Hachiman POV
The buses departing from the station were empty. Well, it's only natural that we've just arrived and are preparing to accept passengers.
I sit in the fourth seat from the back and read. When I open the window, the gentle spring breeze tickles my face and it feels so good. I might just fall asleep like this.
After reading for a while, people started to come in and the seats started to fill up. When I looked, there were office workers, high school girls in sailor suits, and mothers with children, all sitting there looking at me. But the uniform I'm wearing is famous, so it can't be helped.
I ignored their gaze and resumed reading...but after a while, I felt a tap on my shoulder, so I looked up.
"Um...can I sit here?"
In front of him was a girl with silver hair and a fluffy appearance. Besides, she wears the same uniform as me. When I looked around, I saw that most of the seats were occupied, and there were only two vacant seats, including mine... Ah, they're now occupied.
"(...I guess I can't help it.) Please."
"Thank you. Ah, I'm Hiyori Shiina. We're in the same uniform, so maybe we're in the same class, I'd appreciate it if you could tell me your name?"
"...Hikigaya Hachiman."
Sighing inwardly, I agreed, and after thanking me, she sat down next to me.
At that time, I smelled a nice smell, so I turned my attention to the book and just gave my name.
However, the girl sitting next to me, Shiina, looks at me and the book in my hands with interest, and approaches me.
"A study in scarlet? Hikigaya-san, do you like Conan Doyle?"
I reflexively nod at the question.
"I like this too."
While saying this, she pulls out the 'Four Signatures'. However, unlike the Japanese translated version I have, it was an English book. This girl is a real force.
"Right now, there aren't many people my age who read books, so I'm happy to have someone like me.''
She smiles at me with her eyes sparkling, but there is no hint of contempt in her eyes. Is she a normal girl?
"Well, I'm sure no one was reading in middle school."
There were so many people who played manga and games, and very few people, myself included, read books.
Well, I didn't read books at school after a certain incident in junior high school caused people to hate me so much that my belongings were destroyed.
While thinking this, the bus slowly begins to move. In the meantime, the girl next to me was talking to me about Conan Doyle's books, so I responded, feeling overwhelmed.
To be honest, I'm really nervous, but for some reason I feel like I can't resist her gentle demeanor, and I'm able to reply somehow because her eyes don't have any of the scorn that I received so often in middle school.
"...It seems like you really like books, but are you going to this school so that you can become a librarian after you graduate?"
"Yes, that's one of the ideas, but since I took the trouble to enroll in Advanced Training High School, I would like to think about other options too."
Well, I guess so. The school that Shiina and I will enroll in is an advanced training high school. It is one of the most prestigious schools in the country that will almost certainly meet your desired educational and employment goals.
It is said that if you can enroll there, your future will be secure, so it is only natural that you will want to think about various things.
But for me, I don't think it's that important. What I place importance on is that once you enroll, you cannot contact anyone outside the school, and you cannot go out of the school unless something goes wrong.
When I was in middle school, I was forced to join a club, so my days were a mess from the middle of my second year of middle school until I graduated.
My club mates apologize and apologize every day and then get insulted, hits me at every turn, the guys in my class call me names, my younger sister tells my two club mates to apologize, and my parents...
They took my sister's words at face value and got angry and tried to kick me out of the house.
Well, at that time, I told her that I would complain to the child guidance center or the police, and somehow I was saved.
After that, I applied to a high school for advanced education, and my parents were happy. I also wanted to get away from my parents, so it's a win-win situation.
Therefore, for the next three years, I will have a peaceful time. My dream is to stay out of trouble for three years, study hard, get a job at a good company, marry a woman who can support me, and become a stay-at-home husband.
"Hikigaya-san, do you have any future aspirations?"
"Ah, it hasn't been decided yet, so I applied here to have a backup system in place."
With that in mind, I answered the question asked by Shiina, who was sitting next to me, in a typical manner. To be honest, she's a girl, or rather, I want to avoid talking to other people, but Shiina is really cute.
When she enters school, she will be popular.
If you behave in such a sinful manner towards Shiina, there is a possibility that other people will glare at you. As someone like me who seeks a peaceful life, I would like to avoid that.
Therefore, from now on, I plan to live my life with the motto,
'I have nothing to say, but if I talk to others, I will not ignore them, but will treat them with courtesy, and I will not intervene in troublesome matters unless it causes harm to me.'
As I looked out the bus window, I saw a limousine coming towards me from the front and a dog coming out onto the road. That? That limousine and dog...
and...
Dog!
"S-Sable!"
As the bus crosses next to the limousine, a crash and a familiar voice are heard.
The bus kept running without stopping, either because it didn't want to be bothered or because there was a car behind it.
"I'm sorry..."
Shiina looks a little sad and whispers. The other passengers on the bus had similar reactions, but I...
(No, ...isn't she remorseful about what happened when she entered junior high school? She should check her lead every now and then.)
Even the dog was shocked at Yuigahama's lack of learning ability.
Actually, other than when I entered junior high school, he was also off the leash at a shopping mall, and this was the third time to be honest.
I feel bad for Sable that such an idiot is the owner.
I felt sorry for Sable in my heart as I rode the bus, praying that I would have a peaceful life at the school I was about to attend.
Despite the unfortunate accident, the bus continued at the specified speed and finally arrived at its destination stop.
Shiina, who was sitting next to me, stood up, so I followed her and got off the bus. There are other students from Advanced Training High School following us.
When we got off the bus, a gate made of interconnected natural stones awaited us. The gate is quite impressive and will take your breath away.
It was the same for the other students, and their movement was unstable, showing their anxiety. Well, for the next three years, I will be living without contact with the outside world.
It's just that I'm not normal, and the other people's attitude is normal.
"Hikigaya-san, would you like to come with me halfway?'' Then Shiina started talking to me.
I, on the other hand, decided to accept the invitation. It would be unnatural to refuse here.
"Oh, I don't mind."
"Thank you. Let's go."
Shiina says that and goes through the gate, so I also started walking with her.
Now, I've been promised peace for three years.
I move forward with joy in my heart. After a while, many students gathered. The class classifications are probably posted there.
"I'm...C. What about Hikigaya-san?"
"I'm D."
"I see. It's a shame that I'm different from Hikigaya-san, who also loves books."
Shiina says so. Well, I can't deny that it was quite fun when we talked on the bus.
But that's it. It's true that it was fun, but I'm not going to say, 'Let's go to the library together'' or "Even if we're in different classes, we're still friends.''
Interaction with others is minimal and sufficient.
"Well, we can't do this all the time, there's a lot of people here. So, we should get to the classroom early."
So I decided to give a common answer and run away. However, the content makes sense, so Shiina nods slightly.
"Let's go then."
Shiina said as she entered the school building, so I followed her. After a while, she sees 1-D's classroom. That looks like the classroom I attend.
"See you"
"See you again, if you have a chance."
After a final exchange of greetings, I entered the classroom. When I looked inside, I saw that it was mostly full of students, most of them looking at school materials, and some of them making small talk.
While looking at the students, I sat down at the seat with my name plate. The location was a strange seat in the middle of the hallway. Well, I'm not that particular about it.
As I sat down and started reading 'A Study in Scarlet', the chime to start school echoed in the classroom, and almost at the same time, a woman wearing a suit appeared.
She wasn't wearing a school uniform, and judging from her appearance, she was probably the teacher.
Within seconds of her making her way to her desk, students who had stood from her seats scurried back to their seats.
"New students, I am Sae Chabashira, who will be in charge of this D class. My subject is Japanese history. At this school, we do not change classes for three years until graduation. You will spend three years with me. Nice to meet you.
The entrance ceremony will be held in an hour from now, but before that, I would like to explain the special rules of our school. First, I would like to distribute this material, so students in the front should pass it on to the students in the back. " While saying this, Chabashira-sensei hands the students in the front row some familiar materials.
That's the one that was sent along with the acceptance letter.
I'm sure the content is true...This high school has different rules from high schools all over the country, students must sleep in dormitories provided by the school while enrolled, and there are no special exceptions during enrollment. Contact with the outside world is prohibited except for.
Of course I know. In fact, that's why I took the entrance exam for this school.
However, in order to keep the students from feeling dissatisfied, this school has entertainment facilities such as karaoke, a theater room, a cafe, and a boutique, as well as facilities such as a convenience store and a supermarket.
And then there is the most alien thing. Introducing the S system.
"Student ID cards that will be handed out now. Points are allocated to this card, and by consuming the points, you can use the facilities on the premises and purchase the products that are sold.In short, it is a credit card exclusively for the school. Just think of it like that. You can buy anything that's on school grounds."
It's really easy to understand. However, if students were given credit cards, even if they are only for the school, wouldn't some of them go bankrupt?
"It's easy to use points, so you won't have to worry about it. Points will be transferred to you on the first day of every month. Furthermore, each point is worth 1 yen, and as a new student, you should have received 100,000 points. I don't think there is, but if it's not enough, please let me know.''
The students were agitated by Chabashira-sensei's words. Well, if she's right, we've earned a whopping 100,000 yen at this point. "Is this surprising? First of all, let me tell you that at our school, we measure students based on their ability. Those of you who have passed the highly competitive entrance exam are worth that much. You can think about it. However, after graduation, the school will collect all the points. Please note that no matter how many points you have left, you cannot convert them into cash. You are free to use the points however you like. Use them as you like. Even if... If you don't need to use it, you can give it to a friend. But don't play with it, okay? Schools are sensitive to bullying," Chabashira-sensei concludes, and leaves the noisy classroom as if he's done what he was supposed to do.
At the same time, the students begin to get excited.
"Hey, hey, why don't we go shopping together later? Let's go look at clothes!"
"Yeah! Nowadays, you can buy anything. I'm glad you enrolled in the school~"
"Me too!"
"There's also a shopping mall, so let's go buy some games after school!"
"Okay! No, 100,000 yen a month is too great!"
I can hear conversations like that, but to me it's extremely suspicious. It is said that there is something behind every good story.
Above all, when I was in junior high school, I didn't experience good stories, but rather crappy stories. You probably won't be able to get 100,000 points every month.
I sigh and stand up. To be honest, I don't have anything to do even if I stay here, and since I have time until the entrance ceremony, I should go around the school facilities.
In fact, if I had stayed in the classroom, there was a possibility that the self-introductions that are common among new students would begin.
While thinking about this, I was about to head towards the door at the back of the classroom.
"Everyone, can you please listen to me?'' I heard a rather loud voice from the front of the classroom, and I couldn't help but look over to see a very nice young man with a refreshing smile on his face.
"We will be spending three years together from today. Therefore, I would like to spontaneously introduce ourselves and become friends as soon as possible. If I believe Mr. Chabashira's words, I have one hour left before the entrance ceremony. Yes. What do you think?"
That's what he says.
At the same time, irritation arose inside me. Not to the person in front of me.
It reminded me of a guy from my middle school days who had similar ideas to him and whose motto was "Everyone get along.''
That guy, Hayama Hayato, on the outside, was refreshingly professing to get along with everyone, but he was basically the best in his own group.
He wiped the ass of his group many times. In fact, if Hayama's group hadn't had any problems, they would have lived peacefully and would have come to this school.
I don't know what's going on inside the nice young man in front of me, but I honestly don't want to get involved because of Hayama's actions, so I sneak out of the classroom without anyone finding out.
Since I wasn't called out at that time, I don't think they would have found out. Or maybe they decided that there was no need to talk to people like me.
"Now, do you want to go to the library?"
This school is a high school built under the initiative of the government, and all of its facilities are of the highest quality.
Naturally, the same goes for the library on the premises, which, according to the pamphlet, apparently holds tens of millions of books.
I changed my mind and headed to the library with a map in hand.
However, five minutes later, the museum was closed due to the entrance ceremony, and I felt disappointed.
Immediately after that, Shiina came to the library and had a disappointed look on her face when she learned that it was closed, but since she was going to the library early in the entrance ceremony, I thought she was also a bookworm.