Chapter 04: Class D
"The Greatest Souls Are Capable of the Greatest Vices as well as the Greatest Virtues." – René Descartes, "Discourse on Method"
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「April 1st︱Morning︱Advanced Nurturing High School 1D's classroom」
"The time is 8:50 a.m., with 10 minutes left until the homeroom session. My seat is in the second to last row of the classroom. My neighbour on the right side is a red-haired male student. The nameplate on the seat 'Sudou Ken' name is written. Above 1.80 m in height, a large build, muscular physique, dyed red hair, and unconventional hairstyle can be perceived as intimidating by others. In addition, a rough exterior and lack of concern towards social etiquette indicate delinquent behaviour and attitude. Hence, he will likely struggle to form connections with other classmates."
"In addition, concerning future special exams, Sudou's high athletic ability will be likely one of the few if not the only redeeming qualities his classmates will tolerate his existence. Given the very likely nature of special exams to exhibit different abilities in many domains, being exceptional at only one thing is not enough. If the worst came to it, he would be considered a burden, and if it came down to it, the class would choose to expel him in case of emergency as a potential "sacrifice". It would be better to avoid that."
"On the right side, there is a purple-hair, average height. The appearance is not up to the standard of "Ikemen" but good enough to attract girls' attention if proactive enough and shows a decent ability. Between 1 to 10 points, I would give a solid 5-6. He does not give the impression of someone outgoing to initiate the conversation, but at the same time, it is unlikely he would reject a self-introduction if approached by someone with no ill intention. The seat's nameplate says his name is 'Miyake Akito'. It's too soon to determine but he gives the impression of someone who keeps to himself. However, with the right people, he would probably accept their company and under the right circumstances, a long-term friendship."
"On Miyake's left side, there is a black-haired girl with scarlet eyes, dignified, with a slim yet well-endowed figure. Cold demeanour coupled with a preoccupation with 20th century Fyodor Dostoyevsky's book "Crime and Punishment", emits the aura "Don't approach me". She will likely make things hard for her seatmates anything regarding communication. She is a different loner type from Miyake. Her strong impression of not wanting to make friends is an indicator that she perceives herself above others. People like her perceive others either as obstacles or distractions. In her case, it is most likely the latter. To accept the idea of friendship would indicate that the two parties are equal to each other in some way. A prideful person would not accept such a hit to their ego."
Before sitting at an assigned desk, Yamasaki witnessed a surveillance camera. He kneeled, smiled and showed a peace sign with my right hand.
"Four CCTV units are installed in a hidden condition, plus the four CCTV units are installed in very strategic areas, where there are few blind spots for the supervisors who are currently monitoring this classroom. My assumptions are confirmed. Installing CCTV at this school is not intended to increase the security of this school. The purpose of installing CCTV is to supervise, monitor, and measure all the movements of the students who attend school here. The red light emitting from the cameras' indicates that the classroom is observed real-time. In that case, there must be at least 1-2 staff personnel to observe the surroundings."
-"Pffff. What are you doing?" - someone was struggling to suppress their laughter. It was the girl's voice.
As Yamasaki was about to identify the source, in front of him, there was a bewitching back-length, blue-haired girl trying to stifle her laughter with her right hand. She showed me a teasing smile yet with a subtle caring nature behind it. Average height, coupled with a very well-endowed figure, is very likely to gather unwanted "attention" from many boys, and potentially inciting feelings of envy among some girls.
-"No reason." - Yamasaki replied with a calm expression.
-"Hehe, no need to be embarrassed. It was cute." - a blue-haired girl replied assuming Yamasaki was embarrassed.
-"And you are...?" - Yamasaki inquired the blue-haired girl not knowing the person who is he speaking to. He knew what Hasebe was thinking, and he wasn't bashful.
-"Oh, yeah! My name is Hasebe Haruka. Nice to meet you!" - Hasebe replied with an enthusiastic voice and bright expression.
-"Yamasaki Isao. Nice to meet you, Hasebe." - Yamasaki introduced himself formally yet, with a relaxed tone.
-"I am happy to meet you as well, Yamasaki-kun!" - Hasebe replied enthusiastically.
-"Since when you saw me?" - Yamasaki inquired wanting to prolong the conversation for a little longer.
-"I was minding my own business, and I accidentally saw you walking through the back door and after I saw you showing a peace sign in front of the surveillance camera I couldn't help but laugh." - Hasebe tried to stifle her laughter by putting her left palm into her mouth. After remembering what Yamasaki did.
-"A harmless prank." Yamasaki shrugged.
-"Hehe, I know. Although, I was surprised to see the surveillance camera in the classroom. Then again, it is one of the best school schools in Japan after all" - Hasebe commented not being particularly shocked about learning about surveillance cameras.
-"Probably to prevent bullying." - Yamasaki gave a short, straightforward answer. Of course, Yamasaki knew there was a lot more to it, but kept the information to himself.
-"That's good. I would want to be in the class with troublemakers" - Hasebe commented, with particular emphasis on "troublemakers". However, the expression on her face was not filled solely with fear, but also with disgust and uneasiness.
-"The discomfort on Hasebe's face mentioning troublemakers has nothing to do with the latter. Rather, she is most likely mentioning boys who gave Hasebe not-so-secret glances towards her, especially her overdeveloped chest." - Yamasaki remarked.
-"Same here. I would not you to feel uncomfortable. We will be classmates for three years, after all." - Yamasaki answered nonchalantly.
-"Aahh. Are you worried about me?" - Hasebe teased Yamasaki trying to get a reaction out of him.
-"Is there something wrong with that?" - Yamasaki answered a question with a question. He knew what Hasebe was trying to do. He won't give her the satisfaction, though.
-"Hehe. That's kind of you, Yamasaki-kun" - Hasebe chuckled after hearing Yamasaki's thoughts. The truth is, she knows that her figure always attracts unwanted attention from the opposite sex. This class was no exception. Every time, a boy looks at her with a lecherous expression, she can't help but feel very uncomfortable. She feels self-conscious about being a beautiful girl. Hence, she avoids flirty boys. Or rather, she keeps her distance from strangers. And yet, she does not get this feeling of discomfort from Yamasaki. He was not like the other boys. At the very least, he was not a pervert.
-"If it's him, perhaps we can be friends." - Hasebe thought to herself. Truth be told, before coming to this school, Hasebe was perfectly fine to be in her little world, but she thought it would not be so bad to have at least one friend in the school. Besides, it would be boring not to have someone to talk to in the class for three years.
-"Ne, Yamasaki-kun." - Hasebe said with a hint of hesitation.
-"What is it?" - Yamasaki replied. He noticed Hasebe's indecisiveness to ask something. He knew the following question would have more personal meaning to her, but he did not inquire further.
-"Do you want to exchange numbers?" - Hasebe inquired with a hint of embarrassment.
She could not help but feel a little bashful. It was the first time she willingly asked a boy for his contact. While she may not be a fan of attention, she was still a normal girl. She knew the possible implications her request could insinuate.
-"Are you sure about this?" - Yamasaki asked.
-"Yeah. You seem like a decent guy. Besides, it would be so boring not to have someone to talk to." - Hasebe gave a half-truth answer.
-"Sure, why not?" - Yamasaki casually replied. He did not see a problem in exchanging contact information with Hasebe. Besides, Hasebe was a friendly and outspoken girl if you get past the barrier she puts herself from others.
-"Great!" - Hasebe happily exclaimed.
-"If you don't mind, I would like to find my seat before the teacher shows up." - Yamasaki replied.
-"Oh, right! My bad. Let's talk later Yamasaki-kun." - Hasebe just now remembered. Hasebe understood Yamasaki's intentions and stepped aside. She did not want to disturb him any further. Besides, it's not like this will be the only time they can interact.
-"Sure." - Yamasaki remarked before walking towards his target seat.
Yamasaki slowly walked to my respective with the name "Yamasaki Isao". He sat down and contemplated his future moves.
"I already decided on how to present myself. Being a socially awkward, unassuming, run-of-the-mill student has its advantages and limitations. If I were to enact my plans, I would be able to act freely, and with some long-term planning and adaptability, I could maintain this position for at least until the end of the first year. The downside is that it will significantly reduce the means for information gathering. And without any redeeming qualities, I will be at risk during special exams related to other people (status, influence, socialisation). I have to establish at least some connections with others in the classroom, especially with the leading Class D figures. A reliable classmate who excels at sports but is not particularly remarkable. A reliable, above-average student but not the cream of the crop. A middle ground offers the maximum benefits with limited drawbacks if done correctly. I don't want to attract unnecessary attention from other class leaders.
"Behind me, there is a gorgeous pink-haired girl. She was looking on the floor. Her body language was closely closed off as if indicating she wanted nobody to notice her. The nameplate is read 'Sakura Airi'. Average height, waist-length pink hair tied in low twin pigtails and swept bangs on the left. She can be perceived as very attractive, together with gradient blue eyes and a well-endowed figure comparable to a strawberry girl from class B at the entrance ceremony. A strange thing I noticed is that she wears fake glasses. There is no distortion in the lens. For what reason? The most likely reason is that by wearing fake glasses she will have an easier time becoming one with the crown as an unassuming person. Not to draw attention to herself. Why? It is doubtful that the only reason is due to social awkwardness. It is also not related to receiving a particular type of "attention" from the opposite sex, either. Otherwise, she wouldn't attempt to remove attention from herself not just from the boys but girls as well. There is more to it. It's better not to approach her directly. As a neighbour, a simple greeting should be enough for her to warm up to me little by little. Unless she has redeeming qualities to compensate for her shortcomings, she will have a rough future ahead of her in a cutthroat environment, such as ANHS."
-"Good morning." - Yamasaki said in a soft tone to the red-haired girl.
-"Ah!" The red-haired girl was startled that someone suddenly spoke to her. Suddenness and social anxiety made it difficult even to establish eye contact with Yamasaki.
-"I am sorry, I did not mean to startle you. I just wanted to introduce myself as a neighbour. If my presence is a bother I won't disturb you." - Yamasaki replied curtly with an apologetic expression. Being abundantly clear that he has no ill intention towards the red-haired girl.
-"I-It's fine. I-It's not your f-fault." - Red-haired answered with a stutter. She barely made eye contact with Yamasaki but did not outright reject him.
-"I am glad. I am Yamasaki Isao. Nice to meet you." - Yamasaki introduced himself with a small smile and a formal yet friendly tone.
-"I-I am S-Sakura Airi, n-nice to meet you too Y-Yamasaki-kun" - Sakura replied with a shy expression, stuttering a few times but she was able to make eye contact with Yamasaki and introduce herself.
Yamasaki nodded a little and shifted to a sitting position so as not to disturb Sakura won't feel discomfort any longer.
Yamasaki observed the classroom and noticed different students doing different things. Many students either minded their own business, waiting for their homeroom teacher, or talking to each other in a group. Yamasaki has noticed two big groups. The first one is a group of girls led by a beige-haired girl. Her outgoing, kind-hearted demeanour coupled with a blessed figure would undoubtedly lead her to be one of the most popular students in this class and likely in our year. The other two girls around a beige-haired girl were more reserved, polite type. The first one was an average-height blue-haired girl. The second was with waist-length purple hair. A beige-haired girl was leading the conversation, and making sure everyone was involved. It was safe to assume a beige-haired was the one who initiated conversations with her at least above-average social skills and decent emotional perception allowing her to be a highly valued presence in the company.
The other group was a combination of 6 girls and 1 boy. The leading boy was blond-haired, with a polite demeanour, coupled with a friendly, and considerate nature above what is expected of a first-year high school student. It is likely, that he will be one of the leading figures in the classroom. The girls surrounding him were more outgoing, strong-willed, and not afraid to express their opinions. They seemed to be more of the "gyaru" type girls. All of the girls are easily above-average looking, particularly some of them being considerably among the most attractive girls in the class. Among the girls who stood out the most was an average-height girl with waist-length, blond hair tied in a ponytail and purple eyes. She would effortlessly assert herself in the conversation in her favour without being overly overbearing. She seems to excel at social dynamics.
10 minutes later...
ΨΨΨ🅄🄽🄵🄰🅃🄷🄾🄼🄰🄱🄻🄴🄿🄾🅆🄴🅁ΨΨΨ
-"Everyone. May I have a moment?" - A blond-haired male student addressed the entire class. Everyone has stopped mingling among themselves to listen to what he has to say.
-"I was hoping we could all introduce ourselves, to get acquainted with each other. The teacher does not seem to be here yet, anyway. How about it?" - In short, he wants everyone to participate in self-introduction to encourage participation from other students even if only a little.
-"I am in!" - A beige-haired girl commented right away seemingly content with the idea.
-"Sounds fun!" - a blond-coloured girl replied enthusiastically.
-"Yeah. I don't even know anyone's name." - A girl with upper-length brown hair replied. She was in the same group with the blond-haired guy and a blond-haired girl from earlier.
-"Thank you. I will go first. My name is Hirata Yousuke. You can call me Yousuke. No need to be formal. My hobbies are sports and I am planning to join a soccer club at this school. Nice to meet you all!" - Hirata concluded with an impeccable introduction.
"Hirata presented himself as a mature, approachable student with a polite demeanour. He seems to be the type of person who won't hesitate to lend a helping hand to anyone. He will undoubtedly be one of the more influential students in this class. Even if he won't be a class leader, he will undoubtedly act as Class D's representative and/or as a mediator to pacify conflicts."
-"If I may, I would like to ask everyone to introduce themselves from the front. Is it okay?"
"Hirata encouraged to continue the introduction from the front starting with the below-average-height girl who appeared bewildered from being put in the spotlight. She was able to readily change her mind about participating. Rather, she was pressured unless she risked being an "outcast" in the classroom. Naturally, a failed introduction alone does not determine one's position in the class, but it will still play a big role in how others will perceive her and how much say she will have in this classroom. Failed introduction she will more difficult time finding her place in the classroom."
"Of course, it is not that Hirata's approach was wrong. It is common sense and the human brain accepts things presented in linear order more effectively compared to order without a common ground among the group." - Yamasaki reflected on the pros and cons of Hirata's approach towards the introduction session.
-"M-My name is I-Inogashira Koko-ro..."
-"Don't Panic!"
-"It's okay!"
-"Do your best!"
Several classmates poured out kind words to Inogashira. Although, at first glance, it may seem that saying phrases such as "Don't panic!", "It's okay!" and "Do your Best!" seem well-intentioned, the truth is, the actual meaning behind them is different. To an extremely nervous person, those words may seem forceful as if indicating she needs to follow their pace. The more effective approach would be to say "Don't rush. You can take it slowly". It would allow Inogashira to express her thoughts at her own pace without the need to follow others.
-"Don't rush. You can take it slowly." - A beige-haired girl stated with a warm smile and kind tone.
-"M-My name is Inogashira Kokoro. My hobby is sewing and I am pretty good at knitting. N-Nice to meet you." Inogashira stumbled a few times but she was able to introduce herself. She immediately sits down. Her expression was filled with embarrassment, relief, and delight.
After that, a black-haired boy immediately rises to introduce himself.
-"My name is Yamauchi Haruki. I competed in the table throughout elementary school, and in junior high, I was the key player in the basketball team. My number was four. During inter-high school championships, I hurt my leg, so I am undergoing rehabilitation. Nice to meet you!" - Yamauchi introduced himself in a "unique" way.
"He definitely will be on the lowest end of the social hierarchy in this class. A few minutes ago, I saw him ogling at multiple girls, particularly Hasebe, Sakura, and a beige-haired girl. Even without knowing a single thing about him, it is evident that Yamauchi will be a problem child in this class and/or a one-time usage pawn to be exploited by other classes with the right opportunity. His introduction and behaviour prior alone show several personality flaws."
-"Then I will go next. My name is Kushida Kikyo. None of my friends made it to this school. So, I would like to get to know all of you and become friends as soon as possible! My first goal is to become friends with everyone. So, after we are finished with self-introductions, I would love for you to share your contact information with me!" - A stunning beige-haired girl introduced herself. She would undoubtedly be one of the most popular people in class, and very likely among the first-year.
"Something is not right." - Yamasaki remarked in his mind.
"Kushida says she misses her friends from middle school and yet there is not a glimpse of sadness behind her eyes. Besides, her introduction was way too perfect. It is almost as if she has done this many times before, to the point, that it became second nature to her. Mannerisms, choice of words, tone of voice - it was too fluid. It was akin to a performance for everyone to get the best possible impression of her. Kushida's introduction was akin to an actor performing the best way they could for the audience's approval."
"In addition, becoming "friends with everyone" is also a red flag. A normal person would either prefer their own company and/or they would keep to themselves in a certain group(s). No matter how talented, charismatic, and considerate you are, you cannot be liked by everyone. No matter how tolerant you are, there will always be people you would prefer to avoid. The inverse is true as well. There will always be people who will dislike you. That's the unavoidable truth. I did not miss multiple guys ogling Kushida. Apparent to the point there was no she could not notice it. It would not be strange for any girl to call them out for their behaviour. And yet, she didn't."
"Furthermore, the timing of Kushida's intervention to lend a hand to Inogashira only confirms my doubts. If she was truly as kind-hearted as she depicts herself, she would interceded immediately after identifying Inogashira's discomfort towards the introduction session. Instead, Kushida arbitrated the situation only after some time had passed to be perceived as kind-hearted by others rather than prioritising Inogashira herself. As the saying goes "Hero is only appreciated when the city is on the verge of destruction. Save the city immediately and the gratitude is minimal".
"Hence, there are two possibilities. She is either socially oblivious or she has an ulterior motive and conceals behind an idealised persona of friendliness and kindness. The former is exceedingly unlikely if not impossible. Kushida knew the correct way for an anxious Inogashira to introduce herself to the class successfully. She would not be able to do that if Kushida could not identify the fear, shame, and embarrassment in Inogashira's expression and body language. In addition, the fact that she was able to integrate herself effortlessly in a less-than-ideal group with reserved people indicates at least a decent understanding of people and at least above-average social skills. A socially oblivious person would not be able to do that. They would have intervened in the conversation with little to no understanding of what they did wrong. In conclusion, Kushida shows a persona of 'a kind and innocent', an ideal student who is ready to help everyone."
"To what end? There are several possibilities. One cannot understand the "Why" and "How" from mere observation. How matter how impressive one's observation and insight are, there is only so much one can learn from the first encounter and observation from the sidelines. However, I know beyond reasonable doubt that Kushida's core desire is recognition. The desire to be in the spotlight. To be loved by everyone. To be appreciated by everyone. People like her love nothing more than to be needed, to be trusted. People like to collect personal information like trading cards and with the right circumstances, they won't hesitate to backstab others for personal gain. In short, a social climber."
"That being said, That is not enough information to determine Kushida's "true" nature. What is the root cause of Kushida's "kindness"? It is essential to get a better understanding of Kushida for personal reasons. For better or worse, her presence or absence will have a key role in the future direction of this class."
-"My name is Ike Kanji! I love pretty girls and hate good-looking guys ("ikemen")! I am currently in the market for a girlfriend. Especially if you are a cutie or a beauty! Nice to meet you!" - Ike introduced himself in the most embarrassing way possible.
-"..."
"Is he trying to crack a joke here? Or does he simply have zero social awareness? No way someone would introduce themselves in such a way and think it's normal. One thing was certain. The girls viewed him with disdain. He undoubtedly landed himself at the lowest end of the social hierarchy in the class. His reputation in the class, particularly among girls was abundantly clear."
"Similar to Yamauchi, Ike was ogling multiple girls as well, especially Kushida, and Hasebe. I can only imagine the disgust, the uneasiness they feel and will have to endure for the remaining three years. I understand they are top-class beauties but do they have no sense of shame? Unless Ike will show capabilities to somewhat compensate for his personality, he will be one of the most likely students to be endangered throughout special exams or when other classes will attempt to use him as a pawn from this class."
-"Wow Ike-kun. You are so cool." - shoulder-length, a blue-haired girl remarked with a sarcastic tone. Of course, it was obvious that she did not mean a word of what she said.
-"Hehe. Really? I thought it would be okay, but..." - Ike was flustered from the abrupt attention.
-"Hey, girls! Look, look! He is looking for a girlfriend. Isn't he a cutie?" - A short blue-haired girl continued to express her thoughts sarcastically. Multiple girls snickered. Ike was flustered, not realising he was being made fun of.
"No, Ike. They just made a laughing stock out of you. It won't take long for Ike and Yamauchi to become close friends. Like long-lost twin brothers reunited after being separated from birth, only to venture together into the path of degeneracy. He does not seem like a bad guy, though. He is only a hopeless pervert beyond redemption. I only hope they won't cross the line. It would be troublesome later on." - Yamasaki finished his psychoanalysis on Ike Kanji.
-"My name is Matsushita Chiaki. My hobbies are fashion, playing the violin and hanging out with friends. It is a pleasure to meet you all." - Matsushita introduced herself in a proper, elegant manner.
"Matsushita's formal, elegant posture, together with a polite attitude, and kind smile indicate that she was raised in a relatively wealthy family. Not with the same prestige as the Koenji conglomerate group. More wealthy than an average Japanese high-school student, nevertheless. She was in the Hirata group talking with Karuizawa and a few others. In terms of beauty, she is undoubtedly one of the most stunning girls in class D. There was just something about her that radiates elegance. Matsushita's awareness of social dynamics and education at the higher social hierarchy insinuates that she is of the sharper people in this class."
"Matsushita is probably one of the few who will notice that there is something wrong with this school. However, I doubt her inquiries go beyond mere suspicion or occasional question. She will probably be under the assumption if she demonstrates sufficient individual merit, she will acquire the class A benefits. Unfortunately for her, she is for a rude awakening."
-"My name is Karuizawa Kei! I like shopping and hanging out with friends! If you need help with fashion, let me know. Nice to meet you!" Karuizawa introduced herself in a short, yet informative and friendly manner.
"With Karuizawa's outgoing, and strong-willed personality, she will undoubtedly be one of the leading figures of the class together with Kushida. Hirata will be recognised as a leader figure mostly by girls. So far, Kushida is the only one who will be popular with both boys and girls. Karuizawa will be more popular with girls than boys. From the earlier interactions with Hirata's group, she had no ounce of hesitation to express her opinions. Compared to Karuizawa, Kushida was more willing to express opinions that would satisfy everyone. Karuizawa won't hesitate to show disdain towards those she dislikes, especially with guys like Ike and Yamauchi."
-"Would you please introduce yourself?" - Hirata politely inquired a blonde-haired student.
-"Hmph. Very well." - A tall, blonde-haired student commented.
-"My name is Koenji Rokusuke. I am the sole descendant of the famous Koenji conglomerate group. As such, I will lead Japan to a prosperous future. I am pleased to make your acquaintance ladies." - Koenji barely looked at the class and addressed his speech only to the girls. Most classmates stared at Koenji perceiving him as a weirdo. Naturally, most girls were repulsed. They were not impressed by his introduction. All they saw was a spoiled, self-centred person who got carried away. The few took an interest as he came from a wealthy family.
-"Narcissist. Generally speaking, there are two main reasons behind Koenji's narcissistic tendencies. Either Koenji was excessively praised since childhood and never faced an equal/never had to experience a true failure. Koenji's inflated sense of self-worth and self-confidence indicates that Koenji has accumulated a multitude of achievements and recognition from the public - even if it came in the form of begrudging respect.
The second possibility is that he put an insurmountable amount of effort into improving his abilities to the point he saw no one as an equal. Based on Koenji's choice of words, and behaviour, it is most likely a former. However, it is too soon to jump to conclusions. I should put aside baseless assumptions before coming to conclusions." - Yamasaki thought to himself.
-"From now on, if anyone carelessly approaches me, I will mercilessly punish them. You should keep that in mind." - Koenji finished the self-introduction with a warning.
-"Koenji-kun, what do you mean by punish?"- Hirata emphasised the punishment part. For the moment, Hirata's expression was filled with dread and his eyes looked as if he was looking into a distant, unpleasant memory.
-"If I see something ugly, I will naturally defend myself. For example, if I see an ugly existence like a Yamauchi boy, I will do my utmost to protect myself, do I make myself clear?" - Koenji remarked as if it was the obvious thing in the world.
-"Very well. I will do my best to do so." - Hirata replied not having much of a choice since Koenji won't cooperate.
"This class is full of students with bizarre idiosyncrasies." - Yamasaki thought to himself.
Either way, the self-introduction session continued.
Until...
-"Are we a bunch of kids or what? This is not an elementary school. If you want to introduce yourselves, go ahead, but do not bother me." - Sudou grumbled with an angry and dissatisfied expression.
-"I cannot force you to participate, but it would be better for everyone if you..." - Hirata attempted to persuade Sudou to stay for the self-introduction, at least until he introduced himself to the class.
However, it would not work.
-"Do you play sports?" - I interrupted Hirata before he talked any further, and asked Sudo before he became ostracised by the class.
"I interfered before the situation got any worse. Hirata's intentions aside, the words he said just now can be perceived as a challenge to Sudou. Some student enlisted in this school to achieve their goals. Such individuals perceive others as obstacles or simply distractions. Though Sudou's stance conflicts with Japan's conventional belief in solidarity, Sudou is not necessarily wrong. Regardless, he could have addressed the situation more tactfully. A simple introduction and be out with it. Coupled with a short temper, and lack of social skills, Sudou's antagonistic attitude towards Hirata won't do him any good. With Hirata's popularity, many girls will be outraged by Sudou's blatant disregard towards Hirata by not introducing himself, especially after Hirata's benign approach."
"Why? Sudou's aggressive approach indicates he wants to be perceived as someone who doesn't need companions. The root cause of Sudou's attitude most likely stems from prior life experiences to avoid disappointment and hurt. As proof of that, his stance is more defensive than it is offensive. Hence, it indicates that Sudou is not necessarily against making friends. Deep down, he simply believes no one can tolerate his attitude and personality."
"However, If this continues, a majority would form to criticise Sudou for his inconsiderate behaviour towards the group (in this case, Class 1-D). Humans are social creatures. Many students attempt to join the group to blend in and avoid solitude, especially in an unfamiliar environment. This is the first day at school. Even if the class interpersonal dynamics are not established, this is the first major step towards forming a class hierarchy within the classroom. Even if the others don't completely agree with their friends' beliefs, they will pretend to agree to fit in or simply avoid unnecessary trouble. Essentially, a social dynamic between the bully and the bullied. Sudou has unintentionally become an outcast, a scapegoat for others to blend in against a common "enemy".
"By no means, this is not a conscious, collective decision to criticise Sudou with malicious intent. Often, the marginalised minority forms not due to conscious contempt towards someone, but due to a subconscious feeling of unity against an "outsider". This is often how bullying works. It might be a one-time thing, but over time, if nothing changes, our classmates will gradually accept this group dynamic as second nature. I won't let that happen." - Yamasaki finished his thought process on Class D internal dynamics.
-"Huh?" - Sudou was caught off-guard by a sudden question from an unexpected person. He expected others to reprimand him or be indifferent towards him.
-"You have a large build and look pretty athletic. I would not be surprised if you do sports." - Yamasaki encouraged the discussion preventing Sudo from leaving and dissipating the anger within him. In addition, if Sudo were to leave now, it would allow the other reluctant classmates to leave the classroom without suffering a damaged reputation, unlike Sudo.
-"Yeah, I do. What about it?" - Sudo did not understand where Yamasaki was going with this but answered nonetheless.
-"As a sports guy myself, I just would like to know a classmate better, right, Hirata?" - I answered passing the lead to Hirata. In Yamasaki's eyes, Hirata was the only one who could salvage the situation. Among everyone in the class, he is the only one who is perceptive enough to understand Yamasaki's intentions and has enough social pull to encourage others to induce Sudou to finish his introduction.
-"Yes, I am planning a join a sports club myself, and everyone would be happy if you introduced yourself." - Hirata answered diplomatically without offending Sudo. Hirata most likely realised Yamasaki's intentions.
-"Okay! Fine! My name is Sudou Ken. I play sports, especially basketball. I plan to join the basketball club at this school. Nice to meet you." - Sudou was a little annoyed with the consistent inquiries but eventually introduced himself.
-"It's nice to meet you too Sudou-kun." - Hirata replied in a relaxed manner and bright smile. He was happy about being able to prevent the conflict and Sudou would not be ostracised from the class.
-"Same here." - Yamasaki replied with a nod, feeling satisfied being able to diffuse the situation.
-"My name is Miyake Akito. I am decent at sports, and I am planning to join an archery club. Nice to meet you." - Miyake answered with a short, yet coherent introduction.
Hasebe wanted to stay silent. For the moment, she looked at Yamasaki. Yamasaki nodded. He wants her to introduce herself even if only a bare minimum. Although reluctant, Hasebe resolved herself to introduce herself to the class.
-"My name is Hasebe Haruka. I like spicy food and long sleeps. Nice to meet you." - Hasebe bowed and quickly sat on her eat after her speech. She looked at Yamasaki for the response and Yamasaki smiled softly and nodded slightly. Hasebe was relieved and secretly delighted.
Sakura looked down on the floor. A beyond obvious conclusion is that Sakura did not want to introduce herself. Others did not have a particular problem with that.
-"Horikita Suzune." - Horikita answered with the shortest introduction in the self-introduction session history.
-"W-well then, would you please introduce yourself?" - After a moment of confusion, Hirata continued to guide self-introductions after Horikita's introduction.
-"My name is Yamasaki Isao. I am confident in my physical abilities. I like to play sports and listen to music in my free time. I am looking forward to getting to know everyone." - Yamasaki replied with the best smile he could muster. He received applauses similar to Hirata's. Yamasaki noticed multiple girls' cheeks reddened a little. The more intense came from Karuizawa, Hasebe, Sato, Matsushita, Sakura, and surprisingly Kushida.
-"I am glad to meet you too Yamasaki-kun. I hope we can be good friends." - Hirata replied compassionately, being content with how the introductions proceeded.
-"So am I, Hirata." - Yamasaki reciprocated the sentiment.
-"Get to your seats." - suddenly a mature woman's quiet, yet assertive voice emitted through the noisy classroom atmosphere. Everyone quickly returned to their seats. Waiting for their homeroom teacher's following words.
-"My name is Chababashira Sae, and a homeroom teacher for Class D. I teach Japanese history. At this school, there are no changes in classes. I will be accountable for you for the following three years." - Chabashira-sensei muttered in a monotonic manner.
"No change of classes? In normal schools, a student's selection of an appropriate class would be determined by academics. A type of system used in cram schools. The school has nothing to gain by making this extra rule. Hence, certain "circumstances" must not allow a student to move to the other class. It's almost as if she is saying the students here will be stuck together for a specific purpose. This most likely has something to do with the class competition."
If the superior students who ended up in the lower classes could easily change classes, it would cause an imbalance in the already unfair school system among the four classes. It is only natural. In a normal high school, with sufficient reason (a disruptive classroom beyond acceptable norms, incompetent teacher) students are permitted to leave their class."
Hence, the students are kept in the same class to prevent any unnecessary transfer of "power" without disturbing class competition for Class A any further." - Yamasaki had a passing thought. Whether it is true or not is undetermined.
-"First of all, I will hand out the school rule book to everyone. Take one and pass it." - Chabashira-sensei continued her speech with an expressionless face and an almost robotic tone.
-"We have special rules at this school. First, you will live in dorms, and while at school, your ability to leave the campus and contact the outside world will be limited. But don't worry. The school offers a variety of facilities. Everything you need can be found here, including the entertainment. To buy things. You will use points stored in the school's official computer system. At this school, you can buy anything with points. Points are allocated on the first of each month. One point is worth one yen. You have already been allocated 100,000 points for this month" - Chabashira-sensei laid out several interesting parts.
As expected, the school has no intention to reveal the hidden aspect of the ANHS ranking system. Encouraging self-reliance among students is only a half-truth statement. The other reason is that they don't want to reveal the truth to be revealed to the public. Otherwise, the ANHS reputation would suffer a considerable amount of damage to its esteemed reputation for promoting a false narrative about an almost 100% employment rate and entry to any university of personal choice."
"In addition, this confirmed many suspicions I held. As I predicted, points will be allocated on the first day of each month. Chabashira-sensei clearly said "100,000 points for this month". Chabashira-sensei mentioned that we have received 100,000 points for "this month". She never explicitly said that we would be allocated the same amount of points in the following month. Most students will be too shocked by the allowance they received to notice, much less question anything."
"Above all, you can buy anything with points, huh? Of course, you would not be able to buy someone else's life, or something outright against the law. However, as long as one has enough points to pay the price, there is a lot a signal student can do.
Buy a point.
Prevent an expulsion.
Change classes.
Add a new school rule.
Change the details of the pre-existing school rule.
Restrict access to specific buildings for a specific time for a target individual.
To buy one's silence.
And a lot more.
Depending on circumstances and objectives, private points can be employed either as a shield or as a weapon."
-"100,000 points!" Ike shouted.
-"Are you serious?!" - Yamauchi sitting next to the Ike stated in disbelief.
-"Are you surprised by the size of your allotment? This school judges students based on merit. You are attributed significant value just for being accepted here. As you all know. This school uses a dormitory system, which means that while you are studying at this school, you are required to live in the dormitory that has been prepared by the school. You are not permitted to leave this school or contact or have contact with people from outside the school unless you have received permission directly from the school. As long as you are found to have violated one or both of these things, you will be immediately expelled from this school by the school." - Chabashira-sensei continued with the speech almost as if she had done this multiple times.
"The government is making quite the big financial sacrifice to produce an average of 1-4 successful students per grade." - Yamasaki thought sarcastically.
However, you don't need to worry about feeling bored while studying at this school. The school has prepared various kinds of entertainment within this school environment. Cinemas, karaoke, shopping centres, cafes, and various other entertainment venues, which you usually find in urban environments, are all here. The facilities within this school cannot be accessed by you using currency commonly used in the outside world. There is a special currency used at this school so that everyone who lives in this environment can access all the facilities and services within this school environment. The currency is "Private Points" - Chabashira-sensei continued the speech with no pauses and perfect articulation. Yamasaki harbours doubts about whether it's her first time.
"What exactly does "merit" indicate? Chabashira-sensei never explained to us the true nature of this school. As Class D's homeroom teacher, she will undoubtedly unveil the truth behind the system ANHS uses to evaluate 4 respective classes on May 1. As such, each of us has 100,000 private points. An excessive amount. 100,000 points per month for each student's 3 years straight amount to 36,000,000 private points per class alone. This is not even mentioning other first-year classes and the other years that came before and will come after our generation. No organisation in their right mind would distribute such an absurd amount of money or any type of limited resources with no strings attached. The carrot and stick principle applies in every branch of business and politics. Education, too, is a form of business.
Each time a student exhibits "bad" behaviour, "points" will be reduced. It won't just be the person responsible whose private points will be reduced. It will include everyone in the classroom. Chabashira-sensei's scripted speech had several clues to decipher the true nature of ANHS. Whether anyone will notice it, and more importantly will be able to utilise it to minimise damage to the class is to be seen."
In addition, Chabashira-sensei said we are judged based on merit. The only metric schools have to assess us is our entrance exam scores. This is a half-truth statement. It doesn't add up. Why do we all have the same monthly allowance, despite the vast diversity of scores everyone would get? That's nonsensical.
The next question is why everyone would receive the same quantity of points regardless of one's individual grades and overall talents.
There are two possibilities:
The first is that students are not judged individually and are instead judged together, as a class. In other words, everything that affects a single student will affect everyone else in the class. For every "good" behaviour judged by society would be rewarded or at least not punished. On the other hand, for every "bad" behaviour, there is an appropriate retribution method from society or any other authority individuals reside. However, I highly doubt the class will be rewarded with points simply by acting as model students.
We are high schoolers. We have received a nine-year-long, compulsory education. We are expected to act properly without any prior explanation. As one leaves for the real world, they are not expected to be told everything by the authorities. As students grow up, they are expected to figure out things by themselves and make the right decisions even with limited information.
The second possibility is that entrance exams and interviews are only a facade. You can get top scores in each subject, have an impeccable interview yet still fail to enter this school. On the other hand, you can get very low scores, get a low evaluation in an interview, and still become a student at ANHS. Hence, ANHS uses its criteria to evaluate their future students which is different from other prestigious high schools.
The following question is, what determines our placement if the entrance exams and interviews have no meaning?
ANHS conducts thorough research on their middle schools and has information on our personal history. In other words, the school knows their future students' pasts or at least has a partial understanding of their backgrounds. I have done my research. There have been cases of graduates not being granted a guaranteed employment pass. However, I am positive this is not a scam or at least not in the way many would perceive it at the beginning.
It's a government-funded school. So, it cannot be a nationwide scam. If the 100% entry to any university and workforce was a complete lie, the school would not have been able to run its course for 30 years. It would have been closed for spreading false promises to the entire Japanese population a long time ago. The reason not everyone is entitled to the school's promised privilege is that only a certain group who meet specific criteria are entitled to it.
Why I would think so?
For starters, the school is named an Advanced Nurturing High School. The key word is "Nurturing". This school is responsible for producing elites, but that doesn't mean all students who are accepted are automatically superior to the others. The school is supposed to take some people and slowly help them mature and nurture them so they may lead the nation in the future. How are they supposed to nurture teenagers by giving them a monthly allowance of 100,000 yen, absolute freedom and protection to do as they please for three years without repercussions and a luxury lifestyle? With no incentive to take the lessons seriously and with an excessive allowance, most students would have no reason to take lessons seriously and would take it easy.
The next question is, what are the criteria to determine the students to have access to their promised privilege?
Most likely through competition beyond just academic exams. It's confirmed that students are judged based on merit and said evaluation is down by taking the class as a whole. Therefore, the school won't make classmates compete with each other, right?
Hence, there are only two possibilities: We either overcome challenges thrown at us by the school itself, or there will be inter-class competitions to decide our standing. Through the process of elimination, the latter is the case.
Why?
With class standing and the hierarchy system in play, there must have been a ranking system. This further confirms, my assumption on "class points". If the students were evaluated individually, why use the term "points" instead of "private points"? Hence, there is another type of point called "class points" to evaluate each respective class standing in an inter-class hierarchy. Class points would directly correlate with the inter-class competitions and our monthly allowance. By ANHS's ranking system, this puts Class D at the bottom of the hierarchy. There are four classes from A to D, with Class D being the lowest.
Class Points. Ranking system. Evaluation criteria. All these factors are components of the overall system. Each of them is interconnected as each influences each other.
The other question that caught my attention is what determines a student's placement being at the higher or at the lower classes.
Contrary to popular opinion, academics is simply one of the factors influencing a student's placement. The school knows about every respective student's background and history. They don't approve of people who have only superior intelligence. Maybe some people are there who aren't smart but are very strong or athletic. Some people might have gone through something bad in the past which brought down the school's evaluation of them. Some people might have trauma from some incidents or big secrets. Some might have mental or behavioural issues even. Some are just stupid. You might be the most talented person but you might have just one defective quality that hinders one's ability to properly function in school and by extension, in society. Hence, placing it in Class D instead of Class A.
Anyway, I decided to read the rule book. You never know what information might be beneficial in the future."
The entire ANHS school grounds are within a 600,000 square-meter size island in the middle of Tokyo. To give an analogy, Vatican City is 490,00 square meters large. In other words, ANHS occupied more space than a mini-country. As such, it would be strange if there would be no public transport. Hence, there is a local mini-taxi service. However, the price is not cheap since taxis can be bought only through reservation. For example, a 1-2 kilometre distance costs 700 Japanese yen. Every additional 200 meters costs an extra 100 yen.
Semi-isolated island from Tokyo where ANHS resides is distinguished into three constituents. The school complex is in the central section. Inside the school building, the central section includes sports facilities: soccer stadium, swimming pool, basketball courts, baseball pitch, and many others. The school building has 4 floors and a rooftop. The first floor is where the first years are. The second floor was for the second year. The third years use the fourth floor. The third floor consisted of the teacher's office and lounge. Outside the school, one will find a school library. A dome shaped, with modern Europe architecture.
The area close to the sea is the recreation area where most students would spend their time outside the school. In this area, there are a total of 4 dormitories. The first three are for students from first-year to third-year. The remaining one is for teachers, faculty members, and staff members. Each building is with 15 floors. Each one has approximately 140 rooms. The first seven floors above the ground floor are dedicated to male students while the upper seven floors are for female students. Boys are not allowed to enter the area where the girls live after 8 pm. These buildings are arrayed by a pair of elevators and a section where the fire exit is positioned.
Additionally, each room in each building is designed to be as minimal as possible and is enough for a student's survival. Every room is approximately 13.2496 m2 in area. Each room has its distinctive security passcode which is accessible through duplicate green cards. We will get them then we reach the dormitory for registration. The dormitory is equipped with an internal telephone line system that is available all the time for all those who are residing in this area.
Keyaki Mall, restaurants, and cafes are littered around this area. The most prominent one being is called Pallet. The dormitory is known to be near to public spheres such as the park and boulevard. Details about the head manor and dorm staff are not explained in the manual. Finally, most services and products are in the mainland area. There are several buildings heavily guarded by professionally trained security. The public goods (food, water, et cetera) were transported from the outside world to the ANHS. This area was prohibited for students to enter. Otherwise, they would be punished with expulsion.
"I opened my phone, which is quite different from Apple, or Samsung mobile phones. In comparison, they are much more sturdy. At the moment, there are only four apps: Contacts, Internet, App Store, and ANHS application. The first three are self-explanatory."
ANHS application has a few things: my general status (Full name, birth date, student ID), and school forum. Right now, the school forum is empty. No surprise there. It's still the first day."
Student Information Data:
Full Name: Yamasaki Isao
Status: Active
Student Identification Number: S01T023543
Occupation: Student
Class: Class 1-D
Points: 100,000
-"Any questions?" - Chabashira-sensei asked a question after concluding her introductory speech.
"Chabashira-sensei's expression remains the same. However, there is a glimpse of anticipation in her eyes. It's almost as if she is waiting for someone to question the clues she left behind in the introduction. She wants to see if there is someone who noticed the clues and inquires about this school's true intentions. Unfortunately for her, most haven't noticed. They are either too shocked/excited by an allowance, or lack observation and/or logical reasoning abilities to notice the discrepancies in Chabashira-sensei's speech and make inferences on ANHS's true nature."
-"In that case, that's all for today." - Chabashira-sensei remarked before leaving and closing the door. It was hard to see it but there was a momentary disappointment before returning to her everyday demeanour.
"It's time to place things in motion." - Yamasaki commented before prompting his next move.
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