Chapter Text
1.1
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"Hey, wait a second!" A voice called out from behind the brown-haired boy. He sighed at the disturbance. Above him, birds flew along peacefully, oblivious to the hustle and bustle of the students beneath them. At this time of year, the outside of the school was flooded with students excitedly making their way past the stone gates. It was the first day of school, after all.
The boy turned around, "Huh?" He took a moment. "Me?"
The voice came from a girl standing a few feet away from him. Her posture was straight like a ruler, giving the impression that she had always been disciplined to maintain such an appearance. Did she come from a prestigious family? Perhaps, but the boy found it hard to believe that. Surely, then she wouldn't call out to him so openly and draw unwanted attention to the two, unless she wanted that.
"You were staring at me on the bus. Why?" She asked. Her black hair floated around her lazily, so lazy in fact that it almost made the scene dreamlike. Not to mention the circumstances the boy found himself in. Being called out ot by a pretty girl on the first day of school at a notorious high school didn't happen every day. If he didn't know any better, he'd assume this was the crappy plot of a romcom.
Quickly, the boy came up with an excuse.
"Ah, the book you were reading," He explained. "I've read it before, and I just got lost in my thoughts when I saw you reading it."
The girl studied his words internally before letting out a small sound of annoyance, "Alright." She said. The girl walked past him quickly as if she already knew her destination, and she brushed past him without even a glance. The boy sighed.
His heart might've broken just then.
He turned back towards the facility. It was a massive chunk of land owned by the government, and on it, an expensive school. For three years, students would be restricted to the campus for as long as they were enrolled in the school. Naturally, the school provided facilities to ensure the students weren't too far behind their peers when they eventually graduated. Gyms, convenience stores, and even a mall could be found on campus to entertain students. The school was essentially a small city, with students rotating out every year.
One strange thing about this school was that there was no midyear enrollment allowed, unlike most schools, which encourage students to enroll. If you happened to miss the entrance exams or failed them, you wouldn't be allowed admission ever again. This lent the school an air of mystique and curiosity, since only the lucky few could enroll. Not only that, but the school boasted something even more alluring.
A 100% employment and college-entry rate. Many wondered what kind of education was given to the students to make them so competitive post-graduation, thus resulting in a flood of applications every year. So, to stand in front of the building while wearing the signature uniform, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka felt a sense of accomplishment.
He didn't have an exceptional transcript or anything like that- he came from unremarkable if not unknown places after all, according to his transcript. In the end, however, his scores spoke for themselves. It took some intelligence to achieve the feat he had achieved, after all.
Ayanokouji walked up the steps into the school and past the gates of no return.
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The entrance ceremony, as Ayanokouji expected, was a complete and utter buzzkill. Any excitement he had built up in his stoic body was dispelled upon realizing this ceremony would purely be filled with emotionless "thank you" and "you're welcome" repeatedly. The Principal seemed to be reading off a script that had been written many years ago, considering how he read it so smoothly and confidently. Despite this, it appeared that he wasn't all that charismatic since he wasn't aware of his audience.
Ayanokouji scanned the room curiously, out of both boredom and his natural instinct. In his own class, Class 1-C, Ayanokouji took note of several figures: A magenta haired boy who appeared to be well-built and observant to boot. Perhaps he was trained in martial arts or something like that? No, based on how unruly his uniform was, he didn't have that much internal discipline.
Besides him, there was a girl with blue hair shaped into a bowl cut. She wore a scowl already, seemingly just as bored with the whole affair as Ayanokouji was, if not more angry because of it all. Anger issues? Ayanokouji wouldn't doubt it.
To the girl's immediate left was a big, burly man. If he were trying to pretend to be a student, he was failing miserably. The "boy" was certainly a foreigner based on his dark skin, and he was incredibly built, the muscles swelling and pushing against the sleeves of his uniform. Ayanokouji didn't doubt that this boy surely would end up joining some sort of sports club.
Finally, from his own class, one more girl caught his attention. It wasn't necessarily her appearance or actions, but rather because she didn't catch his attention. His eyes swept the room, and he quickly looked back at a sliver of silver hair in his vision. Confirming his suspicions, a small-looking girl stood at the edge of his view. She was unremarkable; quite small and fragile looking, but her lack of presence was noteworthy to Ayanokouji.
His eyes left the small pen his class was shaped into and went out to other classes. There was yet another boy, who was completely bald, unlike the dark-skinned boy from Ayanokouji's class, who at least had hair in the form of a crew cut. Besides, the bald boy was an extraordinarily small girl with lilac hair, who was about the same size as the silver-haired girl from Class C. There was simply no shortage of strange-looking people.
Ayanokouji spotted the same black-haired girl from the bus, who had sharp, piercing red eyes that stared directly up at the Principal. Ayanouji averted his eyes quickly to avoid another misunderstanding from happening. It wouldn't be good if he were caught staring once again and labeled as a pervert. It was much easier to be a wallflower than a social pariah.
Each class, Ayanokouji noticed, had an odd range of behavior in the average student.
Class 1-D had at least twelve students whispering to each other and otherwise seeming disinterested in what was before them in obvious ways by looking around the room and staring off into space. Ayanokouji couldn't complain too much, since he was essentially doing the same thing but to a less obvious extent. In Class 1-C, the same could be observed, but with only eight students.
In Class 1-B, which appeared to be the most normal class, only four students were guilty of these crimes. Last but clearly not least, Class 1-A had only two students clearly uninterested. The behavior appeared to be alright and on standard for an elite school in Class 1-A, but as the classes descended the alphabet, the behavior only got worse until Class 1-D and 1-C hardly reflected elite schools. At least Class 1-C managed to stand still until the end of the ceremony. One boy with bright, fiery red hair in Class 1-D seemed to be suffering from some condition that made him tap his foot anxiously and mutter to himself, annoyed. Perhaps he had made it due to sports or nepotism? Unlikely, since anyone associated with this prestigious school wouldn't allow their child to behave so disruptively in this environment.
It would be a considerable embarrassment, so I'm sure the wealthy wouldn't risk their child acting that way in public.
Soon enough, however, we were released to go to our classrooms and properly mix with our classmates.
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The classrooms and the school building itself didn't fail to match the image the school promotes online and to the public. The rooms seemed new despite likely being used for years and years, including the year prior by many students. A sleek steel design matched the modern aesthetic many schools tried to achieve, but with effortless ease. The top architects must've been hired for this project, Ayanokouji thought. No expense was forgone in the building of this school.
Forty desks were in the classroom, and most of them were already occupied. Many students sat awkwardly by themselves, twiddling their thumbs. Considering applications were sent from all across Japan, the odds that you were placed in a class with someone from your middle school were slim to none. That might have been by design, since it would encourage growth in students by placing them in a foreign environment and forcing them to adapt to it.
Ayanokouji sat in the back of the class in the corner, directly next to the windows facing the grounds outside of the school. Ayanokouji found himself staring at a tree in which a group of robins had nested together. Just like Ayanokouji, the birds had found a new home and were attempting to make it their own.
The seat next to Ayanokouji was occupied by the same silver-haired girl from the opening exam that Ayanokouji had taken note of. She had slipped into the room quietly and taken her seat quickly. Already in her hands was a book, Animal Farm by George Orwell. Ayanokouji found it somewhat odd: Most teenagers already weren't avid readers, but those who were familiar with pleasure reading didn't drift towards books like Animal Farm. Those were usually pushed upon them in school, not in their free time. As Ayanokouji stared, the girl didn't notice, her face enveloped within the pages. Her eyes scanned quickly and feverishly, absorbing knowledge like a chipmunk picking up acorns. The girl, who was named Shiina Hiyori according to her nameplate, was completely trapped within the world of the book.
Ahead of Ayanokouji was the magenta-haired boy. He leaned back lethargically in his seat, head tossed back over the chair. Although he seemed like he was asleep, Ayanokouji soon noticed that his eyes were, in fact, still roaming the room. Much like Ayanokouji, it appeared the boy ahead of him was observing the scenery and students around him. Most people who were loners were extremely capable of observing the area around them, but the boy ahead of Ayanokouji was hiding his observations.
I see, Ayanokouji thought to himself. He had earlier assumed the strange boy had trained in martial arts, but Ayanokouji realized he may have had a background in street fighting: he was well-built, as well as covertly surveilling the classroom.
Diagonally from Ayanokouji, standing in a trio were a group of girls. On their wrists were scrunchies and bracelets, and on their necks were necklaces. They seemed to be decorated in trendy items that would make most people familiar with recent styles jealous. They were looking around face-to-face, occasionally giggling or whispering something about that person. Part of Ayanokouji dreaded when their eyes would come onto him, and what reaction they would have. He had ensured he didn't look like a mess- he had showered and ensured he looked well-kempt. Even so, he was painfully aware of how aloof he was.
He didn't understand trending styles or those kinds of things, so he surely had the appearance of someone who lived under a rock. Despite this, he had the feeling that no matter what, he would earn the girls' ire regardless of his first impression on them.
As Ayanokouji looked around, he realized something important: Friendships had already formed. During the first few days of school, people would rush to make friendgroups with one another to avoid being outcasts. After all, it was harder to make friends later on than it was in the first few days of their three years together. It would only take a week until solid groups were already made, and a class hierarchy would be solidified. So now, Ayanokouji found only one valid candidate among the people around him.
He looked to Shiina.
"Animal Farm?" He asked aloud, staring at the girl next to him. She had no reaction, and Ayanokouji felt his heart get crushed in embarrassment. Shame flowed through his veins, introducing an unwelcome heat he hadn't felt in many years that madehim squirm. He wasn't used to rejection. The magenta-haired boy smirked slightly, and it became clear that he now found satisfaction in Ayanokouji's plight.
Ayanokouji debated giving up altogether, but he pressed forward.
"That book you're reading," He started, and once again earned no response.
He sighed and quickly looked away, accidentally making eye contact with the boy in front of him. He smirked, watching Ayanokouji with fascination.
"You're a pretty awkward guy, eh, Ayanokouji?" He asked, clearly having read the nameplate. Ayanokouji sighed.
"Something like that."
The boy frowned, "Oh, you're really awkward."
"How so?"
"You can't keep up a conversation for one."
Ayanokouji felt tempted to shut the conversation down, since the boy in front of him was essentially teasing Ayanokouji. In the end, though, the brown-haired boy knew he had no other option than to humor the conversation. Even if he didn't like the magenta-eyed boy, he had to admit that friendship with him could lead to a friendship with other people through a friendgroup.
"It's hardly a conversation, you know, since you're just making fun of me?"
"I guess, but neither of us has many options," He explained. It made sense, considering the general nature of those surrounding us, but it was odd to Ayanokouji that the boy was trying to connect with him.
"Are you trying to be friends, or something?" Ayanokouji asked, and the boy's smirk only grew wider.
"You're presumptuous- I'm just tryna get to know you, since we'll be classmates for three years." Ah, so there was an ulterior motive to this conversation. Had the boy noticed Ayanokouji's glancing around constantly?
"Alright," Ayanokouji paused. "So what do you think of this school?"
"It's nice, but a bit stuffy for my taste," He provided. "I'd rather not live in a museum."
"A museum?"
"This place is a bit empty, don'tcha think? Like, the senpai aren't loitering around or anything," He explained. "Plus, the teacher ain't even here yet."
"Ok? They might be getting papers or something, and the senpai probably don't want to be seen as lame for standing around a bunch of freshmen."
He shrugged, "I guess, but it just seems odd." He paused, just about ready to turn around after not getting the reply he wanted.
"What's your name?" Ayanokouji asked, trying to hide the desperation.
The boy replied, "Ryuuen Kakeru." And left it at that. Ayanokouji sighed.
He had missed the window of opportunity. A part of him fixated on Ryuuen's words, however. He also had noticed the empty state of the school. Ayanokouji also noticed cameras: four perched around the classroom and hidden close to objects in the corners as if they weren't meant to be seen. What could it mean, though?
"Hey, Ryuuen," Ayanokouji started, but before he could speak, the door opened. In stepped a man wearing a gray suit. A black tie hung from his slim neck, and he spoke.
"Good morning, Class C," He began. "I'm your homeroom teacher, Sakagami Kazuma. Please take your seats while I explain some things."
An explanation? Ayanokouji had a feeling this would only lead to more questions...
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1.2
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Sakagami-Sensei continued after everyone slid into their seats. His eyes scanned the classroom as if ensuring everyone was accounted for, but Ayanokouji thought his eyes lingered a little too closely on each student.
"As I said, I am your homeroom teacher for the next three years. You won't change classrooms between each year, so you would do well to make friends with your classmates," He supplied. "I'm sure you've all been bored with the entrance ceremony, but I must go through some procedures with you." Sakagami-Sensei handed the front row a thick packet, which was soon passed back student-to-student until it finally reached the backrow. Ayanokouji grabbed the heap of papers and curiously flipped through it. It detailed many rules, some of which Ayanokouji were familiar with, while others set the school apart from other institutes.
"I'll also hand out your student IDs. Loaded onto it are 'points'. These points can be used by you to buy anything. All stores on campus accept this ID, and you can think of it like a credit card of sorts. You must keep track of your points, since your balance will be reloaded accordingly on the first of each month."
That was the solution for students living on campus for three years. Contact with the outside world, even immediate family, was strictly prohibited without prior consultation with the school. Considering this, it meant that students couldn't get money from their parents outside of school, so the school accordingly provided points as a form of payment. It didn't appear that these would simply be handed out, however.
"Your accounts should be loaded with 100,000 points this month. Keep in mind, each point is equivalent to one yen. It isn't complicated at all."
100,000 points in our accounts meant each student actually had 100,000 yen for their allowance. The class erupted into cheers and shock. To think the government was willing to shell out 100,000 yen on one high schooler was unthinkable, was what most students thought. But Ayanokouji truly thought it was unthinkable. He thought over Sakagami-Sensei's words:
Your accounts should be loaded with 100,000 points this month.
This month, Ayanokouji noticed. He had specifically outlined those rules. It was easy to say every month, but specifically saying that the first of April would bring 100,000 yen didn't necessarily guarantee that every month would bring the same amount. Most students didn't even realize this, too enamored with the money in their accounts. The three girls who were giggling about other students were cheering, already talking about the clothes they could buy. A set of nerds in the corner were talking about how they could finally buy a gaming console or one of their favorite games.
Greed. Overwhelmed with all of this money, they were practically gluttonous.
Shiina was composed, but behind her eyes I could see a desire- perhaps for books?
Besides that, only Ryuuen seemed composed still. He sat in his seat, and although Ayanokouji couldn't read his face, Ryuuen's brow was furrowed with confusion. It hardly made sense. 160 students were admitted each year, and there were three years' worth of students in the school at one time. He paused.
480 x 100,000.
"Aren't you excited?" Ayanokouji asked Ryuuen suddenly, shaking the boy from his stupor.
"Hah? Yeah," Ryuuen replied, eyeing Ayanokouji wearily. "You don't seem all that excited."
"I've been told I'm a bit stoic."
"You don't say..." Ryuuen murmured, his eyes still trained on Ayanokouji. Every instinct in his body told him that there was something odd about the boy: he was unnaturally stoic, and Ryueen had noticed him constantly looking around and observing people. He spoke awkwardly, but seemed to be constantly thinking about something.
Sakagami-Sensei smiled at the reaction, a sly expression that was odd and out of place.
"Surprised? The school evaluates you all based on your talent. You all passed the entrance exam, demonstrating your worth and potential, so the school has issued you an equivalent reward. In other words, the amount reflects your value. There's no limit onhow you save or spend your points, though you should know that upon graduation, your points will be returned to the school. If you find that you don't want to spend your points or want to lend a helping hand, you may transfer points to another student."
Ryuuen smirked, and as if noticing this expression, Sakagami-Sensei added, "Extortion or any other form of forcing a student to give you points is strictly forbidden. Bullying is monitored heavily at this school."
As he paused, looking over the classroom, no one asked him any questions. His eyes settled on Ayanokouji in the back of the class, as if silently urging him to speak. When the boy gave him no answer, Sakagami-Sensei spoke.
"Since there are no questions, I'll be leaving for my office. I hope you all enjoy your time here as students."
He strode out of the room, leaving the forty of us together.
"This school's not that strict," Ayanokouji murmured. From beside me, Shiina spoke, perhaps thinking I had said it to her.
"It is, isn't it? I can't imagine, though, why they would invest in us so quickly," Shiina replied.
"Invest?" Ayanokouji asked curiously. That was one way of describing the situation.
Shiina nodded slowly, her eyes fixed on her desk as she seemed to think of the reasons, "Well, it is an investment when you think about it. The school gives us all these points with our only merit being passing the exam, but there's no guarantee everyone in this class, or other classes for that matter, will remain in the school."
That was true. If a student's family moves out of the country, or the student simply misses their family and the outside world, dropping out of school was certainly an option. Although a parental figure couldn't forcefully remove a student, a student could leave at will. That would mean that any prior deposits would likely have been spent, and only a little bit of that would be returned. Alongside the expenses like heat and electricity used by the student, it's possible the school would lose profit. After all, they didn't leave any expense when it came to spoiling the students.
Ryuuen, who had turned around and slung his arm over the seat, spoke, "It's odd, ain't it? I get it's a government school, and all, but this is too costly."
Shiina shrugged, "I suppose, but in the end, if there's a 100% employment and college enrollment rate, it must be working, right?" She was correct. The school had existed for many years as well, so if the system wasn't successful, then the project would have been scrapped a long time ago.
Ryuuen sighed, "Maybe." His magenta-colored eyes flicked up to Ayanokouji. "What do you think?"
"It's all a bit odd," Ayanokouji replied. "I have a feeling that there's something more to this."
Ryuuen smirked, "You don't say..." Something predatory seemed to lurk behind that smirk that made Ayanokouji watch him carefully. Ryuuen was no ordinary student, that was for sure.
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1.3
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Students poured out of the classroom quickly. Although some would have appreciated an introduction to their classmates, most people clearly had no desire to participate in an icebreaker. Ayanokouji noticed, however, that of the first-year classes, only Class C appeared to have skipped the introduction stages. Of the students he noticed on the campus, Ayanokouji didn't make note of any students from Class D, B, or A.
Students dispersed across the campus: some headed to the mall, others to the dorm. Ayanokouji decided it would be best for him to secure some necessities, not to mention that if he went to the mall, he'd end up lost in the blur of bright colors and attractions. Besides, he didn't want to spend too much money right away. Although electricity and heating were paid for by the school, it was important to keep a reserve of money in case something happened to some of the furniture supplied in the dormitories. Ayanokouji was sure they would be high-quality, much like everything else had proved to be, but it was always best to remain cautious.
Ayanokouji walked through the campus, observing the area around him with the curiosity of a child. He had never been able to walk so freely in his lifetime, and he took the opportunity to get as much information as possible. Nature had been considered when constructing this facility, Ayanokouji realized, since trees and bushes decorated the sides of the pathways. Cherry blossoms decorated the concrete in excess, giving the place a calm appearance.
Ahead of him, Ayanokouji spotted the blue-haired girl from his class entering the convenience store, and the boy quickened his pace. An opportunity to make a friend had appeared, and after he failed in front of Ryuuen and Shiina, he was desperate for a friend. The convenience store was quiet and unremarkable, so Ayanokouji easily found his target, who was looking through instant ramen right next to hair products.. Most girls would prioritize hair care, Ayanokouji thought, but she seemed much more practical in comparison.
The brown-haired boy stepped beside her, roaming the flavors with his eyes. There were more options than possible.
Voicing his thoughts aloud, he earned a bored hum of agreement from the blue-haired girl. She appeared wholly uninterested in a conversation.
"So what do you think of this school?" Ayanokouji started. The blue-haired girl eyes him wearily.
"It's alright," She finally said, taking a step away.
Ayanokouji paused, staring at her back.
"Instant ramen...is it healthy?" He asked.
The girl rolled her eyes and, without turning, said, "Not really."
"Ah," Ayanokouji said to himself, putting one of the cups into his basket. It was important to remain fit, but Ayanokouji had no prior experience with cooking. Until then, he would have to survive on unhealthy meals. "Do you know how to cook?"
"No."
"Really?"
The girl, fed up with Ayanokouji's ceaseless pestering, whipped around. Her face was scrunched up with annoyance, and her purple eyes burned a hole in Ayanokouji's chest.
"Yeah, really!" She spat. "Are you just chummy with everyone you meet?" She asked angrily.
Ayanokouji wasn't sure how to react to her sudden outburst, and stumbled over his words for a moment as he tried to compose himself. This certainly wasn't how he expected the conversation to go.
"Uh, I guess, yeah. People have said I'm friendly," Ayanokouji meekly lied, and the girl before him rolled her eyes angrily.
"Idiot. Just leave me alone," She demanded before turning on her heel and marching away from him. Ayanokouji sighed in disappointment and shame. He didn't even know the girl's name, but she already despised him. Another failure, Ayanokouji thought bitterly.
He spent more time browsing the shelves for cheap options while looking at the nutrient labels. Even if he had to use cheap food, he didn't intend to gain weight or any other health conditions that would come from a poor diet. It wasn't long before more students entered the store. By now, the blue-haired girl had disappeared, and Ayanokouji crossed paths with the black-haired girl from earlier that day.
Ayanokouji opened his mouth to speak, but the girl, wearing an annoyed expression, cut him off.
"What an unfortunate coincidence."
Ouch.
"An unfortunate coincidence? How so?"
"Why, when I saw you, and I weren't classmates, I thought I wouldn't have to see you ever again, and yet," She shot a glare over her shoulder at him. "Here you are."
Ayanokouji watched her walk away before murmuring, "I bet you don't have any friends either?"
The girl paused, having heard the sly comment.
"Oh? What's that supposed to mean?"
Ayanokouji found himself at a crossroads: Either he owned the comment and openly challenged the girl, or meekly took it back. He decided that, after a day of taking failure after failure, he had to make a move. That way, he might at least leave some sort of impression other than a shy boy who couldn't do anything right.
"You don't have much of a kind personality- I assume your classmates aren't fond of you?" Ayanokouji boldly observed. It was a petty insult, but not one built from nothing. There were very few students in the convenience store that weren't from Class C- only the black-haired girl and the red-haired boy. The two must have skipped their classmates introducting themselves, or they simply didn't fit in with their classmates who went elsewhere.
"I don't need friends," She replied coldly. "They hold you back."
"Ah, is that who you blame your shortcomings on? Your friends?"
She grit her teeth angrily, "What exactly is your issue, hm?"
"You're rude, for one. I crossed paths with you, and the first thing you did was complain," Ayanokouji explained. "Not to mention, you seem like the type to make assumptions about everyone around you."
"My assumptions tend to be right," She said defensively.
"I'm sure," Ayanokouji replied snarkily, turning away, feeling a sense of accomplishment bloom in his chest. At least now, he would be the one walking away with the title of victor. Best of the worst, he thought.
He could hear the girl let out a huff before walking away angrily, and Ayanokouji soon checked out. His basket was inconspicuous: instant ramen, body wash, a bag of chips, deodorant, and then other essentials. Overall, it was extremely average, much like the buyer. Just as he appeared content to check out, a yell came from just in front of him in line.
The red-haired boy angrily fished through his pockets, seemingly searching for something he had lost, while the cashier stared at him blankly.
"Yeah, I got it, just gimme a second!" He said, fishing through his pockets still. The students behind him and Ayanokouji began to get frustrated with the lack of movement in the line, and the cashier was also annoyed. Although the line would eventually continue, the annoyed students might take their anger out on the cashier.
The red-haired boy sighed angrily, placing the noodle cups he had been holding down. Before he could take a step away, Ayanokouji stepped forward to resolve the situation. Since he was next in line, it was only right that he would be the one to help.
"Is something wrong?" He asked probingly, and he was met with a glare from the boy. Such a familiar feeling, to be despised, Ayanokouji thought. The boy had assumed Ayanokouji had been there to ridicule him, but that was far from the truth. Had he been targeted in the past often?
"Who're you?" The boy spat.
"Ayanokouji? I'm not from your class, but I think we're in the same grade," Ayanokouji explained.
"Oh," The boy replied, now seemingly trusting Ayanokouji more. Since they were both first years, they might be in the same boat then. "I forgot my ID at my dorm, cause I forgot it was where we stored our points, y'know? IDs are usually so useless!"
Ayanokouji paused, unsure of how to reply to the last comment before speaking.
"Ah, I'll pay for you then," Ayanokouji offered.
"For real? Why would you do that?"
"It'd be a waste of your time, and it's not that much anyway. I'll pay," Ayanokouji explained, and the red-haired boy looked at him gratefully.
"You're a lifesaver, Ayanokouji! I won't forget this, you hear me? My name's Sudou, from Class D."
Ayanokouji paid for both Sudou's food and his own, which came in at a lower price than he expected. In the end though, Ayanokouji wouldn't complain about the price since the points he had were essentially free. As Ayanokouji moved to the door, a sigh came from his side. Looking to the sound, Ayanokouji expected a new person, but it was the same black-haired girl from before.
"You're hopeless," She muttered.
"Hopeless? You're really just grasping at straws to try and talk to me, huh?" Ayanokouji teased.
"I'm just stating the obvious," She replied. "You're just going to end up being Sudou-Kun's slave in desperation for friends." Having listened in on their conversation, she made a swift and cruel judgment of the situation, which fit Ayanokouji's assumption of her perfectly: a girl who wouldn't hesitate to pass judgment with limited knowledge. Although a strength in some situations, she was brutally uninformed about whom she was speaking. Ayanokouji wasn't some pawn.
Ayanokouji shook his head, staring outside the store where he could see Sudou sitting down.
"I don't care to become his friend- I was just doing him a favor."
"How charitable," She said cynically. She found herself watching the red-haired boy with curiosity. "You weren't afraid of him, were you?"
"No, why? Cause he looks like a delinquent?"
The black-haired girl nodded, "He's trouble overall- loud and obnoxious. Most people would avoid such an annoyance."
"I get that, but you don't seem scared at all. Are you two in the same class?"
"Yes, we are, and he's quite the eyesore. Only people who can't help themselves stay away from troublesome people. I could take care of him, though."
By "take care of him", Ayanokouji thought she meant in a fight. Although not well-built, even in a fight, a person of small stature could gain control. Maybe she had pepper spray?
"You're oddly talkative," Ayanokouji remarked. "I thought you said you didn't need friends?"
The girl wrinkled her nose, "Friends? I'm just making an observation, is all."
"And back to your normal 'ice-queen'," Ayanokouji said, and the black-haired girl made her way outside. Ayanokouji followed awkwardly.
"What's your name, anyway?"
"Why do you ask?"
"We've talked so many times, I should at least know your name, don't you think?"
She rolled her eyes, "If I tell you, will you leave me alone?"
Ayanokouji shrugged, "If you leave me alone, then sure."
"Alright," She replied. "Horikita. And you are?"
"Ayanokouji," The boy said.
With that, they said nothing to each other, but on their way to the dorm, they found themselves walking together again. In a cruel twist of fate, the duo seemed inseparable. Horikita spoke first, breaking their pact of silence.
"This school certainly wastes no expense on us," She said, mostly to herself while looking at her receipts. It matched any receipt you would normally get, making it clear the school didn't lie about the claim that the points were just like money.
"It's almost stupid," Ayanokouji said. "Normal high school students don't need 100,000 yen for one month of expenses."
"Perhaps the school thinks people will spend all their money right away?" Horikita theorized. "With so much freedom, I'm sure a good number of students might run out of points."
"That'd be a bit sad, since some of these people will be our future leaders," Ayanokouji joked, but Horikita didn't laugh. She genuinely considered his words.
"I find that hard to believe, don't you? That everyone here will play some important role in society."
Ayanokouji thought of his classmates, and although he thought her views were quite pessimistic, he couldn't help but agree. Some of the students in his class appeared quite unruly.
"Say, what class are you in, anyway?" Ayanokouji asked, feigning ignorance. He had seen what class Horikita had been in, but he wanted to establish the fact with her.
"Class D. What class is Ayanokouji-Kun in?"
"Class C. But as to what you were saying, I'm sure security guards and janitors are the same people you're ridiculing now."
"I find it hard to believe any of them would even pass as janitors," Horikita said bitterly, crossing her arms. "Their behavior borders on juvenile."
Ayanokouji nodded. The students in his class seemed to have behavior on par with that of middle schoolers. He supposed they had either never been corrected or stubbornly clung to their immature ways. Change was difficult, after all, and humans naturally resisted it.
"Does your class get along well?" Ayanokouji asked.
Horikita shrugged, "In a forced way, I suppose. Some people in the class are insistent on keeping the peace, but honestly, I don't see such a purpose. A decent amount of us are here for our studies, so what does it matter if we don't all become friends?"
Based on her words, Ayanokouji imagined someone tried to force her to talk to them. He was observant, always picking up on small details and references before putting them together into a cohesive image.
"Mine doesn't," Ayanokouji added without Horikita caring. Her expression soured suddenly.
"Is Ayanokouji-Kun one of those types who tries to force friendships on others?" Without waiting for him to answer, she laughed. "I already know the answer."
"Weren't we having a good conversation just now?"
"Small talk," Horikita corrected. "And I hate small talk."
"Small talk is the foundation of society, isn't it?"
Horikita rolled her bright red eyes and huffed, annoyed, "For cashiers in a convenience store, maybe?"
"Oh," Ayanokouji said awkwardly. He still struggled to adapt to social conventions. Now, he mentally checked small talk off the list of viable conversation starters.
A few feet away, a sudden yell prevented Ayanokouji from eating his lunch in peace. Everyone in the immediate vicinity turned towards the sound, surprised.
The red-haired boy, Sudou, from just a few moments ago, faced three other boys. The three of them wore confident smirks on their face while watching Sudou passively.
"Oi, back off! I claimed this spot!" Sudou shouted, his hands flying around emphatically. The boy in the center, who had an air of authority, chuckled tauntingly at Sudou. On the ground by Sudou's feet was an overturned cup of ramen, the noodles spilling out onto the concrete messily.
"Hah? Didn't I already tell you? We claimed this spot long before you even sent your pitiful application in!"
"Respect your senpai, brat!" One boy chimed in. So that explained their entitlement: senpai. Even if they had truly claimed this spot a long time ago, it wasn't logical to assume that every freshman would surrender to their selfish whims. Instead, this seemed more like blatant harassment for the sake of it.
Sudou's already angry expression deepened with boiling rage, until his face was as red as his fiery hair, "You didn't claim anythin', ya bastards! I was here first, I'm sure of it!"
"Don't you get it?" The leader asked. "It's the principle of it all: you respect your senpai by giving them what they want! Are you some sort of delinquent?"
"Ahaha, probably from Class D!" Another boy chuckled. "Say, you're from Class D, aren't you?" The boy asked. Ayanokouji raised his eyebrow in curiosity. Why did it matter what class Sudou was from, and how did they guess so accurately?
Sudou's anger momentarily vanished, as he was just as confused as Ayanokouji. He managed, "Uh, yeah?"
The three erupted in laughter.
"Ah, I guessed right! I'm a genius!"
"Eh? It's so obvious!"
"What're you bastards talking about?" Sudou shouted angrily, but the boys had already turned away.
The leader spoke, "We'll let you have the bench this time, punk, but learn for the future that that bench is taken!"
"Oh yeah? I'll do what I want!"
"When you don't have enough points for ramen, you won't even be around!" One boy laughed. Sudou shook his fist angrily, shouting insults as the three boys walked away, laughing amongst each other. The onlookers seemed more annoyed than anything with Sudou's behavior, and Ayanokouji figured he had to step in. Sudou didn't seem observant, so Ayanokouji felt a bit bad letting him suffer without even realizing it.
"Sudou," Ayanokouji said, and Sudou practically jumped in the air. The brown-haired boy didn't have much of a presence, and he didn't make himself known before he was right next to Sudou.
"Jeez!" Sudou yelped. "Whaddya want?"
"You should quiet down, you know, since you're drawing attention to yourself," He remarked, and Sudou quickly looked around as if to confirm the obvious. Upon realizing it, Sudou sighed angrily.
"Those guys were messing around, it's their fault!"
"You're blaming them for your behavior? You truly are a child," Horikita said from a few feet away, keeping her distance.
"What's your problem, huh?" Sudou asked, but Horikita already seemed to be getting more distance between herself and the boys. She didn't want to be seen too closely with them and get labelled as a delinquent. Perhaps she was wiser than Ayanokouji in that regard.
As the spectacle ended, the onlookers walked away, muttering about Sudou being a nuisance. Sudou also left, his mood being ruined by the senpai. Ayanokouji felt tempted to leave as well, but he doubled back for the ramen cup. Ayanokouji had no desire to pick it up, but with the camera's black eye burning into him, he felt compelled to pick up the cup. It might cause problems later on if he didn't.
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