An Unequal Exchange

The next day, classes officially began.

To be honest, Hoshino was a little disappointed by how easy the lessons were.

Yet even with material this simple, there seemed to be students in the class who had trouble keeping up.

It seemed Class D really did live up to its name.

At this stage, the students probably still had no idea how the school assigned classes, or that Class D was the worst class.

What caught Hoshino's attention was the teachers' attitude. They neither offered information willingly nor managed the students proactively. They even turned a blind eye to misconduct like tardiness.

No matter how he looked at it, that didn't fit with the principle of meritocracy.

When even Teacher Chabashira, who looked so meticulous, ignored Yamauchi and Ike talking loudly during class, even Hoshino—dull as he could be—knew something was wrong.

What was sad was that Hoshino hadn't seen a single other classmate show the same suspicions he had.

Popular students like Hirata and Kushida seemed unable to speak up and admonish anyone, perhaps because of various concerns.

Now, so soon after the start of the school year, nobody had formed close bonds yet. If anyone accused another person without warning, they would only provoke resentment.

Hoshino had no intention of making himself a troublemaker. If anything, he felt even more at ease slacking off in class.

When the bell rang, Teacher Chabashira gathered up her lesson materials, swept a cold glance over the classroom, then turned and left.

Hoshino immediately stood up and hurried after her, finally catching her at the corner at the end of the hallway.

"Teacher Chabashira, could you wait a moment?"

"Oh, Hoshino. What is it?"

Teacher Chabashira stopped and turned to face him. Her sharp gaze fixed on him as she asked calmly.

"There are some things I'd really like to know. I hope you can explain them to me."

"I have a faculty meeting to attend, so I can't give you much time. And I can't guarantee I'll be able to answer your questions. If you don't mind, go ahead and ask."

As she spoke, she gestured for Hoshino to follow, then continued walking. In other words, they could talk only for as long as it took to reach the staff room.

"Teacher, you explained some of this school's rules yesterday, but I feel like the rules are rather simple for a school that requires students to remain cut off from the outside world for three years. What I want to confirm is whether you've already told us everything there is to know, without holding anything back."

Teacher Chabashira didn't answer right away, and she didn't break her stride.

Hoshino waited patiently.

"First, I have to commend you, Hoshino. Coming to ask me questions on the second day of school shows that you're a perceptive and proactive student."

"So that means..."

"No. I can assure you that within the limits of what I'm allowed to disclose, I've told you everything without holding anything back."

From the side, Teacher Chabashira's expression didn't waver in the slightest.

Within the limits of what she was allowed to disclose. Her choice of words made it quite clear: there was indeed information she hadn't shared, but the school forbade teachers from telling students directly. The students were expected to discover it for themselves.

Those things were probably more important than the school rules they had already been told.

"Teacher, what would you do if I told you I planned to use certain methods to become the leader of Class D?"

"If a clever student like you became the leader, it would probably benefit the class."

Teacher Chabashira stopped walking.

"But I'm concerned about what you mean by 'certain methods.' Even though I'm your homeroom teacher, I won't show leniency if you use methods that violate school rules."

"I see. I understand."

Hoshino politely said goodbye to her, then turned and walked back to the classroom.

Becoming the leader of Class D was just something he'd said for the sake of it. Hoshino had no intention of taking on that kind of exhausting responsibility.

Just then, an announcement sounded over the PA:

"Today at 5 p.m., a club activity orientation will be held in the gymnasium."

A club orientation, huh?

Club activities were an inevitable part of high school life, after all. Even at this Advanced Nurturing High School, that was no exception.

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

Onodera, whose seat was nearby, struck up a conversation with him.

"I'm not sure. I haven't decided whether to join a club yet. Onodera, you're really good at swimming, right?"

"Yeah, I'd really like to join the swim team."

Hearing their conversation, some of the others joined in.

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

"The literature club? Honestly, I'm not sure what club activities are like, so I'll have to think it over carefully."

"Really? Had you never joined a club before?"

"Nope. I'm mostly the type who prefers reading alone, so I'm not very used to group activities."

"Ha, that doesn't seem like you at all. You seem like the sociable type."

"What about you, Matsushita? Is there a club you want to join?"

"Me? I'd rather do my own thing than join a club."

"Yeah, totally! The school has so many fun facilities, after all. Hey, why don't we go to karaoke together?"

Somehow, it ended up with Karuizawa, Matsushita, and Sato inviting Hoshino to karaoke.

Hirata had been invited too, but he wanted to join the soccer team, so he was going to attend the club orientation.

Ike, Yamauchi, and the others seemed to want to come along as well, but they hadn't been invited, and they didn't know the girls well enough to invite themselves along.

Ike kept making faces at Hoshino, seemingly trying to signal that he wanted Hoshino to invite them. But Hoshino had only been invited by the girls himself, so it would have been awkward to invite others without asking.

Hoshino and the others had just left the classroom when they ran into an unexpected visitor and had to stop.

A silver-haired girl stood in the middle of the hallway, leaning on a cane. Though small and delicate, she radiated a presence so strong that she was impossible to ignore.

The moment Hoshino and Arisu met eyes, he understood what she was thinking.

"Akira. I never imagined we'd meet again at this school. You could call this a fateful reunion."

She smiled softly, her eyes seeming to see only Hoshino. But her arrival was sure to stir things up.

They were right outside the classroom, so their classmates had noticed as well.

"Who's that girl? She's so cute!"

"Which class is she in? Why did she come to ours?"

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

Hoshino heard the murmuring behind him. Ike and Yamauchi seemed to be among those talking.

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

Hoshino's reply confirmed that the two of them knew each other. The commotion in the classroom grew louder.

"So Akira's in Class D. Hehe, what a lively class."

Arisu spoke with a smile. Then she turned to Karuizawa and the two girls beside her.

"Everyone in Class D, please excuse me. I was so caught up in the joy of reuniting with my friend that I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Sakayanagi Arisu of Class A, and Akira and I were childhood friends. I look forward to getting along with you."

Arisu lifted the hem of her skirt slightly and greeted them with a smile. By anyone's standards, her manners were impeccable.

And yet Hoshino thought he saw a little devil grinning. It must have been his imagination.

"It looks like you have plans. Sorry to ask, but would you mind letting me talk to Akira for a bit? I'll only borrow him for a little while. Please?"

Arisu pressed her hands together in a pleading gesture. No one could refuse her like that.

"We'll head on ahead, then."

"Yeah, sorry."

As Karuizawa and the others left, they continued whispering among themselves. Their discussion would probably go on until Hoshino joined them again.

Hoshino matched Arisu's pace, and the two walked side by side. With nobody close enough to overhear them, they must have looked to others like a pair of friends chatting. However—

"Are you all right? This morning, you were in so much pain you could barely get out of bed."

"And whose fault do you think that was?"

"I've already reflected on it. It was my first time, after all, so I didn't have any experience. And you're so charming, Arisu..."

Arisu gave him a discreet glare, as if to say, "Don't think you can win me over by saying that." But her expression had definitely brightened.

"I'm still a little uncomfortable. But I already walk slowly, so other people probably won't notice."

"...I really have reflected on it."

"If you keep saying you've reflected on it, you'll lose credibility. Besides, we both wanted it. Still... once a week—no, once every two weeks might suit me better."

As Arisu said this, she finally showed a hint of embarrassment. What she'd just said really was quite something.

"Let's talk about ordinary things, Akira. On my way here from Class A, I took a little time to observe the other classes. Classes B and C are both quite interesting. Compared to them, your Class D is much more ordinary."

"...Arisu, let's make a deal. Tell me what you think of Classes B and C, and I'll tell you something you'll definitely be interested in."

"Deal."

Arisu agreed at once, without taking even a second to think.

"The person you're interested in, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, is in Class D."

Arisu's eyes widened. It was rare for her to lose her composure, even for a moment.

"The two sides of this deal aren't quite equal."

"To make up for that, next time you can call me Master and serve me, Arisu."

Her cane landed squarely on his instep. But Arisu didn't outright refuse, so Hoshino took it as a sign of embarrassment.

After that, the two of them talked about Classes B and C.

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