Cote: The boy without a childhood

#4

April 1, 2015

I, Kamuro Masumi, have a dream.

What is this dream, one may ask?

Luckily enough, the answer is withing our grasp. Stealing is the basic term, really. I want to acquire one item in particular, just to satiate this burning sensation in my chest. This item can be none other than alcohol.

Just to be clear, it's not ethanol, but alcohol. People tend to confuse the two.

What a bunch of retards. Ugh...

Don't even get me started on that. . . Totsuka idiot. Everyone else is more or less fine, but him?! He's absolutely hopeless! The world would celebrate if he died right now. I'm absolutely positive of it.

Okay, enough thinking about that moron.

The glassy entrance parted as I walked in. Shopkeeper was just dozing of, likely because this place doesn't have customers. I noted the surveillance camera in the corner, easing my movements to look as natural as possible. The fluorescent lights flickered occasionally, fingering my skin with fear.

Now, how would I avoid its all-seeing eye?

It would seem that lady luck decided to bless me since a bunch a rowdy guys jumped in while laughing loudly.

Making sure nobody notices, I opened the fridge and grabbed the glass bottle. It felt cold, like ice. I stayed behind the tallest guy, keeping myself completely covered.

He stank, and I wondered if he even took a bath this morning. Guys can be disgusting like that, which is just unfortunate.

As they went out, I did the same.

"Phew!"

That was. . . thrilling, in a way.

Though, I don't plan on repeating this ever again.

Hopefully, I don't get caught.

1

Ayanokōji was one of the few people who could connect the dots to these confusing questions.

Chabashira-sensei's speech resounded in his mind.

At this school, there are special rules that make it different from every other high school. All students are required to live on campus, and are forbidden from contacting anyone outside the school. Even contacting immediate family is impossible without the permission of the school. Leaving school grounds is also forbidden.

This should be simple enough, right?

Ayanokōji, ever the analytical thinker, continued to ponder the enigmatic nature of Advanced Nurturing High School as he settled into his dorm room. Chabashira-sensei's speech had raised more questions than answers, and he couldn't simply dismiss the peculiar rules and the distribution of points as mere coincidence.

He sat at his desk, gazing at the student card that held his allocated 100,000 points. The phrase "Points will automatically be credited on the first day of the month" echoed in his mind. It seemed like the school's way of obfuscating the truth. The idea of a monthly payment of 100,000 points was rather suspicious.

Then, he delved deeper into the phrases about measuring students' abilities and reflecting their value through points. It didn't make sense that every student in the school was considered of equal value. Ayanokōji had deliberately scored low on his entrance exams, and he couldn't believe that students like Horikita, who excelled, were on the same level of "value."

The school's aim was to groom future leaders, so the idea of equating everyone's worth seemed improbable. Ayanokōji contemplated the possibility that the school used some form of continuous evaluation to adjust each student's allowance. Perhaps their actions and contributions in the school would be reflected in their monthly points.

As he pondered, he realized that this school was more than just an institution of learning. It was a complex web of secrets, rules, and hidden agendas. Ayanokōji's curiosity and determination grew. He knew that to navigate this maze, he needed to understand the rules of the game and figure out how to thrive in this unusual environment.

The mysteries of Advanced Nurturing High School lay before him, waiting to be unraveled, and Ayanokōji was determined to discover the truth.

2

Ayanokōji's contemplation was interrupted by the soft chime of his phone, indicating a new message. He picked up the device and saw that it was a message from Horikita Suzune, the girl he had met earlier. He couldn't help but wonder why she was reaching out to him.

Horikita Suzune (16:49:13): [Have you changed into casual clothes yet?]

Ayanokōji quickly composed a reply, his curiosity piqued.

Ayanokōji Kiyotaka (16:50:02): [Not yet. Why do you ask?]

He hit the send button and waited for her response, his mind filled with questions and anticipation.

Horikita Suzune's reply came promptly, and it was concise and to the point.

Horikita Suzune (16:53:28): [Meet me in front of the dorm building in 10 minutes.]

Ayanokōji didn't have much time to deliberate. He swiftly changed into casual clothing, slipping into a more relaxed attire that was a departure from the school uniform. With a sense of intrigue and anticipation, he made his way to the front of the dormitory building, where he found Horikita waiting.

She had also changed into casual clothes, her dark hair framing her face as she looked up from her phone to meet his gaze. There was a sense of purpose in her eyes, and she wasted no time with pleasantries.

"Follow me," she said, turning and heading in the direction of the school's campus. Ayanokōji fell into step behind her, curious about where this unexpected meeting would lead.

As they walked, Ayanokōji couldn't help but wonder what had prompted Horikita to reach out to him. What did she have in mind, and how did it relate to the school's mysteries? The questions continued to swirl in his mind as he followed her, ready to uncover the answers that lay ahead.