(COTE X OC)The cheater is the red child

Chapitre 7-The real system

Hishida's Perspective

The negotiation was over, the matters settled, the points assigned to their places, and we stood up to return to our respective classrooms. The students, wandering the hallways and cafeteria, all began heading in one direction: towards their classrooms. The sunlight filtered gently through the windows, filling the room with a bright light that added a special glow to the entire space.

It was clear that we were still in the middle of the day. I walked alongside Ayanokoji.

Hishida: – So, Ayanokoji, what did you think?

Ayanokoji looked at me with his usual indifferent expression, but it was easy to see he was slightly surprised by the events that had just unfolded. However, he showed nothing more. He quickly regained his composure. From his perspective, my way of negotiating with someone hadn't really surprised him; he knew, in other words, that I could be strategic. He knew that challenging my reasoning and anticipation skills would be a perilous task.

Ayanokoji: – I found it interesting, I suppose.

Despite this response, he preferred to remain evasive, as always. But I had picked up on the underlying element in his speech.

Ayanokoji: – I must admit, I'm a bit surprised. I thought it wouldn't be that easy.

In other words, Ayanokoji had doubts about the school system. He had probably anticipated that the school would offer many advantages, that students would be rewarded, and that we would be allowed to make mistakes, like in any typical educational institution. But this apparent generosity was concealing a trap, and the question he faced was simple:

Would it really be that easy?

Considering the school's reputation, recognized as the best in Japan with a 100% hiring rate, it seemed hard to believe that everything could be so simple. There had to be hidden stakes.

When Ayanokoji received his first points, he didn't flaunt them. He simply bought instant noodles to try, and that was it. It was just a small pleasure with little value. Even today, he didn't splurge and stuck to a cheap dish in terms of points. He knew, like I did, that taking advantage of something free could be a trap.

That was probably the reasoning he followed.

As for my opinion...

There's nothing more dangerous than something free.

To indulge in it without reserve, to overuse it, meant becoming dependent on it. Moreover, no one gives something for free without a reason. Whether it's to generate a feeling of gratitude, subtly manipulate us, or set up a trap later, there's always a reason behind a gift. In reality, this school wanted us to understand that outside its walls, nothing is free. If you realize this, if you reflect on this idea, then you can navigate the system with full awareness.

That was my interpretation of the situation.

Nothing is free.

Ayanokoji: – And you, Hishida, what are you going to do?

Hishida: – What do you mean?

Ayanokoji: – You've seen that our classmates seem a bit too distracted by their points. If we don't do anything, and if what the terminal said is true, we're heading straight for disaster.

Our classmates probably had doubts, but their mindset was mainly focused on the advantages the points could bring them, not on the hidden dangers. They chose to ignore the issue rather than examine it closely. This attitude showed that humans prefer to live in ignorance rather than confront the reality of their choices. If no one told them anything, they would continue to live in their bubble of illusion until they suffered the consequences.