A lively class

The girl in the first row in front of him wore glasses and had her head lowered over some documents.

She had just looked up at me, then shyly lowered her head again. Was I really that charming?

Check with the system.

"Chuto Rika, a personality similar to Sakura's..."

She probably wanted to say hello to me just now...

Natsukawa thought that befriending a delicate girl like her first might be nice. She was probably the obedient type.

At the very least, he needed to send a signal so the classmates around him wouldn't think he was aloof and unsociable... So he struck up a conversation:

"Hello, what are those documents you're reading? Could you give me a copy?"

The girl in front of him visibly stiffened, then turned around.

"Huh? Huh? Were you talking to me?"

Her cheeks flushed as she said in a fluster:

"Ah, s-sorry! Do you mean this? This is the school information booklet we received after handing our personal belongings over to the person in charge at the school gates. You should have one in your bag too."

"Oh, right, I forgot. I think I did get one."

Mm-hmm, I must have been too caught up talking to Ichinose and slipped it into my bag, then forgotten about it.

Of course, Natsukawa had no need to read this basic information. He was simply establishing initial relationships with the classmates around him...

Still blushing, Chuto Rika handed him her copy, shyly lowering her head to glance at the nameplate on Natsukawa's desk.

"I-it's fine. You can use mine first, Natsukawa! I've already finished reading it."

"Ah, sorry, sorry. I went ahead and used your name without asking. I-I'm Chuto Rika."

"It's fine. I'm Natsukawa Tatsuya. Nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too, Natsukawa!"

Then, as though that sentence had drained all her strength, she turned around and never looked back.

Chuto Rika's thoughts, meanwhile, ranged far and wide as she tried hard to sit properly in her seat.

Ooh, I spoke so much for the first time at my new school.

You can do it, Rika!

Natsukawa is the gentle type. I never thought he'd strike up a conversation with an insignificant wallflower like me.

Ah, relax. My posture doesn't look weird right now, does it?

Ah, my whole body feels stiff. No, I can't move.

If Natsukawa sees me looking this stupid, it'll all be over.

Back in middle school, I was the introverted type who hardly had any friends. If Natsukawa finds out, I'll definitely lose him as a friend, won't I?

Ding! Affection Rating +30.

Natsukawa nodded. What a strange girl.

I don't need to read these documents either. I'll use them as padding.

To avoid the hassle of talking to other classmates, Natsukawa watched for a while, then simply lay his head on his desk and went to sleep.

Someone had spent a long time relaxing.

I-I'll just turn around for one look!

Thank goodness, Natsukawa seems to be asleep.

Is it really okay for him not to make friends with the other classmates like this?

With that cold face, he seems like the cold type.

That's fine too. Natsukawa will be my friend alone, hehe.

Ooh, what a strange thought. How rude of me!

Ah, turn back around. It wouldn't be good if another classmate saw me staring at Natsukawa like this.

J-just one more look.

An unknown amount of time passed. The classroom was almost packed with students, and everyone in the class had arrived.

At that point, Chuto Rika, sitting in front of him, poked Natsukawa's arm with her pencil case.

Natsukawa was also woken by the lively commotion.

"S-sorry for disturbing you, Natsukawa."

"But it looks like everyone's here, so I took it upon myself to let you know. Who knows when the teacher might come in?"

"Oh, thanks. By the way, here's your booklet."

"N-no need to thank me!"

With that, she quickly took the booklet and turned back around.

Rika, you did another good deed.

Ooh, an enrollment guide with Natsukawa's warmth still on it.

Too bad we're in the classroom...

Ding! Affection Rating +10.

Natsukawa leaned against the wall and began observing the now-lively classroom.

There was a girl chatting animatedly with the other girls.

"Manabe Shiho, leader of Class C's little gyaru clique, the first pawn to make an appearance?"

There was a guy whose conversations with others gave off a shrewd impression.

"Kaneda Satoru, academic ability A..."

There was the arrogant-looking guy sitting on a desk with one leg bent.

"Ryuen Kakeru, Class C's future leader."

Ishizaki Daichi was boisterously getting along with the boys around him.

In front of the King's Hometown sat Ibuki Mio, looking cold and refusing to talk to anyone.

So Hiyori is two rows behind me, reading a novel.

Before long, a middle-aged man walked into the classroom.

"New students, I'm Kazuma Sakagami, the homeroom teacher for Class C. It's a pleasure to meet you all!"

"Now, let me give you a brief explanation. At this school, you won't change classes each academic year. As such, I'll be learning alongside you as your homeroom teacher for the three years until graduation. I look forward to working with you. The entrance ceremony will be held in the gymnasium in one hour. Before then, I'll hand out information regarding this school's special rules, although you were already given this during the earlier enrollment orientation."

"With the student IDs being handed out now, you can use all the school's facilities and purchase goods at shops and other places. They're similar to credit cards, but since using them consumes points, you need to exercise caution."

"Simply scan them at a machine in the facilities or present them. They're easy to use, so you shouldn't have any trouble operating them. Next, points will automatically be deposited on the first of every month. Everyone should already have received an equal allocation of one hundred thousand points. Also, each point is worth one yen. That shouldn't require any further explanation."

"Within this school, there is nothing you cannot buy with points. Whatever it is, as long as it's available on school grounds, you can buy it."

After their homeroom teacher finished explaining, the students around him exclaimed in surprise and began talking.

"Really, Mr. Sakagami? That's the equivalent of a hundred thousand yen!"

"This school is amazing!"

Ryuen Kakeru gave a cold smile.

"What an interesting school!"

Ishizaki Daichi cheered:

"Yes! I knew enrolling at this school was a smart choice!"

Natsukawa, however, noticed his final sentence.

Should I say he's pretty faithful to the original? Although school regulations prohibit teachers from revealing too much information to students.

Still, that was a very obvious hint.

"Are you surprised that the school awards so many points? This school evaluates students based on ability. Those of you who gained admission possess corresponding worth and potential. In that respect, points represent the school's assessment of you. Don't hold back. Feel free to spend them. However, the school will reclaim these points after you graduate. Since points cannot be converted into cash, saving them won't benefit you. Once the points have been deposited, how you use them is entirely up to you. Spend them however you like. If anyone feels they have no need for their points, they may transfer them to someone else. However, please don't intimidate others. The school is particularly sensitive to bullying. It wouldn't be good if the school found out."

"Once you've introduced yourselves, head over to the entrance ceremony!"

Natsukawa nodded.

Mm-hmm, a useful teacher who cares about moving up classes and helps students with hints isn't bad either.

After all, when the class moved up, the homeroom teacher's evaluation and salary would also improve.

If this were Class D, the teacher would probably have left ages ago.

What followed was a round of plain, straightforward introductions in order. Since Kazuma Sakagami had yet to leave, no students walked out as they had in Class D.

It seemed Sakagami wanted the students to at least get to know their own classmates.

Since Natsukawa sat near the front, it wasn't long before he gave a plain, straightforward introduction of his own.

"Hello, everyone! I'm Natsukawa Tatsuya. I suppose I'm a little interested in everything. Mm-hmm, I played tennis back in middle school too, and I competed against some unknown players from other schools, like Kunimitsu Tezuka and Ryoma Echizen."

"Wow, Natsukawa is so handsome!"

"I don't know anything about tennis, but he sounds really impressive!"

"Mm-hmm, boys with a talent for sports are pretty nice!"

The following came from different people, and the system heated up.

Ding! Ding... ding!

Affection Rating +10.

Affection Rating +10.

Affection Rating +10.

A burst of chatter followed, before the introductions moved on to someone else.

Once everyone had finished introducing themselves, Kazuma Sakagami said:

"All right, everyone seems full of energy! If there's anything you don't understand about the school's explanation, ask now. If there are no questions, I'll be on my way."

"I'll leave the remaining time for you to get to know each other. In any case, just don't forget the entrance ceremony!"

Ryuen Kakeru was already impatiently waiting for the teacher to leave so he could begin conquering the class.

Just then, Natsukawa Tatsuya raised his hand.

Ahem, sit tight. I'm about to begin!

Kazuma Sakagami's eyes lit up, and he said:

"Natsukawa, was it? What's your question?"