The entrance ceremony ended without incident. After a brief explanation of the campus facilities, the school dismissed everyone.
Most people headed toward the dormitories, while the rest made their way toward the shopping mall.
Seeing that it was still early, Takahashi Ren decided to wander around campus. That would let him avoid the crowds, too.
By the time he returned to the dormitory, the paths were much quieter. He occasionally ran into classmates, and they exchanged smiles.
"Takahashi." Asuka Shiraishi approached him.
Come to think of it, Shiraishi was quite charming. Her beautiful blonde hair complemented her quiet demeanor, and the beauty mark beneath her left eye was the perfect finishing touch.
Someone to admire from afar, not to take liberties with.
Takahashi Ren pulled himself out of his thoughts and answered, "Shiraishi."
"You really do march to your own beat, Takahashi."
"It all felt a little new, so I just wandered around. Besides, I haven't made any friends yet," Takahashi Ren said frankly.
Just as I thought.
That voice was like a clear mountain spring, crisp with a hint of sweetness.
Such a wonderful voice.
Shiraishi could barely contain her joy. Just hearing him speak made her heart beat a little faster.
"Then would you like to be friends with me, Takahashi?" Shiraishi smiled.
He had to admit, that was devastatingly effective.
Takahashi Ren steadied his fluttering heart, then nodded. "Of course. I'd be delighted."
I want to keep listening.
It was not just his voice-she wanted to know more. She wanted to explore Takahashi Ren inside and out.
At the same time, she could not repeat her past mistakes.
She forced that fluttering feeling deep down into her heart.
"Here's to being friends, Takahashi." With that, Shiraishi left.
"Yeah. Here's to it."
Takahashi Ren watched her walk away, but something felt a little off.
For some reason, the way Shiraishi looked at him struck him as faintly strange.
Am I imagining things?
After collecting a key card marked "303" and a dormitory handbook from the manager on the first floor, Takahashi Ren idly flipped through the handbook while waiting for the elevator. He was a little surprised that the dormitory was coed, though the handbook also explicitly stated that "romantic conduct inappropriate for high school students is prohibited." In short, no sex outdoors, then.
The rest consisted of basic rules about things like conserving water and electricity. Students did not have to pay utility bills out of their own pockets, either.
The dorm room was only about thirteen square meters, but it had everything it needed, including a kitchen and a private bathroom. There was nothing to complain about.
He decided to get his room sorted out first, then think about where to eat lunch.
Takahashi Ren had a simple lunch at the cafeteria, then headed to the convenience store to buy daily necessities.
As he entered the store, a familiar figure caught his eye. It was Ai Morishita, the classmate who sat in front of him.
The girl had long, pale purple hair, with two small braids hanging over her shoulders. A white diamond-shaped hair clip peeked through the hair on her left side. She stood quietly before the shelves, as though a silent barrier separated her from everything around her.
She had the aloof goddess look down pat.
Since he had run into her, he might as well say hello.
"Morishita." Takahashi Ren walked over.
Ai Morishita, however, acted as though she had not heard him and kept moving between the shelves, as if deliberately avoiding him.
What's that supposed to mean?
Puzzled, Takahashi Ren caught up and stepped in front of her. "Morishita, what are you doing?"
Ai Morishita remained expressionless. "I'm getting some exercise after eating. It's good for your health. You didn't think I was avoiding you because I was shy, did you? You're so full of yourself, Takahashi Ren. A moment's thought should tell you that's impossible."
The silence was deafening.
Along with it, the lovely image of her he had just formed shattered.
Such a lovely girl. Shame she has a mouth.
Takahashi Ren stopped paying attention to her, walked away, and went about choosing his purchases.
Ai Morishita followed him. "What, did I hurt your fragile little feelings?"
"Yes, I'm feeling down right now. Could you leave me alone?" Takahashi Ren said, brushing her off.
"Let me help you look. This brand's good." She picked up a bottle of shampoo and held it out to him.
"Thanks for the suggestion, but I already know which one I want."
As he spoke, Takahashi Ren put a much cheaper bottle of shampoo into his basket.
"You boys really aren't fussy, are you?"
"I don't represent all men. Please watch what you say."
"Why so serious?" Knowing she was in the wrong, Ai Morishita changed the subject and pointed at his basket. "Why did you buy three alarm clocks?"
"I have trouble getting out of bed," Takahashi Ren said succinctly.
"Oh, I see."
"Go ahead and laugh. It wouldn't be the first time."
Ai Morishita fell quiet instead. Her brows drew together slightly, as though she were considering something important.
Somewhat puzzled, Takahashi Ren quietly paid for his purchases and waited by the entrance.
He crouched down to see whether there were any ants on the ground, but unfortunately, he did not spot a single one. When he raised his head, he happened to see Ai Morishita coming over after paying.
"What are you looking at?"
"Nothing." Takahashi Ren stood and brushed off his trouser legs. "What about you? You looked deep in thought just now. What were you thinking about?"
"Would you consider the 'Little Blue Alarm Clock'?" She blinked, her tone suddenly taking on some of a salesperson's enthusiasm. "Specially designed for people who can't get out of bed. Just two hundred points per use."
So that's what she was working out? Her mind really works in strange ways.
Takahashi Ren grew interested, too, and played along by bargaining. "Can you make it cheaper?"
"No." Ai Morishita shook her head. "A girl as cute as me is going to wake you up personally, and you still want to haggle? Do you know how rare an opportunity this is?"
Watching her pitch herself with such a straight face, Takahashi Ren could not help chuckling. "I don't need it for now, but I'll think about it."
"It won't be the same price next time," Ai Morishita said, pursing her lips.
"Yeah, that's fine. We'll talk about it then."
After exchanging a few more bits of nonsense with Ai Morishita, Takahashi Ren said goodbye to her by the elevators.
Takahashi Ren returned to his room, set down his shopping bags, and flopped onto the bed.
He stared at the ceiling as the "free" signs he had seen at the cafeteria and convenience store that day flashed through his mind. The more he thought about them, the more they bothered him. He pulled up the system interface, intending to get to the bottom of it.
It was a good chance to try out the system's capabilities, too.
He clicked on module one, entered the school's points rules under "Cause" and the existence of free areas under "Known conditions," then pressed confirm.
A moment later, the result appeared. Takahashi Ren scanned it, his pupils contracting slightly.
[The points deposited next month will vary according to the results of the school's assessment.]
He had guessed that the monthly point deposits were not fixed, but he had not expected an assessment this month.
The system really had given him a surprise.
Next, he needed to figure out exactly what the assessment involved.
But Takahashi Ren was in no hurry. Tomorrow would be soon enough to think about it.
For now, he only wanted to focus on this space of his own.
Before you continue