[Location: Classroom of the Elite - Japan - Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School - Student Dormitories.]
Kiyotaka Ayanokouji, a young high school student, carefully observed every corner of his new home: a simple, functional room, devoid of any decorations that might indicate a personality, but sufficient for someone like him.
His eyes, always analytical, scanned the smooth walls, the bed perfectly aligned with the desk, and the window that offered a glimpse of a controlled, yet pleasant landscape.
He understood perfectly well what his stay here implied: until his graduation, he would be completely isolated from the outside world.
There would be no unexpected visits, no phone calls to interrupt his routine, and no responsibilities other than those imposed by the institution.
That thought, far from making him uncomfortable, brought a faint smile to his face.
The smile wasn't one of happiness, but rather of a sort of quiet satisfaction.
The school offered privileges that many would consider invaluable. A perfectly designed environment, limitless resources, opportunities to shape the future.
But to Kiyotaka, all those advantages were of no consequence.
What he truly valued was something much more elemental.
Independence.
Now he could decide what he wanted to do, when, and how to do it, without the chains that had bound him during his childhood and adolescence.
This place, with its explicit and implicit rules, was a paradise compared to the prison in which he had grown up.
A paradise where, curiously enough, he might experience something he had only ever heard of.
An ordinary school life.
Without bothering to change his clothes or worry about his uniform, Kiyotaka let himself fall onto the bed.
For a moment, he allowed himself the luxury of closing his eyes and enjoying the silence—one that wasn't forced, but natural.
"How strange..." he murmured, breaking the quiet. And like a candle blown out by the slightest breeze, the brief smile he had shown vanished, replaced by his usual neutral expression. Cold. Indecipherable.
'A spontaneous emotion...' he thought, as his body settled onto the mattress. It was a detached observation, as if he were analyzing a natural phenomenon rather than his own feelings.
His eyes locked onto the ceiling, staring at it as if it were a blank canvas upon which to project his thoughts.
A single word lingered in his mind, a word he had been translating into different languages.
Freedom.
'Freedom...' he repeated to himself, letting the word float within his consciousness.
To others, freedom was an ideal, something to be sought after and protected at all costs.
To Kiyotaka, it was nothing more than another concept, another tool that could be manipulated depending on the context.
In a more extreme sense.
True freedom, he thought, was an illusion; there would always be chains, visible or invisible, limiting one's actions.
He had understood this when he learned that even the decision to breathe could be questioned if circumstances demanded it.
In retrospect, the only things he could truly decide were aspects inherent to being human.
So, instead of pursuing something he knew to be unattainable, he decided to stop worrying about it.
'First day of school...' he reflected, shifting the direction of his thoughts.
His mind began to review every detail of the day.
He recalled the faces of his classmates.
Kind smiles, curious glances, attitudes attempting to project confidence or superiority.
He recognized patterns, analyzed behaviors. Nothing he had seen struck him as extraordinary; yet at the same time, he couldn't quite catalog it.
The initial interactions, the unspoken rules governing the environment, the apparent calm masking the place... everything fit into a mold that, at least for now, he would consider normal.
'A truly curious scenario...' he thought, letting out a soft sigh. He didn't think it with frustration, nor with enthusiasm. It was simply an observation.
He closed his eyes again, letting the darkness envelop him.
For now, he would simply observe.
He would be an ordinary, harmless student who didn't draw attention to himself.
Ding!
[It is a pity, Icarus. It seems you are aware that the wax holding your wings together will be melted by the sun.]
Suddenly, Kiyotaka heard a strange sound, followed by the appearance of a holographic text window covering part of his field of vision.
He observed the window without a hint of panic, maintaining his usual neutral expression. 'What is happening...?'
Though he didn't know much about consumer technology, Kiyotaka recalled that only video games used similar text windows.
However, those required VR goggles, and even then, there were significant differences.
Furthermore, as far as he knew, current technology had not advanced enough to generate holograms without visible devices.
Analyzing the situation, he considered several options. 'Is this an illusion? Is someone watching me?'
Slowly and silently, he raised his hand, attempting to touch the window. As he had suspected, his hand passed right through it without obstruction.
He repeated the movement a few times before stopping. Finally, he sat up on the edge of the bed, analyzing potential scenarios.
"Icarus and Daedalus..." he murmured, pausing deliberately. "You might be right. But..." his eyes narrowed slightly, "...I am not Icarus".
Ding!
[I know. So then. Do you want to be truly free?]
[Yes. / No.]
Another holographic text window superimposed itself over the previous one, this time presenting clear options to select.
'Truly free?' he reflected. Though simple on the surface, the question hid an obvious trap.
From his perspective, absolute freedom was an illusory concept. He could only hope to decide what to think, what to say, what to eat, what to wear, and so on.
And he was content with that.
On the other hand, the fact that he was being offered a choice between "Yes" and "No" was peculiar.
Freedom was never granted without hidden conditions, implicit rules, or unexpected consequences.
'Manipulation...' he concluded. However, he also understood that ignoring this offer might have repercussions.
Whoever was behind this clearly possessed advanced resources to communicate with him.
Kiyotaka leaned back slightly, propping an elbow on the bed while calmly observing the window.
"What does it mean to be truly free?" he asked, not to the window, but as a reflection aloud. Whether they answered or not was irrelevant, but perhaps it would elicit some reaction.
Perceiving and receiving nothing, he returned his attention to the options.
'By accepting, I might end up losing control. And by rejecting, I might lose a major opportunity...' In both scenarios, he stood to lose.
Simply put, if he was going to end up losing either way, he might as well gather a bit more information.
It wasn't as if he were dealing with something paranormal.
Probably.
Finally, he spoke in his usual, emotionless tone.
"Let's see what your freedom truly means."
With that, he reached out his hand and selected "Yes".
Not because he believed in the offer, but because he wanted to obtain more information from the other party.
That, in theory, was an expression of human freedom.
Ding!
[Great! In that case, welcome to the "Part-Time Workers Group"!]
Kiyotaka felt a slight sense of unease upon reading those words.
And then, everything went white.
_____
[Location: White World - Waiting Room.]
Instantly, Kiyotaka felt changes in his body, though he couldn't identify anything specific.
To be certain, he checked every inch of himself meticulously before shifting his attention to the surroundings.
'This must be one of those distasteful jokes,' he thought, as he observed the endless white floor, the endless white sky, the endless white horizon, an elegant table, and armchairs.
While the color white didn't bother him, it was certainly ironic.
He had left one "White Room" only to enter another "White Room".
The abnormality of the situation was acknowledged, but shortly after, set aside.
Thinking about it was useless.
A waste of time.
His eyes lingered for a moment on the tea set and sweets atop the table.
'White armchairs, black armchairs, and a black table in the middle of all this white. Does it hold some sort of meaning?'
Without rushing, he walked calmly toward the table. He assumed the other party wanted him to see this.
Upon arriving, he stood beside one of the black armchairs, observing the sweets, cups, and teapot without touching them.
'If this is part of a test, they are likely waiting for me to make the first move.'
After a brief analysis, he chose to sit down, leaning back slightly in a relaxed yet vigilant posture.
'And if it's some form of entertainment, they are probably observing my reactions...' he thought, closing his eyes for a moment.
He assumed that sooner or later, whoever was behind all this would reveal their purpose.
Calmly, he extended his hand toward one of the cups. His fingers wrapped around it firmly but without haste, as if even this gesture could reveal something more to the enigmatic host.
He lifted the cup and brought the liquid close to his face, letting the aroma of the tea filter into his senses. It was a delicate scent, with notes of jasmine and a light acidity that suggested a high-quality green tea.
'An interesting choice,' he thought.
Elegant, yes, but with intent. A welcoming gesture meant to convey sophistication without ostentation.
However, before bringing the cup to his lips, he paused.
Out of the corner of his eye, not far from his position, he saw another person appear.
/////
The beginning of the chapter is based on what was mentioned in COTE's light novel. Go read it if you're not convinced. Of course, because the author himself changed Kiyotaka's personality later on, I made my own interpretations.