1 Chapter 1.3: Welcome to my dream-like school life Part Part 3

Even though this school is hard, the entrance ceremony is the same here as it is at any other school.

After a speech of thanks from some principal or other director, the ceremony ended.

And then it was noon. After we got an explanation of all the buildings and facilities on campus, the group split up.

70, 80% of the students started heading for the dorms. The rest of the students formed small groups and walked towards the cafes and the karaoke rooms. The whole crowd soon disappeared.

On my way to the dorms, I decided to go to the convenience store, which was on the way. Of course I was alone. I knew no one else.

"... What an unpleasant coincidence."

Once I entered the convenience store, I immediately ran into Horikita again.

"Don't be so hostile. Rather, did you also have stuff to buy?"

"Yea, just a bit. I came to buy some necessities."

Horikita talked while examining shampoo that she took from the shelf.

Dormitory life starts from today, you need much more than just "a bit"... Girls also need various products.

She quickly put the shampoo and other daily necessities into her basket. I thought she would go for good quality items, but she only went for the cheapest one available.

"I thought girls paid more attention to what kind of shampoo they used."

"That depends on the type person, no? The type of person who who doesn't know where they should be spending their money."

She sent me a cold gaze that said, "Could you not look at other people's stuff without permission?"

"Also, I didn't expect you to stay in the classroom for self-introductions. You don't look like the type of person to be in that group of classmates."

"I'm trying to be in that group quietly precisely because I try to avoid trouble. Why didn't you participate in the self-introductions? It's only a short greeting. You could get along with the others and get the chance to make friends."

Also, a lot of the students exchanged contact address with each other.

If Horikita had participated, she probably would've been popular in the class. What a waste.

"There are a lot of reasons I could give you, but should I give a simple explanation? Even if I introduced myself, it's not guaranteed that I would get along with everyone. Rather, it would've probably created problems instead. If I don't do the introduction, none of these problems occur. Right?"

"But there's still a high probability that you would get along with everyone..."

"Where'd you get that probability from? I say that, but we would endless argue over it if we tried to debate that, so let's just say that the probability is high. So, did you get along with anyone?"

"Uu..."

She looked at me while talking.

... I see. Surprisingly, she's right.

Actually, I was unable to exchange contacts with anybody.

It couldn't be used as evidence to prove that there was a high probability of getting along if she did introduce herself. I averted my gaze at Horikita's words.

"In other words, you have no proof that self-introductions make finding friends easy."

Horikita continued.

"To begin with, I never intended to make friends. So, there's no need for me to introduce myself, and no need for me to listen to anyone else's introduction. Are you convinced now?"

She did reject me the first time I tried to introduce myself...

It might've been a miracle to have gotten her name in the first place.

When I asked if I shouldn't have introduce myself, she shook her head though.

People have various different ways of thinking; it's impossible to deny that.

Horikita is a much more isolated, no, aloof, type of person than I thought.

We didn't even look at each other as we wandered about in the convenience store.

Even though her personality is a bit uptight, it didn't feel uncomfortable walking together.

"Wow~. They even have all the different kinds of cup noodles, this school's really convenient~"

In front of the instant food section, two boys were being noisy. After throwing a bunch of cup noodles into their basket, the two of them went to the register. They also had lots of snacks and drinks that filled up the whole basket. Since there are a lot of points that may be left over, it's only natural that they try to spend it somehow.

"Cup noodles... so they had that kind of section too, huh."

Learning this kind of stuff was one of my goals in going to the convenience store.

"So boys really do like this kind of stuff? I don't think it's really good for the body though."

"Eh, I was just considering if I should buy it."

I picked up a cup noodles bowl and looked at the price.

It said it was 156 yen, but I wasn't sure whether that was high or low for a bowl of cup noodles.

Even though the school calls it "points," the prices are all written in yen.

"Hey, what do you think of these prices? Do they look cheap or expensive?"

"Hmm... I can't really tell, but did you find something with a strange price?"

"No, that's not what I meant. I just wanted to ask."

The prices on the goods in the store seemed to be about right.

Also, it really does seem like 1 point is equal to 1 yen.

Given that the average high school student's allowance is about 5,000 yen, our monthly allowance is 20 times bigger.

Sensing my suspicious behavior, Horikita looked at me strangely.

I took the closest bowl of cup noodles to throw off her suspicions.

"Wow, this is really big. It's a G cup!"

It looks like it stands for "giga cup," but for some reason it makes me feel full just looking at it.

On an unrelated note, Horikita's breasts aren't small, but aren't large either. They are just the perfect size.

"Ayanokouji-kun. Did you just think of something inappropriate?"

"... No, of course not."

"You were acting strangely though..."

With just a glance, she was able to tell that I was thinking of strange things. She's sharp.

"I was thinking about what I should buy. Which one looks better?"

"If it's just that, then it's fine. You should stop buying those unhealthy foods. The school has a lot of better food options, so don't make a habit out it."

As she said, there's no need to stick to instant fast food.

However, I had an irrepressible urge to buy a few more, so I took a regular sized instant noodle bowl (it said FOO Yakisoba on it) and put it in my basket.

Horikita drew her attention away from the food section and started to look at the necessities section of the store.

Now I could finally score some points with Horikita by telling some witty jokes.

"Wow, this razor has five blades! Seems like it would shave super cleanly." (T/N not sure what the joke is here, probably some pun I don't understand)

"The hell, what would I shave with that?"

I held the razor blade, feeling proud of my joke, but the reaction was different than I expected. I thought she would smile, but she was looking at me like I was disgusting.

"... You know, there's nothing to shave on my chin or even under my armpits."

That hurt my heart. I guess my joke doesn't work on females.

"I'm envious of your courage to say that to someone you randomly met."

"... You've also been saying shit to someone you just met too."

"Really? I was only saying the facts. Unlike you."

She returned my words calmly and shut me up. Granted, I was saying some stupid stuff. The smooth Horikita, though, showed no signs of saying crude things.

Horikita once again chose the cheapest facial cleanser. I think girls should pay more attention to themselves.

"I think this one looks better, doesn't it?"

I grabbed a facial cleanser that was a bit more expensive and looked creamier.

"Not necessary."

I was refused.

"No, but───"

"I already said I didn't need it, didn't I?"

"Yea... "

I gently returned the cleanser back on the shelf as she glared at me.

I thought I could make conversation without getting her mad, but I failed.

"You're not very good at socializing. You suck at coming up with things to talk about."

"Even coming from you... I guess it's pretty true."

"Of course. I have a pretty good eye for people. Normally, I wouldn't want to hear you speak twice, but I will put in the painful effort to listen to you."

For some reason I tried to make friends with her, but my expectations were completely off.

With that, our conversation grinded to a halt. As two girls entered the store and started shopping, I realized something new.

Horikita's really cute.

"Hey. What are these for?"

As I looked for things to talk about, I saw something unusual.

In the corner of the convenience store, I saw individual portions of food and supplies.

At first glance, they looked the same as everything else, but with one major difference.

"Free... ?"

Also feeling interested, Horikita picked up one of the items.

Daily necessities such as toothbrushes and bandages were put in a bin labeled "free of charge". The bin also had the words, "3 items per month" written on it, and it was obvious that these were different from the other goods.

"I wonder if this is emergency relief for those who have used up all their points. What a surprisingly lenient school."

I wonder if they're only thorough with these kind of services, though.

"Hey, just wait a bit! I'm looking for it now!"

Interrupting the peaceful background music was a loud voice from the middle of the store.

"Hurry up! Everyone's waiting!"

"Oh, really!? Tell them to complain directly to me!"

It sounded like there was trouble.. Two boys were glaring at each other as they started to quarrel. The one with a disgruntled face was the all too familiar red hair guy. He was clutching cup noodles in one of his hands.

"What's happening here?"

"Oh? Who're you?"

I meant to talk amicably, but red hair mistook me for another enemy and shot me a glare.

"I'm Ayanokouji from the same class. I spoke up because I thought there was trouble here."

After explaining, red hair lowered his voice after understanding the situation.

"Oh... I remember you. I forgot my student card. Forgot that that thing is practically money from now on."

After seeing his empty hands, he started to head for the dorms. He probably forgot it there.

To be honest, it didn't fully sink in yet that the cards were needed for every payment.

"If it's fine with you, I can pay for it now. It'd be troublesome to go back to get it—I don't mind if you use my points.

"... That's true. It's annoying. Good thing you're here, thanks."

The distance to the dorm isn't a big deal. But by the time he would've gotten back, the line would probably get long since it'd be lunch time.

"... I'm Sudou. I owe you one."

"Nice to meet you, Sudou."

I took the cup noodles from Sudou then walked over to the hot water dispenser. Horikita was amazed after seeing that short exchange.

"You're a pushover even from the first meeting. Are you going to be his obedient servant? Or is this how you're trying to make friends?"

"Rather than making friends, I was just trying to help. Nothing else."

"You don't seem to be scared at his appearance either."

"Scared? Why would I be scared? Because he looks like a delinquent?"

"A normal person would probably stay away from that kind of person."

"Nah, he doesn't even look like a bad person anyway. Also, you don't look scared either."

"Only people without any method of protecting themselves stay away from those types. If he seemed violent, I'd repel him away from me. That's why I'm not really afraid."

Whenever Horikita says something, it's always something unusual. First of all, when she says "repel," what does she mean? Is she carrying around some kind of anti-molester spray?

"Let's finish shopping. It'd bother other students if we loitered around too long."

We finished up our shopping. After presenting the student ID card to the machine, the transaction was quickly completed. It was even faster because there was no small change involved.

"It's really usable as money... "

The receipt showed the prices of each good and the leftover amount of points. The payment went off without a hitch. While waiting for Horikita, I put hot water into the cup noodles. I thought it'd be more difficult to open the lid and pour in the hot water, but it was surprisingly easy. (T/N is this guy an idiot?)

At any rate, this is a really weird school.

What kind of merit does each individual student have that warrants that big of an allowance?

Since my grade has about 160 people in it, by simple calculation, the high school should have about 480 people total. Even in a month that's already 48 million yen. In an year, 560 million.

Even if it's backed by the country, it still seems like overkill.

"I wonder what benefit it would bring to the school. 100,000 yen is a lot to give someone."

"Well... There seem to be way too many facilities for the number of students, and it doesn't seem necessary to give the students that much money. The students may neglect their studies because they have so much money."

I'm not sure if this is our reward for passing the test.

By talking about money, the students might be motivated to work harder.

But, without any conditions attached, 100,000 yen was handed out to everyone.

"It's not something I can really tell you to do, but it's probably better to save your money. Bad habits are difficult to fix. Once humans get used to a comfortable life, it's hard to let it go. The mental shock would certainly be pretty big."

"I'll take that to heart."

I never intended to throw away my money on random expenses originally, but she made a valid point.

After finishing the transaction, Sudou was waiting in front of the convenience store.

Seeing me come out, Sudou waved his hand at me. When I also waved to return his feeling, I felt a bit embarrassed yet happy at the same time.

"... Are you actually trying to eat here?"

"Of course I am. It's common sense, where else would I eat?"

When Sudou answered like that, I was surprised and Horikita let out an exasperated sigh.

"I'm going to go home. It feels like my dignity is slowly degrading away here.

"What dignity are you talking about? You're just a normal high school student. Or are you some kind of ojousama?"

Even though Sudou snapped at Horikita, she didn't even bat an eye.

Feeling irritated, Sudou put down his cup noodles and stood up.

"Ahー? Listen to people when they speak. Hey!"

"What's up with him? Suddenly getting angry."

Horikita continued to ignore Sudou and talked to me.

Having being pushed over the edge, Sudou shouted in anger.

"Come over here! I'll beat you up!"

"I'll admit Horikita's attitude was bad. But your behavior isn't very good either."

Sudou's patience seems to have run out.

"So? Her attitude's way too cheeky for a woman!"

"For a woman? That kind of thinking is outdated. Don't be friends with someone like him."

With that, Horikita turned around, ignoring Sudou to the very end.

"Hey wait! Damn woman!"

"Calm down."

I held back Sudou who was trying to reach for Horikita.

Without even looking back, Horikita headed back for the dorms.

"What kind of person acts like that? Dammit!"

"There are many different types of people, you know."

"Hmph. I hate that kind of person."

He was watching me cautiously. Sudou grabbed the cup noodles, tore off the cover and started eating.

A little while ago, he also fought at the register—it seems like he has a low boiling point for his anger.

"Hey, are you a first year? That's our spot."

As I watched Sudou slurp up his noodles, a group of three boys walked out of the convenience store carrying similar bowls.

"Who are you guys? We're using this spot right now. You're blocking the way. Fuck off."

"Didn't you hear him? Scram. Some cheeky first year brat."

The three laughed at Sudou. Sudou stood up and threw his cup noodles on the ground. Soup and noodles splattered onto the ground.

"The first year's trying to fight, ha— what!?"

... That's not it. Sudou has a low tolerance for anger. He's the type of person to try to intimidate the other party.

"These second years are saying some bullshit things. We're already sitting here."

The second year senpais put down their stuff right there too. And then they began to laugh.

"Yup, we're here too. So scram, this is our spot."

"You guys have some nerve, you shits."

Sudou didn't falter from the difference in numbers. Looks like a fistfight will start anytime soon now. I, of course, didn't count myself in those numbers.

"Wow—— so scary. What class are you guys in. Oh wait, never mind. Let me guess... you're in class D right?"

"So what!?"

After Sudou said that, all the upperclassmen looked at each other, and laughed at the same time.

"Did you hear? He's in the D class! It was really obvious!"

"Oh? What do you mean by that, huh?"

As Sudou was getting heated, the boys took a step back.

"Because you guys are so pitiful I'll let you stay there for today. Let's go."

"You guys running away!?"

"The dog's barking! Anyway, you guys will face hell soon enough anyway."

Face hell?

They clearly looked calm and composed. I wonder what they meant by "face hell".

I thought that this school was for those fancy obocchans or ojousamas, but there are quite a few people like Sudou or that group of three earlier.

"Dammit, if it were girls or nice second-years it would've been fine, but we got that stupid bunch."

Sudou shoved his hands in his pockets and headed back without even cleaning up the noodles.

I looked at the outside of the convenience store. Two surveillance cameras had been placed there.

"There'll probably be problems later, huh."

Reluctantly, I reached down and starting cleaning up the mess.

As soon as the second-years knew Sudou was class D, their opinions changed instantly.

Although I felt anxious about it, there was no way for me to understand why.