The Prelude to Squandering and the Stirring Undercurrents

April should have been the season of cherry blossoms and hope.

But in Class D's classroom, the air was instead thick with the sickly sweetness of money rotting away.

The place had practically become the backstage of a luxury goods launch event.

The latest game consoles were displayed openly on desks, their screens flashing with tempting light.

Limited-edition sneakers and brand-new designer bags were deliberately placed in the most conspicuous spots by their owners, as though afraid someone might miss those expensive logos.

"Hey, check out this new one I bought—the latest handheld console. It cost me twenty thousand points!"

Ike Kanji's voice was full of pride, and a crowd of boys immediately gathered around him, letting out envious exclamations.

Among the girls, the conversation also revolved around shopping and makeup.

"Wow, you even bought lipstick from that brand? I'm so jealous!"

"Let's go to Keyaki Mall this weekend. I saw an incredibly cute dress!"

The entire classroom was like an enormous hot pot on the verge of boiling over, filled with restlessness and noise.

Natsume Yu sat quietly in his corner, gently turning the pages of the book in his hands.

He had bought only the most basic daily necessities and a few essential reference books.

He stood completely apart from everyone around him.

He raised his eyes, his cold gaze sweeping over the young faces filled with desire.

It was like observing a herd of penned-up pigs.

The farmer had thrown them plenty of feed, so they enjoyed it without a care, utterly unaware that the slaughterhouse blades had already been quietly sharpened.

His gaze moved slowly across the classroom like a precise scanner, analyzing the power structure beneath this chaotic surface.

Hirata Yosuke.

Without question, he was currently the sun of Class D.

Gentle, handsome, considerate—he played the role of leader almost perfectly.

Whether organizing gatherings or mediating disputes, he handled everything with ease.

The girls revolved around him, and most of the boys trusted him as well.

A seemingly solid but actually fragile little clique had quietly formed around him.

Natsume Yu's gaze fell upon the girl surrounded by everyone else.

Kushida Kikyo.

She wore an angelically sweet smile and treated everyone with warmth and friendliness, making her the class's very own "saint."

She could remember everyone's names and preferences, casually shortening the distance between herself and every classmate.

At that moment, she was smiling as she helped a girl gather up her scattered cosmetics. Her movements were gentle, her words caring, drawing praise from those around her.

"Kikyo-chan is so kind!"

"Exactly! She's beautiful and kind-hearted. It's wonderful to be in the same class as Kikyo-chan!"

A faint, mocking curve appeared on Natsume Yu's lips.

He knew better than anyone what kind of twisted heart, desperate for recognition, hid beneath that flawless angel's mask.

The reason she was kind to everyone was precisely because she hated those who would not submit to her.

That indiscriminate kindness was itself a weapon.

And also her deadliest weakness.

His gaze shifted to the proud, solitary figure by the window.

Horikita Suzune.

As always, she was alone, holding a thick hardcover book and turning a deaf ear to the noise around her.

She was like an unsheathed blade—sharp, yet with no one who knew how to wield her.

At present, everyone only saw her as an antisocial oddball, silently isolating her.

Finally.

Natsume Yu's eyes met another equally calm gaze in midair.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

The "utterly ordinary" guy who had scored fifty points in every subject on the entrance exam.

He likewise had not participated in any extravagance or joined any group. He merely sat there quietly, watching it all with detached eyes.

There was no envy in his eyes, no jealousy, not even curiosity.

Only a bottomless emptiness.

The mocking curve on Natsume Yu's lips turned contemplative.

One of his kind.

This guy was a "spectator," just like him.

The only question was whether the show he wanted to watch was the same as Natsume Yu's.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka noticed his gaze, but merely looked away calmly, without the slightest emotional shift.

Interesting.

Truly interesting.

Bang!

A minor argument interrupted Natsume Yu's observations.

"Hey, Sudo, you threw your trash over here!"

"Huh? What did you say? When the hell did I throw anything?"

Sudo Ken stood up with an irritated expression, his crimson hair making him look even more volatile.

The classroom atmosphere froze for a moment because of that small clash.

Hirata Yosuke immediately stepped forward to smooth things over.

"All right, all right. We're classmates. Don't fight over something so minor."

But once the seed of complaint had been planted, it quickly began to sprout.

"Come to think of it, why are the common areas always so dirty?"

"Exactly. We have students on cleaning duty, but nobody cleans at all."

"What if we run out of points...?"

Whispers began to spread.

Just then, the class bell rang.

Their homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae, entered the classroom in high heels, her face expressionless.

She glanced at the messy floor and the lingering traces of conflict on the students' faces, but said nothing.

It was as if she had seen nothing at all.

She merely tapped the lectern and spoke in her usual icy tone.

"Class."

Natsume Yu was not surprised in the least.

That was how this school's rules worked.

Behind freedom lay absolute personal responsibility.

Teachers would not be babysitters, and the school was certainly no charity.

Did these idiots still think this was an ordinary school?

The hallway after school.

Natsume Yu walked unhurriedly with several books in hand.

As he passed the lockers, he saw Horikita Suzune.

She was putting her textbooks into her locker, her brows slightly furrowed as though she were considering something.

Natsume Yu did not stop walking. As if speaking to himself, he quietly said in a voice neither too loud nor too soft:

"S-System... a system that evaluates student value? It seems this school's rules may be far more complicated than they appear."

His voice was soft, yet loud enough for anyone nearby to hear clearly.

After saying that, he left directly without looking back or checking Horikita Suzune's reaction.

He knew that the seed of doubt had successfully been planted in the heart of that proud, solitary girl.

He did not need to explain or remind her.

With Horikita Suzune's intelligence and personality, she would investigate on her own and discover the problem herself.

And all he needed to do was give her a gentle push when she needed one.

To make that sharp blade serve his purposes.

Night.

The dorm room was lit only by the faint white glow of a laptop screen.

Natsume Yu's fingers flew rapidly across the keyboard.

He was not playing games or watching movies.

He was gathering intelligence.

Using the school's internal network and forums, he moved like a ghost through every corner of the information network, gradually digging up and organizing data on every student in Class D.

Family backgrounds, past experiences, personality weaknesses, social relationships...

An invisible net was slowly spreading from his hands.

Naturally, his primary target was Kushida Kikyo.

The school's official records contained only a few brief lines about her past.

But in the anonymous world of the internet, traces were always left behind.

After changing several search terms, he found a buried post on an old middle school forum that had been almost entirely abandoned.

The title read: That Demon Finally Graduated and Got the Hell Out!

It had been posted on the very day Kushida Kikyo graduated from middle school.

Calculation gleamed in Natsume Yu's eyes.

Found it.

The entrance to hell.

Your little secret would soon cease to be a secret, Kushida.

Several days later, in the library.

Sakura Airi stood uncertainly in front of a bookshelf, holding a stack of photography collections.

She was not used to crowded places. The noisy environment of Class D made her feel suffocated.

Only in the library could she find a moment of peace.

"Are you looking for books about lighting and composition?"

A gentle voice sounded behind her.

Sakura Airi jumped, nearly dropping the books in her arms.

She turned around and saw that familiar face, wearing a mild smile.

It was the boy who had helped her that day.

Natsume Yu.

"Ah... I-I was just looking around." Sakura Airi lowered her head, her voice so quiet it was almost inaudible.

"These are pretty good. The explanations are basic, so they're suitable for beginners."

Natsume Yu did not ask further questions. He merely took two books from the shelf and handed them to her.

His movements were natural and placed no pressure on her.

"Th-thank you." Sakura Airi accepted the books, her cheeks beginning to burn again.

"You're welcome."

Natsume Yu smiled at her, then returned to his seat and continued reading without disturbing her again.

Sakura Airi stood there holding the two books.

A warm current flowed through her heart.

In this school that made her feel so uneasy, this boy was the first—and only—kindness she had felt.

She looked at Natsume Yu's quiet profile. Behind her thick lenses, a different emotion appeared in her eyes.

Natsume Yu sensed her gaze, but did not turn around.

One by one, the pieces on the chessboard were being placed in their designated positions.

Sakura Airi might seem like an insignificant card, but at some point in the future, she might prove unexpectedly useful.

Late at night.

Natsume Yu closed his laptop, which now contained more than enough intelligence.

He walked to the window and looked down over the brightly lit campus.

Faint sounds of revelry could still be heard from the direction of Class D's dormitory building.

It was their final carnival.

He picked up a pen and drew a bright red cross over the last day of April on the calendar.

Judgment Day was approaching.

Natsume Yu looked out the window, his gaze deep as he silently murmured to himself.

"Celebrate, you foolish lambs."

"Because soon, you won't be laughing anymore."