Chabashira sells it to them and praises them, stating that the two of them might be capable enough to reach Class A in the future. This impression of mine has deepened the more I’ve continued with the series; the appeal is in the mind games and character drama first and foremost. But she still stands up for him anyway, because the fact of the matter is that he was framed for a crime he did not commit.

The students begin to quarrel among themselves about the truth of the point system and their status as the leftovers of the school. Once again, Kiyotaka thinks that there is something amiss about the school, but is distracted away from thinking further once again. On top of that, the way her main identity was introduced, it left a really good impact on what kind of character she is. The book even begins with a monologue bluntly making that point, just in case it wasn’t clear enough.However, it's the way they use some of the character tropes and subvert them that kept me interested especially how the main character views everything. Meritocratic systems are inherently meant to cause exploitation, but what happens when those exploited fight back against the system itself? The bus arrives at Advanced Nurturing High School and as Kiyotaka is departing from the bus stop, he is stopped by the girl he sat next to during the ride. They go on to refer to a famous passage which states that learning creates imbalances in equality, emphasizing that the teaching remains the same, albeit in a more complex situation, in the modern era. Kiyotaka dismisses her accusations as a coincidence, but Horikita remains suspicious about the uncovered information.

Before I started this book I expected this too be some edgy high school drama with some pseudo psychological twist sprinkled onto it.

I’m not sure if the point of that was for entertainment or to play into the growing, underlying threat that both the teachers and school atmosphere itself present to the students who have just recently learned the truth. Honestly, I’d like to give this light novel a high score, but the first half weighed it down too much. After Horikita had left, Kiyotaka remarks on the failure of the plan due to Horikita having become accustomed to being alone.

It is only after Honami Ichinose comes looking for Chie that the two are left alone and arrive at the guidance room. One of the more memorable scenes of volume 2 is when Horikita refuses to accept a reduced punishment for Sudou because she seeks to clear his name completely. Attempting one last try, Kiyotaka requests for her to sell him a point to add to Sudō's test score and pulls out his student ID card.

He states that he is neutral and doesn't want to choose, to which Kushida states that she is expecting him to side with her in the future. He runs into Horikita and the two talk for a while about the peculiarity of the school and the rule system. While all of this is going on, we learn more about the characters, see different sides of them, and observe how they interact with one another. When I was in high school, guys made comments like that all the time, but it made me uncomfortable then, and it still makes me uncomfortable now. Even in the first two volumes, other characters get to experience their own striking moments of growth, like when Sakura decides to stick up for both herself and for others.

The author talks about this a bit in the afterword of the first novel as well, stating that this was based on his experiences when he felt tossed into the outside world once he left mandatory education systems, and this is likely his take on what that experience can feel like. I get the impression that COTE will end up being the kind of story where everyone gets a turn at self-actualisation eventually. Despite considering myself the kind of person who values equality – a socialist, even – I was willing to give up on those guys. By portraying the victims of the system as flawed and messy people, it nudges you to sympathise with a truly awful position.they still result to petty underwear theft to divide and conquer (gotta have these ecchi moments no matter what).