Chapter 82 - A Perfectly Normal School Life...? (Part 1)

It felt like ages ago since Kiki was last sent to a principal's office… 

It was during the period just before lunch, when she'd been caught reading during class again. And consequently, had been summoned there: 

Into a claustrophobic, square-shaped room, smelling strongly of pine-scented surface cleaner and cigars, with blinds pulled over the windows to impart a dark, gloomy atmosphere. Kiki was sitting in an uncomfortable office lounge chair, fumbling nervously before a tall desk at which there stood a squat, balding, square-shaped man with square-shaped glasses in a cheap suit, glowering furiously at her.

"Nakamura Keiko," grumbled the man, who was the principal of her old high school—then sighing, as if simply saying Kiki's name filled him with sadness. "We've met several times already," he said. "And it's always over the same delinquent shit." 

Using one hand, he reached for a book that was lying flat on the desk—cautiously pinching at the corners of the thing, like it was carrying a disease—only gradually managing to raise it to reveal the doujinshi that Kiki's teacher had confiscated from her.

"'Sinister Mr. CEO Becomes a Sweet Birthing Whale,'" he read aloud, with visible disgust, from the title printed on the cover. Paired with an illustration of a man, drawn in a Manga style with generically handsome facial features; sporting a huge, bulging belly with intricately drawn veins and stretch marks.

After which he turned to Kiki sharply, with an accusatory glare. 

"What the fuck is this shit I'm looking at?"

"Um," Kiki squirmed, bringing a finger to her lip. "Just some...light reading."

"Is that what you call this filth?" The principal grumbled, then huffed. "You're saying it's nothing for you to be ashamed of, hm? That's why you were hiding it inside of a textbook." 

Kiki said nothing, only fidgeted with her fingers while she kept her head low.

For a moment after, the two sat across from each other saying nothing, in awkward silence. Awkward for Kiki, at any rate.

"Tell me, Nakamura"—holding the book in one hand, he pointed one of his stubby, fat fingers to indicate the lewd cover art—"is this man pregnant?"

To which she gave a sheepish nod.

"Unbelievable," the principal said. Then groaned, reaching for a cigar out of his desk drawer as Kiki continued to say nothing. Only sitting there, with an air of shame, as he proceeded to slowly light the cigar then bring it up to his lips.

"A girl like you is completely worthless," he said, now having been brought to a relaxed state, as two long streams of hot smoke blew from his nostrils into her face. "Lacking any sort of charm or charisma. Barely scraping by, not participating in any extracurricular activities. With average grades, and no life ambition." He laughed as he pounded his cigar butt like a jackhammer into the stained black ashtray on his desk. "You're most likely still a virgin, who never had a boyfriend in her life. A lot of girls get by just based on their looks, but you can't even claim to have that privilege."

For Kiki, his words were like daggers twisting into her. But still, she wouldn't budge in her stone-faced expression, as the principal's cruel rant continued:

"Ask yourself: what use does a girl such as you serve to society? I've spoken to your parents, and they've expressed their similar concerns to me as well. How they're afraid you'll end up a NEET, despite all the advantages they've given you."

She watched, with a trembling lip, as he casually slid his hand across the desk, pushing the doujinshi book off its edge into a waiting trash can.

"When are you going to grow up, and stop being a disappointment to everyone?"

...

Kiki awoke, with a startled gasp, at the sound of a ringing school bell, followed by metal chair legs scraping across the wooden floor.

'Huh?' Her eyes were wide, in confusion. 'Was I...only dreaming just now?'

Kiki was now in an ordinary classroom, seated amidst a crowd of twenty or so Shiroichi School students—all rising at once, from among the rows of desks, flowing in one single large mass toward the door.

'I'm in a...classroom?'

Glancing down at herself, she noticed she was dressed in the Shiroichi uniform.

'That's right,' Kiki remembered: she'd been staring out a window, at the fog rolling outside; daydreaming until she must've drifted off to sleep.

"Yo, Keiko-chan!" A cheerful voice greeted her.

Glancing up, preemptively smiling, she saw her best friend Akari standing at the front of her desk, winking with her bag slung over her shoulder in a cute pose. Looking glamorous as always, with her neatly brushed, light brown bob and energetic eyes. It was no secret that all the boys in school wanted to date her for her attractive looks, bubbly, vivacious personality, and slender, youthful body.

But unfortunately for them...

"Oh, Akari-chan," Keiko whined. "I had the strangest dream just now." She clutched her face in her palms, donning a harried look that swiftly evaporated into warm bliss when Akari stooped to casually kiss her on the lips. 

"Go on," Akari then urged, remaining knelt by her side. "Tell me more."

Keiko sighed. "Well, I was sent to a principal's office, but it wasn't our headmaster at all." She paused, sobbing. "And he said such cruel, awful things to me. Like how I'm ugly, and I'll never amount to anything because I don't take my studies seriously enough."

Akari scoffed. "What an asshole!" Her lips then transitioned to a smile, just as she began snuggling her face against her cherished friend's. "Besides, none of that is even true!"

Keiko giggled. "Yeah. I guess it was only a dream."

"You guess? I'm telling you it was!"

"Hah. Well, if Akari-chan says so, then it must be."

Akari leaned back suddenly, her brows knit in worry. "Are you honestly going to be alright, though?" she asked seriously. "What's your System telling you to do?"

Keiko gawked. "Ah, I haven't checked!"

"Silly Keiko-chan!" Akari bopped her on the head playfully.

What she was referring to was the [Perfectly Ordinary High Schooler System], considered a must-have for every student enrolled at Shiroichi School. Serving as a digital day planner, of sorts, and merits reward system rolled into one—its governing technology all fitted into the plain, gold [Shiroichi Watches] every student was made to wear, as a component of their uniform.

The way the system functioned was simple.

Keiko held her wrist out in front of her, causing the [Shiroichi Watch] screen to conjure up a translucent image of a light yellow menu, suspended in the air in front of her. This menu is what was known as the [Daily Quests Menu]: where each student was assigned one task at a time to complete, throughout the day, rather than a set schedule to follow. Rewarded with [Merit Points], upon completion, which at their core served as a metric for their standing within the school.

Each [Daily Quest] was listed under one of three branches, each containing its individual leaderboard, where students were assigned a numerical ranking according to how many merit points they'd accrued for the respective branch. Also gaining a [Title] according to their combined rankings.

These three, [Perfectly Normal] branches included:

[Athletics]

[A branch for those who enjoy sports, with a vested interest in their physical fitness and a desire to compete.]

[Social]

[The popular girls and boys, with a focus on becoming well-liked and balancing relationships.]

[Academics]

[A branch concerned with the student's education, through pursuing higher grade scores and furthering their artistic talents.]

Currently, Keiko possessed the [Popular Girl] [Title]: granted to all female students who were ranked 100 or less under every branch; whereas Akari was a [Dumb Slut]: high in [Social], neutral in [Athletics], but negative valued in [Academics]. And although it would require a huge amount of effort to improve their standings, the two best friends were determined!

As Akari eagerly huddled behind her, Keiko stood from her desk chair. "Jog five laps, for 3 [Athletics]. Not a problem." 

Akari's face instantly lit up when she checked hers, after. "Oho! I got 'intimate encounter,'" she said, bumping Keiko with her elbow. Then leaning against her arm, with a suggestive smile. "Sounds like it'd be more fun to help me out with my quest first, don't it?"

All of a sudden, a loud buzzer sound was heard coming from Akari's [Shiroichi Watch].

"Aw, that's annoying. It says I just received a [Academics] demerit," Akari said while frowning, as she was inspecting the tab marked [Notifications] on her System HUD. "For speaking with improper grammar."

Keiko took her by the hand, smiling. 

"It's no big deal, Akari-chan," she said. "One demerit alone is"

Akira gave a relieved sigh. "Bless you!" Then turned her head, eyes half-closed and lips parted in a sensual look, holding Keikk by the chin as she whispered into her ear: "you're the best girlfriend ever."

To which, Keiko rolled her eyes.

And so it was, mere minutes later…

The couple of consensual-aged adults in high schoolers' bodies had commenced their act of superficially making love, in pursuit of social rewards, within the cramped confines of a stall in the girls' bathroom. The quest being to "have an intimate encounter lasting at least 10 minutes, with your fellow student, without being caught," for 10 [Social] merits.

"Akira," Keiko murmured at one point while their lips were briefly parted, her eyes closed in passion, prompting Akari to abruptly stop.

"Akira?" she asked, bristling. "Who's that?"

"I-I-I don't…" Kiki was breathless, the words of her attempted explanation catching like glue in her throat. As just then, she'd been struck by a strange feeling—like what she'd briefly felt before, when she had just woken up from her daydream: 

A feeling that something...about this life; all of this…

Wasn't quite as it seemed.

"S-sorry," she mumbled after a moment passed in awkward silence.. "I meant to say Akari."