"Hey, look at me."
At "Hiyori Shiina's" desk, Ryūen knocked on the table, pulling the "spacing out" Symon's attention back to reality.
For once, his tone was calm. Although still arrogant, he wasn't using his usual provocative manner.
Noticing Ryūen's attitude, the blue-haired shorty Mio Ibuki, the burly black guy Albert, the buzz-cut delinquent Daichi Ishizaki, and the homeroom teacher Kazuma Sakagami—all of whom were about to stop him from causing trouble—held back for the moment, ready to hear what he had to say.
As for the remaining students, they either wanted to help but lacked the courage, were indifferent, or were gleefully watching the show—after all, who asked "Hiyori Shiina" to stand out in front of the teacher just now?
"Ryūen-kun, is there something you need?"
Even while chatting with Hiyori, Symon was keeping an eye on the classroom situation.
"You're one of the few smart people in this class of idiots. Interested in joining my crew after I take over this class?" Ryūen extended the invitation.
Symon shook his head and refused: "Nope. I plan to transfer out once I run out of points."
"..." — came from the classmates.
"..." — came from the homeroom teacher.
"Heh! You want points, is that it?!"
Ryūen sneered, took out his terminal, searched for "Hiyori Shiina" in the S-System, transferred all 100,000 points from his account, and then showed the transaction record.
Ding-dong~!
Hearing the crisp notification of the deposit, Symon gave Ryūen a slightly surprised look.
Meanwhile, Hiyori was muttering in his mind: "Mr. Ghost, is this really okay?"
"He gave it to me willingly. You can't blame me for this."
"But you were the one who hinted that you wanted points."
"Haha, Hiyori, you're so sharp..."
Leaving that thought in his mind and ignoring the stares, Symon closed his book and said softly, "I don't like doing things I don't want to do, but I can offer you some words. If you don't want to listen, I can give the points back."
Ryūen sat down in Mio Ibuki's seat, pushed away the fuming shorty who was about to confront him, crossed his legs, and waved a hand dismissively. "Consider these hundred thousand points a gift. Go on, speak."
"Whoa!"
"A hundred thousand!!!"
"Isn't that everything he has?!"
Gasps rippled through the room. Ryūen shot everyone a cold glare, and the students quickly fell silent as expected, with only a few like Daichi Ishizaki letting out a "Tch."
Symon paid no mind to the interruption and began:
"In this school, the S-System serves as the basic monetary system, simulating real society. If you look past the surface to its essence and think of the school as a country, you'll discover this:"
"The school controls the points, meaning it holds the financial power."
"The school controls student registration, meaning it holds the channels for advancement."
"Military, decision-making, legislative, judicial, regulatory, and diplomatic functions are not yet clear. You could try to join the student council; the school might delegate some authority in these areas. It's fine if you can't get in; the school won't let students run completely wild."
"Certain under-the-table rules are tacitly permitted by the school."
"By the same token, the school must also have a set of overt 'laws' that restrict student behavior in various ways. You can try to figure them out."
Ryūen nodded and interjected, "I've already thought about that. The homeroom teacher hinted at these rules with words like 'evaluation' and 'value,' which are also tied to points."
Symon didn't comment on this, continuing in his soft voice: "The teacher once said that in this school, ability is everything. Some might misinterpret that as points being everything."
"However, in my view, the only one with true power in this school has always been, and will always be, the school itself. Faced with the school as an insurmountable hidden power, students have no chance to resist."
"But this situation of a rigid class structure is indeed a true reflection of modern Japan. This social simulation seems quite perfect."
Symon delivered this dry joke gently before giving his advice: "But back to the point. In a situation like this, anyone who gets too out of control can easily become the catfish a fisherman pulls from his bucket. I suggest you tread carefully."
"Also, if your family is short on money, a currency with real purchasing power like points will inevitably have a way to be cashed out. It's possible someone is secretly buying them. You could try to find that channel."
"Finally, 'settling internal affairs before dealing with external threats' is a foolish approach. The best way to unite a group of people is to find a common enemy, or to set up a target yourself."
With that said, seeing Ryūen still frowning in thought, Symon put the novel he was holding back into his bag, held down his skirt, and left the classroom.
The money was secured, the words were spoken, the person was bluffed. What better time to leave than now?
Watching the 'girl' leave, the students of Class C looked at one another before all bowing their heads in silence. Even the homeroom teacher pushed up his glasses awkwardly, feeling an inferiority complex, as if he'd been crushed in both intelligence and perspective.
"Hey, was there anything she said that was wrong, or anything you can add?"
Snapping out of it, Ryūen bluntly questioned the homeroom teacher.
"Aside from the personal advice for you, which I can't comment on, the rest was not incorrect." Kazuma Sakagami pushed up his glasses. "As for anything I could add, I refuse to answer."
"Got it."
With that, Ryūen returned to the lectern and scanned the crowd. "Now, anyone who thinks they have what it takes to join the student council, stand up!"
From the floor, a boy with thick-lensed glasses stood up and introduced himself: "I'm Satoru Kaneda. As for joining the student council, I'll try when I get the chance."
Ryūen motioned for him to sit down, then looked toward the "troublemakers" he had previously arranged to meet on the rooftop—Mio Ibuki, Albert, and Daichi Ishizaki.
"Before class tomorrow, I'll dig up the truth about this school and the channel for cashing out points. Until then, I'll be waiting for you on the rooftop for fifteen minutes after the entrance ceremony."
After saying his piece, Ryūen walked out of the classroom.
"What's with that guy!!!"
A girl with short, light-green hair said this angrily.
However, no one in the classroom echoed her sentiment. The silent atmosphere was uncomfortable, and many people were now looking at her with strange expressions.
Clearly, the transaction worth one hundred thousand points between "Hiyori Shiina" and Ryūen had shaken many in the class.
People are easily swayed. After "Hiyori Shiina" delivered that sensational speech, almost everyone was lost, unsure of what to do.
At times like these, people instinctively look for a leader, for someone to make decisions for them—even if that person is Ryūen, and even if he's simply barking orders.
"The entrance ceremony starts in ten minutes. You can head over early."
Noticing the situation in Class C, Kazuma Sakagami said this and also left the classroom with a slight smile.
He was now going back to write a leave of absence for Hiyori Shiina and, later, open a bottle of champagne to celebrate—what a wonderful start!
Meanwhile—
On the way to the school building, Hiyori Shiina and the slacking Symon were whispering to each other in their minds: "Mr. Ghost, does all that thinking and deduction tire you out?"
"There was no deduction. My words might have sounded profound, but they were actually nonsense. Comparing the school to a country... even I think it's cringey."
"Let's just say that's the case. So, Mr. Ghost, why are you unwilling to walk?"
"Can I not say?"
"Dame yo~!"
"Fine... The feeling of walking in a skirt is just too bizarre. My sense of decency is plummeting. You take over."
"Whoa~ No wonder you kept holding down the skirt, Mr. Ghost."
"..."
____
🔥 Announcing new story updates! 🔥
🪦 Receive 25% off your subscription on my P... page.
✅ Gain early access to 40 chapters for all stories.
✅ Enjoy exclusive content and special announcements.
We have set new community milestones:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for all readers
🚀 55 MEMBERS = +5 additional chapters for all series!
👻 P - Walnutchan