Rules

In front of the bulletin board, freshmen crowded together to find their class assignments, the air thick with the hum of noisy discussion. Uesugi Hara stood a little further back, his gaze sweeping over the crowd to lock onto the Class A list. Seeing his own name there, he felt no ripples in his heart; after all, the original owner of this body was a bona fide genius.

Just then, Kushida Kikyo squeezed out of the crowd, a look of disappointment on her face. "Uesugi-kun, I'm in Class D. I was really hoping we'd be in the same class."

Uesugi Hara nodded and glanced at the Class D list, confirming the names of Kushida Kikyo, Horikita Suzune, and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka before saying, "Class D is full of hidden talents. You might find some surprises there."

Kushida Kikyo smiled, waved, and ran off toward the Class D area. Uesugi Hara's gaze drifted to other sections.

In the Class C area, Ryuen Kakeru stood amidst the crowd. With his striking purple hair and arrogant posture, he radiated an oppressive aura just as he did in the original story.

In the Class B area, Ichinose Honami was surrounded by a throng of students, her sweet smile seemingly capable of healing everyone around her.

Uesugi Hara turned and walked toward the Class A classroom. Stepping inside, he found his seat. It was in the back row by the window, a spot that allowed him to observe the entire room without drawing too much attention to himself.

In the center seat to his right sat a girl with silver-white hair. She possessed a flawless face with a faint, elusive smile playing on her lips. Her short hair rested lightly on her shoulders, and beneath her fair, delicate neck lay slightly sunken collarbones. Though the rest of her skin was hidden, the lack of curvature on her chest and her petite frame made her easily mistaken for a middle schooler. A slender cane rested flat across her legs, and deep within her ice-blue eyes hid a shrewdness that belied her age, as if she were evaluating everyone in the room.

On the other side of the classroom, Katsuragi Kohei stood with his arms crossed, dressed in a crisp school uniform. His sharp gaze, filled with composure and rationality, was fixed on the person he was speaking to in a low voice. He radiated the aura of a leader, and the surrounding students listened intently, nodding in agreement from time to time. Beside him, another student was gesturing theatrically—that must have been Totsuka Yahiko.

He observed the others in the room, such as Satonaka Satoshi, the most handsome background character from the original story, and Kito Hayato, whose appearance was, to put it mildly, difficult to describe.

Before long, the homeroom teacher, Mashima Tomoya, walked in.

The students of Class A quickly demonstrated their professional caliber, promptly returning to their seats.

He scanned the classroom, his gaze sharp enough to instantly silence the students who had been whispering.

"My name is Mashima Tomoya. Welcome to this school. Although this school boasts a 100% graduation and employment rate, that does not mean you can slack off. For the time being, until you graduate, I will be your homeroom teacher."

"In two hours, the school will hold an entrance ceremony in the gymnasium. Before that, I would like to explain the unique nature of this school, starting with the basics..."

"To better measure the comprehensive level of our students, the school has introduced the S-System, which has already been pre-installed on this smartphone terminal integrated with your student ID."

"In this school," Mashima Tomoya continued, "points are very important. They determine the quality of your future life. Now, open your school terminals, enter your student ID and initial password, and check the points issued for this month."

Uesugi Hara followed the instructions. The screen of his school terminal lit up, displaying:

[Private Points: 100000]
[Class Points: 1000]
[Class: 1-A]
[Name: Uesugi Hara]

Mashima Tomoya continued to explain the school's rules, while Uesugi observed the reactions of those around him.

"It seems you have all received the 100,000 private points issued by the school. I must remind you that one private point is equivalent to one yen. On the first of every month, the school will deposit private points into your phones."

"Within this school, all purchases must be made using points via your terminal, and anything within the school can be bought as long as you have the points."

Just then, someone raised their hand.

"Excuse me, Mashima-sensei, are there really no restrictions on how we use our private points?" It was Katsuragi Kohei, who possessed a wisdom beyond his eighteen years, carrying the maturity and steadiness of a thirty-eight-year-old.

"This school measures students by their ability. Since you have successfully enrolled, you possess corresponding value and potential. How you use your points is your own freedom; the school will not interfere," Mashima Tomoya replied indifferently, his expression unreadable.

Uesugi Hara noticed Sakayanagi Arisu tap her cane lightly, a thoughtful look flashing in her eyes, while Katsuragi Kohei frowned, seemingly deep in thought.

"Can the points be taken outside?" Katsuragi Kohei continued to ask.

"After you graduate, the school will convert your remaining private points at a ratio of 3:1," Mashima Tomoya said calmly. "Even if you want to save them, it is meaningless over the next three years. You would be better off utilizing these points in a timely manner."

When he mentioned "timely utilization," Mashima Tomoya's expression shifted slightly.

"Mashima-sensei, if private points can be understood as yen, then what do class points mean?" Sakayanagi Arisu suddenly spoke up.

It seemed someone had noticed the part Mashima Tomoya had been deliberately ignoring.

Uesugi Hara couldn't help but glance over.

"Much like the evaluations of you, the school also measures the strength of each class. I will explain this in the future; it is too early for you to know now."

Mashima Tomoya brushed the question aside with ease.

Just as Uesugi Hara thought Sakayanagi Arisu would press further, she stopped. She had clearly guessed more than Katsuragi Kohei, but she was intentionally holding back.

Not only that, but her gaze wandered over the others, as if observing everyone's reactions.

In an instant, their eyes met, and Sakayanagi Arisu flashed a sweet smile at him.

Uesugi Hara withdrew his gaze as if nothing had happened.

Heh, I'll make sure you aren't smiling for long.

"Mashima-sensei, you said that anything in this school can be bought with points. If I want to date the Chairman's daughter, how many points would that cost?" Uesugi Hara asked boldly.

Sakayanagi Arisu's smile froze, and an unnatural flush crept across her face—whether from shyness or sheer embarrassment, it was hard to tell.

Mashima Tomoya was genuinely startled by the question. Faced with Uesugi Hara's audacity, he had to bite the bullet and answer: "Regarding Uesugi-kun's bold idea, I do not know how many points that would require. I would have to consult the Chairman to find out."

Uesugi Hara acted as if it were nothing, saying, "Never mind then." After all, he didn't want to leave a bad impression on a man who was clearly a doting father.

Uesugi Hara's idea opened the floodgates for the other students, who began asking all sorts of questions.

However, Mashima Tomoya dismissed them all with, "With the amount of points you have, don't even think about it."

"If there are no more questions, we will meet again later. I wish you a wonderful campus life."

With that, the homeroom teacher turned and left the classroom without a moment's hesitation, as if afraid Uesugi Hara might ask something else inappropriate.

As Mashima Tomoya finished explaining the rules and departed, the room fell into a new kind of silence.