Prologue

The structure of Japanese society

It's a bit sudden, but listen seriously to the question I'm about to ask and think about the answer carefully.

Question: Are people equal or not?

These days, all society loves to talk about is equality. People are calling for men and women to be treated equally, and shouting for society to get rid of inequality. They call for high employment rates for women, personal-use cars for everyone, and they go as far as to find fault with the order of the register of names. People even advocate equality for people with disabilities, and now the public is encouraged to stop using the term "disabled people." Children are being taught that everyone is equal.

Is that really true?, I wondered.

Men and women have different roles if they have different abilities. People with disabilities are still disabled, no matter what term they call disabled people. None of this has meaning if no one pays attention to it.

In other words, the answer is no.

People are unequal beings; there are no truly "equal" people.

A great man once said that God did not make anyone above or below each other. But that doesn't mean that everyone is equal. Does you know that the passage doesn't end there? The rest is like this. Everyone is equal at birth, but then I asked, why are there differences in people's jobs and statuses?

That was written in the second half of the passage. Is it a difference because one struggled with academics or because one didn't try hard enough?

A difference is created there. That's the famous "scholarship studies." These teachings haven't changed at all, even in modern day 2015. However, the situation is more complex and is becoming more serious.

Anyhow, people are beings that are capable of thinking. I don't think it's correct to say that people should live on only using instincts because things aren't fair.

In other words, the word equality is full of lies and falsehoods, but inequality is also unacceptable. I was trying to find a new answer to the eternal problem facing human beings.

Hey you, the one who's holding this book and reading it.

Have you ever thought about the future?

Have you ever imagined what it means to go to high school, to go to college?

Have you never felt that it was vague that one day, you would somehow find employment and get a job?

I felt that way.

When I finished compulsory education and entered high school, I didn't notice anything.

I only felt joy in being released of my "duty".

I didn't notice that, at that moment, my life and my future was being impacted progressively.

I didn't even understand what it meant to be studying Japanese and mathematics at school.

Chapter 1

Welcome to my Dream-like School Life

"Ayanokouji-kun, are you ok?"

It came. It came again. The feared situation.

As I was pretending to sleep, that person came.

It was the appearance of the devil, which forced me (who was taking a nap) to wake up to reality.

In my brain, Shostakovich's 11th symphony was playing. The song perfectly described my current predicament: the feeling of utter hopelessness as people are chased by devils and as the end of the world quickly approached.

Even with my eyes closed, I could tell.

I could feel the alarming presence of the devil right next to me as it waited for its slave to wake up…

Now, as a slave, how do I escape this situation…?

To avoid danger, use the computer in the brain to instantly come up with the answer.

Conclusion… Pretend not to have heard anything. I am naming it the 'pretend sleep' strategy. My predicament will be solved with this strategy.

If the person talking was kind girl, she would overlook it after saying, 'Well, it can't be helped. I will forgive you because I'm sorry'.

Even a pattern like 'I will kiss if you don't wake up, ok? Chuu~~' is also OK.

"If you don't wake up in 3 seconds, you'll face punishments."

"… The hell do you mean by 'punishments'?"

In less than a second the 'pretend sleep' strategy was foiled and I succumbed to the threat.

Still, I refused to raise my head and continued to resist.

"Look, as I expected you were awake."

"I already know of your scariness if I make you angry."

"That's good. Then, do you have some time?"

"… and if I say I don't?"

"Well… I can't force you, but I will be cranky if you don't."

She then continued.

"And if I'm cranky, I will be a major obstacle to Ayanokouji-kun's normal school life. Hmm, for example, countless thumbtacks on your chair, spraying water on your head whenever you enter the bathroom, and sometimes stabbing you with a compass needle. That kind of behavior, yup."

"That's just plain harassment! Also, that last one seems strangely real, as if I remember already being stabbed!"

I reluctantly woke up and sat up in my seat.

A girl with long black hair and sharp, beautiful eyes looked down on me from the side.

Her name is Horikita Suzune. High school class 1-D, my classmate.

"Don't be so scared. That was just a joke. I won't pour water on you from above when you're in the toilet."

"The thumbtacks and the compass needle are more important! Look at this, this! You can still see where I was stabbed! How will you take responsibility if it becomes a lifetime scar?"

I roll up my sleeve of my right arm and show my upper arm to Horikita.

"Where's the evidence?"

"Huh?"

"Where's the evidence? Are you saying that I am the culprit without any proof?"

Of course, there is no evidence. Even though the only person who was close enough to stab me was Horikita, and even though she was holding a compass needle in her hand, it's hard to say it definitively…

I had something important to confirm, though.

"Do I really have to help out? I thought about it again, but after all…"

"Hey Ayanokouji-kun. Regretting your decision while you're desperate, or while you're suffering… Which one do you like more? Because you pulled me from my responsibilities, you should be held accountable. Is that right?"

Horikita offered only two ridiculous, extreme options. Apparently, it seems that she will not allow a compromise. It was a mistake to make a contract with the devil. I decided to give up and obey.

"…So, what am I supposed to do?"

I asked while trembling in fear.

I won't be surprised when I hear what she's asking from me.

I don't know how things turned out like this, but I remember when all this started.

I met this girl exactly two months ago.

Was it on the day of the entrance ceremony…?

1

April.

The entrance ceremony.

I was going to school on the bus, which shook every time it passed over a bumpy area of the road.

As I watched the landscape change from area to area, the passengers on the bus increased gradually.

Most of the passengers were wearing school uniforms.

The lone frustrated salary worker who got on the bus remembered the time when he accidentally groped someone the last time he got on a crowded bus.

An old woman standing in front of me stood precariously on her unsteady feet, looking as if she would fall over at any time.

I made a mistake by taking the bus.

Even though I was able to secure a good seat, the cold wind was blowing towards me and the whole bus was crowded.

That poor old woman will have to wait until the bus arrives at her destination.

The cloudless sky and clear weather is refreshing… I think I might fall asleep.

My tranquility and peace was suddenly interrupted.

"Don't you think you should give up your seat?"

For a moment, I opened my eyes that were about to close.

Eh, by any chance, were you scolding me?

That's what I thought at first, but apparently the person in front of me was being warned.

A young, well-built, blonde-haired man was sitting down in the priority seat. I mean high school student. The old woman was standing next to him. An office lady was next to the old woman.

"You there, can't you see the old woman having trouble?"

The office lady seemed to want him to hand over the priority seat to the old woman.

In the quiet bus, her voice got louder and attracted the attention of the other people in the bus.

"That's a really crazy question, lady."

The boy might have been angry, ignorant, or perhaps brutally honest, but he just smiled and recrossed his legs.

"Why should I give this seat to an old woman? There's absolutely no reason for me to give it up."

"Isn't it natural to hand over the priority seat to the elderly?"

"I don't understand. Priority seats are just priority seats, and there is no legal obligation for me to move. Whether or not I move should be decided by me, who is currently sitting in this seat. Will you give up your seat because I am a young man? Hahaha, that's a stupid way of thinking."

It's a manner of speaking that one wouldn't expect from a high school student. His hair is dyed blond, and there are some unexpected traits for a high school student.

"I am a healthy young man. Certainly, I don't feel that standing up would inconvenience me. However, it is obvious standing up will consume more physical strength than sitting down will. I don't want to do such a useless thing. Or maybe, are you telling me to be more lively and energetic?"

"What, what kind of attitude is that towards your superiors!?"

"Superior? It's obvious that both you and the old woman have lived longer than me. There's no doubt about it. However, that 'above' refers to height. Also, I have a problem with you. Even if there is a difference in age, isn't that an awfully rude and impertinent attitude?" (T/N Superior in Japanese is literally "person above"—he is saying that the "above" in the word superior refers to height, not socially "above".)

"Wha…! You're a high school student!? Honestly, just listen to what adults say!"

"It's fine, it's fine…"

The office lady was worked up, but the old woman didn't want to make the situation worse. She tried to calm her down with hand gestures, but the office lady continued to insult the high school student and looked like she was about to fly into a rage.

"Apparently the older woman seems to have better hearing than you do. Oh dear, I guess Japanese society isn't completely useless yet. Enjoy the rest of your life to your heart's content."

After showing a uselessly refreshing smile, he put headphones in his ears and began to listen to loud music. The office lady who spoke up was clenching her teeth in annoyance.

His self-important attitude annoyed her as she tried to argue with him.

Personally, I didn't get myself involved because I agreed, at least in part, with the boy.

Once the moral problem is solved, the obligation to give up a seat disappears.

"Sorry..."

The office lady tried to hold back her tears while apologizing to the old woman.

A little incident happened on the bus. I was relieved that I wasn't involved in the situation. I don't care for things like giving up my seat to the elderly or stubbornly refusing to move from my seat.

The disturbance ended with the boy who won with his big ego. At least, everyone thought it was over.

"Um… I also think that the lady is right."

An unexpected helping hand was extended. The owner of the voice seems stood next the office lady and bravely spoke her opinion to the boy. She wore the same school uniform as mine.

"This time it's a pretty girl, apparently I have luck with women today."

"Grandmother, it looks like it's been hot for a while now. Won't you give up your seat? It may be none of your concern, but I think it will contribute to society."

(Illustration: https://imgur.com/nLAAFC4)

With a "pachin", the boy snapped his fingers.

"Social contribution? I see, that's an interesting way to put it. Giving seats to the elderly may be a way of contributing to society. Unfortunately, I am not interested in contributing to society. I only think about my own satisfaction. Oh, and also. In this crowded bus, you're asking me, who's sitting in the priority seat, to give up my seat, but can't you ask the other people who are staying silent and leave me alone? If someone truly cares for the elderly, I think that 'priority seat here, priority seat there' would be a trivial concern."

The girl's intentions didn't reach the boy, and the boy's brazen attitude didn't change. Both the office lady and the old woman couldn't say anything and stood there with a bitter smile.

But the girl who stood up to the boy didn't crumble.

"Everyone. Please listen to me for at least a little bit. Can anyone give their seat for the old woman? Please, anyone."

How is there so much compassion, courage, and determination in those few words? It's rare to see such genuine intentions.

With her remark, the girl may have seemed like an annoyance. But she seriously appealed to the passengers without fear.

I was not in a priority seat but I was sitting near the old woman.

By raising a hand and saying "here you go", this situation would be settled. The elderly would also calm down.

Like everyone else in the bus, though, I didn't move. No one felt it was necessary to move. The attitude and behavior of the boy had caught on with some of the passengers and they convinced themselves that the boy was right.

Of course, the elderly are undeniably important contributors and supporters of Japan.

But we, the youth, are the important human resources that will support Japan from now on.

Also, because the general population is gradually aging, our value is also increasing.

So, if you compare the youth and the elderly, it's obvious which one is more important now. Well, this is also a perfect argument, isn't it.

Somehow, I started to wonder what the other people would do. Looking around, people were pretending to not have noticed or had a hesitant look.

But—the girl who was sitting next to me was completely different.

Among the confusion, she had a completely expressionless look.

When I stared at her unintentionally because of her strangeness, our eyes met for just a moment. I could tell that we shared the same thoughts. Neither of us considered giving up our seats for the old woman.

"Oh, here you go!"

Soon after the girl's appeal, a woman stood up. She gave up her seat, unable to endure the guilt.

"Thank you!"

When the girl lowered her head with a full smile, she pushed through the crowd and guided the old woman to the seat.

She thanked the girl over and over again, then sat down in her seat.

While watching the old woman and the girl, I folded my arms and closed my eyes.

The bus soon arrived at the destination, and stopped at the school.

As I got off the bus, there was a gate made of natural stone waiting for me.

All the boys and girls in uniform got off the bus and passed through the gate.

Koudo Ikusei High School.

A school created by the Japanese government that aims to nurture young people to support the future.

It is a place that I will attend starting from today.

Stop, take a deep breath.

Ok, let's go!

"Wait a second."

As I tried to take my first step of courage, I was instantly stopped as someone tried to talk to me.

I was stopped by the girl I sat next to on the bus.

"You were looking at me a while ago. Why?", she said with a firm look.

"Sorry. I was just a bit interested. Whatever the reason, you didn't have any thoughts of giving up your seat to the old woman, right?"

"Yeah yeah, I didn't want to give up my seat. What's wrong with that?"

"No, it's just that I thought the same thing. I also didn't have any intention of giving up my seat. I like to stay out of trouble; I don't like being concerned with such things." (T/N When he says "I like to stay out of trouble", he uses an idiom that is similar to "let sleeping dogs lie" in English but I felt it would be weird to put that here.)

"Stay out of trouble? Don't compare me to you. I didn't give up my seat because I did not feel any sense in giving up the seat to an old woman."

"Isn't that worse than just staying out of trouble?"

"I don't know. I'm just acting on my own beliefs. It's different from people who avoid troublesome things like you. I don't want to spend time with people like you."

"… I feel the same way."

I just wanted to give my opinion, but I wasn't really in the mood to talk back and forth.

We both deliberately sighed and started walking in the same direction.

2

I don't like the entrance ceremony. A lot of first years think the same way.

The principal and the students are all thanking each other annoyingly, there's way too much standing, and it's a pain in the butt because there are too many troublesome things.

But that's not all I want to say.

The entrance ceremony for the elementary, middle, and high school marks the start of one major trial for students.

For the first few days after the entrance ceremony, students must make friends in order to enjoy the rest of their school life.

If someone fails at this task, it is said that a miserable three years awaits them.

Following my principle of avoiding trouble, I think it would be best to make some friends and establish decent human relationships.

The day before, I tried to practice making friends because I was inexperienced.

First scenario was bursting into the classroom and then talking excitedly.

Second scenario was secretly passing a note with my email address on it. then becoming friends afterwards.

In my case, I had to practice because this is a completely different environment than I had been used for my whole life. I am completely alone. I entered the fierce battleground all by myself.

Overlooking the classroom, I walked over to the seat with my nameplate on it.

A seat towards the back of the room and near the window. Generally a good spot to get.

The classroom was only about half full.

Students were either looking at their class materials by themselves or were talking to acquaintances and friends.

Now, what should I do? Should I get to know people during this free time? Sitting a few seats in front of me, a chubby boy seemed lonely all by himself (my selfish imagination).

He gave off an aura of that screamed, "Someone talk to me and be my friend!" (again, my selfish imagination)

However… if you suddenly walked up to someone and talked to them they would probably feel bothered.

Do you wait for the right time then? No, by then, he would probably be surrounded by enemies, and there's a high chance I'll become friendless.

As I expected, I should talk…

Wait, wait, don't be hasty.

If I carelessly jump in and talk to the unknown student, I might be beaten by someone else.

This is useless, a negative spiral…

In the end, I couldn't talk to anybody, and with the way things were going, I would soon be left all alone.

Is he still alone? Do I hear laughter? I must be hearing things.

I wonder what friends are. Where on earth do friends come from? Do people become friends after they eat with each other? Or do you become friends after going to the bathroom together?

The more I think about it, the more I don't understand it. Is it something deep? I should think about it more.

Trying to make new friends is really troublesome and tiring. In the first place, should I be trying to make friends like this? Furthermore, don't friendships form naturally over time? My mind is in complete disarray like a chaotic summer festival.

While my mind is still hazy and confused, the classroom quickly fills up as other students enter the classroom.

Oh well, I have no choice but to try.

After a long internal struggle, I started to get up from my seat. However…

As I got up, I noticed that the chubby boy wearing glasses was talking to another classmate.

With a bitter smile, I realized that there was no friendship to be made here.

Good for you, glasses-kun…

You made your first friend───

"You, from before…!"

Feeling perplexed, I was doing some serious soul-searching.

Involuntary, I let out a deep sigh from the bottom of my lungs. My high school life seems very bleak.

I noticed that the classroom was nearly full, and then I heard someone putting down their bag on the seat next to me.

"That's a heavy sigh, even though the school semester hasn't even started yet. I feel like sighing after meeting you again."

The person who sat next to me was the girl I argued with after getting off the bus.

"… So we were in the same class, huh." After all, there are only 4 first-year classes. It's not like it's probabilistically impossible that we were put in the same class.

"I am Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. Nice to meet you."

"A sudden self-introduction?"

"Even if you call it sudden, it's our second time talking to each other. Isn't an introduction fine?"

Anyway, I previously had no way to introduce myself to anyone. Even to this cheeky girl. Although, in order to become familiar with the class, I wanted to learn my neighbor's name at least.

"Do you mind if I reject your greeting?"

"I think it would be awkward if we didn't know each other's names, even though we sit next to each other."

"I think it would be perfectly fine."

After glancing at me, she put her bag on the desk. It seems like she won't even tell me her name.

The girl showed no interest in the rest of the classroom, and sat down in her seat like a model.

"Is your friend in another class? Or are you coming to this high school alone?"

"You're a curious one, aren't you. You shouldn't talk to me, since you won't find me interesting anyway."

"If I'm being a bother to you, just tell me to shut up."

I thought that the conversation was over, but after a sudden change of heart, she sighed and looked at me.

"My name is Horikita Suzune."

I didn't expect to receive an answer, but she… no, Horikita, introduced herself.

For the first time I saw her face.

… Wow, she's cute.

I mean, she's a beauty.

Even though she was in the same grade, she could probably pass as a second or third year student.

She looked like a mature woman.

"Let me start off by telling you a bit about myself. I have no particular hobbies, but I have an interest in everything. I don't have too many friends, but I think it would be good to have some friends. Well, that's the kind of person I am."

"Sounds like a reply from someone who avoids troublesome situations. I don't think I'll ever like someone who thinks like that."

"It feels like my whole existence has been denied in a single second…"

"I pray that no more misfortune befalls me."

"I sympathize with you, but I don't think that'll come true."

I pointed at the door to the classroom. The one standing there was───

"The equipment in this classroom seems to be in order! The classroom looks just like what the rumors say!"

It was the boy who argued with the girl in the bus.

"... I see. Certainly is bad luck."

It seems like not only us, but that problem child is also in the D class.

Without noticing us at all, he sat down at the seat marked "Koenji". I wonder if he knows what the term "friendship" means. Let's try observing him for a bit.

Koenji then propped his legs onto the desk, took out a pair of nail clippers, and started doing maintenance on his fingernails. He acted as if he was the only one there and ignored all of his surroundings.

His remarks on the bus seem to have come from his true thoughts.

In less than ten seconds, more than half the class backed away from Koenji. Even here, his self-important attitude penetrated the classroom.

Looking next to me, I noticed that Horikita was looking down at her desk, reading one of her own books.

Oops, I forgot that talking back and forth was one of the basics of holding a conversation.

One of my chances to become friends with Horikita was crushed.

Peeking at the title of the book, I saw that she was reading "Crime and Punishment".

That's interesting. Whether there is any reason to kill a person or not, it advocates killing. Maybe Horikita's hobbies are similar to the ones in the book.

Anyway, since self-introductions were finished, it seems like we won't be interacting very often.

After a few minutes, the first bell rang.

Almost at the same time, a woman wearing a suit walked into the classroom.

On first impression, she seems like a teacher who finds strict classroom discipline important. She looks about 30 years old. Her long hair was tied back into a ponytail.

"Ahem, good morning new students. My name's Chiyabashira Sae and I am in charge of class D this year. I teach Japanese history. This school doesn't rearrange the classes every year, so over the next three years, I hope I get to know all of you. Best regards. Although the entrance ceremony will be one hour from now in the gym, I will now distribute the list of special rules of this school and the matriculation guide."

From the front, the handouts were passed around.

At this school, there are special rules that make it different from every other high school. All students are required to live on campus, and are forbidden from contacting anyone outside the school.

Even contacting immediate family is impossible without the permission of the school.

Leaving school grounds is also forbidden.

However, there are also many other facilities so that students don't suffer from being restricted. There are karaokes, theater rooms, cafes, and even boutiques—you can say it made up a small town. And in the middle of the big city, the huge campus took up more than 600,000 square meters.

There's one more special characteristic of this school, though. The introduction of the S system.

"I will now hand out student ID cards. With this card, you can buy anything from any of the shops and facilities around campus. It works like a credit card. However, be careful of how many points you use. There's nothing you can't buy at school. If there's something on school grounds, it's purchasable."

This point system associated with the student card essentially replaced money.

This way, every student would start off with the same amount of money and would be forced to check their consumption habits. In any case, all of the points are provided at no charge from the school.

"Student cards can be used by swiping them on the machines. Using the machines are really easy, so you won't have any trouble with them. The points will be automatically credited on the first day of the month. Everyone should already have 100,000 points on their card. Also, 1 point is worth 1 yen. Any more explanation is unnecessary."

For a moment, the classroom got loud.

In other words, for being admitted to this school, we got a 100,000 yen monthly allowance from the school. As expected from a school created by the Japanese government.

100,000 yen is a considerable amount of money given to students as a monthly allowance.

"Were you guys surprised by the amount of points given? This school measures the abilities of students. Everyone here, who passed the entrance exam, has shown some level of merit and worth. The amount of money is a reflection of your skills. Use without holding back. After graduation, however, all the points will be taken back. Since it's impossible to change these points into cash, there's no point in saving up the points. How the points are used are up to you. Use it on things you like or need. If you feel that no use for some of your points, you can always transfer them to someone else. However, bullying other people for points is prohibited. The school is very strict on matters concerning bullying."

Chiyabashira-sensei looked around the room.

"It seems like no one has questions. Well then, please lead a good student life."

A lot of the classmates can't hide their surprise at the size of the allowance.

"It isn't as strict of a school as I thought it would be."

I thought I was talking to myself, but Horikita was looking my direction and thought that I was talking to her.

"It certainly seems like a lax school."

Although they force us to live in dorms, forbid us from going off campus, and prohibit us from contacting anyone on the outside, they give us a lot of points for free usable anywhere on campus.

It could be said that the students are put in paradise with preferential treatment.

And the biggest merit to Koudo Ikusei High School is their 100% employment rate.

Under the thorough guidance of the government, the school works towards a better future with all of its resources. In fact, many of this widely publicized school's alumni are famous people. Usually, no matter how famous and good a school is, its area of specialization is narrow. A school might specialize in sports, or specialize in music. Or maybe it specializes in computer related topics. But this school fulfills any wish in any genre that someone may wish to study. This is a school that has that kind of system and value.

That's why I thought the class atmosphere would be more competitive and bloodthirsty, but the majority of my classmates seemed like ordinary students you could find anywhere else.

No, maybe that's why everyone's so normal. We were already recognized as students who passed the entrance exam. Can we graduate peacefully and without incident…? I wonder if it's even possible.

"This much preferential treatment is a bit scary."

After listening to Horikita say that, I also felt the same way.

I think it would be better to stay ignorant of the details about this school.

Because they are able to fulfill any wish, I think there would be some risks associated with the school.

"Ne ne~, don't you want to go see those shops? Let's go shopping!"

"Un. With this much money, we can buy anything. It's great that I got into this school~"

After the teacher left the room, the students who received the large amount of money were restless.

"Everyone, can you guys listen to me for a bit?"

A student who had the air of a young man raised his hand and spoke.

His hair is not dyed and looked like an honors student. He didn't look like delinquent either.

"Starting from today, we will be in the same class for the next three years. So, it would be great if all of us could introduce ourselves and become friends. We still have time until the entrance ceremony, so what do you think?"

Oh… he said something amazing. A majority of the students couldn't find words to say.

"I agree! After all, we don't know each other names, let alone anything about each other."

After the first person agreed, the previously hesitant students subsequently voiced their support.

"My name is Hirata Yousuke. Because I was often called by my first name, Yousuke, in middle school, feel free to use my first name. Although I like all sports, I like soccer in particular, and also plan to play soccer at this school. Please take care of me."

The young man who proposed that the class introduce themselves smoothly and impeccably did his self introduction.

You really have a lot of guts. And you even talked about soccer. After talking about soccer with that refreshing expression, his popularity multiplied by 2 times, no, 4 times. Look, look, all the girls near Hirata have hearts in their eyes.

Like this, Hirata became the central figure of the class, and would probably draw everyone's attention until we graduated.

And then he would probably go out with the cutest girl in the class That's probably how things will end up.

"Well, if that was satisfactory… then, can we start self introductions from the beginning?"

Being smooth to the very end, Hirata asked for confirmation.

Although the first girl was perplexed and nervous, she soon made up her mind and stood up.

In other words, she was flustered by Hirata's words.

"M-my name Inogashira K-ko—"

As she tried to introduce herself, her words stopped in her mouth.

Whether her mind went blank or she couldn't collect her thoughts fully, she was unable to speak clearly. When words no longer came out, her face became pale in embarrassment. It's rare seeing someone get so nervous.

"Do your best~"

"It's ok if you don't rush~"

Those kind words came from a classmate. But those words backfired, and the words stuck in her throat disappeared. The silence continued for 5 seconds, then 10 seconds. The pressure was palpable.

Small giggles came from some of the girls in the classroom. She was paralyzed in fear. One of the girls spoke up.

"Doing it slowly is fine, don't rush through it."

Although her words were similar to "Do your best~" and "It's ok if you don't rush," the meaning her words held was completely different.

To the nervous girl, the boys' words seemed a bit forceful.

On the other hand, the girl's words told her to go at her own pace, and felt more reassuring.

After regaining a bit of her composure, she breathed in and out to calm herself down.

Then after a little while…

"My name is, Inogashira… Kokoro. Um, my hobby is sewing and I'm good at knitting. P-please take care of me."

From the first word, she said all she wanted to say without stopping.

With a relieved, delighted, and slightly embarrassed expression, Inokashira sit down.

Thanks to the help, Inogashira's introduction finished without any trouble. Other self-introductions followed.

"I'm Yamauchi Haruki. In elementary school, I played table tennis at the national level, then was the baseball club's ace in middle school—I had uniform number 4. But since I got an injury during Inter High recently, so I am currently in rehab. Nice to meet ya."

I don't think the number 4 has any meaning to it…

And Inter High is a sports tournament for high schools… You can't compete as a middle schooler.

Or was he trying to tell a joke? I got the impression that he was a frivolous and loose-mouthed type of person.

"Then I'm next, right?"

The cheerful girl who stood up next was the one who told Inogashira to introduce herself at her own pace.

And the girl that helped out the old woman on the bus that morning.

"My name is Kushida Kikyou, and since none of my friends from middle school came to this school, I want to get to know everyone and become friends!"

Most students finished their greetings after a few words, but Kushida continued to talk.

"First of all, I want to become friends with everyone here. After all of you are done with your introductions, please exchange contact information with me!"

Her words weren't just words. I could tell immediately that she was the type of girl to open up her heart immediately.

(Illustration: https://imgur.com/PwcLx8r)

Her words to Inogashira weren't just encouragement that seemed appropriate for the situation, but were her true feelings.

Also, she seemed the type of person who would get along with everyone.

"Then, during vacations or after school, I want to make memories with many people, so please invite me to many events. I've been talking for a while, so I'll end my self-introduction here."

She'd definitely get along with all the boys and girls in the class.

… Of course, it's not like I'm critiquing other people's self-introductions.

I'm feeling a bit restless for some reason.

What I should say in my introduction… should I try to tell a joke too?

Or should I bring out laughs by creating high tension during my speech?

No, but I wonder. High tension would probably just ruin the mood. To begin with, I'm not that kind of character.

While I was lost in my own worries, the self-introductions continued.

"Then, the next one is───"

As Hirata looked at the next student, the next student shot him a sharp glare.

With bright red hair, the boy looked like a delinquent and spoke in a manner that matched his appearance.

"You guys idiots? I don't wanna introduce myself, just leave me alone."

Red hair glared at Hirata. Tension hung in the air.

"I can't force you to introduce yourself. But, I don't think that it's a bad thing to get along with your classmates. If you thought I was being unpleasant, I apologize."

After watching Hirata bow his head towards red hair, some of the girls glared at red hair.

"Isn't it fine to do a simple self introduction?"

"Yea, yea!"

As expected from the ikemen soccer boy. He seems to have quickly attracted the attention of the girls.

However, starting with red hair, the about half of the other boys stirred with jealousy towards Hirata.

"No. I don't want to pretend that we're good friends."

Red hair got up from his seat. At the same time, several other students left the room. They probably had no intention to get to know their classmates. Horikita also started to get up from her seat.

She looked at my direction, but when she realized that I wasn't moving, she started walking out the room. Hirata looked a bit lonely as he saw the group walk out the classroom.

"They're not bad people. I'm also at fault since I asked them to stay out of my own selfishness."

"Hirata-kun did nothing bad. Let's just leave those people alone."

Even though some people left after not wanting to do self-introductions, the remaining students continued to go around and introduce themselves

"I'm Ike Kanji. The things I like are girls, and the things I hate are ikemen. I'm looking for a girlfriend at any time, so nice to meet you! Of course, you better be cute or beautiful!"

It's hard to tell if he said that as a joke or if it his true thoughts, but he earned the ire of the females.

"Wow, cool~. Ike-kun, you're so smooth", said one of the girls with a completely emotionless voice.

Of course, it was obvious that it was 1000% a lie.

"Really, really? Wow, I thought I wasn't bad, but… hehe."

Apparently Ike thought it was true and became a bit embarrassed.

Suddenly all the girls laughed.

"Wow, everyone, he's cute. He's recruiting girlfriends!"

No you're being teased.

Ike waved his hand cheerfully while being teased. It doesn't seem like he's a bad person though.

Then, the boy who fought on the bus, Koenji, was up next.

After checking his bangs with a hand-mirror, he used a comb to arrange his hair.

"Um, can you introduce yourself"

"Fu~. Ok."

While smiling like a young noble, he showed glimpses of his impudent behavior.

I thought he would stand up, but Koenji kept his feet on the desk, and started his self-introduction while sitting like that.

"My name is Koenji Rokusuke. Being the only heir of the Koenji conglomerate, I am a man who will be responsible for Japanese society in the near future. Pleased to meet you, ladies."

It was an introduction for the women, as opposed to the whole class.

Some girls looked at Koenji with glittering eyes after hearing he was rich, while the others looked at him like he was crazy. … That's natural.

"From now on, I will relentlessly punish anything that makes me feel uncomfortable. Be careful in that respect."

"Eh… Koenji-kun. What do you mean by 'anything that makes me uncomfortable'?"

Feeling uneasy at his words, Hirata asked him again.

"Exactly as I said. But if I were to give an example───I hate unattractive things. If I saw something ugly, I would do as I said."

He combed his hair upwards.

"Oh, thank you. I will make sure to be careful."

Red hair, Horikita, Koenji. Then Yamauchi and Ike. Apparently all the odd students were gathered in this class. During this short time, I was able to see a glimpse of the various students in my class.

I also have a an odd quirk───no, there's nothing special about me.

I wanted to become a free bird, but I flew from the cage all alone.

Without putting much thought into it, I wanted to experience the freedom.

If you look outside, you can see the gracefulness of the birds… which you can't see at this time.

I'm that kind of man, anyway.

"Um… the next person───please introduce yourself."

"Eh?"

My turn had come while I was still lost in my delusions. A lot of the students were waiting for me to give my introduction. Oi oi, don't look at me with that much anticipation (my imagination).

Oh well, I'll go all out for for this self-introduction.

Alright! Get up and start.

"Well ... Um, my name is Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. The, er… there's nothing particular about me, I will do my best to get along with everyone, uh, nice to meet you."

After finishing my greeting, I quickly sat back down.

Fu… Did everyone see it? My self introduction.

… failed!

I buried my face in my hands.

I was too busy lost in my delusions, so I couldn't come up with the proper words in advance.

It was such a boring, lame introduction that no one will remember later.

"Nice to met you Ayanokouji-kun. I also want to get alone with everyone, so let's do our best."

Hirata said with a refreshing smile.

Everyone clapped. I feel like everyone clapped after seeing through my mistake.

At the same time, I felt strangely hurt from their pity.

I was still happy, though.

3

Even though this school is hard, the entrance ceremony is the same here as it is at any other school.

After a speech of thanks from some principal or other director, the ceremony ended.

And then it was noon. After we got an explanation of all the buildings and facilities on campus, the group split up.

70, 80% of the students started heading for the dorms. The rest of the students formed small groups and walked towards the cafes and the karaoke rooms. The whole crowd soon disappeared.

On my way to the dorms, I decided to go to the convenience store, which was on the way. Of course I was alone. I knew no one else.

"… What an unpleasant coincidence."

Once I entered the convenience store, I immediately ran into Horikita again.

"Don't be so hostile. Rather, did you also have stuff to buy?"

"Yea, just a bit. I came to buy some necessities."

Horikita talked while examining shampoo that she took from the shelf.

Dormitory life starts from today, you need much more than just "a bit"… Girls also need various products.

She quickly put the shampoo and other daily necessities into her basket. I thought she would go for good quality items, but she only went for the cheapest one available.

"I thought girls paid more attention to what kind of shampoo they used."

"That depends on the type person, no? The type of person who who doesn't know where they should be spending their money."

She sent me a cold gaze that said, "Could you not look at other people's stuff without permission?"

"Also, I didn't expect you to stay in the classroom for self-introductions. You don't look like the type of person to be in that group of classmates."

"I'm trying to be in that group quietly precisely because I try to avoid trouble. Why didn't you participate in the self-introductions? It's only a short greeting. You could get along with the others and get the chance to make friends."

Also, a lot of the students exchanged contact address with each other.

If Horikita had participated, she probably would've been popular in the class. What a waste.

"There are a lot of reasons I could give you, but should I give a simple explanation? Even if I introduced myself, it's not guaranteed that I would get along with everyone. Rather, it would've probably created problems instead. If I don't do the introduction, none of these problems occur. Right?"

"But there's still a high probability that you would get along with everyone…"

"Where'd you get that probability from? I say that, but we would endless argue over it if we tried to debate that, so let's just say that the probability is high. So, did you get along with anyone?"

"Uu…"

She looked at me while talking.

… I see. Surprisingly, she's right.

Actually, I was unable to exchange contacts with anybody.

It couldn't be used as evidence to prove that there was a high probability of getting along if she did introduce herself. I averted my gaze at Horikita's words.

"In other words, you have no proof that self-introductions make finding friends easy."

Horikita continued.

"To begin with, I never intended to make friends. So, there's no need for me to introduce myself, and no need for me to listen to anyone else's introduction. Are you convinced now?"

She did reject me the first time I tried to introduce myself…

It might've been a miracle to have gotten her name in the first place.

When I asked if I shouldn't have introduce myself, she shook her head though.

People have various different ways of thinking; it's impossible to deny that.

Horikita is a much more isolated, no, aloof, type of person than I thought.

We didn't even look at each other as we wandered about in the convenience store.

Even though her personality is a bit uptight, it didn't feel uncomfortable walking together.

"Wow~. They even have all the different kinds of cup noodles, this school's really convenient~"

In front of the instant food section, two boys were being noisy. After throwing a bunch of cup noodles into their basket, the two of them went to the register. They also had lots of snacks and drinks that filled up the whole basket. Since there are a lot of points that may be left over, it's only natural that they try to spend it somehow.

"Cup noodles… so they had that kind of section too, huh."

Learning this kind of stuff was one of my goals in going to the convenience store.

"So boys really do like this kind of stuff? I don't think it's really good for the body though."

"Eh, I was just considering if I should buy it."

I picked up a cup noodles bowl and looked at the price.

It said it was 156 yen, but I wasn't sure whether that was high or low for a bowl of cup noodles.

Even though the school calls it "points," the prices are all written in yen.

"Hey, what do you think of these prices? Do they look cheap or expensive?"

"Hmm… I can't really tell, but did you find something with a strange price?"

"No, that's not what I meant. I just wanted to ask."

The prices on the goods in the store seemed to be about right.

Also, it really does seem like 1 point is equal to 1 yen.

Given that the average high school student's allowance is about 5,000 yen, our monthly allowance is 20 times bigger.

Sensing my suspicious behavior, Horikita looked at me strangely.

I took the closest bowl of cup noodles to throw off her suspicions.

"Wow, this is really big. It's a G cup!"

It looks like it stands for "giga cup," but for some reason it makes me feel full just looking at it.

On an unrelated note, Horikita's breasts aren't small, but aren't large either. They are just the perfect size.

"Ayanokouji-kun. Did you just think of something inappropriate?"

"… No, of course not."

"You were acting strangely though…"

With just a glance, she was able to tell that I was thinking of strange things. She's sharp.

"I was thinking about what I should buy. Which one looks better?"

"If it's just that, then it's fine. You should stop buying those unhealthy foods. The school has a lot of better food options, so don't make a habit out it."

As she said, there's no need to stick to instant fast food.

However, I had an irrepressible urge to buy a few more, so I took a regular sized instant noodle bowl (it said FOO Yakisoba on it) and put it in my basket.

Horikita drew her attention away from the food section and started to look at the necessities section of the store.

Now I could finally score some points with Horikita by telling some witty jokes.

"Wow, this razor has five blades! Seems like it would shave super cleanly." (T/N not sure what the joke is here, probably some pun I don't understand)

"The hell, what would I shave with that?"

I held the razor blade, feeling proud of my joke, but the reaction was different than I expected. I thought she would smile, but she was looking at me like I was disgusting.

"… You know, there's nothing to shave on my chin or even under my armpits."

That hurt my heart. I guess my joke doesn't work on females.

"I'm envious of your courage to say that to someone you randomly met."

"… You've also been saying shit to someone you just met too."

"Really? I was only saying the facts. Unlike you."

She returned my words calmly and shut me up. Granted, I was saying some stupid stuff. The smooth Horikita, though, showed no signs of saying crude things.

Horikita once again chose the cheapest facial cleanser. I think girls should pay more attention to themselves.

"I think this one looks better, doesn't it?"

I grabbed a facial cleanser that was a bit more expensive and looked creamier.

"Not necessary."

I was refused.

"No, but───"

"I already said I didn't need it, didn't I?"

"Yea… "

I gently returned the cleanser back on the shelf as she glared at me.

I thought I could make conversation without getting her mad, but I failed.

"You're not very good at socializing. You suck at coming up with things to talk about."

"Even coming from you… I guess it's pretty true."

"Of course. I have a pretty good eye for people. Normally, I wouldn't want to hear you speak twice, but I will put in the painful effort to listen to you."

For some reason I tried to make friends with her, but my expectations were completely off.

With that, our conversation grinded to a halt. As two girls entered the store and started shopping, I realized something new.

Horikita's really cute.

"Hey. What are these for?"

As I looked for things to talk about, I saw something unusual.

In the corner of the convenience store, I saw individual portions of food and supplies.

At first glance, they looked the same as everything else, but with one major difference.

"Free… ?"

Also feeling interested, Horikita picked up one of the items.

Daily necessities such as toothbrushes and bandages were put in a bin labeled "free of charge". The bin also had the words, "3 items per month" written on it, and it was obvious that these were different from the other goods.

"I wonder if this is emergency relief for those who have used up all their points. What a surprisingly lenient school."

I wonder if they're only thorough with these kind of services, though.

"Hey, just wait a bit! I'm looking for it now!"

Interrupting the peaceful background music was a loud voice from the middle of the store.

"Hurry up! Everyone's waiting!"

"Oh, really!? Tell them to complain directly to me!"

It sounded like there was trouble.. Two boys were glaring at each other as they started to quarrel. The one with a disgruntled face was the all too familiar red hair guy. He was clutching cup noodles in one of his hands.

"What's happening here?"

"Oh? Who're you?"

I meant to talk amicably, but red hair mistook me for another enemy and shot me a glare.

"I'm Ayanokouji from the same class. I spoke up because I thought there was trouble here."

After explaining, red hair lowered his voice after understanding the situation.

"Oh… I remember you. I forgot my student card. Forgot that that thing is practically money from now on."

After seeing his empty hands, he started to head for the dorms. He probably forgot it there.

To be honest, it didn't fully sink in yet that the cards were needed for every payment.

"If it's fine with you, I can pay for it now. It'd be troublesome to go back to get it—I don't mind if you use my points."

"… That's true. It's annoying. Good thing you're here, thanks."

The distance to the dorm isn't a big deal. But by the time he would've gotten back, the line would probably get long since it'd be lunch time.

"… I'm Sudou. I owe you one."

"Nice to meet you, Sudou."

I took the cup noodles from Sudou then walked over to the hot water dispenser. Horikita was amazed after seeing that short exchange.

"You're a pushover even from the first meeting. Are you going to be his obedient servant? Or is this how you're trying to make friends?"

"Rather than making friends, I was just trying to help. Nothing else."

"You don't seem to be scared at his appearance either."

"Scared? Why would I be scared? Because he looks like a delinquent?"

"A normal person would probably stay away from that kind of person."

"Nah, he doesn't even look like a bad person anyway. Also, you don't look scared either."

"Only people without any method of protecting themselves stay away from those types. If he seemed violent, I'd repel him away from me. That's why I'm not really afraid."

Whenever Horikita says something, it's always something unusual. First of all, when she says "repel," what does she mean? Is she carrying around some kind of anti-molester spray?

"Let's finish shopping. It'd bother other students if we loitered around too long."

We finished up our shopping. After presenting the student ID card to the machine, the transaction was quickly completed. It was even faster because there was no small change involved.

"It's really usable as money… "

The receipt showed the prices of each good and the leftover amount of points. The payment went off without a hitch. While waiting for Horikita, I put hot water into the cup noodles. I thought it'd be more difficult to open the lid and pour in the hot water, but it was surprisingly easy.

At any rate, this is a really weird school.

What kind of merit does each individual student have that warrants that big of an allowance?

Since my grade has about 160 people in it, by simple calculation, the high school should have about 480 people total. Even in a month that's already 48 million yen. In a year, 560 million.

Even if it's backed by the country, it still seems like overkill.

"I wonder what benefit it would bring to the school. 100,000 yen is a lot to give someone."

"Well… There seem to be way too many facilities for the number of students, and it doesn't seem necessary to give the students that much money. The students may neglect their studies because they have so much money."

I'm not sure if this is our reward for passing the test.

By talking about money, the students might be motivated to work harder.

But, without any conditions attached, 100,000 yen was handed out to everyone.

"It's not something I can really tell you to do, but it's probably better to save your money. Bad habits are difficult to fix. Once humans get used to a comfortable life, it's hard to let it go. The mental shock would certainly be pretty big."

"I'll take that to heart."

I never intended to throw away my money on random expenses originally, but she made a valid point.

After finishing the transaction, Sudou was waiting in front of the convenience store.

Seeing me come out, Sudou waved his hand at me. When I also waved to return his feeling, I felt a bit embarrassed yet happy at the same time.

"… Are you actually trying to eat here?"

"Of course I am. It's common sense, where else would I eat?"

When Sudou answered like that, I was surprised and Horikita let out an exasperated sigh.

"I'm going to go home. It feels like my dignity is slowly degrading away here."

"What dignity are you talking about? You're just a normal high school student. Or are you some kind of ojousama?"

Even though Sudou snapped at Horikita, she didn't even bat an eye.

Feeling irritated, Sudou put down his cup noodles and stood up.

"Ahー? Listen to people when they speak. Hey!"

"What's up with him? Suddenly getting angry."

Horikita continued to ignore Sudou and talked to me.

Having being pushed over the edge, Sudou shouted in anger.

"Come over here! I'll beat you up!"

"I'll admit Horikita's attitude was bad. But your behavior isn't very good either."

Sudou's patience seems to have run out.

"So? Her attitude's way too cheeky for a woman!"

"For a woman? That kind of thinking is outdated. Don't be friends with someone like him."

With that, Horikita turned around, ignoring Sudou to the very end.

"Hey wait! Damn woman!"

"Calm down."

I held back Sudou who was trying to reach for Horikita.

Without even looking back, Horikita headed back for the dorms.

"What kind of person acts like that? Dammit!"

"There are many different types of people, you know."

"Hmph. I hate that kind of person."

He was watching me cautiously. Sudou grabbed the cup noodles, tore off the cover and started eating.

A little while ago, he also fought at the register—it seems like he has a low boiling point for his anger.

"Hey, are you a first year? That's our spot."

As I watched Sudou slurp up his noodles, a group of three boys walked out of the convenience store carrying similar bowls.

"Who are you guys? We're using this spot right now. You're blocking the way. Fuck off."

"Didn't you hear him? Scram. Some cheeky first year brat."

The three laughed at Sudou. Sudou stood up and threw his cup noodles on the ground. Soup and noodles splattered onto the ground.

"The first year's trying to fight, ha— what!?"

… That's not it. Sudou has a low tolerance for anger. He's the type of person to try to intimidate the other party.

"These second years are saying some bullshit things. We're already sitting here."

The second year senpais put down their stuff right there too. And then they began to laugh.

"Yup, we're here too. So scram, this is our spot."

"You guys have some nerve, you shits."

Sudou didn't falter from the difference in numbers. Looks like a fistfight will start anytime soon now. I, of course, didn't count myself in those numbers.

"Wow—— so scary. What class are you guys in. Oh wait, never mind. Let me guess… you're in class D right?"

"So what!?"

After Sudou said that, all the upperclassmen looked at each other, and laughed at the same time.

"Did you hear? He's in the D class! It was really obvious!"

"Oh? What do you mean by that, huh?"

As Sudou was getting heated, the boys took a step back.

"Because you guys are so pitiful I'll let you stay there for today. Let's go."

"You guys running away!?"

"The dog's barking! Anyway, you guys will face hell soon enough anyway."

Face hell?

They clearly looked calm and composed. I wonder what they meant by "face hell".

I thought that this school was for those fancy obocchans or ojousamas, but there are quite a few people like Sudou or that group of three earlier.

"Dammit, if it were girls or nice second-years it would've been fine, but we got that stupid bunch."

Sudou shoved his hands in his pockets and headed back without even cleaning up the noodles.

I looked at the outside of the convenience store. Two surveillance cameras had been placed there.

"There'll probably be problems later, huh."

Reluctantly, I reached down and starting cleaning up the mess.

As soon as the second-years knew Sudou was class D, their opinions changed instantly.

Although I felt anxious about it, there was no way for me to understand why.

4

Around 1pm, I reached the dorms that would be my home for the next three years.

After the first floor receptionist gave me a card key for the room 401 and an information manual, I got on the elevator. While flipping through the manual, I saw the time and day for the garbage disposal and a warning to not make too much noise. It also said not to waste water and electricity as much as possible.

"They don't actually have limits on gas and electricity usage, huh… "

I thought that they would subtract from our points automatically.

This school really went through great lengths for the sake of the students.

I was surprised that they implemented coed dorms though. For a school that prohibits relationships between students, the coed dorms felt out of character. In other words, sex was a no-no.

Well, obviously.

It's hard to believe that such a pampered and easy life can train students to be admirable adults, but given the current situation, the students should probably use all they were given.

The room is about 8 tatami mats big. This is my house starting from today. It's also my first time living alone. Until graduation, I would have to live without contacting anyone outside of school.

Unintentionally, I let out a smile.

The school had a high employment rate, and boasted the best facilities and opportunities out of all high schools in Japan.

For me, though, these weren't as important to me. I had one big reason for choosing this school. In middle school, I was forbidden from associating with friends, relatives, and other students.

That's why I chose this school.

I'm free. Freedom. In English that's "freedom". In French it's "liberté".

Isn't freedom the best? I can eat, sleep, and play when I want to. Without having anyone order me around, I can graduate with peace now.

Frankly speaking, before I passed the exam, the result didn't matter to me.

There was only a slight difference between passing and not passing.

However, when the results came out, I was really happy that I got in.

No one can judge me or order me around now.

I can redo… no, start anew. A new start, a new life.

Anyway, I plan to have a fun student life from now on.

Not caring about my uniform, I jumped onto the bed. Feeling far from tired, I tried to calm myself down, looking forward to my future school life.