Vol.1 Chp.1: Two Different Students

' ': Writing

It's a bit sudden, but I would listen seriously to the question I'm about to ask and think about the answer carefully.

Question: Are people equal or not?

With calls for fair treatment of both genders, more opportunities for women, accessible transportation, and equal treatment for those with disabilities. Children are being taught about the importance of equality for all.

Is that true?

Men and women have different roles if they have different abilities. People with disabilities are still disabled, no matter what term they call disabled people. None of this has meaning if no one pays attention to it.

In other words, the answer is no.

People are unequal beings; there are no truly "equal" people.

There is a quote from a wise man who said God created all people equal. However, it is essential to note that being equal does not mean being identical. Have you heard the whole passage? It continues to say that while all people are born equal, there are still differences in jobs and social status, which raises the question of why these differences exist.

That was written in the second half of the passage. Is it a difference because one struggled with academics or didn't try hard enough?

Anyhow, people are beings that are capable of thinking. I don't think it's correct to say that people should live only using instincts because things aren't fair.

In other words, equality is full of lies and falsehoods, but inequality is also unacceptable. I was trying to find a new answer to the eternal problem facing human beings.

Hey you, the one who's holding this book and reading it.

Have you ever thought about the future?

Have you ever imagined what it means to go to high school or college?

Have you never felt that it was vague that one day, you would somehow find employment and get a job?

I felt that way.

I noticed nothing when I finished compulsory education and entered high school.

I only felt joy in being released from my "duty."

I didn't notice that, at that moment, my life and future were being progressively impacted.

I didn't even understand what it meant to be studying Japanese and mathematics at school.

3rd POV

Ayanokouji was taking the bus to school, which shook every time it passed over a bumpy road area. Most of the passengers were wearing school uniforms like Ayanokouji.

The young man was utterly lost in his thought when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see a young man staring at him.

His hair was a bit messy, and he looked tired. He opened his bag, took out a notebook, and wrote something down.

'Can I sit here?' It said.

Ayanokouji nods, allowing the young man to sit beside him.

'I thought my tranquility and peace would be interrupted, but it looks like he was looking for a seat,' Ayanokouji thought.

Ayanokouji thought about closing his eyes, but his peace was interrupted.

"I see that someone noticed my magnificent self; greetings, Handsome-kun."

Ayanokouji thought they were talking to him, but they were talking to the young man beside him.

It was a blonde-haired man exuding confidence and seemed muscular. He caught his neighbor's stare and flashed him a dashing smile.

The young man sat there with confusion on his face. He points at himself, getting a soft laugh from the man.

"Yes, I'm talking about you. You're not on my level of handsome," he responded.

Ayanokouji's POV

Handsome? His locks are disheveled, and his appearance is messy. Maybe he's trying to have a peaceful life like me, and I can respect that.

"Don't you think you should give up your seat?"

It looks like I won't have any peace on this bus ride.

The young, well-built, blonde-haired man was sitting in the priority seat. An office lady approached him with an elderly lady.

"You there, can't you see the old woman having trouble?"

Yes, we can all see this because you're causing a scene in a quiet bus gaining everyone's attention.

"That's a crazy question, lady."

He might have been angry, ignorant, or brutally honest, but he just smiled and recrossed his legs, "Why should I give this seat to an old woman? There's no reason for me to give it up."

"Isn't it natural to hand over the priority seat to the elderly?"

"I don't understand. Priority seats are just priority seats, and I have no legal obligation to move. Whether or not I move should be decided by me, who sits in this seat. Will you give up your seat because I am a young man? Hahaha, that's a stupid way of thinking."

"I am a healthy young man. Certainly, I don't feel that standing up would inconvenience me. However, standing up will consume more physical strength than sitting down, and I don't want to do such a useless thing. Or maybe, are you telling me to be more lively and energetic?"

It looked like the blonde-haired man had complete control of the conversation. I glanced at others; some were slightly troubled, while others didn't care.

But a girl sitting next to me and my neighbor had a completely different. Among the other expressions, she had an utterly expressionless look, while the guy looked composed.

Our eyes met momentarily when I stared at her unintentionally because of her strangeness. I could tell that we shared the same thoughts. Neither of us considered giving up our seats for the older woman.

The guy beside me got up from his seat and tapped the elderly lady on her shoulder, and he gestured over to her that he was giving up his heart.

"Thank you!" The office lady did a slight bow.

"Thank you, child. Aren't you kind young man?" The elderly lady said, smiling before slowly approaching and sitting beside me.

The atmosphere slowly went back to normal. I appreciated there was some peace on the bus.

Advanced Nurturing High School

The bus soon arrived at the destination and stopped at the school. ANHS was a government-affiliated school with a 100% employment rate. It is said that students who graduated here become elites.

"So, this is my new school, huh?" I murmured to myself. The Japanese government created a school, my first step of courage; I was instantly stopped as someone tried to talk to me.

The girl stopped me. I sat across from her on the bus, "You were looking at me a while ago. Why?" she said with a firm look.

"I apologize for being curious, but may I ask if you considered offering your seat to the elderly woman?"

"I did, but I didn't want to give up my seat. What's wrong with that?"

"I had the same thought. I wasn't planning on giving up my seat, either. I prefer to avoid trouble and not worry about such things."

"Stay out of trouble? Could you not compare me to you? I didn't give up my seat because I did not feel any sense in giving up the seat to an old woman."

"Isn't that worse than just staying out of trouble?"

"I don't know, and I'm just acting on my beliefs. It's different from people who avoid staying out of trouble like you, and I don't want to spend time with people like you."

"Why did you give up your spot?" She asked.

I thought she was asking me again, but I didn't notice my neighbor standing beside me. How did I not sense him? Is he a ninja of some kind?

The young man didn't say anything and stared at her. It caused the girl to glare at him, "Answer me!" She snapped.

The girl looked at him with confusion when he reached into his bag, pulled out his notebook, and wrote something down.

'Because I wanted to.' It said.

She nodded but stared at him confusedly, "Are you mute?" She asked curiously.

I've been wondering that too. I'm glad that she asked that question.

He nods his head.

"Oh," that's all she said before walking away.

This could give me an excellent chance to introduce myself to someone, "I am Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. Nice to meet you."

He turned to a page in his notebook and showed me what it said, 'Kagurazaka Norugumi.'

I nod my head.

Kagurazaka's POV

The entrance ceremony was what I expected, and it was boring. Following the end of the ceremony, students headed to their respective classrooms and began to talk amongst each other happily.

Social interactions...

I was not good at them. Being mute made it even more challenging for me, and I was surprised that someone even talked to me.

I can do this.

I stepped inside the classroom, seeing the room half full of students. I noticed the names on the desk and quickly searched for mine.

"The equipment in this classroom appears to be in order! The classroom looks just like the rumors say!" I recognized that voice.

Koenji proudly walked forward and began searching for his desk. His smile widened when he found his desk and who was behind me.

"It looks like I've been blessed with powerful luck. Hello again, Silent-kun," Koenji said.

The bell rang, and I heard the classroom door open. I saw a beautiful woman with her tied-in ponytail walking into the classroom.

Ayanokouji's POV

"Greetings, I am Chabashira Sae, the homeroom teacher for Class D. My expertise lies in Japanese history, but I will be your homeroom teacher for the next three years at this school. My goal is to build a positive relationship with you, and I will provide written materials and the admission guide to help you better understand the school's unique regulations."

The students in the front seats passed the familiar documents to the person behind them.

This is what it said: At this school, there are special rules that make it different from every other high school. All students must live on campus and are forbidden from contacting anyone outside the school. Even getting immediate family is impossible without the permission of the school.

Leaving school grounds is also forbidden. However, there are also many other facilities so that students don't suffer from being restricted. There are karaoke, theater rooms, cafes, and even boutiques-you can say it made up a small town. The vast campus took up more than 600,000 square meters in the middle of the big city.

One more special characteristic of this school though-introducing the S system. It piqued my curiosity a little bit.

"To use a student card, simply swipe it on the machines provided. These machines are user-friendly, so you shouldn't encounter any issues. Your points will be automatically credited on the first day of every month. It's important to note that each user already has 100,000 points on their card, and each point is equivalent to 1 yen. Further explanation is not required."

"Did the number of points you received come as a surprise? This institution assesses the capabilities of its students, so if you pass the entrance exam, you have demonstrated some level of merit and value. The amount of money you receive corresponds to your skills, so feel free to use it without any reservations. However, please remember that after graduation, all points will be nullified."

"It seems pointless to save these points since they cannot be converted into cash. The decision on how to use them is entirely yours. If you have no use for some of your points, feel free to utilize them for things you enjoy or require. Additionally, there is always the option to transfer them to another person. However, it is strictly forbidden to bully others for points. The school takes matters related to bullying very seriously."

"Any questions?" Nobody asked a question, so Chabashira-sensei left the classroom.

"Starting today, we will be in the same class for the next three years. So, it would be great to introduce ourselves and become friends. So, do you agree?"

Wow, he did something unique; most students agreed with what he said.

"My name is Hirata Yousuke. Because I was often called by my first name, Yousuke, in middle school, feel free to use my first name. Although I like all sports, I particularly like soccer and plan to play soccer at this school. Please take care of me."

The young man who proposed that the class introduce themselves smoothly and impeccably did his self-introduction.

His popularity multiplied by two times, no, four times? Look, all the girls near Hirata have hearts in their eyes.

"Hi, I'm Kushida Kikyou. I want to make new friends and exchange contact information. Let's make unforgettable memories together!"

She was giving off the vibe that she could get along with everyone.

"I'm Yamauchi Haruki. In elementary school, I played table tennis at the national level, then was the baseball club's ace in middle school-I had uniform number 4. But since I recently got injured during Inter-High, I am in rehab. Nice to meet ya."

I thought he was a frivolous and loose-mouthed type of person.

"I'm Ike Kanji. The things I like are girls, and the things I hate are ikemen. I'm looking for a girlfriend anytime, so nice to meet you! Of course, you better be cute or beautiful!"

He earned the ire of females because of his introduction.

"Wow, cool~. Ike-kun, you're so smooth."

It was a blatant lie.

"Really? Wow, I thought I wasn't bad, but... hehe."

Ike thought it was true and became a bit embarrassed.

Suddenly all the girls laughed.

"Wow, everyone, he's cute. He's recruiting girlfriends!"

No, you're being teased.

Ike waved his hand cheerfully while being teased. It doesn't seem like he's the wrong person, though.

Then, the boy who fought on the bus. After checking his bangs with a hand mirror, he used a comb to arrange his hair.

"Um, can you introduce yourself?"

"Fu~. Ok." While smiling like a young noble, he showed glimpses of his impudent behavior.

I thought he would stand up, but Koenji kept his feet on the desk and started his self-introduction while sitting like that.

"My name is Koenji Rokusuke. Being the only heir of the Koenji conglomerate, I am a man who will be responsible for Japanese society shortly. Pleased to meet you, ladies."

It was an introduction for the women, not the whole class.

After hearing he was rich, some girls looked at Koenji with glittering eyes, while others looked at him like he was crazy.

That's natural...

"From now on, I will relentlessly punish anything that makes me feel uncomfortable. Be careful in that respect."

"Eh... Koenji-kun. What do you mean by 'anything that makes me uncomfortable?" Hirata asked.

"Exactly as I said. But if I were to give an example, I hate ugly things, and if I saw something ugly, I would do as I said." He combed his hair upwards.

"Oh, thank you. I will make sure to be careful."

Yamauchi, Koenji, and Ike... All the odd students were gathered in this class. During this short time, I could see a glimpse of the various students in my class.

"The next one is..."

As Hirata looked at the next student, the next student shot him a sharp glare.

With bright red hair, the boy looked like a delinquent and spoke in a manner that matched his appearance, "Are you a bunch of idiots? I don't want to introduce myself. Leave me alone."

He glared at Hirata, causing the tension to hang in the air.

"I can't force you to introduce yourself. But I don't think that it's a bad thing to get along with your classmates. If you thought I was being unpleasant, I apologize," Hirata bowed his head.

It looks like the red-haired guy made enemies with the girls because they glared at him.

"Isn't it fine to do a simple self-introduction?"

"Yeah, yeah!"

As expected from the ikemen soccer boy. He seems to have quickly attracted the attention of the girls.

However, starting with red hair, about half of the other boys stirred with jealousy towards Hirata.

"No. I don't want to pretend that we're good friends."

Red hair got up from his seat. At the same time, several other students left the room and probably had no intention of getting to know their classmates. Horikita also started to get up from her seat.

I noticed that Kagurazaka got up from his seat and left the classroom.

The cheerful atmosphere was suddenly shattered. Most girls try to cheer up Hirata since he looks guilty about proposing the idea.

So much for my introduction... Oh well...

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1 more chapter incoming!!!

RATATATATATA