Despite the unfortunate incident along the way, the bus continued at the speed limit and eventually reached its destination.
Shiina, who had been sitting beside me, stood up, so I followed suit and got off.
The other students from Advanced Nurturing High School also got off one after another.
As soon as I stepped off the bus, a magnificent school gate made of natural stone stood before me.
The gate was so imposing it took my breath away.
The other students reacted much the same way—unsteady on their feet, unable to hide their anxiety.
After all, we were about to spend the next three years cut off from the outside world.
Maybe only an oddball like me didn't care. Their reaction was probably the normal one.
"Would you like to walk to the school building together, Hikigaya?"
Shiina suddenly spoke to me.
Turning her down now would probably make it seem like I was doing so on purpose, so I decided to accept.
"Sure, no problem."
"Thanks. Then let's go."
Shiina walked through the gate, and I followed close behind.
Haah. Looks like I had my peaceful life for the next three years all set.
I walked ahead, my heart buoyed by excitement.
Before long, we came upon a crowd gathered around what appeared to be the class assignment board.
"I'm in... Class C. What about you, Hikigaya?"
"Class D."
"I see... It's a shame we're in different classes, since it's so rare to meet someone else who likes reading."
A hint of disappointment crept into Shiina's voice.
I couldn't deny that I'd enjoyed chatting with her on the bus.
But that was all.
Even though it was true, I had no intention of saying something like, "Let's go to the library together," or, "We can still be friends even if we're in different classes."
When it came to socializing with others, I always stuck to the bare minimum.
"There's nothing we can do about class assignments. With this many people around, we should probably head to our classrooms."
I tossed out a tired excuse, ready to make my escape.
But she couldn't argue with that, and Shiina nodded slightly.
"Okay. Let's go, then."
After following Shiina into the school building, I soon found the classroom marked "1-D"—my new base of operations.
"See you."
"Yeah. Maybe we'll meet again."
After a brief farewell, I stepped into the classroom. Most of the students were already seated. Some were leafing through the school materials, while others chatted in small groups.
I headed straight for the seat with my nameplate on it—midway down the aisle side, a thoroughly unremarkable spot.
Still, I wasn't particular about where I sat.
I had just opened my copy of A Study in Scarlet, which I'd been reading, when the bell rang.
Almost at the same time, a woman in a business suit appeared.
Judging by the fact that she wasn't wearing a student uniform, she was probably our homeroom teacher.
In the few seconds it took her to walk to the podium, the students who had been standing hurriedly took their seats.
"First-year students, I'm Sae Chabashira, Class D's homeroom teacher. I'll be teaching Japanese history. You won't be changing classes during your three years here, so I look forward to working with you."
She paused. "The entrance ceremony will be held in an hour. For now, I'll explain the school's special system. Students in the front, please pass the handouts back."
The handouts looked familiar—the same stack of documents that had come with our acceptance letters.
Their contents were more or less as follows:
Unlike ordinary high schools, this school operated on a full boarding system, and contact with the outside world was prohibited in principle.
Of course, the school had entertainment facilities such as karaoke rooms, a movie theater, cafés, and boutiques, along with convenience stores and supermarkets.
But the most unusual feature was the S-System.
"The student ID cards being handed out now come with points that can be used for purchases on campus, much like a campus credit card. One hundred thousand points will be deposited on the first of each month, and one point is equivalent to one yen. Please note: any unused points will be reclaimed in full when you graduate. They cannot be exchanged for cash. You may give points to others, but extortion is strictly forbidden—the school has zero tolerance for bullying."
With that, Chabashira-sensei hurried out, leaving the classroom buzzing.
"Let's go shopping for clothes after school!"
"We can buy anything we want now!"
"Let's hit the arcade!"
"Getting a hundred thousand points a month is awesome!"
I could hear exchanges like that, but to me, the whole thing seemed incredibly suspicious.
As the saying goes, there's no such thing as a free lunch.
More importantly, I'd never had anything good happen to me in middle school. If anything, I'd been through one damn mess after another.
There was probably—or rather, definitely—no such thing as getting a hundred thousand points for free every month.
I stood up with a sigh.
To be honest, there was nothing for me to do here. There was still some time before the entrance ceremony, so I might as well look around the school facilities.
Besides, if I stayed in the classroom, there was a chance we'd get started on the usual round of self-introductions for new students.
With that in mind, I was stealthily preparing to slip out through the back door when—
"Everyone, could I have a moment?"
A somewhat loud voice came from the front of the classroom. I instinctively looked up and saw a typical cheerful, handsome guy wearing a sunny smile.
"We're going to spend the next three years together, starting today. So I hope everyone will introduce themselves and make an effort to become friends as soon as possible. According to Chabashira-sensei, we still have an hour before the entrance ceremony. What do you all think?"
Listening to him, I suddenly felt a wave of irritation well up inside me.
It wasn't aimed at this guy in front of me. Rather, I'd been reminded of someone from middle school who shared his ideals and was always saying, "Everyone should get along."
That guy was Hayama Hayato. He claimed to want to be friends with everyone, but in reality, he placed his own little group above all else.
I couldn't count how many times I'd cleaned up after that group of his.
If Hayama and his friends hadn't constantly caused trouble, I could've lived in peace. I wouldn't have ended up attending this school, either.
I had no idea what this cheerful, handsome guy was like on the inside, but thanks to Hayama, I really didn't want to get involved.
So I sneaked out of the classroom without anyone stopping me. They probably hadn't noticed me.
Or perhaps he'd decided there was no point paying attention to a gloomy character like me.
"Next... How about I check out the library?"
This high school, established under the direction of the national government, had top-tier facilities across the board.
The school library was no exception. According to the brochure, it housed tens of millions of books.
I got myself in the mood and headed for the library with the map in hand.
But five minutes later, I discovered that it was closed because of the entrance ceremony and felt a pang of disappointment.
Just then, Shiina arrived at the library too. When she learned it was closed, she looked disappointed.
Seeing her head straight for the library on her very first day, I couldn't help wondering if she was a loner too.
Before you continue