COTE: The Best Version of Me

Chapter 3 - Uncertainties

Ayanokoji POV

"Sensei, about the S System..." As my first words of argument left my lips, I noticed a subtle shift in the atmosphere of the room. It was almost imperceptible, but it was there. Some classmates adjusted in their chairs, others crossed their arms, while most glances wavered between curiosity and skepticism. The teacher, standing at the front, She looked at me once more, her thin smile never leaving her face. Her posture suggested she knew what was coming. This was the beginning of a long debate. 

This time, I made a point of changing the tone of my voice, but without changing my posture. I, as always, kept my posture straight and my tone controlled and polite. Speaking calmly and with precision was part of my nature, but at that moment, I realized it also served as my armor. The room, full of students eager to prove their own intelligence, was a field where emotions tended to cloud reason. And in this environment, maintaining composure was my best advantage.

Maintaining posture and adjusting your tone of voice in a conversation or debate is essential to effective communication and establishing a respectable presence. Thinking about this involves exploring both the psychology behind human interactions and practical strategies for applying these skills in different situations. The tone of voice directly affects how the message is perceived, and knowing how to adjust it can be the key to maintaining balance in conflict situations or creating harmony in more complex discussions.

The tone of voice conveys much more than words. It expresses emotions and intentions that go beyond the content of the speech. If the tone is too firm, it can sound aggressive, if it is too soft it can convey an image of lack of authority. A good practice is to adjust the tone according to the context, being firmer when necessary, but without sounding authoritarian, or softer in moments of empathy. And thanks to Matsuo teaching me about basic etiquette and convictions for a whole year, I have mastered this to the fullest.

"Yes, Ayanokoji-kun?" She encouraged me to continue, which I graciously accepted.

"Before I get into my main point in more detail, you said we can buy anything with points. How broad is that? Surely there is a limit to what we can and cannot buy. Let's take into account that 'Anything located on school premises is available for purchase.' is a rule that the school has already predetermined. If I were to make a guess, could I use the points to break another rule? I mean, wouldn't these two rules conflict?"

As I presented my views, I discreetly monitored the reactions. It was fair to say that shock was the main reaction. Murmurs like 'Can we buy literally anything?', 'There must be a limit' and others expressing their own doubts could easily be heard in that classroom. Chabashira-sensei's smile grew even wider, enough to say that she was smiling broadly.

"The point system is within the school's rules, but even rules can have flexibility. The power of a system lies in its ability to interpret its own limitations. That's a great question, Ayanokoji-kun, but I can't say anything beyond that. But since it's you, I think you've already come to an excellent conclusion."

Those words echoed in my mind. If points were used to circumvent or influence other rules, wasn't the system itself a kind of organized anarchy? A paradox where the rules are at once absolute and flexible.

I thought about the power of points. On the surface, they were a symbol of progress, a marker of success. But beneath the surface, they represented something more complex: a currency with which to bend the world around you to your own convenience. The cleverest, or the most manipulative, could accumulate more points and, with them, subvert any barriers they encountered. Could points, then, be a new form of power, allowing the most privileged to navigate the rules more easily than others?