant, the sky a clear, washed azure blue. A few wisps of drifting clouds sailed across the horizon, shimmering with soft ripples of light beneath the sun. A gentle breeze brushed against faces.

Yet, the atmosphere in Class A at this moment lacked its usual ease. The students sat solemnly in their seats, as if awaiting the pronouncement of an imperial decree.

"Hah~"

A scene-ruining yawn shattered the classroom's oppressive mood.

"Why did you all come to the classroom so early and then just sit in your seats without saying a word? Are you conducting some kind of mysterious spirit-summoning ritual?"

"Like you're one to talk!" the entire class chorused.

"Now that you mention it, I guess so. We've done everything we could. Besides, we're Class A. Logically speaking, we aren't the ones who should be worrying anyway," a male student muttered.

"Exactly!" Tamiya Emi nodded in agreement, feeling indignant. "On my way here, I even overheard two girls from Class D discussing what clothes they were going to buy after receiving their points today."

"Let's hope they can still be smiling after today." Tanihara Mao spoke with a touch of schadenfreude.

"At a guess, they probably don't have many points left. I often see them at Keyaki Mall, finishing their food and just tossing the trash on the ground before running off."

"You've encountered them too? Those few students from Class D?"

"I didn't recognize them at first. But it turned out to be them every single time. After a while, you just got to know those particular people."

...

Gradually, the atmosphere of the class grew cheerful again.

Fuyuji Mikage opened his phone and tapped on his personal account.

[Private Points: 67,900 pt]

Over thirty thousand points in a single month—this should fall within the normal range.

He leaned back in his chair, tilting it backward, and rested his head on Morishita Ai's desk.

"How many points do you have left?"

"Forty-eight thousand."

"Did you buy something? Why is there such a big difference between us?" Fuyuji Mikage's line of sight was largely covered by Morishita Ai's neck and chin. The perspective felt somewhat novel.

Aside from the very first voice recorder, most of his and Morishita Ai's time schedules overlapped. The places where he spent the most points were at various restaurants trying different foods, occasionally treating others. Morishita Ai should have been similar. Why was there a gap of nearly 20,000 points?

"I bought a fish tank." Morishita Ai's face remained as calm as ever, but her hand quietly slipped into her drawer.

"A fish tank? You?"

The corner of Fuyuji Mikage's eye twitched. He probed cautiously, "If I may be so bold as to ask... how many days did the fish in your tank survive?"

"Since you know, why are you still asking..." Morishita Ai's expression turned icy.

"Five days?"

"..."

"Three days?"

"..."

"Don't tell me they didn't even last two days?"

"Correct!" With lightning speed, Morishita Ai pressed down on Fuyuji Mikage's forehead and immediately stamped a seal upon it. "As a reward, I bestow upon you a Demon-Subduing Mark!"

With a clatter, Fuyuji Mikage snapped back into place. He raised his hand and scrubbed fiercely at the red mark on his forehead. "A sneak attack! Morishita Ai, what the hell did you just stamp on me?!"

As if nothing had happened, Morishita Ai retracted her seal, rested her chin on her hand, and gazed at the leaves swaying outside the window, sighing with emotion:

"Even though I prepared their food exactly as the book instructed," her voice gradually turned melancholic, "and thought they were too skinny, afraid they weren't eating their fill, so I specially increased the portion..."

"How did they turn into floating fish the very next day?"

Fuyuji Mikage, who had been cleaning his forehead with fresh water, halted his movements. In a tone free of both sorrow and joy, he stated to Morishita Ai:

"Fun fact: Fish lack a satiety center in their brains. Their intestinal tract is short, and they have no stomach, rendering them unable to secrete the digestive enzymes necessary to break down excess food. In other words, they died from overeating."

Morishita Ai, you really are a living King of Hell!

"..."

Three seconds later, Morishita Ai averted her head. "Morishita-sama is naturally well aware of such common knowledge that even a child would know."

Heh, heh. You think I believe you?

"It's decided!"

Morishita Ai swiftly rallied her spirits and declared with high morale, "Once this month's points are distributed, I'll go buy a few more fish to try again. This time, I'll buy guppies. And then I'll buy a turtle to keep them company!"

Fuyuji Mikage sighed. "I'm begging you, please just let them go. The lives of fish are lives too."

"Fuyuji Mikage, are you actually doubting me?"

"When have I ever believed in you?" Fuyuji Mikage answered with half-lidded eyes.

"You heartless wretch—"

Morishita Ai had just begun to retort when the terminals of all the students went off simultaneously. Class A, which had been noisy and chaotic just moments ago, fell silent in an instant.

It's here!

Everyone, without prior agreement, took out their phones to check.

[Private Points: 164,900 pt]

Converted into Class Points, that would be...

"970 points!" The voice was filled with surprise and a hint of disbelief.

The students in the class who were quick to react immediately calculated Class A's current Class Points.

"Ohhhh!"

The entire class erupted into cheers.

"1000 points is the maximum. We only got 30 points deducted. No problem. We're absolutely still number one this time."

"We can't let our guard down. We still don't know how many points Class B received."

"Should we send a message to ask right now?"

"Forget it. We'll find out sooner or later anyway. After today, they'll be our rivals."

"Hey, hey, should we all go to karaoke together on the weekend to celebrate? Our class hasn't really done anything as a group. Class B has already had several gatherings."

"Great idea. I second that."

After the proposal gained the approval of most of the students, they all looked together towards Katsuragi Kohei, who had been standing there with his arms folded, his face dark and silent the entire time.

The vast majority of day-to-day class affairs were handled by Katsuragi Kohei. At times like this, they relied on him for coordination and arrangements.

Katsuragi Kohei put away his phone, let out a long breath, and nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Let's all go together and relax this weekend."

"Ohhhh!" The entire class cheered once more.

The tense air seemed to ignite. Thunderous cheers erupted within the classroom. The students' long-suppressed nervousness and anticipation instantly transformed into pure ecstasy and excitement.

The boys clapped each other heavily on the shoulders. Some leaped up in excitement, sending desks and chairs clattering noisily. The girls were so thrilled they hugged each other, their faces brimming with radiant smiles.

A knocking sound came from the door.

Looking towards the sound, Class A's homeroom teacher, Mashima Tomonari, appeared at the classroom doorway.

"It seems I've come at just the right time."

Today, Mashima Tomonari had, uncharacteristically, arrived at the classroom early, before the bell. He held several posters in his hands, and his perpetually taut face even bore a faint smile.

"Mashima-sensei, you knew about the S System all along, didn't you? And you never once quietly tipped us off in private?" A female student in the class was the first to voice a complaint.

"Yeah, isn't a homeroom teacher supposed to give preferential treatment to the students of their own class?" The boys chimed in.

"This is a strict rule of the school. I had no choice," Mashima Tomonari affixed the posters to the blackboard. "Besides, didn't you all manage to uncover the truth of the school quite well on your own?"

Just then, the class bell rang, its crisp sound echoing throughout the classroom.

"Alright. The idle chatter ends here."

Mashima Tomonari's expression returned to its usual sternness. He braced both hands on the podium and gazed out at the entire class.

"Although you already know part of what the S System entails, next, I will supplement for you the truth about this school—the bastion of meritocracy."

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