The Odd One Out
By : CJDGOAT
...
Chapter 1
Chapter 1.1 - Dilemma
Today marks the start of April, and the start of my new school life at the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School.
I am currently riding the bus to school, lost in my own thoughts. Over the course of my education, I've always only had my own thoughts to keep me company, but hopefully, that all changes today.
The chances of that happening are quite slim though. After all, my identity had been leaked to the entire population of Japan.
The Demon of the Fourth Generation.
A monster among humans.
An empty shell.
An artificial genius with no emotions.
Needless to say, I've become quite the celebrity, although for rather unfortunate reasons. People on the internet started calling me names. Some people were scared of me, while others, on the other hand, wanted to meet me in person to see what I'm really like. Luckily for me, they know my name but not my face. For now, I'm not the center of attention... yet.
I remember reading some comments on the internet about me.
"Isn't society in danger if he's outside now?"
"Kukuku... I want to meet him so I can beat him up with my own two fists and make him suffer even more"
"What an interesting story, an artificial genius they say fufufu..."
The internet sure is a weird place filled with weird people, to say the least.
Not only that, it seems like the news haven't died down. In the bus, everyone seems to be talking about it.
"Have you seen the news about the White Room?"
"I can't believe something like that existed for 20 years..."
"Have you seen the files about that Ayanokouji guy? He seems scary... I can't help but think of him as a demon."
"I mean... he is called the Demon of the Fourth Generation."
"If I were to guess, he's probably really ugly in person."
Looks like school is going to be a lot tougher than I would've imagined. But I've already made up my mind, there's no going back now.
I've always been curious. I've always wanted to further my knowledge and to know what life outside the White Room was like.
Curiosity is like the engine of the human body. Science would say it's the heart. Psychology would say it's the brain. But curiosity is what pushes us to experience new things, feel new feelings and new emotions, see new sights, absorb new information, and invent new technology. Remove curiosity from humanity, and we'd still be living in the Stone Age. As some people would say, curiosity is the engine of achievement.
One of the reasons why I initially wanted to attend here at Tokyo's elite high school is to see for myself what it's like to be a normal high school student, and to see how society works with my own eyes. I've only ever read about these things in books, so I've never really had first hand experiences when it comes to these things.
Up until two and a half weeks ago, my initial plan was to enter this school as an average student with no particular talents except piano, calligraphy and tea ceremony, but fate decided to give me a friendly reminder that I can't control my own life, I guess.
The truth is that I'm not particularly happy nor sad about these news, I'm indifferent like I always have been. If I were to pick one positive outcome though, it would be that that man is currently serving life sentence in prison, and I'll probably never see him ever again.
"Excuse me, but shouldn't you give up your seat?"
Huh? Is someone already talking to me? It seems like I have been lost in my own thoughts. I looked in front of me to see a young, well-built blonde man that had sat down in one of the priority seats being scolded by a young lady, probably an office worker, with an elderly woman standing next to her. Luckily, I was not the one being scolded, I don't want to get involved in their mess.
"Hey! Can't you see that this elderly woman is having trouble just standing? You should offer your seat to her."
"What a crazy question, lady," the boy answered. "Why should I give up my seat for her? There's no reason for me to do so."
I curiously observed the scene happening in front of my eyes. I wonder how this will turn out.
If it causes too much commotion though, I might just have to take matters into my own hands and give up my seat myself.
"It's only natural for you to offer your seat to the elderly woman, plus you're sitting in a priority seat. Where are your manners?"
"Manners? Stop talking nonsense, lady. Manners are illusions in today's society. If manners truly existed, why do we need priority seats? Going by your logic, shouldn't everyone sitting on this bus offer their seat to the elderly woman? Why should I give mine up only because I happen to sit on a priority seat? Why should I inconvenience myself for the sake of this woman over her just because she happens to be older than I am? A perfect existence such as myself shouldn't have to bow down to others' orders."
I can't say that the boy is in the wrong here. Certainly if you look purely on the legal side of things, the boy has no reason whatsoever to give up his seat. However, I can't deny that it's quite disrespectful to the elderly woman, to say the least. The elderly are extremely respected here in Japan and hold tremendous value. The same could be said about the young population though, they are the future of Japan after all.
Lost for words, the office lady decided to give up, and sincerely apologized to the elderly woman.
This might be the opportunity for me to make a good first impression.
"Um... excuse me? You can have my seat," I said to the elderly woman as I stood up.
"Thank you very much!" the elderly woman responded as the office lady looks at me with a bright smile on her face.
The other passengers on the bus looked as though they were thankful that I dealt with the matter. I assume nobody wanted this commotion to go on even longer than it already had.
If only they knew who I really was.
I was now standing up in the bus, bobbling and shaking.
Finally, some peace...
"Hey, thank you so much for giving up your seat. If you hadn't done so, I think I would've stepped in myself."
I looked to my right to see a girl wearing my high school's uniform smiling, thanking me for giving up my seat. However, something feels a bit off about her smile, almost as if she's hiding another side of herself. Anyways, I guess I'll play along for now.
"It's nothing, it felt like the right thing."
"You seem like a good person! Nobody from my middle school made it to this school, so it's nice meeting you! I hope we can be good friends."
So far, so good. She hasn't asked for my name yet.
"Yeah, nobody from my middle school survived either."
"Hahaha... survived... that's a funny way of saying it I guess."
If only she knew the truth behind my words.
"Anyways, my name is Kushida Kikyou. I'm from Class D. What's your name?"
Crap... I really hoped that she wouldn't ask for my name. I didn't want this to happen this early.
If I tell her my name, chances are she'll know who I am, and that might cause an even bigger commotion on the bus. I don't really wish for that to happen, if I were to be honest. If I were really desperate, I would ask her to keep my identity hidden for the time being, but that's a rather unlikely possibility.
If I make up a fake name, it'll just cause more problems in the future. I know I can't hide my identity forever here, so I might as well just get it over with right now. She'll probably never trust me if she learns that I told her a fake name, and I don't want that to happen either. After all, she might be a useful tool for me in the future. I don't really want to deal with all of this right now though, it's a bit too early in the morning for me to be the center of everyone's attention.
I'm currently stuck in what you would call a dilemma. A dilemma can be seen as two opposite desires of the same strength fighting against each other. Two forces of the same magnitude in the opposite direction. Who will win? Who will get the better of the other? Theoretically speaking, there's no winner, since by definition, both have the same strength. This is where free will comes in. One with free will is able to, arbitrarily, chose an option from two option that are equally attractive. Generally speaking, having free will can be seen as having the capacity to chose not only between different courses of action, but also between different mindsets. For an individual with free will, the phrase "I have no other choice" doesn't exist. In philosophy, free will is often defined as the capacity to "want whatever we want", and is often seen as an ability exclusive to humans, although some philosophers would argue that no species has free will and that free will is an illusion created by society.
Many people confuse freedom and free will. While they do illustrate somewhat the same idea, freedom is rather physical and free will is rather psychological. I once read that freedom can be defined generally as "doing what one wants", although many philosophers have different definitions. Free will, on the other hand, can be defined as "thinking how one wants". That, I'd say, is the main difference between the two.
Free will and freedom, huh?
For as long as I've been alive, I've never once felt like I was in control of my actions. Almost as if everything about my life was already determined and my path was already laid out in front of my own eyes.
"Kiyotaka, you will be the one to rule over Japan. I have high expectations for you, don't disappoint me."
I've heard that phrase so many times I've lost count, but is that the path I want to follow? What is it that I truly want? I've never given it much thought until lately.
"So... Ayanokouji-kun, I know you have decided to attend the Advanced Nurturing High School, but how are you going to deal with the news? Everyone knows about you and your past now."
"I think I have already decided on how I want to tackle things, Matsuo. However, I would like to hear your thoughts on the matter."
"Well, to be honest, I think people will know who you are on the very first day, whether you want to or not. Whether you decide to hide your talents or not, your extraordinary abilities will be known to everyone, so what you do about that is up to you. Whatever your intentions are, you will be known as Ayanokouji Kiyotaka from the White Room. However, I will tell you this. I have my sources, and apparently, the 100% employment and college entry rate mentioned by the school is a huge bluff. I know you got put into Class D, but the truth is, only those that graduate from Class A have all the benefits. I don't know the details, but I do know that there is a hierarchy of classes based on a point system and one class can surpass another. It's up to you if you want to try and graduate from Class A. If it were me, I would probably decide to aim for Class A, and you certainly have to capacities for that."
"I see. As always, Matsuo, thanks for your advice. I will take into consideration what you just said in my decision making. Well, I'll be going now, thank you for taking care of me this year. I hope we meet again in three years."
"Take care, Ayanokouji-kun. I hope you enjoy your new school life to the fullest," Matsuo bid me farewell with a smile as I left the mansion and walked to the bus station.
What Matsuo just said could prove to be crucial information for my future choices. If I were to graduate from Class A, I would be able to easily go to college, for example. Though, the truth is, my knowledge already surpassed that of an average human when I turned 4. Right now, I might have more knowledge than every single living human combined, so going to college seems rather useless to me at the moment. However, the reality is that Class A may be a path to freedom. Graduating from Class A will open an endless amount of doors for my future. With that man not around anymore, I feel like I finally have my future in the palm of my own hands.
Do I want to go against my biological father and graduate as Class D? That would show the world that a such thing as a perfect human doesn't exist, although I would have to intentionally hold back. When I think about it, revenge at this point in time is pointless. That man is already in prison after all. What I do shouldn't be based on him, but based on what I want to do. That man doesn't and shouldn't matter to me.
That leaves me with the other option, do I want to graduate as Class A in hopes of a future full of freedom? Do I want to do what I always have done, that is to stand at the top no matter what?
In other terms...
Do I want to win?
I should probably give Kushida my answer. While for many, saying your name is something rather trivial, this very moment will prove to be a crucial turning point in my life.
"Kiyotaka... no matter what, you must always remember this. To have great power and refuse to use it to your advantage, is something only a fool would do."
I won't enter this school as an average student.
Why should I be average? That's not who I am.
Why should I adapt to others? They don't matter to me. They're not me, I'm not them.
The only thing that matters is my victory. It doesn't matter what needs to be done.
I will enter this school as Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, Masterpiece of the Demonic Fourth Generation of the White Room.
"I'm Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. Pleasure meeting you."
.
.
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Chapter 1.2 - First impressions
"I'm Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. Pleasure meeting you."
Those are the words I decided to say to Kushida.
Judging from her behavior and my first impressions, she seems like someone who acts friendly to others no matter what, even if she has to hide her true self. If that's truly her way of life, she isn't the worst person to tell my identity to.
"A-A-Ayanokouji... K-Kiyotaka..." Kushida muttered, seemingly shocked, as a few people who eavesdropped also heard me.
"Oh so you're the Ayanokouji Kiyotaka? What a surprise! I hope we can get along!" she continued while putting her smile back on her face.
She certainly knows how to put on a mask, I'll give her that.
"Likewise," I felt as though this was a good enough answer.
Although Kushida reacted better than I thought she would, it was not long after that the bus became quiet. I heard whispers all around me. Seems like that's the end of my peaceful yet extremely short life. There was a suffocating atmosphere inside the bus. I suddenly became the center of everyone's attention. All eyes were on me, well, excluding those of a certain blonde boy who was looking at himself in a mirror.
"Hey... is that... Ayanokouji Kiyotaka?"
"He actually looks handsome..."
"What's up with those eyes? They look... empty..."
"What is someone like him doing here?"
"Idiot, can't you see he's wearing our school's uniform?"
Luckily, it wasn't long before we arrived at the school's entrance. As I got off the bus, I could feel the eyes of the other passengers staring at me. The young boys and girls dressed in school uniform hurriedly passed through the entrance gate as I stared at the entrance of my new high school.
"Well... I'll see you around, Ayanokouji-kun!"
Seems like I've made my first acquaintance. That went... well, I guess.
This is my new school, huh?
It certainly didn't look bad. In fact, once I passed through the gate, I could see how gigantic this school really was. The Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School was a school established by the Japanese government in hopes of nurturing young graduates that will lead Japan in the future. It is known as the most prestigious high school in Japan and one can see why once they step foot inside the campus. The area of the campus was about 600,000 square meters. The school could easily be compared to a small city. One can find anything and everything at this school. From clothing stores and karaoke bars to fancy restaurants and libraries, this school clearly had it all. For the average high school student, attending this school certainly is like living the dream.
But I'm not here as an average high school student.
Right now, rumors about Ayanokouji Kiyotaka attending this school haven't spread yet, but it's only a matter of time before my name becomes known to the entirety of the student body. I walked towards the gymnasium where the entrance ceremony will take place as I felt occasional glares towards my direction.
I wish I could say that my first impression is that the people here are like normal high school students, but the truth is, I don't know what it's like to be normal. The majority of students seem to be quite excited and happy, but then again, I can only guess how they feel based on the words' definitions.
What does it mean to be normal? Does being normal mean to be average? By definition, to be average is to have no outstanding qualities nor flaws. People might describe others as smart or dumb, beautiful or ugly, interesting or boring, tall or short, etc... Being average would mean being exactly in the middle of two opposing adjectives. Hence, someone average would be someone that's neither smart nor dumb, neither beautiful nor ugly, etc... That is the definition of being average. But being normal is another issue. Is it normal for someone to score perfect 50s in entrance exams? Is it normal for someone to be perfectly average? The answer is obviously no. If you're someone who's perfectly average, you are far from the norm. So, what is it truly like to be normal?
Over the course of these three years, I hope I can learn more about society and behavior, as well as answer some of my many questions. How do these students think? What are their goals? What are their motives for attending this school? Is what I read in books true in the world outside the White Room?
It seems I'm lost in my thoughts again.
I decided to quickly make my way to the school gymnasium, as the entrance ceremony was about to begin.
Needless to say, the entrance ceremony was something I wouldn't want to experience twice. The principal decided to put us all to sleep by making his speech dull and boring. Many students started to feel irritated and tired. The student council president, who seemed quite intimidating for many first-years, also exchanged a few words. Very few students looked at me, meaning that not many knew of my presence. I'm guessing the news haven't spread yet due to the fact that talking during the ceremony would be seen as disrespectful. By the end of the day, my status will significantly change, for better or for worse.
It'd definitely be a pain if everyone becomes afraid of me on the first day.
For me, there are two possible outcomes once someone learns my identity.
Either they will fear me, and distance themselves from me because of my reputation as the Demon of the White Room and as a human with no emotions. They might even hate me and try to face off against me.
Or they will be curious, want to learn more about me, and see for themselves if the rumors are true, and if I am who they think I am.
These are somewhat natural reactions, I'd say. Facing the unknown, one tends to either protect themselves by fleeing, or satisfy their curiosity by getting closer, and high school students are no exception.
Since the ceremony ended, I started making my way to my classroom. Everyone did the same. If you were to zoom out of the picture and look at the situation from an aerial point of view, it would look like a group of insects crawling towards the same destination. I was among a huge group of students, all the same age, all roughly the same height as me, all human, but I felt like I was the odd one out.
Some people already made friends, while others were still a bit shy. As for me, I was wondering how I should enter the classroom. Would people already know me by then? Should I introduce myself? Should I try and get to know other people?
I've already made up my mind.
Obviously, rumors started spreading like wildfire. The majority knew that Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was a student attending the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School. While that fact was already printed into the minds of the students, most of them still didn't know what I looked like. I guess only those who were on the same bus as me this morning knew my face, even then, some couldn't get a good look at my face.
The environment here was so different, it felt like I was in an anime where the main character had been reincarnated as someone from another world. As I got closer to my classroom, I saw most students excitedly talking to each other in their respective classrooms. My class, Class 1-D, was all the way at the end of the hallway, so I got a good glance at the three other classrooms and the people in them. None of them seemingly noticed me, expect for a petite girl with lilac colored hair, violet eyes and a cane who stared at me with curiosity and a smug face. I wonder who she is and how she immediately seemed to have recognized me.
Class 1-D... here it is.
As I entered the classroom, I immediately noticed Kushida looking at me. It seems like she already made a bunch of friends and was in the middle of a conversation with them. As expected of someone who puts up such an act in front of others.
"What's wrong Kushida?"
"Um... no it's nothing! So what were we talking about?"
She decided to not let anyone know of my identity yet, which was an interesting choice. I walked towards the seat that had my nameplate on it. It was in the back row, next to the window, the ideal seat if you ask me. As I looked around, I saw the classroom gradually filling up with new faces. Many of them were already having conversations with one another and having a good time. For them though, it seems like the topic of their conversations were revolving around me. Well, they don't know that I'm Ayanokouji Kiyotaka yet, but I guess that can wait.
"Hey have you heard about Ayanokouji Kiyotaka? Apparently he's attending this school like us!"
"No way! I wonder what he's like... maybe he's actually handsome and cute! I wonder what class he's in..."
"Are you guys not scared of him... I mean have you seen the files about him on the internet?"
"Yeah... but I can't help but feel bad for him, you know... have you seen what he's been through?"
It certainly feels weird hearing people talk about you when they don't know you're listening to their conversations.
I heard the chair next to me moving, and, as I turn around, I see a girl with long black hair staring at me. I remember her, she was sitting next to me on the bus before I got up and gave up my seat for the elderly woman. She looked at me as if she can't believe her eyes. She awkwardly sat down next to me as she started minding her own business.
Seems like she'll just ignore me from the time being, huh? Wait, why is she taking out a compass?
"For safety measures," she suddenly said. It's as if she can read my mind. I guess she's not that afraid of me either, which was good to see.
"Understood," is what I decided to say.
"Horikita Suzune's the name. I guess you aren't as bad as what I thought you would be."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
The wise move here is to not say anything unnecessary.
"You know what I mean. Anyways, if you're curious, I don't plan and telling your identity to others. I'd much rather not get involved in their shenanigans. I'll just pretend as if it's the first time I'm meeting you, I assume you're fine with that."
She's surprisingly bold. If I were to take a wild guess, she definitely has a superiority complex.
"Sure."
I sure suck at conversations.
It wasn't long before our homeroom teacher entered the classroom. If I had to guess her age, I'd say it was probably around thirty. She wore a suit and had delicate features. Her hair was long and tied into a ponytail. I looked around and saw a few familiar faces. Among them were Kushida, Horikita, and the blonde boy who were all on the same bus ride as me this morning.
"Ahem. Good morning to you, students. I'm the instructor for Class D. My name is Chabashira Sae. I usually teach Japanese history. However, at this school, we do not change classrooms for each grade. For the next three years, I'll be acting as your homeroom teacher, so I hope to get to know all of you. It's a pleasure to meet you all."
I can see her quickly looking at me. The teachers at this school definitely know who I am and what I look like, and Chabashira-sensei is surely no exception.
"I will now distribute written materials with information about this school's special rules. I will also hand out the admissions guide."
The students in the front row passed back the familiar documents I'd received after being accepted.
Chabashira-sensei then told us about the school's unique system: 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."
She emphasized on the word anything, which was interesting. I assume even ridiculous things such as transferring classes and test points can be bought using points. Seems like having a large amount of points can really give you the advantage here. Good to know.
"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."
After everyone took a few seconds to process what she just said, the classroom erupted. However, the way Chabashira-sensei explained the S System leaves plenty of room for misunderstanding. One might easily think that we would get 100,000 points every month, but that's not what she said. Based on her wording, I assume the amount of points we get every month may vary.
"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 restrain-"
Now that is the missing piece of the puzzle. Our points are based on our worth, meaning that if we were to mess around in class, for example, we would probably get less points the following month. I looked around the class, but it seems like everyone is still shocked by the amount of points we're getting, not understanding that next month won't necessarily be the same. Many students couldn't hide their surprise and excitement as they talked about what they should spend their points on, but nobody had a clue about the hidden meaning of her explanation.
These are the students that are supposed to lead Japan in the future?
For anyone who would take a step back and ponder on the situation, a 100,000 yen monthly allowance is too good to be true. However, most students couldn't be bothered. For them, they were living in paradise.
"I'm so glad I enrolled in this school!"
"I know right, this school is just thebest!"
Before I arrived here, Matsuo told me about the hierarchy of the classes that was based on points. Of course, I believed him, as there is no denying Matsuo's reliability when it comes to these things. Since we're in Class D, I assume we're the lowest of the bunch. If I were to describe these students, I would call them defects. Combining this piece of information with our homeroom teacher's explanation, I assume that there is another type of points, class points, that is different from the private points every individual has. Based on our behavior over the course of the month, our class points may decrease. It's unlikely they can increase based on behavior alone, so there must be another to gain class points. All four classes probably have 1000 class points right now, and that number will change each month. Why 1000 class points? It seems unlikely that we're currently all at 100 class points, as that number seems too low for such a system. On the other hand, 10000 class points seems like too much as that'd make each class points way less valuable. Therefore, I assume classes A, B, C, and D all have 1000 class points, and starting next month, the classes will be ordered based on their number of class points. For each class point we have at the beginning of the month, we'll all get 100 private points each, which is why we all received 100,000 points.
The thought of letting everyone know about this crossed my mind, but I decided against it. After all, I really couldn't be bothered. A side of me wanted to see how they'd react if they ever figure this out. Truth is, we'll probably have 0 class points come May 1st, and hopefully those idiots will finally snap out of their fantasies.
After our homeroom teacher finished talking, she left the classroom and let us talk to each other.
"Everyone, can you please listen to me for a moment?"
A young man with blonde hair and brown eyes who looked like an honors student suddenly spoke up.
"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. What do you say?"
"Agreed! After all, we still don't know a thing about each other, not even our names," someone shouted.
I knew this moment would come soon enough.
"My name's Hirata Yousuke. Back in junior high, lots of people called me Yousuke, so 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!"
And with that, Hirata ended his introduction. He seemed exceptionally brave and open minded. He'll definitely be one of the most popular first-years judging from the reactions around the classroom, especially the girls'. He's definitely going to be one of the class leaders.
Soon after, people started introducing themselves one by one. Hirata decided to start from the front, which was fine by me, as I was sitting in the back. Now it was Kushida's turn to introduce herself.
"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!"
I wonder why she had to mention the fact that none of her friends from junior high are at this school. She's probably hiding something from her past, I should definitely keep an eye on her behavior. As Kushida finished her introduction, the next person started to prepare.
"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!"
What a pervert, and I wouldn't be surprised if he's the only one. So much for the future of Japan.
Needless to say, the girls were disgusted by his introduction. Anyways, the person next to him introduced themselves.
"I'm Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, masterpiece of the White Room. I'm a genius! I hope I get along with all of you, especially with you girls! I'm smart, athletic, handsome, I'm the perfect boyfriend!"
What the hell?
The classroom was quiet. A few seconds went by before Ike spoke up.
"Pssst... that's not something to joke about Yamauchi."
With that, the atmosphere in the classroom felt much lighter.
"Come on, dude! Couldn't you let me have my moment of glory?" Yamauchi said.
"That was too far man, you shouldn't joke about that. You know that he's in our school right?"
Some girls started taking to each other.
"How pathetic, using someone else's name just to get some attention from girls, what a loser."
"Yeah seems like we have our second pervert."
"That's enough, Yamauchi. How about you give us a real introduction?" Hirata interrupted.
"Fine... well, 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 got hurt during the inter-high school championships, though, and I'm undergoing rehab now. Nice to meet you!"
That doesn't sound any more real nor believable, Yamauchi.
Anyways, as introductions continued. I started to memorize all the faces and names of my classmates. The names I remembered include Hirata Yousuke, Kushida Kikyou, Horikita Suzune, Karuizawa Kei, Hasebe Haruka, Miyake Akito, Sudou Ken, Maya Satou, and, of course, the two perverts. On a side note, the blonde guy who refused to give up his seat on the bus is apparently called Kouenji Rokusuke. I don't know how my classmates got that information, since he left as soon as we all started to introduce ourselves.
After Horikita's turn, it was my turn to introduce myself. I saw her and Kushida looking at me curiously, wondering how the class will react.
Should I try to loosen up the atmosphere? Should I assert my dominance? For now, I think it's best to keep things simple so that I don't mess up my introduction.
"I'm Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. It's nice to meet you. I hope we can all get along."
"..."
The room was filled with silence once again.
"Hahaha... what the heck dude! That joke's boring now!" Ike shouted.
"Yeah! You couldn't come up with a more original joke than me! You're lame!" Yamauchi followed.
Sigh. Not only are they perverts, they're also idiots.
"Um... guys... he's not joking..." Kushida told everyone. Suddenly, Ike and Yamauchi turned dead silent.
"You see, I met Ayanokouji-kun on the bus this morning... and he was actually really nice! I mean... he even gave up his seat for an elderly woman! So yeah... I hope we can all get along with him and be friends with him since, as you all know, he had a rather rough childhood..."
I knew giving up my seat was the right choice. Thank you, Kushida.
"... He's Ayanokouji Kiyotaka?" someone whispered.
"I didn't expect him to look like this... he's kind of... handsome..." a girl muttered.
"Damn I messed up making that joke... I hope he doesn't kill me..." I wonder who said that.
My classmates all started muttering and whispering, but Hirata decided to break the awkward atmosphere.
"Are you really Ayanokouji Kiyotaka?" Hirata asked me.
A boring question deserves a boring answer.
"Affirmative."
"Hahahaha... this guy is actually so funny what the hell! Who knew Ayanokouji would be a guy like him!"
"Well, he does seem like some sort of robot... like what are these answers hahaha!"
Apparently I'm now Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, comedian of the White Room.
On a serious note, just like that, my new classmates changed their opinions about me. Thanks to Kushida's intervention, they'll see me more or less as someone who's had a rough childhood. Perhaps I'll even get special treatment from some of them, who knows?
Seems like everything's going exactly according to plan.
"Let's exchange contact information, Ayanokouji-kun!"
"Yeah! I want to have the artificial genius in my contacts too!"
"Let's be friends, Ayanokouji-kun!"
"Can I have your autograph, Ayanokouji?!"
This class is filled with a bunch of weird people.
With that, the series of introductions ended.
After we all finished talking, we decided to all leave the classroom. I looked at my phone, I already had 10 people in my contacts, including Hirata, Kushida, Horikita, Karuisawa, Hasebe, Sudou, Miyake, and others.
Everything went rather well, to say the least.
It's amusing how people are so naive.
.
.
.
Chapter 1.3 - Deception
Many say "first impressions are everything." Is that necessarily true?
I tend to agree with the statement. When you meet someone, your first impression of them will more often than not determine how you see that person. If you have a good first impression of someone, you'll think of them highly and have a positive opinion about that person. On the other hand, if you have a bad first impression, it'll be hard for you to approach that person in the future since you'll have a negative opinion about them.
Therefore, if you have a wrong first impression of someone, you might find yourself betrayed in the future.
The students in Class D all seem to have had a good first impression of me. As introductions ended, we all decided to leave the classroom.
The vast majority headed towards the dorms, and the rest decided to explore the huge campus and spend some points.
I still felt eyes staring into my soul as I walked alongside students from all four classes. I guess I can't even hide in plain sight anymore.
Walking next to me were Kushida and Hirata who were having a casual conversation. I was minding my own business... until they decided to include me in their conversation.
"Seems like you're not such a bad guy after all, Ayanokouji-kun. I'm glad you're not the demon that everyone on the internet talks about, you actually seem like a cool dude," Hirata said.
"Yeah! Even on the bus this morning, you seemed like quite the gentleman," Kushida chuckled.
"I guess," I responded.
Many other students from other classes were obviously eavesdropping on our conversation. Once they heard my name, I became the talk of the town again.
"So that's Ayanokouji Kiyotaka?"
"He doesn't seem that bad to be honest..."
"Still, I'm going to be wary of him... his eyes are scary..."
"Seems like you're famous, Ayanokouji-kun," Hirata mentioned, "I hope all this attention doesn't bother you..."
"Don't worry about it Hirata. And also, just calling me Ayanokouji is fine. You can drop the honorifics," I responded. By saying this, I can probably get closer to Hirata. As I think he'll naturally become the class leader, this seems like the obvious choice to make.
"Well, if you say so, Ayanokouji."
As we continued our small talk, we quickly arrived near the dormitory.
"Well, I'll meet up with some of my friends soon, so I'll go on ahead. Later, Ayanokouji!" Kushida shouted as she walked away.
"I have plans too, so I guess this is where we part ways, see you guys tomorrow!" Hirata said with a smile.
"Sure."
I really need to become better at conversations.
"Here's the keycard for your room as well as a handbook containing information about the dorm's rules. Enjoy your stay!"
At the reception desk, I received a keycard for my room and a handbook. 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, huh.
I initially assumed that the school would deduct the cost from our points, but it seems like that won't be the case. On a side note, 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.
I look at my card, it seems like I'll be staying in Room 401 for the next three years.
401, huh?
"Subject 4-01, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, you are making tremendous progress. Keep working hard, or else you'll be disposed like the rest of your generation."
At the White Room, rather than being known by our names, we all had a number that defined us. The first number represented our generation. In my case, I was part of the Fourth Generation, hence the 4. Since my father had high hopes of me and he was the one in charge of the Fourth Generation, I was registered as the first subject. Therefore, I became Subject 4-01 of the White Room.
Now here I am, holding the keycard to Room 401.
Coincidences can be freaky.
I entered the elevator along with two other students and pressed on the button for the fourth floor. The two other students, who were both girls, looked at me. They must've thought I couldn't notice them staring at me, but little did they know I could see their reflections in the mirror.
One of the girls had mid-back length silver hair that had black ribbons tied behind it and had light purplish eyes. She was also carrying a book in her hands, it seems like she's quite the reader.
The other had long strawberry-blonde, pinkish hair and blue eyes. She possessed a rather well-endowed figure, to say the least. Judging from the looks, she'll probably become one of the most popular girls in the whole school. I can definitely see how many would find her attractive and alluring.
Once the elevator arrived at the third floor, the girl with silver hair left while avoiding eye contact and I was left with the other girl.
I initially thought this awkward encounter would end like this, but she started speaking to me, much to my surprise.
"Um... are you Ayanokouji Kiyotaka?"
"Yes."
"Um... well, my name is Ichinose Honami from Class B, it's nice to meet you Ayanokouji-kun. I hope we can get along!"
"Likewise. Pleasure meeting you, Ichinose."
With that, Ichinose started to smile. I could tell she felt relieved upon hearing my response. As the elevator arrived on the fourth floor, I started walking out.
"Well, I'll see you around, Ayanokouji-kun!"
"Likewise."
I really need to start coming up with new words. My creativity has hit a new low.
I opened the door to my room, it was definitely more spacious than I had imagined. My room was about eight tatami mats wide. There was a kitchen that was separated from the bedroom. The bed itself seemed quite comfortable and big. I put the papers that Chiyabashira-sensei distributed to us during homeroom on my desk and I laid down on my already-made bed, still in my school uniforms. I would be living alone starting from today, which was a new experience for me. After staring at the ceiling for quite a bit while lost in my thoughts, I decided to get up and head out. Looking at my phone, I saw that it was almost 1PM, so I decided to check out the campus by myself, and perhaps find a place to grab a quick lunch.
Isn't freedom simply the best? When I wanted to eat something, I could eat it. When I wanted to sleep, I could sleep. When I wanted to go outside and take a walk, I could do exactly that.
A new life.
So far, I was satisfied with how things were. I locked the door and took the elevator. To my surprise, nobody was in the elevator, so I head down and left the dormitory to head towards the main part of the campus.
I passed by the convenience store. Looking through the window I saw Sudou in line as well as Horikita checking out some items. I decided that it was best if I checked out the convenience store while returning to the dorms, otherwise I would have to carry my grocery bags everywhere I go.
I saw a three students who looked like third-years waiting outside the convenience store. What were they waiting for? As a precaution, I sent a text message to Horikita.
[There are 3 third-years outside the convenience store. Keep an eye on Sudou, if anyone tries to provoke him by insulting him, keep your distance and take a video. After a few moments, show them the video and ask for half their points as a compensation for deleting the video from your phone.]
Based on my first impressions of Sudou, he certainly seemed like the type to be extremely short-tempered. Therefore, he would be an obvious and easy target for anyone if they tried to set him up. Also, by having Horikita, instead me, help him out, her image might start changing for the better. She might eventually become a good leader for Class D.
As I continued walking, I came across plenty of cafés and small shops before I entered the Keyaki Mall.
This place had everything, I was impressed by the variety of shops and restaurants in it. I can definitely see this as a popular area for students to hang out. Speaking of which, many students looked at me, although I could tell it was mostly out of curiosity. I could tell most of them were hesitant to come up and talk to me. It was only the first day and this place is filled with students from all three years by the looks of it.
After checking out the rest of campus, I had a rough idea of where everything was. As I started heading back to the convenience store, I received a message from Horikita.
[I don't know how... but your plan actually worked... you really creep me out. Thank you for helping out, I guess. I feel bad taking all those points for myself, so I decided to give you half of the points I got. I'll transfer some points to you now.]
Wait, is her character development happening already?
Well, although I guessed that Horikita had somewhat of a superiority complex, she didn't seem like the type of person who would selfishly take all the credit for something she wasn't fully responsible for. So I guess you can say I sort of expected this to happen.
A few minutes later, I received the points from Horikita. I looked at my total balance, almost 700,000 points. Seems like she felt quite generous. Today's my lucky day, I guess.
I decided to finally check out the convenience store myself, and after, head back to the dormitory.
Everything had prices, and, based on their values, it really did seem like one point was worth one yen. The store's prices seemed quite reasonable. But, I noticed something interesting in my peripheral vision.
Free items, huh?
The convenience store was offering free items. Each student was limited to three free items per month, which further supports my theory behind private points. It seems like students can run out of points. If we truly did get 100,000 points per month, we would never run out of points. The fact that they put out items like this convinced me of my idea. The average freshman's allowance is around 5,000 yen, so the amount of points we got obviously seemed impossibly large. Too bad my classmates can't take a hint.
I decided to buy basic things such as kitchen tools, ingredients, and other necessities. I also bought some cup noodles since I've always wanted to try some out for myself. I happened to be quite hungry as well. I made my way to the queue to wait line. The line was quite long, so I expected to wait for a bit.
"Ayanokouji-kun?"
I turned around, only to find Ichinose along with two of her friends. It seems like they were hanging out and decided to stop by the supermarket as well. I guess a conversation with them wouldn't hurt. After all, we were all waiting in line.
"Hey, Ichinose. So you decided to stop by here too, huh?"
Her other friends seemed rather hesitant. Perhaps they're being cautious around me.
"Oh~ what's this about, Honami? It's the first day and you're already friends with the most popular person in school."
"Hehe~ you sure move fast. I get you though, who knew the Ayanokouji Kiyotaka would be someone this handsome?"
Never mind.
"Hey, come on, what are you guys talking about? Isn't it normal to get to know other people on the first day of school? Sorry about this, Ayanokouji-kun. I guess I should introduce you to my friends."
"Hey there, Ayanokouji-kun! I'm Kobashi Yume, nice to meet you!"
"I'm Amikura Mako! You can trust me to be your reliable wingwoman hehe~"
"Well, nice to meet you, Amikura and Kobashi," I simply said.
"Look, Ayanokouji-kun. Everyone knows about you in Class B. The truth is, even though everyone knows about your past and your reputation, we all want to help you so please, let us all be friends! Let's exchange phone numbers!" Ichinose exclaimed.
"As expected from Honami, seems like he'll be the first boy in your contacts eh~" Amikura teasingly replied.
Her friends sure are troublesome.
"Okay, sure," I handed them my phone and let them add me to their contacts.
"Woah... you already have this many people in your contacts? Seems like you're quite the popular one, Ayanokouji-kun."
After, they handed me back my phone, we continued our small talk until it was my turn to pay.
"So it really does work like a credit card," I muttered.
"The school is so amazing isn't it?"
"Yeah, to think they'll give us this many points for us to spend, what a life!"
"I don't think this will last though, after all, we might not receive the same number of points each month," I replied.
"So you think so too, Ayanokouji-kun? I do think the teachers left out some details on purpose for us to figure out." Seems like Ichinose is more clever than the defects in my class, as expected from someone who's in Class B.
"Yeah, I think the truth is far from what we might think at first."
"Oh, really. Have you figured it out?"
I went on to explain to them how I think the system really works. They were shocked by how much I could understand purely based on the teacher's explanation,
"Wow, you sure are smart, Ayanokouji-kun. I guess you're not called an artificial genius for nothing."
"Yeah... but if what you're saying is true, then why are you helping us. Aren't you in Class D? Telling us about the truth would only leave your class at a disadvantage. I can't help but feel bad for knowing all of this," Ichinose said.
"It only feels natural to help out other students. I mean, we're all just high school students in the end. Don't worry about it, Ichinose."
After all, I don't plan on staying in my current class for three years.
"Wait a second... but if what you're saying is true, then why were you placed in Class D, Ayanokouji-kun? Aren't you a genius? Why did they put you in the worst class full of defects?" Amikura asked me.
"Who knows? Maybe I'm the most defective of out them all."
End of Chapter 1...