There was a question that I wanted to raise. In the gymnasium earlier, I saw the fourth and fifth years at the far left, but Nakano-sensei only mentioned the first three years. However, I didn't want to attract more attention to myself. I received some eyes previously when walking with Ichinose.
I decided to ask Saki for a favor since it wasn't out of character for her to be talkative. I leaned to the right for her to hear me clearly. After transmitting my question to her, she raised her hand immediately.
"Hirawa Saki, right? What's your question?"
She remembered students' names already? She kept gaining more and more of my respect. Honestly, having a teacher like her would drastically improve our experience here.
Saki nodded to confirm Nakano-sensei's first question, and then she spoke, "I'm curious about the other two grades besides from the first three years, Nakano-sensei."
"About that, the school inaugurated a new system a few years ago for excellent students who want to continue studying under the academy. Four classes were established to nurture them with specialized training and missions. The numbers do not represent their grades but their archetypes. And since they have different abilities, these classes are not equal in numbers. Only a small number of students can be admitted there annually because the bare minimum for joining is to have an overall grade of A- or above."
Interesting. I didn't notice the number of students at first glance because of the chaotic background. Those classes were the same as graduating classes but with different methods of training. This could be my destination after I completed three years here, so I had to achieve an A no matter what.
"Could you tell us more about the requirements for graduation?" one boy in the front row asked.
"Hold on. I will distribute the necessary materials before divulging more information."
She handed the documents to the first-row tables. The students in front started passing these to the back. In no time, I got my hands on the hefty documents. There were three handouts in total with varying sizes.
"I suggest you read these once you settle in your dormitory. I will still explain everything as we move forward. If there is any problem of understanding, the documents should cover the blank."
The documents contained a pamphlet of school rules, a booklet about the area, and a book about being a Repulsor. Nothing is better than having books by your side at night to kill time, right?
Nakano-sensei continued, "As you know, the school prohibits personal phones since the risk of confidential information venturing out into the public is high. But it is proven that without a phone, it would entail great inconvenience for students. Thus, the school would like to provide students with new smartphones."
She then showed us the smartphones that we would use. All phones were the same, of course. It would be cool if these could be customized though.
"Naturally, it is monitored by the academy but only to a certain extent since they transparently discourage the invasion of personal privacy. Instead, they only oversee communications outside the restricted area. Connections made would be detected and disrupted immediately. Accordingly, the perpetrator would receive a warning once the school pinpoints the source of the issue."
I wasn't sure what the warnings would be, but considering how consequential this could be, I imagined that "a warning" was only a clever use of words to alleviate the seriousness of the actual penalty.
"Finally, the last two items of today," she brought out what seemed like cards. "This is your ID cards and credit cards specifically for this area. I will hand out both items before going into detail about their utilities."
She approached each of our tables in turn and granted us smartphones, ID cards, and credit cards. She then returned to the front and continued her explanation.
"Before explaining what the items do, I want to give you a bit of context. As you know, the school denies all currencies, which means that products used to be practically free of charge. However, this idea didn't receive much support as it equated to spoiling its students. Therefore, a new monetary unit was created so that students could learn financial responsibility. Points, as we called it, is the currency used by everyone in the area."
Honestly, despite the name being awfully unoriginal, it was simple enough for everyone to remember it. I understood that naming it would be quite excessive since it was created for only residents who lived here.
"I forgot to mention, this area or town is called Hakuryuu Oceanic Station, HOS for short."
I totally forgot about that too. I thought the area was nameless since there were no indications of its name.
"Back to the main topic, the system doesn't use banknotes. Instead, it uses card transactions or online payments, and these are exactly what credit cards and phones do. Anything on HOS premises is available for purchase. Also, next year, the Machine Technology Department will attempt to incorporate credit cards into ID cards. It is a slight improvement since you only need to take heed of one card."
The more I listened, the more I found how unprecedented this school was. But I couldn't complain. I was given such unusual freedom that it would be stupid to question its validity. Everything seemed legit so far.
"Alright, ID cards. Similar to the ones available globally, this exclusive identity card is used in every situation. For example, buying groceries at a nearby supermarket, accessing facilities around the area, or using public transport. The area follows a strict regime when it comes to identification. It is to be expected since HOS is a restricted area, after all."
HOS was literally a city of its own with a functional system that served its residents. A government-funded town with great developments and meticulous treatment for its people. It was a dream place that everyone would long for.
"Of course, you could access your credit card and ID card by phone. We simply give these in case you forget or lose one of the items. Precaution is never harmful."
It certainly is true that people tend to forget one item or another. I left my phone in the house plenty of times when I went out. However, having these cards would increase the chance of getting stolen.
"The school knows that theft is a concern, but we guarantee that this place demands strict control over transactions and identification. Thieves are expected to receive great consequences and be banished from the station. One method the upperclassmen have been using is to set up everything virtually and store these cards in the phone."
"In the phone, sensei?" one student asked.
"Exactly. A thin button should be there on the back of the phone. Hold it for about 3 seconds."
I looked for the button that Nakano-sensei mentioned, but the whole surface was smooth with no bumps whatsoever. I flipped the phone upside down and saw a medium-sized ring engraved in the middle of the phone's back. I held the button lightly per instructions, and the case suddenly popped off. Little pillars on each corner were slowly rising.
"Got it? It's a feature made specifically for shielding and storing your cards in one place. There are two pockets only for good reasons. If you are not satisfied with this gadget, a wallet case is also a reasonable choice. Ultimately, it is all up to your preferences."
Having this gadget would be extremely convenient. One storage for all your important items certainly would please everyone. Of course, some students loved more customization for aesthetics, including myself, but convenience overshadowed style in any battle.
"If you have questions about these topics, I suggest you read the booklet, specifically the help section on the few last pages. I will move on to a more important part now," Nakano-sensei emphasized clearly. "First, turn on your phone before we continue. Instructions should appear immediately after. I will come back to you in five minutes." She exited the room.