Following the directions on the electronic signboard, Akiyama Shin found the Class D classroom on the first floor of the teaching building.
When he pushed open the door, he was greeted by a noisy, lively scene.
Most of the students had already arrived, naturally forming several small groups and chatting with one another.
His appearance was like a stone tossed into a still lake, instantly drawing the attention of many students in the classroom.
There was no other reason: Akiyama Shin was simply too striking. At 183 centimeters tall, he towered over the shorter-than-average Japanese boys, and his well-fitted burgundy uniform accentuated his broad shoulders and long legs. Beneath his slightly tousled black hair was a handsome, aloof face, and his dark red eyes occasionally flashed between the strands. To adolescent girls, he had an indescribable allure.
On the other side of the classroom.
The girls' group led by Karuizawa Kei, which included Sato Maya, Shinohara Satsuki, and others, immediately noticed him.
Karuizawa Kei glanced briefly at Akiyama Shin and was startled by his looks, but she didn't act too infatuated.
Sato Maya and Shinohara Satsuki, meanwhile, couldn't help sneaking a few more looks and quietly exchanging opinions.
"Wow, that boy... He's so tall and handsome..."
"Is he mixed-race? He has such a distinctive air about him..."
"I wonder which class he's in... Huh? He came in...? Is he in our class?"
One of the central figures in the class.
Kushida Kikyo was currently moving effortlessly between several boys and girls, a sweet smile on her face.
When she saw Akiyama Shin, her eyes brightened slightly, but she quickly returned to normal.
She continued chatting animatedly with those around her, only occasionally seeming to glance his way out of the corner of her eye.
On the other side, another focus of the boys' attention, Hirata Yosuke, had also noticed Akiyama Shin.
He gave him a friendly smile and a slight nod, displaying his good manners and approachable nature.
However, not everyone in the class looked at Akiyama Shin with admiration or indifference.
In the back row, the loudest group in the classroom—Yamauchi Haruki, Kanji Ike, and Ken Sudō—were brazenly discussing girls' figures and looks.
Akiyama Shin's appearance, especially his striking face, immediately drew open hostility from Yamauchi Haruki.
"Honestly, I have no idea what these shallow girls in our class are making such a fuss about..."
Yamauchi Haruki pursed his lips. His voice was just loud enough for the people nearby to hear.
"So what if he's handsome? He looks like some frail pretty boy..."
"Someone as outstanding as me cares more about what's on the inside than looks alone. I have plenty of good points too, like... like being good at video games!"
Kanji Ike patted him on the shoulder and chuckled.
"Come on, Yamauchi. Maybe he makes a living off his looks. Why are you getting so worked up?"
Ken Sudō folded his arms and watched Akiyama Shin with an irritated expression. He simply disliked people whose only good feature was their face—or, more to the point, he'd already decided that Akiyama Shin was only good-looking.
Akiyama Shin paid their childish provocation no mind. He didn't even turn his gaze toward them.
His eyes swept across the classroom and landed on Koenji Rokusuke, sitting alone in the very center, still admiring his own golden hair as if no one else were there.
Koenji seemed to notice him looking and turned his head, giving Akiyama Shin an amused smile, as if he were admiring an interesting object. Akiyama Shin expressionlessly looked away.
He had intended to go straight to his seat. The label on the desk showed that it was in the fourth column, second row from the back.
At that moment, however, a female voice, tinged with nervousness and uncertainty, called out to him.
"Um... Excuse me... Are you... Akiyama-san?"
Akiyama Shin stopped and turned around.
The girl who had called to him was petite, with dark blue shoulder-length hair tied into two playful short ponytails. She had a round face and large eyes, and looked very cute. She watched him uneasily, her fingers nervously twisting the edge of her skirt.
Akiyama Shin looked at her and quickly searched his memories.
At first glance, he didn't recognize her. His memories of people who didn't matter to him were always hazy.
But as he looked into her eyes, filled with hope and a hint of familiarity, some long-buried memories gradually came back.
Was she Wang Meiyu?
The Chinese exchange student who had gone to the same middle school as him?
He remembered now.
Back in their first year of middle school, this girl had often been excluded by the cliques in her class because her Japanese wasn't good.
He had once helped her in passing. Perhaps back then, Akiyama Shin still had a little youthful righteousness in him. He'd complained that it was a bother, but had nevertheless stepped in to stop the others from going too far. To him, it had been no more than a small favor, perhaps even one he'd done with some impatience. But to Wang Meiyu, who had been helpless and alone, it had been a lifeline.
"Wang Meiyu?"
Akiyama Shin asked to confirm, his tone as even as ever, with no joy at their reunion.
"Yes! That's me!"
Wang Meiyu's face lit up with delight when she saw that he remembered her, and she nodded vigorously.
"I can't believe you still remember me, Akiyama-san!"
"We went to the same middle school. Thank you so much for helping me back then!"
Just then.
Kushida Kikyo, who had been watching from nearby, immediately seized the chance to join in. Wearing a warm smile that seemed capable of melting snow, she gracefully came over.
"Meiyu, do you know him?"
Kushida Kikyo naturally linked arms with Wang Meiyu, then looked at Akiyama Shin and introduced herself with a sweet smile.
"Hello, I'm Kushida Kikyo. I just met Meiyu. May I ask who you are?"
"Akiyama Shin."
He was brief.
Kushida Kikyo's smile grew even brighter. She tilted her head slightly, a perfectly timed blush rising to her cheeks as her voice softened with a hint of shyness.
"Akiyama-san? What a lovely name~"
"Um... I want to be friends with everyone in the class... So..."
"Could I be friends with you too?"
Kushida Kikyo's performance was flawless!
The shy blush...
Her gentle voice...
And her straightforward request to become friends...
For most adolescent boys, this was an irresistible weapon.
It was hard not to wonder if she might have a crush on them.
The boys weren't simply being conceited. Kushida Kikyo had deliberately created that impression.
She knew exactly how to make use of her looks and personality to quickly grow closer to boys and build up social connections.
Akiyama Shin, however, simply looked at her calmly. His dark red eyes seemed to pierce through her perfect facade and see what lay beneath.
He could sense how calculated and performative her perfection was, but it didn't matter to him.
He didn't care what she really thought, as long as she didn't go out of her way to bother him.
"Sure."
He said the two words expressionlessly, neither flattered nor showing the slightest interest.
Kushida Kikyo's smile froze for a split second, and although she quickly recovered, her thoughts were already in turmoil.
Sure?! That's it?!
What kind of reaction is that?!
What's wrong with this guy?
Am I really that unattractive?
Or does he not like women?
Who does he think he is, acting so aloof?! What a damn act!
At this point, she didn't feel any particular affection for Akiyama Shin, but his total disregard for her charm left her feeling frustrated and resentful.
The feeling didn't come from liking him. It came from her confidence in her own appeal—and the intense resentment she felt at being rebuffed.
Akiyama Shin paid no further attention to Kushida Kikyo's busy inner monologue. He gave Wang Meiyu a slight nod, then walked straight to his seat.
The classroom was arranged in five columns and eight rows.
His seat was in the fourth column, second row from the back.
When he reached it.
He saw that the seat behind him belonged to Horikita Suzune, whom he'd briefly encountered at the school gate earlier.
The last seat by the window beside her was occupied by Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, whose face was expressionless.
As he walked over, Horikita Suzune didn't even raise her eyelids, as if he were invisible.
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji looked at him with the same unfocused eyes as always, acknowledging him with a glance.
Akiyama Shin sat down in silence, with no intention of talking to the two behind him.
Wang Meiyu was sitting directly in front of him.
When she saw him sit down, Wang Meiyu hurried back to her seat and turned around, her delight plain on her face as she tried to strike up a conversation with Akiyama Shin.
Kushida Kikyo and a few of her close friends also gathered around, seemingly hoping to learn more about this handsome, unconventional boy.
Wang Meiyu was guileless, but she clearly lacked tact. After a few pleasantries, she went straight to a potentially sensitive subject.
"Um... Akiyama-san... May I ask why you suddenly took a leave of absence in the second semester of our third year of middle school...?"
"Everyone was surprised back then..."
"I... I was worried about you too."
At that, the eyes of the people gathered around them—especially Kushida Kikyo—lit up almost imperceptibly.
Kushida Kikyo laughed inwardly.
You idiot! Good question! A little blunt, but now I can find out about his past!
Judging by the looks of him... His leave of absence can't have been for anything good, right? Serves him right for treating me like that just now!
Though she was secretly pleased, she immediately put on a look of perfectly measured concern.
At her question, Akiyama Shin showed no sign of taking offense. There wasn't even a flicker of emotion on his face.
He looked directly into Wang Meiyu's sincere, worried eyes and gave her a calm, straightforward answer.
"Something happened at home. My mother was seriously ill and needed someone to look after her, so I went back."
He left out what had happened afterward.
His mother's illness was eventually brought under control, and she gradually recovered. But by then, the family was already under a severe financial strain, while his parents insisted that he continue his education, even if it meant selling everything they owned. The days they'd spent scrambling to pay for medical bills had left a deep mark on him. He himself had little interest in following the usual path of studying and going to university. Rather than let his parents keep struggling so hard, he'd wanted to become independent as soon as possible. They'd argued about it—or rather, his parents had scolded him in anguish, begging him not to give up on his future. He understood the depth of their love. They only wanted him to find his own path through education and live a happy life. But that very love made him even more unwilling to become a burden to them. Eventually, after a long stalemate, he received information about this fully funded Advanced Nurturing High School from a middle school teacher who recommended it. That was how he ended up here.
The group reacted in different ways to his answer.
Wang Meiyu immediately covered her mouth, her eyes full of guilt and sympathy.
"I'm... I'm sorry, Akiyama-san..."
"I shouldn't have asked... How is your mother now?"
Kushida Kikyo also slipped straight into performance mode. She let out a soft gasp, her face instantly filling with sympathy and sadness. Her eyes even reddened slightly, and her voice caught with emotion.
"Akiyama-san..."
"I had no idea you'd been through something like that..."
"It must have been so hard..."
"Please don't be sad... If you ever need help at school, please be sure to tell me!"
But inwardly, she was thinking:
Poor thing...
But in a way, it was his own fault. With his family in that situation, taking time off school was so irresponsible.
Still... He seems so calm about it now. Maybe he wasn't that upset?
What was worth noting, though.
The tears that had instinctively welled in Kushida Kikyo's eyes, and the sympathy she'd felt, proved that she wasn't simply a bad person.
She could even be called kind.
She had a strong capacity for empathy and could sense other people's pain. But being kind didn't necessarily make someone a good person.
Her empathy was often buried beneath and exploited by her desire to perform and her ambition to build social connections.
Just then.
The classroom door opened again.
The clear sound of high heels striking the floor rang out, instantly drowning out the chatter in the room.
Every eye turned toward the podium.
A tall woman stood there.
Her black hair was tied in a neat high ponytail. She wore a well-tailored black teacher's suit, with black stockings encasing her long legs beneath a short skirt, and black high heels. Her face was beautiful, but her expression was stern and her gaze sharp as a blade. An air of severe aloofness surrounded her.
The classroom fell silent at once, and the students instinctively sat up straight.
However, there were always a few discordant voices.
Yamauchi Haruki lowered his voice, though not enough to keep the people nearby from hearing, and excitedly said to Kanji Ike and Ken Sudō:
"Hey, hey! Is she our homeroom teacher?!"
"No way! She's gorgeous!"
"That aura of hers is so... so chaste!"
Kanji Ike and Ken Sudō were also staring, momentarily stunned, and nodded without thinking.
The boys around them didn't seem to have noticed the change in the atmosphere. They were still whispering, even making a few vulgar jokes.
"Her figure is amazing..."
"I wonder if she has a boyfriend..."
Most of the class, especially the girls, shot them looks of disgust.
Hirata Yosuke frowned slightly but said nothing. Kushida Kikyo also looked disapproving.
The teacher at the podium, Chabashira Sae, didn't move at all. She simply watched the area where Yamauchi Haruki and the others sat with her cold eyes.
She didn't say a word, but an invisible pressure spread through the room like something tangible.
Yamauchi Haruki was about to say something else when Kanji Ike and Ken Sudō finally sensed that something was wrong. They elbowed him and whispered:
"Hey, Yamauchi, stop talking..."
Only then did Yamauchi Haruki belatedly shut his mouth, awkwardly rubbing his nose.
Only after the classroom had fallen completely silent did Chabashira Sae slowly speak, her voice steady and devoid of emotion.
"My name is Chabashira Sae."
"Starting today, I'll be your homeroom teacher for Class 1-D. According to school regulations, I'll remain your homeroom teacher for the next three years, barring any unforeseen circumstances."
She paused.
Her gaze swept, almost imperceptibly, over Yamauchi Haruki and the others.
"In other words, we may be spending the next three years together. I hope certain people can keep their loose tongues in check and avoid causing unnecessary trouble for themselves and the class."
Yamauchi Haruki and the others flushed at her words and lowered their heads, afraid to look at her.
Next,
Chabashira Sae bent down and opened a cabinet beneath the lectern that had a combination lock. She took out a cardboard box and had the students in the front row pass its contents back, one by one.
Inside were brand-new devices resembling smartphones: Terminals.
"Since this school is run on a closed-campus system, you'll all be living here for the next three years."
"Once you receive your Terminal, enter your student number to bind it to your personal account."
Chabashira Sae explained.
"After it's bound, the school will issue you points to use as currency on campus."
She looked around at the students below, who were already growing restless, and dropped a bombshell.
"You've each been given 100,000 points for this month."
"The exchange rate between points and yen is one to one."
"Lastly, remember this: on campus, points can buy almost anything."
She put a little extra emphasis on the word "anything."
"Any questions?"
In an instant,
the entire Class D classroom fell into deathly silence.
Then, like a volcano erupting, a tremendous clamor of excited chatter nearly blew the roof off!
"Hu—one hundred thousand?!"
"100,000 yen a month?! You've got to be kidding!"
"Th-that's like getting 100,000 yen in pocket money every month for free!"
"Oh my god! That game console I've been wanting!"
"New clothes! I'm going shopping!"
"Should we go to karaoke this afternoon to celebrate?"
"A group dinner! We have to!"
"This school is amazing! It's paradise!"
Almost all the students were overcome with joy.
They excitedly discussed how they would spend this sudden windfall, their faces bright with anticipation and delight.
Hirata Yosuke was surprised too, but managed to stay composed as he tried to calm the overly excited students around him.
Kushida Kikyo wore an appropriately delighted expression and chatted cheerfully with those beside her, though a trace of doubt flickered deep in her eyes.
Only a handful of students remained calm.
Akiyama Shin wore an expressionless face as he rubbed the Terminal in his hand, his gaze deep and thoughtful.
Behind him, Horikita Suzune furrowed her brow slightly. She clearly suspected there was something fishy about this generous offer.
By the window, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji still wore his usual poker face, but his gaze shifted between the Terminal and his jubilant classmates.
Koenji Rokusuke, meanwhile, had no interest in any of it and continued admiring his own good looks.
Chabashira Sae watched the students below, who had already erupted into celebration. A hint of disappointment flickered in her eyes.
She said nothing more, only remarking coolly,
"If you don't know how to use it, come see me in the staff room later. Also, meet at the Gymnasium in half an hour for the opening ceremony."
With that, Chabashira Sae picked up her things and left the classroom.
While most of the students were still caught up in the excitement over their points, enthusiastically discussing how to spend them that afternoon,
Akiyama Shin had already stood up quietly, slipped his Terminal into his pocket, and prepared to leave through the back door.
His movements caught the attention of the two behind him.
Horikita Suzune immediately looked up, her cool eyes fixing on him with a scrutinizing gaze.
She seemed to have completely forgotten the unpleasant encounter at the school gate—or perhaps she simply didn't care about such a small matter. In a matter-of-fact tone, she asked,
"Where are you going?"
Akiyama Shin didn't stop walking or even look back at her. He had no intention of explaining himself, much less taking her with him to Chabashira Sae's office.
In his eyes, Horikita Suzune was currently overconfident, rigid in her thinking, and lacking in powers of observation and value as a teammate. If he let her learn the rules too easily, she might not only fail to appreciate it, but also think that she could have figured them out herself if she'd looked more carefully. She wouldn't truly recognize her own shortcomings.
He didn't need a fool who saw things only from one side and stubbornly clung to her own opinions as a companion.
He needed someone capable of independent thought and judgment, a partner who could offer support at a critical moment.
People like Horikita Suzune would struggle to truly grow without being tempered by reality.
"The restroom."
He lied offhandedly, his voice flat, and soon disappeared through the classroom's back door.
Horikita Suzune stared at the empty doorway, her refined face shrouded in frost.
She wasn't stupid, of course.
She easily saw through the flimsy lie.
Rather than a lie, his attitude was a blatant rejection and dismissal. Akiyama Shin couldn't even be bothered to come up with a decent excuse.
She pressed her lips together, anger welling up inside her, but her pride would never let her chase after someone who treated her coldly.
"Hmph. Fine, don't take me with you. Once you've finished asking, I'll go ask Teacher Chabashira myself."
She had also keenly sensed that this school was not as simple as it appeared. The rules that truly governed it must be hidden behind these 100,000 points.
And she, Horikita Suzune, would never fall behind anyone!
Before you continue