Class 1-A

When Kazehara Tetsu pushed open the classroom door marked "1-A," he wasn't greeted by the commotion he'd expected.

Even those who were chatting kept their voices low, careful not to disturb the other students.

Kazehara Tetsu's seat was toward the back of the classroom, by the window—a perfect vantage point, far enough from the front that he wouldn't become the center of attention.

He walked over, pulled out his chair, and sat down. Leaning back with his arms folded across his chest, he began his observations in earnest.

His gaze first settled on a figure in the center of the front of the classroom.

There was one unmistakable presence there: a bald head.

Katsuragi Kouhei.

He sat with impeccable posture, his back straight, exuding the steady air of a seasoned official.

His broad frame made the chair look a little small, and his expression was stern.

A few people sat beside him, chatting among themselves. Among them was Tozuka Yahiko, who would become his shadow in the future.

Katsuragi only nodded occasionally during their conversation, saying almost nothing.

Next, Kazehara Tetsu turned his attention to the other side of the classroom.

There sat a girl as exquisitely crafted as a doll.

Sakayanagi Arisu.

She sat quietly with a thick hardcover book in her hands. Unfortunately, it was too far away for him to make out the title.

Her silver-white hair flowed over her shoulders like satin woven from moonlight. Her skin was almost translucent, and the profile of her face was flawless.

Sakayanagi seemed to notice Kazehara Tetsu watching her.

She tilted her head slightly, then quickly turned back. It was as if she'd immediately spotted who was looking at her.

Kazehara Tetsu's gaze continued to wander as he committed the faces of the other students to memory.

Those who had a few scenes in the original work, and those who were nothing more than background characters...

Just then, the class bell rang throughout the campus.

The classroom door creaked open, and a stern-looking man in a black suit walked in.

He placed the folder in his hands on the lectern with a soft thud, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

Majima Tomoya, homeroom teacher of Class 1-A.

He skillfully wrote his name on the blackboard.

"First of all, congratulations on making it to This School. Your presence here proves that each of you has a special talent. You should be proud of that."

A faint, stifled stir swept through the classroom. Many students wore expressions of justified pride.

That was only natural.

After all, for young students like them, having their talents recognized by others was undoubtedly something to be happy and proud about.

Majima Tomoya acted as if he hadn't noticed and continued, "That doesn't mean you can let your guard down. Although the school has a 100% graduation and employment rate, those outcomes aren't guaranteed... From now until you graduate, I'll be your homeroom teacher."

"To better assess our students' abilities, the school developed the S System and preinstalled it on your mobile terminals."

"This School is fundamentally different from other schools. Here, you'll use Points to pay for all your daily necessities. Every facility on campus, from meals in the cafeteria to entertainment equipment in the dormitories, and even anything you want for yourself—as long as the school can provide it—can be purchased with Points. One Point is equivalent to one yen. And for this month, the school has already deposited into everyone's account..."

He paused, picked up a piece of chalk, and wrote a number on the blackboard.

"...One hundred thousand Points."

"One hundred thousand?!"

"That's 100,000 yen! Do we get that every month?"

"This is amazing! This school is paradise!"

The students opened their school terminal screens, where the Points Majima Tomoya had mentioned were displayed.

Their faces lit up with the giddy delight of lottery winners. After all, one hundred thousand yen a month was a huge sum for a student.

Only a few, such as Katsuragi Kouhei, remained calm. But his brow had already furrowed slightly, as if he'd noticed the implications behind Majima Tomoya's words.

On the other side of the room, Sakayanagi Arisu had simply closed her book and was watching the spectacle with interest. A faint smile played on her lips, as if she were enjoying an amusing play.

"Excuse me, sir. Can we really use our Personal Points to buy anything?" Katsuragi Kouhei asked.

"Of course. You can use your Points to buy anything you like at school. As long as you don't break the law or violate school rules, the school won't interfere."

"Teacher..."

"If there are no more questions, I'll see you later. The school will hold the entrance ceremony in the gymnasium in two hours."

After answering a few more questions from the students and seeing that no one else had any, Majima Tomoya left with those words.

The moment Majima Tomoya stepped out of the classroom, the room erupted like a pot boiling over.

"Wow, 100,000 yen! Unbelievable!"

"Haha, getting into Koudo Ikusei was the best thing I've ever done!"

"Not only do we get guaranteed admission, we get money too! They're being way too generous!"

The students were chatting excitedly when Katsuragi Kouhei suddenly stood up. "Why don't we introduce ourselves before the opening ceremony? We're all going to be classmates from now on."

At his words, many people's eyes lit up. They thought it was an excellent idea.

After all, they had only just met and barely knew one another. Introducing themselves would help them learn about each other and build friendships.

Clearly, most of the students agreed with Katsuragi Kouhei's suggestion. A burst of enthusiastic applause filled the classroom.

He looked around, his gaze sincere and full of responsibility. "I suggest we start with the first row and have everyone come up to introduce themselves. Tell us your name, your previous school, and your special talents. This isn't just a formality; it's the first step toward bringing us together. What do you think?"

Katsuragi's suggestion was perfectly reasonable. When everyone was still strangers, it was an effective way to quickly learn about one another. Most of the students looked approving.

Then a clear, unhurried female voice rang out, tinged with amusement.

"Hehe... Introductions? That's such an adorable suggestion. Just like something an elementary schooler would come up with."

Everyone turned in unison toward the source of the voice—the Sakayanagi in the corner.

At some point, she had set her book aside and placed her hands on her knees. Her beautiful violet eyes were fixed on Katsuragi.

Her smile was sweet, but her words were laced with contempt and mockery, like a poisoned barb aimed straight at Katsuragi.

"What's the point of talking about a special talent unless it's something unique, a trump card that can decide the outcome? Otherwise, you're just revealing some boring quirk of yours. And if it's only an insignificant hobby, why waste everyone's precious time?"

"We're Class A, not some club for making friends, are we?"

The two potential leaders of Class A faced off publicly for the first time on the first day of school.

Tension filled the air.