Despite the unfortunate incident en route, the bus maintained its scheduled speed and eventually arrived at the destination station.
Shiina, who had been sitting next to me, stood up, and I followed suit, disembarking.
Other students from Advanced Nurturing High School also began to file out after us.
As soon as we stepped off the bus, a magnificent school gate constructed from natural stone loomed before us.
The gate was so imposing that it took my breath away.
The other students reacted similarly—their steps faltered, their anxiety palpable.
After all, for the next three years, we would be living in complete isolation from the outside world.
Perhaps only an oddball like me could remain indifferent; their reactions were probably the normal ones.
"Hikigaya-kun, would you like to walk to the classroom building together?" Shiina suddenly asked.
Refusing now would seem forced, so I decided to accept the invitation.
"Ah, no problem."
"Thank you. Let's go then."
Shiina walked through the school gate, and I followed closely behind.
Ha, my peaceful life for the next three years is secured.
I walked forward with a lighthearted feeling.
Soon, we reached a crowd gathered around what was likely the class assignment bulletin board.
"I'm in... Class C. What about you, Hikigaya-kun?"
"Class D."
"I see... It's rare to meet someone who also loves reading. It's a shame we're in different classes."
Shiina's voice carried a hint of regret.
I couldn't deny that our conversation on the bus had been quite enjoyable.
But that was all it was.
Though it was true, I had no intention of saying something like, "Let's go to the library together" or "We can still be friends even if we're in different classes."
I've always adhered to a minimalist approach when it comes to socializing.
"Class assignments can't be helped. Looking at this crowd, we should probably head to our classrooms early."
I tossed out a tired excuse, ready to make my escape.
But Shiina nodded slightly, acknowledging the validity of my words.
"Alright, let's go then."
Following Shiina into the school building, we quickly found the classroom labeled "1-D"—my new base of operations.
"See you later."
"Yeah, until next time."
After a brief farewell, I stepped into the classroom. Most students were already seated, some flipping through school materials, others chatting in small groups.
I headed straight for the seat with my name tag—a middle spot on the corridor side, neither too conspicuous nor too out of the way.
I wasn't particularly attached to seating arrangements anyway.
Just as I opened my half-read copy of *A Study in Scarlet*, the class bell suddenly rang.
Almost simultaneously, a woman in a business suit appeared. Judging by her non-student attire, she must be the homeroom teacher.
In the few seconds it took her to reach the podium, the students who had been standing scrambled to their seats.
"New students, I'm Sae Chabashira, the homeroom teacher for Class D and your Japanese history instructor. There will be no class divisions for the next three years, so I look forward to working with you all."
She paused. "The entrance ceremony will be held in an hour. Before that, let me explain the school's unique system. Students in the front row, please pass the materials back."
The materials being distributed seemed familiar—they were the same documents that had been sent with the acceptance letters.
The contents were roughly as follows:
Unlike ordinary high schools, this institution operates on a full-boarding system, strictly prohibiting contact with the outside world.
However, the campus is equipped with entertainment facilities such as a karaoke lounge, cinema, café, boutique, and fully stocked convenience stores and supermarkets.
The most unique feature is the "S System."
"The student IDs being issued today contain Points, which can be used for all campus transactions, functioning like a campus credit card. On the 1st of each month, 100,000 Points will be credited to your account, with 1 Point equivalent to 1 Japanese yen. Please note: unused Points will be forfeited upon graduation and cannot be exchanged for cash. Transfers are permitted, but extortion is strictly prohibited—the school has zero tolerance for bullying."
Teacher Chabashira concluded her explanation and hurried away, leaving the classroom buzzing with excitement.
"Let's go shopping for clothes after school!"
"We can buy anything we want now!"
"Arcade, here we come!"
"A monthly income of 100,000 Points is insane!"
Such conversations filled the air, but to me, it all seemed deeply suspicious.
As the saying goes, there's no such thing as a free food.
More importantly, during middle school, I hadn't experienced any good fortune; instead, I'd endured a mountain of petty, annoying troubles.
It was highly unlikely or rather, absolutely impossible that something like receiving 100,000 Points for free every month could actually happen.
I sighed and stood up.
To be honest, there was nothing to do here. With some time to spare before the entrance ceremony, I might as well explore the school facilities.
Besides, if I stayed in the classroom, the typical freshman self-introduction session might start soon.
Just as I was thinking this and preparing to sneak out the back door
"Excuse me, everyone, can I have your attention?"
A slightly louder voice came from the front of the classroom. I instinctively looked up and saw a textbook-perfect, cheerful-type handsome guy wearing a sunny smile.
"Starting today, we'll be spending the next three years together. So I hope everyone will introduce themselves and become friends as soon as possible. Teacher Chabashira said there's still an hour until the entrance ceremony. What do you all think?"
Hearing this speech, a sudden wave of irritation surged within me.
It wasn't about the person in front of me, but rather a memory of someone from middle school who shared similar ideals, a guy who constantly preached about "everyone getting along."
That guy, Hayama Hayato, outwardly claimed to be friendly with everyone, but in reality, he considered his own clique supreme.
I can't even count how many times I had to clean up the messes his group made.
If Hayama and his crew hadn't constantly stirred up trouble, I could have lived a peaceful life and never would have ended up at this school.
Though I couldn't know what lay beneath the surface of this sunny, handsome guy, thanks to Hayama, I had no desire to get involved.
So I quietly slipped out of the classroom, and since no one called after me, I figured I hadn't been noticed.
Or perhaps they simply deemed me, a gloomy type, unworthy of their attention.
"Next... should I check out the library?"
This national high school boasted top-tier facilities across the board.
The library was no exception, with promotional materials claiming it housed tens of millions of volumes.
Shifting my mood, I grabbed a map and headed toward the library.
Five minutes later, I discovered it was closed due to the entrance ceremony, leaving me feeling utterly deflated.
Immediately after me, Shiina arrived at the library, her face falling with disappointment when she learned it was closed.
Seeing her rush to the library so soon after starting school, I couldn't help but wonder if she was another loner like me.