Third day as a normal high school student, it was lunchtime
and I found myself in the cafeteria. I'm here to eat, but that's secondary. It's time to give a solid foundation to all my deductions; I'm confident in my hypotheses, I've never been wrong after all. If everything turns out not to be as I thought, then I'm getting rusty. My partner for this mission was ideal; there couldn't be a more capable person than her. Nanase, who was walking beside me, was wearing an awkward smile; it's probably because my neck is turning countless times, as if I'm looking for something.
Senpai, I know you have a lot of private points and all, but I think buying a 20,000-point lunch is a bit much...
I agree with her, but this action is quite necessary for my goal. I bought the most expensive and luxurious lunch in the cafeteria; it's an extravagant meal set that blends different food cultures. For example, there's a section dedicated to Chinese rice, where roots and different kinds of seasonings abound
I don't intend to eat this by myself. That's why I told you not to cook yesterday; we'll have lunch together.
It's a planned situation; it's not just due to spontaneity.
Nanase looked shy as soon as she heard my words, but she was able to formulate the following:
I still think it's a lot for the two of us...
Don't worry about it; I'll figure out what to do if we don't manage to eat it all.
However, I need you to go along with me for a while, even if it might become uncomfortable for you.
Nanase looked visibly confused, so she tilted her head curiously and asked:
What's all this about?
You'll see in a few seconds; now just follow me
Nanase followed me hesitantly. I suppose she thought she had nothing to lose by coming along. Perhaps she would have cooperated if I had let her know my true intentions, but there's no guarantee of that.
Putting that aside, I scanned the cafeteria again, finally finding the perfect victim. He looks so miserable that he could be my perfect, ideal guinea pig. It was a lazy, depressed-looking student. He was alone, and all he was eating was some vegetable soup—more specifically, the free meal set the school provided on the menu. He also had a glass of water, without any coloring.
This is a forgiving school. I figured that since there were free items at the convenience store, there might be something similar in the cafeteria.
It seems I was right.
Besides, it would be counterproductive for the students of such a prestigious school to suffer from hunger, exhaustion, and malnutrition. It would be a huge blow to the institution's reputation, so they provide defective students with just enough conditions to survive
I'm willing to exploit these loopholes; they're too obvious.
I walked silently over to him, then took a seat directly across from him.
Nanase followed my actions agnostically and sat beside me. The student glanced at us sideways, then visualized the tray laden with luxurious food, smiled bitterly, and then put another spoonful of soup in his mouth.
Given our appearance, his initial impression of us should be that of two model students in upperclasses, who have no problem wasting points stupidly on silly luxuries. To further embitter his miserable existence, I clearly gave him enough grounds to deduce that the girl next to me and I are in a romantic relationship; then, he'll feel even more envious.
Because I have everything he can't have at this dream school.
- What year are you in?
I decided to get straight to the point as I handed some chopsticks to Nanase, who remained silent the entire time. Since the first-year students only received a 100,000-point allocation three days ago, it's impossible for any of them to be eating such a pathetic meal. That's why I determined that this guy isn't a freshman; he's a senpai.
- It's my third year here...
The boy muttered rather suspiciously, but I had no intention of stopping right now. Even if this guy doesn't want to talk, I'll drag the words out of him if necessary; backing down would only be a waste of time.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, senpai. I'm a new student, and this girl next to me is my girlfriend, Tsubasa Nanase. We were both assigned to Class D. Please take care of us."
I avoided revealing my name, so I introduced my fictitious girlfriend instead; this will divert his attention. I prefer to remain anonymous while I make the initial moves; there will be time to stand out and make a scene later.
Nanase, who was next to me, was surprised by such a sudden declaration. Naturally, she was able to maintain her composure, but there's still a cute blush framing her pale cheeks. Of course, I'm prepared to receive a complaint later, but a simple apology will be more than enough
As long as she keeps quiet and doesn't deny my statements, it will be quite helpful.
- I see...
His mood probably changed significantly. He's pleased, because humans enjoy seeing others wallow in misery; so, if he can't have a dream school life, he desperately wants others to have one too.
Still, he's already in my trap, and the idiot doesn't realize it. The conversation will be steered where I want it to go from now on. This boy thinks we'll inevitably end up like him, unhappy and consuming free food, while despair slowly consumes us.
Of course, that's the natural fate of any defective class, regardless of the school year they're in. However, this is a different case; the main difference is that now there's me, someone exceedingly perfect.
- You have a very expensive lunch there; it must have cost you a lot of points.
The boy took a sudden initiative, focusing his words on the tray full of luxurious food on the table
- You don't have to worry about that, senpai. After all, we'll receive one hundred thousand private points monthly; this school is truly amazing.
I pretended to be a naive student; from his point of view, I probably won't be much different from a poor fool.
- Yes, you're right. Spend all the points you can, take advantage of your youth, and give your girlfriend a good student life. This is a school that caters to every need a student could have.
He seems to have gotten talkative.
He's now goading us into spending points; I have to admit, that's very malicious.
On another note, the food you're eating doesn't look appetizing at all, senpai. I'm somewhat curious about it; you also seemed rather melancholic a while ago.
I want to see how he'll respond to this. A pretty girl is expectant and has her eyes fixed on him; that puts extra pressure on him, which will make him not run away from the issue. A man's pride can rarely allow itself to be embarrassed in front of a woman.
It's not like I have experience with this; it's just basic human psychology.
Did you spend all your points, senpai?
Nanase decided to intervene. Now I know I have her full support for this.
The boy gritted his teeth rigidly, remained silent for a couple of seconds, and said the following:
I made a bet with my friends a few days ago, so I lost quite a few private points. I'm trying to save some up now, that's all
Normally it would be a believable excuse, but I can see all his body language and say with certainty that he's lying.
- That was a blatant charade.
Nanase looked at him with distaste; she wasn't convinced either.
- I'm serious!
I sighed, dully chewing the meat in my mouth. It's surprisingly delicious and tender, almost seeming to melt upon contact with my teeth. Anyway, with a throat clear, I spoke again:
Then, I wish you could sell me the full information about all this, senpai
He seems to have gotten talkative.
He's now goading us into spending points; I have to admit, that's very malicious.
On another note, the food you're eating doesn't look appetizing at all, senpai. I'm somewhat curious about it; you also seemed rather melancholic a while ago.
I want to see how he'll respond to this. A pretty girl is expectant and has her eyes fixed on him; that puts extra pressure on him, which will make him not run away from the issue. A man's pride can rarely allow itself to be embarrassed in front of a woman.
It's not like I have experience with this; it's just basic human psychology.
Did you spend all your points, senpai?
Nanase decided to intervene. Now I know I have her full support for this.
The boy gritted his teeth rigidly, remained silent for a couple of seconds, and said the following:
I made a bet with my friends a few days ago, so I lost quite a few private points. I'm trying to save some up now, that's all
Normally it would be a believable excuse, but I can see all his body language and say with certainty that he's lying.
- That was a blatant charade.
Nanase looked at him with distaste; she wasn't convinced either.
- I'm serious!
I sighed, dully chewing the meat in my mouth. It's surprisingly delicious and tender, almost seeming to melt upon contact with my teeth. Anyway, with a throat clear, I spoke again:
Then, I wish you could sell me the full information about all this, senpai
I decided to just blurt that out, hoping he'd understand what I meant.
- Huh?
That question caught him off guard.
"I have no idea what you're talking about..."
He shook his head.
"I want to pay for your knowledge. Tell me everything you know about this school. What its educational system is like, the truth behind the private points; everything closely related to it." I had to be a little more specific.
The boy was silent, stunned by this sudden change in atmosphere.
Nanase looked at me admiringly, murmuring and nodding to herself as if she already understood everything. It was adorable. Okay, no need to flatter me for something so simple; it's just an ordinary action.
"So?"
I pressed again.
"I can't tell you about it. If the school finds out, I'll..."
He stopped mid-sentence, forcing himself to close his mouth for some strange reason
I expected something like this, so I prepared a couple of countermeasures before coming here. Apparently, there's a rule that doesn't allow upperclassmen to remotely reveal anything about the nature of the school; it was fairly easy to understand.
This kid is like an open book.
You can write everything here. Please use this notebook however you see fit, senpai
Nanase anticipated my actions and took a notebook and pen from her bag.
I had a couple of crumpled papers ready in my pocket, but it seems they won't be necessary. Nanase is a smart and perceptive girl; I'm sure she won't have any problems academically speaking.
The boy hesitated, taking the notebook in his hands and swallowing repeatedly. I don't understand why he's so scared—unusually paranoid, I have to say.
So, about the payment...
I see.
Money really does move people.
Ten thousand private points. For someone as broke as you, that should be a bargain.
Absolutely not. I want fifty thousand points, otherwise I won't cooperate with this.
What a greedy person.
I played with my chopsticks a couple of times, as if to make him believe I was thinking about it deeply.
"We can always ask someone else for help. Don't think you're the only option or that we're turning to you as if you're our last hope."
Nanase looked at him, frowning. It seems I can leave the rest of the conversation to her. There's no need to intervene further; things will take their natural course, and everything will unfold according to the hypothetical scenario in my head.
"I see. Goodbye, then."
Nanase took the food tray in her hands and stood up from her chair, seemingly ready to leave. It was a superb performance, resulting in the following reaction:
Wait!
She glanced at him.
Fifteen thousand, I'll do it just for that...
Nanase gave me a questioning look, as if asking if I was okay with that amount. I nodded, quite satisfied with the result.
Okay, it's a deal then.
Nanase extended the notebook and pen once more, so the guy started writing rapidly, glancing occasionally around, paranoid that no one was seeing him. I made sure beforehand that it was a table in social anonymity, so there shouldn't be a problem.
Here it is...
He handed over more than five pages of pure text; his handwriting wasn't the best, but it was still somewhat legible.
Nothing else to note
It was the last day of the month. Third period; therefore, the class about to begin was history. Chabashira-sensei entered the classroom accompanied by the sound of the bell, but apparently that meant nothing to the students, who were still as noisy and disruptive as ever.
"Quiet everyone, today's class will be more serious."
The class watched her with interest. However, I already knew what this meant; I had no choice but to sigh, because my days as a normal high school student were about to end.
"It's the end of the month, we'll have a short quiz. Hirata, take these and hand them out."
"Yes, sensei."
The popular kid acted quickly, so the test reached me in a relatively short amount of time.
"Uh, I didn't know anything about this. I absolutely don't want to take it."
As expected, the class disagreed. It seems all they want is to wallow in their own mediocrity, which is disappointing. Nanase doesn't seem worried, but she keeps glancing at the test over and over, her expression serious.
"Calm down, this test won't be reflected on your report card; it will only be for future reference. However, naturally, cheating is prohibited."
After those words, the exam finally began. There are one hundred questions divided into five sections, which seems rather anticlimactic considering how easy these questions are. Even an elementary school child could answer some of them; everything here is too simple
That's what I thought, but the last three questions in each section were abnormally difficult; that's for a first-year high school student. For example, in math, they directly asked us to solve an irrational polynomial equation followed by an integral. Neither of these problems can be answered without applying complex formulas.
Not for me, of course. I learned all this when I was about seven years old; even this level falls short compared to how extensive my knowledge is. I answered each question with ease; I was aiming for a perfect score.
I glanced at my beautiful neighbor; she was answering the questions, filling in each box quickly. Nanase is a good student; she always pays attention in class and actively participates, sporting a genuine smile. Like me, she loves knowledge. I wouldn't be surprised if she gets a score close to 100; she deserves it.
The test ended after two hours, although I had finished in the first twenty minutes and spent the rest of the time lazing around. It was quite boring
Do you think you did well?
I asked no one in particular.
Umm, the questions were quite easy, actually. Although, there were some I couldn't answer; I think I can aim for over eighty points on the final grade.
I see, there were certainly some questions that were impossible for a high school graduate to solve. Those questions could even be considered college-level; you shouldn't feel bad about not being able to answer them.
- Y...
Nanase wasn't happy with her performance.
I didn't say anything to encourage her this time; rather, I watched her with interest.
I'm interested in knowing her soul.
Who is this girl, really?
There has to be a reason why she was put in this defective class; there's something wrong with her. For the past month, I've been studying her deeply: her personality, her likes and dislikes—anything that would allow me to properly psychoanalyze her.
However, I find nothing.
Was she put here by mistake?
I don't want to believe that, but I'll end up accepting it if I don't find something that sheds light on my paranoia
Nanase is a smart and athletic girl; she could be placed in a higher class without any problem.
Why is she here?
What is her flaw?
Perhaps I'll have to take more extreme measures. The only time he's shown weakness was when he mentioned the death of his friend; the son of the man who was my butler. I can break his mind starting with that, and little by little I'll learn the truth.
As darkness seeped into my eyes, the abyss within me fluttered happily.
I remembered my time in the white room, when I was worshipped as such a deity who treads the earth. Yet, to the me of that time, my existence was not that of a divine being.
I considered myself a monster.
I can in no way be called a human in emotional terms; I am incapable of expressing any feeling.
In the first place...
What does it mean to be human?
Anyone would answer that it is our capacity for logical reasoning that makes us human, for unlike animals, we are not limited to acting merely on instinct.
I don't believe this to be the case.
What if a human being goes mad in some way?
Factors like schizophrenia affect people randomly; you never know when they will happen. So, to dismiss such a person as human would be foolish, because in the past they were self-aware.
Niccolò Machiavelli once said:
Human beings are selfish and wicked by nature, unless they need to be good.
Machiavelli believed that evil was implanted in the human genetic code and that it was instinctive.
It's counterproductive
If that were the case, then we would be justifying the actions and behavior of criminals. Therefore, concepts like good or evil would have no value in today's society.
Because people could justify committing atrocities simply by saying these words:
I am following my instincts.
I am not an evil being even if I have done some things that could be considered immoral before. I am not selfish either; it is impossible for me to feel envy. So, lacking these negative feelings, I can determine that I am neither a monster nor a human.
What am I?
Over time, I have come to the following conclusion:
What makes a person human are those psychophysiological reactions that we call emotions. Without them, we would be nothing more than soulless shells, living in monotony.
Aware of this, I knew.
I am simply a being who breathes and knows that he is alive because he thinks.
I was the most miserable existence of all.