-5- The unique school

On the chairman's mumbling, Hori naturally remains unaware. After leaving the principal's office, he discards the recent conversation from his mind and focuses on the student handbook.

According to the handbook, the school has three grades, each divided into four classes: A, B, C, and D. Hori is a new student in the first grade, and his assigned class is clearly mentioned in the admission notice.

"First-year Class D, huh?"

Looking at the allocation on the admission notice, Hori heads to the classroom labeled "1-D." Upon entering, a lively scene unfolds before him – new students chatting and laughing, already familiar with each other due to the prior gathering.

Hori's entrance attracts attention, but he pays no mind. A girl sitting at the far end of the classroom, the last seat in the second-to-last row, with long, glossy black hair, speaks in a cold tone.

"Truly an annoying twist of fate."

She exudes an aura incompatible with the cheerful atmosphere in the class, as if saying, "Don't approach me," and remains engrossed in her book.

As Hori guessed earlier, despite being a beautiful girl, her personality has led to a lack of popularity.

Hori glances at the nameplate on her desk, which reads "Horikita Suzune." She is the girl who spoke to Hori at the school gate.

Another familiar face is noticed.

"In the end, we're in the same class."

With a flat and uninspired tone, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka sits next to Horikita Suzune. He occupies the last seat in the innermost row, his nameplate displaying "Ayanokouji Kiyotaka."

Hori's position is next to Horikita Suzune, creating a lineup of three: Hori, Horikita Suzune, and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, all seated in the last row.

Indeed, it's a somewhat annoying twist of fate.

Surprisingly, two others from the bus ride are also present.

"Hm Hm Hm~~~"

The blonde student, with a nameplate reading "Kouenji Rokusuke," flaunts a haughty and arrogant air. He rests his feet on the desk while humming and leisurely tending to his nails.

"That person is..."

With a nameplate reading "Kushida Kikyou," the gentle and cute girl who helped an elderly woman on the bus, looks astonished upon seeing Hori enter the classroom.

Even Hori hadn't anticipated that five people who met on the bus would end up in the same class.

However, upon closer consideration, this isn't all that surprising. With only 160 admitted freshmen, four grades, and limited buses, it's not strange for several people to end up in the same class.

Still, the connection between them feels remarkably peculiar.

Making this observation, Hori decides not to dwell on it and silently takes his seat.

Regarding Hori, Horikita Suzune doesn't even lift her head, utterly ignoring him as if to say, "Don't bother me." 

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka seems eager to talk but gives up any attempts due to the oppressive aura from Horikita Suzune.

Thus, the three destined classmates who never exchanged a word face different directions – gazing out the window, reading books, or resting their heads on the desk, creating a somewhat subtle atmosphere.

This ambiance deters others from trying to strike up a conversation.

Until...

"Everyone, return to your seats."

With the emergence of this voice, students quickly sit back down. A woman enters the room – dressed in a mature suit, her age around thirty, a high ponytail at the back, giving off an air of aloofness.

The woman's voice is equally cold, prompting all the new students to exchange glances and hasten back to their seats.

"Thud!"

With a loud sound, the woman threw a stack of boxes onto the lectern, facing all the students.

"I am the class advisor for Class D in the first year, Chabashira Sae. I usually teach Japanese history."

Self-introducing as Chabashira Sae, the teacher maintains a calm and emotionless voice while making the announcement.

"In this school, you won't change classes until graduation. So, I will be your class advisor for the next three years. Since we'll be spending quite a long time together, I won't waste time with useless words. Let's get straight to the important matters."

Sae Chabashira surveys everyone.

"You must have learned about the school's uniqueness from the entrance guide, right?"

Her words receive nods from the students present.

This school is indeed unique in many aspects.

"Firstly, tuition and accommodation fees are entirely waived. As long as you're not expelled, you can live here for three years without any financial burden."

"On the flip side, unlike other high schools in the country, all students of this school are obligated to reside in the on-campus dormitories. Also, during the semester, unless there are exceptional circumstances, all external communication is prohibited. Even with family members, you cannot contact them without school permission. Leaving the school grounds without permission is strictly forbidden."

"On the other hand, to prevent students from enduring excessive hardships, the school has numerous facilities like karaoke, a movie theater, a cafe, a clothing store, etc. Everything you need for daily life and entertainment is available here. You don't need to worry about having a dull life."

"To make it convenient for you to use the on-campus facilities, all expenses within the school will not be paid with 'currency' but instead with 'points.'"

Chabashira Sae points to the pile of boxes on the lectern.

"Next, those whose names I call, come up and receive your student ID terminal. This will be the most important thing for you during your time at this school."