As the last students returned to reality, the big door finally opened. It felt as if the pressure of the dim, sinister room finally had a way to escape, bringing relief onto the students.
"Congratulations, the majority of you managed to successfully complete the task," Director Mazato, who was waiting behind the door, addressed them. Considering that he had just been in the simulation a few seconds ago, that must mean that there was another room with these 'simulation chairs' nearby.
"What the hell was this about!? No way you can expect us to take such a risk when we couldn't even be sure about the existence of this simulation! We're high schoolers not soldiers god damn it!" One student began to shout at the Director. It seems like he was one of the students who couldn't make up their mind to shoot themselves.
"Well, what other options did you have? Sure, there wasn't a single favorable outcome, but keeping a calm mind and choosing the best one is a required skill to have, so you better work on it. After all, most students managed to do just that," the Director explained unfazed, as if he had expected such criticism, before glancing towards Akata, who had finished the task the fastest. The student that was letting out his frustration now had no options to counter back. It was true that if others, who were in the exact same situation as him, managed to clear this task, then there was no basis left in calling the situation unfair. Sure, it was definitely a tough decision, especially for normal students as themselves, but they had to come prepared. This academy never presented itself as a normal high school. From the beginning it was made clear that this institution was closer to a military facility than a school, so if someone wasn't prepared to learn to become an actual soldier, then it was entirely their own fault.
That said, it was not like Rei himself was very happy about this situation. He didn't mind being confronted with difficult tasks, but the problem was the structure of their purpose: to impress the Director and get chosen to graduate. The specific problem here is that only one class can graduate, not just single students. That means that if your classmates were to fail in tasks, it would significantly lower your chances at graduating. Even if Rei were to give it his all, if his teammates would hold him back, then he would stand no chance.
His dreams lied in the hands of strangers.
"Furthermore, there are actual reasons that you had to go through this exam," the Director continued with his explanation. "You will be using the simulation as a part of your training in order to put you into various situations, of which many involve high stakes. Now, if we would've put you into a situation like that and you suddenly, out of nowhere, experience death in the simulation, that could mentally affect you. That's why it's better to experience the first death in a controlled manner, where you can prepare yourself for it."
"But whatever happens in the simulation won't affect us in the real world, right?"
"Well, your body doesn't get affected, that's the truth. But the same doesn't apply to your mind. A mental shock like suddenly getting shot into the head without any warning and then slowly experiencing death isn't something that anyone can handle. Panic attacks can ensue, one can get a permanent fear of the simulation or it can even be the cause of a permanent trauma." The Director spoke, still calm as ever. He and School President Imato, who was standing in the door frame, exchanged glances.
So basically, what the Director is saying is that there is a constant chance of getting permanently affected by the horrors that the students could experience in the Kaizen Simulation. That wasn't very reassuring.
"Anyway, going through the simulation for the first time must have been mentally exhausting, which is why we are ending this day early. You'll have time to set up your room, in which your baggage is already waiting for you, and, if you desire to do so, you also have the chance to explore the vicinity. That said, this building is fairly isolated from the rest of the city due to security reasons, as such, you would have to walk quite a bit." the Director said, wished the students a nice evening and then left. Rei wanted to talk to him about a certain topic, but he needed some privacy for that anyway, so he might seek out the Director later. For now he wanted to check out his room.
The students received the key cards to their room from their respective home-teacher, before also being instructed on the location of the dorms. As expected, they were located in the big building right next to the main one. The building was pretty much divided into two sides, one for the boys and one for the girls. Furthermore, each year had their own floor, there were also some upper floors reserved for academy staff. Oh, and there was one more detail.
Rei stood in front of the door. On it, the number '215' was engraved, the same number as displayed on his key card. Next to Rei, a second person was standing there, with an identical key in his hand. His blonde hair with black streaks gave him a distinct look. The person's name was Tenji Akitarou, the rude delinquent that Rei had the unfortunate opportunity to meet during the welcoming speech.
Yes, with some exceptions, a room was shared by two people.
"You have to be shitting me."
"This is borderline bullying."
Both boys could not be any more annoyed by this outcome.
"How the hell am I supposed to live like this...? I just hope the room is big enough to get some distance from you," Rei mumbled to himself.
"Let's just get this over with, I don't want to stand around and talk to you more than necessary," Tenji replied with a big sigh, before opening the door with his key card. Behind it, the two of them found a tidy, simple apartment. It had a living room including a small kitchen, a bathroom and a bedroom, which was divided into two sides, which each of them having a bed, a desk and a closet. So they didn't even have their own, private room, huh? Well, that wasn't exactly surprising. For currently academy standards, the apartment was pretty big, and only having to share it with one other person was a luxury that most people would not be able to experience.
Rei slid the window open and looked outside. Being on the second floor, he could see over the wall that separated the school are. The pink, blooming trees beneath him stretched all the way down the hill. Further away, he could see Raibo City, where he was eating breakfast just this morning. If the academy was located in the city, there was no way the academy would have this much space available. That said, it was surprising that there were no other buildings on the entire hill. Maybe it was protected by environmental laws, or maybe Kaizen Academy owned the entire hill.
"Hey, about the task we had to do in the simulation..." Tenji began to speak. "Next time, you better think about your actions a little more. I can't have you ruin our chances of graduating just because you want to act selfishly."
"Oh shut up. In the end, everything went well, so why do you care?"
"That's because the Director gave you a second chance. If he hadn't, your amazing decision to point a fucking gun at him would've hurt us a lot."
"I'm not an idiot. I risked it to gain information on the circumstances."
"Well, I'd appreciate it if you didn't include the fate of my and my sister's career in your risky strategies, which, by the way, didn't even work. Listen, I don't like you and you don't like me, and I don't care to change that. But still, we have no choice to at least make a minimal effort at teamwork. I'm not going to get in your way and you won't get in my way, that's all I'm asking for."
'Teamwork'? As if that would be possible. Rei knew better than anyone that people are selfish creatures. As soon as they find a weakness, even if it belongs to a friend, they will mercilessly abuse it to get what they want. That's why Rei has decided from the beginning to not get close to any of the other students. He is here to get stronger - to fulfill his own dreams - not to rely on others.
Without saying a word, Rei stepped away from the window and went to leave the apartment.
"Where are you going?"
"Why do you care? I won't get in your way. I'll just do what I think is right and you can do what you think is right, that's all." With these words, Rei stepped into the corridor and made his way to the main building again. As he stepped out the elevator in the ground floor of the dorms, he saw Akari and a guy he didn't know sitting together in the lounge. While Rei was still wearing his uniform, the two of them have already changed into their casual clothes, meaning that he couldn't even tell from which class the guy came from. Maybe it was smart to memorize the faces and names of the other classes as well.
They seemed to be engaged into a lively conversation. While Rei was aware of how extroverted Akari was, he was still surprised of how fast she managed to make friends in the other classes. As he stepped past them, he managed to pick up a part of the conversation.
"But really, I can't thank you enough for how much you're helping me with this."
"Don't worry about it, Akari. I don't have many opportunities to use my position for something good anyway. And I'll promise you that if we continue like this, it will only take a a few more months."
It seems like they are talking about something private, so Rei didn't bother to eavesdrop any further, though he did make sure to remember this exchange of words. He swiftly made his way to the main building and started to search for the Director's office. It didn't take long to find three consecutive doors labeled 'Staff Room', 'Student Council Office', and 'Director's Office'. The Student Council and Director Office both had a doorbell attached, so Rei took a deep breath before pressing the one of the Director's Office. Only a few seconds later, the door automatically opened, revealing Director Mazato sitting at a wide desk with multiple monitors.
"Kawakami. Welcome, sit down," the Director pointed at one of the chairs in front of his desk. Rei nodded and took him up on his offer.
"So, what can I help you with?"
"I have a complaint."
"A complaint? After just one day?" Director Mazato laughed.
"I find the system of judging an entire class instead of each individual unfair and flawed. If a talented or promising student is grouped together with people that hold him back, then not only would the student not be able to reach their full potential, but the school would also let go of a worthy soldier."
"I see. Do you think you are one of those talented or promising students?"
"Well... that doesn't matter."
The Director chuckled. The way Director Mazato was talking and acting so casually, despite Rei making a serious appeal, ticked Rei off quite a bit, but he made sure to not show that. Still, how could the Director look down on Rei like that? Sure, he had a high position, but taking criticism of the students should be very important as well. This is why Rei could also never get along with the school staff in the past. They think they know everything, all while leading young students into the wrong direction of life. Despite having such an important job, the teachers never actually gave a shit about what was going on with the students, as long as the image of the school wasn't harmed.
"You are right, Kawakami."
Huh?
"If a talented student would have to work together with incompetent classmates, then yes, it would definitely be much harder for that student to graduate with our current system."
The Director's honesty took Rei off guard.
"Then why did you implement such a system in the first place? You should've been able to anticipate this problem."
"There is no problem."
Again, the conversation took a weird turn.
"Sorry, I don't think I understand..."
"There is no problem, because this academy has no incompetent or lacking students. More specifically, the number of students in Class C that could hold you, Kawakami Rei, back, is either zero or one, depending on how you decide to take things from here on."
"Are you... insinuating that the only person who could hold me back is myself?"
"Yes. We don't just let anyone enter this school."
Rei was getting increasingly frustrated.
"There is no way you can guarantee that! Even if all the students showed great skills in middle school, there are still many ways in which they could hold one back."
"Middle School? Let me ask you, Kawakami. If you were judged solely on your performance in middle school, do you think we would've chosen you to enter this academy?"
Rei thought back to the middle school days. His grades weren't the best and socially speaking, his track record was terrible.
"...No."
"Then, why do you think we accepted you?"
Rei couldn't answer. He didn't know.
"There is more to a person than just their school performance. People have personality traits that simple tests or school reports won't reflect. Based on these, we chose the students."
"But how would you know these personality traits?"
"I just do," the Director smiled.
That wasn't very convincing.
"But even so, those very personality traits could be the cause of a disruptive teamwork. Even if all students were great on their own, that doesn't mean that they'll get along."
"Maybe, but again, this won't be a problem. After all, I didn't assign the classes randomly. Each class is designed to get the best out of every student."
This was ridiculous.
"It's impossible to evaluate each student's personality and then successfully predict the way the relationships would form in each class. That means it's also impossible to guarantee that no student would be sabotaged by their classmates, accidentally or not."
"It is possible. The reason why you call it impossible - why you are so worried - isn't because you think that others might hold you back. Your worries stem from your own inability to get along with others. Because you know that you are the problem."
"...Excuse me? Please don't act like you know me."
"Oh but I do. That's why I was able to make Class C the perfect environment for you and your classmates to reach your highest potential."
What bullshit. Even if Rei tried, there was no way he would get along with all his classmates, and it wasn't his fault either. People are corrupt. They are selfish. Everyone in this academy was only here to achieve their own goals. And the more they would know about Rei, they more they would hate him. So why even try?
"If you really knew everything about me, then you would know that my classmates will not be able to accept me."
Rei had given the people around him so many chances, but they had shown him nothing but hate. It had happened in middle school and even before that. The only exceptions were his grandpa and Shi, but even those might only treat him with kindness because they pitied him.
The doorbell rang.
"If you don't change that mindset, then you won't graduate," the Director spoke, before opening the door, letting President Imato in.
"I have some business to attend to with the Student Council President, so our discussion will have to end here."
Rei slowly stood up without saying a word. He couldn't believe that the Director himself was so stubborn. He was just like the teachers in middle school, who didn't know a single thing about Rei and yet still judged him for his actions.
Rei turned around and walked past President Imato, leaving the office. The door closed, leaving the two of them alone.
"It was unavoidable that someone would complain. You shouldn't have taken the responsibility."
"Is that what you wanted to discuss?" The Director asked, before taking out a heat isolated bottle of tea.
"Why did you lie during the introduction speech? Why did you tell the students it was your own decision to only let one class graduate?" President Imato asked in a rather angry tone, expressing his dissatisfaction.
"What should I have said instead? 'After seeing the failed results of the test runs, the government does not trust this academy to bring forth excellent soldiers, which is why they only want to employ eight people for now, sorry'?"
"At least nobody would've been angry at you then, Director. Also, please stop calling it 'failed results', the goal of the test run was to get a working, trained student council and that's exactly what you got."
"It's better that way. I'd rather have them mistrust me than be angry at the invisible entity called 'government' that they can't even interact with. Also, I wasn't referring to you when I mentioned the 'failed results'."
Twenty people went through the three year training process of the school in order to test if the training would really work. Four of them are currently known as the Student Council of the Kaizen Academy. But even if those four were excellent soldiers, there had been too many 'incidents' in those three years to fully convince the national military that the academy could truly train soldiers on an advanced level, which is why they offered to only take in eight graduates from the academy, in order to test the waters first.
"Anyway, the decision of the national military department wasn't too bad either. I had planned to implement some kind of competition between the classes anyway, just how twenty people fought over being part of the Student Council."
"Competition isn't always a good thing. The conflicts of the students could escalate outside of the training."
The Director laughed again, while pouring some of the bottled tea into a cup.
"Of course they will. That's the point. Just growing physically won't be enough to graduate."
Yes, this Academy wasn't that simple. The Director sipped his tea. The bittersweet, hot liquid rushed through his body and warmed his chest. No, that wasn't the tea. I was his own, beating heart. It was excitement.
Rei trotted down the hallway. He felt like every step took ages. How the hell was he supposed to go on? Only one day had passed, yet it drained all his optimism away. The system demanded teamwork, and yet he couldn't get along with his classmates - and definitely not put his full trust into them. With the chances of graduation seeming slim, his entire future felt like a nothing but a huge gamble. A gamble against his odds. Was this all just a waste of time?
He entered the elevator. As the doors closed, a foot was being jammed between them, stopping the elevator.
"That was close!" Akari smiled as she walked up next to Rei. The girls had their rooms on the south side of the building, but they could still reach them through the elevator in the north.
"Man, what a day!" Akari talked to herself with a big grin.
"Still though, I feel kinda scammed that you boys got the north side."
"...Why's that?" Rei couldn't hold himself back from asking, even though he wasn't in the mood for chit-chat.
"Well... the view in the north side is better. You know... because this hill is on the border."
Ah. Rei had completely forgotten. This hill and the neighboring city lied pretty much on the border to the Yogore district. Meaning that while Rei had a great view on the developed Raibo city, all that Akari would see at the end of the hill were worn down, dirty houses. A view Rei couldn't forget...
...
He clenched his fists. What the hell was he even doing, already getting discouraged on the first day!? He came here for a reason! Had he become that big of a coward that he would give up at any sight of trouble? To hell with it! Even if his classmates were incompetent. Even if the system was unfair. Hell, even if the entire student body was determined to make him fall. He wouldn't. He had come here to finally reach his dreams, not to make a half-hearted attempt at it.
The moment he would throw away his dreams, he might as well do the same with his life.
Suddenly, a bell rang, and the elevator came to a halt.
"Goodnight, see you tomorrow, Rei!" Akari smiled, joyfully skipping to the south. Rei could hear her hum a tune as she left him to himself.
"...Night," Rei said quietly, too quietly for Akari to hear him, before making his way to his room - to the beautiful north.