An Argument

"Huh?"

Hoshino Kanade had expected this, but the answer came a little suddenly. So she really was "Bro," or rather, "Nai Mei."

Should I introduce myself now, too?

The topic had shifted so quickly that the little speech Hoshino Kanade had prepared was now useless.

"This might be sudden, but this is already our second time meeting. It's not a problem, right?"

Ayanokoji Kina's "hesitation" made her look a little "nervous."

If I react badly, could I make Ayanokoji introverted for the rest of her life?

"My name is Hoshino Kanade. Nice to meet you."

Hoshino Kanade's thoughts had wandered to something completely irrelevant, but she still introduced herself.

"Then we're friends from now on, right? That's great. I was really nervous just now."

As Ayanokoji spoke, she lightly patted her small chest, looking "relieved."

So cute. She kind of has a Kushida vibe, but... she's smaller than Kushida.

"I get the feeling Hoshino-kun is thinking something rude."

Ayanokoji Kina said this without a trace of emotion. It was rather frightening, even though her voice never seemed to carry much feeling.

"I was just wondering if you felt awkward when you saw me get caught watching you on the train."

Hoshino Kanade could only come up with some random topic.

"I was really awkward then. I didn't know what I should do."

Hoshino Kanade found this about as believable as Ayanokoji's claim that it had been "a coincidence."

"Class 1-D."

"I'm in Class D, too. I'm so lucky to be in the same class as Hoshino-kun."

Ayanokoji Kina felt a little joy. My first friend is a classmate. If this friendship doesn't fall apart, I should be able to get through three years of school with just one friend.

Hoshino Kanade had expected to be assigned to Class D. Although her Academic Ability was high because of the scholarship, she had spent all her free time working part-time in middle school and had no social life whatsoever. Besides, she hadn't made a great impression during the interview.

With her memories from her previous life, the earlier exams were practically open-book tests, so leading the class up to Class A would be easy. But keeping it there would be difficult. After all, the original story was still unfinished when she had crossed over, and Hoshino Kanade's fighting ability wasn't much to boast about in this world.

It would be better to rack up Personal Points by doing well on the earlier exams. Later, she could transfer to Class A when she wanted to graduate, or turn the points into money. Either way, she could graduate and get into a good university.

Still, she hadn't expected this world's Ayanokoji to have an X chromosome that beat out the Y. Maybe she could consider clinging to Kina's pale leg.

As expected, most of the students had already arrived by the time Hoshino Kanade and Ayanokoji Kina reached the classroom, absorbed in conversation with their new classmates.

The handsome girl and beautiful girl pair, along with their "keep your distance" expressions, briefly drew the attention of a few people.

The rear seat by the window, the king's homeland. Hoshino Kanade's seat was in front of the king's, very close to the "protagonist's designated" seat.

"Hoshino-kun, what a coincidence."

Even Ayanokoji Kina, who was usually cool on the surface, seemed surprised.

From now on, I can just explain anything that's hard to account for with "coincidence" or "by chance."

"Do you believe in fate?"

Hoshino Kanade didn't believe in fate, but she only needed to make Ayanokoji Kina believe in it.

"Why are you asking me that all of a sudden, Hoshino-kun?"

"I was just thinking how amazing it is. Our meeting today feels like it was destined."

The words felt a little suggestive, but they should be fine when said to Ayanokoji Kina.

Ayanokoji Kina gave an affected little nod, her tone slightly playful.

"Maybe it really was fate."

Ayanokoji Kina believed in science more, but since Hoshino-kun was currently her only friend—and might even be her only friend in the future—she could only indulge him.

"Ryokouji-san, you think so, too? I hope we can be good friends for our whole lives."

Ayanokoji Kina thought she saw a light flickering in Hoshino-kun's eyes, but when she blinked, it was gone. She must have imagined it.

"Mm, for a lifetime."

Ayanokoji had thought long and hard before agreeing to Hoshino Kanade's wish.

Hoshino Kanade's looks matched her tastes, and she gave off the same kind of aura as her. It would be perfect if the two of them huddled together for warmth and ostracized the whole class.

"Hey, can you two keep it down?"

Horikita Suzune, who had been reading nearby, couldn't take it anymore. The other students in the class were much noisier, but Hoshino Kanade and her conversation were getting on Horikita Suzune's nerves even more.

Only then did Hoshino Kanade notice Horikita Suzune beside her: a stunning girl with long, straight black hair, but an odd personality. Somehow... she didn't measure up to Kina.

"Who are you?"

If not for Horikita Suzune, Hoshino Kanade felt that she and Kina would already be holding each other's hands and pouring their hearts out.

Damn Horikita brat. Today, I...

"Before asking someone's name, shouldn't you give your own first?"

As expected of Horikita Suzune.

"There are thirteen pairs of people talking in this class right now. Why are you only telling us to be quiet?"

Of course, Hoshino Kanade was just guessing.

Quite a few students in the class turned to look, and the noise in the classroom died down a lot.

Hoshino Kanade and Horikita Suzune had probably already been labeled by many of their classmates.

"I can judge for myself whether the others are bothering me, but your voices are the noisiest to me."

Hoshino Kanade felt that Horikita Suzune always had this inexplicable confidence. Whatever the matter, she was always so brazenly self-righteous.

"Your subjective perception is defective. We shouldn't have to pay for it. You can still drop out and go to the hospital."

Horikita Suzune glared at Hoshino Kanade. Her eyes looked like they could kill her.

"You..."

"The teacher's here! The teacher's here! Everyone, sit down!"

Horikita Suzune had been interrupted mid-spell. She felt as if a lump of anger were caught in her throat, neither rising nor falling. It was awful. She could only take it out on her eraser with a compass.

"Click, click, click." The sound of high heels drew closer. As the bell rang, a woman in a business suit walked into the classroom.

She looked dependable, and seemed to be around thirty—though it was hard to tell whether she was younger or older. Her neat ponytail was tied at the back of her head.

"New students, I'm Chabashira Sae, the homeroom teacher for Class D. I usually teach Japanese History. This school doesn't change teachers every year, so I'll be your homeroom teacher and study alongside you for the next three years. I look forward to working with you."

"The Opening Ceremony will be held in the gymnasium in an hour. Before then, I'll hand out materials about this school's special rules."

Seeing how orderly the class was, Chabashira Sae thought that perhaps this year's Class D would have more Class Points left by the end of the first month than previous classes.

Unfortunately, it was just an illusion.

The materials she handed out introduced the school, which the students had already read about in the school prospectus. They also listed some rules, such as living at school for all three years and being forbidden from contacting the outside world.

They could use the Student ID Card they'd been given to make purchases at the school.

"Points will be deposited automatically on the first of every month. Each of you should already have received an equal amount of 100,000 points. Also, each point is worth one yen."

Before Chabashira Sae could finish, Class D had already grown rowdy. The students were expressing their shock to the classmates they'd just met.

If she hadn't known in advance, Hoshino Kanade might have lost her composure for a moment, too.

A hundred thousand yen had the purchasing power of about five thousand yuan back home. For someone as poor as Hoshino Kanade, it was hard to imagine how she could spend that many points in a month.

But the class's Class Points would drop to zero next month, and Hoshino Kanade had no intention of changing that outcome.

Class D was a lost cause to begin with. Even if she told them the rules ahead of time, she doubted they'd have many points left.

She'd also become a target, forced to lead the class upward by Class D's terrible homeroom teacher and pressure freaks like Horikita Suzune.

Rather than spend her time trying to whip Class D into shape, she might as well trade information with the other classes and earn Personal Points.

She felt a little bad for Class D, but Hoshino Kanade hadn't planned on fitting in with them anyway.

"Surprised? This school evaluates students based on ability. You were admitted because you have the corresponding value and potential. The points represent the school's assessment of you.

"Don't hold back. Feel free to use them. However, the school will take these points back after you graduate. Once they've been deposited, how you use them is up to you."

Everything Chabashira Sae said was true, but her choice of words deliberately misled the students.

The students only had to enjoy school life, but the homeroom teacher had a lot more to consider.

Do people only change after they've fallen into the abyss?

For Hoshino Kanade, not having pocket money every month didn't really seem like the abyss, though.