Another two days have passed. During that time I've managed to uncover more information regarding the S system.
Though, it's mostly implied facts mixed in with speculation.
Both class points and private points were obviously interconnected. The amount of class points a class received was proportional to the amount of private points each individual of that class will acquire at the beginning of the next month.
Going off that, the factor of individual conduct both within and outside of classes were essential to the amount of points a class would receive.
For example, if a student littered the hallway, 1 class point would be deducted. Conversely, if a student were to disposed of the trash correctly, that would result in 1 class point added.
The deduction and addition of 1 point is only an assumption on my part, there's currently no way for me to be sure of the exact value of which each action was graded.
Of course, it was a high possibility that class points could not be increased through conventional means simply because it would overload the government financially if each class amassed too much points to deposit.
Aside from loans, my theory is that alot of points can only be gained through special instances or exams and club activities due to the fact that it's also possible to lose a large amount of it during those events; which would somewhat alleviate the government's financial burden.
From what I could gleam of Manda's round about answers, class points were worth more than private points.
And seeing as it was connected to private points, the ratio should be around 1:100.
It was the most plausible given that we received 100,000 points as opposed to 10,000.
That would also mean that each class started off with a base of 1000 class points at the beginning of the semester and their behavior from then on determined whether or not it would increase, decrease or remain neutral.
Hypothetically, I could have bought the information from Manda, but doing so was impractical.
For one, I was unsure of whether I'd receive any private points next month, so I had to be cautious with my spending.
Also, I intended to use her for an extended period, so gaining her trust through conventional means would yield better results than bribery.
While it's true that the latter was an effective tactic, it was only useful in cases where the target was willing to disclose information regardless of risk to oneself; which Manda, currently, was not.
My eyes lifted, taking note of Kushida's short strut towards the back of the class, "Horikita-san, would you like to come with us to the café today?" She asked, stopping next to Horikita's desk with an amicable smile.
She's at it again today.
Over the past week, multiple people have attempted to befriend Horikita by inviting her to various outings, however, they were all shut down mercilessly each time.
Everyone else had given up by the fourth day, however, Kushida was persistent. She failed to understand that Horikita simply did not want any friends.
"Not interested." Horikita replied coldly.
"I see. Well, then, I'll try inviting you again another time."
"There's no need for that, my answer will remain the same." She said bluntly.
If I didn't know better, I'd have thought Horikita was being unnecessarily harsh. But, she was simply expressing her thoughts.
"I'll invite you again." It wasn't obvious, but the slight dim in her smile suggested she was affected by Horikita's words. Despite that, she maintained her warm expression and walked off.
The beige beauty strolled out of the classroom with her posse.
"Kikyo-chan, just stop inviting Horikita-san. I hate how stuck up she-"
One of the girls, Maezono's, voice cut away just as the door closed.
If I could hear her comment, then there was no question of whether Horikita did as well, but, from her lack of a reaction, she didn't seem to care.
"You won't try to invite me to places will you?" She asked, her crimson eyes directed at her immediate neighbor.
Ayanokoji replied as nonchalant as usual, "Nope, I understand your personality well enough to know it's pointless to try."
Her gaze turned to me, "And you?"
I considered her question briefly before answering. "I won't. I have no interest in dragging people into things they clearly don't want to be a part of."
It was a half truth. While I truly saw no point in forcing connections where none were desired, I had no qualms with it if it benefited me.
She nodded slightly, "I'm relieved to hear that."
She then left the classroom. With Ayanokoji getting up soon after, but before leaving, he'd been called aside by Hirata.
They exchanged words briefly before Ayanokoji went on his way. Reading their lips, I found out that Hirata had called him over to have him talk to Horikita so she could be nicer to the others, but, Ayanokoji told him to talk to her directly before taking his leave.
After a while, the class emptied out and left me to bask in the calming silence on my lonesome.
-.-
With my bag slung over my shoulder, I made my way back towards the dormitory. It was now 17:02 and the sun had began to dye the sky a soothing orange hue as it descended from its perch.
Following the end of school, I lingered in class for a while. Afterwards I visited the library.
I'd been searching for whatever book seemed interesting in an attempt to stem my boredom.
I found one called "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie. I've read a number of her works before I began living in Japan.
Despite knowing the plot inside out, this one, in particular, was always good enough to stave off my boredom; moreso because of its underlying themes than anything else.
Unlike most other detective stories where it seems the killer and other suspects are the only ones willing to end a life, this book makes it apparent that that is not the case. Everyone, even the most innocent of men can become a killer if prompted to act.
She reaffirms that it is within human nature to respond negatively to threats that are a danger to them or those they hold dear.
More importantly, it shows that the world doesn't revolve around only the good and the bad, but also the acts of those in the grey that make it difficult to dole out punishment without questioning whether it was the correct choice to do so.
I had stumbled upon a quote once. It went something like this:
'Never judge until you can see through the eyes of the person you are judging, and then... never judge. The least amount of judging we can do, the better off we are.'
The first half applied exceedingly well to the scenario presented in the novel.
While the second was the embodiment of the person I was about to meet.
My gaze hovered over the stationary figure of Hirata who stood by a vending machine with a thoughtful look.
He was in his club attire; a light green bib and black shorts with sweat trickling down his face like a broken sprinkler as he aired out his clothing.
Club activities weren't set to end until 18:00 so he was likely there to acquire a beverage and leave. Deviating from my path, I walked up to him.
"Hmm, they don't have it...I guess I'll take this one." He mumbled to himself, pressing a button on the key pad before swiping his ID card through the machine scanner.
"Hirata."
I called. He turned to me after collecting his juice from the pick up box and twisting it open.
He took a sip before releasing a breath and addressing me, "Oh, Monty-kun. What is it? Do you need something?" He smiled.
"Yeah. What are you thoughts on the S system?" I asked, getting straight to the point.
Based on his response, I could determine how much information I needed to disclose to prevent this conversation from dragging on more than necessary.
I intend on having Hirata inform the class about the impacts their behaviour may have on our likelihood of receiving points next month.
The reason I chose him specifically was simply because he'd been established as a respected figure within the class and was highly receptive as well.
Meaning, my words would be more convincing coming out of his mouth.
I could have used Kushida to the same effect, but, from what I know about her, she may continue pestering me afterwards.
Hirata seemed considerate enough to not bother me all the while which is exactly why using him was the more desirable option.
"The S system?" He took another sip and regarded me thoughtfully.
"Chabashira-sensei mentioned that the points we receive is a reflection of our worth in the eyes of the school. Though 100,000 points seems a bit much...." He trailed off, "Spending that much money monthly is bound to cause a dent in anyone's pockets. I'm a bit worried to be honest."
Wiping away the sweat from his eyes, Hirata took a seat on the bench next to him and smiled, "Anyhow, is there a specific reason you asked me this, Monty-kun?"
Sighing, I locked eyes with our class' defacto leader. He didn't know anything past what he'd been told by Miss Chabashira. Though, it wasn't surprising. Not everyone thinks the same way I do.
Resting my bag down on the bench, I too took a seat before lifting my gaze to the starlit skies as I smoothly adjusted my glasses.
"The school's aim is to raise us into responsible and upstanding individuals who will go on to lead Japan into a prosperous future."
"However, the teachers and the S system promote the exact opposite. Students don't get reprimanded for interrupting classes or wasting time. They also don't stop us from squandering points either."
"Why do you think that is?" I gave him a sideways glance before answering my rhetoric, "They expect us to make our own decisions. Whether or not those decisions are beneficial is entirely up to us."
Hirata's brows furrowed slightly as he took in my words, "What are you trying to say..."
"Miss Chabashira said the school gives us what we're worth. Over the past week, Class D has behaved poorly both in and outside of class."
"It's a logical assumption that any class which is disruptive will only lose more value as time goes on while a class that follows the rules will, embody the opposite."
"This means, next month we aren't guaranteed to receive the same amount of points."
I had excluded anything differentiating Class points and Private points on purpose.
While I knew class points existed, the exact value of which it was measured eluded me so I saw it best to generalize the points and explain it in a way he could understand.
"That does make sense..." Cupping his chin, he took on a look of contemplation before eyeing me with a reluctant frown, "But...By this, do you mean to say that Class D can be considered as 'defective'?"
Yes.
"That is up to your interpretation." I said.
"I see..." Hirata muttered, brows furling with a half hearted grin, "But why tell me this? Don't you think it would've been better to inform the class? If you had told them earlier, I'm pretty sure they'd have listened." He reasoned.
I stood up and shook my head while reaching for my bag, "I'm afraid that only applies to people like you, Hirata. I'm not as popular as you are, so they'd be less likely to listen."
I turned away.
"I wouldn't be surprised if they outright ignored my warning." A self-depricating chuckle accompanied those words.
"Well...I guess your not wrong; but I don't think they'd ignore you." He said.
My gaze lingered on him momentarily.
Never judge...He truly is the very embodiment of that quote. Tragic.
He seemed rather hesitant when speaking his next words, "Will you really be alright with me taking credit?" Hirata asked me.
Scratching his cheek, Hirata met my eyes with a soft smile, "Sorry for the barrage of questions, Monty-kun, but, what makes you so sure of this?"
"I mean, your points are solid and I agree that the S-system does seem suspicious, but I'd still like to know what led you to believe all of this. It'll help me reason it out better when I tell everyone."
My eyes fell shut as I placed my free hand into my pocket, "Aside from what was stated just now, there's also a well hidden camera at the back of the class that supports my argument."
Hirata's eyes widened slightly, "There's a camera? I've never noticed it before."
"That was the intention." I nodded, "People who're unaware that they're being watched are more inclined to act out. In our case, they'll misbehave."
Eyes widening in realization before mellowing out into a more thoughtful expression, Hirata smiled at me once more.
"I see...Then, thank you, Monty-kun."
Lifting his beverage to his lips, he finished his juice with one last chug before discarding the empty box into a bin next to him.
"Tomorrow, when I relay the information to the class I'll be sure to tell them you were the one who found out about it too. I'm sure they'll be grateful to hear that." He smiled.
"Don't credit me. Doing so would considerably weaken your credibility."
I wasn't against the idea of being in the spotlight; in fact, I'd much rather that be the case, it'd make things much easier.
However, at the moment, that level of social exposure would prove counterproductive seeing as I have virtually no information on any of the other classes.
Or even that boy, for that matter.
So if I actually were to take charge now, I'd be showing my hand too early. Which would likely prompt the other classes to be more cautious of me.
Though, that same logic will apply to Hirata as well. The only difference is that I won't be put under surveillance with how seemingly uninvolved I'll be with the Class' politics.
"B-but-" I stared into his eyes calmly for a few seconds. He should've understood what I was trying to say.
Eventually, he finally relented with a sigh, "Alright...But, I'd still like to thank you regardless. If what you told me is true, which I trust it is, your contribution will help the class alot."
Hirata outstretched his hand towards me, "I look forward to working with you." Accepting the gesture, I nodded and smiled to show my gratitude.
"I'll be off then."
-The Next Day-
Placing my elbow atop my desk, my chin rested on the back of my hand as I scribbled down a summarized version of the notes I'd received.
Miss Chabashira was currently briefing us on Japanese History from the Meiji period. She detailed events and reforms that slowly shaped Japan into what it is today. Though tedious, I listlessly dissected the information, jotting down its most essential points.
Emperor Meiji's reign lasted from 1862 to 1912. The emperorship, which had ended at the tail end of the Nara period in 794, was restored during this time. Emperor Meiji moved his residency to Tokyo from Kyoto, making it the new capital and restoring his imperial power as well.
The new national policies were introduced to prepare Japan as a powerful and rich country to safeguard itself from Western invasions. The focus was on establishing a strong army and strengthening industries. The boundary between the social classes of Tokugawa Japan was broken, and the establishment of human rights, such as freedom of religion, was included in the reforms. To sustain the government, the former feudal lords, daimyo, had to return their lands to the emperor.
After some decades, as Westernization practices grew intense, a revival of nationalistic and conservative feelings arose: the principles of Shinto and Confucianism were emphasized. To transform the agrarian economy of Tokugawa Japan into an industrial and developed one, numerous Japanese scholars were sent abroad to study science and languages. The government supported the growth of industries and businesses directly.
In the mid-1880s, a large financial crisis led to large expenditures, which were followed by the development of the currency system and the creation of the Bank of Japan. The textile industry grew the quickest and stayed dominant until World War II.
Through the victories in the Sino-Japanese War in 1895 and the Russo-Japanese War in 1904, the country became a world power.
Whilst writing, my eyes drifted from my notes to the classroom. Horikita, as usual, was diligently taking notes. Ayanokoji looked as indifferent as ever, though he was also attentive. Up to the front, Kushida seemed engaged in the lecture along with Hirata, Mei Yu Wang and Yukimura.
I sighed inwardly. Even though they were paying attention, they still numbered in the minority. The rest of the class were either on their phones, chatting or busy fiddling with something else.
Ringgggggggg
"Alright everyone. Classes are finished for the day." Miss Chabashira said, closing her book and turning to the room from the whiteboard.
She didn't even need to wait a second before the classroom erupted into incessant chatter. I closed my book and tucked it away into my bag as I watched her head to the door.
She was about to leave, however Hirata's voice pierced through the noisy atmosphere and pulled her back.
"Everyone, please, settle down. I have a very important announcement to make, it's imperative that we all listen." He spoke loudly, taking a stand at the front. Miss Chabashira stood by the door and watched with mild interest.
Koenji propped up his feet atop his desk, flipping his hair back as he admired his looks, "Be quick, Hirata-boy, I've got a date to attend this afternoon." He articulated haughtily.
"I promise it won't take long, Koenji-kun." Hirata nodded, his gaze flitting to me briefly before regarding the class once more.
"What I'm about to say is in regards to the points we've received. I fear next month we might not gain as much as we did at the start of the semester." I glanced at Miss Chabashira and her brow lifted in what seemed to be amusement.
Sudo scoffed, "What? The hell're you on about?"
By now, the class had quieted down and turned their attention towards the blond up-front.
Looking towards the artificial redhead, Hirata continued, "What I mean, Sudo-kun, is that if the class continues as it is, the likelihood of us getting any points drops dramatically."
"What's our behaviour gotta do with points?!" Ike shouted.
"It has everything to do with it, Ike-kun. The school's aim is for us to become responsible, upstanding adults that will lead Japan to a successful future." Hirata replied calmly, "Chabashira-sensei told us at the start of school year that the school gives us what we're valued." He paused briefly, his gaze finding mine for a moment before looking out over the class once more.
"Barely a week has passed and Class D has behaved poorly both in and out of class. If we continue to act disruptive the school will only value us less as time goes on. On the other hand, a class that complies and follows the rules will increase in value. Even though this school is government funded, that doesn't mean they have money to waste so there truly is no guarantee that we'll get points next month."
After Hirata's explaination, the noisy room subsided into an intense silence. I observed the class quietly, noting down each and every one of their individual reactions.
Most of them seemed doubtful of his words with some whispering to each other as if what he said was crazy talk. But, there were those that seemed to agree, namely: Kushida Kikyo, Horikita Suzune, Matsushita Chiaki, Koenji Rokusuke, Yukimura Teruhiko and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.
I was unsure of whether Ayanokoji truly understood because his expression was always neutral.
Miss Chabashira, however, seemed invested in Hirata's reiteration of my explanation. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that she felt proud seeing as she was smirking throughout the whole interaction.
Kushida spoke up, "...Actually, I was thinking the same thing."
"Y-you actually believe that, Kushida-chan?" Ike was appalled.
"Yeah. Afterall, Hirata-kun has no reason to lie." She added, causing him to grumble in resignation. It seems his dislike for Hirata was outweighed by his reverence of Kushida.
"Hirata-boy, you're wasting your breath on such mundane concerns. Points, behavior, value—these are all trifles to someone as magnificent as myself."
Koenji smirked, "Hmph. If the rest of you lot simply emulated my perfect existence, there would be no need for such worries." Admiring his reflection as he brushed his hair, "Then again, none among you are capable of replicating perfection. Hahaha!"
A number of the girls rolled their eyes at him while the rest of the class simply ignored him.
Hirata laughed sheepishly with a closed eye smile. He chose not to reply, likely to refrain from fueling Koenji's delusions or prompting any snide remarks from the girls.
"Then, Hirata-kun, are you suggesting we refrain from spending too much points?" Yukimura asked, ignoring Koenji's earlier comment.
Hirata nodded, smiling, "Yes, I'd also appreciate it if everyone tries to pay attention in class and hold back from being disruptive, atleast until next month."
Pointing to the top left corner at the back of the room, he continued, "If you haven't noticed, there's a camera at the back of the classroom monitoring us."
Everyone turned their gazes to the back of the room and squinted their eyes before they widened in shock, "I was surprised aswell, I didn't see it until I searched for it this morning." Hirata chuckled sheepishly.
"What makes you so sure we won't get any points?" Yamauchi voiced, "Just because we're making a little noise doesn't mean that we'll be less valuable to the school y'know."
"I'm aware of that, Yamauchi-kun, however, we still can't ignore the possibility. I think it would be better for us to comply and be wrong than not to and regret it." Hirata reasoned.
No one could argue back against Hirata's final statement, not even the ditsy trio of Ike, Yamauchi and Sudo.
This was mostly attributed to Hirata and Kushida's appeal to their opposing genders as well as their transparent natures.
After a while, the students slowly got up and began making their way towards their respective clubs or elsewhere with their friends. Miss Chabashira's gaze lingered on Hirata for a while before she also took her leave with a snort.
Looking out the window, I relished in the short silence that came after.
"Hey, Horikita, could I ask you something?" Ayanokoji queried, the girl in question already moving to a stand.
"What is it?"
"I wanted you to go somewhere with me for a little bit." He added. Just yesterday he'd said it was pointless to invite her out, but, it seems he's already forgotten.
She looked at him skeptically, "What are you after?"
"Do you think that by inviting you out I'm after something?" He spoke in an incredulous tone.
Frowning, she looked over to me, "Why not ask Monty-kun to accompany you?" Once again dragging me into their conversation.
Before Ayanokoji could articulate a response, I got up and walked off.
Horikita has a recurring habit of deflecting whatever she doesn't want to deal with onto me fully knowing I couldn't be bothered to deal with it either.
One of these days, I'll be sure to return the favor with interest.
Exiting the classroom, I didn't even look back as I closed the door behind me and made my way towards the dorms.
Now that Hirata has dealt with the matter regarding class points, I simply have to wait until next month to see if my deductions regarding class points were correct.
Afterwards, I'll start focusing on analyzing the students of the other classes.
Over the next two and a half weeks, the class' conduct had increased dramatically. The amount of late comers and absences were nonexistent.
Students like Karuizawa Kei and Sato Maya who were usually enamored with whatever was on their phones, had set them aside and began jotting down notes. The rest of the students did the same, even Koenji refrained from constantly staring at his reflection.
While the idiot trio weren't as attentive as everyone else, they'd stopped interrupting classes and at least made an effort to pay attention. Sudo dozed off for quite a number of the lessons, but, it was still an improvement.
The bell rang and in came Miss Chabashira. She seemed to be more serious than usual.
"Alright, everyone, today's lesson will be a bit serious." She addressed the silent classroom, "We're gonna have a short test. Please, pass these to the back." She instructed, handing the papers to those sitting at the front.
Eventually, the single sheet test reached my desk. I scanned the sheet. It had 20 questions in total, five of each belonging to the five main subjects.
"This test is just for future reference. It won't be reflected in your report cards. There is no risk involved, so don't worry. Of course, cheating is still prohibited." She informed.
I see...So this is our academic evaluation. The way she phrased her sentence made it seem as though it was simply an ordinary pop quiz. However, her expression and words said otherwise.
"This test is just for future reference." If it wasn't going to be recorded in our report cards then the only other conclusion was for it to be an assessment of our academic capabilities. It might even be used on a future exam.
I sighed. Seeing as that's the case, I should get high marks. I don't want to stand out too early, but, I'll need at least a moderate amount of attention to act more freely.
Soon, the pop quiz began. Most of the questions were extraordinarily simple so I quickly dealt with them and moved on to the more challenging ones.
I calmly assessed the math question. While it would prove problematic to most if not all of the first year student body, I could solve the question without any serious contemplation.
The question asked to solve for the value of p in the function fp(x). Specifically, it determines the value of p such that the tangent line to fp(x) at x = -1 has a slope of 2.5.
The point A is (x, fp(x)) = (x, 9√x²+p / x² + 2).
At x = -1, this gives A = ( -1, 9√1 + p / 1 + 2) = ( -1, 3 √1+p).
The line k with a slope of 2.5 touches fp at A, i.e., it passes through point A. Therefore, k = mx + c, where m = 2.5.
Substitute point A into the equation to get the constant c:
3√1+p = 2.5 • (-1) + c
3√1+p = -2.5 + c
c = 3√1+p + 2.5
Thus,
k = 2.5x + 3√1+p + 2.5
The only way to find the value of p is to find the derivative of fp(x).
Instead of using the quotient rule, one can also apply the product rule on
fp(x) = 9(x² + p)½ (x² + 2)^{-1}
Which gives
d/dx fp(x) = 9 [((x² + p) ½)' • (x² + 2)-¹ + (x² + p)½ • ((x² + 2)-¹)']
= 9 [ x(x² + p) -½ • (x² + 2)^{-1} - 2x (x² + p)^1/2 • (x² + 2)-²]
Compute fp'(-1) easily as
fp'(-1) = 9[ (-1)(1 + p) -½ • (1 + 2) -¹ + (-2)(-1)(1 + p) -½ • (1 + 2) -²]
= 9 [ -1/3(1 + p) -½ + 2/9 (1 + p) -½]
= -3(1 + p) -½ + 2(1 + p) ½ = 2.5
Let X = 1 + p, then
-3/√X + 2 √X = 2.5
Solving the equation gives:
-3/√X + 2/X = 2.5
Let y = √X, then y² = X, and the equation becomes:
3/y + 2y = 2.5
Multiply through by y:
-3 + 2y² = 2.5y
Rearrange the equation:
2y² - 2.5y - 3 = 0
Solve this quadratic equation using the quadratic formula y = -b ± √b² -4ac/2a :
y = 2.5 ± √(-2.5)² -4•2•(-3)/2•2
y = 2.5 ± √6.25+24/4
y = 2.5 ± √30.25/4
y = 2.5 ± √5.5/4
This gives us two solutions for y :
y = 2.5 + 5.5/4 = 2
y = 2.5 - 5.5/4 = -0.75
Since y = √X and must be positive:
y = 2
Thus,
√X = 2
Proceed to square both sides,
X = 4
Therefore,
1 + p = 4
p = 3
So, the value of p is 3.
There were two other questions of similar difficulty, both belonging to English and Japanese history. I finished them just as easily before checking the time.
The test took me 3 minutes and 23 seconds to finish.
Lifting my gaze, I saw that Matsushita Chiaki, seated diagonal to me, had erased her answer for one of the more challenging questions of the test. She then proceeded to write the incorrect answer before answering another one, of the same difficulty, correctly without much contemplation.
Afterwards, she decided to erase her answer mid-writing and abruptly closed the test paper with a huff.
Placing an elbow atop the desk, her head nestled neatly within her palm as her hair spilled over the side. Looks like she chose not to write more so out of laziness than inability.
When Hirata had spoken to the class in regards to class points, she was one of the few that seemed like they'd already suspected that the school had other reasons for giving us such a large allowance.
Her association with Karuizawa and her clique must've been born out of a want to stay under the radar rather than them sharing similar interests.
Though, it could also be both.
I returned my gaze to my test paper and briefly pondered whether I should lower my score or not. I had no problems with standing out among the crowd, which was why I answered most of my questions correctly on the entrance exam.
But now I know that was merely a formality. The interview we did afterward was the real test and my being placed in Class D was more than enough proof of that.
Picking up my pen, I spun it lazily at my fingertips before deciding to scratch out the last three answers.
Seeing as they were the most difficult it wouldn't be too far fetched for them to believe I was simply unable to solve it. They'd at least see my attempts at the questions so it wouldn't raise suspicion about my academic abilities.
I'll still score high though, but not high enough to be in the spotlight.
This school placed me in Class D because I have a "defect" which I myself could pin point quite easily.
I was uncooperative.
Atleast, that's the impression I gave during the interview.
My classmates also had certain issues of their own, meaning, the closer a Class was to A, the less prominent their defect would be.
Also, monthly evaluations suggest that this school sorts us depending on societal merit rather than actual talent. It explained why they didn't mind taking in people with physical defects either.
But then, that raises the question.
What were Hirata and Kushida's flaws? While Kushida's may be her desire for attention, is it really so bad for her to be considered a defective product?
And Hirata, even though his pacifist, non-judgy mentality could qualify as a good thing, situations that call for action would be rather problematic for him to deal with. But, that's still too shallow of a justification for their placement.
I'm sure the school considered putting them in Class B as it would've been the best place for both parties to shine due to their impeccable social skills, but decided against it for a problem not found within the interview.
Which means they could have insight into our pasts as well. I mean, it was a given that all schools had access to the records of your previous.
Even so, the chances that they'd be able to uncover much given that I wasn't originally a Japanese citizen was quite low.
10% would be a generous estimation.
Setting down my pen, I glanced to the front of the room to see Miss Chabashira eyeing us intently before shifting my gaze out the window.
That aside, they could've simply messed up my class assortment or my interview performance was deemed unsatisfactory in some capacity.
The latter theory was a strong possibility. But I'd be disappointed if that's all it was.
My lips parted slightly, a soft breath escaping my throat as my tinted lenses filtered out the sun's light for my golden eyes to see clearly.
Turning my head with a gradual movement, I skimmed over the lowered heads of my seated classmates with an enigmatic expression.
Finding out the true reasoning behind my class placement isn't all that difficult.
In the mean time, I'll take my time to uncover theirs.