When Kaedehara Tōru pushed open the classroom door marked “1-A,” there was none of the anticipated clamor.
Even those who were chatting kept their voices low, trying not to disturb other students.
Kaedehara’s seat was in the middle-to-back of the classroom, by the window—an excellent vantage point, not so far forward as to become the center of attention.
He walked over, pulled out his chair, and sat down, leaning back, arms crossed over his chest, officially beginning his observation.
His gaze first fell upon a figure in the central area at the very front of the classroom.
There was a very obvious presence there, a bald head.
Katsuragi Kohei.
He sat upright, back straight, with the composed demeanor of an old cadre.
His bulky frame made the chair seem a little small, and his brows conveyed a sense of seriousness.
Beside him, several people were conversing, including his future hanger-on, Totsuka Yahiko.
In their conversation, Katsuragi merely nodded slightly occasionally, saying almost nothing.
Next, Kaedehara’s gaze shifted to the other side of the classroom.
There sat a girl as delicate as a doll.
Sakayanagi Arisu.
She sat there quietly, holding a thick hardcover book in her hands, but it was too far away to see what it was.
Her silvery-white long hair, like moonlight woven into silk, cascaded over her shoulders, her skin was almost transparently white, and the lines of her profile were flawlessly perfect.
Sakayanagi seemed to notice Kaedehara Tōru’s gaze.
She slightly averted her head but quickly turned back, as if she instantly recognized who was looking at her.
Kaedehara’s gaze continued to wander, taking in the faces of the other classmates one by one.
Those who had a bit of screen time in the original work or were simply pure background characters…
Just then, the school bell rang throughout the entire campus.
The classroom door creaked open, and a serious-looking man in a black suit walked in.
He placed the folder in his hand on the podium with a soft thud, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.
Mashima Tomoya.
The homeroom teacher of Class 1-A.
He skillfully wrote his name on the blackboard.
“First, congratulations to all of you for being able to come to this school.
Your presence here proves that you all possess unique talents.
This is something to be proud of.”
A suppressed, almost inaudible stir arose in the class.
Many students’ faces showed expressions of well-deserved pride.
However, this was understandable.
After all, for these young students, receiving affirmation of their abilities from others was undoubtedly a joyful and proud thing.
Mashima Tomoya seemed to ignore all of this and continued, “This does not mean you can relax.
Although the school boasts a 100% graduation and employment rate, this is not an absolute outcome…
For the foreseeable future, until you graduate, I will be your homeroom teacher.”
“To better assess students’ abilities, our school has specially developed the S System and pre-installed it on your smartphone terminals.”
“This school is fundamentally different from other schools.
Here, all your daily necessities will be purchased using ‘points.’ All facilities within the school, from meals in the cafeteria to entertainment equipment in the dorms, and even anything personal you desire, as long as the school can provide it, can be bought with points.
One point is equivalent to one yen.
And this month, the school has already paid each and every one of you…”
He paused, picked up a piece of chalk, and wrote a number on the blackboard.
“…one hundred thousand points.”
“One hundred thousand?!”
“That’s one hundred thousand yen!
Do we get it every month?”
“Amazing!
This school is heaven!”
Everyone opened their school terminal screens, which also displayed the points Mashima Tomoya had mentioned.
The students’ faces were beaming with the ecstatic joy of having won a grand prize, as one hundred thousand yen a month was a large sum for a student.
Only a few individuals, such as Katsuragi, remained calm, but their brows were slightly furrowed, as if they had detected the hidden meaning behind Mashima Tomoya’s words.
Meanwhile, Sakayanagi, on the other side, simply closed her book and watched the “human drama” unfolding before her with interest, a faint smile on her face, as if enjoying an amusing play.
“Excuse me, teacher, can personal points really be used to buy anything?” Katsuragi asked his question.
“Of course, at school, no matter how you use points to buy anything, as long as it doesn’t violate laws or regulations, the school will not interfere.”
“Teacher…”
“…If there are no more questions, we’ll see each other later.
In two hours, the school will hold the entrance ceremony in the gymnasium.”
After Mashima Tomoya answered a few more students’ questions and saw that there were no further inquiries, he left after dropping that last sentence.
No sooner had Mashima Tomoya stepped out of the classroom than the room erupted like a boiling pot.
“Wow, 100,000 yen!
Unbelievable!”
“Haha, getting into Kōiku, I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot this lifetime!”
“Not only guaranteed admission but also money, they’re too good to us!”
The students in the class were chatting animatedly when Katsuragi suddenly stood.
“Before the entrance ceremony, why don’t we all introduce ourselves?
After all, from now on, we’ll be classmates in the same class.”
As soon as he finished speaking, many people’s eyes lit up, finding the suggestion excellent.
After all, everyone had just met and wasn’t very familiar with each other.
Self-introductions could help them get to know each other better and foster friendship.
He surveyed the room, his gaze full of sincerity and a sense of responsibility.
“I propose that, starting from the first row, everyone come up to the stage and introduce their name, their graduating school, and their special skills.
This is not just a formality; it’s our first step towards unity.
What do you all think?”
Katsuragi’s proposal was reasonable; in a situation where everyone was unfamiliar, it was indeed an effective way to quickly gather information about everyone.
Most students showed expressions of agreement.
However, a leisurely, clear female voice, carrying a hint of a smile, rang out.
“Hehe…
Self-introductions?
What a cute suggestion, just like elementary schoolers.”
Everyone’s gaze simultaneously turned to the source of the voice—Sakayanagi Arisu in the corner.
She had put down her book at some point, her hands resting on her knees, and was looking at Katsuragi with her beautiful violet eyes.
Her smile was sweet, but the condescension and mockery in her words were like poisoned thorns, mercilessly piercing Katsuragi.
“So-called special skills, if they’re not unique trump cards that can decide victory or defeat, what’s the point in speaking of them?
It’s merely exposing one’s boring quirks.
And if they’re just irrelevant hobbies, then why waste everyone’s precious time?”
“We are Class A, not a hobby club for making friends, are we?”
The two future potential leaders of Class A had their first public, head-on confrontation on the very first day of school.
A tense atmosphere permeated the air.