As expected, after looking around the classroom and confirming how many students there were, Hirata stood up. He leaned slightly against his desk and spoke with a warm smile.
"Could I have everyone's attention for a moment? My name is Hirata Yosuke. We'll be classmates for the next three years.
"So I'd like to ask everyone to introduce themselves. I hope we can get to know one another and become friends as soon as possible."
As expected, no matter the country, there was never any shortage of sunny, handsome guys like him. It seemed like every class had one.
In short, he was a Class Core Figure. People like that could easily draw their classmates' attention and make excellent leaders.
Which was why they could also be called the Leading Sheep. At the same time, a group might also have a Visionary Eagle, a Battle-Ready Wolf, a Protruding Bird, a Retreating Turtle, and so on.
As for Kamio Tatsuya's role, he considered himself a Water-Paddling Fish. At any rate, he wasn't going to be a Harmful Horse.
And Hirata Yosuke didn't seem to be the only Class Core Figure in this class.
Kushida Kikyo, who had exchanged contact information with Kamio Tatsuya earlier, immediately stood up after Hirata.
"I'm Kushida Kikyo. I didn't have any friends from middle school coming to this school with me, so I'm all alone.
"I want to become friends with everyone here. I'd like to make lots of memories with all of you during our three years of high school, so please come talk to me often.
"So, to help me achieve that, please be sure to exchange contact information with me after everyone's finished introducing themselves."
Wow, that was incredible. She actually wanted to be friends with everyone. What a formidable task.
First, she mentioned that she didn't have any friends from middle school coming here, looking pitiful at just the right moment. Then she used that as a reason to state her goal.
She was so young, yet she was already so good with words.
Woman, I approve of you!
And she wasn't just all talk. She'd already put her plan into action. The fact that her contact information was saved on Kamio Tatsuya's phone was proof!
After she finished speaking, she bowed to the class, then straightened up again. For a moment, Kamio Tatsuya saw her jellies bounce twice.
He thought he vaguely heard someone swallow.
Hey, hey, who was being such a creep?
Good thing it wasn't me.
After Kushida Kikyo finished introducing herself, one of the two students beside Kamio Tatsuya immediately raised his hand.
"I'll go next."
The class didn't mind him cutting in line. There wasn't actually any set order for the introductions.
"My name is Yamauchi Haruki. I made it to the national table tennis tournament in elementary school, and I was the ace pitcher for my middle school baseball team. But I got injured during a high school tournament, so I'm recovering now. Nice to meet you."
Wow, this one was even more of a Fledgling Phoenix. He'd competed in a high school tournament while he was in middle school?
After hearing how impressive the guy beside him was, the short boy on Yamauchi Haruki's other side wasn't about to be outdone.
"I'm Kanji Ike. I like girls and hate handsome guys. I'm always looking for a girlfriend, so nice to meet you. And of course, I hope she'll be a cute girl or a beauty!"
They said that wherever there was a Fledgling Phoenix, there was bound to be a Fledgling Phoenix's partner in crime. Kamio Tatsuya hadn't believed it before, but now he did. The proof was right in front of him.
But Kanji Ike's introduction seemed a little outrageous, and the class fell momentarily silent. To break the awkwardness, Hirata looked toward Kamio Tatsuya, who was sitting near them.
That's right, I'm Kamio... Grandpa?
Noticing Hirata Yosuke looking his way, Kamio Tatsuya stood up without hesitation and began his self-introduction.
"My name is Kamio Tatsuya. I just want to have an ordinary three years of high school. I like reading. Nice to meet you."
After a sparse round of applause, Kamio Tatsuya sat down.
He didn't want to be popular anyway, so this was exactly what he wanted.
But you, the girl with the twin tails in front of me—what did you mean by that little shrug? Don't think I didn't notice you trying not to laugh!
Was my name really that funny?
The introductions continued one after another, and soon it was the twin-tailed girl's turn.
"Um, hello, everyone. My name is Wang Meiyu, and I'm from the Summer Country. I came to Japan with my parents when I was in elementary school..."
So that was it. They were from the same place.
So had she heard Kamio Tatsuya's name and thought of Grandpa Kamio?
Well, Kamio Tatsuya had made that connection himself before, but they were still strangers. Wasn't that a little rude?
But if she really called him Grandpa, he wouldn't be mad.
Well, of course Kamio Tatsuya wouldn't get mad over something like that. He even found it a little funny.
While he was lost in thought, a woman wearing a business suit, with her hair tied in a ponytail, walked in through the door. She looked like the cool, ascetic type.
She obviously wasn't a student, Kamio Tatsuya immediately concluded.
What student looked that mature?
At a glance... she had to be at least an E. Her close-fitting suit perfectly outlined her figure.
Kamio Tatsuya suddenly understood. Was this the legendary pear-shaped figure?
Hmm... Her legs were a little thin. That didn't count.
While Kamio Tatsuya's thoughts ran wild, the students in the classroom had obviously noticed her, too. The introductions stopped, and most of them turned to look her way.
The mature woman simply began speaking.
"Good morning, new students. I'm Chabashira Sae, the homeroom teacher for Class D. I'll also be teaching Japanese History."
That languid voice was strangely captivating.
After listening to Chabashira-sensei's introduction, Kamio Tatsuya learned a few things.
For example, the classes wouldn't change at the end of each school year. In other words, the thirty-nine students here would be his classmates for all three years.
Oh, and his homeroom teacher, too.
They'd also be attending the opening ceremony in about an hour.
Yeah, he didn't really want to go. What a pain.
Just then, the student in front passed back a handout that had come from the first row.
"These are documents explaining the school's special rules. I already gave them to you during the entrance orientation, but to be safe, I'll go over them again..."
The school required all students to live on campus. While at school, students were forbidden from contacting the outside world unless there were special circumstances. Kamio Tatsuya knew the document by heart. It was exactly why he'd chosen this school.
And to keep students from feeling like they were in prison, the school had all kinds of facilities on campus. Needless to say, it had everything students needed for daily life, from food and clothing to housing and medical care.
There were even cafés, karaoke rooms, and other entertainment facilities. According to the introduction, the campus covered roughly six hundred thousand square meters.
That was even larger than the university Kamio Tatsuya had attended in his previous life.
Of course, that was a trash university, and it couldn't compare to a hostess club—not in its faculty or its campus size.
Still, it was a university, after all. Setting everything else aside, its student population alone was nothing like that of this tiny high school.
Even at its worst, it could hold tens of thousands of students. This high school, with only a handful of classes, couldn't compare.
On his way to class, he'd already taken a look around. There were four classes per grade, and each seemed to have the same number of students: forty.
If every class had the same number, then there were one hundred and sixty students in the four first-year classes. By the same calculation, there were four hundred and eighty students across all three grades.
A mere four hundred and eighty students, yet they had a school covering six hundred thousand square meters. It was ridiculously luxurious.
And although students were forbidden from contacting the outside world, they were still allowed to keep up with the news. After all, they were here to study, not to be imprisoned.
So they could use plenty of online apps, like blogs and the like. They just couldn't send information out from the school, even though they could receive it.
The most unusual feature, besides that, was something called the S System.
"Take out the phones you received before enrolling—the ones that were mailed to you with your admission notices. I assume no one was foolish enough to forget theirs?"
The answer was, of course, no. It was an important instruction written in the admission notice, after all.
If someone really had forgotten their phone, that would've been hilarious.
Still, this teacher sure had a way with words.
Following the teacher's instructions, the students took their phones out of their pockets or bags.
"Then open the preinstalled app called Student ID Card. You can check your basic information there."
Following her directions, Kamio Tatsuya quietly opened the student ID app on his phone.
Student ID: S01T004915 Name: Kamio Tatsuya Birthday: October 2 Affiliation: High-Spec Cultivation High School Private Points: 100,000 ppt
Hmm?
Private Points?
What was that supposed to mean?
And if there were private points, did that mean there were non-private ones?
What was the official term for non-private points again?
Public?
Kamio Tatsuya wasn't the only one who noticed. The other students saw it, too. Some began whispering among themselves, but no one understood what it meant.
"Private Points are the currency used at this school. One point is equivalent to one yen. You should all have an initial balance of one hundred thousand points."
"One point equals one yen?"
Quite a few students exclaimed in surprise. Some even looked extremely excited. For high schoolers who generally had no income, this was no small sum.
"That's right. Exactly as you understand it."
Chabashira-sensei smiled, though to Kamio Tatsuya, it looked a little strange.
So he raised his hand and asked.
"Um, Chabashira-sensei, how long are these points supposed to cover our living expenses?"
A hundred thousand yen's worth of points seemed like a lot, but he shouldn't jump to conclusions without knowing what they could buy.
Because by Tokyo's price standards... even if he scrimped and saved, a hundred thousand yen wouldn't last him half a year.
Actually, even half a year might've been an exaggeration.
So it was important to find out.
The other students caught on, too. If they had to make those hundred thousand points last for three years, this would be a pretty cruel joke.
"Don't worry. Points will be deposited into your accounts on the first of every month, just like these hundred thousand points."
The students got even more excited, and their earlier worries were immediately flung out of their minds.
"One hundred thousand points every month? That's amazing!"
"I knew applying to this school was the right choice!"
"Me too. I'm so glad I got to come here."
"This school evaluates students based on their abilities. Being admitted already shows that you have a certain level of ability. The points you receive represent the school's assessment of you.
"The school will reclaim these points after you graduate. Since points can't be converted into cash, don't hold back. Spend them as you please. At this school, there's nothing you can't buy with points."
Main Quest and Side Quest
Although Chabashira Sae made it sound nice, the conditions seemed far too generous.
Kamio Tatsuya had never believed that good things just fell from the sky, so he was already starting to doubt her words. It also confirmed his earlier suspicion: there really was something wrong with this school.
If he had a question, he should ask it. Speaking his mind was his way of the ninja!
But as the saying went, the bird that stuck its head out got shot. Standing out too much could make people hold a grudge, so he'd wait a little longer. If no one else asked, then he'd get up and ask himself.
Before you continue