The puppeteer of the elites (CoTE) ON HIATUS

School

"Keiko..."
"Yes?"
"Why do we have to be perfect?"
"Because father ordered us. We are not to disobey our elders."
"I see."
"However..."
"However?"
"I wouldn't say that what they tell us is right. Everyone can be wrong sometimes. But their goal is to make us never wrong. To abandon the emotional aspect of things, to only use logic. Isn't it like abandoning our humanity?"
"I don't understand."
"Neither do I. So I'll just listen, do as they tell me, worry only about myself. You should do the same. But I do wonder how life outside is like."
"Life outside?"
"Yes! The sky, grass, the sun, the moon, the stars, I wonder what they look like. I wonder what normal is. I want to go to school outside. It seems fun according to books."
"Then, when we graduate as perfections, do you think they'll allow us to go? To school outside?"
The girl with brown hair paused for a long time, staring at yellow eyes identical to hers. She shrugged eventually, smiling at the boy.
"Who knows? I hope so!"

A girl with long brown tresses tied in a bun, some strands leaving the hair tie walks into the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School. She climbs up the stairs, clutching onto her school bag, before opening the door to class A. She saw a few students reading, and a few conversing. She walked quietly to her assigned seat and sat down, noticing a petite girl's gaze on her. What does she want? Well, I'll just turn a blind eye to it for now. If it's urgent she'll ask. My goal here is to simply enjoy my small taste of freedom, and perhaps contact Kiyotaka. She shook her head slightly to rid it of unnecessary thoughts and pulled out a book. A history book on the Japanese occupation on a British port at the time, Singapore. She read the book noiselessly, ignoring her conversing classmates.

Soon the teacher, Mashima sensei arrived and began telling everyone about the point system in school. "Upon arriving, you would have received a smartphone. This contains your points which are the currency in this school. Each point is equal to one yen. You are given 100000 points in the beginning of this month to spend. These points can be used to buy anything within school grounds. You are not allowed to contact people outside the school, or exit the school premises, but will be allowed to go to the facilities within school grounds. Class starts tomorrow, that is all." Most cheered, but some held suspicions about the points, which was reasonable considering how much money they were giving high schoolers for only a month.

There has to be a catch... The brown haired girl thought. This school measures our worth, similar to the other schools, doesn't it? Then are these points a symbol of our worth? He never said that we would get the same amount of points every month, so I can assume that based on either academics or behavior, since there are cameras in the classroom, we will get points. That means that it is not only our individual value, but also our class value is tested. What about the buy 'anything' part? Are non physical things counted as well? For example, marks on an examination? Then a student by the name of Kohei Katsuragi asked everyone to introduce themselves. "We will be in the same class for the next three years, I believe we should get to know each other better." Everyone agreed and started introducing themselves. "Arisu Sakayanagi. I like chess and would like a good opponent if anyones game." This was carefully noted down by the brown haired girl. So she might know me from chess... indirect assault, nicely played. Then it was the brown haired girl's turn. She stood up and said, "Ah, nice to meet you all... I hope to get along with everyone. I'm... Ayanokoji Keiko, I like reading and history." Good, I sound just casual enough, but not too nervous or lazy. Everyone nodded and took down a mental memo.

This continued on for quite awhile, until everyone finished. Then everyone moved out of the classroom to do their own things, some forming their own groups to go get things for their dorms. Keiko was about to leave the classroom when Sakayanagi tapped her on the shoulder. "A moment?" Keiko nodded silently, following her to the library. They went to a table where a chessboard was prepared. "Join me for a game?" Sakayanagi asked. However, Keiko could tell from her tone that it was a command, an order, not a question. "Sure." She replied, keeping it short and sweet, her dull, emotionless eyes never changing.

The two sat at opposite ends of the table, and Sakayanagi took the first move. "I bet you don't remember me." She began, moving a piece forward. Keiko showed no surprise or shock in the slightest, but was mentally recounting all her days in her head, trying to find any trace of Sakayanagi Arisu in her memories. She nodded in response, showing no hesitation as she moved a piece. "I'll give you a clue. It was in the white room, with your brother." This caught Keiko off guard, not that she showed it. "How much do you know?" She had no intention of allowing her peaceful and normal school life after escaping go to waste. She would curb potential rumors at all costs.

"Well, you are a perfect human, so I'll let you figure that out. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. It would be no fun that way. I will at least tell you how we met though." Sakayanagi smirked, and suddenly the scene of them being in the library disappeared, or more accurately, crumbled away, making way for the scene that forever kept a special place in her heart to be shown. In a room with perpetual white walls, sat a pair of children, a young boy and girl. They had matching brown hair and dull, emotionless yellow eyes, which were a murky colour, much like muddy water. In front of them, on the table much like the one the two ladies were using at the moment, was a chess set. The two were moving pieces at a fast pace, barely needing any time to think as they made their moves, many times leaving their opponent in the check position, but never checkmate.

Sakayanagi smiled. "That day, you were playing so fast that I couldn't keep up. Neither of you was winning. I thought it would forever be a check for the two of you, that you were evenly matched. However..." At this point each person had moved many times already, but Keiko had Sakayanagi in check, which led her to promptly get out of the predicament, only to be put in check again. "After watching you both for about three hours, you won." The scene changed to one where the female child was towering the male child, showing superiority as she said with slight authority, checkmate. The two shook hands and left the room to who knows where.

And similarly, now Keiko was towering over Sakayanagi, placing the final piece in its place. "Checkmate." Sakayanagi sighed contentedly. "Ever since I saw you two play, I was inspired to start playing so one day I could beat both of you. I wanted to prove that superior genes yield superior intellect. But alas, I have lost again. By the way, where's your brother? Perhaps I should challenge him as well soon." Keiko said monotonously, "He is indeed in this school. However, he is not where you think he is. Look in the place you least expect for him to be if you wish to find him. Well, that's all from me today. See you tomorrow, Sakayanagi San." With that, she took her bag, bowed and left for the dorms, leaving a smirking Sakayanagi in her wake.

Interesting...