Advanced Nurturing High School stood on an artificial island in the heart of a metropolis.
It was famous for its state-of-the-art facilities and a 100% rate of further education or employment.
Students here enjoyed the best treatment possible.
After bidding Kushida Kikyo farewell, Makoto Nishikado looked at the school before him and scoffed at the rumors he'd heard.
It was just like ignoring everyone below the execution line. Those Americans practically lived in paradise.
The same was true at this school, where strength reigned supreme. Only those at the very top could enjoy all the good things in life without a care.
It was no different from the capitalist world.
Was school supposed to be a place to experience society in advance?
Makoto Nishikado kept his opinion to himself.
"Come to think of it, don't those people find this suspicious?"
Makoto Nishikado raised his head slightly and saw cameras everywhere.
Unlike Tokyo University, Sakurajima didn't have that many surveillance cameras.
Sometimes, when a murder occurred, the investigators could only put up a sign at the crime scene and hope a witness would provide evidence.
You couldn't exactly call the results better than nothing. They were just an exercise in pointless formalities.
But the school gates at Advanced Nurturing were surrounded by an abnormal number of cameras.
At an ordinary school, if there were this many cameras, the students would surely tell their parents, who would complain, and then the PTA would make a huge fuss.
"Even I can tell something's off, and I don't know anything."
Makoto Nishikado shook his head. He'd barely stepped onto the stairs when someone called out to him.
"You looked at me just now. What did you mean by that?"
A girl with a cool, striking air and a figure ten times better than Yukinoshita Yukino's looked down at Makoto Nishikado.
Makoto Nishikado glanced around and saw that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had already walked off, so he pointed at himself. "Are you talking to me?"
Horikita Suzune's normally calm expression turned a little impatient.
She didn't show it, and her voice remained as cool as ever.
"On the bus just now, you were the only one who looked at me more than once. I hope you're self-aware enough to realize that."
It was a trivial question, but Horikita Suzune seemed determined to get an answer.
Why had this guy looked at her before doing a good deed? If he was going to help someone, he should just do it.
She was curious.
Makoto Nishikado knew her temperament, of course, so he gave her a slight smile.
"I did look at you more than once. As for why, I'm not telling you."
Without waiting for Horikita Suzune to respond, he walked right past her and left.
Maybe it was the first time anyone had treated her like that. Horikita Suzune froze for two seconds before she reacted.
[Horikita Suzune's emotions were stirred. Received 1492 emotion points.]
"...Wait!"
Horikita Suzune turned around, but Makoto Nishikado had already gone a long way.
For a moment, Horikita Suzune really wanted to run after him, grab him, and make him explain himself properly.
She hated people who spoke in riddles!
But plenty of people were coming and going around them. If she caused a scene like that, she'd definitely become the center of attention.
There was someone at this school whom Horikita Suzune cared about very much: her older brother, who was two years ahead of her.
If this got blown out of proportion and her brother found out, Horikita Suzune would be too embarrassed to face him.
"Was he deliberately messing with me?"
Horikita Suzune stamped her foot in frustration.
"One thing can stir someone's emotions twice?"
Makoto Nishikado paused, grinning brightly.
He had to take back what he'd said earlier.
Horikita Suzune might be hard to pursue, but she was definitely worth teasing.
"What a great girl."
Class B, first year.
As soon as Makoto Nishikado entered the classroom, he sensed something unusual in the air.
Quite a few students had already arrived.
A dozen or so of them were gathered around a pink-haired girl.
Unlike the simple sight of everyone fawning over her, the boys and girls around her were all smiling happily.
"A new classmate? Yahallo! Welcome to Class B!"
When she saw him walk into the classroom, Honami Ichinose raised her arm and waved.
With her extraordinary affinity, the girl already seemed to have become Class B's leader.
The true reign of Dongshan had begun!
"Yahallo, classmate."
Makoto Nishikado waved back at Honami Ichinose with a sigh in his heart, then found his seat.
His calmness made the students in the classroom turn to look at him.
Honami Ichinose was a beauty on the level of a school idol, and she'd even greeted him in that unusual way.
Normally, he should have reacted a little more, right?
But Makoto Nishikado was different. He looked perfectly composed.
[Honami Ichinose's emotions were stirred. Received 76 emotion points.]
[Yuki Himeno's emotions were stirred. Received 312 emotion points.]
[Hayato Shibata's emotions were stirred. Received 132 emotion points.]
[...]
Makoto Nishikado glanced at the system and saw that quite a few students in Class B could provide emotion points.
That put him somewhat at ease.
The biggest contribution came from the classmate sitting at the desk beside his.
"Hi, I'm Makoto Nishikado. I look forward to getting along with you."
The person Makoto Nishikado was speaking to was a girl with a pair of dead-fish eyes.
She wore her hair in twin tails, and both her figure and looks were those of a beautiful girl.
If she didn't have those dead-fish eyes, she might have been even prettier.
Still, she couldn't quite compare to Honami Ichinose.
"Yuki Himeno. Anyway, you're pretty impressive."
Yuki Himeno gave him a listless thumbs-up.
Honami Ichinose was far too sunny and outgoing. Yuki Himeno had managed to deal with her for a while, but now she was exhausted.
She didn't feel much like talking to the handsome guy beside her, either.
Still, Yuki Himeno admired him.
He'd even dared to imitate Honami Ichinose's embarrassing greeting, and he'd done it without batting an eye. That was no small feat.
"Ugh, extroverts, could you stay away from me for once... That's what you're thinking, right?"
Makoto Nishikado leaned in to whisper, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips.
For Yuki Himeno, Class B was a nice place, but it wasn't all that nice.
Just as energy-saving idealism couldn't stand up to a rose-colored youth, Yuki Himeno couldn't stand up to Honami Ichinose, either.
[Yuki Himeno's emotions were stirred. Received 622 emotion points.]
"You're so annoying. Stay away from me."
Yuki Himeno waved him off.
This guy called Makoto Nishikado had clearly realized she wasn't good at dealing with people who were all warmth and enthusiasm, yet he'd still come over to talk to her.
She really wanted to hit him.
But she couldn't be bothered.
"Himeno, I'm helping you get used to things. Just think about it: what do you think the class atmosphere will be like with that classmate leading everyone?"
Makoto Nishikado had no intention of letting Yuki Himeno off the hook.
He already knew how to get a reaction out of the girl in front of him.
[Yuki Himeno's emotions were stirred. Received 1145 emotion points.]
"...What will it be like?"
Yuki Himeno pictured the terrifying future and shuddered.
"Everyone likes that classmate, so the whole class will grow closer. Anyone who doesn't fit in will disappear into the background." As he spoke, Makoto Nishikado leaned a little closer. "To avoid being left out, you'll have to go to every get-together, every karaoke session. There'll be another gathering after each one, and even on your days off, you won't have any time to yourself."
"Don't say such terrifying things!"
Yuki Himeno was genuinely frightened.
The scary part wasn't what he said, but the future she could already see coming.
She wasn't stupid. She knew Makoto Nishikado wasn't making it up, and that was why she was scared.
At the thought of not even being able to lie comfortably at home on her days off, Yuki Himeno felt her future grow bleak.
Wait, couldn't she change classes?
She couldn't stand being in this class for another day!
"Poor thing. You've got a long road ahead of you."
Satisfied, Makoto Nishikado returned to his seat and noticed the strange look from the girl in front of him.
[Amikura Asako's emotions were stirred. Received 214 emotion points.]
"Makoto, please don't bully Himeno."
Amikura Asako walked over to Yuki Himeno, protective as could be.
Yuki Himeno, who had no desire for close relationships, felt as if the world had gone dark.
So Makoto Nishikado really had been right.
Seeing the utter despair on Yuki Himeno's face, Makoto Nishikado couldn't help feeling sorry for her.
"You're the one bullying her."
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