A Peaceful Daily Life

The next morning, faint dawn light pierced the clouds and gently brushed the room through the gap in the curtains. As motes of light danced in the air, the formerly silent darkness was gradually replaced by warm golden sunlight.

Miyama Saku opened his eyes right on time, awakened by his internal clock. He did not move immediately, instead quietly savoring for a moment the relaxation of his body against the soft bed.

"It's been a long time since I slept this deeply."

He pushed himself up, reminiscing about that long-lost deep sleep as an unfamiliar sense of peace rose within him. Back when he trained in the mountains, he would be sweating in the cold wind before dawn. Every awakening came with sore muscles and weary anticipation for the day's training.

Compared to that, his current life was so comfortable it almost felt decadent.

"Still, to keep my body from rusting, I can't skip the necessary exercise."

He nimbly rolled out of bed and put on his slippers. Entering the washroom, he turned on the faucet. The clear water struck his fingertips, and the bone-piercing chill instantly drove away the last remnants of sleepiness. It also pulled him completely free from that sluggish comfort, restoring his control over both body and mind.

After changing into the school-issued tracksuit, Miyama Saku pushed open the door and stepped into the morning campus. The slightly cool air, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees, slipped into his nostrils and refreshed him.

As he passed the track, basketball gym, and soccer field, he was surprised to find that quite a few people were already there. Upon closer observation, he noticed that many students possessed explosive power and technique clearly on par with professional athletes.

"Not bad. Looks like every club's ace is here." Miyama Saku swept his gaze across the grounds, silently assessing them. "But the gap in ability within the same clubs seems rather large." He keenly noticed that the weaker students appeared somewhat nervous when working with the ace players, to the point that even their movements became distorted.

That kind of gap was probably difficult to bridge through effort alone.

He did not linger. After jogging a few laps, he found a secluded corner and went through a set of stretching and strength exercises. His muscles gave a faint protest as blood rushed into them, and the familiar soreness reassured him that he had not completely sunk into decadence in this comfortable environment.

Every breath was deep and powerful, every exertion precise and restrained. He immersed himself in the pure sensation of conversing with his body, temporarily casting aside all distracting thoughts about this unfamiliar school.

After finishing his morning workout and returning to the dormitory, Miyama Saku took a cold shower, changed into a neat uniform, and headed for the classroom of Class B.

The classroom was still empty, with no one else having arrived. It seemed that most of the freshmen were either still immersed in the excitement of receiving an enormous number of initial points or had overslept after last night's revelry.

Miyama Saku first went to the podium to check the class seating chart. At the very least, he needed to remember his classmates' names. He could slowly observe their appearances later, so he would not mistake one person for another.

Then he walked over to his seat and set down his backpack. There was still some time before class began, so he simply lay down on his desk and allowed his consciousness to sink back into darkness.

When he woke again, most of the class had already arrived, and the hum of conversation filled the room.

Miyama Saku stretched lazily, his joints cracking crisply.

"Good morning, Miyama."

"Didn't you rest well last night?"

A pleasant voice, like a spring breeze, sounded beside his ear.

Miyama Saku lazily turned his head, his gaze focusing on the smiling face beside him.

"You're Ichinose, right?"

"I rested well last night. If anything, it was the first time in a long while that I slept so soundly."

Ichinose Honami seemed surprised by his response and blinked. "I didn't expect you to remember me, Miyama."

He actually remembered me? I thought someone like him, who looked indifferent to everything, wouldn't care about other people at all.

"I remembered you a little," Miyama Saku said flatly.

"Then let me introduce myself again. I'm Ichinose Honami. You can just call me Ichinose. Please take care of me for the next three years." The girl extended her right hand with a radiant smile.

Miyama Saku did not stand to shake her hand. He merely responded somewhat lazily, "Miyama Saku. You can call me Miyama too. Likewise."

At that moment, Kanzaki Ryuji, seated in front of him, turned around with a serious expression. "Miyama, I have a few questions regarding the school rules that I would like to ask you."

"I should have already said everything I needed to yesterday."

"What I want to discuss is the standards for the school's evaluations, and..."

"I don't know." Miyama Saku cut him off directly. He did not want to waste words on matters without definite information, much less reveal his own thoughts too early.

"We only need to know what you think." Seeing this, Ichinose Honami took the chance to join the conversation, her eyes shining. "I also really want to know what Miyama thinks."

Did these two plan this together? Miyama Saku sighed inwardly. Seeing Ichinose's expectant expression, he knew he could not brush them off. What a troublesome pair. Still... Ichinose's initiative and Kanzaki's rigor might not be bad things at this school.

"Kanzaki, let me ask you something. What is this place?" He suddenly posed a seemingly unrelated question, wanting to test their reactions.

Kanzaki was confused by the question, but he answered honestly, "A school. Is there a problem?"

"Since you know it's a school, why ask me anything?" Miyama Saku said pointedly.

Kanzaki furrowed his brow and fell into thought. A moment later, Ichinose, standing beside him, clapped her hands together, a glimmer of realization flashing in her eyes. "I understand. Since this is a school, we only need to fulfill our duties as students, right, Miyama?"

"Perhaps." Miyama Saku looked out the window absentmindedly.

"Perhaps?"

"Don't worry about it. The school hasn't announced the real rules yet. Everything right now is merely speculation, isn't it?" Miyama Saku's voice was low and magnetic. "As long as we do what students should do, the school will have nothing to criticize. Isn't that the safest strategy?"

His words were like a pebble dropped into a lake. Ichinose, Kanzaki, and the Class B students around them who had been listening intently all sank into thought. They were naturally excited to have entered this prestigious school with an almost one-hundred-percent advancement and employment rate.

But the various signs from yesterday suggested that this place was far from ordinary. Anxiety over the unknown spread through the crowd. After all, not everyone was a genius. They were afraid.

"We can discuss that later." Ichinose quickly collected her thoughts and got to the point. "Regarding our class's plan yesterday to pool some points and buy information from Teacher Hoshinomiya, what do you think, Miyama?"

Miyama Saku looked at Kanzaki. "Didn't you tell the class yesterday?"

"When would I have had the time? Everyone was busy adapting to the environment yesterday."

"Fine." Miyama Saku shifted into a more comfortable position. "The first of next month is when points will be distributed. At that time, the rules regarding points and evaluations will naturally be announced. There's no need to waste precious points on information that will sooner or later be disclosed for free. That's my personal opinion."

"The teacher said points can buy anything in this school."

"Points are this school's lifeblood, and its only hard currency. Before we understand their true value, any waste is foolish."

Kanzaki Ryuji, beside him, shot him a meaningful look, as though saying: You certainly did not look frugal when you bought daily necessities yesterday.

"Kanzaki, your eyes gave away what you're thinking." Miyama Saku shook his head helplessly. "Discuss the rest among yourselves. I've said everything I know."

With that, he turned his head toward the window and ignored the discussion behind him. He could not muster the slightest interest in this kind of meaningless maneuvering. Rather than get involved in such trouble, he would rather daydream.

The morning classes proceeded in a strange atmosphere.

Although Ichinose and Kanzaki had warned them beforehand, quite a few students still secretly played on their phones. On the podium, the teachers turned a blind eye, as though they could not see the disorder below.

That tolerance only caused more students to fool around.

Just as I thought. This school is allowing this laxity. They're watching—watching who will indulge in this false freedom, and who can remain clear-headed. Only when their interests are truly harmed will these people learn to obey. Until a strong leader steps forward, this lax state will probably continue for some time. Ichinose might become that leader, but she still seems to be feeling her way through things.

The bell rang, announcing the end of the morning classes.

As soon as the dismissal bell sounded, the girls' little groups quickly formed, inviting one another to lunch. Their astonishing initiative and social skills left Miyama Saku secretly speechless. The speed at which girls build social networks is terrifying. They only met yesterday, yet today they've already divided themselves into groups.

What should I do about lunch?

He had no intention of making a bento, nor did he want to eat cold food.

"I'll check out the cafeteria. I can make myself a nice dinner tonight."

Just as he made up his mind, a familiar voice blocked his path.

"Miyama."

Miyama Saku turned his head and saw Ichinose Honami standing beside the aisle. Her cheeks were slightly red, and her fingers were nervously twisting together. Why is she here again? She looks really nervous. Is there something important?

"Ah, it's Ichinose. Is there something urgent you need?"

"Um... well, all the boys have gone to lunch. Kanzaki too. You're the only boy left now." Ichinose Honami gathered her courage. "So, would you like to have lunch with us?"

She pointed toward the classroom door, where several girls stood, occasionally glancing over with curiosity and anticipation in their eyes.

Perhaps because his features were overly delicate, no boys other than Kanzaki had approached him since school began. But Miyama Saku had no desire to socialize deliberately. To him, maintaining relationships came at too high a cost in time; being alone was far more comfortable.

"I'd better not. It wouldn't be appropriate for me, a guy, to tag along with your group of girls."

"Besides, your friends are all waiting for you, Ichinose." Miyama Saku pointed at the group of girls outside the classroom who were watching the two of them.

"I'm sure they won't mind!" Ichinose Honami insisted.

Come on, that's not the issue here.

Miyama Saku looked at the group of girls by the door, whose gazes seemed as though they wanted to swallow him whole.

Those looks... It's like they're staring at a rare animal in a zoo. I just want to have a quiet meal. Why is that so difficult?

I need an excuse to get away.

Keeping a straight face, Miyama Saku began making things up. "Actually, Kanzaki and I arranged a time and place long ago. He must be anxiously waiting for me in the cafeteria right now. Time is tight. I can't keep him waiting."

"Sorry, Ichinose. There'll definitely be another chance."

With that, under Ichinose's disappointed gaze, he hurried out of the classroom as though some monstrous flood or beast were chasing him.