COTE : I Just Want To Drop Out

Here's the rewritten version, maintaining a polished and engaging tone:

It didn't take long for someone to realize something was off.

"What's he even trying to pull?"

"Is he out of his mind?"

Typically, this part of the day was reserved for students to introduce themselves. But right now, all 39 students in the classroom were lost in thought.

Even those whose minds were blank felt compelled to pretend otherwise, caught in the unspoken pressure of the room. No one wanted to stand out as the odd one out—because in a setting like this, being out of place was a dangerous label to carry.

And they all knew too well what happened to those who didn't fit in—like Ren Ishikawa.

Or did they?

While the majority of the room stewed in confusion or forced contemplation, a handful of sharper minds began piecing things together. Among them was Ayanokouji, who had shed his reserved demeanor to blend in with the more talkative crowd. These students, "not stupid" as they considered themselves, couldn't help but fixate on one gnawing question:

Does not being stupid mean being smart?

Why did all the perceptive ones stay quiet? What was holding them back?

And most pressingly: What exactly was Ren Ishikawa's goal?

Ren Ishikawa had proclaimed that everyone in the classroom was either a fool or a mute. Did that include himself?

He talked far too much to be a mute. So by his logic, was he admitting to being a fool? And why would anyone deliberately choose to be labeled a fool?

A quiet hum of mental calculations began to ripple through the group.

First, they reasoned, Ren Ishikawa wasn't doing this to antagonize the class and risk making enemies with everyone, and then being forced to leave school due to cold violence or real violence in the class ...

　If you don't want to stay here, it's so easy. Just make a phone call before school starts. Even if you're already here and don't want to study anymore, it's just a matter of procedure .

Therefore, the other party must be trying to achieve some other purpose through this .

"Since there aren't any more questions, I'll leave the time to you all," said Chabashira-sensei. "Feel free to chat and get to know one another. I'll observe from here."

Chabashira also wanted to take this opportunity to see the quality of this group of students, to see if there were anyone who could help lead the class, and to " borrow " some of the students ' ideas to help her understand Ren Ishikawa's " real thoughts . "

Suddenly, someone exclaimed, "I've got it! I know why he's doing this!"

All eyes turned toward the student, who basked in the attention before declaring with a smirk, "He's just trying to show off!"

"GET LOST!" came the resounding reply, voiced in unison by nearly the entire class.

"Alright, alright, my bad," the student muttered, retreating.

Moments later, the chatter resumed.

"Any luck figuring it out?"

"No..."

"Not really."

"Well, think on it later. The opening ceremony's about to start, and I need to hit the restroom."

"Go on, then!"

A handsome boy stood up, exuding confidence. "Let's shelve this for now. Let's get ready for the ceremony. Oh, by the way, I looked at the seating chart earlier. That guy's name is Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, right?"

Ayanokouji stiffened. "Uh... actually, I'm Ayanokouji Kiyotaka."

The boy blinked, confused. "Huh? Then who's that other guy?"

"Ren Ishikawa."

The boy frowned. "Did you two switch seats or something?"

"Yes. He said he preferred mine and thought I'd 'fit' in his. So we switched..."

"You two seemed pretty chummy, chatting away earlier."

The boy's words trailed off as he noticed the sharp glares from the surrounding students. Sensing the growing hostility, he quickly plastered on a sunny smile. "Ayanokouji-san, let's exchange contact info, shall we?"

"Uh, sure," Ayanokouji replied hesitantly.

Inside, though, he sighed. He was worried that if he didn't explain in time , all the trouble Ren Ishikawa had caused would fall on him .

At the same time , he also knew that even if he spoke, it would be too late .

　Because , from this moment on, his name became somewhat famous because of Ren Ishikawa ...

From this moment on, he will inevitably be caught in a storm with the eye of the storm called " Ren Ishikawa " .

Is the life of ordinary people just ... over ?

No! I can still be ordinary, let me continue to be ordinary !

Meanwhile, Ren Ishikawa had already left the classroom.

Ren's early departure was not just to attract hatred .

He planned to take this opportunity to implement another plan to drop out of school

Ren Ishikawa had christened it the "Luanwu Plan."

Drawing inspiration from Jia Xu, a renowned strategist of the Three Kingdoms era whose schemes could plunge entire nations into turmoil, Ren saw himself as a modern-day "poisonous scholar." Much like Jia Xu's infamous tactics, Ren intended to spark chaos that would spiral beyond anyone's control.

His goal? To pit the school's four classes against one another in a bitter struggle.

This wasn't merely a spur-of-the-moment idea. Ren had deduced from the school's systems and policies that a clash between the classes was inevitable. He was simply accelerating the timeline—and he intended to profit from it.

Once the fight begins, some people will be tempted by the big promises made by the school and will inevitably reveal their true nature and do desperate and dirty things .

Once Ren Ishikawa finds such a guy, he will take the initiative to get involved .

Ren would not give up that opportunity. He had no psychological barriers and beat the opponent to the point where the school would punish him .

Beat up every one you find .

Wait until you have accumulated enough penalties for fighting .

And then ...

Drop out of school !

If Ren Ishikawa failed to accumulate enough penalties during the chaos, it wouldn't mean the end of his plans. He had a backup strategy in place.

Chaos thrives on hatred, and few things ignite hatred better than inciting "random fighting." It's a tactic second only to outright betrayal in terms of stirring animosity—a weapon Ren wielded with precision.

When tempers flared and the inevitable "casualties" emerged from the escalating conflicts, Ren intended to strategically reveal his role as the mastermind. This deliberate exposure would ensure all four classes in the grade turned their ire directly toward him.

History offered plenty of parallels. Wars often had deep-rooted causes, but the blame for their eruption frequently fell on a single, visible spark. Ren planned to be that spark—the catalyst for chaos that would fracture the fragile "unity" of the grade.

Even if his actions didn't directly violate school rules, the fallout would be impossible for the institution to ignore. The sheer scale of resentment and the fights Ren incited would leave the school questioning whether allowing him to remain was worth the inevitable risks.

And if he continued thriving in this atmosphere, surrounded by enemies, the administration might grow concerned that their "elite academy" would one day spiral into a much darker headline

Ren's weapon of choice for igniting the storm was simple: selling information.

By trading carefully curated intelligence, he could manipulate the four classes into conflict while padding his own resources. It was a plan as pragmatic as it was devious, and it aligned perfectly with his philosophy of survival.

Ren was an avid player of survival games, but for him, it wasn't about testing his endurance in dire situations. Instead, he approached survival with an almost philosophical lens: how to live safely, comfortably, and enjoyably in any environment.

Safety wasn't an immediate concern here. There were no wild beasts or lethal weapons lurking within the school walls. And with his skills and the advantage of his [Overlord] ability, Ren was confident he could handle any direct confrontation, or at least protect himself if things got messy.

Comfort and enjoyment, however, required resources—something Ren understood better than most.

In the wilderness, survival demanded a wide array of essentials: fuel, materials for shelter and tools, water, food, and medicine. Each resource played a role in building a secure and pleasant existence. But in society, those needs condensed into one universal currency: money.

At this school , points were money. And as Chabashira-sensei had said, points could buy anything.

Ren knew what that meant—he needed points, and lots of them.

Executing his dropout plan didn't mean Ren couldn't enjoy a better quality of life in the meantime. By simultaneously stirring up conflict and trading intelligence, he could collect points while setting his plan in motion.

As the saying goes, time is money. And when it comes to information, timing is everything.

Ren's early departure from the classroom was no idle move. He saw it as an opportunity—a chance to convert every spare second into resources. He intended to turn the chaos he caused into not just a means to an end, but a way to live comfortably until his grand exit.

To Ren Ishikawa, chaos wasn't just a tool. It was a lifestyle.

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