Mikage Touji sat at his desk, spacing out.
Something was poking and prodding his back; it was likely a pen or something similar.
He ignored it.
He figured he would just wait until Morishita Ai got bored of it…
but would she actually get bored?
For a moment, Mikage Touji found himself lacking confidence in that assumption.
On the podium, a man in a sharp suit with a steady expression was announcing the rules of this school.
On the blackboard behind him, the name “Mashima Tomonari” was written in large chalk letters.
To think a man like this would be an English Sensei…
Aren’t English Senseis supposed to be those beautiful women who are great at makeup, never wear the same outfit twice, and stand at the very forefront of the fashion world?
Looking at the muscular man speaking eloquently on the podium, Mikage Touji felt a deep sense of disappointment.
“That covers the general precautions for life here at Advanced Nurturing.
You will gradually come into contact with the rest as time goes on.
If you have further questions regarding this section, you can consult the student handbook distributed to you just now.
Now, please open the mobile phones we provided.
Log into your accounts.
The 100,000 Private Points should have already been deposited.
If your points have not arrived, please raise your hand and report it to me immediately.”
Amidst Mashima Tomonari’s long-winded speech, Mikage Touji’s ears accurately captured the number: 100,000.
He sat up a bit straighter and deftly opened his phone.
He casually swiped away the hand of a certain someone behind him who was having the time of her life playing “poke-a-mole” with his back, and scrolled across the screen.
Name: Mikage Touji
Student ID: S01T004788
Gender: Male
Class: Class 1-A
Private Points: 100,000 pr
After waiting a moment, no one in the class raised a hand.
Mashima Tomonari continued: “In terms of purchasing power, 1 point in this school is equivalent to 1 Yen outside.
Thus, 100,000
Private Points are equivalent to 100,000 Yen.
All your daily necessities, meals at the cafeteria, and entertainment expenses within the school must be paid for using points.
Whatever you desire, points can buy it.”
As soon as he finished speaking, several faint gasps escaped from the seats simultaneously.
However, as if realizing such behavior was inappropriate, the room quickly fell silent again.
‘100,000 Yen, huh…’
Mikage Touji looked at the numbers on the screen and frowned.
“Points will be deposited on the first of every month.”
His frown deepened into a lock.
‘And it’s monthly…
Hey, hey, this school isn’t planning to harvest his kidneys, is it?’
Why not just issue cash?
Why go through the trouble of creating something called “points”?
Is there something special about them?
On the surface, Mashima Tomonari explained the rules clearly, but there was still something off about his phrasing.
No, rather than “off,” “vague” would be a more accurate description.
“This concludes the explanation of the school rules.
If you have questions, you may raise your hand.” With that, Mashima Tomonari scanned the classroom.
Including Mikage Touji, several students in the class raised their hands in a flash.
It seemed he wasn’t the only one who realized something was fishy.
Mashima Tomonari wore a faint smile and randomly picked one: “That student over there.”
“Yes.” A voice even more robust and deep than Mashima Tomonari’s rang out.
Mikage Touji’s eyes widened.
‘This guy is fifteen?!’
The student who stood up had a gleaming bald head.
The classroom’s fluorescent lights hit it and were reflected back with incredible smoothness.
Mikage Touji, who had just widened his eyes, was caught directly in the glare.
‘Holy crap!
A sneak attack!’
Mikage Touji raised his hand to cover his eyes.
“Pfft…” Unfiltered mocking laughter came from behind him.
‘That’s enough!
Morishita Ai, I’ve put up with you long enough!’
Mikage Touji twisted his head around, only to see Morishita Ai’s cold, indifferent face.
Morishita Ai blinked her large eyes as saying ‘Something the matter?’.
‘Forget it…’Mikage Touji turned back around, helpless.
Matching the bald student’s voice was his sturdy physique, though he gave off an impression of considerable steadiness.
“Sensei, may I ask what the school requires of us for these 100,000 Private Points?
Or rather, what goal are we meant to achieve?” Clearly, he also didn’t believe this school would so readily hand out 100,000 Yen to everyone.
“This school measures students by merit.
Since you succeeded in enrolling, you possess corresponding value and potential.
What you must do is continue to maintain that value.”
Mashima Tomonari’s expression didn’t change at all.
He was as rigid as a robot; it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
‘This explanation sounds so awkward.
Value?
Potential?
Is he hinting at something?’
Some students in the class looked thoughtful, some were confused, and others simply didn’t care.
“Then, can Private Points be exchanged for Yen?”
“Upon graduation, the school will reclaim any remaining points.
Prior to that, no exchanges will be made.”
The steady bald guy thought for a moment.
“I have no further questions.”
Mashima Tomonari nodded and gestured for him to sit down.
After the bald student finished his questions, several other students lowered their hands one after another.
Only one hand remained held high in the classroom.
Mashima Tomonari nodded toward Mikage Touji: “Yes, this student.”
Mikage Touji stood up and got straight to the point: “Sensei, does your statement ‘points will be deposited on the first of every month’ mean that 100,000 Private Points will be deposited into our accounts every month?”
Mashima Tomonari paused.
“Why did you think that?” He clearly hadn’t expected Mikage Touji to ask this specific question.
Following the sequence of his previous words—100,000 points, deposited on the first of every month—it should have been a logical conclusion.
Mikage Touji said bluntly, “Because you singled that sentence out specifically.
Otherwise, you could have just said ‘100,000 points will be deposited every month’ at the beginning.”
Anyone who has written an essay or read a report knows that the final sentence is usually the “essence.”
Mashima Tomonari deliberated for a moment before saying vaguely, “That depends on your value.”
As soon as he said this, the atmosphere in the class became subtle.
Thinking about it on that basis, Mashima Tomonari had actually already given them the answer: it wasn’t going to be 100,000 points every month.
That number would fluctuate.
“May I ask what the criteria for the value evaluation are?” An impatient student asked directly from their seat.
“The school has a specialized system to evaluate you.
You will find out when the time comes.”
‘Have we hit the limit?’
Seeing Mashima Tomonari’s avoidant stance, Mikage Touji realized he wouldn’t get anything more out of him.
He gave a small nod and sat back down.
Issuing something called “points” as a living allowance every month without telling the students the evaluation criteria actually made sense in a way.
It was likely just a desire to prevent students from simply “gaming the system” by following a rubric.
But…
was it really that simple?
Mikage Touji had researched reports regarding Advanced Nurturing; information regarding its teaching methods was practically non-existent.
If it really was just that, wouldn’t it be better to just announce it openly?
“This school is quite strange, isn’t it?”
“It’s a little—”
Mikage Touji froze, then turned back helplessly.
Morishita Ai was sitting upright in her seat, eyes fixed on the blackboard.
Her “weapon of crime” had already been tucked away somewhere.
“Please listen to the lecture seriously and do not disrupt classroom discipline.” She looked straight ahead, appearing for all the world like a model student listening intently, yet her mouth uttered words only the two of them could hear.
“…”
‘Seriously, I’m an idiot.
Why did I fall for her trap and look back?’
“Pfft—”
A girl sitting nearby with a beauty mark at the corner of her eye and a headband in her flowing blonde hair was amused by the scene.
She covered her mouth with one hand and reached out toward Mikage Touji with the other, her voice gentle: “I am Shiraishi Asuka.
And your name is?”
“I’m Mikage Touji.”
The two hands shook.
“I look forward to working with you from now on.” Shiraishi Asuka’s eyes curved into crescent moons.
“Likewise.”
Mashima Tomonari saw that no one else was raising their hand.
“Since there are no more questions, the enrollment briefing ends here.
Remember to head to the school gymnasium in one hour to participate in the entrance ceremony.
The remaining time is yours to use as you wish.”
Having said that, Mashima Tomonari took his lecture notes and left the classroom decisively.