Chapter 146 – Internal strife in the second grade

Leaving behind such a meaningful statement, Kiriyama gracefully departed, prompting Yukio to reflect deeply.

Kiriyama's point was accurate. Unlike Horikita, who solely aimed to protect the school life from Nagumo for protective reasons, Kiriyama stood on a higher platform, with a broader perspective.

This takes us back to the history of this country. Due to various well-known reasons, Japan has experienced numerous upheavals.

There was a time when this place boasted wealth enough to purchase its entire beautiful landscape. Then came the bubble's burst, a plummet to rock bottom, leading to an accelerated stratification of social classes, eventually cementing into this unbreachable pyramid structure of society.

People in Japan could strive and possibly become middle-class, but ascending to the upper echelon was akin to daydreaming. That door had firmly shut, leaving no room for the lower tiers to climb up, regardless of their effort or capabilities.

This wasn't about ability or the extent of one's effort; it was about the top resources being finite. For you to ascend means to share in the elite's pie, which no one willingly does.

In such a foundation, a societal tendency to 'let go' gradually formed, naturally breeding various issues under the large societal umbrella.

The elite, the very tip of the pyramid, were fixed in number - immutable. Any reduction would merely benefit their equals, not offering chances to those below.

The lower strata were inconsequential in effect; life went on as usual. However, the middle class was indispensable. Its deficiency could lead to the entire structure's collapse.

To circumvent such problems, various strategies were proposed, like the once liberal education policy, which led to a surge in extracurricular tutoring.

Then there were attempts to artificially create geniuses, cultivating man-made geniuses.

Moreover, specialized institutions like Advanced Nurturing High School emerged to supply society with a steady stream of capable individuals annually.

Graduates from Advanced Nurturing High School, having endured three years, regardless of whether they graduated from Class A, possess undeniable capabilities and characters. They're highly likely to enter the middle class, thus filling the societal gaps.

This is the prevailing trend, a societal necessity. Hence, the number of graduates from Advanced Nurturing High School must meet a certain quota.

Implementing Nagumo's ruthless competition strategy, which unrestrictedly raises the elimination rate, would only result in perhaps a dozen, or at most twenty or thirty graduates. What purpose would that serve? Such a meager number of graduates each year would hardly suffice to fill the societal gaps.

Nagumo aims to cultivate a system for nurturing top elites, yet society doesn't need this. What it requires is a greater number of middle-class individuals, not a scramble for the few elite positions at the pyramid's peak.

Thus, fundamentally, Nagumo's approach is doomed to problems. This is why Kiriyama disapproves of Nagumo, stating that such actions are completely counterproductive, betraying the core purpose of Advanced Nurturing High School.

"Indeed," Yukio sighed, returning to his class's sunshade. The sports festival was still ongoing, and attending to personal matters seemed more pressing. Besides, why should he bother with all these considerations? How things played out here had little to do with him.

Upon Yukio's return to his class's sunshade, he was greeted by the joyous atmosphere and continuous congratulations. The warmth and enthusiasm were palpable.

Noticing Ryuen and Oda at the center of attention, Yukio deduced their excellent performance in the 100-meter dash. Without the second-year students' interference, his classmates finally managed to achieve outstanding results.

Approaching closer, he confirmed his suspicions.

"Ryuen-san, amazing! You were almost a second ahead of the second place in the 100 meters!"

"Oda, well done! All the training over the past month paid off, winning by just a slight margin at the sprint finish!"

"Ha, it wasn't much. It's only because those second-year nuisances weren't there to bother us, allowing us to get good results."

"Originally, Oda had a chance to compete for the top two in the first race, but the interference from the second year prevented him from scoring higher."

"Hey, all those guys would be dealt with by Yukio-san. See, the following races went smoothly, didn't they?"

While Yukio's class revels in their lively and joyful achievements, Nagumo's class experiences an equally profound awkwardness and discomfort.

Nagumo could no longer bear to watch the competitions. In the first individual event, the men's 100-meter dash, his second-year Class A scored zero!

Thankfully, the school doesn't have a negative scoring system; otherwise, their score wouldn't just be a more respectable zero but a deeply embarrassing negative—a figure that could potentially distort the mental state of everyone involved.

"Why... why!" Nagumo, frustrated, crushed the plastic bottle in his hand, twisting its surface to reveal stark white stress marks.

Accustomed to smooth sailing, Nagumo was genuinely infuriated by the situation, powerless to act further due to the sports festival's rapid pace, which had spiraled beyond his control.

Meanwhile, the class representatives from Kiriyama, Asai, and the second-year Class C leader, feeling somewhat dejected, were unsure how to face Nagumo.

Upon their arrival, Nagumo immediately demanded, "Why did your people cease their disruptions in the subsequent races?"

Kiriyama, Asai, and the third person exchanged looks, uncertain of what to say. They couldn't just admit that they, as second-year students, had been forcibly intimidated by Yukio, a junior.

Such an admission would be too embarrassing to make openly.

Kiriyama, mustering his courage, explained, "Our initial strategy involved obstructing Yukio's class members to ensure your class clinched the first place."

"But, given your class members failed to show up, we assumed there was no need for interference."

Nagumo, utterly bewildered by Kiriyama's feeble excuse, frowned in disgust, "You think such a poor excuse can fool me?"

He threatened, "Continue the disruption, and I'll reward each of your classes with three million private points. If you refuse, prepare to endure only the school's free meals for the next two years."

Met with silence, Kiriyama and the others felt trapped between the desire for Nagumo's three million private points and the fear of retaliation from Nagumo's class.

However, their dilemma was irrelevant since Yukio's visit to their classes had effectively ensured that the students from Classes C and D of the second year would no longer interfere.

While Nagumo's approach involved a mix of threats and incentives, Yukio resorted to the most straightforward and forceful method. Faced with both threats, they chose the lesser evil.

Even if they wanted to comply with Nagumo's demands, their classmates wouldn't obey. Personal safety trumped the inconvenience of eating free school meals, which, despite being less tasty than the luxurious options, were nutritionally adequate.

Nagumo, seething with rage and unable to articulate his fury, could only silently curse as he realized that internal class conflict was futile.

Now, his only hope for revenge lay in the individual bet he had made.

***

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