Speculation

Star Color watched Tamiya elegantly eating two portions of rice, a little worried.

"Um... can you finish all that? Need me to help you out a bit?"

"Huh? It's fine, this is my usual appetite. Sorry to make Otonashi laugh at me."

"Not at all. Having a big appetite is a good thing. After all, eating your fill and satisfying your stomach is what counts as healthy. Japan's trends lean toward slim, petite, cute female styles, and everyone restricts their diet. I don't think that's great... since eating too little really affects your daily performance, so eating a bit more is no problem."

Star Color replied with an understanding smile.

"I didn't expect someone to get it. I feel the same way—if I'm not full, I don't feel in top form. But Otonashi, you should eat more with that body of yours. You're way too skinny for a guy."

"I'm the type who can't gain weight no matter how much I eat. I've thought about getting taller and putting on weight, but in the end, it's always a big failure."

"What an enviable constitution. As for me, I have to keep my figure, so I'm sticking to shaping up every day."

"No wonder Tamiya has such a great figure..."

Suddenly Star Color blushed and hurriedly explained.

"Um... sorry... that came off a bit harassing."

"It's fine. If anything, I'm happy. Spending time with Otonashi feels like hanging out with a girl (in a friendly way)."

"Ehh... don't say that... I'm a guy..."

Star Color's face flushed red as he lowered his head, nibbling on the burger in his hand like a hamster.

After lunch, Star Color and Tamiya strolled leisurely around the campus together.

The school was located on a bay, the entire site built on reclaimed land. Using it for infrastructure like a school seemed like a waste of resources, didn't it?

"What's wrong?"

The moment he spaced out, Tamiya caught him.

"Nothing, just feeling uneasy."

"Uneasy?"

Star Color looked at Tamiya's cute, puzzled expression with a hint of mischief.

"If a big earthquake hit, along with a tsunami, we might all sink to the bottom of the sea and become fish food."

"That's way too gloomy a thought."

"Well, well, I'm just used to thinking about the worst-case scenario."

"Honestly, Otonashi. Saying that makes me start worrying too..."

"Sorry, sorry."

"What are your plans, Otonashi?"

"Go buy some daily necessities, then head back to the dorm to organize things."

"How about going with me to check out the school's shopping district this afternoon? You mentioned before that you like reading, and the school library is supposedly incredibly well-stocked with a rich variety of book categories."

"Then grab dinner... how about it? Interested?"

Tamiya Emi extended the invitation. Eh... could this be... that legendary 'romance'... Star Color controlled the beating of his heart—couldn't let it race too fast. This counts as a date, right? It does, doesn't it?

Star Color's throat moved slightly as he nervously swallowed his saliva.

"Yeah, sure."

The two exchanged phone numbers and contact info.

Stepping into the store, Star Color carefully selected shampoo and soap.

Sensitive to money, he immediately noticed the free items on the shelf.

"Eh? Free?"

Tumblers, toothbrushes, toothpaste, simple travel-sized bottles of body wash and shampoo like those provided in hotels, and band-aids. He looked at the sign with large letters below.

[Can only be claimed three times per month.]

So there were limits. But the school gave out 100,000 points per month, which converted to 100,000 yen. Did anyone really need these shabby free items? Suspicious, Star Color thought.

He'd noticed it back in the gymnasium—every class of new students was buzzing with excitement. Logically, the school assigning different classes based on interviews already made it clear that there were distinctions between classes. Zero competition was absolutely impossible. What made this school special? It had nothing to do with the happy-go-lucky education or elite education outside. If it were the same as public or private schooling, it would lose its uniqueness. And since education systems only came in so many varieties, it had to be class-based competitive education.

A bold guess: the monthly points provided weren't actually uniform. The free items and the mountain vegetable meal set were the best clues. It looked like points could become scarce, and this free supply was meant to secure the bare minimum for survival—the lowest standard of living. That would make sense.

If Star Color's guess was true, then Teacher Majima's earlier words were full of wordplay. Traps everywhere. No, wait! Why bother with this kind of nonsense? Weren't students here to study? Were they some shady company that liked playing word games in contracts?

Don't pull this cruel real-world crap in a school! Star Color ranted internally.

But this was just speculation. If students from other classes had the same personal points as them, that would confirm this reality.

Still, it wasn't Star Color's job. Sticking to the principle of just speculating and not overthinking, he grabbed band-aids, a tumbler, and a toothbrush from the shelf.

He picked out cost-effective shampoo and soap suited to his body type, plus some snacks, tissues, and other essentials.

Carrying his basket, the cashier at the front asked Star Color to show his student ID. Scanning the barcodes on the items, he tapped his student card on the reader, and the fee was deducted. Convenient. It seemed you could also pay with a QR code on your phone, so losing the card wouldn't be a problem.

"Does Star Color-san like to eat snacks?"

Tamiya Emi, standing behind him, counted the items in Star Color's basket. A few were mid-to-high-priced goods, the rest were cheaper daily necessities, and there were even some free special offers. Aside from those, everything else was snacks and handcraft tools.

"Mm, snacks are the best!"

Since the girls needed to pick out some more private items, Star Color felt too embarrassed to follow along. So the two split up while shopping and met up at the checkout counter.

Star Color stood there quietly holding a plastic bag, waiting for Tamiya-san.

"Alright, let's go."

"Tamiya-san, want one? Sakura flavor."

Star Color handed over a pink lollipop.

"Thanks... Ah, this brings back memories. I haven't had this kind of candy in a long time. I got to taste it once at a festival when I was little."

Star Color had already torn off the wrapper and was savoring the 'extra-large rainbow lollipop' in his hand with his tongue, a cute kitten-like lapping motion. Then he bit off a corner of the lollipop.

A crisp crunch crunch sound came from Star Color's mouth.

Tamiya Emi watched Star Color's eating manner as they walked.

Noticing Tamiya's gaze, Star Color met her eyes with his bright purple pupils.

"Is there something on my face?"

"Ah... nothing, I just think Star Color-san is really cute."

"Huh? Thanks..."

Tamiya Emi felt her body heat up. April was already stepping into summer weather, the sun fairly bright—maybe it was because she was wearing two layers of clothing. She unconsciously recalled a line from a movie she'd seen before.

[Eye contact is the mind's silent kiss.]

"Staring at me like that... makes me shy. Is there really something on my face?"

Star Color's slightly puzzled expression added a touch of allure to that androgynous face.

"It's nothing. Let's go."

"So big~ This dorm is really something."

Star Color let out an earnest exclamation.

"One building per grade, that's really something. The boys' section is on the lower floors, the girls on the upper floors."

"Eh... co-ed dorms, that's a strange design."

"Why do you say that?"

Tamiya-san asked curiously.

"Co-ed dorms—aren't they just convenient for doing weird stuff? Sure, there are cameras, but it doesn't look like it's very strictly managed. In the end, it relies on the students' self-discipline. Maybe the person who set the school rules had a hobby of peeping on the girls' dorms, so they deliberately left themselves a loophole? If only This Old Man could go to the girls' dorm, that'd be too obvious, so they gave all the boys the privilege. That way, This Old Man won't get caught! What a genius idea. Hehehe!"

When Star Color said "This Old Man," he even changed his tone of voice, like a lecherous old man's voice acting from a Showa-era anime.

"What you're saying is too weird! Star Color-san."

"Ehehe, sorry..."

"But chatting with Star Color-san is really fun."

Tamiya Emi smiled lightly, enjoying this relaxed atmosphere.

The two stepped into the elevator.

"My floor is the fifth."

"Ah, mine is the twelfth."

"Then... see you this afternoon?"

"Mm, see you this afternoon."