Chapter Summaries

A despondent narrator reflected on life, happiness, and humanity’s pursuit of self-interest before explaining that he had attempted suicide. The man who interrupted him refused to accept his plans to try again and decided to arrange for him to go somewhere.

• The narrator wandered through the rain and reflected on how people’s lives were driven by self-interest.
• The narrator concluded that life had no inherent meaning and argued that people pursued happiness but ended up chasing material security.
• The narrator revealed that he had been attempting suicide when a man interrupted him.
• The narrator told the man he intended to try again and described his previous attempts to hang himself.
• The man objected to the narrator’s plans, then said he would arrange for him to go somewhere.

Luomu learned that the man was sending her to Advanced Nurturing High School for three years to understand life, then set off for the school after being reassigned to Class B. She secretly carried miniature surveillance devices, determined to prepare despite the man's warning not to investigate the school.

• The man told Luomu that she lacked a real sense of pain and life, and said she would understand after spending three years at Advanced Nurturing High School.
• The man inspected Luomu's bag and revealed that she had been transferred from Class D to Class B after the entrance exams.
• Luomu left home for Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, where students were required to remain for three years without outside contact.
• While waiting for the bus, Luomu removed a miniature listening device and camera from under her tongue and hid them beneath her bag's zipper.

Luomu met Ichinose Honami, his new Class 1-B classmate, on the bus to Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School and struggled with her warmth and kindness. Ichinose fell asleep on his shoulder and drooled on his sleeve, leaving Luomu to discreetly wipe her mouth without waking her.

• Luomu woke on the crowded bus and met Ichinose Honami, who introduced herself as a new student in Class 1-B.
• Ichinose asked about Luomu's middle school, and he said he could not remember its name; she then learned he had studied piano and tea ceremony.
• Ichinose and Luomu continued chatting until she felt unwell and rested, while Luomu reflected that her kindness would likely bring her pain.
• Ichinose fell asleep with her head on Luomu's shoulder, and Luomu stayed still as she drooled onto his sleeve.
• Luomu carefully took out a handkerchief and wiped Ichinose's mouth, then pulled away when her eyelashes twitched; she remained asleep and rubbed her cheek against his shoulder.

Raku arrived at Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School with Ichinose and settled into Class B, where he learned about the school’s facilities and point system. The chapter left him in class as the students checked their new accounts, each containing 100,000 points.

• Raku and Ichinose arrived at the school, passed a security check, and found their classroom, where their desks were next to each other.
• Raku reflected on acceptance and despair before Ichinose led him into the classroom, where he fell asleep instead of meeting his classmates.
• Chie Hoshinomiya introduced herself as Class B’s homeroom teacher and distributed information about the school ahead of the entrance ceremony.
• Hoshinomiya explained that student IDs also served as phones and payment cards, and told the class to check their accounts for 100,000 points.

Luomu’s class learned that the school had credited each student with 100,000 unrestricted points per month, and Ichinose organized introductions and a class group chat. As the entrance ceremony approached, Ichinose invited Luomu to walk with her, leaving him worried that their association was drawing unwanted attention.

• Teacher Hoshinomiya announced that every student received 100,000 points monthly and explained that the points could be spent freely within school rules but could not be taken outside after graduation.
• Luomu checked his account and compared his mediocre stats with Ichinose Honami’s stronger ratings.
• Ichinose encouraged the class to introduce themselves, and Luomu, Kanzaki Ryuji, and Shibata Sou spoke before the introductions continued around the room.
• Ichinose asked the class to exchange contact information and make a group chat, then thanked Luomu for helping the introductions get started.
• Ichinose asked Luomu about his energy-saving philosophy and offered to help him if he ever needed it.
• As the entrance ceremony neared, Ichinose invited Luomu to go with her, and he followed while worrying that people might mistake their association for something unusual.

After the opening ceremony, Raku and Ichinose explored their co-ed dormitory and went shopping for household supplies, where Ichinose revealed her family was poor and she had enrolled because the tuition was free. The chapter left them talking in the convenience store as Raku tried to understand Ichinose’s interest in ordinary shopping.

• Raku and Ichinose compared the opening ceremony with their past school experiences, then agreed to return to the dorms together.
• At the dormitory, Ichinose shared her room number with Raku, and they read about the dorm rules and utilities before going to their separate rooms.
• Raku examined his comfortable room and considered the unexplained class hierarchy, monthly allowance, and S System before making a shopping list.
• Raku and Ichinose met at the convenience store, where she noticed him choosing cheap supplies and said her family was not well-off and she had come because tuition was free.
• Ichinose warned Raku against eating too many cup noodles, then caught him looking at her chest after he noticed the G-cup label on the packaging.
• Raku apologized, and Ichinose stopped him from saying anything that might make people think he was a pervert; she explained she had followed him because she wanted company and was curious about what ordinary people bought.

Luomu browsed the convenience store with Ichinose, met Kushida on his way back to the dorm, and spent the afternoon sleeping. Ichinose later woke him with an urgent visit, but he did not yet know what she wanted.

• Ichinose explained that she had been curious about Luomu's purchases, and they discussed the store's Free Zone and the cafeteria's mountain vegetable meal.
• Ichinose urged Luomu to eat and buy clothes, but he left the shopping street and returned to the dorm.
• Luomu met Kushida Kikyo, a Class 1-D student who wanted to befriend everyone in their year, and exchanged contact information with her.
• Luomu organized his purchases, went to sleep, and woke after Ichinose urgently knocked on his door at night.
• Ichinose asked Luomu whether he knew what time it was, but he dodged the question by saying that nothing was scheduled that evening.

Raku noticed that students in the lower-ranked classes were carefully conserving their points and arranged to meet the leader of Class 3-D, Yoshii Yuzo, to discuss a deal. The chapter then shifted to Ichinose urging Raku to leave with her after class.

• Raku reasoned that the school might restrict how many points students received, after learning that a Class 3-D upperclassman still relied on free meals.
• Raku offered the upperclassman a deluxe meal and points in exchange for information, then asked him to introduce him to his class leader.
• Raku realized he had already learned from the conversation that points were scarce and important, despite not asking any direct questions.
• The upperclassman agreed to introduce Raku to Yoshii Yuzo, the leader of Class 3-D.
• After the afternoon dismissal bell, Ichinose tapped Raku's desk and excitedly told him they should get going.

Raku attended the club orientation with Kanzaki, where Horikita Manabu laid down strict terms for joining the Student Council, then joined Kanzaki for dinner. Later, as Ichinose was elected class representative and Kanzaki became vice representative, Kanzaki questioned whether Ichinose and Raku had met before.

• Ichinose persuaded Raku to accompany Kanzaki to the club orientation, where they found the clubs unusually well equipped and demanding.
• Kanzaki said he had considered joining a club but changed his mind because the clubs seemed unfriendly to newcomers, while Raku said he preferred avoiding commitments.
• Horikita Manabu introduced himself as Student Council President, recruited first-years, and warned candidates not to join other clubs.
• Raku and Kanzaki left the orientation to get dinner together, and Raku considered Kanzaki a friend.
• Ichinose proposed electing class officers and was chosen as class representative, while Kanzaki Ryuji became vice representative.
• Kanzaki asked whether Raku and Ichinose had a prior connection, and Raku recalled that Ichinose had spoken to him first when they met.

Raku’s classmates eagerly anticipated the co-ed swimming class, explaining that their bet involved ranking the girls’ figures. At the pool, Raku tried to avoid attention while talking with Kanzaki, then watched the girls arrive in swimsuits as the boys focused on Ichinose.

• Shiratori, Takashima, and Okabe told Raku that tomorrow’s swimming class was co-ed and that the boys planned to rank the girls’ busts.
• The boys added Raku to their group chat and said they had an expert to help judge the rankings.
• Raku and Kanzaki walked to the pool, where Kanzaki teased Raku about his soft muscles and showed off his abs.
• The boys gathered at the pool and waited for the girls to finish changing.
• Ichinose led the girls out in one-piece swimsuits, and the boys stared at her while Raku briefly assessed her figure before looking away.

Raku took part in a swimming assessment and avoided remedial lessons, while Kanzaki tied Shibata Sou’s leading time and challenged him to a tiebreaker. As the class watched the race, Ichinose examined Raku’s muscles at close range and became flustered when she saw his stomach.

• The teacher tested the students with fifty-meter races, and Wakayama Kayoko won the girls’ competition.
• Kanzaki and Shibata Sou both recorded twenty-six seconds, while Raku finished in thirty-eight seconds and avoided remedial lessons.
• The teacher called for Kanzaki and Shibata Sou to race again to decide who would win the bonus points.
• Ichinose poked and squeezed Raku’s back, arms, and torso as she questioned him about his physique.
• Ichinose leaned close to Raku and stared at his stomach, blushing as the class noticed their interaction.

Raku witnessed Kushida’s furious outburst after school, then returned to his quiet classroom routine and discussed high school romance with Kanzaki. The chapter left Raku defending his vague fantasies about girls while Kanzaki doubted he would ever pursue a girlfriend.

• Raku finished the classroom cleanup alone and found Kushida by the river railing after school.
• Raku overheard Kushida angrily curse an unnamed woman and strike the railing before she left in a sweet mood.
• Raku reflected on Kushida’s hidden anger and wondered what she endured each day.
• Raku described his quiet classroom habits and his guarded thoughts about good and evil.
• Raku and Kanzaki discussed a rumored couple in their class and whether high school romance could be genuine.
• Kanzaki teased Raku about being unlikely to get a girlfriend, and Raku insisted he still had fantasies about girls.

Raku took a math quiz, walked around school with classmates, and declined Ichinose’s invitation to karaoke, reflecting that his ordinary school life should end. On Sunday, he ran into Ayanokoji Kiyotaka again and headed toward class with him, where Ayanokoji asked whether Raku had received his monthly points.

• Teacher Hoshinomiya gave the class a math quiz that she said would only serve as a reference for future assessment.
• Raku told Shiratori, Okabe, and Takashima that he had hidden things, then denied secretly spying on girls as the boys teased him.
• Raku learned the boys had no destination and were merely walking around the school.
• Ichinose invited Raku to karaoke, but he declined and thought about how his peaceful daily life should end.
• Raku met Ayanokoji Kiyotaka in the elevator on Sunday, and Ayanokoji asked whether he had received the points issued at the start of the month.

Class B learned that monthly Private Points were determined by Class Points, and Teacher Hoshinomiya revealed the school’s rankings and strict expulsion rules. The class pooled its points under Ichinose’s leadership, while some students began considering sacrifices to support the group.

• Ayanokoji told the narrator that he had received only about sixty thousand Private Points, and Ichinose confirmed Class B had received the same amount.
• Teacher Hoshinomiya revealed the classes’ point totals and explained that each Class Point granted one hundred Private Points, while Class A alone could choose its future freely after graduation.
• Teacher Hoshinomiya explained that failing a subject’s exam could lead to expulsion and warned students whose quiz scores were near the threshold.
• Ichinose led Class B in deciding to pool their points, asking each student to transfer their money while keeping thirty thousand points for personal expenses.
• Takashima decided to sell his game console to contribute more points, despite Okabe reminding him that Ichinose had said students did not need to make such sacrifices.

Raku was summoned by Teacher Hoshinomiya, who revealed that his repeated scores of exactly sixty suggested he was hiding his abilities. She asked Ichinose to help bring out his potential, then teased her about her closeness with Raku, leaving Ichinose flustered as Raku tried to escape.

• The classroom announcement summoned Raku to the teachers' office, where he met Ayanokoji and Teacher Hoshinomiya.
• Teacher Hoshinomiya's colleague arrived and took Ayanokoji away to discuss a Class D matter, while Ichinose came to speak with Hoshinomiya about the Student Council.
• Teacher Hoshinomiya told Ichinose that Raku's quiz score of sixty was suspicious and showed her his entrance exam papers, which recorded sixty in every subject.
• Raku insisted that he deliberately aimed for the minimum passing score and denied hiding any special ability.
• Teacher Hoshinomiya suggested Ichinose help improve Raku and teased her about being close to him, prompting Ichinose to protest while Raku tried to leave.

Raku escaped Teacher Hoshinomiya after she teased him about Ichinose, then ran into Ayanokoji and Horikita. Later, Ichinose’s class organized study sessions to keep struggling students from being expelled, and Raku was reassigned from Kanzaki to Ichinose’s tutoring group.

• Raku left the teachers’ office after Ichinose agreed to discuss Student Council matters with him instead of Teacher Hoshinomiya.
• Raku and Ayanokoji discussed their strange sense of familiarity and joked about their coincidental similarities.
• Horikita caught up with Ayanokoji to ask about his test scores, while Raku slipped away to the dormitory.
• Kanzaki reviewed Raku’s practice tests, which showed steadily rising scores from seventy-three to seventy-seven, and identified his weak points.
• Ichinose took over tutoring Raku from Kanzaki, leaving Raku dreading studying with her group.

Raku reflected on how smoothly he had settled into Class B and resolved to keep his abilities hidden, then encountered Ayanokoji during a late-night walk and quietly investigated a suspicious incident involving Horikita. The chapter ended with Raku and Shiranami Chihiro discussing the Class D study session while Ichinose helped tutor its students.

• After the Class B study session, Raku watched a movie, browsed online idol Shizuku’s photos, and thought about how easily he had fitted into his class.
• Raku recalled a dead teammate’s bewildered expression and decided to keep his true abilities concealed.
• Raku unexpectedly met Ayanokoji in the dorm at night, and the two discussed their classes’ quiz results and points.
• When Horikita Suzune arrived at the dorm, Ayanokoji hid, while Raku noticed her apparent fear and returned to his room.
• Ayanokoji searched the area around the place where he had stopped Horikita Manabu from assaulting Horikita Suzune, found no traces, and reconsidered his pact with her.
• At the library, Raku and Shiranami Chihiro discussed the noisy Class D study group and Ichinose’s efforts to help its students.

Raku noticed Class C students harassing Class D boys during a study session, while a separate scene showed an examiner warning a top-ranked team leader that avoiding eliminations would not earn enough rewards. After the midterm exams, Teacher Hoshinomiya announced that Class B had passed math without anyone being expelled, and the results were posted.

• Raku learned that Class C students had been provoking Class D boys, and Ichinose calmed a confrontation in the library.
• Raku spoke with Ayanokoji, who told him that the midterm exam scope had changed.
• An examiner criticized a team leader for avoiding sacrifices during an exam and warned that failing to use the team's abilities could lead to death.
• Raku reviewed the S System, including how Class Points determined monthly Private Point allocations.
• Teacher Hoshinomiya posted Class B's midterm results and announced that everyone passed math.

Raku reflected on the first-years’ delayed Private Points, considered the Class Points rankings and a possible summer resort trip, and privately deleted messages from Senior Yoshii. Later, after searching campus for a lost black object and finding it, he ran into Ichinose at sunset.

• Raku deleted his chat with Senior Yoshii after learning that second- and third-years had received their points as usual.
• Teacher Hoshinomiya announced the Class Points rankings and explained that a dispute had delayed the first-years’ Private Points.
• Teacher Hoshinomiya hinted that the school might take students to a southern island resort for two weeks during summer vacation.
• Raku searched campus for a lost black object, found it intact, and felt embarrassed that his suspicions had been unfounded.
• Ichinose found Raku at sunset and asked why he was there instead of in the cafeteria with Kanzaki and the others.

Raku gave Ichinose a necklace for her birthday, and she realized he had known the date and deliberately tried to make her feel celebrated. The chapter then shifted to the school seeking witnesses to a fight between Sudo and three students from Class C, with rumors mostly blaming Sudo.

• Raku invited Ichinose to dinner at Keyaki Mall and gave her the necklace he had bought earlier.
• Ichinose recognized the gift as a birthday present and figured out that Raku had known her birthday and avoided mentioning it because she did not want to celebrate.
• Ichinose accepted the necklace, thanked Raku, and questioned whether he was really as unintelligent as his grades suggested.
• Teacher Hoshinomiya announced that the school was seeking voluntary witnesses to a fight at the Special Building and would not reward them.
• Raku recalled that Sudo had fought Komiya, Kondo, and Ishizaki, while Class C accused Sudo of attacking them and Class D claimed he had acted in self-defense.