Chapter Text
If I may,
I'd like to pose an interesting question.
Are all human beings truly equal?
The noon twilight shined brightly on the falling petals of the Sakura blossoms. They brushed past the cheeks and hands of people elder and young alike, dancing beautifully as the wind carried them across the streets. The spring air was remarkably vibrant. A single petal fell onto the back of an old lady, who was too busy making her way onto the bus in front of her to notice.
These days, everywhere you go, there's talk about the fight for equality. As a wise man once said, "Heaven does not create one person above or below another." People like to throw his words around; That's not the whole quote.
As she slowly made her way up through the steps and into the isle, a pale, short-haired girl turned to look at her from her left.
He goes on to say that while we are all equal at birth, pretty soon, things begin to change. Academic effort is what sets some people apart, to rise above the others. In other cases, a lucky circumstance and an opportunistic outlook is enough to divide the weak from the strong. There's also a degree of intrinsic potential at play; it's impossible to define, but some possess more of it than others. When amazing natural talent, as well as remarkable external effort are combined, a breed of human thats completely separated from the rest is created. In the face of that phenomena, equality might as well be made of glass. Before the old lady knew it, the bus began to take off before she could find a seat-- not that there were any left.
In a superficial sense, those who are born into an enviable environment with elite naturalistic ability, as well as having a will strong enough to tempt fate, could easily be seen as inhuman. It isn't hard to see why; if you were a normal person, and you found yourself confronted with an individual of such a stark superiority, you might mistake them for a different animal entirely. There's a distance segregating monsters like that from regular people.
And in reality, monsters who exemplify that dysphoria, in both their nature and nurture, utterly dominate society. That sort of difference is difficult for most people to accept, but.. In such a world, could a fantasy like equality seriously be considered by anyone?
"...Excuse me? Would you mind giving up your seat, please?" A polite voice echoed, completely disrupting that train of thought. That girl was trying-- and, from the look of it, failing-- to convince a rather prideful looking guy to give up his seating for his senior. "That's actually a priority seat.. I think you should let this elderly lady sit there, okay?"
Her opponent looked like he was fighting to hold back his smirk. "I understand that this is priority seating, honey, but there's no law forcing me to give it up. You think I should have to stand up, just because I'm still young?" He decorated his rebuttal with a pompous chuckle. "What a bunch of ageist nonsense."
At their silence, he continued. "Sure, I'm younger than her, but standing uses way more energy than sitting. Tell me, why must I sacrifice my health for this lady's sake?"
Across the isle, a brown-headed young man of similar age started to observe their little exchange, be it from the corner of his eyes. Immediately, he noticed they were both wearing the exact same uniform he was-- not surprising, seeing as they were all headed to the same place, for the most part. He watched quietly, as the girl scrambled to come up with an excuse that wouldn't escalate the situation. "Because.. you'd be contributing to the greater good of humanity." She eventually decided. "And just take a look at her, she's having trouble staying upright.."
Unfortunately, an appeal to ethicality like that wouldn't suffice here. "I have zero interest in contributing to the greater good.. and anyway, there are plenty of other jerks who could give up their seats." Taking a look around, he hadn't exactly been wrong. Nobody else seemed exactly ecstatic to contribute to the greater good, either. "Furthermore, I don't see much difference between a priority seat and a regular one, so ask someone else to be a hero."
"..To tell the truth, dear," the lady in question started, throwing on her best smile, "I don't mind standing, don't worry. But thank you all the same."
That response seemed to disatisfy the younger girl. "Excuse me! Would anyone on this bus be willing to give up their seat to this sweet lady?"
The brown-haired boy considered it for a moment, then turned his head to the side. He wasn't the only one disinterested in helping out, evidently. To his left, he noticed another girl his age reading a book, who was even less considerate than him, by the look of it. There might've been a story behind that.
Before he could wonder about it any further though, a hand shot up into the air, in the seat directly behind the girl he'd been staring at.
Another brunette-- though the color of his hair was slightly darker-- was offering his seat to the pair. His skin was on the paler side, compared to everyone else around, but not too much so that it seemed out of place. If anything, it strengthened the charisma he was seemingly radiating. His build was lightly remarkable; lean, but clearly fit. In combination with his sharp, hazel eyes, his confident body language conveyed a sense of sociability and self-assuredness. Most importantly, he'd been wearing that same uniform.
"I'd be more than happy to give up my seat." He announced, to the girl's joy, before moving moving towards the middle of the isle and grabbing hold of one of the safety bands hanging from the ceiling.
"Thank you very much, sir!" She bellowed in response, leading the lady over to the newly evacuated seat. Her disposition was extremely cheery, almost like something out of a book. It would've seemed unnatural if it didn't fit her so well. Returning his attention to the boy who got out of his chair, the still seated young man resumed his assessment. His posture was fine, just shy of perfect, really, and he seemed entirely unbothered by the fact that he now had to stand. His eyes were closed, and his free hand was resting in his pocket. ..Huh.
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji took a moment longer to study what he'd seen before he was satisfied. With the artificial island approaching in the distance, he saw fit to give the matter some more thought later.
𝕭𝖔𝖗𝖊𝖉𝖔𝖒.
At the present moment, that word alone provided the most accurate description of the life of Light Yagami. That sort of thing happens, when you're naturally talented at everything. There were small moments and hiccups of interest, but they never lasted. Not in a world like this one.
The son of Japan's chief of police, Soichiro Yagami, he relished in a comfortable, upper-middle class life, never once having to worry about things like food and necessities. In school, he was the textbook example of an honors student; flawless grades, remarkable athleticism, and even a fair bit of popularity. Studying and training, it all came naturally to him, and he appreciated his position in life, as well as the family that got him there. But that same position is precisely why he's so bored.
Day in and day out, everything's pretty much the same. People do the same jobs, perform the same chores, and the same exact tragedies happen on repeat. The news never changes.
With that monotony in mind, he was praying that the new school he was enrolling at would provide some form of stimulation. It was the best bet he had, seeing as it was quite literally the most prestigious academy in the country. When he approached his mom and dad with the proposal to attend the TNHS once he graduated junior high, their approval was through the roof. They'd been trying to convince him that he was smart enough to apply for months, so as soon as he started showing interest, they were ecstatic. Who wouldn't be? They weren't celebrities or anything, but their family was known enough to warrant a fair amount expectations. Making the decision to go to a place like that seems to have appeased them. Sayu was a bit sad and whiny when he told her he'd be leaving for the next 3 years, but that couldn't be helped. It was adorable in its own way.
The tests he took as an application were a breeze. Harder than what than material he was used to, sure, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. He'd rather not come off as cocky, or arrogant, so he purposefully didn't go for a perfect score-- but he still wanted to make a good first impression on the administration, so he got a clean 99 on all three of the entrance exams. Turns out, like usual, he was number one on the scoreboard. It was sure to get him some decent attention.
From what Light had heard, the school's testing and evaluation methods were a lot different than any other places. They kept a pretty tight leash on any information regarding the specifics of what students had to do each year, but it sounded like some unique stuff. Sports competitions, cross-class working periods, things like that. Apparently, competition is encouraged heavily, almost to a scary degree. Most importantly, the school prides itself on merit, and that's the biggest deciding factor on who will and will not be successful there. That actually sounded enticing, and maybe some fair amount of competition would be enough to sate his inescapable boredom.
It was cold on the bus, but quiet. That's just the way he liked it. He'd noticed that a couple of other kids his age had filled into all the seats, wearing the same uniform he was. These'll be my new peers, I guess.
There wasn't anybody he recognized; that wasn't surprising. He meant no offense, but he doubted anyone from his middle school could make it in to where they were going. But, if he remembered correctly.. 'Wasn't there a girl I met before that's supposed to be going here?'
"...Excuse me? Would you mind giving up your seat, please?"
His eyes turned to from the window to the source of the soft voice he'd heard in the middle of the isle.
It was time to disembark, it seemed, as the bus reached its stop at the entrance a while later.
Taking his first steps out onto the new stronghold that lied before him, Ayanokoji took a moment to breath it all in. This place really was something else, and with the trees being in full bloom, it was almost like a cherry-colored red carpet inviting its new students to depart.
"Well.. this is it. My new school." He spoke aloud, for the first time. He didn't waste very much time admiring the scenery; that wasn't really his thing, and he had the entrance ceremony to worry about, anyway.
Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing Highschool. He ruminated on his way to the front gate. Established by the government to raise people who've been deemed our country's future leaders.. movers and shakers, if you will. And it works, too.
It boasts 100% college entry and employment rates. Using experimental, state-derived teaching methods, they pull out all the stops to build a bright future for Japan.
"--Hey, you."
An unpleasantly commanding and authoritative voice assaulted his earlobes, intercepting his thoughts. Looking up, he noticed the black-haired girl he saw reading on the bus was standing before him, a flight of stairs separating their positions, and creating a weird sense of hierarchy. Her tone didn't sound fun.
"I noticed you staring at me on the bus," she continued. "Why was that?"
Guess I wasn't as subtle as I thought. He figured. It can't be helped. "..Oh. I'm sorry, I was just curious, 'cause.. well, you didn't wanna give up your seat, either. I was wondering if, like me, you'd rather stay out of it."
"..I'm nothing like you." Came her response, decidedly impolite. "In my case, I stayed silent as a matter of principle." ..Uh-huh. That makes her worse than me.
"If that's all, then goodbye." And she took her leave, like she said. He had to admit, he wasn't exactly sad to have that interaction over and done with.
But before he could start making his way up the flight of steps and down towards the auditorium, another voice called out to him from behind. It sounded familiar.
"Pretty cold, don't you think?"
Ayanokoji turned around, just in time to recognize the other boy he'd seen earlier. He'd greeted him with a moderately friendly demeanor, and he seemed well-intentioned enough. "You're that guy who gave up his seat on the bus.. right?"
A cool breeze bristled the bangs in front of his face. He nodded. "Yeah, that was me."
Ayanokoji didn't respond for a moment, instead simply staring at the stranger with an indecipherable look in his eye.
"..I.. guess I'll see you arou--" The boy was half a second from walking off, when he finally spoke.
"If you don't mind me asking, why exactly did you give your seat to that old woman?"
It was his turn to be silent, now, as he gave Kiyotaka a contemplative stare. Assuming the question sounded strange, he elaborated. "That probably sounded funny, didn't it? I don't mean to criticize what you did, or anything like that. It's just some mild curiosity."
"..I suppose I did it because it was the right thing to do." He replied. "Or so I'd like to say, but really, I just find arrogant guys like the one we saw earlier annoying. His self-important preaching got on my nerves, so I took action."
So it was for personal reasons, then. Ayanokoji seemed satisfied with that answer, nodding in response.
"Now, for a question of my own. Would you mind telling me your name?" The boy asked, smiling faintly.
He meditated on it for a second, but eventually, he decided it was fine. The guy seemed nice enough; who knows, maybe he'd even make an acquaintance on the first day. "It's Ayanokoji. What's Yours?"
"Ayanokoji, hm?" He replied, offering his arm for a handshake. This guy seemed pretty personable; the guesses he made earlier were clearly correct.
"As for me, I'm Light. Light Yagami."
He eyed Light's hand, before accepting the shake for what it was. "You've got a pretty interesting way of thinking, if you ask me. It's nice to meet you."
"You too," Light replied earnestly. "I don't know that it was anything special, but I appreciate the compliment."
He scratched the back of his head as he checked his watch. "We've got the entrance ceremony coming up, right? I'd rather not be late. I'll see you around?"
"Yeah. See you around." Ayanokoji said, nodding again. He watched idly, as Yagami's waving form disappeared into the distance in front of him.
Light... Yagami, huh?
Luscious hair. Warm eyes. Soft skin, and a beautiful smile. It was all so close, he could almost touch it.
Those happy days, back when he could avert his eyes from the dark, even if it was just a little bit. The hallmark of blissful ignorance, where the ugly truth of humans could almost be forgotten. An amazing woman who'd actually take worthless garbage like him in.
He swore he could hear her voice.
"..Yuuichi, dear. I want you to remember that there's something more important than money in this world.."
Sentiments like that went against everything he knew. To a poor orphan like him, who's only knowledge came from firsthand experience in the back-alleys, something more important than the magical word "money" was inconceivable.
People worked for money. People fought for money. Some people even died for it. That word is just one of the ways you could describe the lifeblood of continued existence in this world. That's how I thought about it at the time.
So, for a kid like that to imagine something of a greater value than such a currency.. it was probably next to impossible. Nevertheless, he was curious.
"More important than money.. what is it?"
His tone echoed a naive innocence. The response she gave him, he couldn't ever forget it.
"Your friends, of course."
His eyes shot open at the head-splitting sound in his ears.
A swarm of applause illustrated the auditorium, students old and new as far as the eye could see. That memory was so vivid, it only made sense that he was half asleep. ..Right. I forgot I was here, for a second.
Katagiri Yuuichi was more accustomed to the quieter sort of school assembly. From what he remembered, the gatherings at his middle school were always self contained, and not nearly as loud as this. He supposed he should've expected that, considering where he was.
Originally, he wouldn't have ever come here, even if a gun was pointed at his head. An elite governmental establishment like this one is way out of the leagues of a beggar like him. After how much of a chore his middleschool life had been, he was content to live out the rest of his days in relative solitude, gathering funds here and there to get by. He's not just living for himself anymore, though.
One of the last wishes that woman ever had for him was to find a nice school, live well, and make true friends. He'd spent the entirety of junior high working whatever jobs he could, trying to save up enough money to go somewhere decent. He still didn't entirely understand everything she said, but he could at least see there was some merit in her will. It was to the end of satisfying that will that he ended up here.
An Advanced Nurturing Highschool, apparently destined to produce the next generation of revolutionaries for Japan's future. It sounded like a joke, almost like something out of a manga on the surface, but when he did some digging to see if he was eligible for their entrance exams, he was surprised. Funding wasn't even a significant part of the enrollment requirements. As long as your numbers on the papers were high enough, and as long as you fit into their "personal criteria" (whatever that meant), you could make it in, even if you were relatively poor. Each year, the government directed a lofty sum of money just to support the school's students and all of its facilitations; this place was expensive in every sense of the word. Not only that, but how you're graded at this school is supposedly different from everywhere else, too, though the online forums and official description didn't go too in depth as to how.
He was never the best when it came to being book smart, so the scores he got on the application tests weren't anything noteworthy. That's not to say he was unintelligent, or even bad at the subject material-- it was really just a fault of his own laziness. Math, Science, History and the like were just so uninteresting. He still managed to get decently into the 75-80 range, but his results on that front definitely weren't doing him any favors. But looking around, his competition probably didn't do much better, so as long as nobody went sniffing around in his business, he should appear pretty average.
The incessant nagging of whoever was mouthing off at the podium that put him to sleep before wasn't getting any better now, so he decided to put his observational awareness to the test and get a good idea on the kind of classmates he'd be having from here on out. There were some pretty unique faces, none of them intimately familiar, but definitely more diverse than his eighth grade demographic had been. I know I'm not exactly the most outgoing, but.. I wonder if I'll end up making any friends here.
The noise filtered into white, and he heard that warm voice in the back of his head again.
...More important than money, she says. Essentially, the reason we're all here is to secure our livelihoods after we graduate, right? No matter how you look at, good futures are privileges reserved by the wealthy. Lofty results like that always come with competition, even if they get up on stage and talk about teamwork for half an hour. If you ask me, that seems kind of contradictory. Friends or Money, which are we really here for?
"—And now, a word from our Student Council President!"
He was broken out of his thoughts, when he saw a raven-headed young man take the stage.
"..Thank you for the introduction. I'm Manabu Horikita." A dark-haired man announced as he took the podium, baring a remarkable resemblance to the abrasive girl Ayanokoji had seen earlier.
"Newcomers, as a representative of the upperclassmen, and as your Student Council President, I extend a warm welcome to you all." He began. "As I am sure you're aware, our school is known for its prestige and distinction on all fronts, and boasts impeccable employment and college entry rates across the board; we take pride in this." He adjusted his glasses.
"In fact, it's our school's number one priority. We all work together to uphold the standard of excellence. Now you are apart of that too. We expect greatness from all of you, and we know you are capable of.." He droned on. Ayanokoji took the opprotunity to get a good survey on the type of crowd he'd be enrolling with this year, and he saw some interesting faces. Most of them were unfamiliar, but he did see Yagami across the room, near the center of a different group of students-- probably Class A or B, he figured. When he took a look next to him, he even saw that girl he'd spoken with a few minutes prior; considering the fact that they were lumped in with the same people, they were probably both in the same homeroom, for better or for worse. We're even in the same class?
Later, after all the classes had been properly assembled, in Classroom 1-D.
Class D was pretty lively, all things considered. The girls especially seemed to hit it off quite well, with the boys being more spread out and self-contained. It hadn't gotten too loud, thankfully, but for the most part, everyone was just chatting away like normal highschool students. Glancing around the room, Ayanokoji recognized some of the people he'd apparently be spending his next semester with; the bubbly girl from the bus was clearly popular with the chicks, and it wasn't going to take too long for her to become a hit with the guys, if her looks had anything to do with it. The pompous blondie she'd been debating with had both of his feat kicked up on his desk. Apparently, he was filing his nails. As far as confidence goes, there's at least one person he won't have to worry about here, it seemed.
To his right, he noticed he'd been seated next to that same girl from before again. The chances of it all were starting to get a bit comedic. She has the seat next to me?
"An annoying coincidence." She replied, almost as though she was reading his mind. Sure enough, she didn't drop the distant attitude for even a second.
"Feeling's mutual." He sighed.
His ended his contemplation, when he noticed a certain green-haired extrovert taking center-stage at the head of the classroom. Introductions were in order.
Light was having an admittedly easy time getting adjusted into Class B. He'd always been decently sociable, so from the start he never expected to have any trouble making friends or forming social connections. He wouldn't exactly describe it as enjoyable, but he figured he'd atleast utilize the opprotunity to get a good read on the type of people he was being lumped together with.
Luckily enough, everyone he spoke with was agreeable, for the most part. The worst case scenario-- that he knew of, anyway-- was having to deal with problematic classmates for an extended period of time here. As far as his current understanding goes, it's unclear just how long they'll actually have to work together; it could be months, or as long as years at a time. The teachers haven't properly established the duration of the class rosters, or whether or not they can change each year. Carrying deadweight for the unforeseeable future was an outcoming he'd distinctly rather avoid. Again though, he was lucky that everybody seemingly got along well.
He sat back in his desk, looking out into the narrow streets that lay below. Idly, he started spinning a pencil in his hand. 'Forming solid social pathways will probably end up being important later on. This school is infamous for its unpredictable examinations, as well as its unorthodox evaluation methods. I shouldn't rule out the possibility that cooperation and teamwork will be one of the benchmarks on which we're graded. Outside of that, there's also the fact that I'd just like to enjoy my highschool life as much as possible. When it comes to people who actually catch my eye, there've been a few.
His attention turned to a blonde-haired girl, chatting and laughing with a couple of others in the opposite corner of the classroom. For only knowing eacother for an hour at most, they were all hitting it off quite well. That one there is Honami Ichinose. I spoke with her earlier; she's pretty outgoing, and not at all a bother to be around. With her here, we'll have enough optimism for the entire class. I think she'll get popular in no time, so I'll have to do my best to make sure she doesn't outshine me too badly. He smiled.
Light shifted his gaze to a purple-headed boy near the front desk of the classroom. His expression was somewhat stern, but he wasn't unapproachable, seeing as he was managing to both read and talk to some of the other guys in the class simultaneously. His name is Kanzaki Ryūji, if I recall. If I'm purely going off of initial impressions, I can't really say too much about him, but he seems like a diligent guy. He's pretty serious on the outside, but once you get to know him, I'm sure he's the considerate and helpful sort of person. Besides Ichinose, I think he's the most likely to become class representative.
Finally, he looked over at the silver-haired (or.. was it Teal? Cloudy blue, maybe?) girl sitting in front of him, seemingly staring at the desk beneath her. Her body language was remarkably stiff, and she didn't seem too privy to talking. Shiranami.. Chihiro, was it? From what I can tell, she's kind of anti-social. I did my best to chat with her, but it'll probably take a little while longer before she let's her guard down around the rest of us. He turned back to the window, relaxing a bit further into his seat.
Overall, it's not perfect, or anything, but I think this is my ideal class. With the scores I got on the entrance exams, I was a little bummed about not getting assigned to Class A, but I'm not about to start complaining when what I got instead is this decent. If things stay like this, I should have a fairly pleasant semester in front of me..
"—Alright, Class! Listen up, Okay?" Called a jovial, feminine voice, as the classroom doors slided open. Light was not prepared for the handful Ms. Hoshinomiya would end up being.
"To start with, at the Tokyo Advanced Nurturing Highschool, be aware that the people you find yourself with now will remain your peers until the day you graduate." The teacher, who had introduced himself as Sakagami Kazuma, started his deliberation. "Unless, of course, you earn yourself an expulsion."
That shit-eating grin, combined with that totally insufferable tone.. Yuuichi suppressed his scoff. He wasn't having the best time right now. For one, his classmates were shaping up to be uncooperative, and that could end up becoming an issue pretty soon. There were a few he could actually get along with, like Ibuki and Shiyori. The former was spunky, with a little bit of an attitude, but once he'd found something they both hated (90's kung-fu movies), he got the most of her abrasive shell to crack. She was actually pretty funny. Shiyori was quieter, and less extroverted. She lit up like a light when he recognized the book she'd been reading, though.
The issues started when Kakeru Ryuuen introduced himself earlier, and effectively tried to put the rest of the class under his boot. Him and his lapdog, Albert, were probably going to end up in charge of the class, because no one was exactly enthusiastic about challenging them. I'm not sure how he did it, but It's almost like he'd already had a posse going for him before he even got here. It was still smarter not to make any blatant enemies for the time being, though. So even if he didn't enjoy the way it seemed like things were going to be operating, Yuuichi decided he'd have to stomach his authority until a while later. Being in the spotlight this early on wasn't really his thing, anyway.
But the final nail in the coffin was when their class's teacher finally showed up, and started listing off a bunch of technicalities in the most arrogant way possible. He was seriously trying not to fall asleep. Why'd I have to get stuck with this guy?
"Now then, I'm going to hand out the school rulebook to the students at the start of each row. Take one of them, and pass the rest behind you." Yuuichi started skimming the rules as soon as the book had been handed out. Nothing like a headstart, he figured.
"As you can see, our school's guidelines may be a bit more refined than whatever it is you're used to. Living in the school dorms is a requirement, and the contact you have with your friends and family outside of this campus will be strictly limited. That includes any prolonged visitations. If that arouses any sort of concern, be not alarmed; our school offers more than enough facilities and entertainment centers to quell each of your attention spans."
I get it. Yuuichi mused, flipping a page. It's like we're trading our agency for better security. But in that case, for how much they indulge us, there has to be a price.
"That sounds pretty good, doesn't it? Well, it's not free. Nothing is, in the adult world, and that is what we aim to prepare you for. You will pay for these commodities using the point system, which is tracked by the computer network, of course." Sakagami held up his cellphone, and promptly demonstrated the point system in question. It was just as he thought. "So long as you've accumulated the proper amount of these, there is absolutely nothing on this campus you cannot buy."
..Nothing you can't buy, huh..? He turned his head, getting a good look at the classmates around him. It was sort of funny, how easy everyone was acting, even in the middle of a lecture this important. Especially considering that Ryuuen guy, it wasn't a matter of if they were going to caught in the jaws of a snake, but when. We'll see about that.
"Your points will be distributed to each of you on the first of every month, no sooner, no later-- and all of your points are worth one yen. Check your phones; when you do, you'll see that 100,000 of them have already been alotted to each of you." It was true. Sure enough, when he opened up his phone, one-hundred thousand of the points he described were listed under his official student classification. Sounds of awe, excitement, and disbelief echoed throughout the classroom. People could barely contain their joy.
"Surprised?" Kazuma asked, his smirk widening. "Please, don't be. Our judgements of you at this school is based purely upon your merit. 100,000 points is the value you deserve, getting into an establishment like ours. Presently, this is what we believe you are worth. But of course, that is subject to change."
Idly, Yuuichi stared down at the cellphone in his hands, at the numbers displayed on the screen. His reaction was a bit more controlled than the rest of his class.
..100,000 yen, just like that?
He tapped the button on its side, shutting it back off.
Yeah, sorry, but that's too good to be true.
It's too good to be true, Ayanokoji thought to himself, staring at the bag of groceries in his hand he'd just bought. He opened up his phone again, to check if the transaction went through like Ms. Chabashira had described. Not without a catch, at least.
..It really does work exactly like money. There it was, right under his student profile. He wasn't actually down any points, since he'd decided to stick to the free items for now, but you could see the necessities he bought in his purchase history. 25 students per class.. and four classes per grade.. that makes 300 of us in all. If each kid gets 100,000 a month, that's 360 million per year. How can the government afford to pay for all this?
Eventually, he snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed the girl standing next to him. It was that same chick he'd been seated next to; his new associate for the next three years, supposedly. It seemed like she'd noticed him from the corner of her eye, too.
"Another annoying coincidence, it seems." This was getting tiring.
"..You don't have to be so prickly." Really, he didn't have much of an idea as to why she was making herself out to be so difficult to communicate with. He wasn't overjoyed at the prospect of dealing with her everyday until graduation either, but he was at least making an effort.
When she went from slighting him to ignoring him, he changed his approach. "Well, since we have to sit by eachother, we should attempt to get along. What's your name?" He asked.
Her silence wasn't much of an answer.
"..Really, you won't even share with me that much?"
"So..?" She finally responded. "You got a problem with that?"
"No, but it would make things weird for the next three years.. to sit next to 'ya, and never know your name."
Eventually, she turned away from the shampoo bottles and tooth brushes long enough to give him her full attention. It seemed to be something she did more out of resignation than anything else, if the sharp look in her eyes had anything to say about it.
"It's Suzune Horikita." She introduced. It was a step in the right direction, at least. But that last name sounded familiar.
"..Horikita? Like the guy who spoke earlier?"
Unfortunately, with introductions over, she seemed to be content with ignoring his existence again. She went right back to picking out the basic need products, as if he wasn't even there.
"Why are you buying all cheap stuff? You've got lots of money." He asked, switching the topic. "You could stand to buy more expensi-"
"I don't need all that."
"..Yeah, but you could--"
"I told you, I don't need that stuff."
"..Right." He eventually gave up, demeaning the argument not worth his trouble. With how quickly she interrupted him, it's a miracle she could even tell what he was going to say.
"You're weird." She said, breaking the silence she created. "You aren't very good at interacting with people.. no conversation skills."
"Yeah, I know. But you don't seem to be much better than I am."
"That's true, but I'm not the one who said they were going to "work hard to get along with everyone else"." Came her rebuttal, as she turned her head towards a table in the corner of the shop. On it were free necessities; "up to three per month", the sign said. "..These're free?"
"Maybe that's for people who use up all their points before the first of the month," Ayanokoji replied, taking the logical approach. "I guess."
"How could one use up a hundred thousand points? This school is too indulgent."
He was about to respond, when he heard a certain carrot-topped hot head having an altercation outside.
After being properly introduced to the campus, the facilities, and the S-system, it didn't take too long for people to start forming real friend circles. Light thought to himself, as he chatted freely with Ichinose and a couple of the guys. Settling into the school proper had been easier than he could've imagined. The clicks are already beginning to bubble up, and in that timespan, I've been able to build a pretty decent reputation.
If I had to pick one thing people have been bonding over, it'd definitely be the points. More specifically, what everyone has bought with them. Some people went for luxuries, like game consoles, or expensive jewelery.. others found clothes or common commodities they liked. When it comes to making friends, there's nothing that can build and maintain a strong bond like materialism. He was able to get a pretty good look at everyone around him, since he and the others were standing at the front of the class. Just as he said, everywhere you looked, people were holding up their cellphones, taking about this or that thing they'd bought or that they were planning on buying. A handful of people were even pooling small portions of their funds to save up and buy things altogether.
Luckily for me, I was able to get in good standing with the class, and retain a minimalistic approach at the same time. I guess I can thank being an okay conversationalist for that. With what we know now alone, I can't haphazardly spend any of my points in confidence. With how much money a program like this would theoretically cost the government, I can't imagine a scenario in which there isn't some sort of caviat to this much of an allowance. The teachers told us themselves; this school is all about merit. With that in mind, I'm pretty certain they're just waiting to reveal the latter half of the explanation later, using our personal autonomy as a yardstick.
Most people decided to make the most of their circumstances, without giving anything any actual thought. The days sort of flew by, as people ran threw the allotment we'd been given like it didn't even matter. Our Teacher, Ms. Hoshinomiya, never once disciplined us-- but I'm not sure how much of that is purposeful, or just a product of her own discoordination.
As far as the limits of the benefit of the doubt we've apparently been given, there doesn't seem to be any. Not on the surface, anyway. Yuuichi silently contemplated, crouching his head further onto his arms, which were on his desk. He was awake, the least he could do was keep up his attentiveness, but he couldn't say the same for everyone else. Sleeping, and chatting in class, tardiness.. even blatant truancy. It's all been "ignored". The rules are lenient at first glance, so everyone just took it for how it was.
That's a mistake on their part. His eyes darted around the classroom, scanning the faces of all of his associates. Just because the rules of the game haven't been properly described, doesn't mean there aren't any. I bet they're just waiting for us to demonstrate our own hubris before cracking the whip. As long as money's involved, you can bet your ass that there's gonna be strings attached. That's how life works.
And this game in particular is no different. You'd have to be a special kind of idiot to think you're exempt from evaluation on this. What's interesting is that people actually made friendships over the similarities they share with others on what they bought; whether it's intentional or not, the existence of funding has been the biggest motivator for the cultivation of nice relationships here.
Which means, if that motivator were to disappear..
On May 1st, everything changed.
Homeroom, Class 1-D.
It was raining outside. All sorts of confusion and disbelief ran rampant throughout the classroom. After all that hedonism, people simply couldn't believe that there might've been an underlying method to the madness that was a free 100,000 points on the first day of schooling.
Checking his own phone, Ayanokoji noticed that his points hadn't increased at all either. They were sitting at around a comfortable eighty-two thousand. There wasn't much time to contemplate on that fact before Ms. Chabashira took the podium.
"Hey, Teacher?" A boy, who he'd come to know as Yamauchi, called out with an oblivious ignorance. "Nobody here has gotten any more points yet. It's the first of the month, so shouldn't they have already been refilled by now?"
"Of course." She replied, crossing her arms under her breasts. "This month's alottment has already been distributed."
"..Uh, mine aren't there."
"As I said," she repeated, "the points have been allocated. I am certain about that. And I know for a fact that this class has not been overlooked by the administration."
I get it. Light thought quietly to himself, a smirk gracing his face. He was pleased to see his point total increase so substantially, and this development also proved the suspicions he had about the S-system's true nature. Ms. Hoshinomiya's droning faded into the background, as he turned to the clock in the corner of the room. So, it's just like I thought.
No one's that frivolous with something as precious as their money. Yuuichi threw a hand over his face, barely able to keep his chuckle from being heard by the entire class. Especially not the Japanese government. There's no way you guys are seriously that ignorant!
"At this school, your grades and performance evaluations aren't handed out. They're reflected in your monthly points alottment." Chabashira elaborated. "Your unconscionable behavior, and that alone, has resulted in the withholding of your points allowance for this month. The points alotted to this class for May comes out to a total.."
"..of 0."
At the class's outrage and refutations, she continued. "Did it never occur to you to question your circumstances? You're only children, why would you be given such an extravagant sum? Didn't you think there'd be a catch?"
Her explanation just confirmed the ideas Ayanaokji had about the school's real intentions with the lackadaisical first month of entry. It didn't surprise him that there was more to the system than what had been explained, but it did surprise him that nobody seemed privy to fact. Well, almost nobody.
"Your assumptions were wrong, and now, you must all pay the price." She finished. "If you did have doubts.. why, then, did you refuse to act upon them? I told you on the first day of class, didn't I? I was perfectly clear; this school judges it's students on merit alone."
"..So, as it stands now, we think you're all garbage."
That was the kicker.
"You're worth nothing, so you get nothing."
..The textbook definition of a meritocracy. Yeah, this truly is.. the Classroom of the Elite.