Chapter 83 - A Perfectly Normal School Life...? (Part 2)

[Merit Points] contained many uses within the Shiroichi School. Most notably, as a form of currency for, among other things, acquiring school supplies at the digital kiosks located throughout the campus. And, because a student's position on the leaderboard was calculated based on the total—rather than the current—sum of merit points they'd accrued, it didn't harm them in that regard.

Speaking of, Keiko could really go for a cool new eraser right about now, since her previous one had worn out.

"Remember your youth!" the disembodied head of a cartoon tanuki cheerfully greeted her, just as soon as she activated the kiosk screen, by sliding her [Shiroichi Watch] over a round, glowing red sensor located at the center of the large keypad. "Always remember"—it paused, its voice becoming stiff and robotic, like text-to-speech: "Keiko Nakamura"—pausing again, its voice then reverting to normal: "so long as you do as you're told, you'll be a popular girl that everyone loves!"

Keiko found herself unconsciously wincing, at this particular message delivered by the grinning face of "Tooki-san," as many of the Shiroichi students endearingly referred to him. Because not only was it eerily prescient to her current concerns, but also struck her as being extraordinarily wrong.

Although, Keiko couldn't quite figure out why she felt that way.

'That person in the dream wasn't really me, either," she thought, when the kiosk screen briefly went dark during a transition, to allow her a glimpse at her reflection:

Unlike the Keiko Nakamura in the dream, this one was a natural beauty with a pleasant face. One with neatly flowing shoulder-length hair, and cute, nicely trimmed bangs. Taller—but not so much so, as to be intimidating—and generally better-proportioned in all regards. A superior model, in every sense.

'And yet...this isn't the "real" me, now is it?'

"Peekaboo!" Akari suddenly grabbed onto her chest from behind, startling her out of these drifting thoughts. "That kiosk is sure taking forever to load."

Keiko growled in frustration, taking a quick step back from the machine.

"Stupid piece of junk!" 

She proceeded to kick the kiosk, amid a string of buzzer sounds emitting from her [Shiroichi Watch]: alerting her to each [Social -8] demerit for [Aggravated Defacement of School Property] she was receiving, per kick.

"Keiko! What the Hell's gotten into you!" Akari pulled on her arms, trying to stop her, but she wouldn't relent.

Some minutes later...

Once Keiko had calmed down, she went with Akari to the school canteen. Here, Shiroichi students were able to purchase a wide selection of food and drink items with their merit points, through one of the several dozen specialty [Meal Time] kiosks there, lining one whole stretch of wall.

Whereas, in the case of those students who hadn't enough merit points to afford any meal…

They could either beg for scraps, or offer others help, in exchange for food, with accomplishing the daily quests that required a third party's involvement—such as the [Mischievous Makeout] quest, that Akari and Keiko had just finished with. Or alternatively, in exchange for just plain old-fashioned sexual favors; arranged in secrecy, so [Hall Monitors] and other students with judicial roles won't notice.

Fortunately, Keiko and Akari wouldn't have to resort to any of that. Instead, splitting the bill on a large tray of [Tooki Fries], then taking seats across from each other at one of the long cafeteria tables.

Whereupon Akari immediately commenced with her usual gossip:

"Yesterday, Mimi Takamura was saying Mr. Arisawa was totally giving her the eyes in class." She gave a raucous laugh. "That's so freaking creepy! Like, I know the staff are all robots, or whatever—"

"Artificial intelligences," Keiko corrected, her eyes narrowed in concentration. "They weren't always, though…"

Akari gave an inquisitive look. "Eh? What are you mumbling...?"

"Was it really just a dream, Akari-chan?" Keiko said, staring back at her in wonder. "Akari-chan, don't you have any memories of a life before you joined Shiroichi? Because I think that's what it was."

"No…" Akari scratched her head.

"Doesn't that seem strange to you, at all?"

Akari gave a sheepish laugh. "Are you alright, saying such things?" She brushed Keiko on the head, smiling with her brows furrowed in concern. "Have you hit your head recently? Do you need to see the nurse?"

Between the familiar head-brushing and Akari's words, Keiko was flooded with yet more 'memories:' 

'I was waiting to meet with the headmaster. Akari was there, too, brushing my hair just like that. But, before that, Akari had gotten into a fight with the Student Council President for some reason…'

Keiko's eyes widened.

'Oh, that's it! Maybe the President will be able to tell me more."

Keiko wasn't going to wait: she leaped from the table and strode briskly out the room through the door, Akari running after. She knew that the president was most likely having his lunch in the student council room, and hopefully would be willing to help shine a new light on this confounding case. 

As she was making her way, the halls were littered with students darting between classrooms, combing their lockers, idly standing around and chatting—all their actions governed by the [Perfectly Normal High Schooler System]. With no fixed schedule to abide by, classes for different subjects were constantly in session, with students trickling in and out in a continuous stream, based on the shifting demands of their daily quest. Never resting; only mindlessly garnering merits.

In essence, the students of Shiroichi were literal slaves to the [System], though Keiko had never thought twice about it until now. This, despite the fact she'd been running like a hamster in a wheel, for who knows how long (as there was no day and night under the ivory dome, muddying one's perception of time) being run ragged by the very same all-controlling system.

Along her path, there was a crowd of students drawing in the hall that slowed her brisk pace to a careful walk, then a tedious wade, through their swarming masses.

"Ooo, is it a fight?" Akari excitedly said.

The pair didn't need to wait long for an answer: It was unmistakable, the sound of raw fists beating into a body pinned against a locker.

A pair of [Hall Monitors] were already present on the scene, doing their best:

"That is enough, Kaneko Mizuru!" one of them barked. "I understand that, as a [School Delinquent], you gain [Profession Merits] from harming others. But Kaneko-san, you've gone way overboard!"

As Keiko managed to push through the crowd, she and Akari saw that the crowd of students was formed into a ring; at the center of which, they glimpsed the turned back of a tall, strongly-built girl with pastel pink pigtails streaming to her powerful thighs.

"I should've known," Akari whispered. "It's Kaneko-san, brutalizing someone just because she felt like it." She shrugged, sighing. "What can ya do?"

Having put a temporary pause on her violent assault, Mizuru's right knuckle was still pressed into the chest of her bloody, barely conscious victim, raising him off the ground, when she proceeded to cock her head against her shoulder to glare at the quivering [Hall Monitors].

"Ara ara," she said, showing all her teeth in a vicious, bloodthirsty grin. "Maybe I just wanna"—her [Shiroichi Watch] buzzed—"beat someone up for fun, huh?"

Her eyes widened, into a maniacal glare.

"Now that this punching bag is spent"—shifting to a serious frown, she loudly cracked her knuckles—"will either of you wimps volunteer to take his place?"

While the [Hall Monitors] clung to each other in fear, Keiko was lost in thought.

'This girl...Mizuru Kaneko...

'I've never spoken to her before, but I…'

Keiko stepped forward, into the ring, amid gasps coming from the gathered spectators.

Then boldly declaring, "I'll take you on!"

"Ah!" Akari immediately bolted to her, starting to pull her by the hand. "Alright, now I'm definitely taking you to the nurse's outfit."

But Keiko steadfastly swept her away, taking another step closer to Mizuru. 

"I know you from somewhere."

Mizuru pulled her fist away from her current victim, causing him to fall limp to the ground; as she then turned to face Keiko fully, bearing a menacing glare paired with an amused grin.

"You're hot," she said, glancing up and down at her with an approving nod. "Wanna be my girl?"

Still, Keiko was undaunted.

"Mizuru isn't your real name—at least, not the one we used to call you."

Mizuru scoffed, turning. "You're nuts."

"I know those aren't your real arms, either."

At once, her previous laidback air had faded: replaced by a piercing stare, filled with murderous intent as she loomed, casting a shadow over Keiko.

"Ara ara," Mizuru rumbled. "You're beginning to piss me off."

Akari poked Keiko.

"Um, I think that wild boar is angry. We should go."

Keiko smiled at her. "I'll be fine."

"Eh?! Did I miss it when your System had a quest for you to become a black belt in karate or something?!"

Of course, it wasn't that. In reality, the unwavering confidence Keiko felt, in that moment, was due to her having remembered yet another piece of her forgotten past…

At the sight of the determined look on her face, Mizuru snarled.

"What? You're actually serious about us fighting?" She let out a boastful laugh, hiding the extent of just how furious she was. "Have it your way, then! I'll beat all the pretty out of your face, then make you my bitch!"

In a split second, Mizuru reared back her arm then swung it forward.

But Keiko swiveled to the side, dodging it.

Mizuru was incredulous. "What?!"

Hanging along the inside of her extended arm, Keiko moved in to strike.

"Guh!"

Mizuru held up her other arm to intercept the strike, but was flung by the impact. 

It happened so fast. The [Hall Monitors]—who had been crouched behind Mizuru, bickering amongst themselves over who would get to apply [First Aid], to the wounded student, for [Profession Merits]—barely moved out of the way in time to avoid being stepped on, when she was sent crashing into the wall of lockers.

The viewing students all expressed their awe, in gasps and excited chatter. None more so than Akari, whose eyes looked fit to fall out of her head.

Grunting, Mizuru regained her feet. "Not...bad."

"We should stop," Keiko said plainly.

Mizuru was hunched forward, breathing heavily as she clutched her left arm that had borne the brunt of Keiko's attack. "Hehe. I was the one who got knocked down, yet you're the one checking out?"

Keiko pointed. "Your prosthetic...it's damaged."

"What'd you say?" Mizuru gawked.

She held up her left arm, revealing the cracks that had now formed along its wooden exterior.

"N-no way…! It really is a fake!"

Keiko turned her back, frowning with her eyes closed. 

"I bet you're wondering how I knew."

Mizuru said nothing; her teeth clenched, growling under her breath.

"I'm not so sure myself," Keiko continued, glancing sideways at her. "But if you'll leave your bullying ways behind you, and come with us, we can learn the truth together."

A grin slowly spread across Mizuru's lips.

"Good grief. My life just became extra complicated, didn't it?"