Chapter 2 welcome to the school life of your dreams

"Ayanokouji-kun, do you have a moment.

She came. She was here. It was terrifying. I'd been feigning sleep

during class, pondering society's true purpose while I pretended to nap, when

the devil approached me. Shostakovich's Symphony No. 11 played in my

head, music that captured the sense of people fleeing from pursuing demons

and the desperation that comes at the end of the world. Right then, it was the

perfect accompaniment.

Even though my eyes were closed, I understood. I could feel the devil's

presence as she waited for her slave to awaken. So, as a slave, how exactly

could I get out of this situation?

My computer-like brain instantly executed all the calculations to arrive

at the answer I most needed.

Conclusion: I'd pretend not to hear her. I had dubbed this the "Sleeping

Strategy." If she were a kind girl, then she would say something like, "Aw,

well, there's nothing to be done. I'd feel bad to wake you, so I'll forgive

you. ★" "If you don't get up, I'll kiss you!" would also be okay.

"If you do not awaken within three seconds, I will bestow additional

punishment upon you."

"What do you mean, 'punishment'?" I asked.

In an instant, I'd abandoned my "Sleeping Strategy" and yielded to her

threats of force. Well, at least I offered some resistance by not meeting her

gaze.

"See, you are awake after all, aren't you?" she said.

"I know enough that I'm afraid to make you angry."

"Glad to hear it. Well then, may I have a little of your time

"If I refuse?"

"Well, even though you have no right to veto such a decision, I

suppose I would be exceptionally displeased

She continued with, "And when I am displeased, then I will prove a

A major obstacle to your school life, Ayanokouji-kun. For example, I might set

a great number of thumbtacks on your chair. Or, when you go to the toilet, I

might splash water on you from above. Or stab you with the needle of my

mathematical compass. Those kinds of obstacles, I suppose

"That's nothing but harassment, or rather, bullying! And besides, that

last one sounds strangely familiar, because you've already stabbed me

before!"

I reluctantly sat up at my desk. A girl with beautiful, sharp eyes and

long black hair that framed her face stared down at me. Her name was

Horikita Suzune, a student of the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing

High School, Class D, and my classmate.

"Don't worry. That was only a joke. I wouldn't splash water on you

from above."

"What's more pressing are the thumbtacks and the compass needle!

Look at this! There are still marks from when you stabbed me the last time!

Will you take responsibility if it scars me for life?" I rolled up my right

sleeve and displayed my forearm to Horikita, so she could see the scars she'd

left behind.

"Evidence?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"What about the evidence? Did you decide I'm the culprit without

evidence?"

She was right; there was no evidence. Even though Horikita was the

only one in class close enough to stab me with a needle, I'd be hard-pressed

to call that definitive proof

Well, I needed to confirm something first anyway.

"So, I'm required to help you? I've thought on it again, and, after all, I

-"

"Ayanokouji-kun. Would you prefer to regret while you suffer or regret

while you despair? Which would you like more? Because if you refuse me and force my hand, it will be your responsibility

I was stuck with Horikita's two completely absurd choices. It appeared

she would not accept any delays. Though it was a mistake to make a deal

with this devil, I gave up and obeyed.

"All right, then. What am I supposed to do?" I asked, filled with

trepidation. Her requests no longer surprised me. I certainly didn't like how

this situation had turned out, but... I thought back to when I'd met this girl

two months ago, on the day of the entrance ceremony.

2.1

April. The school entrance ceremony. I rode the bus to school,

bobbing and shaking in my seat. While I looked idly out my window,

watching the city's scenery change, the bus picked up more and more

passengers.

Most of them were young people wearing high school uniforms.

There was also a frustrated salary worker, who looked like the type to

have once mistakenly groped someone aboard a crowded bus. An unsteady

elderly lady stood in front of me, wobbling so badly I thought she was in

danger of falling. Considering I'd known how packed this bus would likely

be, I supposed I was simply reaping what I'd sown by getting on.

I was fortunate to have found a seat, but it was still crowded. I forgot

about the unfortunate elderly woman and patiently waited to arrive at my

destination, my mind clear as a passing stream. The weather was especially

fine today, not a single cloud in the sky. It was so refreshing that I nearly fell

asleep then and there.

However, my gentle respite was promptly obliterated.

"Excuse me, but shouldn't you offer up your seat?"

My eyes, which were about to close, snapped back open. Huh? Could

this person be angry with me? But I realized that it was someone else being

scolded.

A young, well-built blond man of high school age had sat down in one

of the priority seats. The elderly woman stood right next to him, and another

woman stood beside her. This second, younger lady appeared to be an office

worker.

"Hey, you there. Can't you see that this elderly woman is having

trouble?" the office lady said.

She seemed to want the young man to offer up his seat.

Her voice carried quite well throughout the quiet bus, attracting several

people's attention."That's a really crazy question, lady," the boy said.

I wondered whether the boy was angry, unobservant, or just painfully

honest. In any case, he grinned broadly and crossed his legs. "Why should I

offer up my seat? There's no reason for me to do so."

"You're sitting in a priority seat. It's natural to offer up those seats to

the elderly."

"I don't understand. Priority seats are just that: priority seats. I have no

legal obligation to move. Since I'm currently occupying this seat, I should be

the one who determines whether or not I move. Am I supposed to give up my

seat just because I'm young? Ha! That reasoning is nonsense."

He didn't speak like a normal high school student. His hair was dyed

blond, which made him stand out.

"I'm a healthy young person who certainly wouldn't find standing

inconvenient. However, I'd obviously expend more energy by standing than I

would by sitting. I have no intention of doing such a pointless thing. Or are

you suggesting I should act a bit livelier, I wonder?"

"Wh-what kind of attitude is that to take with your superiors?" she

demanded.

"Superiors? Well, it's obvious that both you and the old woman there

been alive longer than I have. There can be no doubt about that. However, the

word 'superior' implies that you're referring to someone of a higher position.

In addition, we have another problem. Even though our ages are different,

wouldn't you agree that you have an impertinent attitude and are being

extremely rude?"

"Wha- You're a high schooler, aren't you?! You should be quiet and

listen to what adults tell you!"

"It's f-fine, whatever..." the elderly woman mumbled.

She apparently didn't want any further commotion and tried to calm

the office lady. But after being insulted by the high school student, the

younger woman still seemed very upset.

"Apparently, this elderly woman is more perceptive than you, which is

nice. Also, I haven't given up on Japanese society yet. Please enjoy your

remaining years." After flashing a pointlessly vigorous smile, the boy slid his earphones

in and began listening to rather cacophonous music. The office lady now

clenched her teeth in frustration. Though she tried needling the boy by

arguing further, his smug, self-important attitude remained fixed.

At any rate, I had to at least partly agree with the boy.

If you ignored the question of a moral imperative, it was true that he

wasn't legally obligated to give up his seat.

"I'm sorry..." Desperately fighting back her tears, the office lady

apologized to the elderly woman.

Well, it was all just a minor incident on the bus. I was relieved that I

hadn't been caught up in the situation. Honestly, I couldn't care less about

giving up my seat for an elderly person.

Clearly, the egotistical boy had won. At least, everyone secretly

thought so.

"Um... I think that the lady is right."

The woman received unexpected support from someone standing

alongside her. The helper, a girl wearing my high school's uniform, gave her

brave and frank opinion to the boy.

"And the new challenger is a pretty girl, eh? It would seem that I'm

rather lucky with the fairer sex," the boy said.

"This poor woman appears to have been suffering for quite some time

now. Won't you offer up your seat? While you might consider such courtesy

unnecessary, I think it would contribute greatly to society."

Crack! The boy snapped his fingers.

"A contribution to society, you say? Well, that is a rather interesting

opinion. It's certainly true that offering up one's seat to the elderly could be

viewed in such a positive light. Unfortunately, I have no interest in

contributing to society. I care only for my own satisfaction. Oh, and one more

thing. You're asking me, the one in the priority seat, to give up his spot, but

couldn't you simply ask one of the other people seated on this crowded bus?

If you truly cared for the elderly, then something like priority seating would

be a rather trivial concern, wouldn't you agree?"

The boy's haughty attitude remained unchanged. Both the office lady and the elderly woman simply wore bitter smiles in response. However, the

girl didn't back down.

"Everyone, please listen to me for just a moment. Won't someone give

up their seat for this woman? It doesn't matter who. Please."How could someone pour so much courage, determination, and

compassion into so few words? That was no simple feat. The girl might have

seemed like a nuisance to those around her, but she appealed to the other

passengers earnestly and without fear.

Though not in a priority seat, I was near the elderly woman. I imagined

if I raised my hand and offered my spot, then the matter would be settled.

However, like everyone else, I didn't move. None of us had thought it

necessary to move. The boy's attitude and remarks aside, everyone on the bus

had, for the most part, agreed with him.

Now, of course, the elderly have undeniable worth to Japan. But we,

the youth, will continue to support Japan into the future. Also, considering

that our society ages more and more every year, you could say that our

youthful value only increases. So, if you were to examine both the elderly

and the young and ask yourself which group is more valuable, the answer

should be obvious. That's really the perfect argument, wouldn't you say?

But still, I wondered what the others would do. As I looked around, I

saw two kinds of people: those who had pretended not to have heard anything

and those who looked hesitant.

However, the girl sitting next to me was different. She alone wasn't

swept up by the confusion. Her face remained expressionless.

While I unintentionally stared at her, our eyes met for an instant. Even

without speaking a word, I could tell that we shared the same opinion.

Neither of us considered it necessary to give up our seat.

"E-excuse me. You can have mine." Shortly after the girl's appeal, a

working woman stood, unable to bear the guilt any longer, and offered up her

seat.

"Thank you very much!" the elderly woman said.

The working woman smiled, lowered her head, and guided the elderly

woman to the now-vacant seat.

The elderly woman expressed her gratitude repeatedly, and slowly sat.

Watching the scene unfold from my peripheral vision, I crossed my arms and

closed my eyes. Soon, we arrived at our destination, and all the high school

students began to disembark.As I got off the bus, I saw a gate formed from natural rock waiting just

ahead. All the young boys and girls dressed in school uniforms were passing

through this gate.

The Japanese government had created the Tokyo Metropolitan

Advanced Nurturing High School with the express purpose of developing

future leaders. This would be my school from now on.

Okay, stop for a moment. Take a deep breath. All right, here we go!

"Wait!"

The instant I tried to take my first courageous step, someone called out

to me. It was the girl who'd sat next to me on the bus.

"You were looking at me. Why?" she asked.

She narrowed her eyes while we spoke.

"Sorry. I guess I was just interested, is all. I mean, you didn't think

about giving up your seat to the old woman, did you?"

"That's right. I didn't consider giving it up. Is there something wrong

with that?"

"Oh, no, not at all. I didn't intend to give up my seat, either. In fact, I

firmly abide by the philosophy of letting sleeping dogs lie. I dislike trouble."

"You dislike trouble? Then I don't think you and I are anything alike. I

didn't give up my seat because I thought it would be pointless. That's all."

"But doesn't that seem worse than just not liking trouble?"

"Perhaps. I'm simply acting according to my own beliefs. That's

different from someone who just dislikes trouble, like you. I don't want to

spend any time around people like you."

"I feel the same way," I muttered.

I had only wanted to share my opinion, but I wasn't too keen on going

back and forth with her like this. We both sighed and proceeded to walk in

the same direction.

2.2

I disliked the entrance ceremony and imagined that many first-year

students probably felt the same. The principal and the students exchanged

excessive words of gratitude, there was far too much time spent standing in

lines, and, with so many irritating things to deal with, it all felt like a huge

pain in the butt. But those weren't my only complaints. The entrance

ceremonies for elementary school, junior high, and high school all mean the

same thing: the start of another major trial for children. In order for students

to enjoy their time at school, they must make friends, and there are only a few

key days after the entrance ceremony to properly do that. Failure to do so

signals the beginning of a rather tragic three years.

As someone who dislikes trouble, I decided I'd like to establish proper

relationships. Unfamiliar with the notion, I'd spent the day before in

preparation, running through different scenarios.

For instance, should I burst into the classroom and actively start talking

to people? Should I secretly pass around a slip of paper with my email

address, so as to better befriend someone? Someone like me needed to

practice, because this environment was so different from what I'd

experienced thus far. I was completely isolated. I had ventured alone into a

battlefield, and it was do or die.

Looking around the classroom, I walked toward the seat that bore my

nameplate. It was at the back of the room, near the window. A good place to

sit, generally. As I looked around, I saw that the room was already halfway

filled with students. The others were either immersed in their class materials

or already talking with other people. Perhaps they'd all been friends

beforehand or had only recently gotten acquainted. Well then, what should I

do? Take action during this free time and try to meet someone? In front of

me, a rather rotund boy sat at his desk, hunching over. Perhaps it was my

imagination, but he appeared lonely.

The boy exuded an aura that seemed to shout, "Please, someone be my

friend!" However, if you just went up to someone and start talking, you might

be bothering them. Should you wait for the right time? But then you might

wait too long and be left friendless. I just had to... No, no, wait, I couldn't be

hasty. If I started a thoughtless conversation with someone I didn't know, I

ran the risk of making a serious social gaffe.

Not good. I was trapped in a downward spiral.

In the end, I couldn't talk to anyone at all. At the rate things were

going, I'd be completely alone. Had I heard someone say, "Is he still all

alone?" Had I heard chuckling? Perhaps it was all in my head. What on earth

are "friends," anyway? Where do friends come from? Do people become

friends after sharing a meal together? Can you become friends with someone

after you walk to the bathroom together for the first time? The more I thought

about it, the more I wondered: What is friendship? Is it something deep and

meaningful? I tried to piece it together.

Trying to make friends is incredibly bothersome. Besides, don't human

relationships tend to form naturally? My thoughts were in utter disarray, as

though a raucously loud festival was being staged inside my head. While I sat

lost in a haze, the classroom quickly filled. Fine. Whatever. Nothing

ventured, nothing gained, right? After a long period of conflict, I finally

began to rise from my seat. However...

Before I knew it, the rotund, bespectacled boy in front of me had

started to talk with another classmate.

Wearing a bitter smile, I realized that there was no new friendship to be

cultivated there. I'm happy for you, Glasses-kun. It looks like you made your

first friend.

"I got beaten to the punch!"

I was at my wit's end, stuck in useless navel-gazing. Reflexively, I let

out a deep sigh. My high school experience seemed poised to be

exceptionally dour. Then, someone sat down beside me.

"That's quite a heavy sigh, considering the school year has only begun.

Meeting you again makes me want to sigh."

It was the girl who'd fought with me at the bus stop and then walked

off.

"So, we were placed in the same class, huh?" I mumbled.

Well, there were only four classes for all of the first-year students, after

all. Statistically, it wasn't impossible for us to be together. "Nice to meet you. I'm Ayanokouji Kiyotaka."

"You just went ahead and introduced yourself?" she said.

"Well, this is the second time that we've spoken. Isn't it fine for me to

do so?"

I had wanted to introduce myself to someone anyway, so it wasn't as

though I could just keep quiet. Besides, in order to become familiar with my

class, I had to at least know my neighbor's name...even if she was this

audacious girl.

"Do you mind if I refuse?" she asked.

"I don't think sitting next to someone for an entire year without

knowing their name would be comfortable."

"I disagree."

Shooting me a glance, she placed her bag on her desk. Apparently, she

wasn't going to tell me her name. Lacking any interest in the classroom, the

girl simply sat upright in her chair like a model student.

"Do you have a friend in another class? Or did you enroll here all on

your lonesome?" I asked.

"You're a curious one, aren't you? You won't find talking to me very

interesting, though."

"If I'm bothering you, you can just tell me to be quiet."

I wouldn't introduce myself if it made her angry. I thought that the

conversation was over, but then the girl sighed. Apparently, she'd changed

her mind. She turned her gaze on me and introduced herself.

"I'm Horikita Suzune."

For the first time, I got a good look at her face.

Wow. She was cute. Or rather, she was beautiful. Even though we were

in the same grade, I'd have believed it if you told me she was a year or two

older.

Such a calm, cool beauty.

"Let me tell you about myself," I said. "I have no particular hobbies,

but I'm interested in just about anything. I don't need many friends, but I think it would be nice to have at least a few. And, well, that's about it."

"Spoken just like someone who avoids trouble. I don't think I could

ever like such a person," she said.

"Jeez, I feel like you trashed my entire existence in one second," I

muttered.

"I pray this will be my only upset."

"I sympathize, but, unfortunately, I don't think your prayers will be

answered." I pointed to the classroom entrance. Standing there was-

"This seems like a rather well-equipped classroom. It would appear to

live up to people's expectations, hmm?" Yes. The boy who'd quarreled with

those women on the bus.

"I see. This certainly is bad luck," she said.

This troublemaker had been placed in Class D with us. Without

seeming to notice our presence at all, he went over to the seat labeled

"Kouenji" and sat. I wondered if such a person had ever considered even the

idea of friendship. I tried observing him for a little bit. Kouenji put his feet on

top of the desk, took a nail file from his bag, and hummed while he treated

his fingernails. He acted as though he were completely alone.

Apparently, the rude comments he'd made on the bus had been an

accurate reflection of his opinions. Within ten seconds, more than half the

class had begun drawing away from Kouenji. His imposing nature dominated

the space. Looking over, I saw that Horikita's gaze had lowered, and she

seemed to be reading one of her own books. Oh, shoot. I'd forgotten that

conversational back-and-forth was one of the basics of maintaining interest.

I'd squashed one of my chances to become friends with Horikita. Leaning

down, I glanced at the title of her book: Crime and Punishment. Now that

was interesting. A story that debated whether it was right to kill someone, so

long as it was done for the sake of justice.

So sad. Perhaps Horikita's taste in books was reflected in her

personality. Well, at any rate, we'd introduced ourselves, so perhaps we

could at least become neighborly. After a few minutes, the first bell rang. At

that precise moment, a woman entered the classroom. When I first saw her,

my initial impression was that she firmly believed in discipline. If I had to

guess, I would have placed her age at thirty. She wore a suit and had delicate features. Her hair seemed long, and she'd tied it into a ponytail.

"Ahem. Good morning to you, students. I'm the instructor for Class D.

My name is Chiyabashira Sae. I usually teach Japanese history. However, at

this school, we do not change classrooms for each grade. For the next three

years, I will be acting as your homeroom teacher, so I hope to get to know all

of you. It's a pleasure to meet you. The entrance ceremony will be in the

gymnasium one hour from now, but first, I will distribute written materials

with information about this school's special rules. I will also hand out the

admissions guide."

The students in the front seats passed back the familiar documents I'd

received after being accepted.

This school differed from the multitude of other Japanese high schools

in a few key ways. Here, all students were required to live in dormitories

located on school premises. Also, except for special cases, such as studying

abroad, students were forbidden to contact anyone outside the school. Even

contact with your immediate family was forbidden without authorization.

Naturally, leaving school grounds without permission was also strictly

forbidden.

However, the campus also came equipped with many excellent

facilities. With its own karaoke spot, theater, café, boutique, and more, you

could easily compare this school to a small city. The campus spread over

more than 600,000 square meters.

This school boasted another unique feature: the S System.

"I will now hand out your student ID cards. By using your card, you can

access any of the facilities on campus, purchase goods from the store, and so

on. It acts like a credit card. However, it is imperative that you pay attention

to the points that you spend. At this school, you can use your points to buy

anything. Anything located on the school premises is available for purchase."

Our points, loaded onto our student ID cards, acted as a kind of

currency. The lack of paper money would prevent many students' financial

troubles. However, students needed to keep a watchful eye on their spending

habits. At any rate, the school provided these points free of charge.

"Your student cards can be used simply by swiping them through the

machine scanner. The method is simple, so you shouldn't get confused. Points are automatically deposited into your account on the first of every

month. You should all have received 100,000 points already. Keep in mind

that one point is worth one yen. No further explanation should be necessary."

The classroom erupted.

In other words, we had received a 100,000-yen monthly allowance

from the school upon admission. I'd expect nothing less from a massive

institution run by the Japanese government. 100,000 yen is a rather large sum

of money for a high schooler.

"Shocked by the amount of points you've been given? This school

evaluates its students' talents. Everyone here has passed the entrance

examination, which itself speaks to your value and potential. The amount

you've received reflects the evaluation of your worth. You can use your

points without restraint. After graduation, however, all of your points return

to the school. Because it's impossible to exchange your points for cash,

there's no advantage to saving them. Once points have been deposited into

your account, it's up to you how to spend them. Do as you like. In the event

that you don't want to spend your points, you may transfer them to someone

else. However, extorting money from your peers is not allowed. This school

monitors bullying very carefully."

As bewilderment spread among the students, Chiyabashira-sensei

looked over the room.

"Well, it appears no one has any questions. I hope that you enjoy your

time here as students."

Many of my classmates could not hide their surprise at the large

amount of points.

"This school doesn't seem as strict as I thought," I muttered.

I thought I was talking to myself, but Horikita looked in my direction.

She must have imagined I was speaking to her.

"This school is extremely lenient, isn't it?"

Despite all of the restrictions, like being forced to live in the

dormitories, being forbidden to leave the campus, and being prohibited from

contacting anyone on the outside, no one here seemed to have any

complaints. In fact, you might even say that we'd been given such preferential treatment that it was like we'd been transported to paradise. Of

course, the Advanced Nurturing High School's most impressive statistic was

its near 100 percent placement rate for students advancing into higher

education or entering the workforce.

This government-sponsored school's thorough guidance of its students

hoped to ensure a better future. In fact, the school heavily advertised this.

Many of its alumni went on to achieve fame. Typically, no matter how

famous or impressive a school might be, the areas of specialization are

limited. For example, one school might specialize in sports or in music.

Another might focus on something related to computers. However, at this

school, any student could hope to succeed, regardless of their field.

Only this school had that kind of name-brand value. I'd assumed that

the atmosphere would be cutthroat, but the majority of students looked like

typical kids.

No, that wasn't quite right. After all, we'd been capable enough to pass

the entrance exam. If we could reach graduation day peacefully, without

incident, then we would have achieved our goal... Was such a thing really

possible, though?

"This is almost too much preferential treatment. It's frightening."

As Horikita spoke, I realized I felt the same way. We hardly knew

anything about this school. It was as if a veil of mystery shrouded everything.

Because a school like this could make any wishes a reality, I'd thought some

kind of risk would have to be involved.

"Hey, hey! Do you want to check out a store with me on our way back?

Let's do some shopping!" one girl cried.

"Sure. With this much, we can buy anything. I'm so glad I got into this

school!" another said.

Once the teacher was gone, the newly rich students began to grow

restless.

"Everyone, can you please listen to me for a moment?"

A student with the air of an upstanding young man quickly raised his

hand. His hair wasn't dyed. He looked like an honors student. Based on his

appearance, I got the impression he wasn't a delinquent. "Starting today, we're all going to be classmates. Therefore, I think it'd

be good for us to introduce ourselves and become friends as soon as possible.

We still have some time until the entrance ceremony. What do you say?"

He'd just done something incredible. The majority of students were

lost in thought, unable to speak up.

"Agreed! After all, we still don't know a thing about each other, not

even our names," someone shouted.

After the ice had broken, the previously hesitant students began to

speak.

"My name's Hirata Yousuke. Back in junior high, lots of people called

me Yousuke. Feel free to use my first name! I guess my hobby is sports in

general, but I especially like soccer. I'm planning on playing soccer here, too.

Nice to meet you!"

Hirata had effortlessly introduced himself to the class. He seemed

exceptionally brave. And he'd talked about his love for soccer, too! His level

of popularity must've increased two, no, maybe four times. Why, the girl

seated next to Hirata had hearts in her eyes! If someone like Hirata became

our class's linchpin, I wondered if he'd keep everyone honest and motivated

until graduation.

Someone like him would probably end up dating the cutest girl in class.

That was how these things typically went.

"Well then, I'd like everyone to introduce themselves, starting from the

front. Is that okay?"

Although the girl at the head of the class looked a little bewildered, she

quickly made up her mind and stood. Or rather, she'd been pressured, in

response to Hirata's words.

"M-my name is...Inogashira Ko-Ko..."

The girl, last name Inogashira, seemed to freeze during her

introduction. Was she drawing a blank, or had she not considered what she

was going to say beforehand? As her words halted, she paled. It was rare to

see someone get so incredibly nervous.

"Do your best!"

"Don't panic! It's okay!" Kind words poured out of our classmates. But it seemed to have the

opposite effect on the girl; the words stuck in the back of her throat. The

silence continued for five seconds. Ten seconds. You could've cut the tension

with a knife. Some of the girls started giggling. Inogashira was paralyzed

with fear. She couldn't move a muscle. Another girl spoke up.

"It's okay to go slowly. Don't rush."

Although it might seem kind, saying, "Do your best!" and, "It's okay!"

it actually conveys a completely different meaning. To someone who is

extremely nervous, "Do your best!" and, "It's okay!" can actually seem

forceful, as if indicating she needs to match her classmates. On the other

hand, saying, "Just take things slowly. Don't rush," allows her to take things

at her own pace.

After that, the girl calmed down and regained her composure. She took

a few small breaths and tried again.

"My name is Inogashira...Kokoro. Um, my hobby is sewing. I'm

pretty good at knitting. I-It's nice to meet you all."

She was able to finish without stopping. Looking alternately relieved,

delighted, and embarrassed, Inogashira sat down. Other introductions

followed hers.

"I'm Yamauchi Haruki. I competed in table tennis during elementary

school, and in junior high I was the ace player on our baseball team. I was

number four. I got hurt during the inter-high school championships, though,

and I'm undergoing rehab now. Nice to meet you."

I didn't think that the number of his baseball uniform was essential

information...

Besides, I'd thought the inter-high championship was a national sports

competition for high school students. Junior high school kids were supposed

to be ineligible.

Was he trying to crack a joke? He seemed like a talkative guy who got

carried away pretty easily.

"Well then, I'm next, aren't I?"

The cheerful girl who stood up was the same one who'd told Inogashira

to go slowly and calm down. She was also the same girl who'd helped out the elderly woman on the bus that morning.

"My name is Kushida Kikyou. None of my friends from junior high

made it to this school, so I'm alone here. I'd like to get to know all of your

names and faces right away and become friends as soon as possible!"

While most of the students had only said a few words of introduction,

Kushida continued to talk.

"My first goal is to become friends with everyone. So, after we're

finished with introductions, I'd love for you to share your contact information

with me!"

She wasn't just saying that. I could tell right away that this girl was the

type to open up her heart to anyone.

Her encouraging words to Inogashira hadn't been platitudes, but a

genuine reflection of her feelings.

"So, after school or during vacations, I want to make all sorts of

memories with lots of people. Please feel free to invite me to lots and lots of

events! Anyway, I've talked for a long time, so I'll end my introduction

here."

She said it as though she knew I'd been critiquing everyone's

introductions. I felt strangely uncomfortable, and I wasn't sure why.

What should I say when my turn came? Should I make a joke? Should I

go into it with really high energy in order to get some laughs? No, that

wouldn't work. Going out of control would just ruin the atmosphere. Besides,

that didn't really fit my personality anyway.

The introductions continued while I wrestled with my anxiety.

"Well then, next up is..."

As Hirata looked encouragingly toward the next student, that student

glared back. His hair was dyed a fiery red. He both looked and sounded like a

delinquent.

"What, are we a bunch of little kids or something? I don't need to

introduce myself. People who want to do that can go ahead. Just leave me out

of it."

The red-haired guy scowled at Hirata. He had quite a presence, his

attitude intense and overpowering.

"I can't force you to introduce yourself, of course. However, I don't

think that getting along with your classmates is a bad thing. If I've made you

uncomfortable, I apologize."

When Hirata bowed his head, some of the girls glared at the guy with

red hair.

"Isn't it fine to introduce yourself?" one of them snapped.

"Yeah, yeah!"

As I'd expected, the pretty-boy soccer star had captured most of the

girls' hearts in the blink of an eye. However, half of the male students started

to look angry, probably out of jealousy.

"Shut it. I don't care. I didn't come here to make friends." The guy

with red hair got up from his seat. It seemed he had no intention of getting to

know anyone. Several other students followed suit and left the classroom

together. Horikita got up and briefly glanced my way. When she realized I

wasn't moving, she started to walk out the door. Hirata looked a little lonely

when he saw Horikita head out. "They're not a bad bunch. It's my fault. I was being selfish and made

people do this."

"No way. You didn't do anything wrong, Hirata-kun. Let's just leave

those guys be, okay?"

Although some people had rebelled at the idea of introductions, the

students who remained were happy to continue. In the end, things wrapped

up in a rather ordinary fashion.

"I'm Ike Kanji. I love girls, and I hate pretty boys. I'm currently in the

market for a new girlfriend. It's nice to meet you! All the better if you're a

cutie or a beauty!"

It was difficult to tell if he was joking or not. At the very least, the girls

looked at him with revulsion.

"Wow. You are so cool, Ike-kun," one girl said, in a completely

emotionless voice. Of course, her statement was 1000 percent false.

"Seriously? Seriously? Oh, man. I mean, I thought that I wasn't bad or

anything, but...heh heh."

Apparently, Ike thought that she was being serious. He blushed.

Instantly, the girls started to laugh.

"Oh, wow. He's cute, huh, everyone? He's looking for a girlfriend!"

Dude, they're making fun of you. Ike continued to jovially go along

with the teasing. He didn't seem like a bad guy, though.

Next up was the combative boy from the bus, Kouenji. While

inspecting his bangs in a hand mirror, he combed his hair.

"Excuse me, can you introduce yourself?" Hirata asked.

"Hmph. Fine."

He smirked like an aristocrat, displaying his impudent attitude. As he

shifted in his seat, I thought he might leave, but Kouenji placed both of his

legs on his desk and introduced himself.

"My name is Kouenji Rokusuke. As the sole male heir to the Kouenji

conglomerate group, I will soon be tasked with carrying Japan into the future.

I sincerely look forward to making your acquaintance, ladies."

He aimed his introduction solely at the opposite sex, rather than the entire class. After hearing that he was rich, some of the girls looked at him

with sparkling eyes, while others regarded Kouenji as if he were nothing

more than a weirdo. That was only natural.

"Starting today, I will mercilessly punish anyone who makes me

uncomfortable. Please exercise proper precaution so that you may avoid

that."

"Um, Kouenji-kun. What exactly do you mean when you say, 'anyone

who makes me uncomfortable'?" asked Hirata, who looked uneasy at the

word "punish."

"I meant exactly what I said. If asked to give an example, well... I

would say I hate ugly things, for instance. So, if I saw something ugly, I

would do just as I said."

Fwish! He flipped his long, flowing bangs.

"Ah, thank you. I will be careful then."

There was the guy with red hair, Horikita, Kouenji, Yamauchi, and Ike.

Apparently, this class was full of people with bizarre idiosyncrasies.

I, too, was especially peculiar, in that there was nothing peculiar about

me. I had wanted to be free, free as a bird, but prior to this I'd languished in a

cage. I had wanted to fly into the expansive open skies. If you looked out the

window, you could watch birds gracefully soaring... Well, not right now, but

in general. Anyway, that's the kind of guy I was.

"Well then, time for the next person. Can you please introduce

yourself?"

"Huh?"

Oh, shoot. My turn had come while I'd been daydreaming. Students

turned, waiting for my introduction. Hey, hey! Don't look at me with so much

anticipation. Oh well, I might as well try my best.

Clack! The chair rattled as I stood.

"Um. Well, my name is Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. And, uh, I don't really

have any special skills or anything. I'll do my best to get along with all of

you. It's, uh, nice to meet you."

Well? Was that my introduction? I'd failed!

I instinctively buried my head in my hands. I hadn't had time to

construct a proper introduction because I'd been too busy daydreaming. It

was the worst possible intro. It didn't attract attention, and absolutely no one

would remember it.

"It's nice to meet you, Ayanokouji-kun. I always want to be friends

with everyone, just like you. Let's both do our best, okay?" Hirata responded

with a refreshing smile.

Everyone clapped. Their applause felt somewhat like pity, which

strangely pained me. Despite that, however, I felt kind of glad.

2.3

Even though people said this place was tough, the entrance ceremony

was the same as any other school's. Some important people offered words of

thanks, and the ceremony concluded without incident. Then, it was noon.

After we received some general information about the campus, the crowd

dispersed.

70-80 percent of the students headed toward the dormitories. The

remaining students quickly formed into groups. Some made their way to

cafés, while the louder ones went out for karaoke. The hustle and bustle

quickly died down. On a whim, I decided to swing by the convenience store

on my way back to the dormitory. Of course, I went alone. I didn't have a

chaperone, or acquaintance, or anyone like that.

"My, what an unpleasant coincidence."

Entering the convenience store, I ran into Horikita once again.

"Come on, there's no need to be so hostile. Anyway, did you need to

buy something?" I asked.

"Yes, just a few things. I came to get some necessities."

There was no shortage of things you needed when starting life in a

dorm, especially if you were a girl. Horikita took various necessities like

shampoo off the shelves and promptly threw them into the basket she was

carrying. I'd thought she would choose higher quality items, but she only

took the cheapest options.

"I thought girls usually made a fuss over what kind of shampoo they

bought."

"Well, that depends on the person, doesn't it? I'm the sort who doesn't

know when you might need money," she replied.

She shot me an icy glare that seemed to say, Could you please not

inspect other people's purchases without their permission?

"At any rate, I was terribly surprised that you stayed for introductions,"

she said. "You didn't look like the type to hang out with a circle of

classmates." "I decided to participate precisely because I don't like trouble. Why

didn't you introduce yourself to them, Horikita? You could have gotten to

know several other students, and it would have been a chance to make

friends."

Quite a few of the students had exchanged cell numbers, too. If

Horikita had participated, she would probably have become quite popular.

What a waste.

"There are several reasons why I objected, but I suppose it might be

better if I simply explain, hmm? My introduction might have sown discord,

depending on how things went. Thus, doing nothing avoided creating more

problems. Am I wrong?"

"But, statistically speaking, there was a high probability that you could

have hit it off with everyone after introducing yourself," I said.

"How did you arrive at that conclusion? Actually, if I argue this with

you now, we'll just end up in an endless debate. Let's say that the probability

of making friends was high, like you said. So, how many people did you get

to know?"

"Ugh..."

She gazed at me.

That was a rather splendid argument. The fact that I hadn't yet

exchanged contact information with anyone worked in Horikita's favor. It

proved there was no guarantee that introductions led to friendship. I

instinctively averted my eyes.

"In other words, you have no evidence to support your claim that self-

introductions lead to making friends, do you?" she asked. "Besides, I never

intended to make friends in the first place. If I have no need to introduce

myself, then I also have no reason to listen to anyone else's introductions.

Have I convinced you?"

That reminded me of the disastrous first time I'd tried to introduce

myself to Horikita. Come to think of it, it might have been a miracle that I'd

managed to get her name.

When I asked her if I shouldn't have introduced myself to her, she

shook her head. People tended to have hidden depths, no doubt about it. Horikita might have been a more solitary, more aloof person than I'd

imagined.

We roamed around the convenience store without looking at each

other. Even though she was somewhat uptight, being with her didn't feel

uncomfortable.

"Whoa! There's even an amazing selection of noodle cups here! This

school is super convenient!"

Two rather noisy male students stood before the instant foods. They

tossed a veritable mountain of noodle cups into their basket and made their

way to the cash register. Besides noodles, they'd stocked up on snacks and

juice. Hey, it'd be nearly impossible to go through all your points; better to

spend them.

"Noodle cups. They have so many kinds."

These were definitely one reason I'd come to the convenience store.

"So, do boys really like this kind of stuff? I can't imagine that it's

healthy," Horikita said.

"I like them just fine, I guess."

I picked up a noodle cup and examined the price tag. It said 156 yen,

but I couldn't tell whether that was expensive or cheap. Even though the

school referred to its credit system as points, the prices were all listed in yen.

"Hey, what do you think? Is this price high or low?"

"Hmm. I'm not sure. Why, is there something curious about it?"

"No, I was just wondering."

The store's prices seemed reasonable. One point appeared to really

equal one yen. Given that the average freshman's allowance was around

5,000 yen, the amount of money we'd received seemed impossibly large.

Horikita, noting my odd behavior, gave me a quizzical look. I grabbed a

noodle cup to avoid suspicion.

"Wow, this is enormous. It's a G Cup, huh?"

Apparently, that stood for "Giga Cup." Just looking at it made me feel

full. On an unrelated note, Horikita's breasts were neither small nor huge.

They exquisitely straddled the line between the two. The perfect size. "Ayanokouji-kun. Were you thinking about something stupid just

now?" she asked.

"Er. No?"

"I felt like you were acting strangely."

She could sense my inappropriate thoughts just by looking at me. She

was a sharp one.

"I was just wondering whether or not I should buy this. What do you

think?"

"Oh. Well, I suppose that's fine. Anyway, do you really think you

should buy that? This school offers far healthier food options. Don't you

think it's better to avoid eating junk?"

Like Horikita said, I had no reason to eat junk. However, since I had an

irresistible urge, I took one package of regular-sized instant noodles with

"FOO Yakisoba" written on it and tossed it into my cart. Her attention

wandering, Horikita moved away from the food and began hunting for daily

essentials. I planned to use witty jokes to score more points with her next.

"If you're looking for something a cut above the rest, how about this

razor with five blades? I bet it'd do the job."

"Why in the world would I want to shave with that?"

I grinned smugly and pretended to shave an imaginary beard, but she

didn't laugh. Far from it. Instead, she looked at me like I was dirt.

"Look at me," she said. "I don't have anything to shave. Not on my

chin, not under my armpits, and not down there."

I mumbled hesitantly, my spirit crushed. It looked like my jokes failed

colossally with women.

"I have to say, I'm a little envious of your ability to babble inanely to

someone you've only just met."

"Well, I feel like you've been saying stupid crap, too, and you only just

met me."

"Is that so? I've merely stated facts. Unlike you." She calmly tossed

my words back at me, shutting me up. To be fair, I had said some random

nonsense. The smooth, eloquent Horikita, on the other hand, was always well-spoken, no matter how you sliced it.

Horikita chose the cheapest face wash. I would have thought girls cared

more about that kind of thing, too.

"Don't you think that this one is better?" I took an expensive cream off

the shelf and showed it to her.

"Unnecessary." She refused it.

"Well, but-"

"I already said it was unnecessary, didn't I?" she snapped.

"Yes..."

I gently returned the face wash as she glared at me. I thought I could

carry on a conversation without making her angry, but I'd failed.

"You don't seem adept at socializing. You're terrible at conversation."

"Well, if it's coming from you, then it's definitely true," I grumbled.

"That's right. I consider myself, at the very least, to have a good eye

for people. Normally, I wouldn't want to hear you talk anymore, but I will

put in a painful level of effort to listen to you."

I'd said that I wanted to be her friend, but, apparently, she didn't feel

the same. With that, our conversation abruptly stopped. Two new girls

entered the convenience store. It was a little strange, but I became aware of

something crucial: Horikita really was cute.

"Hey. What's up with this?"

While looking around the store, desperate for a new topic, I'd found

something strange. Some toiletries and food had been tucked away in the

corner of the convenience store. At first glance, they appeared to be the same

as the other items, but there was one big difference.

"Free?"

Horikita apparently also thought it strange, so she picked up one of the

items. Daily necessities like toothbrushes and bandages had been stuffed into

a clearance bin and labeled "Free." The bin was also marked with the proviso

"three items per month." These were obviously different from the store's

other goods. "They must be emergency relief supplies for students who use up their

points. This school is so incredibly lenient," I said.

I had to wonder how far their leniency extended, though.

"Hey, shut it! Just wait a sec! I'm looking for it right now!"

A sudden, loud voice drowned out the store's peaceful background

music.

"Come on, hurry up. You have a line of people waiting on you!"

"Oh, yeah? Well, if they have any complaints, they can take it up with

me!"

Apparently, trouble was brewing by the register. A dispute had broken

out between two young men who were glaring at each other. I recognized the

one with the thoroughly ill-tempered look on his face. It was the student from

my class, the guy with the red hair. He had his hands full of noodle cups.

"What's going on here?" I asked.

"Huh? Who are you?"

I had meant to appear amicable, but the guy with red hair scowled at

me. Apparently, he was under the mistaken impression that I was an enemy.

"My name's Ayanokouji. I'm from your class. I just asked because it

sounded like there was trouble."

At my explanation, the red-haired guy looked somewhat mollified and

lowered his voice a little. "Oh. Yeah, I remember you. I forgot my student ID

card. Forgot that it pretty much acts as our money from now on, too."

I looked at his empty hands. He'd put the noodle cups away. He started

to leave, probably heading back to the dorms, where he'd likely forgotten his

card. To be honest, the fact that the student ID was necessary for payment

hadn't yet sunk in for me, either.

"I can pay for you. I mean, it'd be annoying if you had to head all the

way back to the dorms. I don't mind."

"That's true. You're right, it'd be absolutely annoying. Thanks."

The store wasn't particularly far from the dorms, but by the time he got

back there would be a long line of students buying lunch "My name's Sudou," he said. "Thanks for helping me out. I owe you."

"Nice to meet you, Sudou."

Sudou handed me his noodle cup, and I walked over to the hot water

dispenser. After watching our short exchange, Horikita sighed, aghast.

"You're acting like a pushover right from the start. Do you intend to

become his servant? Or are you doing this to make friends?" she asked.

"I didn't care about making friends. I just wanted to help. No big deal."

"You don't seem to be afraid."

"Afraid? Why? Because he looks like a delinquent?" I asked.

"A normal person would try to keep someone like him at a distance."

"I guess, but he doesn't seem like a bad person to me. And you don't

appear to be scared either, Horikita."

"It's mostly defenseless people who stay away from those types. If he

acted violently, I could rebuff him. That's why I don't withdraw."

Horikita's words were always a little difficult to understand. To begin

with, what did she mean by "rebuff"? Did she carry pepper spray to keep off

perverts or something?

"Let's finish our shopping. We'll be a bother to the other students if we

dawdle," she said.

Wrapping things up, we presented our student ID cards to the machine

by the register. Since we didn't have to deal with small change, our

transaction was speedy.

"You really can use it like money..." I said.

My receipt showed the price of each item and the remaining amount of

points. The payment had gone through without any problems. I poured hot

water into my noodle cup while waiting for Horikita. I'd thought it might be

tricky, but opening the lid and pouring hot water up to the line was simple

enough.

Anyway, this school was eerie.

What merit could every student possibly have that would warrant such

a massive allowance? Considering that there were about 160 people enrolled in my grade, simple calculation suggested that there were 480 people total in

this school. That alone would mean 48 million yen each month. Annually,

that would equal 560 million yen. Even for a government-supported school,

that seemed like overkill.

"How does the school benefit from giving us this much money?"

"I wonder. The campus has more than enough facilities for the number

of students, and I wouldn't think it necessary to hand out so much. Students

who should be studying might slack off."

Perhaps it was some kind of reward for working hard and passing a test

or something. Indeed, student motivation might increase if offered an

incentive. However, the school had just handed out 100,000 yen to everyone,

with no strings attached.

"I won't tell you what to do, but I think it would be best to avoid

wasting your money. It's difficult to fix frivolous spending habits. Once a

person gets used to an easy life, they find they need more and more. When

you lose it, the shock can be great," Horikita said.

"I'll keep that in mind."

I didn't really intend to waste money on miscellaneous junk, but she

had a point. After paying and exiting the store, I found Sudou seated outside,

waiting for me. When I saw him, he gently waved me over. I waved in return,

feeling somewhat embarrassed, yet happy.

"Are you really going to eat here?" I asked him.

"Of course. It's just common sense."

Sudou perplexed me with his matter-of-fact reply. Horikita sighed in

exasperation.

"I'm going back. I'll be stripped of my dignity if I spend more time

here," she said.

"What do you mean, 'dignity'? We're just high school students. We're

ordinary. Or, what, are you the high-born daughter of some noble family or

something?"

Horikita didn't flinch at Sudou's harsh tone. Seemingly irritated, Sudou

set his noodle cup on the ground and stood. "Huh? Hey, listen to people when they're talking to you! Hey!" he

said.

"What's his problem? He just suddenly got angry." Horikita said this to

me, ignoring Sudou. This was apparently too much for Sudou, who started to

shout.

"Hey, get over here! I'll smack that smug look off your face!" he

yelled.

"Look, I'll admit that Horikita has a bad attitude, but you're taking this

too far."

It was apparent that Sudou's patience had run out. "Huh? What was

that? She has a bratty, obnoxious attitude. That's bad, especially for a girl!"

"For a girl? That's rather outdated thinking. Ayanokouji, I would

advise you not to become his friend," Horikita said. With that, she turned her

back on Sudou.

"Hey, wait! You shitty girl!"

"Calm down." I held Sudou back as he actually tried to grab Horikita.

She made her way in the direction of the dorms without stopping or glancing

back.

"What the hell is her deal? Goddamn it!" he shouted.

"There are many different types of people, you know."

"Shut it. I hate those stuffy, too-serious types."

He continued to glare at me. Sudou grabbed his noodle cup once again,

ripped off the cover, and began eating. Just a little while ago, he'd fought in

front of the register, too. He probably had a short fuse.

"Hey, you guys first years? This is our spot."The three laughed in Sudou's face. Sudou shot up, slamming his

noodle cup against the ground. The broth and noodles splashed everywhere.

"'First-year punk,' huh? You tryin' to make fun of me, huh?!"

Sudou had an extremely short fuse. If I had to judge, he seemed like the

type to immediately threaten anyone or anything that crossed him.

"You're awfully mouthy, considering we're second-year students. We

already put our bags here, see?"

Plop! With those words, the second-year upperclassmen students put

down their bags and guffawed loudly.

"See, our stuff's here. Now, beat it," one of them said.

"You got a lot of guts, asshole."

Sudou didn't back down, unfazed by being outnumbered. It looked like

fists were going to fly at any moment. I, of course, didn't want any part of it

myself.

"Oh, wow, scary. What class are you in? Wait, never mind. I think I

know. You're in Class D, aren't you?"

"Yeah, so what?" Sudou snapped.

The upperclassmen students exchanged glances and burst into laughter.

"You hear that? He's in Class D! I knew it! It was a dead giveaway!"

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean? Hey!"

As Sudou barked at them, the boys grinned and stepped backwards.

"Aw, you poor things. Since you're 'defective,' we'll let you off the

hook, just for today. Let's get going,

guys."

"Hey, don't run away! Hey!" Sudou shouted.

"Yeah, yeah, keep on yapping. You guys'll be in hell soon enough

anyway."

Be in hell?

They appeared calm and composed. I wondered what they'd meant.

Previously, I'd been certain this school would be filled with upper-class

As Sudou slurped his ramen, three boys called out to us. They seemed

to have come out of the same store and were carrying the same brand of

noodle cups.

"Who are you? I was already here. You're in the way. Get lost," Sudou

barked.

"You hear this guy? 'Get lost,' he says. What a cocky little first-year

punk.". The three laughed in Sudou's face. Sudou shot up, slamming his

noodle cup against the ground. The broth and noodles splashed everywhere.

"'First-year punk,' huh? You tryin' to make fun of me, huh?!"

Sudou had an extremely short fuse. If I had to judge, he seemed like the

type to immediately threaten anyone or anything that crossed him.

"You're awfully mouthy, considering we're second-year students. We

already put our bags here, see?"

Plop! With those words, the second-year upperclassmen students put

down their bags and guffawed loudly.

"See, our stuff's here. Now, beat it," one of them said.

"You got a lot of guts, asshole."

Sudou didn't back down, unfazed by being outnumbered. It looked like

fists were going to fly at any moment. I, of course, didn't want any part of it

myself.

"Oh, wow, scary. What class are you in? Wait, never mind. I think I

know. You're in Class D, aren't you?"

"Yeah, so what?" Sudou snapped.

The upperclassmen students exchanged glances and burst into laughter.

"You hear that? He's in Class D! I knew it! It was a dead giveaway!"

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean? Hey!"

As Sudou barked at them, the boys grinned and stepped backwards.

"Aw, you poor things. Since you're 'defective,' we'll let you off the

hook, just for today. Let's get going,

guys."

"Hey, don't run away! Hey!" Sudou shouted.

"Yeah, yeah, keep on yapping. You guys'll be in hell soon enough

anyway."

Be in hell?

They appeared calm and composed. I wondered what they'd meant.

Previously, I'd been certain this school would be filled with upper-class young men and women, but there seemed to be plenty of rowdy, combative

people like Sudou or those upperclassmen.

"Ah, damn it! If those had been nice second-year students, or cute girls,

that would've been great. Instead, we had to deal with those annoying

morons."

Sudou didn't bother to clean up his mess. He thrust his hands into his

pockets before heading back. I looked at the wall outside the convenience

store, discovering two surveillance cameras.

"This might lead to problems later," I muttered.

Reluctantly, I bent down, picked up the cup, and started cleaning up the

mess. Come to think of it, as soon as those second-year students found out

Sudou was in Class D, their attitudes had changed. Although it ate at me, I

couldn't explain it.

2.4

Around one pm, I made my way back to the dormitory, my home

from that day onward. At the reception desk, I received a keycard for Room

401 and a handbook containing information about the dorm's rules, then

boarded the elevator. I quickly flipped through the handbook, which only

detailed the most basic things that we needed for our daily routines. The dates

and times for garbage disposal were listed, as well as a notice about avoiding

excessive noise. I also saw notes about not wasting water or electricity, and

so on.

"So, they don't place restrictions on electricity or gas usage?"

I'd assumed that the school would deduct the cost from our points. This

school really went to great lengths to have a perfect system for its students.

However, I was a little surprised that they'd implemented co-ed dormitories.

After all, this was a high school, so the rules stated that unsuitable romantic

relationships were frowned upon. In short, sex was strictly forbidden...

obviously. I mean, a member of the clergy wouldn't say that engaging in

illicit sexual activity was okay.

While I privately doubted that such pampered students could develop

into fine, upstanding adults, it would be wise to make the best of the situation

for now. My room was about eight tatami mats wide. Also, though this was a

dorm, it was the first time I'd lived alone. I refused to have any contact with

the outside world until graduation. Considering my situation, I

unintentionally cracked a smile.

This school boasted a high employment rate upon graduation, and its

facilities and student services were unmatched throughout the country,

making it the preeminent high school in Japan. I found such things trivial,

however. I'd chosen this school for one fundamental reason.

At this high school, people were not allowed to contact students

without permission, even if they were friends or immediate family. I greatly

appreciated that. I was free. In English, they would call it, "freedom." In

French, they would call it, "liberté."

Isn't freedom simply the best? When I wanted to eat something, I could eat it. I almost didn't want to graduate. Before being accepted, I'd honestly

thought I would be fine either way, that the difference between passing

and failing would have been trivial. But my true feelings finally welled up. I

was glad to have been admitted here.

No one else's eyes or words would ever reach me. I could start ag-no.

I could begin anew entirely. A new life. I resolved to enjoy my time here to

the fullest, but without drawing attention to myself. Still in my uniform, I

dived into my already-made bed. I felt far from tired, however. I was so

incredibly excited about my new life that I was unable to calm down. My

eyes remained wide open.