4 1 - Alleviate
A few days after the entrance ceremony....
Waking up I looked at my surroundings and realized where I was.
'Oh yeah...I'm not there anymore...'
Looking at the clock, I read 4:31 AM. The time I had always been forced to wake up, during the first days there, I was always tired and yawning. But even that wasn't acceptable to them, nothing was. Only perfection.
Getting up, I immediately went to the closet and pulled out my PE uniform, which the school provided of course.
Putting it on, I exited my dorm and made my way to the stairs instead of the elevator. I began to jog up and down the stairs for 20 minutes, and eventually made my way outside. Nobody was in sight. I simply jogged my way around the campus to see all the buildings, entrances, alleys, and emergency exits.
Apparently one of the buildings had no cameras in certain areas, the special annex building. Perhaps an ideal place to consider for future events.
I began to jog my back to the dorms, quickly entering, running back up the stairs and back to my floor. Walking back into my dorm, I immediately went to shower.
A few days had passed since the entrance ceremony, in between that time we've gotten to know the rest of our teachers for the year.
Hoshinomiya Chie was the teacher for Math, Tomonari Mashima the teacher for English, Kazuma Sakagami the teacher for Science and, our homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae for History.
The teachers themselves were straightforward in the topics they taught, they had to be of course. Chabashira and Sakagami were stricter and no one was really willing to ask them any questions unless they needed to use the restroom. But in reality, I could tell that those "bathroom breaks" were being used as time for my classmates to use their phones.
I had suggested that, and I guess my classmates took me seriously because I meant it as a joke and now here we are. As long as they don't frequently keep on asking to use the bathroom, then it won't seem too suspicious.
Nevertheless, there were also those who don't pay attention in class, such as Sudou who had once slept in class, and many other instances where he took a short nap.
Sometimes my other classmates would arrive late to class in addition to other times they wouldn't stop talking. I'll let them suffer the consequences if they don't stop.
Ultimately there were only so many times I could warn them before it became too repetitive. The foolishness I've seen before my eyes is astronomical.
Regardless at least Hirata and Kikyou can keep their inner circles in check since I always speak to them about the issues.
Moving on from that, it's good that Hoshinomiya and Mashima are helpful and understanding to those who are a bit behind on their respective topics, the only issue is Hoshinomiya's addiction to alcohol since the class could easily smell it on her and her hangovers were as clear as day. But they were overall more pleasant, somewhat, to learn from.
I finished my breakfast and saw that it was still too early to go to class. Instead, I got out my phone and began scrolling through the school's board. Some posts talked about future events, clubs, and simple stuff such as opinions and discussions. Overall the stuff was tame, probably because it was being monitored by the school.
I turned off my phone and instead got out my laptop. I began to randomly search the web, looking for nothing in particular. Of course, nothing did interest me.
So being disappointed with my attempts to alleviate my boredom I began to read. I read for the entire time.
'At this rate, I might just drop out of boredom. Nothing's really happened. The only reason I'm not always bored is because of the books that I have, but I only have the one in my hands to finish, before I've finished all of them.'
While I could easily finish books in mere hours, faster than any other person, I purposefully read slowly in order to get the most out of every book that I could.
'I need more books, I guess I'll head to the library during lunch.'
Sighing, I looked at the clock and saw that it was still pretty early to enter class, but I had nothing else to do.
Collecting my things, I exited my room and made my way to the elevator. Walking inside, I eventually reached the lobby and left the dormitory.
I made my to the school's entrance and only saw a few other people. Mostly adults who worked early shifts on the campus. I reached my class in mere minutes and walked inside.
Naturally, no one was inside.
I walked to my desk and took a seat. Staring out the window, I felt a sense of déjà vu come over me.
'Wonder if you'll reconsider your offer and simply drop a notebook.'
Of course, nothing came out of the sky.
'Yeah, I should've expected that.'
I pulled out my book and began reading once more. Eventually, somehow, time actually passed and someone entered the room.
"Oh, I didn't realize someone else was already here."
Looking onward from my book, I could see Hirata.
He began making his way over to his seat and dropped his bag.
"Good morning Yagami-kun, looking forward to another day?" Hirata said with the same smile he always had.
"Well I wouldn't say I was looking forward to it, but ready? Sure, although the only thing that really worries me is just how many of us don't give our full attention during classes." I responded to Hirata.
Hirata looked down for a moment and spoke.
"Ah, I do apologize for that, I'll do my best to remind our classmates about that," Hirata reassured me.
"I know you're trying your best Hirata, I'm sure you already have your hands full with the girls you always hang out with." I thanked Hirata for his efforts.
"I know some of our classmates may be more difficult to speak with, but they're understanding once you get to know them," Hirata said.
"I'm not so sure about that one Hirata when I spoke to Karuizawa about using her phone in class, she looked like she wanted to rip my head off." I jokingly said.
"Well Karuizawa-san may not be as willing to change her mind about what she wants to do, but I'm sure if it would affect the class then she would understand," Hirata spoke.
"Well if the words come from your mouth, then she'll definitely understand. Aren't you, her boyfriend?" I asked, hearing from my classmates about the relationship.
"Yes, and don't worry, Karuizawa-san means well, and she'll definitely understand." Hirata continued to reassure me.
'Why do you only call her by her last name? You would think they say one another's first name.'
I was confused since Hirata only talked about Karuizawa as if though she was simply a friend.
While normally relationships between my classmates didn't concern me, I really had nothing else to ask about.
"Hey, Hirata could I ask you a question?" I asked, hoping my question would be answered.
"Sure" Hirata responded with a smile.
"Why do you only call-" I was cut off as someone else entered the class.
"Oh, hello!" Kushida walked in, happily greeting us.
Hirata and I both greeted Kushida and afterward, more and more of our classmates arrived.
Gradually over thirty students were seated as the last few came right before the bell rang.
Right on schedule, our teacher, Chabashira entered right after the bell.
"Take your seats class, and open your notebooks. We'll continue from where we left off yesterday."
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It was past 12 o'clock, and I could see a few of my peers in class who aren't paying all that much attention.
"And as Prime Minister of Japan during the 1940s, Hideki Tojo along with many of the high ranking officers had attempted to stage a coup d'état to take control of Japan and wage a war against China however with the aid of Japan's allies and the military officials who opposed going to war, Emperor Hirohito would stay as Emperor and now as an absolute monarch. The tradition of Japan's Emperors simply being figureheads would be broken."
'Hideki Tojo, a complete monster. He was responsible for many of Japan's atrocities in my world during the second world war, however, it seems as if though here he was even more full of himself which, funny enough, got him killed a lot faster. In my world he would ultimately be found guilty of war crimes, waging war of aggression, the inhuman treatment of prisoners of war, and a lot more.'
"And so, a new coalition would eventually be formed in Asia between the countries of Japan, China, Mongolia and much later, the soon-to-be independent, Korea and French Indochina or what we now know as Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Its first decisive action would be friendly relations with the countries in Europe and the Americas."
'That coalition does not exist in my own world, those same countries are more hostile than they were friendly with one another, particularly Japan and China.'
The bell rang as Chabashira concluded the subject we were learning.
"We will move on to learning more about World War two tomorrow, but for now we have concluded our lesson."
Finally, lunch had arrived. Quickly, groups were being formed, and before anyone could invite me, I immediately exited the classroom to make my way to the library.
I used my phone's map of the school to see where the library was located.
As I walked through the hallways I could see the students of other classes begin to exit their classrooms.
I was quickly swallowed into the large crowd that began to take up the space of the hallway as my ears could only hear snippets of many conversations.
"Hey do you think-"
"Oh is that-"
"What do you think-"
"Did you watch-"
"We should-"
Lots and lots of people talking, in this scene, I was just another face in the crowd.
I eventually had made my way out of the mob of students who were making their way to the cafeteria.
Now I could only see a few students who were walking the same way I was, perhaps to their lockers or their clubs.
There were also some students simply using their phones and leaning up against the wall.
Before I knew it, I found myself in front of the library's doors and I quickly entered. From the entrance, I could see just how incredible the library was.
It was grand and very pleasing to look at.
'It's all clean, the government certainly went all out with it. It might just be better than even the library of the US Congress. Of course, I've never been to it, but I have heard about it and seen a few images.'
As I began walking around, I cast my gaze down at my phone and began looking around the area. There was an additional map that laid down where everything was in the library and which section was which.
It even included what books were available and which would be available at what time.
I quickly made my way to the fiction section and was pleasantly surprised to find a book that I had read in my past life.
'George Orwell's 1984, a dystopian novel that deals with totalitarian governments in countries known as Ingsoc, Eurasia, and Eastasia. However, the book is only about Ingsoc and how it brainwashes its citizens with propaganda and something called "doublethink" in which something contradictory will be said, but you will still believe it regardless. Such as Ingsoc being at war with Eurasia and being allied with Eastasia only for the party to then say the opposite, Ingsoc was always allied with Eurasia and was always at war with Eastasia. Truly terrifying to live in such a world.'
Looking around more I made my way to the nonfiction section and picked up a few books from the series Missing 411. True stories that detail how people went missing with strange circumstances.
'Perhaps I could solve a case, who knows?'
Walking around more, I saw a girl with long, silver hair attempting to reach a book.
Taking a quick look at the map and seeing the book's name, I realized that the book didn't belong in this section.
Looking around I spotted a stool, but for some reason, the girl seemed reluctant to use it.
'I could just leave this situation but then again, I am trying to create an image for myself.'
I decided to help her get the book.
Walking over to her, I put the books I had in my left arm and reached out with my right.
I could see the girl's shocked expression for a moment and then her realization of what I was doing.
"Why is this book here?" I questioned as I reached out my hand.
I theorized that someone may have misplaced it or was simply too lazy to properly put it where it belonged.
I handed over the book to the girl.
"Oh, thank you." She shyly said.
"No need to thank me, besides you must have a pretty good eye to catch a book that is misplaced here." I complimented.
While there was a map of the library, its size was still massive and unless you're specifically seeking out books that are misplaced, you aren't going to spot one all of a sudden.
"Thank you, I was just trying to put the book where it belongs." She said.
"Do you like books by this author, Bronte?" Continuing a friendly conversation, I asked.
I could see the title, 'Wuthering Heights'.
"I've read some of her books and enjoyed them." The girl had a smile on her face.
"Well I've only read a few of her books myself, and-oh sorry I just realized, I didn't catch your name." Smoothly, I asked for her name with a smile on my face.
"Haha, my name is Shiina Hiyori from Class C, and you?" Shiina giggled softly.
"My name is Yagami Light from Class D." I calmly said.
"It's nice to meet you Yagami-kun." Shiina held out her hand.
I shook her hand as I realized I may have just made a new friend.
"I was actually looking for a few books to read, do you have any recommendations?" I questioned honestly since I was looking for new books to read.
Shiina appeared to be thinking for a moment and I could see her face light up as she let out an audible "ah!".
"I would recommend books by Raymond Chandler, but his books seem to be popular with the upperclassmen, so you'd be lucky to find a book by him," Shiina said.
"I've read two books by Raymond and I enjoyed them, I'm more interested in the horror and mystery genre." I motioned over to the books I held in my left arm.
"Oh, you've read Missing 411?" Shiina questioned curiously.
"Of course, it fascinates me when unexplained things happen even if they may be horrifying," I said.
'Before, I didn't even think much about the paranormal but after seeing Ryuk I did wonder more about what else may exist. I do wonder how this world would react if they knew Shinigami were real.'
"Well, if you want books then I could lend you some, only if you'd like that of course!" With a red face, Shiina quickly finished her sentence.
Shiina appeared to be a bit embarrassed, she may not have had many friends since she was being extremely cautious to not offend me.
"If it wouldn't be a problem, could you lend me some of those books?" I said, accepting Shiina's offer.
"Really?! Of course, it wouldn't be a problem at all!" Shiina couldn't believe it for some reason, but she did seem happy.
Shiina proceeded to hand me 5 different books from her bag, I was a bit surprised by the number of numbers she had.
"Oh, jeez, I didn't realize you had a whole library in your bag, haha," I said jokingly.
"Ah, I apologize, I got too carried away. Was it too much?" Shiina said a bit worried.
"No, don't apologize, on the contrary, I couldn't be more thankful," I replied honestly, now having something to look forward to.
Turning my phone back on, I could see the time. A quarter of our break was almost finished.
"Well while I would like to spend my time reading these books, I simply can't read on an empty stomach."
"Ah, I see." Shiina looked down as she thought I was going away.
"Well, I could also use a bit of company," I said while putting the books in my bag.
Shiina's expression immediately changed, and she looked back up at me.
"Oh umm, if it doesn't trouble you at all," Shiina said.
"Not at all, let me just check out these books, and we'll make our way to the cafeteria," I said.
I checked out the books I grabbed earlier and made my way with Hiyori to the cafeteria.
"Do you head to the cafeteria much?" I asked since Shiina didn't seem like the type to head into more public settings due to her shy nature.
"No, I just never had someone else to go with me, so this is actually the first time I'm going to the cafeteria," Shiina said with a small smile on her face.
"Well while this may be your first time there, it certainly won't be your last. I can accompany you from now on." I said, being friendly with Shiina.
"Thank you Yagami-kun." Shiina replied.
With that, we eventually entered the cafeteria, got our food, and spoke a bit more.
Since Shiina didn't know what to pick from the menu, she selected the same thing I had.
"Have you ever tried Miso soup?" I asked.
"I don't think so, I may have eaten it during my childhood, but I can't really remember," Hiyori replied.
"Ah, I see, well it's a good item to eat, and it's healthy, so it's a good selection," I said with a smile.
"I'll keep that in mind, hey Yagami-kun, are there any clubs you would like to go to?" Shiina asked.
"Well I can't really say there is a club that really interests me, but perhaps I may take a glance at the debate club."
"Mmm, I can see you debating Yagami-kun, you seem like someone to be able to speak to crowds," Shiina added.
"Well, I would say that I have a gift for allowing my thoughts to be heard despite if they may be unpopular, I can additionally work under pressure," I said.
"Ah, I see, well perhaps you've considered joining the student council then?" Shiina asked.
"Haha, I've considered applying, but I'm not sure if I'll be accepted." I laughed, knowing that I was going to eventually involve myself with the student council.
"I think you would be Yagami-kun, but even if you aren't, you won't know until you try." Shiina continued to attempt to motivate me.
"Well after listening to you Shiina, I may just go through with applying. Thank you." I thanked Shiina with a smile.
"Of course Yagami-kun, we're friends after all-ah we are friends right...?" Shiina seemed to speak out her thoughts freely as she wasn't sure if we were friends.
"We are Shiina, you can consider me a friend," I said with a smile.
"Thank you," Shiina replied, flustered.
I may as well have been Shiina's first friend here, so this may be a new experience for her. I would gladly support her any way I could.
'A connection to Class C? I may be able to learn their future movements and when the time comes, Shiina may take an important role in leading Class C.'
"Well, I think we've spoken quite a lot and at this rate, we may not actually get to eat." I joked a bit.
"Ah sorry, let's eat then!" Shiina exclaimed, now happy that she made a new friend.
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Currently, I was in my last period, PE, we were making our way to the swimming pool.
"Yagami, what are you doing standing around? Get over here and join us!" Sudou yelled at me.
"Alright," I said nonchalantly.
I made my over to the trio of the three idiots which consisted of Sudou, Ike, and Yamauchi.
Yamauchi and Ike were considered perverts and idiots, thanks to their introductions while Sudou was known for being violent and hot-headed thanks to his introduction.
"Man, I can't wait!" Ike shouted.
"Me neither man, who do you think has the biggest?" Yamauchi asked a stupid question.
"Hmm, we'll see but hey 10,000 points it's the pink-haired girls'! Wait what was her name again?" Ike added his nonsensical opinion.
"I think Saiko....? Shu-Sa, ah! I can't even remember." Thus, Yamauchi's brain ceased to function like usual.
"Are you also looking forward to the same thing as those two Sudou?" I asked him since he was the only one who was quiet.
"Hmm...I mean, I'm not as interested in that type of stuff, I mean yeah sure it would be good to have a girlfriend, but I'm not going as far as to say it aloud as those two." Sudou said, pointing to the more-idiotic duo.
'At least you can use your brain, maybe not when it matters but still.'
"Let's get ahead before we get paired with those two," I said while shaking my head.
"Sure" Sudou offered no opposition.
Entering the locker room, we quickly got into our swimming uniforms and exited.
We were the first ones in the pool, so we had to wait for the females and the teacher.
"Man, where are the girls?"
'Changing you fool.'
"They're still getting changed, you'll have to wait a while before they come out," I said calmly.
"I want to see some boobs!" Ike exclaimed not caring if the females even heard him.
'And that's where I exit.'
Putting some distance between Ike and Yamauchi, I made sure to not be near them as to not get paired up with them.
I simply sat at the edge of the pool.
The girls eventually came from their locker room and immediately got the attention of Ike and Yamauchi.
Both of them proceeded to voice all of their thoughts which immediately made them get disgusted looks by all the females.
'What even is this? Is this who I'm meant to lead? I would be better off having Misa and Ryuk.'
"Yagami-kun, would you like to join us?" Hirata invited me over to their group.
"Haha, I've got nothing better to do," I said, appearing friendly.
Walking toward the group I could see a majority of the class had decided to stick together, but I could also see that there were those of us who opted to not join in the 'fun'.
The group had decided to play volleyball in the pool for 15 rounds.
"Serve!" A yell came from one of my classmates as the ball was thrown to the other side.
Quickly responding, I could see Hirata's team immediately position themselves. The ball was hit by Kushida and was quickly making its way over to us.
'I should make my abilities known here, I can gain more favor to the perfect persona I have.'
I immediately readied myself when my competitive mind began to overtake me.
Hitting it, I scored as the ball hit the water. I could see that my other classmates were also looking forward to this game.
With this in mind, I decided that no matter what I wasn't going to lose the game.
"Sato take position behind the right of us!" I ordered Sato, remembering her name.
"Eh?! G-Got it!" Sato exclaimed, surprised to hear her name but understanding what I had said.
"Sinohara and Matsushita take a position to the back-left of us!" I said to my other two teammates.
"Yup!" "Understood!" Both of my teammates responded quickly.
"Mori, aid Sato and cover our flank!" I called over to Mori, as her surprised face quickly wore off, she gave a nod in recognition of what I had said.
"Onodera, stay where you are and be ready," I said over to one of the more athletic females in the class.
"Don't have to tell me twice!" She said with a determined look.
I could see the surprised faces on the enemy team, but they quickly realized that they also needed to strategize unless they wanted to be outmatched.
As Hirata began to also give orders, I did the same.
"The rest of you spread out and get ready to move if need be! We'll stay in position from now on." I said to my classmates as the game continued.
After a few minutes, the score was 0-2, we held the advantage for the beginning.
"Serve!" A shout came from the enemy team.
The ball quickly made its way behind us. Sato hit it back into the air but was unable to make it all the way to the other side, so Onodera struck the ball with all her force.
We scored another point quickly as the odds seemed to be in our favor.
Minutes passed as the game continued, and before we knew it we had been in the pool for a whole fifteen minutes. While it doesn't seem like much, from our own point of view, it was more like fifty.
The score was now a whopping 5-9.
"Serve!" Onodera said as she hit the ball into the air.
Hirata responded with a hit back over to our side.
"I got it!" Okitani said since he was already in the middle of our side.
The ball went back into the air and was hit by Kushida quickly, Matsushita narrowly missed it as she hesitated for a moment but ultimately hit the ball to my position.
I hit the ball backward and scored when Mei-Yu Wang, or as some of our classmates call her 'Mii-chan', failed to hit the ball back to our side.
"5-10! We win!" Sinohara said loudly.
Our team cheered as the game had finally ended.
"Good game guys!" I said over to the other side.
"Well, it was fun. You guys did incredible!" Hirata said.
"Credit goes to Onodera, the ace of our team." I motioned over to Onodera as I credited her.
"W-wait it wasn't anything, really! All of us did great!" She said, stumbling on her words as she heard my praise.
"Certainly, but you do deserve praise for your performance. I didn't know you were really athletic." I said, lying as I had already observed many of our classmates.
"Well it's because of the practice I had in middle school, but still without reliable allies even I would have trouble," Onodera said humbly with a smile.
While the overwhelming score would usually aggravate any team who had suffered a loss, my classmates had done their best to still motivate one another.
Even though we were playing a competitive sport, there was still unity since we were all from the same class.
'Even Class D, the lowest class doesn't start unnecessary arguments. We have good people like Hirata here.'
As the class conversed among themselves, a teacher had come to begin the next phase.
While the first 20 minutes were free time, the next 20 will be used for an actual competition for us and the last 10 were also free time.
But for now, the real competition has points on the line for the winners.
"There will be a swimming competition for those of you who want a chance to earn points." The teacher said to us.
The first competition was meant for the girls. 8 of them lined up to see who was the better swimmer and because of that, the girls decided to compete in a simple race. I could see Horikita, Kushida, Onodera, Matsushita, Sato, and a few others take their position.
"Wish me luck guys!" Kushida said loudly to all the boys.
Immediately, like two peas in a pod, Ike and Yamauchi howled out their lungs.
"Go Kushida-chan!!" The first fool said.
"You're amazing Kushida-chan!!" The second moron followed.
Various other cries could be heard by some other girls who weren't participating and other boys who sat on the benches.
"Hehe~" Kushida lightly giggled.
Unlike Kushida, Onodera and Horikitawere completely focused on the water.
'It would be a good time to measure all the female's athletic abilities who participate. I didn't get to see Horikita's athleticism earlier and here, from the female's side, there may be those with athletic builds besides Onodera who I can rely on.'
I had already seen Onodera playing volleyball and her reaction speed was excellent, but now I could actually observe my classmates and their performances in swimming.
While there would be those who may not be good at swimming but something else, it's useful to know who is good at PE and who isn't.
"Everybody ready? Good, the rules are simple, when I blow the whistle you go forward and back. Bring the ring with you once you reach the other end of the pool. In the end, all of you will be compensated depending on your position. " The teacher said as he held the whistle in his hand.
The 8 girls who were participating all readied their positions.
"On your marks, get set-"
-Everyone held their silence as the teacher blew the whistle and the race was on.
Quickly, Onodera gained the lead with Horikita quickly following behind. Kushida actually held her own and held a decent position.
Unfortunately, there were those like Sato who weren't as good at swimming so they took the last positions in the race.
'Why is Matsushita in 5th? It looks like she can overtake Kushida based on her form, but it looks like she's uncertain about something.'
Just like before when she hesitated, Matsushita again seemed to hold herself back.
'Could it be nerves? While it may be because there's an audience, there may be another reason why she isn't at her best.'
While I focused on Matsushita, Onodera had already reached the end and began swimming her way back to the start.
In mere seconds, Onodera was the first to reach the start and happily smiled as she got out.
Soon, another student reached the end, and then Horikita finally finished.
The class collectively cheered for many of our classmates, particularly Onodera
The class collectively cheered for many of our classmates, particularly Onodera and Kushida since they had more friends, unlike Horikta who was anti-social and simply walked away.
'While Horikita's attitude is unpleasant, she does better both academically and in athleticism than some of my other classmates. She can be useful later on.'
After the girl's competition, the boys were up next. Of course, we just had to select a harder version for the competition.
"The rules are simple then, similarly to the other competition, you will race to the other end and grab the ring. Once you have it, you return and the last two students who reach the end will be eliminated. We will continue until we have only 2 competitors left." We would have more rounds this time around and instead, both our speed and stamina would determine where we would place.
The first competition for the boys began, 9 of us had decided to be involved but steadily, the numbers narrowed and decreased as the more athletic students were the only ones left competing.
"Damn, only a few of us left huh?" Sudou said, looking at the few of us remaining.
"Well, there's only me, you, Miyake, Koenji, and Hondou." I said, remembering all of their names.
"May the best man win then!" Sudou shouted, readying himself.
I nodded as I heard a burst of obnoxious laughter, I sighed to myself.
"Hahaha, the best man you say? I am absolutely perfect, my phenomenal self is absolutely amazing, incredible at anything involving my body!" Koenji loudly exclaimed.
Most of my classmates just looked annoyed at Koenji's behavior, from the females to males, and it probably didn't help that Koenji was wearing speedos unlike everyone else.
"On your marks, get set..." The teacher trailed off as he stopped talking and immediately blew the whistle.
Diving forward, I swam with ease while observing my classmates.
'While it seems like Sudou and Koenji are handling the last rounds well, I can see Miyake behind us, but he's struggling as most of his stamina has already been spent. Hondou's in a worse situation, he's more athletic than many of the others, however, he's exhausted himself.'
Quickly grabbing the ring on the other side, I boosted myself off of the edge of the pool and swam rapidly back to the beginning.
'I'm swimming with complete ease, really a benefit from living through that hell. Before, I was athletic, but I could only push myself so far until I would collapse but now...'
I reached the end and the whistle was blown before I knew it. The last three remaining students were Sudou, Koenji, and of course, me.
"One of you will be eliminated, and the last two will compete for the ultimate prize. Get ready." The teacher stated as Hondou and Miyake made their way to the benches.
The whistle blew, and we began to swim once more.
Going faster, I could see the determination in Sudou's face and Koenji's natural smile.
Even though both had trouble with communication, they did show excellence in sports and athleticism.
'It makes me wonder what Class D is really about. Despite Sudou's terrible communication skills, he did talk to me better ever since I paid for his stuff, it would make more sense to place him in Class C.-
I grabbed the ring and began making my way back.
-Then there are those like Kushida and Hirata who are good at most everything from communication to sports to academics.'
They understood what to do in class and how to do it, their social skills are great, and they've managed to befriend most of the class.
'Why are they even in Class D? It doesn't make sense from the school's standpoint, at a minimum they should be placed in Class B.'
Swimming faster, I finally made it back towards the start.
The whistle blew, and I saw that the two of us were all at the beginning already. Sudou had just made his way back, and I could already tell what his reaction was going to be.
"That was incredible, but the last two competitors are Yagami and Koenji." The teacher said and immediately Sudou got furious.
"Shit! Damn it!" Sudou stomped off, mad that he didn't win.
I didn't concern myself with his actions as long as it didn't involve me.
Getting ready once more, I saw that my classmates were cheering for me. Since I was against Koenji, literally everyone present was on my side. But I did notice that three females were sitting on the sidelines with their uniforms on.
'The blue-haired girl, Hasabe Haruka. The pink-haired girl with glasses is Saruka Airi. Lastly, is Karuizawa Kei who is well known among the class. I understand the first two since they're not as social but what about Karuizawa?'
"It's down to the last two, the winner will receive 15,000 points. You know the rules, reach the end, grab the ring and come back. On the sound of the whistle, you will go." The teacher said as the cheers grew louder.
The whistle blew, and I immediately dove at the speed of light, I hadn't even given myself time to see if Koenji had done the same.
'Despite his attitude, Koenji has shown that he isn't just all talk, but he can actually prove a challenge if he wanted to. However, he hardly does anything because he doesn't want to, it's people like him that I hate. Someone who has the capabilities to do something but doesn't, they're just as pathetic as the greedy.'
I reached the other side and once again grabbed the ring, and boosted myself as I swam faster and faster, eventually reaching the beginning once more.
Getting my head up, I could see Koenji also waiting at the finish. There was a moment of silence in the room.
"So...uh, who won?" Ike asked, voicing what everyone was wondering.
"Wait a minute..." One of my other classmates voiced their thoughts as my class began to look at the other end of the pool.
Clearly visible was a red ring, the ring left on Koenji's side.
"Yagami wins! You'll find your reward delivered to you very soon." The teacher said as I just sighed at my victory that I didn't even like.
"I am absolutely beautiful," Koenji said as he simply got out of the pool and walked away.
The class simply began to cheer for me simply because it still felt like a win against Koenji.
'So he didn't even care about the prize then?'
I let the ring go as I got out of the pool and spent the last few minutes with the rest of my class once more.
I sat at the edge of the pool since I didn't feel like swimming ever since Koenji simply allowed me to win.
"You're athletic, your speed is impeccable, and your body is not of someone who casually exercises." A certain raven-haired girl had approached me.
"What do you want Horikita?" I asked, now facing the stoic-faced girl.
"An explanation, do you play sports at all?" She questioned.
"Tennis" I blatantly said.
"Even so, a sport like tennis wouldn't be enough to get a body like yours," Horikita questioned further.
"Perhaps, I guess I'm just blessed with good genes then. But other than myself, you did a good job in the competition. 3rd place is certainly not bad." I deflected the topic of myself onto Horikita instead.
Before Horikita could respond, Kushida had decided to appear out of nowhere.
"Oh, Horikita-san! I saw your performance in the competition, and it was incredible!" Kushida excitedly said.
"It wasn't really much, I'm neither a good nor bad swimmer, so the position was to be expected," Horikita said.
"Ah, I see, well I used to be a bad swimmer back in middle school, but then I practiced really, really hard and eventually became good at it," Kushida said.
Noticing my presence, Kushida spoke to me as well.
"Hello Yagami-kun! The competition was incredible! Congratulations!" Kushida excitedly expressed herself.
"Thank you Kushida, but it doesn't really feel like a victory since the competition practically gave me the win." I honestly replied.
"Well, your performance was still amazing! Do you do lots of sports Yagami-kun?" Kushida questioned.
"I just like to mainly exercise, I did play tennis in middle school, but I'm not really looking forward to playing it here." I lied naturally and yet told the truth.
"I see, so that's why your stamina is really great!" She said.
"Yes, it's something that I've worked on ever since I was younger. What about you Kushida?" I asked.
"Ah well, I was never really into sports, so I just focused more on academics." Kushida scratched her cheek, as she giggled a bit.
The bell rang signifying the end of the class and so, we began making our way to the locker rooms, ending the day for us.
--------------------------------------------------------
A month after the entrance ceremony...
Just like any other day, I was the first one in class. I was looking forward to the reaction from my classmates, the reaction to our current circumstances.
It was a month after the entrance ceremony and I had not received 100,000 points instead I only received 17,000.
'I was completely right, of course, I was, I'm looking forward to their stupid faces when they realize the obvious.'
Slowly, but gradually, my classmates entered class, one after another.
My classmates began talking about the points they received.
"Hey, how many points did you receive?"
"I don't know, I forgot how many I had last month."
"You don't need to do the math to realize we didn't get 100,000 points."
"Wait a minute...that means.."
"Yagami was right."
I felt the stares of my classmates since I had been the one to warn them, constantly, to be wary of spending their points.
I stared out the window and saw a dark sky.
'It's going to rain soon, guess today just isn't meant to be good.'
With the last of my classmates finally coming into class, the bell rang suddenly and Chabashira immediately appeared.
"Good morning class, I can see that you have tension all over your faces. Is there something you want to ask?"
"Yeah, sensei, we didn't receive 100,000 points." Yamauchi stupidly still thought he was going to receive the full amount of points.
"I can assure you, everyone has received their points. Including this class, in fact, I've made sure this class was not overlooked." Chabashira said out loud.
"But, we haven't received 100,000...." Yamauchi's voice quieted.
Among the quiet class, a lone laugh began, and it immediately resonated throughout the class.
"The answer is obvious, pretty boy over there had already said it." Koenji said, gesturing over to me.
Of course, Yamauchi tried to refute back.
Standing up, Yamauchi slammed his hands on his desk, "What do you mean?! We were meant to receive 100,000-" but he was shut down by Koenji.
"Fu, pretty boy constantly reminded you, but I shall say it again for those who lack intelligence," Koenji said with a smile.
"You-" Yamauchi tried to yell back but was silenced.
"There was never an instance in which we were told we would receive 100,000 a month." Koenji crossed his legs as he continued. "Simply, our points would be distributed within each month. Reflect on your behavior last month and realize why you've been given the amount that you have."
Instead of shutting up, Yamauchi had to persist. I could see his anger as he opened his mouth.
'I could choose to put him in his place in front of the class, but what that be seen as too "mean"? A good leader should always have the strength to say the hard things, this will only cement the foundation that I am building.'
"Behavior?! But what does that have to do with-"
"It has everything to do with our current circumstances." Standing up I spoke, over Yamauchi's voice, with a firm tone. "We are students, it's as simple as that. This is a prestigious school, and we needed to act like it was. The first test was seeing what we would do during our first month here, would we spend all our points without knowing all the facts or would we wait for them to come to light?" I could see my classmate's shocked faces as they all realized I was right.
"75 cameras, that's how many there are in this room." I couldn't believe that their shocked faces could get any more surprised.
"How did you-" Yamauchi spoke with a weak voice and resolve.
"Sensei, you were going to confirm it wasn't you? Can you tell us in your own words, the truth about this school?" I looked over to Chabashira who also had a surprised look that turned into a smirk.
"You really are pathetic, aren't you?" Chabashira laughed to herself as fear came among the class.
"Yagami was right, without him saying anything this class would've completely failed on its first month here. All of your activities, all of your decisions will lead up to a result, a result which you were always in control over. Did you really not think to question your circumstances? Even after being directly told to save your points and remember that this school was your way to ensure the future you want." Chabashira sadistically said this to the class of overwhelmed students who didn't know how to respond.
"In the end, the school measures its students and judges them based on their actions. Thankfully some of you decided to act upon being given a warning and because of that, you haven't been punished as severely as you should've been. You have someone to thank afterward." Chabashira motioned over to me as I was sure I was going to be the center of attention for a while.
"Sensei?" Hirata raised his hand.
Chabashira looked over to him and acknowledged his question.
"Will there be another chance to earn some points, I mean is there a system to it all?" Hirata asked as the class nodded.
"Yes, there is, of course, a system that I will explain now," Chabashira said as she grabbed a marker and began writing down letters and numbers on the board.
Displayed on the board, we could see the numbers associated with the classes.
Class A - 940 CP
Class B - 650 CP
Class C - 490 CP
Class D - 170 CP
"This is the S system, the system in which points will be allotted. Here you can see the points for each year. 1 class point is equivalent to that of 100 private points which will be distributed to you individually. As you can see, you are dead last, naturally, since you are Class D. It comes as no surprise really." Chabashira continued her berating.
My classmates angrily stared while also being stricken with grief.
"Sensei," I said while raising my hand.
"Yes?" Chabashira asked as she looked at me with curiosity, no doubt due to my actions and conclusions.
"The criteria from which the school judges us, it should be from how we behave as students, you did say 'The school measures its students and judges them based on their actions.' So we can conclude that if we stop using our phones in class, arrive on time, and stop taking naps, we can at least stop our points from decreasing drastically." I said, calling out certain people in the class as they lowered their heads.
"How interesting..." Chabashira said with a smile.
"I may be over-extending myself here, but I'm guessing that we can earn points based on our scores on quizzes and exams. Can you confirm?" I asked, completely letting my conclusions go.
"Haha, I can indeed. The upcoming midterms will give you the chance to earn as many as 100 points." Chabashira said.
"100 measly points?" Ike asked in a hushed tone.
"Guess it's better than nothing right?" Yamauchi again involved himself in the conversation.
"However..." Chabashira trailed off as she grabbed two rolled papers.
"These are the scores from the most recent quiz and as you can see they are complete garbage." From the board, we could many of us who had below 50 points in at least one subject.
Although, while they had terrible scores, there was one light that shined, hope to the class.
My name in every subject with pure 100's.
"Though perhaps, there may be one of you who is exceptional," Chabashira said as my classmates looked at me and back at the board.
'The future does seem bright, even in all this despair.'
"But, from here on out, anyone who gets a failing mark on any midterms or finals will immediately be expelled." Chabashira dropped another bombshell on us.
"Expelled...?" Kushida asked, in a frail manner.
"Your actions have consequences, and it is best to learn from your mistakes before it is too late. If somehow this class does earn more points, and by a miracle, earn more than even Class C then you would be promoted to C, and they would be demoted to D. Make your next choices wisely. If there any other questions, then feel free to ask, otherwise, we will continue with our lesson for today." Chabashira said, looking around the class.
'My question would be, why become Class C if there is no benefit other than the bragging rights, but I know something more is being hidden. However, I would rather not ask in front of the class since I feel as if though that should not be spoken about openly.'
"It seems there are no more questions, well then let's begin," Chabashira said as she grabbed the posters and began preparing for class.
I was sure that the class itself wasn't going to be too much trouble but rather what came afterward. It was time to take charge and bigger my sphere of influence.
