Rules

After the bus entered the school grounds, the scenery outside the windows changed in a fundamental way.

The main road was absurdly wide, with neatly trimmed trees lining both sides, their canopies intertwining overhead to form a green archway. In the distance stood red-brick school buildings, a Gothic clock tower with pointed spires, and vast lawns glistening in the April sunlight. Farther away, several commercial facilities were scattered about, their glass walls revealing a dazzling array of goods inside.

A town surrounded by high walls. This was Advanced Nurturing High School.

Kanzaki Toru leaned against the bus window, watching several upperclassmen walk by. They were chatting and laughing, their expressions relaxed—a stark contrast to the tense-faced new students in the bus. The bus stopped near the entrance to the Academic Building, and the doors opened. April's breeze swept in, carrying flower petals with it. The students began getting up and filing out.

He didn't hurry. He waited until the aisle had cleared a little before taking his bag from the overhead rack. The girl in the hat in the row ahead was still standing there—not because she didn't want to leave, but because the crowd had blocked her way. To squeeze through, she would have to push her way into the crowd and even say, "Excuse me." Her fingers clutched the straps of her bag so tightly her knuckles had gone white.

"Let's go."

As Kanzaki Toru passed her, he casually tossed out those two words, then walked straight into the aisle, using his body to make a narrow passage for her through the crowd. He didn't pull her along or look back. Two or three seconds later, he heard the faint sound of footsteps behind him.

She'd followed. That was enough.

They got off the bus one after the other. Sunlight fell on Kanzaki Toru's face, and he squinted. The air smelled of flowers and fresh grass, pleasant enough to almost make him forget the three-meter-high wall.

Quite a few new students had already gathered in the small square, exchanging names and classes in groups of two or three. The Class D crest on their left breast pockets stood out, its red lettering set against a white background.

"Class D, over here!"

A loud voice rang out from the crowd. The light-brown-haired boy from the bus was calling out to everyone as if they were old friends. When his gaze landed on Kanzaki Toru, his expression changed for a moment, then he looked away and pretended not to see him. Kanzaki Toru ignored him, too.

He scanned the area, found a relatively empty spot, and stopped there, turning around. The girl in the hat was still following him, standing two meters away. She gripped the straps of her bag with both hands and lowered her head, the brim of her hat covering most of her face.

"What's your name?"

Silence. About ten seconds passed before a voice came from beneath the brim of her hat.

"...Sakura."

It was so quiet it seemed to come from somewhere deep underground.

"Sakura?"

"...Airi. Sakura Airi."

After she spoke, she lowered her head even further, as if saying her name had taken all the strength she had.

"Kanzaki Toru. I'm in Class D, too."

Sakura Airi didn't respond, but the brim of her hat lifted slightly. At least she'd heard him.

About ten minutes later, a bespectacled young female teacher led the Class D new students into the Academic Building. Their classroom was at the end of the third floor, with "Class D" written on the nameplate. When they opened the door, the smell of fresh paint filled their noses. The desks and chairs were brand-new, the blackboard was clean, and the large windows looked out onto students strolling across the lawn.

Kanzaki Toru sat in the back row by the window. After hesitating for a while, Sakura Airi chose a corner seat in the row ahead, by the wall—a spot where she could see the door and had a wall behind her. Avoiding people's eyes, protecting her back, keeping watch on her surroundings. It was the kind of seat someone accustomed to staying on guard would choose.

The students gradually took their seats. Their homeroom teacher, Chabashira-sensei, stepped up to the lectern and began explaining in a flat tone. Her explanation was brief.

"Your student ID terminals should now show one hundred thousand personal points. This is the allowance the school provides each student, and the same amount will be issued on the first of every month."

A murmur of discussion rippled through the classroom. Some students excitedly discussed what they wanted to buy. Kanzaki Toru lowered his head and opened his terminal. The screen clearly displayed:

Personal Points: 100,000

Class Points: 1000

Chabashira-sensei continued, explaining that there were no strict rules regarding attendance or classroom behavior. Students wouldn't be punished for sleeping, talking, or using their phones in class. Another commotion broke out in the classroom. This level of freedom was practically indulgence.

"Also," Chabashira-sensei said, pushing up her glasses, "changes in Class Points will directly affect the number of Personal Points issued each month. Specifically, the amount of Personal Points you receive will equal your Class Points multiplied by one hundred."

Kanzaki Toru's fingers stopped over the terminal.

Class Points multiplied by one hundred. In other words, Class D's current 1000 Class Points meant one hundred thousand Personal Points each month. If the class's points fell to zero, they would receive zero next month. Conversely, if they could rise to Class A—

He quickly did the math in his head. In the original story, Class A had around 940 Class Points... No, that was later. For now, all he needed to know was this: Class Points determined Personal Points, and Personal Points were all the resources they needed to survive at this school.

Chabashira-sensei offered no further explanation. She simply said, "The detailed rules will be explained gradually through future Special Exams," handed out some materials, then left the classroom. Before going, she tossed out one last remark: "Classes will begin as usual tomorrow."

The students gradually got to their feet. Some had already made plans in groups of three or four to explore the commercial facilities on campus. Kanzaki Toru stayed in his seat.

He turned the terminal over in his hands and looked at it several times. One hundred thousand points wasn't a lot, but it wasn't a little, either. It was enough for a high school student to live comfortably for a month. But if the Class Points changed, that number would change, too. The school was tying every student's interests to their class in this way: if you wanted to live well on your own, you had to make the whole class better; if the class went downhill, you went down with it.

Clever.

He turned off the screen and looked up. Most of the students had already left. Sakura Airi was still sitting in that corner, in the exact same posture as on the bus: head lowered, shoulders hunched, hands resting on her knees.

"Sakura."

Her shoulders trembled slightly, and she raised her head. Her purple eyes, hidden behind the brim of her hat and her lenses, looked at him uneasily.

"Want to go to the store? We can check the prices."

Sakura Airi hesitated for a few seconds, then gave the faintest nod.

When they left the classroom, the hallway was bathed in sunlight. Several Class D students they didn't know passed by, discussing which restaurant to go to that evening. Their laughter echoed through the bright hallway, carefree and untroubled.

The store wasn't far from the Academic Building. It was a three-story commercial complex. The first floor had a convenience store and household goods, the second floor had electronics and a bookstore, and the third floor had restaurants. The facilities were new and brightly lit, and the shelves were packed with merchandise.

Kanzaki Toru picked up a bottle of mineral water and turned it over to look at the price tag. Two hundred points. About two hundred yen. The cheapest boxed meal cost 350 points, while the more expensive ones were eight or nine hundred. Snacks, stationery, and household goods were all priced about the same as outside the school.

He put the bottle of water back on the shelf. Prices were normal, and one hundred thousand points was enough. That meant the problem wasn't everyday expenses. The problem lay elsewhere: Class Points. Special Exams. Everything the school had revealed so far pointed in one direction—the school would pit the classes against each other somehow, and the results of that competition would directly determine how many resources each student received.

And the competition probably wouldn't be gentle.

"Um... Kanzaki-kun."

Sakura Airi's voice came from behind him. It was quiet, but this was the first time she had spoken to him on her own initiative.

Kanzaki Toru turned around. She was standing by the stationery shelves, holding a notebook with a red border, the same color as her glasses. But she wasn't looking at the notebook. She was looking at the entrance to the convenience store.

Three upperclassmen stood at the entrance, wearing second-year uniforms. They were sizing up each new student who came in. One of them, a boy with a short buzz cut, let his gaze linger on Sakura Airi for a moment before looking away and exchanging a knowing glance with his companions. It wasn't the way someone looked at a girl. It was a colder, more analytical scrutiny.

"They're watching us," Sakura Airi said softly. "Not just us. All the new students. It's like they're evaluating something."

Kanzaki Toru glanced at her.

Beneath the brim of her hat, her purple eyes still showed unease, but they were much clearer than they had been on the bus. She was observing and making judgments. This girl, who seemed painfully timid, wasn't stupid.

"You noticed, too."

Sakura Airi gave a slight nod.

Kanzaki Toru walked over and casually positioned himself between her and the upperclassmen, as if he were looking at the things on the shelves.

"Once you've bought your notebook, let's go. Try to shop during the day from now on. There are more people around at night."

Sakura Airi froze for a moment, then quickly went to the register and paid.

By the time they left the store, it was already dark outside. The streetlights had come on, bathing the lawn in a warm yellow glow. Laughter and music drifted from the distance. Everything looked like an ordinary, pleasant evening on campus.

Sakura Airi followed behind Kanzaki Toru for a long time. When they were almost at the fork in the path to the dormitories, she suddenly spoke.

"Thank you for earlier."

Kanzaki Toru didn't stop walking. "It was nothing."

They walked a few more steps before Sakura spoke again, her voice even quieter than before. "Kanzaki-kun, do you think... this school really is as good as they say?"

This time, Kanzaki Toru stopped. He turned around and looked at Sakura Airi. The streetlight shone on her from the side, the shadow of her hat covering half her face and leaving only a thin chin and tightly pressed lips visible.

"What do you think?" he asked in return.

Sakura Airi fell silent for a while. Then she said, "Chabashira-sensei said that Class Points determine Personal Points. But she didn't say how Class Points increase or decrease. She also didn't say why Class D has 1000 Class Points, or how many the other classes have."

Her words came in fits and starts, and her voice was quiet, but her reasoning was clear.

Kanzaki Toru watched her for two seconds, the faintest curve forming at the corner of his mouth.

"Starting tomorrow, try not to go anywhere alone. At least for the first week."

Sakura Airi raised her head, surprise flashing in her eyes beneath the brim of her hat. Then she gave the faintest nod.

"Okay."

At the fork in the path to the dormitories, Sakura Airi hesitated, then bowed slightly to him before hurrying toward the girls' dormitory. Her steps were much quicker than when she'd gotten off the bus.

Kanzaki Toru stood where he was, watching her small figure disappear into the shadows beyond the reach of the streetlights. Then he turned and headed toward the boys' dormitory.

His terminal vibrated in his pocket. He took it out and glanced at the screen. A notification from the school had appeared, just one brief line:

"Information regarding the April Special Exam will be announced during tomorrow's homeroom."

Special Exam.

He put the terminal back in his pocket and looked up at the faint outline of the high wall against the night sky. It stood there in silence, completely cutting this "paradise" off from the outside world. Three years, 1,095 days. No leaving, no contact with the outside. One hundred thousand points a month, but that could turn to zero at any moment. Class Points were like a rope around their necks, and the school decided whether it tightened or loosened.

And tomorrow, he would learn the first rule that tightened the rope.

Kanzaki Toru pushed open the entrance to the dormitory and walked into the brightly lit lobby.

Interesting. This cage was more interesting than he'd imagined.

And Sakura Airi—the girl who seemed timid, yet had immediately seen through the meaning behind the upperclassmen's gazes—was more useful than she let on.