Practical Classroom: Kaoru Hanayama's Classroom of Merit

The dormitory for first-year male students, specifically room 204.

The room, which is about four square meters, is a typical single room equipped with a bed, a desk and a small refrigerator.

For the average high school student, this is a private space that guarantees impeccable freedom and comfort.

However, for Hanayama, who has an unusually large body, it is still a little cramped.

Hua Shan took off his tie and tossed it aside, then sat down heavily at the desk. The chair creaked as if it were about to groan.

On the desk in front of me are piled first-grade textbooks issued by the school: Mathematics I, Modern Chinese, English, and Basic Physics.

For a man who carries the banner of chivalry, turning and running away in the face of a powerful enemy is a disgrace worse than death.

No matter how unknown or terrifying it may be, we must face it head-on.

With fingers as thick as logs, he gently turned the cover of the math textbook.

The pages are densely printed with countless numbers, symbols that are unfamiliar and unfamiliar to me, and complex geometric figures.

A minute passed.

Huashan's statue-like face remained unchanged.

Three minutes have passed.

The focus in Huashan's ever-widened pupils began to gradually shift.

Five minutes passed

“…………”

Beads of cold sweat, the size of soybeans, seeped from Huashan's forehead.

Learning is the act of continuously building upon a foundation of basic knowledge.

Asking someone who doesn't even understand multiplication to comprehend the graph of a quadratic function is like ordering someone without muscles and bones to "lift a 100-kilogram barbell."

Huashan, who lacked basic academic skills and hadn't even finished his junior high school studies properly, was now tackling high school textbooks.

That wasn't courage at all, but pure recklessness.

His brain was overheated by the deluge of unknown symbols and was issuing warnings of functional paralysis.

"...No, that won't work."

A deep, husky voice echoed in the narrow room.

Huashan patted his pocket and took out a crumpled cigarette case.

During the luggage check upon enrollment, a large quantity of cigarettes and whiskey in my suitcase were confiscated.

This was the last pack of cigarettes that I managed to hide in my uniform's inner pocket.

He lit a match and inhaled the nicotine and tar deeply into his lungs. After exhaling the white smoke, Huashan regained a little calm.

(These books are completely useless to me now.)

Now that things have come to this point, a fundamental re-evaluation of the strategy is necessary.

It was past noon. To change her mood, Huashan went to the student cafeteria.

Next to the automatic ticket machine, in the most conspicuous place, there are samples of free meals.

Wild vegetable set meal - free

The meal consisted of dried-out wild vegetables, some white rice, and a very small amount of miso soup with no other ingredients.

That's practically just feed meant to provide the minimum amount of nutrition needed to sustain human life.

(...Is this...hell?)

This is the inevitable fate that those whose grades have plummeted and whose points have been completely drained by the school experience every day.

Huashan didn't hesitate to take a picture of the automatic ticket machine's panel and order an omelet rice. Now was not the time to worry about saving points.

It was drizzled with tomato sauce and had the unique softness of eggs. This was one of the few truly delicious things that Hanayama loved.

After skillfully devouring the omelet rice with a huge spoon, he immediately stood up.

To avoid that hellish experience of the mountain vegetable set meal and vegetarian noodles, we have no choice but to start from scratch and rebuild our foundation completely.

The destination has been decided: a large bookstore located inside a shopping mall.

The air inside the bookstore was so quiet that it felt as if the noise outside was an illusion.

Because most of the new students went to entertainment venues and clothing stores, there were only a handful of customers in the bookstore.

Huashan, swaying his massive body, walked straight through the paperback section and the professional book section, stopping in front of a particular shelf.

What he reached out with his enormous hand was "Middle School Math, the very foundation of everything," and "Starting from Elementary School! Your First English Words," illustrated with trendy pictures.

"……you."

Suddenly, a clear and cold voice came from behind.

Huashan turned around and saw a girl with long, glossy black hair reaching her waist, except for a braid on her right side.

Sharp, fox-like reddish-purple pupils were fixed on the English workbook for elementary school students in Huashan's hand.

"If I remember correctly, it's Hanayama-kun... Why are you buying that kind of thing?"

Horikita Suzune's eyes revealed obvious curiosity and doubt.

Judging from his appearance, he doesn't look like the type who studies diligently at all. Rather, he looks like the kind of troublemaker most likely to cause problems in school.

However, on the afternoon of the first day of school, he actually came specifically to buy workbooks related to studying.

"Besides, the books you chose... are really low-quality. They're not things high school students should be reading."

What would have been considered an insult by others was, but Huashan's mind remained as calm as still water.

Since it's true, he has no reason to be angry.

"That's right. With my brain, I completely don't understand high school textbooks, so I started over from scratch with workbooks that even elementary school students can understand."

Without showing the slightest bit of shyness or attempt to cover it up, Huashan openly and honestly acknowledged his ignorance.

Among the boys who were all about saving face and getting by, his attitude of so directly admitting his weaknesses had a strange persuasive power for Horikita Suzune.

"...You haven't shown any signs of smugness since the class meeting this morning. You clearly got 100,000 points, so why are you so anxious on the very first day?"

"It's very simple; nothing is more expensive than something free."

"Is there anything more expensive than something free?"

Horikita's beautiful eyebrows twitched slightly.

"This morning, everyone's account was credited with 100,000 points. Moreover, the school's convenience store has an area that provides free vegetarian noodles and daily necessities."

Based on his own reasoning of Yakuza philosophy, Hanayama stated it calmly, as if it were an unassailable fact.

"This school prides itself on meritocracy. But this isn't some back alley. The merit they demand isn't the strength of a fist or the skill of intimidation, but rather academic achievement."

Upon hearing these words, a clear look of surprise and a hint of admiration flashed in Horikita's purple eyes.

She herself felt uneasy about the number 100,000 points, and therefore kept a close eye on her spending.

However, this rugged man in front of me, through sheer intuition, managed to uncover a hidden corner of the school from just a few words and the clues of free supplies.

"...I see. That makes some sense."

Horikita nodded slightly. She disliked illogical and foolish people, but she wasn't so petty as to deny the right of normal people who could make accurate judgments.

"Your analytical skills, which are completely at odds with your appearance, do surprise me. But if that's the case... those workbooks for elementary school students in your hands seem even more ridiculous."

Huashan didn't seem embarrassed at all. As he prepared to take the workbook in his hand to the cashier, he said...

"In the realm of violence, I will not lose to anyone. Because I was born strong. Therefore, there is no need for me to train."

That was not arrogance, but simply a statement of fact.

Horikita instinctively understood from the overwhelming sense of power emanating from his body that it was no bluff.

"However, when it comes to learning, I am at the bottom of the learning ladder. I have no shame whatsoever in admitting my weakness."

Within the Hanayama-gumi organization, he was the absolute symbol of violence.

However, he entrusted the business ledgers and complex financial transactions to his trusted confidants, including Kizaki.

The Hanayama Group depends on Hanayama Kaoru, and Hanayama Kaoru also depends on the Hanayama Group, which is why the two parties were formed.

Knowing one's own ignorance and borrowing the wisdom of others is by no means a detriment to a man's masculinity; rather, it is precisely the magnanimity of someone standing at the pinnacle of morality.

"Are your grades considered good?"

When Hanayama asked with a serious look, Horikita slightly raised his chin and narrowed his proud fox-like eyes.

"Yes. At least, not at your level where you need to start from scratch. Objectively speaking, I think I'm quite good."

"yes……"

Huashan nodded deeply.

"So, if there are any problems I can't solve after this... may I ask you for help?"

That sentence contained no flattery, nor any calculation; it was simply a man's pure and straightforward desire for guidance.

For a moment, Horikita was speechless. Until now, she had always believed that self-improvement was the right path—avoiding both being depended on by others and depending on others.

However, faced with a man who possessed such a strong sense of self, yet openly exposed his ignorance and politely requested guidance, she could find no reason to simply coldly reject him.

"...I have no obligation to teach you."

Horikita initially rejected her coldly. However, she then subtly shifted her gaze and added.

"However, if you really want to ask... if I happen to have some free time, I might consider it."

That was already the maximum concession she could make.

"I am extremely grateful."

Huashan bowed his head briefly but very sincerely.

Then, he took the exercise book and stepped out to pay at the cashier, but after a few steps he suddenly stopped and turned around.

"Speaking of which, I haven't asked your name yet."

From behind came a clear voice that was completely flat, but seemed to have relaxed its guard slightly.

"Horikita. I'm Horikita Suzune. ...Try your best to get past your elementary school level of English as soon as possible, Hanayama-kun."