Chapter 2: The Revealed Rules
Inside Class 1-B, Hikaru once again observed his desk mate, Ichinose Honami.
The pink-haired beauty was surrounded by classmates, her warm and gentle smile never fading as she tirelessly engaged in conversation with everyone.
Even though it was their first meeting today, Honami had already blended seamlessly with the class. Aside from her strikingly outstanding appearance among the boys and girls, the trustworthy aura she exuded played no small part in this.
Someone who could easily converse with anyone might seem easy to get along with, but raising her affection level would require careful consideration—it might even prove more challenging.
Hikaru's mind raced. His starting funds were only the beginner's reward of 100,000 points. Honami's stock was priced at 10, with 5,000 shares issued. Going all-in would require 50,000 points.
But since this was just their first meeting, he still didn't know the girl's true personality. It would be better to observe for now before making a decision.
At that moment, a slender figure stepped onto the podium.
"Hello, everyone. I'm your homeroom teacher, Hoshinomiya Chie."
Hikaru looked up to see a young woman with long brown hair standing on the podium. Stylishly dressed with curled ends to her hair, she smiled warmly at the class, exuding a gentle presence.
After ensuring all eyes were on her, Chie continued.
"First, congratulations on your enrollment. Our school implements a no-class-shuffling system, meaning the classmates in this classroom will be your companions for the next three years. I hope you'll all get along well."
"As your homeroom teacher, I won't be reassigned either. I'll be with you all until graduation."
"Whooo!"
The classroom erupted in cheers—whether celebrating the fact that they wouldn't be split into different classes or the prospect of having an adorable homeroom teacher for the next three years, no one could say.
"Now, regarding the school rules," Chie continued, "this school operates on a fully residential system. Everyone will live in single-occupancy student apartments, and under normal circumstances, leaving the school grounds is strictly prohibited."
"Of course, aside from classrooms, the school is fully equipped with facilities for entertainment," Chie added, counting off on her fingers with a playful smile. "We have everything—restaurants, shopping streets, karaoke, cafés—so you'll never be bored."
Then, she dropped an even more surprising rule.
"Additionally, the school has implemented a special S-System," she said, pulling out her phone to show the class. "The phones you've been given come pre-installed with a student ID app that displays your personal points."
"Explaining personal points is a bit complicated, so just think of them as money you can spend within the school. One point equals one yen."
"Points will be automatically deposited into your account on the first of every month. You can check the balance in your student ID app—this will be your living allowance while at school."
"Oh, and by the way—it's 100,000 points."
"What?!"
"100,000?!"
"That's way too much! I've never gotten this much allowance before!"
The classroom instantly erupted into chaos. Every student immediately pulled out their new phones to check, only to find their student ID displayed a clear line:
Personal Points: 100,000.
For an ordinary high school student, this was undoubtedly a fortune.
Hijikata Hikaru also took out his phone. The information on his student ID was straightforward.
[Student ID]
[Name: Hikaru Hanashima]
[Student Number: S01T004617]
[Gender: Male]
[Personal Points: 100,000]
"It really is 100,000… Isn't this way too generous? I thought this school was government-funded?"
Hikaru quickly did the math and realized just how staggering this expense was. The school had three grades with twelve classes each, and each class had 40 students. At 100,000 points per student per month, the monthly payout would be 48 million yen.
And that was just for one month. Over three years, the total would likely exceed a billion yen. Was such a massive expenditure really feasible?
"There's nothing in this school that can't be bought with points," Chie explained. "You don't need to be too frugal—since the points will be reclaimed after graduation, feel free to enjoy your high school life to the fullest."
"Of course, coercing others into spending points for you is strictly prohibited. Otherwise, this teacher will get very angry."
She made a mock-angry face, though whether it was intentional or not, she still looked adorable.
Once the rules were explained, Hikaru glanced at Honami beside him and noticed the girl staring blankly at her phone screen, her expression oddly distant.
What, is she dazed by this sudden windfall?
Hijikata decided against striking up a conversation and instead began reviewing the rules Hoshinomiya-sensei had laid out, along with the lingering questions he had about the school.
Three years of boarding-style education, a fully enclosed artificial island, a commercial district with abundant facilities, and a monthly allowance of 100,000 Private Points for each student.
All of this made Hikaru's frown deepen, as it reminded him of a very unsettling term—lab rats.
No matter how he thought about it, such massive investment while still maintaining a 100% advancement and employment rate suggested the school must operate under certain internal rules.
And these rules were definitely not designed to provide students with a leisurely life of spending money freely, owning new phones, and living in single dormitories.
"This school follows a meritocratic principle."
The student council president's words were like an invisible thread, connecting all of Hikaru's doubts from top to bottom.
A hypothesis slowly formed in the young man's mind, and now he needed to verify it.
From the very first day he received his acceptance letter, Hikaru had resolved to graduate from this place no matter what. Since he had already sensed something amiss, he absolutely couldn't start his school life in ignorance.
So, he raised his right hand.
"Teacher, may I ask a question now?"
Hoshinomiya Chie, standing at the podium after entering Class 1-B, had actually been secretly observing the students in the classroom.
This wasn't her first time being the homeroom teacher for Class 1-B, so she was well aware of the overall capabilities of these students.
They could barely be considered excellent, but still fell short of the highest level. Without someone outstanding to lead them, they wouldn't have a chance to compete for that position.
Seeing everyone indulging in fantasies of a comfortable future life, her mood was far from pleasant.
She might have to endure another boring three years. How tiresome.
But at that moment, Hikaru's words struck Chie like thunder. Her eyes quickly locked onto the young man who had raised his hand in the classroom.
He had strikingly handsome features—a high nose bridge, clear and bright eyes—but his thin lips and slightly upturned eyes gave him a sharp, intense handsomeness rather than a gentle charm.
The kind of person she might approach for a chat if she met him outside.
Chie immediately put on what she considered her cutest smile and said to Hikaru, "Of course! Teacher will tell you."
"I'd like to ask—is the 100,000 Points automatically deposited every month without fail?"
"Well..."
"That's a bit tricky. Teacher can't answer that right now."
Though Chie pretended to be troubled, she could feel her heartbeat accelerating uncontrollably. She stared intently at Hikaru's eyes, anticipating his next move.
By now, the rest of the class had also caught on to the conversation. They all turned to look at Hikaru, seemingly puzzled by his question.
Noticing Honami's gaze as well, Hikaru smiled slightly and spoke again.
"In that case, if we pay Points, will you tell us the answer, teacher?"
"After all, you just said there's nothing in this school that can't be bought with points. The school rules should be purchasable too, right?"
As expected, this guy has really figured it out!!!
Chie's heart swelled with uncontrollable excitement. She was now completely certain—the student before her was undoubtedly a trump card.
A trump card that could thoroughly crush that woman beneath her feet!
"Indeed, they can be bought. But can you afford it?"
"How much are you planning to charge?"
"A flat rate of two million private points," Chie's gaze locked with Hikaru's in the air. "I'll tell you everything you want to know."
"..."