From the front of the class, handouts were passed around until every student had them.
This school had many special rules that made it different from other schools.
First of all, students were required to live on campus, and leaving school grounds was strictly forbidden, meaning that I would be stuck on this "island" for three consecutive years.
Second of all, students were forbidden from contacting anyone outside of the school — even immediate family members were unreachable unless explicitly stated by the school.
However, there were also many school facilities that prevented students from becoming bored or restricted. There was karaoke, theaters, cafes, and even boutiques. With all this entertainment, one could compare it to a large town.
And with its recent expansion, the campus took up more than 850,000 square meters!
It was significantly large.
There was actually one more defining characteristic about the school, and it was the introduction of the S-System.
"I will now hand out student ID cards. With it, you can buy anything on school grounds as long as you can afford it. It works like a credit card. However, please be careful with how many points you use."
The S-System essentially replaced money — or portrayed it in a different light. This ensured all students would start off with the same amount, preventing any unfair financial advantages.
It also forced students to fix their consumption habits, preventing them from spending excessively.
"Student ID cards have a chip that allows money to transfer via tap. If you're unfamiliar with that form of payment, you may also use the card's edge to swipe."
Kaneko-sensei demonstrated using a blank prop card. Then, she scanned the classroom with her black eyes.
"Understand? Yes? Good."
She nodded, sitting the prop down.
"Points will be distributed automatically on the first day of every month, and since it's the beginning of the school year, everyone should already have 100,000 points on their card — which translates to about 100,000 yen."
For a moment, the classroom became loud.
Most high school students would never receive money from their school, but we'd receive 100,000 yen every month!?
It was hard to believe.
Even if it was funded by the government, I still felt the amount was high. After buying hygiene products, eating food, and investing in entertainment, I'd still have more than half of it left.
And that was assuming I spent normally, but I've always had a habit of saving money first before splurging it later. This was because it made me feel more financially stable when spending it.
So, with a complicated expression, I began calculating.
Since there were four classes — each with 40 students — and three years, that would amount to a monthly allowance of 48,000,000 yen, and a yearly allowance of 576,000,000.
These calculations weren't even accounting for the cost of salaries, maintenance, housing, food, utility, healthcare, security, and overall finances.
So the costs amounted to much more.
This made me a little stunned — and apparently, so were my classmates. After all, this felt a little excessive.
"Are you surprised? This school measures the abilities of students, and all of you passed the entry exam, deeming you incredibly capable individuals. This amount of money is a reflection of your skill. Though, there's no point saving them, as they cannot be exchanged for cash after graduation. You can also transfer your points to someone else, but you cannot bully someone into giving points to you — our bullying policy is strict."
Kakizaki-sensei looked around.
"Any questions?"
One student raised his hand, and once he was called on, he spoke with a loud yet soothing voice.
"Isn't it too much?"
The teacher shook her head.
"That's simply the value our school has given you."
"I see…"
She waited, but there were no other questions. So, after a few parting words, she exited the room with her polished heel boots clicking against the floor. How abrupt!
"Your entrance ceremony is in 45 minutes!"
Sliiiide!
Her speech was rather short, but it was very informative. We learned a lot about the S-System and how it was applied — as well as our teacher, Ayane Kakizaki, who seemed relatively cheerful.
At least, compared to my teachers in junior high.
Regardless, I could tell that this was a unique school — even beyond the incredibly low acceptance rate.
Now, all I had to do was sleep until the entrance ceremony! So, I lowered my head onto my arm and —
"Hey everyone! Please listen to me for a moment."
One student said, sliding out of their seat before eventually standing where the teacher once stood.
Dear lord — that scared me!
This seemed to be Maple-san, the red-haired beauty. And with how willing she was to speak, she must have been a social butterfly.
"We'll be in the same class for the next three years! I'd really love it if everyone could get to know each other! Since we have time before the entrance ceremony, shouldn't we spend it introducing ourselves?"
I agreed, and so did the rest of the class — which meant I'd have to prepare an introduction in advance so I wouldn't slip over my words.
"I agree, we should say our names and a few things about ourselves!"
Maple-san nodded curtly, clearing her throat in preparation for her own introduction.
"I am Momiji Ichikawa. I've always loved making things! For example…" She removed her beret, holding it out for all to see. "...I sewed this hat and gave it a little bow."
"Pfft…"
I stifled my laugh with the palm of his hand, choking on my spit as I tried desperately to keep my mouth shut.
Maple-san's name is actually related to maple leaves! I simply can't believe it!
Suddenly, then entire class looked at him.
…
I felt my heart drop as sweat trickled down his cheek.
I really did it now — not only had I just interrupted her introduction, but laughing in such a way after she expressed her hobby sounded rude!
I absolutely had to overcompensate.
"Ah…"
I calmed myself down.
"I'm sorry, Ichikawa-san. That was very rude of me. I was just surprised that you made such a beautiful thing yourself, it looks like something from an antique store."
I stood up from my seat and bowed apologetically, hoping to be forgiven.
"I think the hat looks very good on you."
I bowed again, my cheeks glistening with sweat.
If the class thought I was trying to bully such a beautiful woman, the men would surely beat me up!
Oh no…
Following my apology, the entire class went silent.
…
Ichikawa's parted lips curled into a soft smile. She dusted off the beret and placed it on her head, nodding in my direction.
"Hehe. Thank you for the compliments…"
She pointed at me, her chuckle continuing.
"Since you're in the first seat of the class, would you be willing to go next?"
"Haaah…"
I used the fabric of my uniform to wipe the sweat from my forehead.
"Yeah… yeah sure."