Instructor A's voice tore through the silence like a bad ringtone you couldn't turn off. She wielded the microphone with the smug confidence of someone who knew they could ruin your day with a single announcement.
"Oh, I've been watching," she began, her voice a twisted mix of saccharine and sinister. "I saw it all—the good deeds, the bad ones. Some of you? Very surprising. Others? Predictable, like reruns of a soap opera no one asked for."
I leaned back, trying to look bored, but her gaze swept the room like a hawk that enjoyed judging its prey.
"Injuries? Sure, there were a few," she continued, her tone dropping to something almost sympathetic—if sympathy had fangs. "Some wounds were inflicted by others. Some were... self-inflicted." Her lips curled in what could only be described as a smirk.
And then, because fate has a warped sense of humor, her eyes landed on me. Directly. No chance to look away. It was like being pinned under a magnifying glass on a sunny day. I tried to appear casual, but I was pretty sure my soul visibly flinched.
"Oh, of course," she sighed, like a villain disappointed in humanity's mediocrity. "The world is full of evil people. Nothing new there."
Ouch. Okay, that felt personal. What was it? The thing with Sakura? Yeah, probably that. Nothing says "upstanding citizen" like using someone as a human shield. Great job, me.
"Anyway," she said with a dismissive wave, "congratulations are in order. No one died. Shocking, really. I wouldn't have bet on it."
She shifted gears so fast I almost got emotional whiplash. "Now, let's move on. Time to introduce something fun—status windows. Don't act too surprised."
Before I could process her words, a floating translucent screen appeared in front of me.
[Notification]
[Karma Gained: -25]
Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Minus 25. Because why not rub it in?
The room buzzed with murmurs, everyone squinting at their screens like it was exam results day.
"What's karma?" someone whispered.
"Why is mine so low?" someone else whined.
"Good question," I muttered, staring at the red numbers glowing accusingly in front of me. Beside me, Rei was calm as ever, like we weren't all collectively spiraling into existential crises.
"This is straight out of a manga," Rei muttered, nodding to himself. Of course, Rei would think this was cool. Rei would thrive in a system that judges people like it's Yelp for morality.
Instructor A clapped her hands, the sound sharp enough to make me flinch. "Let me explain," she purred. "What you're seeing is your interface window. It tracks your karma—points you gain or lose based on your actions. Good deeds earn karma. Bad deeds? Well, you can guess."
Her eyes flicked toward me again, a flicker of disdain crossing her face like I'd just asked if pineapple belongs on pizza.
I could practically feel Rei glancing at me. "How much karma did you get?" he asked casually, like this wasn't the worst day of my life.
"Uh… 25," I lied, because admitting the truth felt like volunteering to be roasted alive.
"Not bad," he said with a faint smile. "I got 20. No one's got more than 30, from what I've heard. Guess you're pretty decent."
Oh, sure. Let's go with that. Definitely not the guy who used someone as a shield. Nope. Not me.
Instructor A clapped her hands again, her grin widening like she was about to drop some terrible twist. "Time for the next step! You'll all be paired with someone… important. Clap, clap—to your dorms!"
The room blurred, and when my vision cleared, I was standing in a tiny dorm. Across from me was the last person I wanted to see.
"Oh, it's you," Baldy said, smirking like he'd just won the lottery. "Guess you'll be following my orders now, huh?"
I wanted to throw something. Anything. The pillow? The lamp? The TV in the corner that, of course, flickered to life with Instructor A's face.
"Surprise!" she chirped, looking way too pleased with herself. "You've been paired with your rival. This is an exercise in teamwork. Strengthen your bond, or perish. Good luck!"
The TV shut off, leaving me alone with Baldy, whose smirk only grew wider.
"Great," I muttered, flopping onto the bed. "Just great. Can't wait to bond."