Her lips were extremely soft, but I was internally confused. Why was this girl kissing me, and how did it turn out this way? I pushed her off me, my impassive face showing no emotions. "What are you doing?"
Horishia Ayume giggled strangely. I still couldn't tell what she was doing. "I'm kissing you."
I looked at her with blatant confusion. "Why?"
She merely sighed, her face turning into a frown. "You're really cold, you know that? Normally people get flustered, but you just seem confused."
I was about to speak, but she cut me off. "I think you're interesting. We should start dating."
I realized it then, the irrationality of this strange girl. She was just too unpredictable. People by nature were predictable creatures, but there were always a select few that had qualms about acting wildly. "No. I'm busy, leave."
Interacting with those types of people was always a challenge. She frowned at me, moving closer in what I believed to be a seductive manner. "Are you sure~? We could have...some...fun~"
She began to reach up, pulling her shirt down and I grabbed her hand. "Stop, there's no need. I'll see you in class. Goodbye." I forcefully led her to the door and pushed her out, closing it behind her.
I lay down on my bed, pulling my phone out and scrolling through a few emails. None of them were important.
There was a silent buzz. It was an email from the school.
[To All Seishun High Students:
The first preliminary exam will occur in two days. Questions will vary greatly and decide your academic future. We encourage you all to do your best. Those who are not present will receive a zero. New class rosters will be drawn up based on these exam scores. ]
I closed the email, my mind wandering. I guess It's starting, the real version of Seishun High. Exams were hard, and the individual exams were a test of wit and cold calculation. Despite being called "individual" they weren't. Well, some of them weren't. They were tests of raw intelligence and cunning. I wondered how far people would go, and how far I'd be willing to go during these. Regardless, I closed my phone and began reading.
.....
I woke up at exactly 6:30 AM and headed out for my workout. There were no variables awaiting me this time, just the brisk chilly air.
Overall, the run was relaxing. A nice refreshing taste of exercise. I came to a stop, taking a drink of my electrolyte solution. I realized I had barely broken a sweat and decided tomorrow I would up the pace a bit.
I blanked as I realized that in two days the real Seishun High experience would begin. My father had kind of trained me for this school, but it still felt strange to be here. School life felt unnatural to me. I thought about quitting but decided against it. Besides, there might be some entertainment to be found.
I made my way back to the dorm. I was thankful it was all singular rooms. It made my life much easier. I showered, made my morning salad, and took my nutrition supplements. Luckily, the school provided them for vegetarian students. It was surprisingly thoughtful.
I arrived at the classroom roughly 25 minutes before class. As usual, it was empty, or so I thought. The unhinged woman, Horishia Ayume, was sitting at my desk.
Rather than interact with her mind games, I just sat at her desk. The one right next to mine. I liked my window seat, but I'd manage regardless.
She leaned in. "Aww~ You're no fun, Mi-zu-ne." She whispered in my ear, clearly invading my personal space. I tried my best to ignore her increasingly bold antics.
She slid over and forcibly sat on my lap. "Go out with me." Her voice was serious. I groaned in annoyance.
"No. Get off." My voice came out chillier than usual, but she just smiled at me.
Her voice came out smooth. "I'll stop being so pushy if you say yes~."
I thought about it for a moment. Her offer sounded somewhat tempting. Horishia wasn't unattractive, but she wasn't exactly my type. I sighed. "Just get off me, Horishia. I'm not going to date you."
"Why not?" She sounded genuinely curious, maybe a bit expectant.
"I don't date. I never have." It was some of the truth. Having someone get close to me is dangerous. If my secret was revealed, my life would be over.
She sighed and stood up suddenly, climbing off of me. "You're no fun. You didn't even react to my provocation." She pouted.
I sighed, taking out my book and beginning to read. After class, I would travel to the library and get a new one.
Horishia didn't bother me, and pretty much completely ignored me when the rest of the class began to show up. She was off socializing, but I remained reading.
It was 30 minutes after the start time, and the teacher had yet to show up. I figured this would be an announcement of some kind. Around the 45 minute mark, the Teacher entered and hurriedly wrote on the whiteboard.
Seishun High, New Class rankings.
Class A: 401-510 (-Points Per Week: 8000-)
Class B: 311-400 (-Points Per Week: 6000-)
Class C: 201-310 (-Points Per Week: 5000-)
Class D: 71-200 (-Points Per Week: 4000-)
Class F: 1-70 (-Points Per Week: 1000-)
The teacher seemed more authoritative now. Perhaps they were getting excited about the real Seishun High "Everyone, ensure you pay attention. This explanation will become increasingly important."
I closed my book and watched attentively. This was something I would actually need to know, although I had a pretty basic understanding already.
The teacher continued. "This is how each Class will be set up, starting next Monday. The score you get on the exams tomorrow will determine what class you are placed in. Getting a 0 on a test does not mean you immediately fail. However, if you get a 0 overall score, you will be immediately expelled. There will be seven different tests tomorrow, and the testing period will be 50 minutes for each one." She paused as if waiting for questions.
Students raised their hands, but she didn't call on them. She merely continued her explanation. "Each test will not be worth the same amount of points. Your test scores will be added together to create your overall score." She turned and began writing on the board as she spoke. "Math and English will be worth 100 Points. Chemistry, Biology, and Genetics will be worth 70. The final two are History and Geography. They will be worth 50 points."
[Math: 100
English: 100
Chemistry: 70
Biology: 70
Genetics: 70
History: 50
Geography: 50.]
She wrote it on the board and I looked at it. My thoughts were calculated. 'I guess the faculty is betting on the majority being between 150 and 300. Class F is so low though, I wonder if it's a fodder class.'
My queries were answered immediately by the teacher.
"Class F students will have to compete for the right to be in the class. Each week, they will take a randomized test. The person with the lowest score will get expelled until there are 10 remaining students. Moving up and down classes is common. If there are ever more than 10 students in class F, the elimination process will restart."
Everyone around me sucked in an air of cold breath. I gazed around the room, looking at everyone's reactions. They were obviously worried, but getting that low on this set of exams would have to be intentional. At least, that's what I thought.
The teacher then asked if there were any questions, and everyone was strangely silent. I raised my hand, intending to weasel some information. She called on me, and I responded in my usual cold uncaring tone. "Can you explain the points per class?"
The teacher nodded, expecting someone to ask that. Although, she seemed slightly surprised that it was me who asked. "Points Per Week are the allocated points each Class will receive. The points are distributed unevenly between all members of a class. The amount per student is decided by the faculty in a ranking system. Rest assured, each student will receive no less than 10 points. "
She said nothing more on that topic, but I could deduce it was likely based on test scores or the individual exams that would be explained later. Nothing was said about the individual exams, but they were the real test of prowess.
The teacher concluded class after answering a few more asinine questions. There wouldn't be any class on Friday, and the real school experience would start next Monday.