Welcome to the Classroom of Espers (Classroom of the Elite x The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.)

Chapter 7: Class Meeting

Midterm exams are one of the most important events for students, since they determine grades.

Even more so for those who regard academics as their foremost duty.

Add in the rule that failing with a red mark could lead to expulsion, and it’s no wonder many students feel a sense of crisis.

That’s no exception, even for Class B, whose academic level is above average.

“I’d like to hold a study session in preparation for the midterm exam.”

May 1st.

On that day, after the distribution of private points, the public release of class points and quiz results, and the explanation that unless you graduate from Class A the school will not guarantee your future path, Ichinose called a class meeting at the end of the day to decide Class B’s next steps.

Even those who belonged to clubs and should have gone to practice stayed without complaint.

Part of it was because after Hoshinomiya-sensei left, Ichinose had asked everyone to remain after school, but most likely, everyone shared the same anxiety about their first midterm.

“I’d like as many people as possible to join, but if you concentrate better on your own, that’s fine too. You can just drop by if you have questions.”

Several students let out a breath of relief at Ichinose’s words.

I was no different.

Even without joining a study session, I could easily score around the class average using telepathy.

Not for cheating, of course. If I scored too high or too low, I’d stand out. That’s why I fine-tune my answers to hit just above the average.

“Ah, but anyone who scored below B Class’s average of 70 points on the quiz should participate. Nobody failed, but something could happen in the real exam.”

Ah.

In my case, I had deliberately made careless mistakes to lower my score, but it had backfired.

If I explained that to Ichinose, she’d probably just give me a sympathetic look and say, “Then do your best not to make careless mistakes on the real thing, okay?” And if I tried seeking help from Kanzaki, he’d only say, “Success is built on daily practice. I’ll join you, so let’s go, Saiki,” before dragging me along. I could already see it.

“The ones teaching will be me and Kanzaki-kun, plus I’d like to ask the top three scorers on the quiz to help.”

“Of course.”

“If it’s your request, Honami-chan!”

“Yeah, if there’s anything I can do.”

It seemed no one in the class had managed to answer the last three questions correctly, though Kanzaki and Ichinose had gotten at least one of them right, so the teaching would center on the two of them.

I wasn’t strangers with top scorers like Amikura, Hamaguchi, and Kobashi, but my academic ability wasn’t low enough that I’d need their help.

During the run-up to exams, more and more students would gather to study in various places, and the voices echoing in my telepathy would only increase.

If it was a study session, it would probably take place in the library or the café—those usual hangouts at times like this.

I really wanted to avoid participating if at all possible.

(Haaaa… I slipped up… my score landed exactly on the average thanks to those intentional mistakes… But maybe that means I won’t have to participate?)

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who didn’t want to join. I turned to look at the classmate who let out a heavy sigh in her heart.

A girl with long hair tied into twin tails and eyes perfectly suited to a deadpan glare—if I remembered right, her name was Himeno.

She should be academically strong, but just like me, it seemed she had ended up with the same average score thanks to making some intentional mistakes.

Hmm. A peek at her answers in the faculty room showed spelling errors and miswritten numbers in the middle of equations, which had dragged her score down.

Had those been correct, she would’ve been up at 80 points, right alongside Shiranami and Shibata.

“Saiki-kun, are you okay? Your eyes just went really cross-eyed…”

(Cross-eyed?)

(Why now?)

Crap.

Whenever I use clairvoyance, I have to go cross-eyed, but I thought no one had noticed me doing it.

Apparently, Ichinose had.

“Um, about the class committee system. The topic came up that it might be better if our roles were assigned from the start, to prepare for school life and upcoming events.”

(You probably weren’t listening halfway through, were you, Saiki-kun?)

Ichinose smiled brightly, but her eyes didn’t quite match the smile, and her gaze stung.

I didn’t really care if they went through with it, but… wait, does this mean everyone has to be on a committee?

“Right. Since I brought it up, I’ll be the class representative, and Kanzaki-kun has agreed to be vice-representative.”

“For the secretary, Shiranami. And Shibata will be athletics officer.”

Kanzaki filled in the details, while Shiranami, the new secretary, wrote down the committee positions as they were decided.

“If there’s something you’d like to do, just say so, okay?”

Unfortunately, there was nothing I wanted to do.

Maybe something like the “Happiness and Peace Committee”?

—No, going around telling people “Happiness is an obligation” didn’t suit me at all.

(Ugh, this is such a pain… Just let the people who want to do it handle it.)

On that point, Himeno and I were in complete agreement.

As it turned out, by midterms every student was required to join some committee or other. This part was mandatory.

The goal, clearly, was to instill responsibility in each person and encourage more class interaction.

And according to Representative Ichinose, having no position or role at all was simply unfair.

“Well then, with the general direction settled, our class’s goal is to reach Class A with zero dropouts! Everyone on board with that?”

“No objections.”

“Same here.”

“Me too.

One by one, classmates voiced their agreement with the representative’s declaration.

I had no particular objection either.

Even Himeno, though reluctant, didn’t raise a protest.

“Alright then—this month, let’s all give it our best for the midterm exams!”

“Yeah!” “Yeah!” “Yeah!”

All my classmates except Himeno and me responded with fired-up voices to Ichinose’s cheer.

“But… if someone did end up getting expelled, there’s nothing we can do?”

When Minamikata asked, unable to hide her anxiety, Ichinose answered with a reassuring smile, as though revealing a special secret.

“There actually is a way. Just one.”

“Twenty million points. If you can pay that, the expulsion will be canceled.”

(That’s an absurd amount, though.)

“Tw-twenty million!?”

“There’s no way!”

“Even if we saved the full 100,000 points we get each month without spending a single one, there’s no way we’d ever reach that!”

The amount was higher than the cost of university entrance fees and four years of tuition.

Still, if canceling an expulsion required such a sacrifice, then that was simply how it was.

Well, compared to a normal school, where no amount of money could buy your way back once expelled, perhaps you could even call it lenient. …Could you?

“Maybe it’s impossible alone. But if we all pool our strength together, we can make it happen, right?”

Ah, so she meant gathering everyone’s private points.

That way, even twenty million points started to feel somewhat realistic.

“Yeah, if we do that, we might actually manage it!”

“The problem is, who do we entrust it to?”

(Exactly. It’s one thing to hand it over, but what if someone uses it selfishly?)

(If we do entrust it, Ichinose-san would be best. She doesn’t seem like the type to waste it.)

(I’d feel safe giving it to Ichinose.)

(It’s most sensible to entrust the class rep.)

While everyone voiced agreement, the real sticking point was who would actually hold the points.

In their minds, Ichinose seemed like the obvious choice, but her own opinion differed.

“I’d like Saiki-kun to serve as treasurer… Would that be alright?”

“Saiki?”

((Saiki-kun!? Saiki!? Saiki!?))

Good grief. Me, the treasurer?

Don’t be ridiculous.

“I don’t object per se, but… why Saiki?”

(True, he doesn’t waste money, and he doesn’t seem greedy either, so he’s more trustworthy than most…)

Please, Kanzaki. Oppose it.

If you don’t, I’ll make sure to flaunt my spending in front of you—on coffee jelly machines and giant TVs.

“Everyone knows Saiki-kun doesn’t waste money, right? I could do it myself, but since I’m the class rep, I think it’s fairer to let someone else handle class funds.”

(I wouldn’t spend the entrusted points if it’s given to me, but… if my past were exposed to everyone or to other classes, this system could fall apart…)

I don’t know what your past was, but using it as a reason to dump this on me feels absurd.

Actually, isn’t it about time you told us what happened back then?

Hoshinomiya-sensei had no problem casually spoiling things, but Ichinose either didn’t want to remember or was blocking it out—her past never leaked through my telepathy.

And as for me, I’m hardly spotless. When I was a baby, my very first errand ended with me leaving the store without paying. (Though apparently Mom went back later and settled the bill.)

“I see.”

(That makes sense.)

(Ichinose might be right.)

No, it doesn’t make sense.

Just because Ichinose said so, you’re all fine trusting a plain, inconspicuous student with this kind of responsibility?

I object. Don’t dump such a burden on me.

“I get Saiki’s point too.”

(Maybe the safest way is for Ichinose and me to manage it together?)

“Hm? Then… how about asking Himeno-san to help as well?”

“…What?” (What?)

The relief of escaping the treasurer role lasted only a moment. Kanzaki agreed, but in the same breath, the one other person still without a committee role—Himeno—was suddenly roped in alongside me.

“Himeno-san doesn’t have a committee yet, and if it’s the two of you, you can check on each other. I don’t think that’s a bad idea… What do you think?”

(She’s quiet like Saiki-kun, so they’ll probably get along. Even though Himeno-san comes to the girls’ gatherings, she’s a little isolated… Maybe she could bond with Saiki-kun.)

Isn’t that meddling a bit much?

Himeno prefers being alone—that’s why she chooses solitude.

Even as a telepath, there’s no way I could make someone who loves being alone suddenly fit in with the class.

(Excuse me!? You’re deciding this without asking me? And “what do you think?” Seriously, the answer is obviously no!)

“…Fine. But the points go to Saiki-kun, okay?”

She had been ready to flat-out refuse, at least in her head. Yet in reality, Himeno accepted—sacrificing me in the process.

“Of course. As long as Saiki-kun holds on to them, that works.”

(Good. Neither of them did that well on the quiz, but looking at their usual behavior and attitude in class, there’s no way they’d end up expelled. This way we can feel at ease.)

Not that I thought anyone else was at real risk of expulsion, or that they’d steal the money.

As for me, if expulsion was coming my way, I’d happily accept it. But with this class, they’d probably scrape together twenty million points to stop it.

“Thank you, Saiki-kun. We’ll decide the exact amount to collect together with Kanzaki-kun and the others.”

At this point, resisting any further would just waste time.

I reluctantly took on the role of point manager—but it seemed I also had to be present when deciding the collection amount.

It’s the first month, so about 20,000 points should be fine.

If we raise it to 35,000 starting next month, people will think twice before wasting points.

“Then it’s settled. Saiki-kun and Himeno-san are our treasurers! I’m counting on you two!”

In the end, I couldn’t escape the treasurer role. Still, it was better than being stuck with class rep or cleaning duty.

Thus, the long, long homeroom finally came to an end. I thought I’d finally get to go home, but—

“Saiki-kun, Himeno-san! Before you leave, let’s decide the collection amount and talk about the study session.”

(Better bring it up now, or they’ll just slip out.)

And so, against my will, I was forced to remain in the classroom to fulfill my new duty as class treasurer.

“Then, how about we follow Saiki-kun’s idea—20,000 points this month, 35,000 from next month?”

“Sounds fine to me.”

“…But at that rate, we won’t reach twenty million points.”

Wanting to end things quickly, I had uncharacteristically suggested the numbers myself. To my surprise, they were met with approval—except from Himeno, who was clearly dissatisfied.

“Well, true, at that pace we wouldn’t hit the target until next year. But the teacher said there’s nothing we can’t buy with points. Better safe than sorry, right?”

“Yeah. Besides, there might be other times when we’ll need to use the class funds, not just for canceling an expulsion.”

“How is it?” Ichinose looked to Kanzaki and me for agreement. With no reason to object, we both nodded.

Besides, class points and private point distributions weren’t only monthly—they also came during special exams.

Saving twenty million points within the year wasn’t impossible, but that wasn’t something to discuss right now.

“Then I’m fine with it. I’ll transfer mine to Saiki-kun.”

With Himeno’s agreement, the discussion finally wrapped up, and three classmates each sent twenty thousand points to my terminal.

They were added straight into my personal balance, but since there was no way to create a separate terminal or class account, it couldn’t be helped.

“So, what should we do about the study session? I know what I said earlier, but honestly, in our class I think it’s fine if only those who want to join participate.”

(Forcing people won’t help them focus anyway.)

“That works better for me.”

(I’d just like to ask about what I don’t understand.)

“I don’t mind either way, but if we care about class points, shouldn’t we have everyone join? If you need a teacher role, I’ll join of course.”

“Hmm… I see what you mean, Kanzaki-kun, but right now what matters most is the whole class overcoming the test together. First, we need to prevent failing grades and avoid expulsions. That should be our focus.”

“You’re right. High scores can be left to those who can achieve them. With this class, we don’t have to worry about failing grades. Those who only need minimal support can get just that.”

It seemed I was free from attending the study sessions.

Still, they decided to hold them, split between lunch breaks and after school, to accommodate students with club or personal schedules.

I agreed to show up once.

If I could demonstrate that I’d overcome careless mistakes and could score well, I’d save myself needless concern.

Now that I had extra time during lunch and after school, I could put it to use.

Specifically, I’d check whether the exam papers I copied with clairvoyance were truly the real past tests.

<+>

Note:

Himeno has joined the party! (Probably.)

The reason Saiki was chosen as treasurer wasn’t just because he doesn’t waste money. When news of class points, quiz scores, and the risk of expulsion from failing midterms came up, Chie-chan noticed that he didn’t flinch at all.

Even though they’d only known him for a month, Ichinose judged that Saiki would never betray the class or spend points recklessly, and that he wouldn’t be shaken by tricksters like Ryuen or Sakayanagi.

If Saiki did betray them or misuse the points, Ichinose intended to admit her mistake in judgment, apologize to the class, and take responsibility by expelling herself. But her instincts proved correct, so it never came to that.

Would this erase Sakayanagi’s eventual attack on Ichinose? Probably not. (Though whether the story will go that far is another question.)

For now, the only people outside the class who know of Saiki are Hiyori, and Kushida—who is actively building connections with other classes. (Though she knows his name, she hasn’t met him yet.)