Initial Awareness

The after-school bustle receded like a tide, rapidly draining from Class D's classroom. The golden glow of the setting sun slanted through the windows, casting long shadows across the empty desks and chairs. Only a few people remained in the room.

Kazama In slid the book Love Song of Green Seasons from his desk into his bag, his movements unhurried. He stood up, intending to head to the school convenience store to buy some daily necessities. Just as he took a step, a gentle voice called out to him.

"Kazama-kun."

Hirata Yosuke approached with an extremely friendly smile, the sunlight falling on his handsome face. "Going to the convenience store now? I need to buy something too—want to go together?"

Kazama In stopped, his jet-black eyes calmly fixed on Hirata. He didn't mind this kind of friendly contact, though instinct made him more accustomed to solitude. He gave a slight nod. "Sure."

Hirata's smile brightened, as if pleased that Kazama hadn't refused. "Great, we can chat on the way. Those skills you mentioned earlier were really surprising! Especially the computer tech—if we ever need that for class activities..."

"Yosuke!" A slightly hurried female voice cut off Hirata's words.

Karuizawa Kei stood at the classroom door, her face carrying a perfectly timed mix of anxiety and apology. Her gaze swept quickly over Kazama In before landing on Hirata. "Sorry to interrupt! Um... could you come over here for a second? There's something with the club recruitment... I might need your help coordinating..." Her voice carried a hint of pleading, and her eyes held a barely noticeable trace of dependence.

Hirata Yosuke paused, then immediately showed understanding and concern: "Oh, sure! No problem!" He turned to Kazama In with an apologetic look. "Sorry, Kazama-kun, looks like something urgent came up. We'll talk another time?"

Kazama In's gaze lingered on Karuizawa Kei's face for a moment. Behind those seemingly anxious eyes flickered a barely concealed tension, as if she was seeking refuge. He nodded without expression. "It's fine."

Hirata hurriedly followed Karuizawa Kei out of the classroom. Kazama In watched their figures disappear through the door, his face blank. He turned, his gaze shifting to the other side of the room.

Koenji Rokusuke was leaning against the window, the golden sunset dyeing his signature light-blond hair even more dazzling. His hands were in his uniform trouser pockets, his posture lazy yet elegant, watching Kazama In with clear interest, a playful smile curling at the corner of his lips.

Kazama In walked over and stopped in front of him.

"Tch," Koenji Rokusuke let out an ambiguous sigh, his light-blond hair swaying slightly as he shook his head. "Looks like our 'disciplined knight' Hirata has been summoned by his 'princess' again." He emphasized the word "princess" with a hint of mockery.

Kazama In didn't take the bait. Instead, he raised a hand and casually, even with a hint of brotherly familiarity, patted Koenji Rokusuke on the shoulder.

"And you, Beautiful boy?" Kazama In's voice was low and calm, but his jet-black eyes held a rare, faint glint of teasing. "Not off chasing your... 'fleeting beauties'?" He deliberately mimicked Koenji's usual exaggerated tone.

Koenji Rokusuke clearly hadn't expected Kazama In to tease him back. His striking peach-blossom eyes widened instantly, then burst into even brighter light. Far from annoyed, he seemed as excited as if he'd discovered a new continent.

"Oh? My dear Arbiter!" Koenji Rokusuke clutched his chest dramatically, as if struck in the heart, but his face wore a brilliantly infuriating grin. "You actually made a joke? What a delightful improvement! It seems this school's 'ordinary' air is starting to corrode that cold soul of yours?"

He stepped closer, reached out with a mix of intimacy and force, and heavily slapped Kazama In's shoulder twice in return. The force would have made an ordinary person wince, but Kazama In's body barely swayed, like a boulder.

"As for me," Koenji Rokusuke withdrew his hand, flicked his golden bangs back with flair, his smile carrying his usual confidence and cynicism, "Beauty is like inspiration—you need distance to appreciate its eternity. But you, Arbiter Boy," he shifted tone, his gaze turning deeper, carrying a probing look only Kazama In could understand, "go find your own 'beauty.' This school's rules might be more interesting than you think."

With that, he didn't linger, leaving Kazama In with a dashing back as he strode out of the classroom with model-like steps. The tips of his light-blond hair danced in the sunset, like flowing gold.

The empty classroom was left with only Kazama In. The setting sun stretched his upright silhouette long across the floor. He stood still, Koenji Rokusuke's final words seeming to linger in the air.

"It seems your shadow hasn't completely faded, My Brother." A murmur, almost a whisper, dissipated into the silent air as Koenji left.

Kazama In's fingertips unconsciously touched the cold silver pocket watch inside his uniform's inner pocket. Shadow... A barely perceptible undercurrent flickered in the depths of his jet-black eyes. He was silent for a moment, then took a step and left the classroom as well.

The school convenience store was brightly lit, shelves stocked with a dazzling array of goods. The air was thick with the sweet smell of bread, the savory scent of oden, and the mixed odor of cleaning agents. It was after-school rush hour, with a fair number of people, but still orderly.

Kazama In pushed a small shopping basket, his gaze sweeping quickly across the shelves. Towels, toothbrushes, mouthwash cups... He selected items with extreme efficiency, his movements precise and clean, as if executing a planned task.

At the end of the aisle with shampoo and body wash, he spotted two familiar figures.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka stood in front of a row of soaps, holding two different brands, apparently comparing prices and ingredients, his expression as flat as ever, as if studying some complex scientific problem. Not far from him stood Horikita Suzune. She too pushed a basket, already holding a few items, and was frowning slightly at the notebooks and pen cases on the shelf, as if picky about their style or quality, radiating a cold aura that warned others to keep their distance. A few steps separated them, with no exchange, the atmosphere subtly tense.

Kazama In pushed his cart over, breaking the invisible barrier.

"Ayanokoji-kun, Horikita-san." His voice wasn't loud, but it reached both of them clearly.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka looked up at the sound, his calm gaze landing on Kazama In. He nodded. "Kazama-kun." A simple greeting.

Horikita Suzune also turned. Seeing Kazama In, her cold expression softened by the barest fraction, but only that. She nodded in return. "Kazama-kun."

"Picking up necessities?" Kazama In's gaze swept over the items in their hands, his tone casual, like small talk.

"Mm." Ayanokoji replied simply, putting the soap he'd compared back on the shelf and picking up a cheaper one for his basket.

Horikita Suzune, as if finding a distraction, shifted her focus from the stationery to Kazama In. Her tone remained flat but direct: "What do you think of the point system, Kazama-kun? Class D only gets 100,000 points a month—it's very restrictive." She was clearly still caught up in the shock of the homeroom teacher's announcement.

Kazama In picked up a tube of toothpaste and checked the ingredients, his movements natural. "A starting limitation." His answer was concise, his gaze scanning the shelves. "But the rules also clarify the path upward. The key is how to raise the class points." He put down the toothpaste and picked up a reasonably priced towel for his basket.

"Raise them? Easier said than done." Horikita Suzune's tone carried a faint trace of irritation and pride. "Those Class A people start so much higher than us." She seemed disdainful of being lumped with Class D, yet forced to face reality.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka didn't join the discussion, silently picking up the cheapest bagged shampoo and adding it to his basket. His gaze passed over the end of the aisle, where an area was marked with a conspicuous green label: "Free Pickup Zone." Inside, items were neatly arranged: a few basic disposable toothbrushes, small travel-sized toothpaste tubes, several plain white handkerchiefs, and a few bottles of water with no brand or listed ingredients.

Kazama In and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's eyes landed on the "Free Pickup Zone" almost simultaneously. Their gazes met briefly in the air.

A flicker of understanding passed through Kazama In's eyes. Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's gaze remained calm and flat, but he too seemed to grasp something.

"Free zone?" Horikita Suzune noticed it too, frowning slightly, her tone carrying a hint of matter-of-fact confusion. "The school's this generous? Providing free daily necessities?"

Kazama In picked up a box of instant noodles and put it in his basket, speaking flatly, as if stating an objective fact. "Not generosity. A safety net." His gaze swept over the extremely limited and basic items in that area again. "It ensures that even students whose class points hit zero or personal points run out can maintain basic survival and hygiene needs, without being forced to drop out due to health issues. It's a necessary setup to keep the school running and the 'rules' stable."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka listened quietly, saying nothing, but his eyes showed agreement. He'd reached the same conclusion.

Horikita Suzune paused, a flash of realization crossing her face, but it was immediately replaced by deeper resentment and humiliation. The free zone... it was the last charity for those with no way out! There was no way she, Horikita Suzune, would ever stoop to using that! The thought only made her more irritable.

"Even so..." she started to say.

Suddenly!

A huge, furious, and desperate commotion erupted from outside the convenience store door! The sound was like a thunderclap, instantly shattering the store's calm!

"Don't look down on me!"

"You're a first-year, aren't you." "So what!"

The noise was chaotic and clamorous, filled with contradictions suppressed to the breaking point.

The convenience store fell silent in an instant, all customers staring in shock toward the entrance. The clerk also stood up nervously.

Kazama In, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, and Horikita Suzune all looked toward the door at the same time. Through the massive glass doors, they could see two or three agitated Class D students gathered outside, waving their arms, faces flushed red as they shouted protests. Someone even pounded on the convenience store's glass door, producing dull "thump thump" sounds.

Horikita Suzune's expression turned extremely sour in an instant, her brows tightly furrowed, her eyes filled with disgust and a kind of shame at being associated with them. She instinctively took half a step back, as if trying to distance herself from the "noisy losers" at the door.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka remained expressionless, silently pushing the items in his basket further in, his body slightly turned toward the shelves as if trying to lower his presence.

Kazama In stood still, one hand still resting on the edge of his shopping basket. The setting sun streamed through the glass door, casting shifting patches of light and shadow across his calm profile. His ink-black pupils were like deep pools, reflecting the figures of those furious, desperate classmates outside, howling like trapped beasts. The cold point-based rules, for the first time, presented the brutal reality of Class D's bottom-tier label in such a naked, violent manner, dripping with blood before his eyes.

The roaring waves of shouting, like icy tides, instantly drowned the brief tranquility inside the convenience store.