A Discordant Note in a Wonderful Paradise

The spring sunlight filtered through the tall glass windows, spilling across the clean corridor. Ichinose Honami hugged a few novels she had just borrowed on the recommendation of a classmate, walking toward the dormitory with a light step. The corners of her mouth turned up naturally, carrying a warm and satisfied smile.

Three days had passed since the start of the term, and life at Advanced Nurturing High School could almost be described as "dreamlike" for her.

Brand-new school buildings, classrooms with advanced facilities, and even an outdoor cafe she rarely visited. The dormitory rooms were spacious and bright, comparable to high-end apartments, providing her with a rare sense of private space.

Moreover, the students in Class B were very easy to get along with. Relying on her innate affinity and sense of responsibility, she quickly became the core of the class. Everyone could move forward toward a common goal, enjoy delicious lunches in the cafeteria together, and most of them could attend group activities like singing karaoke or quietly studying in the library together.

Not only that, while the school provided entertainment and relaxation facilities, it also gave every student pocket money each month. When Ichinose returned to her room and carefully counted the 100,000 points that had indeed been deposited for the month, she remained silent for a long time.

Friendly classmates who could progress together, the environment she had dreamed of, and an affluent campus life—all of this was like a meticulously woven youthful dream, so beautiful it felt unreal.

However, beneath this brilliant landscape, there were always a few tiny, discordant "noises," like slender thorns that would occasionally prick her joyful heart.

Today was Thursday. After school, the girls from her class invited Ichinose to have afternoon tea at a cafe in Keyaki Mall. She sat under the parasol of the cafe seat, sipping her drink, her gaze sweeping across the campus inadvertently. It was too free—free to the point of being abnormal. The teachers seemed to turn a blind eye to the occasional whispering and daydreaming in class. This excessive tolerance was subtly contradictory to the strictly managed top-tier schools she knew of.

Furthermore, the speech given by their homeroom teacher, Hoshinomiya, at the pre-enrollment meeting also left her with some doubts: "This is a school that adheres to the principle of 'meritocracy'," "This school will evaluate everyone equally," and the importance of points that the teacher hinted at were all things she could not ignore.

"Meritocracy." She chewed on the word repeatedly. If the core of the school was "merit," then why, since the start of school, had there been no exams or evaluations that could clearly measure "merit" other than ordinary quizzes? On what standard were these generous points issued? Was it simply because they had "passed the entrance exam" to this school?

What concerned her most was that when she tried to share this vague sense of unease with close classmates, the responses were mostly:

"Ichinose-san, you're overthinking it! Isn't this great?"

"The rulebook says so anyway, just enjoy it!"

The environment Ichinose grew up in taught her that there was no such thing as enjoying something without paying for it. Likewise, every gift of fate had its price marked in the dark. This was something she had taken to heart ever since she was caught stealing a hair clip by her mother and was personally escorted to apologize. Fortunately, the clerk was a kind person and did not pursue the mistake she had made; otherwise, it was uncertain whether she could enjoy this dreamlike life now.

At night, Ichinose said goodbye to her classmates and returned to the dormitory. After washing up, she sat at her desk, looking at the brightly lit campus outside the window. It was so beautiful, yet it felt like a huge, mysterious labyrinth with unclear rules.

Only at this moment could she let go of the ease and sunshine she displayed in front of her classmates. She sighed softly, murmuring in a voice only she could hear:

"Everyone... seems to be completely immersed in the joy of it all."

"But, does a 'paradise' where you can receive such generous treatment without paying anything really exist in this world?"

"Is there really no cost behind this 'kindness'...?"

She pulled the curtains and lay back on the bed in silence, closing her eyes, wanting to immerse herself in that wonderful, gentle land. But the sense of responsibility and intuition deeply rooted in her personality prevented her from being completely intoxicated by this gentle illusion like the others. That suspicion was not fear, but an urgent desire to protect the peace before her—in her view, only by seeing the rules clearly could she truly protect everyone.

And this tiny suspicion and vigilance, hidden beneath the tranquility, accompanied by a single question, truly shattered the fantasy that Ichinose had been unwilling to break deep down.

It was the beginning of a new week, and Ichinose was walking with her classmates to the cafeteria for lunch as usual. While looking for suitable seats, she happened to spot her new friend, Natsukawa Sosuke, whom she had met on the day of the entrance ceremony. His complexion looked much better than it had a week ago. At this moment, he was talking to a girl sitting opposite him. Although the girl often kept her head down, she would occasionally try to look up and meet Natsukawa's gaze.

Ichinose happened to notice that there were seats around Natsukawa suitable for the people in Class B, so she walked toward Natsukawa with the intention of going over to say hello.

But as she walked behind Natsukawa, she happened to hear his speculation about the essence of this school. It was like the straw that broke the camel's back, finally piercing the fantasy about reality that she had been building up over the past few days.

"Is the school running a charity? Are they inviting people like Yamauchi here to enjoy life? The chairman isn't his father."

"Even if they could really make it to graduation like this, will they understand what they've learned after entering a top university? If they choose to work at a Fortune 500 company they like, can they survive the internship period? On one hand, they won't be able to stay, and on the other hand, letting people like that intern at a company—do you think the top executives of those companies would be happy to see that happen..."

"Yeah, if they're just here to sing the praises of youth, how would the school ensure that 100% advancement rate? What exactly is..."

Ichinose had already forgotten her purpose for coming over to say hello. While her inner thoughts were in turmoil, she also felt a sense of stability because her guess had come true. Watching the stone that had been hanging in her heart finally fall, she couldn't help but ask:

"Natsukawa-kun, is what you just said true?"

Natsukawa and the girl opposite him turned their gazes toward her at the same time. Natsukawa showed a look of surprise when he saw Ichinose, and the girl, seeing someone suddenly talking to them, suddenly shrank her neck and began to shovel the rice in her tray mouthful by mouthful.

"Ichinose-san?" Natsukawa was a bit surprised.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop." Ichinose smiled apologetically. "I just came to eat with my classmates from Class B, and I wanted to come over and say hello to you, but I accidentally heard your conversation."

She placed her tray on the table and sat in the seat next to Natsukawa, looking at him earnestly with her blue eyes: "Natsukawa-kun, can you tell me in detail about the speculation you just made regarding the essence of this school?"

"I'm very curious!"