Square One

Chapter 1.3 - First Impression Matters

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A staggering 100,000 yen a month—this was perhaps the most surprising of ANHS' welcoming gift to its first year students. 

As expected, the students were spellbound by such magnanimity, eyes wide and hearts alight with possibilities that came with this lavish welcome. To be chosen to walk these halls was privilege enough, yet here they were, presented with a sum none had dreamed of managing.

By the minute, Advanced Nurturing High School was living up to its presentation as a paradise that would be the best medium in nurturing the nation's youth.

But Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, contrary to most of his classmates, did not share the same enthusiasm. 

Still staring at his phone, the numbers glaring back at him from his phone's screen seemed to him not so much as digits of freedom, but rather chains in a numerical form. 

It was, after all, an all-too-perfect scenario — a golden apple of discord thrown amidst eager hands, ready to cling to the immediate pleasure without a thought for consequence or cost.

"Shocked by the amount of points you've been given?" Chabashira asked the class, breaking them out of their stupor. The small smile on the beautiful woman's face indicated she was expecting this reaction.

"Here at ANHS, we assess and recognize the talents of our students. Having passed the entrance examinations, the school has deemed all of you to be valuable. As such, the amount you've received is reflective of the school's investment in your potential," she explained.

And at that moment, a quote from a book he once read came to mind: "The most dangerous of all falsehoods is a slightly distorted truth," he recalled, reflecting on the old adage. 

The generous points could indeed be an investment in their perceived potential, the school's tangible commitment to their future. 

However, the idea also bore the subtle imprint of a transaction. If this was an advance on their abilities, what was the cost of underperforming?

Surely, there had to be one, right? 

Chabashira's tone held an instructive cadence as she continued to elucidate the rules surrounding the points. "Now that your points have been deposited into your accounts, you are at liberty to spend—or not. You can do as you like. But to those thinking of saving points until graduation, there wouldn't be a point in doing so, since any remaining balance returns to the school after graduation."

Ayanokouji raised his head, his attention shifting from the screen of his phone to the faces around him. 

The energy in the room had changed; what began as a collective gasp of awe now morphed into animated conversations about what they'd do with their points. The notion of points, initially abstract and intangible, had taken on a concrete form in the minds of the students, manifesting in daydreams of luxury.

The excited murmurs continued until Chabashira spoke once more.

"That said, in the event that you don't want to spend your points, you may transfer them to someone else. However, extorting money from your peers is not allowed. Know that this school monitors bullying very carefully. Any questions?"

Chabashira's gaze then traversed the room, pausing briefly as if to encourage questions from her new students.

It was during this sweep that her eyes briefly locked with Ayanokouji's. 

And that fleeting moment, an uncharacteristic impulse to voice his thoughts stirred within him; an urge he couldn't quite rationalize. 

But as swiftly as this impulse arose, it faded, replaced by his usual indifference.