In an area on the edge of the island, there was a villa designed with a mix of classic and modern styles. The outer ring of the villa was planted with many different kinds of flowers, each with its own unique charm.
Katsuragi Ren led Honami Ichinose into the villa. The first thing she saw was a very large and bright living room, which was decorated in a way that was both rich and cozy. On one side of the living room was an open kitchen with a full set of appliances. On the other side was a huge floor-to-ceiling window, where she could see the moon hanging high over the sea.
"Honami, what do you want to drink?"
Katsuragi Ren tossed the bag of fruit onto the coffee table, walked to the kitchen like he owned the place, opened the fridge, and grabbed a soda. He didn't forget to ask Honami Ichinose what she wanted.
She didn't answer right away. She was still standing in the entrance hall, staring blankly at everything. After the opening ceremony, she had gone to the convenience store to buy supplies and put them in her school dorm. She couldn't understand why Katsuragi Ren wasn't living in the dorms, but in this huge villa instead.
So cold.
A cold drink can touched Honami Ichinose's cheek. The chill brought the girl back to her senses, and she took the orange juice Katsuragi Ren was holding against her face.
"Back with me?" Katsuragi Ren pulled the tab on his soda can with his free hand and took a big gulp. He noticed the life returning to Honami Ichinose's big eyes. He didn't say any more and just walked toward the study. "Come with me."
She followed him into the study. The room was filled with the faint, inky smell of books. Tall bookshelves surrounded them, filled with all kinds of books, which made Honami Ichinose's head spin. Katsuragi Ren liked talking and planning in a place like this; the smell of books helped him think more clearly.
He sat down at the desk, took out a white piece of paper and a pen from the drawer, and said, "Honami, come here."
This wasn't the first time they had been in a scene like this. Honami Ichinose walked to the desk and stared straight at Katsuragi Ren, waiting to see what his ideas were for the class.
"I'm not going to eat you. Why are you standing so far away? Grab a stool and sit here," Katsuragi Ren said, a little annoyed. Honami Ichinose was usually so smart, but at times like this, she was like a block of wood.
"Oh, okay." Seeing her "external brain" was working, Honami Ichinose knew all she had to do was listen. The girl sat down obediently next to Katsuragi Ren, leaning in close.
"Stop snuggling. This is serious."
Katsuragi Ren stopped her from leaning on him and picked up the pen to write on the paper.
Advanced Nurturing High School: A school where ability is everything.
After writing this, he underlined it and asked Honami Ichinose, "What do you think is the most important part of that sentence?"
Honami Ichinose was unsure. "Umm... ability?" she hesitated.
Katsuragi Ren circled the word "ability" and tapped it with his pen to show she was correct. He then asked, "So, what kinds of ability are there?"
"Grades? Or character?"
Hearing her answer, Katsuragi Ren didn't say if she was right or wrong. He just wrote "Grades" and "Character" under the main word. "Anything else?"
"I can't think of anything..."
Honami Ichinose could only think of those two things a school would test. In her mind, this school wasn't that different from schools on the outside.
Katsuragi Ren didn't keep her guessing. He wrote down his own understanding of "ability" at this school.
Intellect. Might. Financial Power. Authority. Influence.
Honami Ichinose, curious about what he was writing, had leaned her head close to his. She read each word as he wrote it.
"Do you understand these?" Katsuragi Ren drew vertical lines to separate the five words, beginning to expand her view.
"Intellect. You can think of this as study skills and strategy. This tests the grades of each class and the plans everyone makes when competing."
"Might. This is simple. Everyone's physical fitness is different, and the strength they can use is different. This might be related to special exams, like a sports festival."
"That's the positive side of might. The negative side..." Katsuragi Ren wrote another word in the "Might" section.
Violence.
"When words don't work, violence appears. The classic example is school bullying. It makes people afraid, and it makes them submit."
"Financial Power. This is money. The importance of money is obvious. It's not just a saying that money makes the world go round."
"Of course, the only currency at this school is points. But everyone will only be here for three years. After graduation, the currency we use will go back to being yen."
"Honami, do you remember the rules Hoshinomiya-sensei told us?"
Honami Ichinose, who had been listening closely, nodded.
"Then which rule do you think is the most important?"
"Umm..."
Katsuragi Ren sighed and gently pinched her nose. He wrote the rule in the "Financial Power" section: Points can buy anything. He circled it to show it was important, then moved on.
"Authority. This can be many things. The school's authority, the teachers' authority, the student council's authority, and even... your authority, right now."
Seeing Honami Ichinose's confused look, Katsuragi Ren explained. "You're basically the class leader of Class B now. That position doesn't just come with responsibility; it comes with authority. The authority to make your classmates act on your ideas."
"Huh? Shouldn't you be the class leader, Ren-kun?"
Honami Ichinose was confused. Katsuragi Ren had "kidnapped" the whole class on the first day. It made sense that he should be the leader.
"You're right, but I refuse. I've watched Class B. You are the leader, and Kanzaki will probably be the vice-leader," Katsuragi Ren said, shattering her fantasy.
What a joke. The boss just needs to collect money and give orders. Why would he get his hands dirty as a team leader? That's what the workers below are for. What's Katsuragi Ren's job? To collect the points the workers earn and enjoy his life.
"Last point: Influence. You can also call it background. You should understand this one very well, Honami. Why could I 'kidnap' the whole class on day one? Because my influence is too strong."
"As long as you're in a society, it's impossible for everyone to be equal. Everyone has a different background, and that leads to different results. For example..."
Katsuragi Ren tapped his fingers on the desk. Honami Ichinose instantly understood. Just looking at the scene in front of them made it clear. Katsuragi Ren's influence had gotten him a villa instead of a dorm. Who knew what else it would get him later?
Katsuragi Ren handed the full piece of paper to Honami Ichinose. He stretched and joked, "I have plenty of empty rooms in the villa, Honami. Want to stay over?"
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