Class 1-D

Class 1-D.

Katsuya Shinjo arrived at his classroom. Many students were already seated, and the beginnings of their own little social circles were already taking shape.

Birds of a feather flock together. Most of the students gathered in groups were talking to people who shared similar traits.

Of course, not everyone could make connections so quickly. From the unique aura each person gave off, Katsuya could tell at a glance what kinds of people in the class would have a hard time making friends—and what kinds would never have any...

What a cursed coincidence...

Aside from the pair who had given up their seats on the bus, that Flying Fish Head guy and a Cold and Arrogant Long-Haired Girl had already taken their seats too.

The Cute Girl had quickly befriended her unfamiliar classmates with her striking looks and sunny personality. As for the other three...

Apart from lunatics, surely no one would want to deal with those three.

Following the nameplate on his desk, Katsuya went to his seat and obediently sat down.

As time passed, all forty seats in the classroom were filled, but the teacher still hadn't shown up. The room remained a noisy jumble of chatter.

"Quiet!"

A stern woman's voice came from outside the door. A moment later, a woman in professional attire and black stockings, her hair tied in a high ponytail, walked in.

This had to be the kind of teacher boys liked most: mature, sexy, and beautiful. Her appearance immediately quieted the noisy class.

Then she picked up a piece of chalk and wrote a few words on the blackboard:

"I'm your homeroom teacher. My name is Sae Chabashira."

Her voice held no emotion at all. If she was trying to maintain a teacher's dignity, she seemed to be taking it a little too far.

She sounded as if she didn't care who was sitting below her, keeping everyone at arm's length.

It was strange, but Katsuya didn't dwell on it. After all, rather than a teacher, she was just someone working for money. What was so strange about a jaded middle-aged person lacking passion for her job?

Teacher Chabashira's tone made the students, who had been paying little attention, tense up. The already quiet classroom fell completely silent.

Sae Chabashira slowly scanned her class and continued:

"This school doesn't reshuffle classes. That means I'll be your homeroom teacher for all three years. Our school is quite unusual. It covers all your tuition and fees, but in return, you'll have to live on campus for the next three years, and you won't be allowed to contact the outside world."

"Of course, for your physical and mental well-being and convenience, there's a large shopping center on campus. You can buy almost any daily necessity or entertainment item there. There are also karaoke rooms, a movie theater, cafés, and just about every other kind of entertainment facility."

After explaining all this, Sae Chabashira paused to catch her breath. She wasn't tired, of course. She was signaling that what came next was important, though she didn't actually expect anyone in her class to realize it.

"You can use your student ID cards to access all the facilities on campus and make purchases. But keep in mind that they work like credit cards, so using them will consume something called 'personal points.'"

"You can buy anything on campus with them, no matter what it is. They're very easy to use, so you can figure that out for yourselves later. Points are automatically deposited on the first of every month. Each of you should have received one hundred thousand points for now, equivalent to one hundred thousand yen."

Sae Chabashira's explanation sent the classroom into an uproar.

But the students couldn't be blamed. Most high schoolers had never handled such a huge sum of money before.

With all the entertainment facilities and shops on campus, it was only natural that they were already imagining the wonderful life they'd lead there.

But...

Katsuya was clearly uneasy. He'd never believed in something as good as money falling from the sky.

The school's admission standards seemed rather flexible. If it gave this kind of treatment to outstanding students who could become the pillars of future society, that would be one thing, but...

"Are you surprised that the school gave you so many points? This school evaluates you based on ability. So if you were admitted, you must have the corresponding value. Your points represent the school's assessment of you. Spend them as you please."

"If anyone wants to transfer their points to someone else, that's allowed too. But don't threaten or intimidate anyone. The school deals with bullying very harshly."

"By the way, the new student ceremony will be held in the gymnasium in an hour."

With that, Sae Chabashira strode out of the classroom without looking back.

As their homeroom teacher left, the class grew noisy again. The groups that had already formed were planning to go on a shopping spree.

Katsuya stared at the cold, impersonal hundred thousand points on his student ID and fell into thought...

The school evaluates us based on ability... But my entrance exam scores should have been awful, shouldn't they? If I got a hundred thousand points, then students who scored better than me should have gotten more.

There was still too little information for Katsuya to make sense of it. He could only shake his head and set the matter aside for now.

At the front of the classroom, a handsome, sunny boy with short green hair had clearly taken charge of the conversation. He politely bowed to everyone.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Yosuke Hirata, and I like soccer. Since we've all just arrived in this class, why don't we introduce ourselves? That way, we can get to know each other better!"

There was no denying that handsome boys and beautiful girls had an enviable natural advantage.

His suggestion quickly won the approval of most of the class, and they stood up one after another to introduce themselves.

Just then, a Red-Haired Boy sitting beside Katsuya slapped the desk and loudly objected:

"This is ridiculous! Who wants to introduce themselves to you people?! That's the kind of childish activity little kids play at, and I'm not about to join your game."

With that, he left the classroom straight through the back door.

Most people weren't prejudiced against anyone in particular. But if someone displayed even one trait that matched their preconceptions, they'd pile every other prejudice they had onto that person.