If Class 1-D was a boisterous carnival and Class 1-C was a jungle, then Class 1-A was a surgical operating room: sterile, cold, and efficient.
Their homeroom teacher, Mashima Tomonari, stood tall before the podium. The sturdy-looking man had just finished explaining the S-Point system. There were no friendly smiles or playful teasing like the other teachers displayed.
"Do you understand your position?" Mashima's voice was heavy and serious. "This school grants freedom, but freedom without discipline is anarchy. These 100,000 points are your first test."
The moment Mashima left the room, silence blanketed the class for three seconds. No cheering. No jumping for joy.
A bald, muscular student, Katsuragi Kohei, stood up from his seat. His face was stern, radiating a strong aura of conservatism.
"Attention, please," Katsuragi's voice echoed. "I trust you are all intelligent enough not to be swayed by the numbers on your phone screens. No sane educational institution hands out an allowance equivalent to an adult employee's salary without reason."
The Class A students nodded. They were the chosen elite. They understood the concept of "no such thing as a free lunch" instinctively.
"I propose that we do not use these points excessively until we understand the school's grading mechanism," Katsuragi continued. "We must maintain our behavior to reflect the standards of Class A."
"So rigid, Katsuragi-kun. But I don't hate it."
A soft yet authoritative voice cut through Katsuragi's speech. In the front row, a petite girl with a cane turned her body slowly.
Sakayanagi Arisu smiled. The smile was sweet, but her eyes looked at her classmates like a queen gazing at chess pieces on her board. The data from Ritsu regarding this girl was accurate: she was the definition of pure intellect.
"Fufufu, you are right to be cautious," Sakayanagi said. "This system is clearly designed to filter out the trash. If we behave like barbarians, we will lose our privileges."
She tapped her cane on the floor once. The sharp clack was somehow more intimidating than a shout.
"Enjoy this game," Sakayanagi continued, her eyes flashing purple. "As long as you remember who holds the reins. We are Class A. We are not the ones being chased; we are the ones setting the pace. Do not embarrass me with pathetic behavior."
Katsuragi frowned at Sakayanagi's arrogant leadership style, but he didn't refute the substance of her words. The two pillars of Class A's power had been established: Katsuragi's absolute defense and Sakayanagi's psychological offense.
Inside, Sakayanagi felt slightly bored. Everything is proceeding as predicted, she thought. I hope there is an interesting variable in this year's batch. Something that can entertain me beyond this boring game of chess.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere in Class 1-B was much warmer, like a cafe in the afternoon. Their homeroom teacher, Hoshinomiya Chie, sat on the edge of the teacher's desk with her legs crossed, smiling in a slightly flirtatious and relaxed manner.
"Well, well~ you guys got a lot of money, right?" Hoshinomiya winked. "You can buy nice clothes, eat good food, or... treat your teacher to a drink?"
Several students laughed. The atmosphere was fluid and friendly. The illusion that this school was a paradise felt strongest in this room.
However, amidst the laughter, Ichinose Honami did not join in.
The girl with strawberry-pink hair stared at her phone screen. The number 100,000 blinked, tempting her. But in her mind, a memory replayed. A memory of a strange boy she met while skipping junior high, who drew business schemes in the dirt with a twig.
"If you need money, create value," Seiji's voice rang in her head. "Money that falls from the sky is usually bait to snare your neck."
Honami took a deep breath. She remembered how Seiji taught her entrepreneurship and changed her naive outlook. Kindness without caution was foolishness.
Honami stood up. Her charismatic aura immediately drew the attention of the entire class without her needing to shout.
"Sensei," Honami called out with a polite but sharp smile. "Are you suggesting we spend these points? Because if this school is meritocracy-based, spending capital at the start without knowing how to generate profit next month sounds like a bad business strategy."
Hoshinomiya's eyes widened slightly. The playful smile on the teacher's face cracked a little. Oh? This girl... she isn't as innocent as her face suggests.
"Ara~ Honami-chan is so serious," Hoshinomiya chuckled, trying to deflect the mood. "But Sensei didn't say you have to spend it, you know."
That answer was enough for Honami. She didn't deny the risk.
Honami turned to face her friends. Her face was radiant, full of genuine warmth, yet there was a steely resolve behind it.
"Everyone," Honami said gently. "I know we're all happy. But my gut tells me there's a price to pay for this money. Remember what was written at the school gate? This is a place to foster the future of the country."
She walked to the center of the classroom, spreading her arms as if she wanted to embrace them all.
"In the real world, we don't get paid before we work, right? I propose we create a 'class savings.' We can still have fun in moderation, but let's save the majority of our points and look out for each other's behavior. Think of it as an investment for our collective security."
"Ichinose-san has a point..." a student whispered.
"Yeah, come to think of it, 100,000 is too suspicious."
Honami smiled in relief seeing her friends start to think critically. She didn't use fear; she used economic logic and trust.
As she sat back down, her eyes drifted out the window. She had caught a glimpse of a familiar silhouette during the entrance ceremony earlier. Slightly messy black hair, a mysterious smile.
Koroizumi-kun, Honami thought. You were right. This world is full of traps. But I won't let my friends fall. I will protect them, not with naivety, but with the calculation you taught me.
If Class A was a fortress and Class B was a garden, then Class 1-C was a lion's den where the lock had just been undone.
The moment their homeroom teacher, Sakagami, walked out with a resigned face, chaos erupted. Delinquent students shouted, celebrating their sudden wealth. Some kicked desks; others were already planning wild parties.
"Oi! Shut up, you trash!"
A hoarse shout accompanied by a loud thud cut through the noise.
A young man with dark magenta hair sat on the teacher's desk. His foot stomped on a stack of attendance sheets. Ryuen Kakeru. His eyes were wild, his grin like a wolf that had found a fat sheep.
"Starting today, I am the law here," Ryuen hissed.
Some other delinquent students tried to protest. "Huh? Who are you to order—"
Thud!
Without warning, Ryuen leaped and landed a knee strike to the protesting student's stomach. The student crumpled, groaning in pain.
The class fell silent in terror.
"Your points belong to me," Ryuen said casually, as if he had just taken out the trash. "You will make weekly deposits to me. Anyone who refuses... well, I have plenty of free time to 'play' after school."
Ryuen didn't need logic. He didn't need sweet charisma. He used pure violence and fear to unite the class. He knew the school system was flawed, and he intended to exploit every loophole with terror.
In the very back corner of the class, separated from the violent drama as if in another dimension, sat a girl with long silver hair.
Shiina Hiyori.
She didn't look at Ryuen. She didn't look at the student groaning in pain. Her eyes were glued to the pages of the worn mystery novel in her hands.
To Hiyori, this commotion was just white noise. Unimportant. Uninteresting.
She turned the page of her book with her slender fingers.
So noisy, Hiyori thought hollowly. They're all shouting, but no one is saying anything.
Her mind drifted to the quiet city library, where she used to spend hours in silence with a boy named Koroizumi Seiji.
Seiji was never noisy. Seiji understood that silence was a language of its own. When Seiji spoke, his words carried weight, about knowledge and science, not empty dominance like the gorilla at the front of the class.
Hiyori glanced briefly at Ryuen, who was now gripping another student by the collar. Hiyori's gaze was empty, devoid of fear, just slightly disappointed.
This place is boring, she thought. There is no intellectuality here. Only animalistic lust.
She remembered seeing the name "Koroizumi Seiji" on the new student list, listed in Class 1-D.
A faint, genuine smile etched itself onto Hiyori's lips, contrasting with the tense atmosphere around her.
I wonder if this school's library has a good collection, she mused. And I wonder... will Koroizumi-kun want to read with me again? Maybe he can recommend a science book that isn't too heavy.
Hiyori closed her book slowly, ignoring Ryuen who had now officially proclaimed himself the king of Class C. Amidst that tyranny, the queen of books remained untouched, protected by the walls of tranquility she had once built with her intellectual friend.