The sunrise at Kurohana was almost too perfect. The sunlight filtered through the building's glass with almost artificial precision, as if someone had calculated the exact angle to make it look natural. Even the air smelled of control.
Sayuri went down to the central dining hall early. The hallways were silent, interrupted only by the soft sound of automatic doors and the buzzing of electronic panels.
Some students were already eating breakfast: trays laden with food, desserts, imported juices. They were laughing, talking, planning for the future. A normal scene… apparently.
The holographic menu floated in front of her:
"Basic Breakfast – 1,500 Kurei."
"Full Breakfast – 4,200 Kurei."
"Premium – 8,900 Kurei."
Without thinking too much, she chose the simplest one. Not out of modesty, but out of observation. Watching how others spent money revealed more about them than any written test.
In a matter of minutes, several classmates had used more than half of their daily allowance.
One of them kept asking for food, as if he wanted to challenge the system. Yuto Nakajima, on the other hand, smiled elegantly, inviting others to his table—his future allies—and paying for them without hesitation. Money was his primary social tool.
As Sayuri watched them, Kaori sat opposite her. Her tray was as simple as hers.
Silence. Only the metallic sound of cutlery.
"You don't look surprised," Kaori said finally, without looking up.
"Should I be?" Sayuri replied.
"Most people act like this is a reward..."
Sayuri smiled faintly. Kaori had gotten the gist.
"The hardest tests are the ones that don't feel like tests," she whispered.
Kaori nodded, not saying a word. There was no need to.
Minutes later, a notification flashed on Sayuri's digital watch:
"Daily Consumption Report Available — Voluntary Access: 9:00 a.m."
Out of curiosity, she opened the link. The report showed the class's average spending during breakfast:
−18,700 Kurei in total.
Observation: High consumption tendency.
Self-control level: Low.
Observation. That word said it all.
It wasn't an expense log. It was an evaluation. Every purchase, every decision, every impulse was filed in the system.
At the end of the message, a sentence appeared in bold letters:
"Merit is not measured only by results, but by everyday decisions."
—Kurohana Board of Trustees
Sayuri stared at the screen for a few seconds. She didn't feel fear. Nor surprise. Only the certainty that they were already being graded… without anyone knowing.
When she turned off the watch, the dining room was still filled with laughter and conversation. No one seemed to notice anything.
That was the difference between them and her.
They enjoyed the game. She was already learning its rules.
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