Chapter 3

I entered my class. The atmosphere is what you would expect. Some knew each other and others were outcasts. I sat in the middle of the back row. That gave me a perfect view of everything: The class and the hallway to my right. My sister texted me saying that she wanted to meet up with me at lunch. That was either a good thing or a bad thing.

"Is that everyone?"

That was said by a boy in the front. Tall, handsome, good build from what I can see. I can already tell that he is going to be the de facto leader. I do not quarrel with that. I'd much rather be left alone.

"If it is, I would like to start introducing ourselves. I think that's a good way to pass the time until the teacher arrives, don't you agree?"

The class was silently in agreement.

"I'll go first. My name is Sho Yoshikawa. I am the son of Sadoa Yoshikawa of the Pentax Corporation."

Pentax. I heard of them. That's a pretty well-known technology company that specializes in cameras and lenses. He's pretty well-off. After that, the introductions took off one by one, until it was my turn.

"So, what's your name?"

"Me?"

"Yeah."

I stood up after the attention of the entire room fell on my lap.

"My name is Tetsuo Fukushima. I am a member of the Fukushima Clan. That's about it for me."

Some people were muttering to themselves.

"Is he a part of that clan?"

"He doesn't look like he's from the nobility."

Well, they are right. I am dressed weirdly, but that isn't because I enjoy it; I have to wear it in this way so that I can move around easily. Everyone else was wearing the traditional school uniform, while I was wearing shorts and the collar shirt version of the uniform. 

"Well, thank you for that. Now you are the last one." 

He directed the class's attention toward a girl to my left. Red hair, slightly blue eyes, nice figure by most standards. She stands up and addresses the class.

"My name is Hikari Tanaka. I can't wait to study with you all."

She then sits back down. Was that seriously her answer? How boring can someone be? Unless that was intentional. Nah, I'm reading too much into it. Some people are naturally boring, like me. Just then, the teacher comes into the room.

"Okay, everyone. Take your seats."

Everyone who was standing up sat down.

"Alright. Hello everyone. My name is Aki Kobayashi and I'll be your homeroom teacher for the next three years. As all of you were at the inauguration earlier this morning, I'm sure you all heard a little about this school. Let me fill in some blanks. You are students at the Kanto Region Advance Learning and Education Facility or the Kanto Education Facility. Whichever you prefer. The purpose of this school is to grow your abilities to survive out in the real world, whether that is in academics, socializing, and/or physical abilities. The fact that you are here means that you have talent that the school will try to extract out of you and enhance it. Or you had enough money to buy a seat. Either way, you are here and while you are here, there are a few things you must know. Firstly, this is a boarding school. For the next three years, you will be cut off from any outside contact. No calls, no meetings, no special packages from anyone on the outside. Anything you need or want, the school will provide for you. This leads to the second point. Every month, every student will be allotted points. Let's call them Personal Points. With this, you'll be able to buy anything that's within the school's power. This is tracked through the school's computer system and each point is equivalent to one Yen. If you haven't noticed already, your points have already been distributed accordingly."

I looked at my phone and saw 100,000 points in my wallet. 100,000. That seems a bit high. Since this is a government-funded school, it seems like a waste of money. Or at the very least, a bad investment. This entire situation feels too familiar though. I remember reading that there are a couple of schools that work like this, but I haven't seen one in person. I've only read about them in books and entertainment. If that's the case, then the principle must also be similar to the books, which means…

"My final point, for now, will be the dorm rooms. These rooms won't change unless the school sees a valid reason for them to change. Each grade will have its own building. D Class is on the first 2 floors, then C class is on the second 2 floors, and so on. The reason why each grade gets two floors is that they are separated by sex to lessen any harassment between the two groups. The mandatory curfew is 11:00 pm. At this time, you are expected to be in your rooms asleep. Anybody who is caught outside your rooms without a good reason, which the school will determine, will be penalized. The highest is suspension unless it's an ongoing occurrence. In which case, you will be expelled." 

A bit harsh if I do say so myself. Okay, 11:00 pm. That's the cut-off before I have to be in my room. Well, it's a decent time frame.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Each class is ranked by points as well. It's not decided by Personal Points, but by something we will call Class Value Points or C.V.P. The higher your class point value is, the better off you will be. That is about all I have to say, so let me begin with the lesson." 

It's almost exactly like that series I read a while ago. If that's the case, then the process has to be similar as well, and I can't have idiots in the class hold me down. After the teacher ended her lesson, I stood up.

"Can I have everyone's attention please?"

Everyone turned their heads to look at me.

"I'm assuming everyone has looked in their wallets and seen the number of points you have. It's a lot, but I want to add something that the teacher left out, either intentionally or by accident, but she never said how the number of points we receive is determined."

"What are you getting at?"

A student in front responded annoyed.

"I want to propose that we act like model students for the next month to see if our Personal Points are fixedly distributed or if our actions determine the amount. On that note, I would also recommend that we spend as little as possible. Of course, the second request is a personal warning, but I strongly recommend that we follow the first request."

"And why should we listen to you? This school prioritizes individuality, so we can do whatever we want."

The student continued to go against my suggestion, but I wasn't gonna budge that easily. 

"Is that what you think that means? Of course with that, you are also subjected to the consequences of your actions. I don't care what you do in your free time. But in this case, your actions may affect all of us. If that's the case, then the entire class becomes one individual and we can't afford anybody to hold us back. Can we agree on this?"

Everyone continued to look at me.

"I think that's a good idea. We don't know how the points are distributed and I think it would be best to spend the next month at least getting a feel for how our points work. Does everyone agree?" 

Yoshikawa-kun seemed to agree with me. With his statement, It seemed like the entire class agreed to spend the next month acting as conservatively as possible. After that, class ended and it was time for lunch. I called my sister and headed to where she was. I entered the lunchroom and saw her. I went to where she was, and we both grabbed lunch and sat down at one of the far tables. I did this so that I was able to scan the room.

"So, are you enjoying this school so far", I asked her.

"So far it's fine. I can't believe that you weren't put in an A-Class with me. On second thought, you should be in D Class given how much better I am."

I chuckled. Only she can get away with saying something like that. It's not because she is better than me. I'm just more reserved than she is.

"So, did you hear about the point system?"

"I did."

"Well, if you need any help I guess I would have to help…"

"Yuki-chan."

I had to cut her off.

"I want to make this clear: My only goal is protecting you, to make sure nothing bad happens to you. I won't allow someone to hurt you. But, I will not help you succeed in this school. You will have to do that yourself. I will not collaborate with you and expect you to do the same."

"You're acting like our classes will be pitted against each other."

"That's because we are."

"Hmm?"

"I have a couple of theories on how this school is going to operate. I already implemented one today, but it's unlikely it will play out the way I hope it will."

"You're already making plans? I thought you were going to be laid back?"

"After I found out about the monthly points we gain, that's what made me change my mentality."

"Am I gonna have to worry about you?"

"I'm not going to put myself out there."

"Well, I'll take your warning into consideration."

It got silent for a minute, and then Yuki-chan started speaking.

"You know, it talks like this that make it seem like we are actual siblings. It's been a while."

"I enjoy these talks as well, but it's not my job to socialize."

"It sucks that your job makes you lose your humanity."

"That's extremely philosophical coming from you."

"Am I wrong?"

"No. In some jobs, you have to change the way you think. Otherwise, your life will be harder."

"Now you're being philosophical?"

After that, three students walked up to us. I broke the ice.

"Can I help you?"

The person in the middle, whom I can only describe as the leader of this group, started questioning me.

"Do you know Amaya Maekawa?"

"No, I can't say I have."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Based on his tone, I knew what was going to happen. 

"Hey, Maekawa-kun. Come over here."

A fourth student comes walking over to our table. Yuki-chan began whispering to me.

"Brother, it's the guy from the bus."

"I know."

The leader of the group overheard our comments and responded.

"So, you do know him?"

Well that's just great. Looks like I'm not getting around it now. I started taking the offensive.

"What do you guys want?"

"Maekawa-kun says that you attacked him on the bus."

"He's lying. He touched my sister first and then tried to make a move on her. I stopped that."

Maekawa-kun spoke up.

"No, he's wrong! I was simply getting off the bus, and then he and his sister attacked me!"

Great. They've concocted this narrative and are gonna use it as self-justification for their actions. I can tell they are lying, but given the situation, it doesn't matter. The leader of the group began speaking.

"Well, we have contradictory stories here. I don't know who to believe."

My sister spoke up in retaliation.

"No, he bumped me, and then tried to assault me."

"Yuki-chan!"

I shouted her name to get her to stop talking. The leader noticed that.

"Yuki, huh? That's a nice name. I'll keep that in mind."

The sound of the bell rang.

"Well, see you around, Yuki-chan."

As the 4 guys took off, I could feel Yuki-chan glaring at me.

"Why did you say my name?"

"Slip of the tongue. I'm sorry."

"Well, I guess it's fine. As long as you're with me, I feel perfectly safe."

If I were her, I wouldn't be acting this carefree, but then again, I've given her more than enough reasons to act this way, because she isn't wrong: I'll always protect her. Also, I lied. There was another reason why I said her name, but it isn't something of importance right now. The rest of the day went without a hitch and when the day ended, I walked Yuki-chan to her dorm. When we got to her dorm, she walked in but then turned around and started speaking.

"Thank you, Brother, for walking me."

"It's no big deal. I'm supposed to look after you, so I think knowing where you'll be sleeping is important."

"It is, but you better not break in and sneak a peek at me when I'm in the shower."

"Why would anyone do that? You aren't that important."

"What's that supposed to mean? You don't think I'm cute enough?"

"Well…"

"The correct answer is: 'Of course, you're cute Yuki-chan. You're my adorable little sister and I only have eyes for you.'"

"But then that would be a lie."

Her face changes from happy to upset and pouty. She slams the door in my face.

"Well, goodnight Yuki-chan. I'll talk to you in the morning."

I probably went too far, but she didn't have to slam the door in my face. I began to walk towards my dorm, thinking about life. I can't believe that I'm at this school—the school of the elites, or wannabe elites. I haven't seen anything that would suggest that the students here are better than the general populace, but then again, I haven't experienced any elites, so how would I know? As I was walking down the path that connects the dorms, I saw a girl sitting on a bench. I contemplated going over there but decided not to because I don't know who she is and it's better for me to not interact with others for right now. I will note that it is unusual for someone to be by themselves this late, but it's none of my concern. My only concern is Yuki-chan. 

I continued back to my dorm. When I got there, I got ready for bed. I also looked at my phone and the number of points I got. 100,000 points. So, one point is equivalent to one yen. It's a decent amount of money, but I wonder how this school can afford it. Thankfully though, I've seen similar situations in books, so I was able to warn my class. Now the question is whether or not they heed my warning. I guess I'll find out tomorrow.

3.1

The next day came around and I walked to class with Yuki-chan.

"Are you still mad at me?"

Yuki-chan didn't say anything and continued putting on a pouting face.

"I'm sorry. I went too far last night. I was just joking around. You're beautiful and I should've said that."

Yuki-chan looks down and then at me.

"Well, it's a start. I guess I can forgive you."

We continued walking toward the main building when I spotted someone following us with the corner of my eye. I stopped and looked back. The person hid behind the trees.

"What's wrong Brother?"

"Let's just get to class, alright?"

I hurried Yuki-chan to the main building. I walked her to her class and then entered mine. I looked around and saw some people playing with electronics and talking about fashion and their points. From that, it seems like some people spent a lot of points. Well, I suppose that's fine: it's their loss and it doesn't directly affect me. However, as the day went on, some people started slacking off. When class ended, I walked up to one. He saw me coming and spoke up.

"Can I help you?"

"You weren't paying attention in class today?"

"So, what's it to you?"

"If you continue, our class as a whole class might suffer."

"If that were the case, then the teacher would say something. She hasn't yet, so it's fine."

Is this guy serious?

"I said this yesterday, but this could be a test. It would be wise to at least behave for the first month to see if I'm right."

"And why do I have to listen to you? This school promotes individuality so I can do whatever I want."

"That's a simplistic way of looking at it."

"What?"

I didn't mean to say that out loud. Well, I guess I can't get out of this.

"Ever heard of the concept that when one fails, the group gets punished? Just because this school promotes individuality doesn't mean you'll be punished individually. This school's purpose is to promote our skills and knowledge so that we can strive in the real world. In the real world, if you mess up, not only does it affect you, but everyone else around you as well. Society is like a bunch of dominoes. If one falls, they all fall as well. Then again, I could be wrong. But with how this school operates, it would be idiotic to assume there are no punishments for misbehaving." 

"Well…"

"But what do I know?"

I begin to walk away. As I walked, he then started talking again.

"Fine. You've convinced me. I'll begin to pay attention in class, but don't expect too much from me."

"I'm not asking for you to be the best. All I'm asking for is to be cautious with point spending and pay attention in class. That's all."

I continued back to my seat and sat down. I noticed a couple of students looking at me, including the girl sitting next to me. Great. I expended more energy than I wanted to. Oh well, I can't go back now. Besides, it's worth it for me to get to A Class with Yuki-chan. 

"Do you think you will be able to keep our class behaving?"

The girl to my left questioned my actions.

"I'm not expecting everyone to follow my advice, but if enough people heed my warnings then our class should stay in the running."

She continues to look down at a book without showing a hint of emotion. 

"I didn't expect you to talk to me."

"Why do you say that?", she said.

"You seem like the quiet type and unsociable."

"You appear to be the same way."

'The same way.' What is she talking about?

"Explain."

"Your introduction yesterday. It wasn't better than mine, and I'm 'anti-social'."

I wanted to see how perceptive she was, so I continued to pressure her.

"What about the actions I also took yesterday and today."

"You're a kind person who wants to ensure his class does well."

I guess she's not that perceptive. Looks like there's nothing to…

"At least, that's the impression you're giving."

Shit.

"The impression I'm giving? Would you care to explain further?"

"I don't know. It's just a feeling I have. It could be nothing."

This girl is hiding something and could be a problem in the future. That response, usually when people are asked to repeat themselves or clarify, they explain further unless they are trying to hide something. In this case, when I pushed, she backed off quickly, like she didn't want to continue with the conversation. That either means that she is anti-social or she knew that I was trying to get information out of her subtly and backed off before she exposed too much. I haven't encountered anyone who thought that way. At least, not another student. I could be overthinking it, but if that was the case, then why did she say that? I can't pry further or else I'll end up exposing more than I want to. If that was intentional, then that was a smart play by her. 

"You're right. I do want to help the class. The way this school is, we could be punished as a whole if we don't behave accordingly."

"You are right. We don't know if we are being punished and how severe the punishment is. It is smart to anticipate that outcome." 

Well, she's not wrong. It's wise to be cautious and a normal student who is somewhat bright would already be thinking of all the different possibilities that might happen; and all of the different consequences. However, a normal person wouldn't come out and tell people of this, especially on the first day. To do so, you are either very nice or very foolish. If you're the latter, then you wouldn't be thinking of the different consequences and no one is nice enough to tell the class that. Which means, wait. Damn it: she could've found out that I have an ulterior motive for telling the class that. If she's thinking similarly, then she could've thought about this and was trying to find the reason why. No, I can't second-guess myself, not this early on. I'm overthinking this. There's no way a high school student would think this way. I would like to see if she's hiding her intelligence, but I can't go find out now. I'll wait to see if she slips up and that would take some time. Well, if my finding out can help me reach A-Class, and thus be in the same class as Yuki-chan, then it's time I can spend. If she is at least as smart as me, then I can use her abilities to help me. Then again, if this turns out wrong, it could be troublesome and a waste. I should wait for a while to see what she does so that I can gauge her intelligence. 

"Anyway, I have to get going. It's lunchtime and I have to get to the cafeteria. It was nice talking to you."

"I feel the same way. Talking to you was nice."

I get up and leave the room. If I continued talking to her, I might slip up and say something I might not want her to know. Besides, I have to meet my sister. This is the only time I can see her during the school day. 

3.2

"So, did you make some friends Brother?"

Yuki-chan asked me as we were both sitting down and eating.

"I could ask you the same question."

"Answer my question and I'll answer yours."

"I don't need friends. My only raison d'etre is protecting you."

"Brother, while I appreciate it, this is school. We are in our childhoods. It's important to make connections now and live our lives while we're still young. Being an adult sucks, but necessary and I want to live free while I can and I wish this upon our peers."

That's very noble of her, mature, and naive. I get what she's trying to say, but while for some this is true, there's a big percentage who don't have the luxury to live that life. I am one of them. I didn't have the same benefits as Yuki-chan when growing up. My life is predestined, and so is Yuki-chan's, but her life is better than mine. She has the luxury of being this naive. I don't. That's why she is a princess of a big CEO, while I am her bodyguard. As we were talking, a group of students sat down at a table across from us.

"Hey, aren't those students from C class?"

I spoke up on behalf of Yuki-chan. 

"Just keep eating your food, Yuki-chan. This is the cafeteria: anyone can sit anywhere they please."

I get why she is wary, but she will be fine; I will protect her. If I had to guess, that group of C-Class students sat down near us to gather information. Since that in itself wasn't an aggressive act of any kind, there wasn't anything I could do. Even if I could do something, there wasn't anything to do. Observing students wasn't illegal at this school, and I can't prove that they were observing us maliciously. 

The rest of the month went about the same. On the first day of the next month, we were supposed to get 100,000 more points in our wallets, but just like I anticipated, something happened. It doesn't matter how much you talk or try to plead, there is always one that messes everything up. That assumption was right. After a month, our points came in and were much less than the previous month. I got 10,000 points, meaning that everyone got the same amount. That also means that someone messed up. When the teacher came into class, a student asked about the point. I knew what she was going to say.

"Oh, your points? 10 sleepings in class, 3 unexcused absences, 5 tardies, and 20 late or missing assignments. My, my, this class is going through rough times. In this school, you have to prove your worth. Otherwise, you won't receive it. I have to admit, you aren't the worst class. But, that doesn't mean you are better than them. Here is the C.V.P. for each class." 

A-Class has 90. B-Class has 75. C-Class has 50. D-Class has 10. Well, I knew that not everyone was going to listen to me, but I didn't expect to suffer this heavy burden already.

"Your Points are determined by your Class Value. Every Value Point is worth 1,000 Personal Points and every student will be distributed that amount depending on the Class Value. If you don't prove that you belong here, you don't deserve to use our services." 

And that's how it is. Kanto Regional Education and Learning Facility. I knew this was going to happen, but there were still those who didn't listen. Because of that, our class is behind, and I have a lot of work to do before I can get into my sister's class: A-class.