Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, Class 1-A.
A composed, middle-aged man walked into the classroom carrying a box of something. He strode calmly up to the podium, and the room gradually fell quiet.
He set the box down in one corner of the podium, then picked up a piece of chalk and wrote "Mashima Tomoya" and a string of numbers on the blackboard.
"Hello, everyone. I'll be your homeroom teacher for the next three years. My name is Mashima Tomoya. This is my teacher ID number. You can contact me if you need anything."
"According to school policy, I'll be with you for all three years. Your homeroom teacher won't change midway, so I look forward to working with you."
"Next, I'll explain the school rules. When I call your name, please come up to collect your terminal."
Amasawa Reigetsu watched Mashima Tomoya speaking, then glanced to his right and saw Morishita Ran had already gone up to collect her terminal. He looked toward Sakayanagi Arisu's seat and found her watching him with a meaningful gaze.
What a perfect opportunity!
Induction activated!
Sakayanagi Arisu seemed to sense something. Her fair cheeks flushed red, and a hint of pleading crept into her meaningful gaze.
"Sakayanagi Arisu," Mashima Tomoya called.
"Here!" Sakayanagi answered with great energy.
This was obviously someone's doing.
Mashima Tomoya froze for a moment, thinking that the chairman's daughter looked rather frail, yet had such a strong voice. As expected of the chairman's daughter.
Mashima Tomoya didn't want to assume the worst. He couldn't bear the thought of having yet another eccentric in this class.
"Good! Very energetic!"
Mashima Tomoya responded enthusiastically.
With her face red, Sakayanagi Arisu shot Amasawa Reigetsu a fierce glare, then went up to the podium herself to collect her terminal.
"Amasawa Reigetsu!"
"Here!!"
"Good!! Very energetic!!!"
"Everyone's received their terminals, right?"
"Next, I'll continue explaining the school rules."
Mashima Tomoya continued explaining the rules at an unhurried pace:
"At this school, there's something besides your terminal that's vitally important: points."
"Points are the only currency used on campus, and there's no substitute for them. Each point is worth one yen."
"You can buy almost anything with points, whether it's school supplies or various services. The distribution schedule is fixed: points will automatically be deposited into your student ID account on the first of every month. For everyday purchases, just scan your terminal."
"The school has already given each new student one hundred thousand points. You can check your terminal. If your balance is abnormal or the points haven't arrived, report it to me now."
"That concludes the rules. The opening ceremony will be held in the gymnasium in an hour. Please be there on time. That's all."
"Teacher, will the school really give us one hundred thousand points every month?"
A bald head popped out of the crowd!?
"Katsuragi's question is a good one, but I can't answer it."
Mashima Tomoya was a responsible teacher, and he actually answered Baldy's question. That only encouraged more students in Class A to ask questions. The classroom grew lively, with a flourishing atmosphere of brainstorming.
As he answered their questions, Mashima Tomoya felt moved.
"The students in Class A really are top-notch! I can't help giving them a few hints."
But Amasawa Reigetsu was experiencing something entirely different. The moment the homeroom teacher finished speaking, he found himself in a mysterious little grove.
Morishita Ran had used her once-per-chapter teleportation again!
Amasawa: How is this not cheating? Once per chapter is way too short a cooldown! Nerf it! Nerf it!! How can anyone play like this?
Meanwhile, in Class 1-A.
Sakayanagi Arisu had just stood up, ready to go find Amasawa Reigetsu. All she could do was watch helplessly as Morishita Ran used her teleport and took Amasawa Reigetsu with her, like a powerless wife in despair.
Morishita Ran: How pitiful, Classmate Sakayanagi. Amasawa-kun kept calling your name all the way to the grove, you know?
Sakayanagi Arisu: (ｉДｉ)
Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, grove.
"Kill!! Kill!! Kill!!"
The afternoon sunlight was cut into tiny patches by the dense branches, scattering across the secluded grove on the hill behind Advanced Nurturing High School.
Morishita Ran stood ten paces from Amasawa Reigetsu, lowering her center of gravity slightly as she fixed her gaze on the black-haired boy before her.
Amasawa Reigetsu said nothing. He simply let his arms hang loosely at his sides, his pale gray eyes as still as a pond without a ripple. He gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.
The next second, Morishita Ran moved.
She made no attempt to test him. Her feet drove hard into the ground, crushing dry leaves with a crisp crackle. She shot toward him like an arrow loosed from a bow, closing the distance in an instant. Her right fist cut through the air, heading straight for Amasawa's face.
Fast, and fierce.
Yet faced with this rapid attack, Amasawa Reigetsu didn't even move his feet. Just as Morishita Ran's fist was about to touch the tip of his nose, he tilted his head slightly. Her straight punch skimmed past his temple, brushing a few strands of black hair.
Morishita Ran's pupils contracted. She changed her move in an instant, turning her left hand from a fist into a palm and slicing toward Amasawa's carotid artery.
Amasawa Reigetsu raised his right hand. His movement looked slow, but his precision was terrifying. He brought two fingers together and caught Morishita Ran's wrist with casual ease.
"Too obvious," Amasawa Reigetsu said mildly, his voice devoid of emotion.
He gave his wrist a slight shake, sending a cleverly applied force up Morishita Ran's arm. Half her arm went numb at once, and she stumbled forward involuntarily.
But she didn't panic. Using the momentum, she swept out her right leg, aiming a low kick at Amasawa's lower body.
Amasawa Reigetsu leaped lightly, evading the attack. He adjusted his posture in midair, then touched down on his toes and retreated half a meter, putting some distance between them again.
"Ah~ No, it hurts! I'm going to bleed, ahhhhh~"
Looking at Morishita Ran, unconscious in his arms and saying all sorts of lewd things, Amasawa Reigetsu glanced toward the bushes behind her.
"Ah, I've been spotted."