Playing the Game of People

Chapter 4 - End of our Easy-going Lives

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What proceeded in the next week was your typical teen, school life adventures. I made contact with Matsushita and Satou again, engaging them with idle chatter about classes and so forth. Matsushita was insistent on probing me throughout the entirety of our interactions. Such a curious individual, I could see myself being very fond of her in the future.

Hirata and I naturally drew closer together as we participated in the soccer club. We established a kinship with an energetic boy from Class B named Shibata Sou. He was a naturally kind boy with an easy-going, cheery personality. The three of us formed a decent connection and partnership on and off the field. I was happy about making connections outside of my class.

I kept in contact with Horikita and Ayanakouji and wasn't overly surprised when Kushida made another attempt to befriend Horikita. She was relentless in her approach, however Horikita rebuked her every time without fail. I momentarily felt bad for the normally angelic girl but snapped out of it as I remembered her previous attempts. So overbearing and persistent that it was suffocating. This wasn't an endeavour of a girl looking to comfort another; it was the pursuit similar to a stalker. I felt I was harsh in my evaluation but going out of her way to ask Ayanakouji to lay a trap for Horikita in a café? A blatantly invasive and poor plan didn't seem to match with her normally friendly personality. There was something hidden deep in the calm waters, which piqued my interest. I'd have to get more involved with Kushida throughout this year.

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Focusing back on the present, I was lazily resting over my desk as the remainder of my classmates filtered through the door. I saw Ayanakouji walk away from Sudou, Ike, and Yamauchi – dubbed the three idiots – and make his way behind me to his desk. Throughout the month he seems to have made connections with that undesirable group. I thought it'd be wise to tell him to steer clear, but I didn't have the heart to tell him my own opinions about the idiocracy.

As the morning bell rang for our first day of class for the month, Chabashira-sensei strode into the room, holding a rolled-up poster. Her expression was more grim than usual, and I thought that was a clear warning flag.

"Hey, sensei, did you start menopause or something?"

The shorter third of the idiot trio, Ike, let that inappropriate joke fly. I was astounded by his stupidity and bluntness.

"All right, your morning homeroom is about to begin. Before we get started, does anyone have any questions? If so, now is the time to speak." Chabashira-sensei completely ignored Ike's sexual harassment. She appeared totally convinced that the students had questions they wanted answered. Immediately, several students raised their hands. I felt ashamed that I didn't have a question for some reason.

"Um, I checked my point balance this morning, but I didn't see any deposits. Points are given on the first day of every month, aren't they? I couldn't buy my juice this morning," sighed Hondou, a forgettable boy in our class.

Did I miss something? Or did everyone assume we would receive points on the first of the month?

"Hondou, I already explained this before, didn't I? Points are deposited on the first day of the month. I've confirmed that points were wired this month without any issues," replied Chabashira-sensei.

Oh, I definitely missed something. I smacked my forehead with my palm which unfortunately made a louder noise then I intended. A few classmates looked at me strangely and Chabashira-sensei faintly smirked in my direction. I think she interpreted my action incorrectly.

"Um, but...nothing was deposited into my account, though."

Hondou and Yamauchi exchanged glances. Ike appeared too shocked to notice them looking at each other. I'd checked my point balance recently and assumed it had remained the same. Although that was because I missed the important information that points are transferred on the first of every month. I felt even more stupid than Ike, Yamauchi, and Hondou who had spent 100,000 points in the single month. I was honestly impressed.