Unequal Transaction

The next day, school classes officially began.

To be honest, Hoshino was somewhat disappointed by the difficulty level of the curriculum.

Yet, even with lessons at such a kindergarten level, there seemed to be students in the class who struggled to keep up.

It appeared Class D was truly living up to its reputation.

At this stage, the students in the class likely had no idea about the school's sorting criteria, nor did they know that Class D was the bottom-tier class.

What was concerning was the teacher's attitude. She neither took the initiative to inform them nor actively managed the class, turning a blind eye to disciplinary issues like tardiness.

No matter how one looked at it, this did not align with a meritocracy.

Seeing that even Teacher Chabashira, who appeared so meticulous, ignored Yamauchi and Ike as they talked loudly during class, Hoshino knew there had to be a problem, no matter how slow he might be.

Sadly, Hoshino couldn't see a single other classmate harboring the same suspicions as himself.

Even students who were popular among their peers, like Hirata and Kushida, seemed unable to speak up or offer guidance due to various concerns.

With school having just started, no one had established solid connections yet; if anyone were to rashly criticize others, it would only invite resentment.

Hoshino had no intention of being that thorn in the side. Instead, he felt even more at ease slacking off during class.

The bell rang, and Teacher Chabashira gathered her teaching materials, swept a cold, indifferent gaze across the classroom, and turned to leave.

Hoshino stood up immediately, followed her quickly, and finally caught up to Teacher Chabashira at the corner of the hallway.

"Teacher Chabashira, please wait a moment."

"Oh, it's Hoshino. What is it?"

Stopped in her tracks, Teacher Chabashira turned to face Hoshino, her sharp gaze fixed directly on him as she spoke in a flat tone.

"There are some things I am very curious about, and I hope you can provide me with some answers."

"I have a faculty meeting to attend, so I cannot give you much time. Furthermore, I cannot guarantee that I will answer you. If you don't mind that, go ahead and speak."

As she said this, she gestured for Hoshino to follow and continued walking. The implication was clear: the discussion was limited to the time it took to reach the staff room.

"Teacher, regarding the rules of this school, you provided some explanations yesterday. However, I feel that for a school that mandates students be isolated from the outside world for three years, those regulations are a bit too simple. What I want to confirm is whether you have told us the whole truth without reservation."

Teacher Chabashira did not answer immediately, nor did her pace falter.

Hoshino waited patiently.

"I must commend you, Hoshino. To come and ask me questions on the second day of school—you are a very sharp and proactive student."

"In other words..."

"No, I can assure you that within the permitted scope, I have told you the whole truth without reservation."

Seen from the side, Teacher Chabashira's expression remained completely unshaken.

Within the permitted scope. That phrasing was very telling; it meant there were indeed things she hadn't conveyed, but they were things the school did not allow teachers to tell students directly—things the students were expected to discover for themselves.

Those things were likely far more important than the school rules already made clear.

"Teacher, if I were to say that I intend to use certain methods to become the leader of Class D, what would you do?"

"If a student as clever as you were to become the leader, it would likely be beneficial for the class."

Teacher Chabashira stopped walking.

"However, I am very concerned about what exactly you mean by 'certain methods.' Even if I am your homeroom teacher, if you use methods that violate school rules, I will show no mercy."

"I see. I understand."

Hoshino respectfully bid her farewell and turned back toward the classroom.

Becoming the leader of Class D was, of course, just talk. Hoshino had no intention of doing anything so exhausting and troublesome.

Just then, the intercom crackled to life:

"At 5:00 PM today, an introduction session for club activities will be held in the gymnasium."

A club introduction session, huh.

As expected, one cannot talk about high school life without mentioning club activities. This school for advanced nurturing was no exception.

"Hoshino-kun, are there any clubs you're interested in?"

Onodera, who sat nearby, struck up a conversation with Hoshino.

"I'm not sure. I haven't decided whether I want to join a club yet. Onodera-san, if I recall correctly, you're very good at swimming, right?"

"Yeah, I really want to join the swimming club."

Hearing their conversation, others joined in.

"As for Hoshino-kun, I remember you said during your self-introduction that you like reading. Would you want to join something like the literature club?"

"The literature club? To be honest, I don't really know what club activities are like, so I need to consider it carefully."

"Eh? Hoshino-kun, have you never participated in a club before?"

"Nope. I'm basically the type who is more accustomed to reading alone; I'm not very good at group activities."

"Heh, you don't seem like it at all. I get the feeling you're the type who really enjoys socializing."

"Matsushita, what about you? Are there any clubs you're interested in joining?"

"Me? I'd rather have my free time than join a club."

"Yeah, exactly! It's rare to have so many entertainment facilities at school. Why don't we all go to karaoke?"

In the end, it somehow turned into a situation where Karuizawa, Matsushita, and Sato were inviting Hoshino to go to karaoke.

Although Hirata had also received an invitation, he was planning to join the soccer club and needed to attend the club orientation.

Ike, Yamauchi, and the others seemed to want to tag along, but since they hadn't been invited and didn't know anyone well, they couldn't bring themselves to force their way in.

Ike kept winking at Hoshino, clearly trying to signal for him to extend an invitation on their behalf. But since Hoshino was only there because he had been invited by the girls, he didn't feel it was his place to invite others.

The group had just left the classroom when they were forced to stop by an unexpected visitor.

A silver-haired girl stood in the middle of the hallway, leaning on a cane. Despite her petite and delicate frame, she radiated a powerful presence that made it impossible to ignore her.

As soon as Hoshino's eyes met Arisu's, he immediately understood her intentions.

"Akira. I never expected to meet you again at this school; this could truly be called a fated reunion."

She smiled softly, her eyes seemingly fixed only on Hoshino. Her mere appearance was destined to stir up trouble.

Because they were right by the doorway, the students inside the classroom had all noticed the situation.

"Who is that girl? She's super cute!"

"Which class is she from? Why is she coming to our class?"

"She greeted Hoshino. Do they know each other?"

Hoshino listened to the discussions erupting behind him, noting the voices of Ike and Yamauchi among them.

"It really has been a long time, Arisu."

Hoshino's response confirmed that the two were indeed acquainted. The commotion in the classroom grew even more pronounced.

"So, Akira is in Class D. Hehe, it's a very energetic class, isn't it?"

Arisu said with a smile. Then, she turned to Karuizawa and the other two girls who were watching.

"Pardon me, everyone from Class D. I was so immersed in the joy of reuniting with a friend that I forgot to introduce myself. I am Arisu Sakayanagi from Class A, and I am a childhood friend of Akira. I look forward to getting to know you all."

Arisu lifted the hem of her skirt slightly and offered a polite, smiling bow. To anyone watching, her etiquette was impeccable.

However, Hoshino felt as if he had just seen a little devil smirking. It must have been his imagination.

"It seems you all have plans. I'm terribly sorry, but could I borrow Akira for a moment? Please?"

Arisu pressed her hands together in a plea. Faced with such a gesture, no one could possibly refuse.

"Then we'll head off first."

"Yeah, sorry."

Karuizawa and the others were still whispering to each other as they left; he imagined the discussion would likely continue until Hoshino rejoined them.

Hoshino matched Arisu's pace as they walked side by side. Since no one was close enough to overhear their conversation, to any bystander, they would simply look like a pair of friends chatting. However—

"Are you alright? You were in so much pain this morning you could barely get out of bed."

"And whose fault do you think that is?"

"I've already reflected on it. After all, it was my first time too, and I really lacked experience. Plus, Arisu, you were just so charming..."

Arisu gave him a subtle eye-roll, as if to say, Don't think you can win me over by saying things like that. But her expression had clearly brightened.

"I'm still feeling a bit uncomfortable now. But I walk slowly by nature, so others probably can't tell."

"...I really am reflecting on it."

"Reflecting, you say? If you say it too much, you'll lose all credibility. Besides, it was a mutual decision. It's just... perhaps limiting it to once a week, no, once every two weeks, might be better for me."

As she said this, Arisu finally showed a hint of shyness. What she had just said was, after all, quite extraordinary.

"Let's talk about something normal, Akira. I walked here from Class A and did a little observation of the other classes. Class B and Class C are both quite interesting. By comparison, your Class D is much more ordinary."

"...Arisu, let's make a deal. You tell me your observations on Class B and Class C, and I'll tell you something you'll definitely be interested in."

"Deal."

Arisu didn't even need a second to think; she agreed immediately.

"That person you've been keeping an eye on, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, is in Class D."

Arisu's eyes widened—a rare moment of loss of composure for her.

"The two sides of this deal aren't exactly equal, are they?"

"Then, to make up for it, next time you can call me Master and serve me."

Her cane tapped accurately onto the top of his foot. But Arisu didn't outright refuse. Hoshino interpreted this as her simply being shy.

The two continued their conversation, discussing Class B and Class C.

As for Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, for both of them, there was no longer any need to discuss him.