The next day, Class 1-D gathered for homeroom.
The teacher stood in front of the class and wrote "Physical Examination" on the board.
Everyone immediately paid attention.
The teacher began explaining.
"Unlike the academic exams, you cannot participate in every activity."
The students looked confused.
She continued.
"You will form groups for the sports competition."
"Each sport will have different participants."
"However, only four students are allowed to participate in all activities."
The class immediately started discussing among themselves.
Then Sudo stood up.
"I'll be the leader."
The room became quiet.
Sudo crossed his arms.
"And I'll participate in all activities."
Nobody objected.
Everyone knew he was the strongest athlete in Class 1-D.
Sudo looked around the room.
"I need three more people."
Then he asked,
"Who wants to join?"
Three students immediately raised their hands.
Sudo nodded.
"Good."
The teacher wrote their names down and continued explaining the rest of the rules.
The classes eventually ended.
Ayaan, Anshuman, and Kira met outside the building.
They began discussing the upcoming physical examination.
Kira looked worried.
"I hope I don't embarrass myself."
Anshuman laughed.
"You're much better than when we started training."
"That doesn't mean I'm good."
Ayaan looked at her.
"You'll be fine."
Just then—
Ding.
All three phones vibrated at the same time.
They took them out.
A notification had appeared.
Academic Ranking Rewards
1st Place in a Subject
300,000 Points
2nd Place in a Subject
150,000 Points
3rd Place in a Subject
75,000 Points
The rewards had been distributed.
Kira's eyes widened.
"We actually got paid for our rankings?"
Anshuman immediately opened his point balance.
Ayaan checked his as well.
Then he looked at the others.
"How many points do we have now?"
Kira's Points
Starting Balance:
500,000
Previous Expenses & Losses:
Most of her points were taken by Ryan
Estimated Balance Before Rewards:
120,000
Rewards:
Maths (3rd): +75,000
Science (3rd): +75,000
SST (1st): +300,000
Current Balance: 570,000 Points
Anshuman's Points
Starting Balance:
500,000
Room Upgrade:
-10,000
Food & Shopping:
-6,000
Balance Before Rewards:
484,000
Rewards:
Maths (2nd): +150,000
Science (2nd): +150,000
SST (2nd): +150,000
Current Balance: 934,000 Points
Ayaan's Points
Starting Balance:
500,000
Room Upgrade:
-10,000
Food & Shopping:
-6,000
Balance Before Rewards:
484,000
Rewards:
Maths (1st): +300,000
Science (1st): +300,000
SST (3rd): +75,000
Current Balance: 1,159,000 Points
Kira looked at Ayaan's balance.
"You have more than a million points now."
Anshuman laughed.
"Looks like that laptop is affordable now."
Ayaan looked at the notification and nodded.
"We'll buy it tomorrow."
The three continued walking through the campus while discussing both the physical examination and what they would do with their newly earned points.
The three continued walking through the campus while looking at their point balances.
Ayaan glanced at Kira's phone.
"Kira, I thought you would have the same starting points from Class 1-C."
Kira shook her head.
Before she could answer, Anshuman spoke.
"No."
"If a student transfers classes, they lose the starting-point advantage of their previous class."
Kira nodded.
"Exactly."
Ayaan looked at her.
"So what happened?"
Kira sighed.
"When I transferred from 1-C to 1-D, my class bonus was removed."
"I only kept my personal points."
Anshuman continued.
"Otherwise everyone would just transfer from higher classes to lower classes and bring millions of points with them."
"The system would be broken."
Kira nodded.
"The academy doesn't allow that."
Ayaan thought about it for a moment.
"Makes sense."
Kira looked at her balance.
"To be honest, I'm happy I still have this many points."
Anshuman laughed.
"Considering Ryan took most of them, that's true."
"Don't remind me."
Kira replied.
The three continued walking.
After a few moments, Anshuman looked at Ayaan's balance again.
"You know, having over a million points after the first set of exams is pretty impressive."
Kira agreed.
"Most students don't even have half of that."
Ayaan wasn't particularly interested.
"Points are only useful if they're used correctly."
Anshuman smiled.
"Which is exactly why you have so many."
Kira pointed at him.
"And exactly why I don't."
The three laughed and continued toward the dormitory while discussing the upcoming physical examination and how important the next competition would be for Class 1-D.
The next day arrived.
The entire academy felt different.
Students from all four classes were gathering near the sports grounds.
Today was the beginning of the physical examinations.
Ayaan, Anshuman, and Kira met outside Class 1-D before heading to the event area.
Ayaan looked at the list of events.
"I'll participate in running and basketball."
Anshuman nodded.
"I'll take football and dodgeball."
Kira looked at her own schedule.
"Then I'll take volleyball and handball."
The three nodded.
After that, they separated and headed toward their respective teams.
The sports complex was huge.
Multiple fields and courts were prepared for the competitions.
Students from Class 1-A, 1-B, 1-C, and 1-D were everywhere.
As Ayaan walked toward the running field, he noticed many students observing their competition.
Some looked confident.
Some looked nervous.
Some looked arrogant.
At the basketball court, several students from Class 1-A were already warming up.
One of them spun a basketball on his finger while talking with his teammates.
Meanwhile, Anshuman reached the football field.
Dozens of students were practicing passes and shots.
The competition there looked intense.
On the volleyball court, Kira saw students from higher-ranked classes discussing strategies.
Many of them looked far more experienced than she was.
Kira took a deep breath.
"This is going to be tough."
A large screen near the center of the sports grounds suddenly turned on.
The teacher's voice echoed throughout the academy.
"Attention all first-year students."
Everyone looked toward the screen.
"The Physical Examination will begin shortly."
"Every event contributes points toward your class ranking."
"Perform well and your class will rise."
"Perform poorly and your class may fall."
The atmosphere immediately became serious.
Students from every class looked at their opponents.
Class 1-A.
Class 1-B.
Class 1-C.
Class 1-D.
All of them wanted victory.
Back at the running field, Ayaan quietly looked around.
Nearby, students from other classes were analyzing their competition.
Some noticed him.
After all, he had ranked highly in the academic exams.
At the football field, Anshuman stretched while smiling.
At the volleyball court, Kira tightened her ponytail and prepared herself.
The first whistle of the Physical Examination was about to be blown.
The sports competition continued across the academy grounds.
In the running event, the race began at full speed. Two boys quickly took the lead while Ayaan stayed slightly behind them.
As he ran, Ayaan thought,
"There is no need to reveal my full abilities. Getting a good position is enough to earn points for Class 1-D."
With that in mind, he increased his speed slightly. In the final stretch, he passed several runners and secured 2nd place, earning valuable points for his class.
After the race, many students were surprised.
"That guy from 1-D is pretty fast!"
"But it looked like he wasn't even trying his hardest."
Ayaan simply walked away without responding.
Meanwhile, on the football field, Anshuman was having an excellent match. His cheerful attitude kept his teammates motivated throughout the game.
In the first half, he broke through the defense and scored a goal.
"Goal!"
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Later in the match, Anshuman scored again with a powerful shot, giving his team a comfortable lead. Thanks to his two goals, his team won the match and earned points for Class 1-D.
"Haha! That was fun!" Anshuman laughed as his teammates celebrated around him.
On the volleyball court, Kira's team was also performing well. Kira made several important saves and accurate passes. However, she wasn't carrying the team alone; the other girls played brilliantly as well.
Together, they worked as a unit and defeated their opponents.
When the matches ended, all three friends met near the scoreboard.
Anshuman grinned.
"Two goals for me!"
Kira crossed her arms with a smile.
"Our team won too."
Ayaan nodded.
"I got second place in the race."
The three looked at the updated rankings. Because of their victories and the efforts of their classmates, Class 1-D had gained a large number of points on the first day of the sports competition.
However, students from Classes 1-A, 1-B, and 1-C were also earning points, meaning the competition was far from over. The next events would be even more important.
The next day of the sports festival arrived.
Today was Ayaan's basketball match.
When Class 1-D entered the court, they saw that their opponents were Class 1-A, the strongest class in the academy. Many of the players on the 1-A team were tall, skilled, and experienced.
The referee blew the whistle.
"Begin!"
The match immediately became intense.
Class 1-A's teamwork was excellent. Their passes were precise, their defense was strong, and they scored several quick baskets.
Ayaan observed everything calmly.
"They're strong... but something feels off. They're not playing at full strength."
Even though he realized this, Ayaan did not reveal his own true abilities either.
The score remained close throughout the match.
With a few clever passes from Ayaan and the support of his teammates, especially Sudo, Class 1-D managed to stay in the game.
In the final minute, the score was tied.
Sudo intercepted a pass and rushed forward.
"Take it, Ayaan!"
Ayaan caught the ball, drew two defenders toward him, and passed it at the last second to an open teammate.
Swish!
The ball went through the hoop.
Class 1-D took the lead.
The final whistle sounded moments later.
Class 1-D won by only two points.
The students of 1-D cheered loudly.
"We beat Class 1-A!"
"Unbelievable!"
Sudo laughed proudly.
"That was way too close!"
Ayaan looked toward the players of Class 1-A.
Despite losing, they didn't seem frustrated at all.
One of the 1-A players smiled and said,
"Looks like Class 1-D is stronger than we thought."
Another replied,
"Yeah, but this wasn't even our full strength."
Ayaan narrowed his eyes.
"As expected. They're hiding their abilities too."
As both teams left the court, Ayaan realized something important.
Class 1-A was not treating the sports festival as a simple competition. Just like him, they were carefully controlling how much of their talent they revealed.
And that meant the real battle between the classes had not begun yet.
Later that day, it was Anshuman's dodgeball match.
Their opponents were Class 1-B.
As soon as the match started, Anshuman noticed something unusual.
"They're not holding back at all..." he thought.
The students of Class 1-B were showing their full strength. Their teamwork was excellent, and their throws were fast and accurate.
Anshuman knew he could change the flow of the match if he revealed more of his abilities, but he chose not to.
"There's no reason to expose myself during a sports festival."
Because of that, he played normally and avoided standing out.
Despite their efforts, Class 1-D eventually lost the match.
After the game, some of his teammates looked disappointed.
Anshuman simply smiled.
"We'll have other chances to earn points."
Soon afterward, it was Kira's handball match.
Unfortunately for Class 1-D, their opponents were the girls of Class 1-A.
From the very beginning, the difference in strength was obvious.
Class 1-A's girls had incredible coordination, speed, and strategy.
Kira fought hard and scored several important points, but even she couldn't overcome the entire team.
By the end of the match, Class 1-A won decisively.
As the sports festival came to an end, all students gathered in front of the large electronic scoreboard.
The principal stepped onto the stage.
"Students, the final results of the Sports Festival have been calculated."
Everyone looked toward the rankings.
Final Sports Festival Rankings
1st Place — Class 1-A
2nd Place — Class 1-D
3rd Place — Class 1-B
4th Place — Class 1-C
Cheers erupted from Class 1-A.
The principal continued,
"According to academy rules, bonus class points will now be awarded."
The points appeared on the screen:
Class 1-A: +300 Class Points
Class 1-D: +200 Class Points
Class 1-B: +100 Class Points
Class 1-C: +50 Class Points
The students quickly began celebrating.
Anshuman laughed.
"Haha! Second place isn't bad at all!"
Kira nodded.
"We lost some important matches, but we still did well overall."
Ayaan quietly looked at the rankings.
"Class 1-A is definitely the strongest class right now. However, they aren't revealing everything either."
As the students returned to their dormitories, Ayaan, Anshuman, and Kira all understood the same thing.
The Sports Festival was over.
But the competition between the classes was only beginning. The next special exam could change everything.
After the Sports Festival ended, all students gathered to receive their rewards.
The principal announced,
"Based on the final rankings, class points will be awarded. As always, 1 Class Point = 2,000 Private Points for each student in the class."
The final rankings appeared on the screen:
Class 1-A
Class 1-D
Class 1-B
Class 1-C
The rewards were then revealed:
Class 1-A: +300 Class Points
Class 1-D: +200 Class Points
Class 1-B: +100 Class Points
Class 1-C: +50 Class Points
The students immediately began calculating how many private points they would receive.
For Class 1-D, the reward was:
200 Class Points × 2,000 = 400,000 Private Points per student
The entire class was shocked.
"400,000 points?!"
"That's incredible!"
"We can buy so many things now!"
Even some students from other classes looked jealous.
Anshuman grinned widely.
"Haha! Four hundred thousand points! This sports festival was worth it!"
Kira smiled as well.
"At least all our hard work paid off."
Ayaan remained calm, but he knew that such a large amount of points would significantly improve Class 1-D's situation.
However, while everyone else was celebrating, Ayaan looked toward Class 1-A.
"They gained even more points than us... and they still haven't shown their true strength."
The celebration continued late into the evening as the students enjoyed their rewards, while the battle between the classes quietly moved toward its next stage.
After the final rankings were announced, the students of Class 1-D were celebrating their second-place finish when Anshuman suddenly stood up.
"Teacher, if we've moved up to second place, doesn't that mean our class gets the benefits of the second-ranked class now?"
The classroom became quiet.
The teacher nodded.
"That's correct."
A wave of excitement spread through the room.
The teacher continued,
"Class 1-D has officially surpassed Class 1-B and become the second-ranked first-year class. Therefore, from now on, your class will receive the monthly private points and privileges associated with second place."
Cheers erupted throughout the classroom.
"We actually moved up!"
"We passed Class 1-B!"
"This is amazing!"
Anshuman laughed loudly.
"Haha! That's what I wanted to hear!"
Kira smiled as her classmates celebrated around her.
Ayaan quietly looked at the updated rankings displayed on the screen.
1st — Class 1-A
2nd — Class 1-D
3rd — Class 1-B
4th — Class 1-C
The rankings had changed, but Ayaan's expression remained calm.
"We've climbed to second place... but the distance between us and Class 1-A is still significant."
The teacher raised her hand, causing the room to settle down.
"Don't become complacent. Reaching second place is impressive, but maintaining it is even harder. Every class will be aiming to take your position."
The excitement in the room faded slightly as the students realized she was right.
Still, for that day, Class 1-D celebrated their achievement.
For the first time since entering the academy, they were no longer chasing Class 1-B.
Now, they stood directly behind Class 1-A.
The next day, the summer vacation officially began.
For the first time in weeks, the academy was quiet. Most students were busy making plans for the break.
Ayaan and Anshuman decided to spend the afternoon at a nearby park.
As they walked along a shaded path, Anshuman pulled out his phone and checked the academy app.
"Hm?"
Ayaan glanced at him.
"What is it?"
Anshuman showed him the screen.
"Look."
Ayaan looked at the updated class rankings.
The academy had officially updated the class names according to the new standings.
Former Class 1-D was now Class 1-B.
Former Class 1-B had fallen to Class 1-C.
The promotion had become official.
Anshuman grinned.
"Feels strange seeing our class called 1-B."
"It changes nothing," Ayaan replied.
"We're still the same class."
Before Anshuman could answer, several students passed by nearby, talking excitedly.
"Did you hear?"
"About Class 1-C?"
"Yeah. Someone got expelled."
Ayaan and Anshuman exchanged a glance.
Anshuman immediately became interested.
"Expelled?"
The students continued walking while talking.
"I heard it happened right after the Sports Festival."
"Apparently the student couldn't meet some academy requirement."
"No one expected it."
After the students left, Anshuman scratched his head.
"An expulsion during summer vacation? That's harsh."
Ayaan's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Interesting timing..."
The academy rarely did anything without a reason.
"If a student was expelled now," Ayaan said, "there's probably more to the story than people realize."
Anshuman laughed.
"You think everything is a conspiracy."
Ayaan ignored the comment.
As they continued through the park, he opened the academy app and looked at the updated class information.
One student expelled.
Class rankings changed.
Summer vacation had just begun.
Yet Ayaan had a feeling that this was only the beginning of a much larger problem.
As they walked through the park, Anshuman suddenly opened his points balance.
"Let's see how many points I have now."
Ayaan checked his own balance as well.
Before the Sports Festival rewards, Ayaan had already saved more than 1,000,000 private points.
Anshuman had around 700,000 private points.
Meanwhile, Kira had 500,000 private points.
The Sports Festival reward gave every student in their class 400,000 private points.
In addition, after their promotion to Class 1-B, the academy granted them the monthly private points of the second-ranked class.
After everything was added:
Ayaan: More than 3,000,000 private points
Anshuman: Around 2,700,000 private points
Kira: Around 2,500,000 private points
Anshuman nearly dropped his phone.
"2.7 million points?!"
Ayaan looked at his own balance.
"Over three million."
Anshuman stared at him.
"How did you even save that much before?"
"I didn't waste my points."
"That's an attack on me."
"It is."
Anshuman sighed dramatically.
A few moments later, Kira called them.
"Have you checked your balance?"
"We have," Anshuman replied.
Kira laughed.
"I've never had this many points before."
For a moment, the three enjoyed the success of their promotion.
Their class had risen from the bottom ranks to become Class 1-B, and every student was benefiting from it.
However, the conversation soon shifted when Kira mentioned something she had heard.
"By the way, have you heard about the student from Class 1-C who got expelled?"
Anshuman's smile disappeared.
"Yeah. We heard about it at the park."
Ayaan became serious.
An expulsion during summer vacation was unusual.
And something told him that this incident was connected to a larger problem hidden beneath the academy's calm atmosphere.