My life in the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School was great— it was amazing. As someone who wants to live a normal high school life, I am very satisfied with how things have been going for the past three months.
Fortunately, my initial fear of becoming a loner didn't come true. I've made lots of friends and have become close with many of them. I thank my socially adept friends like Hirata and Kushida for helping me connect with the whole class.
I've become fairly close with my one and only neighbor, Horikita. Although she still doesn't talk to anyone other than me, she tries her best to cooperate with others when the situation calls for it. Horikita was always a straightforward girl who didn't sugarcoat her words. However, I advised her to know the difference between being blunt and being harsh.
Sigh... I hope she can start opening up to others soon. I feel bad for our classmates who genuinely wanted to get to know her.
There's also the Ayanokouji Group. We're the kind of friend group that doesn't really observe the usual friend group norms. We hang out if we want, and we leave each other alone if we don't. Well, that's what our group was initially based on as a band of loners. But, the five of us have been really comfortable with each other, and it feels great to belong somewhere.
————————————————————
Having 694 class points, each Class B student enjoyed a round of 69,400 private points for the month of June. At first, we were worried about the decrease in our class points, but it seems like the other classes suffered all the same, albeit to varying degrees.
Right now, it is less than one week before the month of July comes around.
"It's starting to get pretty hot..." I complained, fanning myself with my uniform.
"Certainly, boys have it harder during this season," commented Horikita.
We don't have uniform rotations when seasons change, so boys, with their long, green pants were more vulnerable to heat. Meanwhile, the girls will have it harder during winter because the school prohibits them from wearing leggings under their skirts. And on a related note, both sexes were equally inconvenienced by their top-wears. After all, even in this heat, we were still required to wear our blazers.
"Do you plan to change your hairstyle, Horikita? Once the season comes around, I think a ponytail would help you feel a little cooler," I said.
"I can handle temperatures quite well, but that's certainly an idea," she pondered.
Now that I'm imagining it, I kinda wanna see Horikita in a ponytail...
"What?" she asked with a glare.
Oops, I guess I started staring at her without my awareness.
"Nothing," I replied, averting my gaze.
When the bell rang and class finally ended, Chabashira-sensei called for me.
"Ayanokouji, come to the faculty with me," she said.
I was ready to speculate on what this would be about, but before other theories came to mind, I remembered one person's name from way back.
"Kiyopon, did you do something?" asked Haruka.
I don't know if her worried expression was real or sarcastic, but I answered honestly regardless.
"I'm not sure. But you guys don't have to wait for me," I replied.
"Ken and I have club," said Akito.
"Haha, I guess it'll be just the two of us today, huh, Airi?" Haruka grabbed Airi's arm with a grin.
When our group split up, Chabashira-sensei led me into a hallway that no student would walk through.
"Is it time?" I asked.
"I guess you didn't forget." Chabashira-sensei gave me a side glance. "You're right, it is time. He wanted to meet you as soon as now."
She knocked on the door of the reception room.
"Chairman, I've brought Ayanokouji Kiyotaka-kun."
"Please, enter." I heard a man's voice from the inside.
When Chabashira-sensei escorted me in, a man, who looked like he was in his forties, greeted the two of us with an amicable smile.
"Good afternoon, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka-kun. Forgive me for imposing on your time like this," he said.
"If you'll excuse me, Chairman." Chabashira-sensei bowed gracefully before finally leaving the room.
"Firstly, I would like to introduce myself. I'm Sakayanagi, the chairman of the school board. You must be wondering why I asked for you, right? Please, have a seat."
I sat down and saw that there was a cup of tea waiting for me.
"It's alright, Ayanokouji-kun. While your vigilance is impressive, you don't need to be so guarded in front of me," he said. "Well, that's what I wanted to say, but it should be impossible since it's obvious that I know something about you."
To be honest, I don't really feel like putting my guard up— at least in the physical sense. Chairman Sakayanagi didn't seem hostile towards me.
"You know who I am, right?" I asked a rhetorical question.
"Yes, actually. I've known you for quite a while now," he nodded. "Ayanokouji-sensei has always spoken highly of you."
Ah, so that's how that mechanism was removed.
"I see, so you also know my father."
"That's right. You can say that he's something like a mentor to me. We haven't met ever since I succeeded my father in this position, however," he narrated before sipping his tea.
"Then, I can also assume that you know about the White Room."
"Yes, I do. I've been there before, as well."
He's really taking this slowly. Perhaps I can go straight to the point while matching his pace.
"Chairman Sakayanagi, is it alright if I confirm something?" I asked.
"Oh, sure, go ahead."
"You called me here to talk about my admission, right? After all, you'd know that my father wouldn't be happy about it."
"Hmm... Well, I guess you're a bit off. I certainly knew that Ayanokouji-sensei would be opposed to your enrollment, but that's precisely why I made sure you were admitted if you pass the entrance exam and interview," he explained. "After all, as someone who shares my father's mission and views, we'll give any worthy student our education if they so desire."
Is that really the case...?
"According to my understanding; outsiders, even immediate family, weren't allowed to have any contact with the students until they graduated. I'll be honest and say that that was my number one reason for enrolling here. I wanted a peaceful high school life away from that man and that place," I narrated.
"Of course, I knew that. We've indirectly communicated through your entrance exams, right? You scored 50 points in every subject, indicating that you didn't want to stand out."
"Yes, that was my original goal."
"Ahh, I see... So it changed, after all."
"And that's also the main reason why you called me here, right?"
"Haha... As expected of you, I guess. You're right. I wanted to clear up some things," he said. "Why did you give up on living an obscure life? I even pushed your placement in Class D for that reason."
"As I said, that was my original goal... but I felt like I wouldn't be able to experience this so-called "high school life" to the fullest if I did things halfheartedly."
"Oh, is that right?"
"Yes, I decided to test myself against the real world by using this school as a simulation of sorts."
"Well, I can understand that viewpoint, but isn't the answer clear already? You are someone from the White Room, a specimen capable of feats that any normal person in this world could only dream of accomplishing."
"Please don't sell the students of your school so short, Chairman Sakayanagi. I'm sure there are a few students in this school that could pose a challenge to me."
"Hahaha, it actually terrifies me how you can say such arrogant words without a hint of arrogance," he laughed heartily.
Horikita said the same thing. Well, I guess that's understandable when you're just stating something factual.
"Well, we can probably skip all other layers and get straight to it." The light in Chairman Sakayanagi's eyes changed. "Can you please tell me what your goal is, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka-kun?"
Seeing those eyes, I can only respond in kind.
"All of the things I've said were nothing but truths. I want to test myself and I want to live a satisfying high school life." I gave Chairman Sakayanagi a piercing look. "But other than those, I want to quench my insatiable curiosity. What is friendship? What is love? What is freedom? Even with the amount of things they've taught me in the White Room, there were a lot of fundamental concepts that I couldn't possibly learn in that environment."
Are people equal or not?
I've thought about it in length during that bus ride back in April. Modern progressiveness has been advocating such a thought.
"No, we are not equal." That is my answer to that question. People are inherently different, so they should also take on different roles. Equality does not exist. Because I managed to see the outside world, I could finally confirm that question with my own two eyes.
There are many things in this world that I have yet to understand. My boundless curiosity is just waiting to be sated.
"I see," he sighed. "I'll take that as you saying that you simply wish to learn. Unfortunately, I cannot do anything to overturn your placement at this point, even if you want to transfer into a higher class."
"It's fine, Chairman Sakayanagi."
"Haha, I see. Well, you can consider it a handicap. And you're right behind the promised Class A now, so I guess it didn't really matter. You figured out how to take advantage of the S-System on the first day, after all," he nodded in approval.
Finally, I took a sip of my tea.
"I guess you can go back now, Ayanokouji-kun. Please attend this school to your heart's content."
After I placed my cup down, I faced the chairman once again.
"If it's alright, Chairman Sakayanagi, I would also like some clarifications on a few things."
When he heard my words, I noticed an imperceptible change in the chairman's eyes.