『The Deal and Revelation』

"We are going on a date, don't interrupt us."

For a brief moment, I was frozen in place, and so was everyone else, too. No one believed what they just heard, while the red eyed girl seemed like she was having her most wonderful time. I truly wanted her to stop making things worse for me, she was making it harder to make friends. I didn't want the guys in my class to classify me as an enemy on the very first day. I released a very heavy sigh that went unnoticed by most of the students.

Eventually, we left the classroom—of course, she forced me to. I couldn't shake off the feeling of being dragged into a situation I didn't fully understand. The girl next to me, whose name I didn't know yet, with her red eyes and fully white hair, seemed to revel in the chaos she left behind.

"Why did you say we're going on a date?" I asked as we walked through the corridor.

She grinned mischievously. "Well, it's more interesting that way, don't you think? Adds a bit of flair to our little outing."

I couldn't argue with that using any kind of logic that I learned, and the intrigue surrounding her motives only deepened. Was I overthinking? Probably yes.

"What's your name, by the way?"

She chuckled. "Seems a bit to late to ask, don't you think so?"

"Yes. Totally. Now, the name is?" I had to admit, I should have asked that question first.

"I'm Kiryuuin Fuuka, Class 2-B."

"Nice to meet you, Kiryuuin-senpai. I am—"

"I know who you are, and more importantly, call me Fuuka."

Upon seeing that I wasn't going to, she insisted further. "Say it."

"What would happen if I don't do that?" I said trying to resist.

"Nothing, just that the whole school will recognize you tomorrow."

I sighed internally. Surrendering to my fate, I did as she asked me.

"Alright. Are you happy now, my dear Fuuka?" I tried to imitate her a bit in order to upset her, but for some reason, though, it had the opposite effect—she smiled even more.

I couldn't understand, why did people give such meanings to meaningless words? Maybe I will never know. But I hoped, that one day, I will know; and I will understand.

"I certainly am, my dear Kiyotaka."

We continued walking after we exited the school building, and she led me to a part of the campus I hadn't explored yet. It was a quiet courtyard with a fountain at its center. The sunlight filtered through the surrounding trees, creating a serene atmosphere.

"This is a nice spot, isn't it?" Fuuka commented as she took a seat on the edge of the fountain. I observed the surroundings for a moment before joining her. There are no cameras nearby.

She leaned back, looking up at the sky. "So, Kiyotaka, what do you know about this school so far?"

"I know more than I am supposed to." Seeing that she will be a valuable ally, I decided to stop playing around. She already had her doubts about me because I checked the order of classes and the number of expelled students on her year.

"By the way, why were you in your class? You said it yourself, didn't you? That there were no courses today for your grade." I was slightly curious about the reason. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find an appropriate answer using my deductions.

"Oh, that. I was waiting for someone. It wasn't important to keep me from following you, though." I did not think that a classroom was a good place to meet someone, nor that it was a good time, too.

"I have another question. Why did you look for me in Class 1-A? You even left my class for last. You didn't think I was a Class D student?"

"So you do know about that, too, huh?" She said, catching the meaning behind my words. "Yeah, honestly, I was slightly confused. I never thought it was possible. No, that was wrong; I never considered the possibility. You being in Class D means that no one is qualified for higher classes—even me."

She even admitted that she was inferior in comparison, just how much did see through me? This woman...

"But being where I am now is also good. It will be more entertaining than constantly defending."

"Hm? Wait, hold up. Are you talking—"

"About reaching Class A." I interrupted her mid sentence. She probably didn't expect that from me, seeing that I refused to admit that I knew a thing or two.

I first was curious about the true nature of this school, thus I found the truth a month before I was supposed to, at the cost of meeting this troublesome senpai. But now that my plans were destroyed by the person sitting to my left, and any chance I had to live a normal, peaceful life was gone, I needed to change my goals a little bit.

"I will no longer hold anything back, I will no longer try to pretend that I am an ordinary person. From this moment on, everything will change," I declared.

From my peripheral vision, I saw the face of the student known as Kiryuuin Fuuka showing different kinds of emotions.

Maybe this wouldn't be that bad after all...

■■■

After a long period of time, our conversation finally came to an end. "See you later, Fuuka." I stood up and walked towards the convenience store. I had told Fuuka about the conclusions I had deduced, and it turned out that all of them were true. From the arrangements of students, to the competition between the classes and the future of every non-A Class.

As I was walking, I felt a slight vibration in my pocket. I opened my phone.

'Here is the amount you asked for.'

It was a message from Fuuka. I quickly sent a reply and returned my phone to my pocket. I had a lot of things to buy today, after all, I would be living alone for the next 3 years. Even though it was my first time, I was already overwhelmed by excitement.

Buying the necessary items with the help of the workers, I made my way towards the dormitory, my home from that day onward. At the reception desk, I received a key card for Room 401 and a handbook containing information about the dorm's rules, then boarded the elevator. I quickly flipped through the handbook, which only detailed the most basic things that we needed for our daily routines. The dates and times for garbage disposal were listed, as well as a notice about avoiding excessive noise. I also saw notes about not wasting water or electricity, and so on.

"They didn't even place restrictions on electricity or gas usage... Interesting."

No matter how I looked at it, this school was very lenient. While I doubted that such pampered students could develop into fine, upstanding adults, once I remembered the things I would have to deal with tomorrow, I almost believed that it was impossible.

I double checked my plans...

■■■

It was the 2nd day of school. And because we didn't study yesterday, it was technically the 1st day of class. I received a message from a certain person asking if we could go together. Even though it was bothersome, I agreed.

We arrived 15 minutes before time. Surprisingly, over 3 quarter of the students were already present.

Hirata appeared visibly relieved once he saw me, but the moment he spotted Fuuka, he made a complex expression. Eventually, he approached me with Kushida.

"Uh, Ahm. Couldn't you reschedule your date this time? We just need a couple more minutes of his time." Unsurprisingly, he was addressing her and not me. The smirk on her face grow wider as she looked into a particular corner of the room—the same corner where my seat was. Again, I didn't understand what she was doing.

"Well, it can't be helped. I will give you all some time this once," she said while turning around. "Make it quick, Kiyotaka."

She intentionally did that. Although I didn't personally care about names, I knew the significance behind such action.

After solidifying her position as my partner, she calmly left the class, leaving a kind of chaos behind. The students probably needed a minute just to refocus, how mean of her.

"Well, it's Ayanokouji-kun, right?" Asked Hirata in an attempt to get rid of the awkward atmosphere. I nodded. "Can you please elaborate? Yesterday, why did you think that we won't get the same amount of points next month? We spent some time discussing this after the introductions, but it seems like most of us didn't understand." As he finished, I could see that everyone was paying close attention to what I would say next.

"Certainly," I said as I walked towards the open window next to my seat. I put my bag down, and turned around.

"Do you remember what Sae told us, Hirata?" I could see the surprised faces of my classmates. I assumed that it wasn't because I knew his name—rather, it was because I used Sae's first name. Of course, there was a meaning behind that, too.

I never did anything without a goal in mind, after all.

"She did not mention anything about getting 100,000 point every month. She merely said points are distributed the 1st of every month."

"Yes, that's true. But, Ayanokouji-kun, why didn't you assume it was a mistake on her part?" It was Kushida who asked this time.

"That's because of the cameras." I pointed at the corners of the roof. "Why do you think there are 4 of them in every class? Don't you think 1 should be enough? Not to mention less expensive?" I let the silence spread for a few seconds. It appeared that no one noticed them. I was slightly disappointed.

It took moments for them to calm down.

"Sae said that this school evaluates its students' talents. How do you think they do that? And what for?"

"It is very easy, Ayanokouji. It's so that they can lower the points we will receive." The owner of this statement was non other than Kouenji. He was being unusually cooperative today, despite refraining from telling them about the details himself. "That's correct. As Kouenji here said, the amount of points we get is proportional to our evaluation as a class—not as individuals."

"But—" Just when a question was going to be delivered, Sae entered the classroom. That also meant that Fuuka was probably going to her class, too.

The teacher observed us from the corner of her eye as she made her way inside. For a second, I managed to see a faint smile taking its way into her face. I didn't think that Chabashira-sensei was the type to smile a lot.

"How about asking the teacher, Hirata?" I asked Hirata. But the one who responded was Chabashira-sensei.

"Asking me what, exactly? Ayanokouji, I think I told you yesterday to ask if you needed something. What makes you think I will waste more time answering questions?" Her harsh reply took the hope stored in the students hearts.

"Well, if you don't want to, that's fine. But you will have to if I buy the right to do that, correct?" Gasps of surprise could be heard echoing in the now silent room. No one anticipated this, not even the teacher.

Chabashira's eyes widened, and a faint smirk appeared on her face. The air in the room tensed as everyone awaited her response.

"Buy? That's an interesting choice of words. What made you think you can do that?"

"You," I replied and pointed at her. "'You can use your points to buy anything. Anything located on the school premises is available for purchase.' I am pretty sure you said that."

"What if I didn't mean that literally?"

"What if you just answered my question?"

While the students were struggling to follow, for the very first time, she laughed.

"Very well. Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, you are indeed special. I will answer for free this time, how about it? What's your question?"

My question. In truth, it was more of a purchase rather than a simple question. A couple options suggested themselves in my head.

Buying information will be expensive, it may even cost more than just private points. It was too much for something I was already sure of.

While a confirmation should be cheaper, I didn't think there was a way for those people to follow my instructions until the end of the month.

Thus, I arrived at the most beneficial deal to us in the long run. I pulled out my phone, which had over 1 million points, and held it in my hand.

"Sensei, how much will it cost me to temporarily disable the cameras for a full month?"

■■■

Despite the seriousness of the conversation to some, evident by the shocked and wide eyes of my classmate and even the teacher which was more important, I couldn't help but remember the events of yesterday.

"So, Kiyotaka, what else do you know?" The source of the question was none other than the crimson-eyed companion beside me on the public seat. The platinum strands of her hair gracefully swirled in response to the passing breeze, seemingly coaxing the secrets from my knowledge.

She was Fuuka Kiryuuin. A student who studied overseas and came back to Japan to enroll in this 'special' school. According to my observations, Fuuka was a person who didn't care about which class she was in. She gave me the impression that she didn't need the school's help, since with her abilities, she could enter any university she wanted. It was not yet clear if that was true or not, but I did not doubt that she was an excellent student even with this school's criteria. Her being previously in Class A was enough to prove the latter.

"I know that we won't get 100,000 points," I answered.

"We both know that was unnecessary," she said.

"I know that only Class A will receive the 100% application guarantee."

"Do I have to repeat what I'd just said again?"

"I also know that—"

"If you are going to say something stupid, I will punch you." She raised her hand in a threatening manner. It appeared that I had succeeded; my attempts had finally worked. It annoyed her that I stated the obvious, and I found it enjoyable to play her game, too.

"I know that there are four classes each year." The moment I finished my sentence, a supersonic fist drew its way toward my stomach. I easily caught it, which startled her somewhat.

"You have caused me a lot of trouble in such a short time. I'd say you deserve at least that much," I remarked as I held her delicate, yet strong fist in my hand.

"I knew you were fast, but this is something else," she murmured to herself. It was not hard to imagine how she came to that conclusion after she witnessed how quickly I escaped her during our first interaction. She must have thought that I was trying to run.

"To answer your question, I knew almost everything when I looked at your year."

The order of the classes was different. It meant that they could overtake each other. And because of the nature of this school, it wasn't hard to guess why they would allow that. The methods of doing so were still unclear, but it wasn't hard to guess that they had a point system just like private points did. The term 'private' also meant that there existed at least another kind of points that weren't owned by individuals.

"The number of expelled students also said a lot." Over 30 expulsions, that was by no means a small number. And it wasn't a random coincidence, either. Even if students would be expelled if they failed a certain test, that couldn't explain everything. It was probably because of another reason; like a special kind of exams that didn't focus only on academics. It was reasonable to think that the winning rewards of such exams influenced the rankings as well.

"As expected, you truly are an interesting person. I can't imagine doing that, on the first school day no less. Even Horikita Manabu pales in comparison. I can't wait to say that in front of Tachibana." She laughed. For her to compare him to me, meant that he was exceptional even among his peers. I couldn't wait to see it for myself.

If I remembered correctly, there was a student with the same name, too. That Horikita girl was probably a relative of this Manabu she spoke of.

And from the way she phrased it, it sounded like this Tachibana had a great amount of respect for Horikita Manabu. Knowing that Tachibana was a girl, plus the nature of Fuuka's personality, it was likely that the girl's feelings for him were not just ordinary respect.

As if sensing that I was focused elsewhere, she continued. "And I assume that the distribution of those students led you to know that the classes were ranked from the beginning. Meaning that Class D was inferior to the other classes, right?"

"Correct." Most of the missing disks originated from Class 2-D. If everything I concluded was true thus far, it was highly likely that we were ranked based on some scale that the school set to evaluate its students. It also meant that to some extent, the results of the entrance exams were secondary.

"And? What else? You are still hiding something from me, right? Those were the results of your own investigations. Surely you knew more after you heard the speech of your teacher." As expected, she was sharp. I wasn't surprised, though. I had already deduced that she was capable of at least that much.

I wouldn't have made her follow me if she weren't.

"Do you mean the methods regarding the evaluation of classes?"

"Well, you can say that."

"Then the answer is clearly the cameras."

One look around the campus would inform one how weird their placement was, not to mention the cameras in each class. Normally, you would want people to notice them to avoid any unnecessary trouble. People tend to obey the rules if they knew they are monitored. In this school, however, it was different. The cameras were hidden carefully. It gave out the vibe that the school didn't intend to do anything even if they witnessed something as long as no one complained.

I could almost hear them say 'It's fine until you get caught.'

She laughed even more as I explained.

Maybe she decided that she had enough because it was then that she finally retrieved her fist.

"It's my time to ask questions now," I declared. There was no way she was going to refuse my question; I was sure of that. If anything, I had the feeling that she would even try to help me.

"How many points will it cost me to disable the cameras temporarily, Fuuka?" I asked.

"Wow, Kiyotaka, you never disappoint me." Maybe she laughed too much today because, for the first time since I met her, she only had a genuine smile. I found myself drawn to her natural beauty. I often tend to ignore such things if unnecessary, but she was truly gorgeous.

"I don't know—I never tried. I don't think anyone has ever asked about this before, too," she said, reaching out for her pocket. "I could ask about It though." In her hand, Fuuka's fingers danced across her phone's screen as she made inquiries. The atmosphere shifted, and I couldn't help but wonder if that question had never been asked because most students simply accepted the omnipresent cameras. Even if the question has yet to be posed, I did not doubt that the price was already set in stone.

While I was waiting for Fuuka's response, I took in the peaceful surroundings, pondering the once-hidden intricacies of this peculiar school. While I was sure of almost everything I deduced, thanks to my investigations and Sae's talk, I couldn't be one hundred percent certain about a couple of things.

The hierarchy, the rankings, the points, the expulsions—all the pieces of the puzzle assembled to form a bigger picture.

■■■

The shock was visible on Chabashira-sensei's face, and that was the case for most of my classmates, too. The idea that it's possible to use private points in this way was unanticipated. From their perspective, what I was doing was insane, mainly because it had no purpose.

"Sorry, but I still don't understand what this has to do with the amount of points we will receive next month." Hirata, as expected, naturally played the role of the class representative and asked what most students were wondering.

If I wanted to progress my plan, I would have to explain everything from the start. Annoying as it was, I didn't have many options.

"Well then. Don't interrupt me, and let me elaborate..." I proceeded to tell them about my discoveries so far. That included some of the details I discussed with Kiryuuin yesterday.

Of course, I hid her involvement because of the cameras. I had no doubts that students from higher grades were forbidden from telling the newly enrolled students the truth about the school. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been that careful. I tried to find a way without doing so, but in the end, I mentioned the hierarchy of classes, which they were not happy to hear at all. It even caused some additional arguments.

Chabashira-sensei was having a hard time controlling her expressions. She was smiling, yet she was flabbergasted. I was able to read a mix of both joy and excitement from her elegant figure, too. Her face was indescribable now, and even her breathing was easily picked up amongst the chaotic sound waves inside classroom. My classmates weren't in their best mind state to notice that, though the blond cold-reader was definitely an exception.

It made me wonder if the teachers also had something to gain from the advancement of their respective classes, or if she was just a special case. I couldn't just ignore this huge change in her attitude, it was very uncharacteristic of her.

As for the students, I could see three types of them here: The first type was surprisingly cooperative and tried to think through everything I said. Unfortunately, they were the minority. The second type, which was the majority, didn't even try to comprehend. The moment something they didn't like was announced—like the fact that classes from B to D wouldn't receive the promised gift and that Class D was the worst class—they started launching insults in my direction.

And then there was Kouenji with his mirror.

"So, in simple terms, the amount of points we get is proportional to our evaluation as a class. That's why disabling the cameras will be the best thing to do at the moment," I spoke. In the end, I ignored everyone and turned to our teacher. "So, Chabashira-sensei. How much is it?" I added. Chabashira-sensei once again, laughed even more. This time, however, there was something else behind her laugh. Something I did not comprehend.

"Very well, Ayanokouji. I must be honest; I was never asked that before. So, let's just say it will be around... 2 million points."

It was exactly as Kiryuuin told me. Turning my attention back towards the shocked class once more, I addressed them. "That requires 50,000 points from everyone here. So, are you interested?"

I had thought they would at least consider it for a while, but it turned out most of them didn't even need to.

"Huh? Are you out of your mind?" Ike said.

"Don't screw with us!" That one was from Sudou.

"That's absolutely ridiculous!" That one from Karuizawa.

"Who do you think you are?" And this came from Shinohara.

"Why would we waste half of our money for baseless assumptions?" And finally, this comment's owner was Yamauchi.

While there existed a couple of students who wanted to proceed with caution—namely Hirata, Horikita, and the like of Yukimura—meaning that losing 50,000 points was not a big deal even if what I said was wrong, they couldn't win against the majority. The same was true for those who understood that I was indeed correct. Though they could be counted on one hand.

Seeing the state of the class, I decided it was the time. "Then, how about this? Only I will pay 2 million. If what I said was wrong, nothing will happen; I will simply lose points." I showed them my phone's screen, which displayed my total balance—2,095,766 points to be exact. Gasps of amazement escaped their mouths.

"Holy cow! How did you get this much?" asked one of my neighbors. Her name was Nakano.

Hirata seemed somewhat restless, seeing that I still didn't mention what would happen if I was right. However, my next sequence of words left him speechless.

"However, if I turn out to be correct..."

They failed to comprehend that my offer had almost no effect in the long run. Now, they had to accept the consequences.

"I will get half of your points every month."

Total silence. That was the silence after the storm.

"What's wrong? I thought you said they were baseless assumptions." I directed that to Yamauchi specifically. Seeing that his words were used against him, he took a few steps back. "If you were so sure that I am talking nonsense, then you wouldn't fear a simple bet, correct?"

There was no response.

"I will even give you all my private points for the next 3 years until we graduate. That's about 109,500,000 points. Not a bad offer, is it?"

Tempted by the huge amount, greed became visible on their faces. The hesitant students seconds ago were no more, and at that moment, the class was divided into two parts.

Part wanted to get more points, the other wanted a better future.

Both had the same goal. And thus, everyone but Kouenji agreed to my terms, and we signed a contract under Chabashira-sensei's supervision. My classmates agreed not to tell anyone in any class about what happened, and for Kouenji, they agreed to let him be if he wouldn't get any points from me in case I was wrong.

In the end, everything went exactly as I expected, and I won two bets at the same time.

After completing my purchase with Chabashira-sensei, I went back to my seat.

"Just in case you didn't realize, it's best if you didn't let a single word reach the ears of outsiders. I hope you understand that much." And with that, I sat down. I was arguably the most hated person here.

My classmates were extremely quiet for the rest of the period, unlike their behaviors the day before. Of course, that didn't mean I did not receive any weird glances. That calmness of theirs lasted only for a couple of hours, and it quickly made its way into whispers about me. Though it was barely classified as one to begin with.

'Can you believe him?'

'He really thinks he is right.'

'Dude, he was looking down on us.'

Yeah, I heard everything.

With no cameras around, I quickly sent a message to a certain someone to notify them that I had won our little wager. While it was true that I could do what I wanted in class, Kiryuuin could not. That's why her message was just after the end of class, simultaneously with the following announcement.

"At five PM Japan Standard Time today, we will be holding a student club fair in Gymnasium No. 1. Students interested in joining a club, please gather in Gymnasium No. 1. I repeat, at—" A girl with a sweet voice continued the announcement. The student council should be responsible for such events, which made it logical to conclude that the voice owner was probably Tachibana. When that thought crossed my mind, I secretly observed the Horikita of Class D. Although she didn't show it, I knew right then that Manabu was indeed a relative of hers.

Just when I wondered if I should go check or not, I received a text message asking me if we could go together. 'Club activities, huh?'

It went without saying, but I'd never joined a club before. I still did not understand the meaning behind such things. It was more effective to do things on your own, at least to a certain extent. Even though I plan to use Tea Ceremony as an excuse soon enough, I couldn't really comprehend the reason behind existence of such club. That's why I was a bit curious about it.

While my classmates were discussing their plans, I quickly sent a message back.

'Sorry, but I can't go with you.'

It instantly showed "read," however, Kiryuuin didn't send anything back. I guess she expected that somewhat. She probably figured that I could not risk hanging out with her in public—at least, not this early. Ultimately, I still lacked information about the other classes, and it was not the time for the school to know about me yet.

"Hey, are you girls interested?" My neighbor, Ichika Nakano, said to her sisters. It seemed like they preferred being called by their first names to avoid unnecessary confusions.

Even though I tried to ignore them, they were not exactly quiet. Most of the class already showed interest in their conversation. "I was thinking maybe we can check the Track and Field club. I want to see what kind of tools they have!" Exclaimed Yotsuba. She was very energetic when compared to the rest of her sisters, even though they were supposed to be quintuplets.

"Hmm... Sure, I don't mind. But we must eat after that. I am hungry," said Itsuki.

"Is food all you think about?"

"Hey, that wasn't very nice! Just so you know, I do think about other stuff, too!"

"Really? Like What?"

"Like....Ahh, like...." While she was struggling to name a few, the one who asked, Miko, had a winning smile. Even I had to admit that it was cute. As a result, they received a few laughs, most of them were from the girls. Uninterested in their game, I started picking up my bag to leave the classroom.

"Hey, wait a minute."

However, I was interrupted.

"Hm? What is it, Nino?" The question came from Nino. She was the one who was surprised the most when I showed them that I had over 2 million points. I assumed she was going to ask about that.

"How—wait a minute. How did you know my name? You were absent during the introductions yesterday." Oh, right. They didn't figure that out, huh?

Wasn't it late to ask, though? They should have questioned it when I knew Hirata's name. I guess they forgot that because of my actions afterwards.

"Now that you mentioned it, he knew Hirata's name as well," someone commented. That was the trigger that made me receive all the class's attention.

Well done, Matsushita. She did not know that she made things easier for me.

"I was here before everyone else, that's why I saw the nameplates before you removed them." I pointed at the place where they used to be. While my explication satisfied most of my classmates, there were a few who weren't convinced.

"I can understand if it was your seatmates. But Hirata was nowhere near you," Matsushita added. She was a sharp one, I had to give her that. But she was still missing something. She assumed that I knew them by accident and didn't think of the other possibility.

Just when I thought that, though, she continued. "That can only mean.... That you deliberately checked their nameplates?"

Even though the words that left her mouth were the result of her own deductions, and no one else's, she was not convinced that such a thing was probable. For her, that was illogical. It was a psychopathic move.

"That's right, Matsushita." I nodded in confirmation. Hearing her name, she reached the ultimate conclusion.

"Don't tell me... You memorized all our names?!"

The slow students that couldn't arrive at that result themselves froze at the instant they heard her. "That's correct," I responded.

And then they exploded.

"Come on, he is obviously lying!"

"Yeah, just like he lied this morning. What's the big deal?"

"Do you seriously believe him?"

I guess that was hard for them to sallow. To prove it, I began declaring names as I pointed with my index finger.

"Kikyou Kushida, Maya Satou, Karuizawa Kei, Kanji Ike, Ken Sudou, Mei-Yu Wang, Akito Miyake, Hasebe Haruka..." I proceeded to name every single student who was still present. Once I finished, silence inundated the room. Although some couldn't believe it, they could not deny it now.

"Wow!"

"That was incredible!"

"Amazing!"

"To memorize almost 40 names with their position in a few minutes... Ayanokouji-kun, that was extraordinary." Commented Matsushita again. Even the likes of Horikita were astonished. Of course, Kouenji was not here. I did not doubt that he could do something similar, albeit not as much.

It seemed like I had won some of their respect—after I was the most hated person in this class. Not a bad thing per se.

'I actually memorized all the names of the 1st year students.' Or that's what I wanted to say, but I did not think they were ready for that yet.

I turned to Nino. "Didn't you have something to ask before this?"

"Oh, right." She pointed at my phone. "How did you get 2 million?" It appeared that she was not the only one who was interested. Everyone had their eyes on me.

I answered honestly. "Do you remember the girl that I entered with?"

"Do you mean your girlfriend?"

"Well, yeah. But she is not my girlfriend."

"Wait, really?" Ike asked. He seemed more interested in that more than how I got the points.

"Yes. She was just messing around."

"I knew it! I still have a chance!" He screamed. Was his goal to be the first person to get a girlfriend? Or did he like Kiryuuin? If it was the latter, then I pitied him. 'Good luck.' I prayed for him in my mind.

"And? What about her?" Nino asked.

"I won a bet between us. That's how I got the points." Before she could question the possibility of such a thing, I continued. "And to be clear, I 'borrowed' those points. I still have to return them. Sorry, but I assume it isn't what you are looking for."

In truth, it was more like a game than a bet, and I lied about the last part. She had over 6 million, giving me two wouldn't hurt her if she didn't want to change classes or was at risk of getting expelled.

"Well, that's a shame."

After our conversation ended, I headed to the Gymnasium. While I didn't plan to join one in the meantime, I decided it was a good idea to look around for a bit. I stood near the back of the room and observed the students while they waited for the fair to begin. The card we received had detailed information about club activities, so a few of my questions had already been answered.

"Thank you all for waiting, first-year students. We will now begin the club fair. A representative from each club will explain their function. My name is Tachibana, the student council secretary and the club fair's organizer. It's nice to meet you all." After Tachibana delivered the opening remarks, representatives from each club quickly lined up on the stage. It was quite a diverse crowd. The club representatives included everything from burly athletes in judo uniforms to students dressed in beautiful kimonos.

"It was indeed Tachibana after all," I said to no one in particular, but it appeared that someone thought I was talking to them.

"So, you knew her beforehand?" Asked a black-haired boy. Although I couldn't explain it, he seemed both mature and childish at the same time.

"Nah. I just knew she was in the council."

"I see." He posed for a moment and introduced himself. "By the way, I am Katagiri. Katagiri Yuuichi. Nice to meet you." He offered a handshake. There was a moment of silence before I replied.

"I'm Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. Likewise, it's nice to meet you too." I accepted the handshake.

"So, Ayanokouji, why are you here? Have you decided on which club to join?"

"No. I don't know yet. I was thinking I would check it out first."

"Yeah, I understand. Even though this school doesn't seem like a top-tier institution for activities like baseball and ballet, the clubs here certainly look great. Wouldn't you agree?" He asked me and his companions. Excluding him, there were 6 more people—2 boys and 4 girls.

"These facilities are significantly more substantial than ordinary schools. And it looks like many athletes and club members here are famous throughout the nation." I pointed at some of the individuals on the stage.

"Oh? Look, they even have O2 chambers. The equipment here is so luxurious, it puts the professionals' stuff to shame!" The boy laughed. His friends didn't mind at all the stares they were receiving because of him. I was honestly jealous of the relationship they had.

A girl dressed in archery gear stepped onto the stage. "Hello, my name is Hashigaki, the captain of the archery club. Many students may be under the impression that archery is an old-fashioned, simple activity, but it is actually a fun and rewarding sport. We welcome beginners with open arms. If you're interested, please consider joining."

I thought about joining a nice, calm, quiet club. And Archery wasn't bad at all. I still preferred Piano, though.

Every time one club finished and the next sprang up, the first-year students talked among themselves about what they thought. I noticed that the gymnasium's atmosphere was rather lively. Each club's representatives, including their supervising instructors, continued to explain their organizations to the unruly first-year students without a hint of displeasure. Perhaps they were just that desperate for more members, even if their ranks only increased by one. As the upperclassmen finished their introductions, they walked off the stage and headed toward an area where some plain tables had been set up. Probably a reception area designed to accept new members.

Eventually, everyone walked off until only one person remained. Everyone focused their attention upon him, but he didn't say a single word. The first-year students hurled comments at him. However, the upperclassman stood on the stage calmly, without trembling. The relaxed atmosphere gradually changed, and things took an unexpected turn. It was as if some chemical reaction had taken place. An unbelievably tense, quiet mood gripped the entire gymnasium.

Then, the student started his speech, slowly scanning the crowd. "I'm the student council president. My name is Horikita Manabu," he said. He was the Horikita Kiryuuin mentioned before.

He spoke in a soft tone, but the tension around us was so thick it felt like you could cut it with a knife. He had managed to silence over a hundred new students in that spacious gymnasium. Of course, it wasn't his position as student council president that granted him this deference. That was simply Horikita Manabu's power. His presence dominated everyone around him. He didn't pause even once during his eloquent speech. Immediately after finishing, he hopped off the stage and left the gymnasium.

"Thank you all for coming. The club fair has ended. We will now open the reception area to anyone interested in signing up. Also, registration will be open until the end of April, so if any student wishes to join at a later date, we ask that you please bring the application form directly to the club you wish to join."

Thanks to the laid-back organizer, the tension in the air dissipated. Afterward, the third-year students who'd introduced their respective clubs started taking applications.

"Wow. That was kind of badass." One of his friends said. He was holding a little girl in his hand, and seeing no one saying anything, I kept quiet about it too.

"Yeah, I can agree." One certainly can argue that it was.

"So, do you have a club in mind?" Yuuichi asked me.

"I am not sure. I may join Archery, though." It was a good activity to enchant one's focus. While I was not lacking in that area, I decided that it was better if I did not stop practicing. Even I wasn't immune to erosion.

"Oh? Did you hear that, Siesta? My friend here is joining archery, too. How about you apply together?" The boy asked one of the 4 girls. She had remarkable white hair and blue eyes with the same color as the sky. I could almost see my own reflection in her irises.

"Thank you for the information, Yuuichi-kun. But it's best if you don't rush things. And besides, he still hasn't decided yet."

While I was thankful for the move this Yuuichi guy played out, which gave me an opportunity to make friends, I was busy thinking about a different matter entirely.

Even though they seemed to be first year students, I'd never encountered a nameplate with their names before.

How interesting.

Jan 3 2024 / 6910 words.

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