The afternoon sun came through the windows, casting a soft orange glow across the room. It felt quiet—calm. No one was messing around like they did this morning. Everyone was actually paying attention now.
Reika sat beside me, her usual blank expression half-hidden behind her long hair. But I could tell she was listening.
Up front, Miyu stood holding a folder in her hands. She didn't sound like a boring teacher. Her tone was steady, clear—like she knew what she was talking about, but wasn't trying too hard to prove it.
"Every society has systems to keep it running," she said, her eyes scanning the room. "But those systems usually leave gaps—between the rich and the poor, the powerful and the powerless. This school's Currency System? It's designed to even that out."
She paused for a second, letting the words sink in.
"It's not just about money. It's about understanding how power works—how people get it, lose it, and use it. That's something you'll need to figure out if you want to last here."
She closed the folder with a soft thud. "Alright, that's it for today."
Almost everyone dropped their heads onto their desks, like they'd been holding in their energy until that moment. I guess the lesson hit harder than most expected.
But Miyu didn't sit down. Instead, she gently placed the folder on her desk and looked up.
"For those curious about the Kazehaya Link System…" she said, her voice still calm, though her pink eyes narrowed slightly. "Let me explain it now."
Everyone looked up again. The room went silent.
"The school issues you two devices: a phone and a watch. Both are for school-related use only."
She gave it a pause.
"The phone holds your school account. You'll have to register on the Kazehaya app. From there, you can link your email, your social media, and any outside apps the school allows."
That stirred some noise. A few students whispered to each other—some confused, some clearly suspicious.
Kazehaya Link System, huh… So we're expected to dump all our personal stuff into their system? I don't like that. Sounds like a privacy trap just waiting to snap shut.
I leaned back a little in my chair, keeping a neutral face. But yeah—I wasn't into this.
Then Miyu raised a hand.
The room instantly quieted again.
"The Kazehaya app doesn't look into your private stuff," she said. "The school can see what accounts are linked, but not your passwords, not your messages. They won't read your conversations or track your every move."
She looked around the room like she was making sure we all got that—or like she was waiting for someone to speak up.
Still… I couldn't shake the feeling she was only telling part of the truth.
Nobody questioned her out loud, but I could see the doubt on a few faces.
"If you're that concerned," she added, "make a dummy account. Use it for a few days. If anything feels off, then your concern is valid."
Some expressions eased a little, though most still looked unsure.
Others didn't react at all—Reika included. I glanced at her from the corner of my eye, but her expression never changed.
Then Miyu cleared her throat.
"As for the watch," she said, "it monitors your physical and mental state. You'll be required to wear it on campus at all times. If you take it off while at school and get caught, you'll be punished."
Her eyes landed on me for a second as she said it.
A quiet wave of murmurs rippled through the class. A few students looked genuinely uneasy.
A watch, huh? That's… a bit much.
First the phone, now this. Both handed out by the school. Both wired into their system. They say it's for "school use only," but let's not kid ourselves—when someone gives you the tools, they usually control the rules.
The phone already rubbed me the wrong way. Feeding all your info into a device they give you? Even if they promise they're not watching, who really believes that? They don't need to read your messages to know who you are. Metadata's enough. Patterns. Behavior. Habits.
And now this watch… something that monitors your body and your mind?
Why would a school need to know how you're feeling?
Feels less like education and more like observation. Like we're being measured, tested—even manipulated.
None of this feels normal.
They call it the Kazehaya Link System, but it's more like a web. And once you're caught in it, good luck moving without them knowing.
This system—it's not something you can just ignore. You either learn how it works, or it works on you.
And the scary part? If you stop questioning it—if you just follow along—you might not even notice how deep you're already in.
This place isn't just a school.
It's a game.
And I hate games like that.
Maybe I'm just being paranoid. Delusional, even.
But if that's true—why does everything feel so calculated?
And just as we started to relax, the real test began.