Puzzle Pieces

Ichinose and I arrived at the cafeteria, which was surprisingly empty, probably due to the time. As we explored the place, Ichinose broke the silence.

—Wow, it's bigger than I imagined. It looks like there's a lot of variety in the food —she commented while looking at the menus on the counter.

At that moment, I noticed something curious in a corner: a group of students was standing in line, and above the area where they were standing, there was a sign that said "free." Although it's common for institutions to offer free food services, in this school, where we receive a monthly allowance, it seemed strange that someone would choose that option. Moreover, the food didn't look particularly appetizing.

—Look, Ichinose-san, there's a line for free food —I informed her, hoping she would come to her own conclusions.

—Free food? Maybe it's for those who run out of points by the end of the month —she suggested thoughtfully.

—Certainly. That would confirm that the monthly points aren't fixed. If they were, I doubt students would choose to eat this type of food voluntarily —I added.

—It could be. What if we asked them? —Ichinose proposed with a smile.

—Sure —I nodded as we headed towards the students in line.

—Hello! —Ichinose greeted cheerfully.

—Hello? —responded a student with some doubt.

—Would you mind if we asked you a question? —Ichinose inquired in a gentle tone.

—Go ahead —answered the student.

—Well, um... I'm not sure how to ask without seeming rude... —Ichinose hesitated, showing concern about offending.

I decided to intervene to clarify things.

—What she wants to know is, why are you eating this type of food? Are you in the red? —I asked directly, and the senpai's eyes widened in surprise.

—That's none of your business —he replied with a hint of irritation.

—I see, sorry if I was rude, but could you answer another question? —I tried to soften the situation.

—I won't answer any more —he said, visibly annoyed.

—Okay, I just wanted to know what class you're in —I asked, noticing how his eyes narrowed and quickly glanced at the camera to our right.

The senpai hesitated for a moment before answering.

—Why do you want to know that? —he questioned.

—Just out of curiosity. I don't think it's a big deal to tell me your class, right, senpai? —I replied, trying to keep a neutral tone.

Finally, after a moment of thought, he answered.

—I'm in Class 2D. Now, let me eat, I won't answer any more questions.

—Thank you for your time —Ichinose said, smiling kindly.

—Thanks for answering my question. We'll leave you alone now —I added, and we both walked away from the cafeteria to continue our investigation.

As we walked, the senpai's responses swirled in my mind, giving me more clues about the school's structure and system.

Outside the cafeteria, Ichinose-san addressed me with evident curiosity.

—Osawa-kun, why did you want to know what class he was in? —she asked, looking intrigued.

—I have a little theory about the classes, that's why I asked —I replied calmly.

—What theory? —Ichinose couldn't hide her interest.

—At the entrance ceremony, did you notice the other classes? —I asked.

—Not much. I was busy greeting Shiranami-san, who was next to me, and most of the time I was paying attention to what the principal was saying —she replied. As expected, Ichinose-san was quite polite and attentive.

—I see. To answer your question, let's say that each class seems to have different characteristics, and they are quite different from each other —I explained.

—Really? Well, I suppose it's normal for there to be differences between classes; after all, not everyone is the same —Ichinose responded, reflecting.

—Certainly. But what would you think if I told you that there might be some kind of hierarchy between the classes? —Ichinose-san looked at me with greater interest, raising an eyebrow.

—Hierarchy? —she asked, clearly intrigued.

—Yes. From what I observed, the behavior of the classes varies considerably. Class A seems to be the most outstanding, while Class D seems to be at the opposite end —I said, trying to keep a neutral tone. Ichinose-san appeared surprised.

—But why would there be a hierarchy between the classes? —she asked, trying to understand my point.

—Well, that's what I also want to find out. But for now, how about we check out that store? —I suggested, pointing to a nearby store that seemed to be a convenience store.

—Okay. Are you going to buy something? —she asked, following my gaze.

—No, I just want to see if I find something useful —I replied.

—I see, then let's go —Ichinose-san said with a smile, and together we headed to the store.

When we arrived at the store, I began searching for anything that could give me clues about how the school operated. Sure, it might seem unlikely to find something relevant in a convenience store, but you never know what you might discover. As I continued exploring, finding nothing of particular interest, Ichinose-san drew my attention.

—Osawa-kun, look at this —she said, pointing to a shelf with products that had a sign saying "free."

—So there are free products here too, and they are limited to three items per month —I observed, noting that they were basic necessity items.

—It seems we've found another clue —Ichinose-san said with a smile.

—Certainly. Since they even offer basic necessity products for free, it's likely that many students are in the red.

—That would be the most logical explanation —Ichinose-san agreed—. By the way, do you have any other place in mind to visit?

—Yes, I have one last place in mind for today.

—What would that be? —she asked with curiosity.

—Let's go to the second-year section. Maybe we'll find something more there —I replied. I didn't want to dismiss any possibility.

With that in mind, Ichinose-san and I headed to the second-year section, probably the last place we would visit today.

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After a few minutes of walking, Ichinose-san and I arrived at the second-year section. Upon arrival, I noticed several second-year students watching us with curiosity. It was understandable: it wasn't common for first-year students to venture into the upperclassmen's area, especially on the first day of classes. However, both Ichinose-san and I ignored the stares and continued exploring the halls, looking for any clues that might help us better understand the structure of the school.

As we moved forward, I didn't see anything notably different from the first-year section until something caught my eye: a small whiteboard with numbers written on it. I pointed out the whiteboard to Ichinose-san, and we moved closer to see it better.

In front of the whiteboard, we observed that there were four sets of numbers, each labeled with one of the second-year classes:

Class A: 1089

Class B: 867

Class C: 487

Class D: 178

For a moment, I stood contemplating the numbers, trying to decipher their meaning. And then, something clicked in my mind. Why would they put numbers next to the classes? The most logical answer was that these were the "class points" for each group.

But then more questions arose: how were these points earned? Until now, I had assumed that behaviors and individual rankings might influence this, but were there other ways to earn points, such as through sports events? And what happened if one class surpassed another in points? Could they change classes or simply remain at their current level but with more resources?

Another possibility crossed my mind: these class points might be directly related to the private points we received monthly. If that were true, it would make sense for the school to use these class points as an easier way to assess students, rather than doing it individually.

As these ideas swirled in my mind, I realized that this class point system could be a key piece to understanding the school's hierarchical structure.

While I was dealing with the information, trying to decipher the puzzle before me, a soft voice interrupted us.

—Hello, guys. What brings you here? —said a girl with a friendly smile.

Ichinose, always polite, responded naturally.

—Well, this school seems quite interesting, so we decided to explore a bit —she said, returning the smile.

The girl nodded in understanding.

—True, this school is interesting. But why come to the second-year section? There's not much difference from the first-year section, you know? —she commented, maintaining her smile but with a slight air of curiosity.

—In most aspects, everything is similar, but there's something here that we didn't see in our first-year section, and it's this board. Do you know why it's here, senpai? —I asked, pointing at the board while keeping my gaze fixed on her.

For a moment, her eyebrows lifted, reflecting a surprise she quickly tried to conceal.

—Hmm, I wouldn't know what to tell you. Maybe they'll put something like this in your section later on —she answered somewhat ambiguously, as if trying to avoid delving deeper into the topic. It seemed there were certain things about the school that couldn't be shared with first-year students.

I decided to introduce myself, trying to create a more friendly atmosphere.

—By the way, my name is Kayden Osawa, from Class D —I said with a smile. Ichinose gave me a sidelong glance, tilting her head slightly, probably surprised by the information alteration.

—Class D, huh? I'm Asahina Nazuna, from Class 2A. Nice to meet you —she said, murmuring something before introducing herself, and then turned her attention to Ichinose.

—My name is Ichinose Honami, from Class B. Nice to meet you, Asahina-senpai —Ichinose responded, showing her usual politeness.

—Class B... I see. Since you're from different classes, were you friends before entering this preparatory school? —Asahina asked, trying to quickly change the topic after what seemed like a small slip.

—Well, Ichinose-san and I met on the bus, became friends, and by chance, we ran into each other again, and here we are —I replied, pretending not to notice her small mistake.

—I see. I hope you enjoy this school; it's very interesting and definitely different from others —Asahina-senpai commented, seeming to want to end the conversation. However, I had a question in mind that I couldn't let go, even if it sounded crazy. I had come to a conjecture and didn't want to be left with doubt. As they say, "there are no silly questions, only silly people who don't ask."

—Asahina-senpai, can I ask you a question? —I asked, while my eyes returned to the board.

—Of course, as long as I can answer it —she responded, curious.

—Is the amount of private points you received this month by any chance 108,900? —I asked, carefully measuring her reaction.

Upon hearing the figure, Asahina-senpai froze for a moment. Her eyes widened, and her hand, which had been relaxed, tensed around the handle of her bag. A slight tremor in her lips betrayed her surprise before she recovered, trying to mask her reaction with a forced smile.

As I watched her, I couldn't help but think that her reaction was too revealing to be a mere coincidence. It was clear that she was hiding something, and her clumsy attempt to cover it up only confirmed my suspicions. Although I still didn't have all the answers, this interaction only strengthened my theory: the structure of this school hid secrets, and Asahina-senpai seemed to be a key piece in that puzzle