- Maple Tree -
Maple let out a small yell to get everyone's attention.
"Hey guys, I've got an announcement! Starting next week, I'm taking a short break from NWO because I'm transferring to a new school."
Everyone in Maple Tree looked at her in surprise.
Iz gave a knowing nod.
"Ah, right. It's almost April. Congrats, Maple. We're gonna miss you."
Sally gave her a hug too.
"Honestly, I wanted to apply to the same school, but my grades weren't good enough..."
Maple quickly reassured them.
"Don't worry, it's just temporary. And Sally, we can still meet up in NWO!"
Before logging out, Maple bowed and said,
"See you all later!"
---
- April -
Sakura petals were falling.
Lots of students in red uniforms were heading to class—Kaede included.
Kaede looked at the name board while humming.
"Let's see… I'm in Class 1-B, so that means third floor. Alright, off I go!"
While heading up, she noticed a super serious-looking guy talking to a really pretty girl with long black hair.
Kaede smiled.
"Whoa, they seem close. Maybe they're already besties."
---
- Class 1-B -
Right before Kaede walked in, the teacher was already right behind her, so she went straight to her seat.
Next to her was a girl with dark bluish-black hair.
"Whoa, this school's full of cute girls."
Before Kaede could say anything to her seatmate, the teacher spoke up.
"Hey everyone! I'm Chie Hoshinomiya, your Class B teacher. I'll be your homeroom teacher for the next three years, and these are your classmates for that whole time too. Let's all get along, okay?" she said, sounding super peppy.
"Alright, let's start with introductions. Let's begin from the back."
A guy with dark purplish hair stood up.
"My name's Ryūji Kanzaki. I like fishing. Hope we can all help each other out."
"So serious. Alright, I'm calling you Serious-kun from now on."
Next, a girl with peach-colored hair and a glowing innocent vibe stood up.
"Good morning, everyone! I'm Honami Ichinose. I hope we can all be friends! I don't really have a hobby, but I hope we can have lots of fun together."
"Wow, Honami-chan is super sweet."
Then about half the class introduced themselves, including the girl sitting next to Kaede—her name was Yuki Himeno. What a cute name.
Now it was Kaede's turn.
She stood up.
"Hey everyone, I'm Honjō Kaede. My hobby's playing with my pet turtle in VR games. Right now I'm playing NWO. Let's all get along for the next three years!"
Kaede's intro surprised a bunch of people, but the introductions kept going until they were done.
Once everyone was finished, Hoshinomiya-sensei started explaining the school rules.
"Alright, listen up! I'll explain the school system. First, the phones you got have an app that works like currency here. 1 point = 1 yen, and you can buy anything at school with it. All first-years get 100,000 points this month, and you'll get a new amount next month."
The class looked super shocked, but no one said anything—they were waiting for more.
"Don't be too surprised. This school gives out rewards based on your value. Also, outside communication is banned, so all your stuff's already been sent to your dorms. Any questions?"
---
—Kaede's POV—
"Whaaat?! They cut off outside contact? How am I supposed to play NWO now...? Wait, the teacher said we can buy anything, right? I should ask."
"Sensei, earlier you said we can buy anything with points… so can I buy permission to play NWO in the dorms?" Kaede asked with a smile.
Hoshinomiya-sensei looked surprised for a second but then smiled back.
"Kaede, right? You can buy that permission for 500,000 points, but there are some conditions from the school."
Kaede was shocked.
"Ehh?! So it'll take forever before I can play NWO again! And I don't even know how many points I'll get next month..."
Once again, Hoshinomiya-sensei looked surprised.
Ichinose looked confused and asked,
"What do you mean, Kaede? Can't you just buy the permission in a few months if you save up? If you want, I could even lend you some of my points."
I answered casually,
"Sensei said we're getting 100,000 points this month because that's our value as new students, right? So next month, our value might change. Unless I'm wrong?"
The whole class went quiet for a moment.
Hoshinomiya-sensei had this sparkly smile on her face like she just found treasure.
"Wait... why is everyone so quiet? Did I say something weird