A Liquid Inspiration
Summary: (A re-telling of Classroom of the Elite sparked by a certain conversation between Masterpiece and Professor.)
One day, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka receives a surprising invitation from his father, Ayanokouji Atsuomi, to join him for a drink. It was unusual for Kiyotaka, who normally wouldn't be summoned by his father without a hidden agenda.
That's why even the emotionless Kiyotaka was surprised when his father began to open up about his own experiences with love and relationships.
For the emotionally distant "masterpiece," this conversation is a rare moment of connection with his father, and it sparked a curiosity within him to explore the world of human relationships, to be more specific: romance and intimacy.
It was that spark that pushed Kiyotaka to demand something from his father:
"Father, teach me everything about human relationships."
This then begins a ripple that changes how Ayanokouji Kiyotaka would approach the world in the foreseeable future.
Do check out this fic on Wattpad. It has the same title and content, but we do have illustrations there to increase immersion for the fic. Thanks, and here's the chapter!
Vol 1. Chapter 1 - Welcome to the School Life of Your Dreams!
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka
April 1.
The day of the Entrance Ceremony at my new school: Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School—a school shrouded in anomalies.
Ever since it was known to me that I would be entering this institution following my 17 and a half months of integration into modern society, I had actively searched for information about the school.
Surprisingly, the state-backed institution barely had anything to it aside from publicity and sweetening taglines. No information as to how it worked was leaked, nor was any information about the confines of the school readily available.
Of course, there was the obvious move of simply asking my father what he knew about ANHS, but he refused to tell me anything important about the institution because that would remove all the meaning of my mission, or so he says.
All I have in my mind right now are pre-made hypotheses that are unproven, although I am sure most of these are correct.
Through context clues, here are some of the things I speculated to see in the school:
[1] Class Competition. It was a theory I had formulated when my father had a cryptic answer to my question of what was the point of me being in ANHS when I had already learned everything in the high school curriculum and even beyond the high school curriculum.
Given the entire rationale for my participation in this school was about my capacity to connect with people, I assumed that there would be situations where I would need to develop leadership and communication skills to rally my class together. Class Competition would make it possible; and
[2] An extreme simulation of how the real world works. While my father said nothing about ANHS in detail, he had let it out that it was a project established by current Prime Minister Kijima in an attempt to nurture young people with a future directly under the government.
This tidbit of knowledge led me to speculate that this school runs differently compared to normal elite Japanese High Schools in the sense that it would cultivate students, who upon graduation, would be almost primed to stand out in society. Whether or not it's effective, I do not know, but that's probably the rationale for ANHS.
Now that I thought about it, if my hypotheses ended up being correct, then ANHS would essentially be a more ethically acceptable version of the White Room, with more focus on personal development and unity rather than individual capacity.
What an interesting concept by Prime Minister Kijima.
However, I have doubts about whether or not ANHS could even live up to its concept. So far, I haven't heard of any ANHS alumna who made their marks in Japanese society, and it has been about twenty years since it was established.
There were some young politicians and young people in business, but none of them were people who I could call impressive.
Was ANHS perhaps a covered-up failure? Or perhaps it was like the White Room, where there hasn't been a student that could fully grasp its purpose and take advantage of what it could offer?
That's something I'll have to find out in the future.
"Kiyotaka-senpai, you're lost in thought again."
I was broken out of my thoughts by Tsubasa's familiar voice. The blonde-haired girl was understandably sad since she wouldn't see me for at least a year, so when she asked if she could be there to see me off, I didn't have it in me to say no.
Currently, I am inside the limousine and headed to the bus terminal. With Keiji-san driving, I'm left with Eiichiro and Tsubasa in the passenger seat.
I was supposed to sit on the shotgun seat, but Eiichiro convinced me to sit in the back so I could give Tsubasa the chance to stay by my side before we parted ways.
Despite of his disposition as a teasing fool, Eiichiro always had his friends' back when it mattered most. I liked that about him.
"I suppose the thought of being in a school that prohibits outside contact for three years had begun sinking in," I replied to Tsubasa, who now leaned her head on my shoulder.
"I will miss you, Kiyotaka-senpai," Tsubasa said.
"I know, and I will also miss hanging out with you and Eiichiro, Tsubasa," I replied.
"Hmph. You better not have a girlfriend when I finally get to ANHS myself, Kiyotaka-senpai!" She warned and sent a glare my way.
I shook my head in amusement. "I'm at that age now, Tsubasa. Young boys have urges, you know?" I teased her.
"You're such an insensitive jerk, Kiyotaka-senpai. You're such a Kiyotaka," she muttered.
"I couldn't help it. You're fun to tease, Tsubasa," I replied.
"I second that!" Eiichiro chimed in, laughing at Tsubasa's expense.
"You better lay off the teasing, Eiichiro. I could only get away with teasing Tsubasa because she likes me," I told the boy, who simply chuckled.
"I like to live dangerously, Kiyotaka!"
You don't have to tell me, Eiichiro. That much is obvious already.
"That said, who will you be picking? Matsushita-san or Tsubaki-san?" Eiichiro asked before sending a glance Tsubasa's way.
This guy really has no fear. Not even an enraged woman would stop Eiichiro from his teasing antics.
Tsubasa glared at Eiichiro before she hugged my arm tightly. "You wanna pick a fight, Eiichiro?!"
I attempted to pry myself off Tsubasa, but it seemed she had clung to me too tightly, so having given up on that endeavor, I opted to simply sigh at the scene I was witnessing.
"In all seriousness, I couldn't promise that I'll remain single, Tsubasa. Like what we had talked about before, love just happens. Who knows? I might suddenly just fall in love with someone while I'm in ANHS. Those things are outside my control, you know?" I told the blonde-haired girl, who huffed at my presentation of a hypothetical and probable case.
What's so wrong with what I said? It could happen, so it had to be said.
"I know you said that in a logical sense, but that's really mean of you, Kiyotaka-senpai. Be more considerate of a maiden's feelings! Hmph."
Tsubasa pouted and crossed her arms, refusing to look at me. I couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction. She was always adorable when she got angry.
"I apologize, Tsubasa. You know I always value your feelings, and I didn't mean to hurt them," I said, patting her head gently.
Tsubasa let out a sigh before finally letting go of my arm. "I know, Kiyotaka-senpai. I'm just going to miss you so much," she said, sniffling slightly.
I decided to put my hand on her shoulder and pulled her closer to me, patting her back in an attempt to comfort her.
Internet-sensei said it's an effective way to console a sad girl, so I figured it'd be a good move to attempt.
I also ran my hand through Tsubasa's blonde locks and mindlessly observed how silky smooth it was. For a tomboy-ish girl, she seems to really take care of her appearance a lot.
It's probably because of her crush on me, but even so, it's admirable for her to make an effort to take care of herself.
Eiichiro, noticing the somber atmosphere, decided to lighten the mood. "You really should be mindful about the things you do, Kiyotaka. I doubt Tsubasa would be able to sleep tonight with how touchy you are with her today," he said, grinning widely.
"Eiichiro no baka!"
Tsubasa exclaimed, blushing furiously at Eiichiro's teasing. I couldn't help but be happy at the scene before me. Despite their sadness towards our imminent separation, it was nice to see Eiichiro and Tsubasa act like how they normally did.
As the limousine pulled up at the terminal, I took a deep breath and got out, ready to start my new journey. I turned to face Keiji-san, Eiichiro, and Tsubasa and gave them a small smile.
"Thank you for everything, Keiji-san, Eiichiro, Tsubasa. I will always cherish everything we've been through and everything you guys have taught me," I said as I bowed in front of them.
"Don't bow to us, Kiyotaka-sama. In fact, I myself am honored to have the chance to mentor someone as brilliant as you," Keiji-san replied, a small smile adorning his aged features.
Eiichiro grinned. "It's not like it's just you who learned a lot, Kiyotaka! Tsubasa and I managed to grow a lot as well, all thanks to you. Don't forget about us, okay? I may not be as sappy as Tsubasa, but I'll miss you. You're like the older brother I never had," he said.
"So now you admit I'm the older brother," I said in amusement.
After all, Eiichiro had repeatedly been joking about how I was actually the younger brother in our relationship because he had superior social skills.
"You were born first, after all," he cheekily replied.
"That's what I said plenty of times, and you refuted it," I countered.
"People change," Eiichiro countered before bursting into laughter.
After Eiichiro and I exchanged a fist bump, Tsubasa stood in front of me, a small smile adorning her cute features. We stared at each other for a while before Tsubasa hugged me tightly. "Take care, Kiyotaka-senpai... and wait for me to get into ANHS, okay?"
"I will look forward to seeing you in ANHS, Tsubasa," I replied, hugging her back.
Now... having said my farewells to Keiji-san, Eiichiro, and Tsubasa, it's time for me to leave the mansion behind and head out to the 'school of dreams.'
Apparently, students of ANHS can only get to the institution by boarding buses whose routes would pass the location of ANHS. The only reason behind it was that: being a student in ANHS means that you have to cut your connection to your real-world resources temporarily.
A rather weird justification, but I do not really care much about it. I'm actually looking forward to finally boarding a bus because I have never been on one before.
That said, Chiaki had texted me last night, ordering me to take the same bus as her. I saw no problem with that demand, so I went along with it.
I sighed as I anticipated the headache that would come. After all, Yuki had connived with Chiaki and Tsubasa to keep her entry into ANHS 'a secret,' and since Tsubasa accidentally leaked the secret, I had to pretend to be surprised to meet Yuki today.
Women... are so dramatic when they want to be.
"Ara ara~! It's Kiyotaka-kun, Tsubasa-chan, and Eiichiro-kun!"
Speak of the devil, and she shall appear.
"Chiaki-chan!" Tsubasa greeted the older girl and captured her in a hug.
It's still a mystery to me how girls who were competing for the affection of the same boy ended up becoming close friends. Women really are weird, aren't they?
"Tsubasa-chan! Have you enjoyed your final moments with Kiyotaka-kun? Don't worry, I'll be inviting you to our wedding in the future," Chiaki said before giggling.
Chiaki, you she-devil, please stop teasing Tsubasa... and don't make me imagine you wearing a wedding dress. That's too much stimulation for a teenage boy.
Tsubasa gritted her teeth at Chiaki's teasing. "I will be preparing my loudest laughter when I enter ANHS and discover you haven't made any progress with Kiyotaka-senpai," she countered.
"Ara? I'll be making sure to bring extra handkerchiefs then, just in case you'll cry after realizing we have become a couple," Chiaki replied.
If this were an anime series, I would imagine there were sparks circulating between Tsubasa and Chiaki.
"Oya? Why are you two losers too loud this early in the morning?"
All five of us, including Keiji-san and Eiichiro, turned our heads to our left and saw Yuki, clad in the ANHS uniform, walking in our direction, a smug grin on her face.
Yuki, ignoring the glares sent her way by Chiaki and Tsubasa, immediately ran up to me and leaped to capture me in a hug. "Surprise!" She exclaimed.
"Yuki? I thought you weren't enrolling in ANHS until next year?" I asked and pretended to be surprised at her presence.
"So did I, but plans change, Kiyotaka. Aren't you glad not to miss me for a year?" Yuki pressed her body even deeper, making me feel the sensation of her breasts. Did they get bigger?
I approve.
Wait, wait... control yourself, Kiyotaka!
"I'm more concerned about your treatment, Yuki. Isn't this a little careless of you?" I asked.
Yuki got off of me and sent me a smile. "That's my second surprise! I've been deemed fit to attend high school. I won't get admitted if I'm not okay in the head, you know?"
More of, you wouldn't get admitted if your dad wasn't a billionaire, Yuki... but I'll let you live in your bubble.
"Is that so? Then I am proud of you, Yuki," I replied and returned her smile with one of my own.
"While I am glad you're okay, Yuki-chan... aren't you getting a little too arrogant? You call us losers, but you came too late in the race, you know?" Chiaki walked in Yuki's direction and sent her an elegant smile that somehow carried a dangerous feeling to it.
Yuki did not let the animosity get to her and simply returned a smile. "I think that makes your situation a lot worse, Chiaki-chan. You had a headstart, yet you haven't really progressed. Same with you, Tsubasa-chan," Yuki replied, intentionally trying to agitate the two other girls.
Am I supposed to do something in this scenario?
"It's only a matter of time, Yuki-chan," Chiaki replied.
"D-Don't get too ahead of yourselves simply because both of you are older than me!" Tsubasa exclaimed.
It's time I put an end to this, I guess.
"Can all three of you just shut up and get along? We're already running late. Chiaki, Yuki, let's go," I said and began walking in the direction of the nearest bus.
Before entering the bus, I looked back at the three, who were now exchanging smiles and hugs as if they didn't have a verbal war a couple of minutes ago.
I couldn't help but shake my head at the fickle nature of girls. One minute they're fighting, and the next minute they're the best of friends. It's like they thrive on drama and conflict.
At least they knew when to get along because it'd be troublesome for me if they genuinely hated each other because I would definitely look like the protagonist of a dumb harem anime, and that'll be rather troublesome to deal with. I don't want to end up like Makoto Ito, okay?
I very much prefer them being friendly despite openly having feelings for me.
After all, I am a firm advocate for staying alive!
1.1
Luckily for us, the bus we had entered didn't have that many passengers yet, so we still had seats to sit on. Now, the problem, at least for the girls, was the fact that each column of the bus, except the one at the very back, only had two rows.
I offered to sit on my own, but they wouldn't accept it because one of them 'had' to sit next to me, and thus, the girls had decided to settle it through rock-paper-scissors, which Chiaki won.
Now the sitting arrangement looked like this: Chiaki sat in the window seat with me next to her. Yuki, on the other hand, sat on the column behind me, occasionally glaring at Chiaki, who was happy to have been the one sitting next to me.
Since I didn't get much sleep last night because Eiichiro bugged me to binge-watch anime, I decided to take a nap on the bus, which I'd probably come to regret seeing as I saw a glint in Chiaki's eyes just as I was about to close my eyes.
I didn't know for how long I managed to nap, but upon waking up, I found myself witness to a small commotion in the bus.
"Excuse me, but shouldn't you offer up your seat?"
Could this person be angry with me? But I realized that it was someone else being scolded as I did not feel anyone's shadow looming over me.
"Good, you finally woke up," Chiaki said.
"Huh? Why? It's just a pointless dispute anyways," I replied.
Chiaki giggled. "Look at who's being scolded by the office lady," she said, motioning for me to look diagonally...
Coincidences can be freaky, can't they?
Kōenji Rokusuke, in true Kōenji fashion, found himself at the center of a dispute involving himself, an office lady, and an old lady who was hunchbacked and clutching a cane.
"That's a really crazy question, lady," Kōenji said before 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."
What a typical Kōenji response. He doesn't care about society's norms for acceptable behavior and follows his own standards and principles. If I were the office lady, I would just give up because convincing Kōenji to do the opposite of what he's doing is similar to talking to an inanimate object.
Nothing will happen.
"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?" Kōenji continued his argument, each sentence increasing the anger felt by the office lady.
"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 have 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?"
I shook my head and palmed my head in exasperation. Kōenji simply just doesn't give a damn about anything that doesn't interest him.
He's simply alleviating his boredom by verbally sparring with the agitated office lady.
"I should just give up my seat, so this would stop," I muttered.
Just as I was about to stand up, Chiaki held onto my arm. I turned my head to the brown-haired woman, who was pouting.
"Don't go. Someone is bound to give up their seat anyways," she argued.
It's not like I am invested in the scene in front of me, so I obliged Chiaki's request. Besides, she might hold it against me if I'd leave her alone.
"It seems like you're not any better than Kōenji, Chiaki-chan," Yuki's sharp-tongued words made themselves known as if aiming to pierce Chiaki's heart.
"Ara? It's not like I'm wrong, am I?" Chiaki countered.
"You're preventing Kiyotaka's growth as an upstanding member of society," Yuki fired back.
"It's not like he's an upstanding member of society in the first place," Chiaki replied.
Hey, that hurts!
Yuki giggled. "That's true."
Not you too, Yuki!
As I turned my head away from Chiaki and Yuki and back to Kōenji and his little show, I saw that the silenced office lady opted to just glare at him, a sight that made the blonde menace grin in satisfaction.
His victory did not last long, however, as a new challenger with a similar goal of making Kōenji give up his seat had emerged.
"Um... I think that the lady is right."
It was a cute beige-haired girl wearing the same uniform as Yuki and Chiaki.
Kōenji spared the girl a glance before closing his eyes once again. "And the new challenger is a pretty girl, eh? It would seem that I'm rather lucky with the fairer sex. Unfortunately, pretty lady, I like them older," the blonde said in a dismissive tone.
You really shouldn't have said that last sentence, Kōenji, because... it might trigger someone's mischievous side.
"You like them older? Then you should consider giving up the seat, Kōenji. Obaa-san here seems to be around the age you prefer, is she not?" I spoke at a volume that was a bit louder than my usual volume, immediately gaining Kōenji and the rest's attention.
"Pfffft!" Chiaki covered up her mouth with her palm, but it was for naught as she giggled. Yuki reacted the same, but her giggles were a little louder than Chiaki's.
The beige-haired girl was a bit stunned at my comment but soon joined Chiaki and Yuki in giggling at Kōenji's expense.
Kōenji turned his head in my direction and had an unreadable expression on his face, one that, based on what I knew of the boy, signified utter disgust.
The old lady, who had yet to speak throughout the entire ordeal, suddenly bowed at the blonde. "I'm sorry young man, but I am still happily married to my husband," the old lady said.
Upon the old lady's comments, which somehow fit into the skit that I orchestrated, Chiaki and Yuki were now openly laughing. The angry office lady even giggled.
I admit... even I was caught off-guard by what she said.
"Ha Ha Ha! Do not delude yourself, old lady. Ayanokōji-boy and I are simply celebrating our reunion, and what a way to make your presence known, eh, Ayanokōji-boy?" Kōenji cackled, seemingly unperturbed by my comments.
As expected of Kōenji, I suppose. He had his way of making embarrassing situations not sound embarrassing to him.
"Reunion? We saw each other two weeks ago. You're simply being a nuisance to the other passengers, Kōenji," I replied.
Kōenji grinned. "Ha Ha Ha! Nuisance, you say? Should I remind you of my personal creed? I do not care for the opinion of the common masses nor do I care about the standards they set because I am a Perfect Existence! It matters not what these insignificant ants think of me, for their opinions hold no weight in my perfection," he ranted.
I shook my head and gave up trying to talk to the blonde menace. It just wasn't worth my time.
As the beige-haired girl continued in her quest to make Kōenji see things her way, I glanced at the girl sitting parallel to me. Out of everyone on the bus, she seemed to be the only person who was genuinely unbothered by what was happening.
While I unintentionally stared at her, our eyes met for an instant. I instantly turned away lest I be called a pervert for staring for too long.
"Wake me up when we reach our destination, Chiaki. This bus ride is giving me a headache," I told my current seatmate before once again attempting to nap.
I couldn't care less if anyone was willing to give up their seats, nor do I care about the beige-haired girl's attempt at being seen as a great person.
Simply put, the scene in front of me was uninteresting.
While Kōenji was being, as Eiichiro would put it, a dickhead, in this situation... it really wasn't worth it forcing him out of his seat, nor was he wrong in his reasoning that he didn't have any obligation to give up his seat.
Aside from that, Kōenji did not operate based on what normal people deem as acceptable. Kōenji operates based on what he wants to do. From the get-go, the effort was going to be for naught.
I was simply looking to see if anyone else would be willing to go out of their way and help out the old lady.
Humans, by nature, really are afraid to take the initiative in a situation that doesn't benefit them.
The commotion earlier is an example of that.
1.2
"Kiyotaka, wake up. We're almost here."
I jolted awake, my head jerking forward as the bus jolted over a bump in the road. Blinking rapidly, I tried to orient myself, but everything felt fuzzy and disorienting. It took me a few seconds to realize that Chiaki was gently shaking my shoulder.
I blinked a few times, my brain still sluggish and sleepy. "Oh," I mumbled, rubbing my eyes. "Thanks, Chiaki."
"It's such a shame that we couldn't bring our phones. I definitely would have taken plenty of pictures of you sleeping. You looked really cute, you know?" Chiaki said offhandedly.
"Your mentality really is that of a stalker, Chiaki," I dryly responded.
Chiaki slapped me on the arm and pouted. "I'm not!"
Whatever you say, woman.
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 government sure did not cut costs when making this institution, didn't it?" Yuki said.
"It's more of a small city than a school if the rest of what we're seeing is part of the school's facilities," Chiaki added.
As the girls engaged in conversation, my eyes met with Kōenji, who was walking ahead. Before he disappeared into the crowd, the blonde sent me a wave.
How nice of him to acknowledge my presence.
The apathetic dark-haired girl from earlier was also still here, walking just slightly ahead of us. Suddenly, the girl stopped in her steps and turned around, her eyes boring straight through mine.
Did I do something?
"Wait!" She called out to me.
I glanced at Yuki and Chiaki, and thankfully, they were still busy talking, so I took a couple of steps forward and now found myself closer to the dark-haired girl.
I could tell this wouldn't be a pleasant conversation.
"You were looking at me. Why?" she asked.
That's her entire concern? How pointless! But I suppose there had to be a reason why she's needlessly defensive, so I suppose I should hold off my judgment of her a little.
However, I didn't like her aggressiveness.
"What a self-centered assumption, Kuro," I replied in a dismissive tone. "Are you so conceited as to believe everyone is going to look at you?"
I know I was being petty, but she could be nicer in asking her question, you know?
It seemed like my provocation worked because the glare she sent my way seemed to even be a gazillion times fiercer than the last.
"Don't give me nicknames! That said, are you stupid? I clearly looked into your eyes when I saw you looking in my direction. Just because you immediately looked away doesn't mean you never did what you did." Kuro, since I do not know her name, pointed out.
It was a fair point... but why are we even having this discussion? Eye contact is such an asinine thing to argue about. If I were capable of giving up talking to Kōenji, who was part of my inner circle, it would certainly be easier for me to ignore this girl.
"Ara? What seems to be happening here?" Chiaki interjected, making her presence known to Kuro.
Can we just please ignore this girl, Chiaki? I'd rather not deal with her, you know?
"Did you actually stare at her, Kiyotaka? You better choose your words carefully," came Yuki's smooth but scary-sounding voice.
It seems like I have no choice but to speak with Kuro.
"You looked into my eyes? Are you perhaps admitting you were enchanted by my eyes even when I did not pay attention to you at all?" I cheekily said before I realized my mistake as I saw Yuki glaring at me.
"Are you flirting with her, Kiyotaka?" She demanded as she pinched my right cheek.
Not right now, Yuki!
I ignored Yuki in the meantime and faced Kuro. "You may be beautiful, Kuro, but I have some reservations against creepy stalkers who have nothing better to do with their time on the bus than to harass innocent passengers with their lustful gaze. I apologize, but I cannot return your feelings," I mockingly bowed at her before walking past her.
Considering the lack of reaction from Kuro, my attempted provocation definitely worked in stunning her into silence.
Nice job, Kiyotaka!
Or not...
Because I could feel Yuki glaring at me as if she was trying to put a hole in my head, Chiaki, on the other hand, was just giggling.
Good on you for finding my suffering amusing, Chiaki.
"To think you'd be bold enough to flirt with another girl in my presence. Hmph," Yuki turned her head in another direction while her hand was once again on my cheek, now pinching the left one.
"How was that flirting? If anything, I insulted her," I said in defense.
"You called her beautiful," Yuki countered.
"Was I not supposed to say that?" I asked.
"YES!"
I give up.
"Stop giving Kiyotaka-kun a hard time, Yuki-chan. It was funny seeing that girl stunned into silence," Chiaki chimed in.
After all this time, Chiaki is actually capable of being a good person. Continue your progress, Chiaki!
"I hope I wouldn't be classmates with Kuro," I offhandedly said.
"Ditto," Chiaki affirmed.
"As long as I'm classmates with Kiyotaka, that's all that matters to me," Yuki said.
I think we all know that by now, Yuki.
We continued walking on our way toward the gate, which was currently crowded by students who were having their identities verified.
After verification, the security would provide them a mini-map of some sort, which, I'd assume, leads to their respective homerooms.
After a couple of minutes, I was called up by the person in charge and had my identity verified.
"Student Ayanokōji Kiyotaka, verification complete. We wish you an excellent and fruitful stay at the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School. May you help in leading Japan in the foreseeable future!" The woman in charge said, reciting a spiel she had perfected.
After passing the verification, I was given the same mini-map as the students before me. Upon inspection, it seemed to have a rough layout of the school, but it focused more on the direction I'd have to take to get to my homeroom, that of Class 1-D.
Not long after, Chiaki and Yuki were also done with their verification and headed in my direction.
"What class are you in, Kiyotaka-kun?" Chiaki asked.
"Class 1-D," I replied.
Yuki smiled upon hearing my response and clung to my arm. "That means we're in the same class, Kiyotaka!" She cheered.
"How about you, Chiaki?" I asked.
Chiaki smiled. "I'm in Class 1-D too. That's awesome, right?"
"I suppose so. Having more familiar faces would make the first day more bearable," I replied.
"Hey, let's go now! We might run out of good spots to sit on!" Yuki urged, dragging both Chiaki and me in the direction of our classroom.
Somehow I doubt the seating arrangement works on a first-come, first-serve basis, Yuki. There may have already been designated seats for everyone.
Well, if I'm not going to be seatmates with either Yuki or Chiaki, I hope I'll be sitting next to a beautiful girl.
1.3
When I asked to be seatmates with a beautiful girl, God seemed to have honored my wish in the most twisted way possible.
Because right now, I found out that my seatmate, who was named Horikita Suzune based on the nameplate on the chair next to me, was the same Kuro who I bantered with earlier.
I have to admit, though, that the elegant sound of her name does fit with her appearance.
"..." Horikita stared at me for a few seconds, not bothering to say anything.
"Living up to your reputation as a creepy stalker who stares at innocent people, I see," I teased her.
Horikita glared at me. "I'm simply wondering which God I had offended given you of all people had been chosen to be my seatmate." Clearly, she was still infuriated with my stunt earlier.
I do not blame her, but that's on her for being such an unpleasant person.
"I apologize for earlier. I did not get enough sleep last night, so I was a little agitated by how aggressive you were in asking your question. I hope we can move past the name-calling from earlier," I replied.
I think it's a believable justification because it had been stated on the internet that the more sleep-deprived a person was, the likelier it was for them to be more irritable.
"Ah... I see. But that doesn't excuse your words earlier. I know that you know I was not being a creepy stalker. I just have a rather sensitive gaze perception," Horikita replied.
She remained firm in her stance but didn't bear the same hostility as she did earlier. Well... I guess that's good enough for me.
"A byproduct of Martial Arts training, I assume?" I asked.
If Horikita was surprised by my deduction, it certainly didn't show on her face. "Why do you think so?"
"Just a lucky guess. You just struck me as the type of girl who'd be trained in Martial Arts," I replied.
"I see. Your deduction is indeed correct," Horikita affirmed before picking up a familiar book.
After all, the book she was reading was Crime and Punishment, a book that I had read and memorized.
"I'm glad we were able to have a normal conversation following what happened earlier," I offhandedly said.
"I do not share the same sentiment, but I find myself a little relieved that you're not as bothersome as I initially thought. That being said, would it be fine if we ended our conversation right here? I would like to continue reading this book," Horikita said.
"Sure thing. Enjoy reading, I guess," I replied, effectively ending our conversation.
After my conversation with Horikita ended, I decided to observe my new classmates. They were more on the wild, untamed side with how loud and undisciplined most of them were. I wonder if my placement in this class was intentional.
That being said, I noticed that Yuki had managed to get herself surrounded by some of the girls, the same as the beige-haired girl who was on the bus earlier. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised about it because Yuki had always been socially adept and had no problem talking to people, especially now that she had more or less been deemed capable of attending school.
Upon noticing my gaze, Yuki sent me a smile and waved. I smiled back at her before returning to observing the class.
Kōenji was also in this class, and just as what one would expect out of him, he paid no mind to everyone and simply continued preening. Two or more brushes to your hair really wouldn't make a difference, Kōenji.
"Yuki's popular already, isn't she?"
I turned my head and saw Chiaki walking in my direction, a smile adorning her face.
"I'm not entirely surprised about that. Yuki had always been social, even when we were kids. It's nice to see her have fun with other people," I replied.
"I wish I could also do that, but I think my energy would instantly be drained if I had to entertain that many people all at once," Chiaki said.
"Spoken like a recluse, Chiaki," I teased her.
The brown-haired girl pouted and glared at me. "You're such a Kiyotaka. I'm not a recluse!" She exclaimed in indignation.
"I really do not understand why you girls have a kick out of using my name as an adjective," I replied in exasperation.
Don't they know that using someone's name as an insult is mean?
"I wish I could talk to at least one of my seatmates, you know? But my seatmate is Kōenji, so that's not happening. That guy only openly talks to you simply because you beat him up before," Chiaki said.
"There's that guy with the glasses. You should try talking to him," I replied.
"I saw him glancing at my breasts earlier. No thanks," Chiaki said in disgust.
"Even I couldn't help myself from time to time, but you didn't seem to mind," I replied.
"That's different. I'm only fine with it if it's you," Chiaki justified.
Thankfully, Chiaki was aware enough to lower her voice, so I'm sure that even Horikita, who was sitting next to me, was unable to hear whatever Chiaki was saying.
After a few minutes, the first bell rang, leading Chiaki to return to her seat that was on Kōenji's left side. I have also just noticed that there was a beautiful girl seated on Kōenji's right side. That guy sure is blessed because she already seems nicer than Horikita and is prettier too.
The door to the classroom slid open not long after the first bell rang. An incredibly beautiful older woman, who seemed straight out of Kōenji's fantasies, came in and approached the room with elegance.
"Take your seats, everyone," she spoke in a mature, stern voice.
The class eventually quieted down, and the students who weren't in their seats began settling themselves back to where they were supposed to be.
"Good morning to you, students. I am the instructor for Class D. My name is Chabashira Sae. I usually teach Japanese history, and for the next three years, I will also be acting as your homeroom teacher, so I hope to get to know all of you. The entrance ceremony will be in the gymnasium an hour from now, but before anything else, I will be handing everyone written materials containing information about this school's special rules. Take one of these and hand it to those in the back," Chabashira-sensei said and then distributed a handbook to the rest of the class.
As the handout reached my hands, I immediately began reading it.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School differs from other Japanese High Schools in a few ways. Here, the students are mandated to live in dormitories located on school premises. And any sort of outside contact is forbidden in school, and of course, leaving school grounds without permission was strictly forbidden.
Despite this, the campus also came equipped with many facilities like its own karaoke spot, theater, cafe, boutique, and more. I could already guess this while riding the bus, but this place definitely seems like a simulation of a city.
The school also boasted another unique feature: the S-system... however, there are barely any details telling us what this is all about.
This is a little suspicious, isn't it?
"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 you spend. At this school, you can use your points to buy anything. Anything located on the school premises is available for purchase," Chabashira-sensei said.
I narrowed my eyes at a specific detail that Chabashira-sensei let out.
Anything located on the school premises is available for purchase.
Maybe I'll ask about it later.
"Your student cards can be used simply by swiping them through the machine scanner. The method is simple, so I think you wouldn't be confused. Points are automatically deposited into your account on the first of every month. You should have received 100,000 points already. Keep in mind that one point is worth one yen. No further explanation should be necessary," Chabashira-sensei finished.
The classroom erupted at this announcement.
Something's not adding up.
If we do that math based on the handbook we've been given, there are more or less 40 students per class, so given there are three years and four classes per year, it would amount to 480 students in total. So, 480 multiplied by 100,000 would imply that the government is investing 48,000,000 Yen monthly in student allowances alone, and if we multiply that by twelve, that would be 576,000,000 Yen invested yearly... simply for student allowances.
That's a massive negative net for the government! I don't think it is a practical investment, all things considered. I am pretty sure now that the 100,000 points/month being offered her simply serves as a smokescreen to the reality of the situation.
If I were to rationalize the information that I have now, as well as my earlier hypotheses, it is starting to become clearer that there is some sort of class hierarchy in the school.
"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," Chabashira-sensei said.
The amount we would receive reflects the evaluation of our worth? That just confirms my earlier theory of the existence of class hierarchy in this school. If so, how are they going to evaluate our worth? Considering this is a school with a curriculum strictly curated by the Government, I doubt academics is the only metric they would use in evaluating their student.
Given the purpose of ANHS is to mold leaders, it should be common sense that academic excellence simply isn't enough.
Was my theory of this school basically being an extreme simulator of the real world true? If so, then I must be intentionally placed by my father in the worst class possible, and my task here would be to elevate these people into becoming competent people who could take care of themselves.
This is proving to be a pain already.
That being said, as bewilderment spread amongst the students, Chabashira-sensei looked over the room.
"Does anyone have any questions?"
Yuki raised her hand.
I smiled upon seeing her take initiative. It would seem we had the same idea or, at the very least, shared some doubts about the system.
"Tsubaki Yuki, was it? Very well."
Yuki stood up from her seat and smiled at Chabashira-sensei. Of course, her gorgeous smile immediately got the attention of some of the boys; that's just how beautiful she was.
But I could definitely do without some pervert saying that they'd want Yuki to step on them.
"Sensei, you mentioned that anything located on the school premises is available for purchase. I'd just like to ask if there are any limitations to what we can purchase," Yuki asked.
Chabashira-sensei let out an audible chuckle, but judging from her facial expression, it seemed like that wasn't the question she wanted to answer, but she still found it relatively interesting.
"Anything means anything, Tsubaki. The only prohibitions would be purchases that normal law enforcement would deem illegal. Anything else?"
Now, that's interesting.
Great work, Yuki!
"Then... how many points do I have to pay to change seats?"
Uh... what?
Just like me, Chabashira-sensei was bewildered at Yuki's question, but as a professional, her surprise lasted for a split second, and immediately recovered her composure.
"25,000 Points."
25,000 points just to change your seating arrangement? Isn't that a little too expensive?
"But you also need to secure the approval of the owner of the seat you want to transfer to. Once you have secured those two conditions, then you could change your seating arrangement," Chabashira-sensei finished.
"I see," Yuki replied.
"Which seat do you want to transfer to, Tsubaki?" Chabashira-sensei asked.
I palmed my face because I could already tell how this conversation was going to end. I glanced at Horikita for a while before immediately looking away.
"I want to swap places with the black-haired girl there," she said as she pointed at Horikita.
Horikita, having known she was the only black-haired girl in class, closed her book and blinked for a couple of seconds. It would seem that she, too, was surprised by Yuki's actions.
"Very well. Horikita Suzune, do you consent to swap seats with Tsubaki Yuki?"
Upon hearing Chabashira-sensei's question, Horikita's eyes were on Yuki and her seat, which was located in the front row. Yuki's chair neighbors were a studious-looking boy and a cute dark brown-haired girl. I also noted that the beige-haired girl that was on the bus was sitting behind Yuki.
Horikita seemed to have been doing the same thing as me, but in her case, she was examining where she was going to be transferred if she consented to it as well as who would be the people she'd be seated with.
After about half a minute of deliberation, Horikita's eyes were on Chabashira-sensei.
"I refuse," she declared.
"Since Horikita declined, I'm afraid your purchase will not go through, Tsubaki," Chabashira-sensei said to Yuki, who sat down upon the rejection.
Horikita's refusal did kind of surprise me though. I'd assume from her honor student aura that she'd prefer sitting in front than remaining here in the back row. I wonder why she did what she did. Don't tell me she had found herself liking my presence? Nah, that's unlikely. Something else must be at play for her decision.
A few seconds later, I noticed Yuki turning her head in our direction. While she smiled at me, her eyes went cold when her gaze turned to Horikita.
I pray for your soul, Horikita.
"Does anyone in the class have any other questions? What Tsubaki did earlier was just a glimpse of what you could do with your points, so I hope you have picked up something from that," Chabashira-sensei said.
It's like she's giving us a clue that a time will come when we have to use points as a means to get what we want.
Since Yuki started the show, it's time for me to continue it, I guess.
I then raised my hand.
"Ayanokōji Kiyotaka-kun, correct? What is your question?"
"Can you please explain this system in detail? I find it hard to believe that the government would willingly allocate 48 million yen across all three year levels. Surely, there's got to be a catch," I said.
Upon asking my question, my classmates began to murmur among themselves, talking about how my question made sense.
"That's true. My mother did say nothing good is unconditional," I heard one of the girls say.
"To think we'd be blinded by being given 100,000 points! It's a good thing he asked about it," the girl sitting next to her replied.
"Unfortunately, I couldn't answer that, Ayanokōji-kun. Any other questions?"
"You said anything could be bought using our points, and Tsubaki had demonstrated earlier that it is possible to some extent. Can I buy that information from you, sensei?" I pressed.
Chabashira-sensei let out an audible chuckle.
"You're very interesting, aren't you, Ayanokōji-kun? Yes, you can buy that information from me. Unfortunately, private points wouldn't be enough."
"Understood. That would be all, Chabashira-sensei," I bowed my head at Chabashira-sensei and sat back down.
Now the wording by Chabashira-sensei here is a little weird.
She said private points wouldn't be enough.
Did that mean that there was another currency in the school that hadn't been mentioned in the handbook? Because why would Chabashira-sensei specifically phrase it that way if private points are the only currency available?
Was there perhaps a second currency that is tied to the class rather than the individual?
Normally, the move to be made would be to buy the information from Chabashira-sensei using the secondary currency because regardless of the loss of this secondary currency, the information we would gain might be game-changing.
However, was there really a need to do this?
My question had already implanted in my classmates the idea that the initial prospect of the school wasn't what it looked to be.
They've already begun questioning the 100,000 points monthly allocation, so we have already made a step in that regard.
That being said, it would be possible to achieve what I wanted to achieve without buying the information from Chabashira-sensei.
I could simply gather information and present it to the class as soon as I had gathered concrete proof.
Now, the challenge here is if my classmates would think my information is reliable and if they would follow what I, a guy they've only seen for a day, say.
Hmm... that will be my next move, then.
I'm sorry, Chabashira-sensei, but I will not be convincing my classmates to collectively buy that information from you.
There is a way to do so without sacrificing who knows how many points.
A little delay wouldn't hurt, right?
"You do not wish to follow up on your question, Ayanokōji-kun?" Chabashira-sensei asked.
I nodded my head. "You've said it yourself, Chabashira-sensei. Private points wouldn't be able to buy it, so I will be letting it go for now," I replied.
Chabashira-sensei looked a little disappointed at that. It would seem like she had wanted me to put out a show for everyone.
Sorry, Chabashira-sensei, but I do not appreciate it if people think they could make me do their bidding.
Now, I do things my way.
"I see... if there are no more questions, I will now take my leave. Please be guided of the Entrance Ceremony later on," Chabashira-sensei said before exiting the room.
After Chabashira-sensei left, a guy with dirty blonde hair and the aura of a charismatic social engineer stood up and clapped his hands to gain everyone's attention. It's already obvious that this guy would be popular, but I'm still amazed at how he was able to command most of the class effortlessly.
"Since we're going to be classmates starting today, 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, so what do you guys say?"
"Agreed! After all, we still don't know anything about each other, not even our names," a blonde-haired girl, who tied her hair in a ponytail, said in support.
"What was that all about, Ayanokōji-kun?" I turned my head to my right and saw Horikita looking at me.
"How do you... oh right, Chabashira-sensei did say my last name. Would it be fine if I call you by your name? I couldn't exactly call you Kuro all the time, you know?" I replied.
Horikita nodded. "Feel free," she replied.
Somehow, I felt like I had achieved something that wouldn't normally be achieved.
"I have suspicions about how this school works, Horikita, and I will get to the bottom of it," I replied.
I mindlessly noted that our classmates had begun introducing themselves, but aside from the dirty blonde-haired guy, Hirata Yōsuke, his name was, they were fairly uninteresting, so I continued my conversation with Horikita.
"Wouldn't it be easier if you pushed Chabashira-sensei? I could infer from her wording that there is another way for you to buy that information," Horikita replied.
I mentally applauded her intelligence as her words confirmed that she, too, noticed Chabashira-sensei's strange wording, but it would seem that her knowledge of the situation ended at knowing that something was amiss.
She had no idea about what goes beyond 'Chabashira-sensei implied there's an alternative.'
"I could, but I am willing to gamble that I might not need to do that," I replied.
Horikita looked at me with a curious look on her face. "Do you have a plan?" She asked.
I nodded my head. "I do, but at this point, it's more of a thrown-together hypothesis and no planned-out moves just yet. Would you like to help me?" I asked.
Horikita pursed her lips, and after a couple of seconds, she finally spoke. "I had planned to settle down in my dorm room for the day, but if you had something intriguing planned out, I might accompany you."
"I'll let you know when I have something you might be interested in," I replied.
Horikita decided to just nod, effectively ending our conversation.
As my conversation with Horikita extended, I mentally noted that about ten people had finished their introduction. They were Hirata Yōsuke, Inogashira Kokoro, Miyamoto Soshi, Shinohara Satsuki, Mori Nene, Yuki, Yukimura Teruhiko, Karuizawa Kei, Onodera Kayano, and the beige-haired girl Kushida Kikyō.
Kushida's introduction was by far the longest... as well as the most suspicious. Why did she glance at Horikita when she said none of her peers from her junior high had made it to ANHS? That's a little suspicious, don't you think?
But that's none of my business, I suppose.
After a few people finished their introduction, it was finally Chiaki's turn.
"Ara, it's my turn now, isn't it? Hello, everyone! My name is Matsushita Chiaki, a pleasure to meet you all."
A basic introduction, but considering she sounded welcoming in the first couple of seconds of her introduction as well as her natural beauty, Chiaki would no doubt be popular in our class.
Now that I think about it, most of the girls in the class are beautiful. Even the more plain-looking ones, like Shinohara, only look plain because the other girls are ridiculously good-looking.
After Chiaki was Kōenji, who was seated to her right.
"Excuse me, can you introduce yourself?" Hirata asked.
Kōenji really was living up to his personality of an absolute narcissist; he did not give a damn about what was happening in the class and was simply inspecting his bangs in a hand mirror.
Kōenji threw a side glance toward Hirata before smirking with his eyes closed and flipping his hair.
"Hmph. Fine."
Kōenji placed both of his legs on his desk and introduced himself.
"My name is Kōenji Rokusuke. As the sole male heir to the Kōenji 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, and they would be right.
The blonde menace is an SSR-Tier weirdo.
"Starting today, I will mercilessly punish anyone who makes me uncomfortable. Please exercise proper precaution so that you may avoid that."
Hirata had a worried look on his face. "Eto... what do you mean by that, Kōenji-kun?"
"Exactly what it means."
"Well then, time for the next person. Can you please introduce yourself?"
After Hirata's cue, a beautiful and busty blue-haired woman stood up.
"My name is Hasebe Haruka. I guess I like spicy foods a lot. Nice to meet you."
She seems... shy but not totally withdrawn. We could work on that given she had a rather pretty face.
"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."
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.
No, no, he's probably just a compulsive liar. If so, the rehab he's going into is probably a drug rehabilitation center rather than a medical facility that deals with sports injuries.
"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.
But all he seemed to me was a rabid dog who was needlessly aggressive.
To my surprise, Yuki stood up and walked in the red-haired boy's direction, but instead of her usual smiling face, Yuki sent the red-haired boy a deathly glare.
"Why don't you just introduce yourself instead of causing trouble?"
"What's your problem?" He growled.
I should try to save him from Yuki because who knows what that woman would do if redhead here manages to piss her off.
That said, I turned my head to where the short-fused red-haired guy was before speaking.
"You might as well just humor everyone. Those girls are already glaring at you. We'll be together for three years, man. Besides, aren't you an athlete? You'll definitely be popular if you're a little more approachable," I lied through my teeth.
Even if he manages to be more approachable, he wouldn't be popular because he's not particularly good-looking and looks like a delinquent. Here in Japan, guys like him are avoided like the plague.
But it's not like he's irredeemable. If he could fix some of his personality flaws, he could definitely find someone who'd love him.
"Tch. I suppose you're right. Sudo Ken, I'll be joining the basketball team," Sudo said before he sat back down.
Well, that's basic psychology for you. While Sudo wasn't particularly friendly, he obliged my request. The reason for that was the even tone that I had when speaking to him. For Sudo, I didn't seem as demanding as Hirata and Yuki and simply assumed that I just wanted this to be over. As short-fused as Sudo was, he recognizes that I'm right.
Yuki sent a smile my way before she returned to her seat.
I wonder why she interrupted Sudo...
Oh.
Some students were actually just waiting for someone to muster the courage to leave so they could do the same.
Nice thinking, Yuki!
The introductions continued following Sudo's rather dramatic entry. I mostly tuned out after hearing their names because there really was nothing interesting to them.
"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 pretty girl!"
I think I found Yamauchi-lite over here. But at least he's not completely hopeless as to make up lies.
After Ike, another brown-haired girl stood up and greeted everyone with a smile. "Yahallo! My name is Satō Maya. I like everything fashion, and I want to be a fashion designer someday. Nice to meet you!"
Well, at least there's one normal girl in this class aside from Hasebe. That's good.
"He-Hello. My name is Mei-Yu Wang, and if possible, I'd like it if everyone called me Mii-chan since that's what everyone has been calling me ever since. Nice... to meet you all."
A girl with indigo hair tied up in twin tails and pink-violet eyes introduced herself.
"Miyake Akito. I think I'm fairly athletic, and I'm going to join the Archery Club if this school has it," the dark-magenta-haired boy who sat in front of me said.
As Miyake finished his introduction, I stood up and examined the room. Noticing all their eyes on me, I have to admit I got a little anxious. While my social skills had definitely improved, I still had plenty of ways to go before I'd even be as socially adept as Hirata, Kushida, or Yuki.
"My name is Ayanokōji Kiyotaka. This is my first time to be back in school for quite some time because I got homeschooled for junior high, but I can contribute to the class in terms of academics and other stuff. I also like reading and playing music, so if any of you are interested in that, we could talk about it. I hope to get along with everyone."
It was a simple introduction crafted with the intention of covering up gaps in my social skills. My admittance to being home-schooled, mixed with my outward willingness to work and connect with people, would condition them to be more understanding of my circumstances. I have also capitalized on their assumption of my intelligence from my exchange with Chabashira-sensei earlier.
Overall, I'd say it was a good introduction that was true to my character. I'm satisfied with it.
"Horikita Suzune."
After I sat down, Horikita immediately stood up... and sat back down almost as quickly as she stood up. All she said was her name as if that explained everything.
If that's what she wants, then I'll associate the name Horikita Suzune with the adjectives: pervert, stalker, and fantasizes about innocent bus passengers.
"Are you thinking of something rude just now, Ayanokōji-kun?"
How could she tell? Is she an esper?
"Not in particular," I replied.
"That better be the case," Horikita said as she put her book inside her bag,
Following Horikita, there wasn't anyone of interest, so I ignored the rest of the introductions and began to think about my next moves.
I do know that school introductions are hardly an accurate barometer of someone's potential, but for what I'm planning to do, it would do in terms of helping me gauge the people I will tap to help me out with what I'm going to do.
With what Chabashira-sensei discussed as well as omitted, my next goal is obvious: discovering some secrets of the school so I could determine how I will move moving forward.
Here are my theories:
[1] There is more to the S-System than what Chabashira-sensei had disclosed
[2] There is a specific metric in place to determine how many points a class would be getting per month because I doubt Prime Minister Kijima and his advisers would be so careless as to invest that much money in an institution that only covers high school education. While, indeed, ANHS is home to a lot of state-of-the-art facilities, I don't think the government would willingly spend as much as the handbook would suggest.
[3] There is another currency to consider aside from Private Points, one that, based on Chabashira-sensei's clues, is tied to the class. For now, I will call it Class Points. I do not know what it does at the moment, but it's safe to assume that it's directly tied to Private Points, and it's the relationship between the two that I will be aiming to discover.
[4] With the set of characters in Class D, it is most likely that Class D stands at the very bottom of the school hierarchy... but with Yuki and Chiaki by my side, I don't think it'll be that much of a problem.
With those theories being set, here's the goal: to discover what's being purposely hidden from us and to convince the class to act accordingly, based on what I assume we will discover.
To achieve that, here's what I am going to do:
[1] Since the plan revolves around garnering everyone's trust, I will involve a person that had become quite acquainted and influential in the class. From the introduction, the perfect man for the job is Hirata. With how eager the guy is to unite the class, it would be easy enough to convince him to go along with my plan. All I have to do is to say that this would benefit the class, and he'll work with me.
[2] Gather information from key locations indicated in the handbook: convenience store, cafeteria, and then ask around for people who'd be willing to share anything. Why am I targeting the convenience store and the cafeteria specifically?
It's because it was stated that freebies are being offered there. It might give us a lead.
[3] As soon as we've gathered evidence, I will take advantage of the possibility of buying anything on campus. What am I going to buy? The homeroom schedule. I will be using the homeroom schedule so we can corner everyone in one place and then orient them about our discovery.
While my theories and plans were based on assumption, I could guarantee that I would succeed with what I was planning to do.
Now, it's just a matter of implementation and actualization. I just hope that I have chosen the right people for the job.
Haaaah. What a way to start my first day of school.
End of Chapter
A/N:
I come to the assumption that even Canonkouji had figured out how ANHS worked from the get-go, and if not from the get-go, once one of his suspicions was confirmed. He's able to make more educated guesses because he was actively looking for information in this story, and let's face it, all Kiyo needs is one slip-up to discern what is actually going on.
1. In this timeline, Horikita is a little more tolerant of Kiyo despite their even more disastrous (and funnier) first meeting simply because Horikita wasn't disgusted by Kiyo's supposed mentality. Horikita isn't dumb. She realizes that Kiyo's defense has some merits to them, but of course, she's not going to let that go right away because she still has her pride.
2. Horikita refused to change seats with Yuki because Kushida was seated behind Yuki.
3. Yuki WILL remember what Horikita did and will think of her as another woman after Kiyo's heart.
4. Horikita has some level of recognition for Kiyo because of the questions he asked. She's also intrigued because of how he opted to ignore the supposedly 'obvious' next step.
5. 1-D is still defective in this story, but its severity will lean more towards how canon had treated them and not with how stupidly dumb they are in fanfics. But just because people are dumb doesn't mean they can't understand common sense. Kiyo's questions made total sense which was why they were able to think about it.
6. Kiyo still didn't help the old woman because he found no reason to do so. Besides, he's with Chiaki, and he thinks that Chiaki might be upset if he does give up his seat. This means that he doesn't have a relationship with Kushida... but Kushida would remember him for the rib he pulled on our favorite Perfect Existence. (Kouenji X Old Lady)
Chapter 2 will be a little shorter as it'll essentially just be showing how Kiyo's plan works and what would be its rewards