Spring sunlight streamed through the tall glass windows and spilled across the spotless hallway. Ichinose Honami cradled several novels she had just borrowed on a classmate's recommendation and made her way to the dormitory with a spring in her step. A warm, contented smile came naturally to her lips.
It had been three days since the start of the school year, and life at Advanced Nurturing High School was almost like a dream to her.
The brand-new school buildings, the state-of-the-art classrooms, and even the open-air café, which she rarely visited back home. Her dorm room was spacious and bright, comparable to a luxury apartment, and gave her a rare space of her own.
And her classmates in Class B were all easy to get along with. Thanks to her natural warmth and sense of responsibility, she had quickly become the heart of the class. Everyone could work toward a common goal together, enjoy delicious lunches in the cafeteria, and, for the most part, attend group activities like karaoke. They could also study quietly together in the library.
On top of that, the school provided facilities for entertainment and relaxation, and gave every student spending money each month. When Ichinose got back to her dorm and counted it herself, confirming that she really had received 100,000 points that month, she sat in silence for a long time.
Friendly classmates who could grow together, the environment she had always dreamed of, and a comfortable school life—everything felt like a carefully woven dream of youth, so wonderful it hardly seemed real.
And yet, beneath this brilliant picture, there were always a few tiny, discordant "notes," like fine needles that occasionally pricked at her happy heart.
It was Thursday. After school, the girls in her class invited Ichinose to have afternoon tea at a café in Keyaki Mall. Seated beneath a parasol at the café, she took small sips of her drink and let her gaze wander across the campus. It was so free—almost unnaturally free. The teachers seemed to turn a blind eye to the occasional whispers and daydreaming in class. Such excessive leniency seemed at odds with her idea of a top school with strict discipline.
And the things their homeroom teacher, Hoshinomiya-sensei, had said during the class meeting before the opening ceremony had also left her with doubts: "This is a school that embraces the principle of merit above all," and "This school will judge everyone equally." The teacher's implication that points were important was impossible to ignore, too.
"Merit above all." She turned the phrase over and over in her mind. If "merit" was at the heart of the school, then why, since the start of term, had there been no exams or evaluations that clearly measured it beyond ordinary quizzes? By what standards were these generous points being handed out? Was it simply because they had "gotten into" the school?
What bothered her most was that when she tried to share her vague unease with classmates she was close to, most of them responded:
"Ichinose, you're overthinking it! Isn't this great?"
"That's what the rulebook says, anyway. Just enjoy it!"
Her upbringing had taught Ichinose that good things didn't come from enjoying without giving anything in return. Every gift of fate came with a price, even if it was hidden. She had learned that when her mother caught her stealing a hair clip and personally took her to apologize. Fortunately, the shop assistant had been kind and hadn't pressed charges. Otherwise, who knew whether she could enjoy this dreamlike life now?
That night, Ichinose said goodbye to her classmates and returned to her dorm. After washing up, she sat at her desk and gazed out at the brightly lit campus. It was so beautiful, yet it seemed like a vast maze with rules no one could understand.
Only then could she set aside the easygoing, sunny demeanor she showed her classmates. She let out a soft sigh and murmured in a voice only she could hear:
"Everyone... seems completely caught up in having fun."
"But does a 'paradise' really exist where you can receive such generous treatment... without giving anything in return?"
"Is there really no price behind all this 'kindness'...?"
She drew the curtains and quietly lay back in bed, closing her eyes and trying to immerse herself in that wonderful, comforting dreamland. But the sense of responsibility and intuition ingrained in her nature wouldn't let her lose herself in this gentle illusion as completely as everyone else. Her suspicions weren't born of fear, but of an urgent desire to protect the peace before her. In her mind, only by understanding the rules could she truly protect everyone.
And this tiny doubt and wariness, hidden beneath the calm and serenity, along with a single challenge to the status quo, finally shattered the fantasy she had been reluctant to let go of.
It was the start of a new week. As usual, Ichinose headed to the cafeteria with the girls from her class to have lunch. While searching for a suitable table, she happened to spot her new friend Natsukawa Sosuke, whom she'd met on the day of the opening ceremony. He looked much better than he had a week ago. He was talking with a girl across from him. Though she kept her head down, every so often she would make an effort to look up and meet Natsukawa's gaze.
Ichinose noticed there were seats around Natsukawa that would fit everyone from Class B, so she walked over, planning to say hello.
But when she came up behind Natsukawa, she happened to overhear his theory about the true nature of the school. It was like the final straw that broke the camel's back, finally piercing the fantasy she'd built around reality and shattering the doubts that had been piling up over the past few days.
"Is this school running a charity? Did they bring people like Yamauchi here to enjoy themselves? The chairman isn't his dad."
"Even if they really could coast all the way to graduation, would they be able to keep up at Tokyo University? Could they get into the Fortune 500 company of their choice and make it through the internship? On one hand, they might not make the cut. On the other, if companies let people like that intern wherever they pleased, do you think their executives would be happy about it...?"
"Yeah. If they're only here to enjoy their youth, how is the school supposed to guarantee a hundred-percent advancement rate? What exactly is...?"
Ichinose had forgotten why she'd come over to say hello. As she wrestled with herself, she also felt a trace of relief that her suspicions had been right. Watching the weight that had hung over her heart finally fall away, she asked without thinking:
"Natsukawa, is what you just said true?"
Natsukawa and the girl across from him both turned to look at her. Natsukawa looked surprised to see Ichinose. The girl, suddenly approached by someone who had started talking to them, shrank her neck and began picking at the food on her tray, one bite at a time.
"Ichinose?" Natsukawa said, surprised.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop." Ichinose smiled apologetically. "I came to eat with my classmates in Class B and was going to stop by to say hello. I overheard your conversation by accident."
She set her tray on the table and sat down beside Natsukawa, her blue eyes fixed earnestly on him. "Natsukawa, could you tell me more about your theory on the true nature of this school?"
"I'm really curious!"
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