God, I'm so sleepy right now I could crash on that bench and not wake up...
That was the thought that crossed my mind as I walked slowly through the empty school corridors. There were barely any students around at that hour, and it was no surprise. After all, it was still too early for classes.
Lately, I'd gotten into the habit of waking up earlier than usual. Why? I'm not entirely sure myself. I guess if I fall back asleep, even for five more minutes, I simply won't get up at all. So I decided it was better to arrive early. A decision that, honestly, still feels strange coming from me.
When I entered the classroom, I found the same scenery I'd seen for the past few days: a practically empty room. Practically, because she was already there.
Horikita Suzune.
Long black hair that fell elegantly over her shoulders, cold eyes that seemed to evaluate everything around her with surgical precision, and an expression as serious as it was unreadable. Always seated in the same spot, a book in her hands. A model student through and through. So punctual that even with my new early-rising habit, I couldn't beat her at arriving first.
"Good morning, Horikita," I greeted her, as had become my routine.
"Good morning," she replied without lifting her gaze from the book.
A brief, direct answer... and yet, it made me oddly glad.
Because, truth be told, the first few times I greeted her she didn't even look at me. She ignored me as if I were air. I even thought she disliked me for some reason. But as the days went by, she began to return the greeting. Briefly, without emotion, but at least she did.
And to me, that was already a small victory.
After dropping my bag onto my desk, I looked around the room for a few seconds. The atmosphere was as quiet as always at this hour, with the exception of one person who radiated a strange sense of absolute focus.
I decided to seize the opportunity.
I walked over and sat down in the chair across from Horikita, interrupting her reading with a certain amount of caution.
"Horikita, can I ask you something?"
She slowly lifted her gaze from the book and observed me with that cold, calculating expression of hers. For an instant, I felt as if she were evaluating whether I was worth her attention.
"What is it?" she finally replied.
At least she didn't ignore me. That was progress.
"What do you think about the 100,000 private points we were given upon enrollment? Don't you find it... suspicious?"
At my question, her eyebrows lifted slightly, as if she'd expected something foolish and instead found something worth considering.
"There's definitely something odd about it," she said as she calmly closed the book. "Even if this is the most prestigious institution in the country, the amount is excessive. It doesn't make sense as a monthly allowance, no matter how prestigious the school is."
"I think the same," I nodded. "The teacher said points are deposited on the first day of each month, but she never specified we'd get 100,000 every month. She only mentioned they'd be awarded based on merit."
Horikita raised a finger to her chin, thoughtful. It was rare to see her so focused on something other than her book.
"So you believe we won't receive that amount again next month..."
"Exactly. It doesn't seem realistic. Like you said, even if this is the best school in Japan, can you imagine what it would mean to hand out 100,000 points to every student every month for three years? Spoiler: financial insanity."
She gave a small nod.
"She did say those first 100,000 yen represented our value as admitted students. That was the baseline, right?"
"Yes, and she also clarified that from then on, points would be given based on merit..." I repeated her words while trying to decipher their true meaning.
"Merit..." Horikita murmured. "What exactly do they mean by that?"
"They probably don't mean how many books you can read in a week," I joked, glancing at the closed volume in front of her. "If that were the case, you'd be swimming in points. A school millionaire."
She shot me a look I couldn't tell if it was annoyance or indifference.
"Don't be ridiculous. I doubt they're evaluating something so trivial."
"You're right. They're probably using some top-secret algorithm to measure how many times we blink during class or how many calories we burn walking to the cafeteria," I replied with a straight face, as if I meant it.
She sighed.
"If that were the case, you'd already have a negative balance. You come in half-asleep every morning."
"Touché!" I smiled, accepting the jab without resentment. "Although I should say I work really hard to look awake. I even practice my 'I totally understand this' face in front of the mirror."
Horikita allowed a slight curve to her lips. Not exactly a smile, but coming from her, practically a laugh.
"Back to the topic," she said naturally, returning to the thread. "It's likely that the word 'merit' encompasses things like grades, perhaps even class participation."
"Great... exactly the things most of the class is failing at without realizing it. I feel like I'm in a video game with no tutorial."
"And with limited lives," Horikita added coldly.
"You think if I make a PowerPoint presentation with special effects about the value of teamwork, they'd give me bonus points?"
"No. But they'd probably deduct points for bad taste."
"Ouch. Fair enough."
She lowered her gaze slightly, as if processing the conversation. Then she looked back at me.
"Despite your jokes... you're right. Something doesn't add up. If my suspicions are correct, most of the students will fall into the trap without realizing it."
"So... we've been in 'survival mode' since the very first month?" I crossed my arms.
"We always have been," she replied without hesitation.
"Great. And here I thought getting to class early was my biggest achievement this week," I muttered, leaning back in my chair.
Horikita didn't answer right away. She simply picked up her book again, though she didn't open it yet. She was thinking. Her serious expression was as constant as her punctuality, but now she looked more... alert.
That was when the classroom door burst open. Ike, Sudou, and Yamauchi walked in as if they were rock stars arriving at their dressing room... only without the talent, charisma, or even a shred of punctuality.
"Man, we still got plenty of time!" Sudou said as he dropped into his seat with a triumphant grin, as if he'd just dodged a bullet.
"See? I told you we didn't have to run," added Ike, out of breath, his shirt half unbuttoned.
"Time to hide our brain cells, chaos has arrived," I muttered quietly, turning back toward Horikita.
She let out a faint sigh at the scene.
"Looks like the peace is over," I said as I stood up. "If I figure out anything else about this point system, I'll tell you tomorrow. Hopefully before one of them burns the classroom down."
"If I survive that, I'll be waiting," she replied, not lifting her eyes from the book but with a slight tilt of her head that, coming from Horikita, was practically the same as saying take care.
I walked back to my seat with a calm smile. Sometimes, even in the middle of a twisted system full of secrets, the best thing one could have was a good conversation... and someone willing to listen.