"Horikita-san, why did she manage to learn your name so smoothly?"
The gloomy-faced boy beside her asked.
"Probably because she looked somewhat agreeable, so I answered her."
Horikita Suzune continued turning the pages without lifting her head.
"But is it really okay to just ignore her? She's already been hurt by your blunt refusal."
Hearing the boy's words, Horikita Suzune finally looked up.
Amane was still holding out her hand.
But she was frozen in place.
It seemed she had never been rejected before and didn't know what to do.
What a girl with no common sense.
Horikita sighed inwardly.
Why did she say no common sense?
Because in social interactions, only two types of people are confident that others will agree to their requests.
One is someone stronger than the other.
However, such people would disdain to extend their hand first.
The other type is a novice who has just started socializing.
The one in front of her clearly belonged to the latter.
Horikita, out of helplessness, shook Amane's hand.
If she kept that posture, she would definitely attract attention, which would be a bother for Horikita.
"Hehe, Horikita-san, what are you reading?"
Amane just glanced and knew she was reading Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment.
It could be said to be a very famous and interesting book.
Could it be that Horikita-san was also a literary girl?
"Ah, you're just like the one next to me. If you want to make friends, why don't you two try first?"
Horikita Suzune pointed to the gloomy boy beside her.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Ayanokoji Kiyotaka."
Facing the gloomy boy, Ayanokoji's self-introduction,
Amane seemed a bit nonchalant.
"Miyako Amane, please take good care of me."
After saying that, her eyes fluttered as she looked at Horikita Suzune.
Horikita Suzune, watched by Amane's intense gaze, had no choice.
She could only look up and meet Amane's eyes.
"It seems you're even lonelier than I am, but your resilience is too weak."
Lonely... "How did Horikita-san figure that out?"
"Your eyes. Your face is smiling, but there are no emotional fluctuations in your eyes. If described in a novel, it would be that there is no light in your eyes."
It was rare for Horikita Suzune to say so many words in one breath.
"Did Horikita-san really read so much just from my eyes? Horikita-san, you're so cool!"
Cool?
Horikita Suzune was praised with such a word for the first time.
She was a little puzzled.
"Cool?"
"Mhm mhm mhm, think about it, just from someone's eyes, you can read their emotions and analyze their current psychological state. Isn't that like mind-reading? Super cool!"
Amane's small face was slightly flushed, her hands clasped together at her chest, looking at Horikita Suzune as if she were a big star.
It made Horikita feel a bit embarrassed.
"It's not that I can read minds, it's that you're too easy to read."
Crack.
What broke?
It was her heart.
Then it's fine.
Amane turned around, biting her finger.
The only person she could talk to was actually a sharp-tongued girl.
Was she really that miserable?
Just as Amane was still agonizing,
a woman in a teacher's uniform entered from outside, carrying a bag.
She looked to be in her twenties or thirties.
She seemed to be a capable woman.
She was very neat all over, and instead of elaborately styling her hair, she simply tied it into a very ordinary ponytail.
"Hello, freshmen. I am Chabashira Sae, the homeroom teacher for Class D. I usually teach Japanese history. This school does not change classes every academic year, so for the next three years until graduation, I will be your homeroom teacher and study alongside you. Please take care of me."
Warm applause erupted in the classroom.
Some boys even whistled frivolously.
Chabashira Sae selectively ignored the disruptive boys and continued.
"The entrance ceremony will be held in the gymnasium an hour from now. Before that, I will distribute materials regarding this school's special rules, although these were already given to you during the prior entrance orientation."
After Chabashira-sensei finished speaking, she began distributing the materials.
Amane briefly skimmed through the documents.
Other than the binding, there was no difference from what she had received earlier.
The biggest difference between this school and others in terms of daily life was the requirement for all students to accept the dormitory agreement.
And to cut off contact with the outside world.
It was equivalent to living in seclusion for three years.
For Amane, this was simply perfect.
This way, she could fully enjoy school life without being disturbed.
Next, Chabashira-sensei briefly introduced the S System.
And the fact that 100,000 points would be issued every month.
However, she specifically emphasized that in this school, points could buy anything.
This school was so generous that it gave a group of high school students, whose quality varied, points equivalent to 100,000 yen for them to spend as they pleased.
It was an incredible thing.
Was this really a school where ability reigned supreme?
Amane continued to look through the handbook.
The section on school buildings listed facilities such as a shopping center, cafe, shops, karaoke, and a cinema.
From this, it could be seen that the school was quite concerned about the students' lives.
"Hopefully, it won't become a hotbed for student decadence."
Amane put away the handbook.
After Chabashira-sensei reminded everyone not to forget to go to the gymnasium for the entrance ceremony an hour later,
She left the classroom.
The classroom immediately erupted into a festive celebration.
Everyone eagerly discussed where they would go to have fun later.
And what grand meal they would eat.
Some also talked about buying beautiful new clothes.
That sounds good!!!
But Amane looked around and realized.
No one had invited her at all.
How about... trying to invite Horikita-san to go for bubble tea together?
"Horikita...-san."
As soon as Amane turned her head, she saw Horikita Suzune staring intently at her.
She exuded an aura that said, 'If you dare to invite me, you'll suffer a terrible fate.'
Horikita-san is so scary.
Amane miserably turned her body back around.
At this moment, to save those poor souls who hadn't integrated into a group, that man stood up.
A boy who looked like a promising young man stood on the podium.
"Could everyone please listen to me for a moment?"
The noisy classroom gradually quieted down.
Everyone looked at the boy who dared to be the first to speak to the entire class.
"Starting today, we will be living together in the same class, so I thought we could all spontaneously introduce ourselves. It would be great if everyone could become friends quickly, and there's still time before the entrance ceremony. What do you think?"
Yay!
That's super awesome!
Can I finally escape this deadly social circle and become friends with other people?
"I agree!"
Amane eagerly raised her hand high.
Horikita Suzune, behind her, glanced at Amane's back.
Then she silently packed her belongings.
She was not like that person who was eager to communicate with others but was a social idiot.
She had no interest in such boring activities.