Chapter 2

I’m in. Suiran Academy, that is.

It’s completely different to the primary school I attended in my old life(?). The exterior looked like a European cathedral, befitting a school of long history. There was beautiful stained gla.s.s glittering at the entrance. But inside, everything was completely new. Of course having aircon was standard for every room, but more than that, every cla.s.sroom had its own humidifier and water dispenser. Floor heating for the winter too.

There was a heated swimming pool, and a tennis court, and a soccer field, and a baseball field, and a concert hall too. Even a mini theatre. Even a planetarium. While I’m at it, they even had a dome-shaped greenhouse and a tea room. Besides these ones were plenty of other common sense-defying facilities as well. Though there were a few facilities that were shared between the primary, middle and high school sections, anyway, it was all stuff that overturned my idea of what a “primary school” was like.

Anyway, even though Suiran is in the middle of the city, it takes up a huge amount of land, and because of all the greenery around, it’s nicknamed Suiran Forest.

The uniform was designed by a famous designer, and is a blazer type uniform, as opposed to the sailor f.u.ku types. For the middle and high school sections, the uniforms are white blazers with embroidered lines, and while the girls wear ribbons, the boys have a necktie, which are both burgundy for middle and dark blue for high. Perhaps so that any dirty spots wouldn’t be obvious, the primary blazer is navy with light blue ribbons and neckties. All of them are terribly cute.

As expected of a famous designer. Just being able to wear the uniform made me happy that I came here. Suiran’s uniform monopolises first place in the “uniforms people want to wear” rankings, and is admired by all the girls. If I remember correctly, one of the reasons that the protagonist wanted to come here was because she adored this cute uniform. Mn, mn, I totally understand. Only, because the protagonist was bullied, her uniform was dirtied a lot…

In the middle and high sections you either choose from bringing your own lunch or buying food at the cafeteria, but in the primary section school lunches are provided. But the ones who make the lunch aren’t your usual cafeteria obasans; they’re chefs. There’s no cafeteria duty for the students either. I mean, the cafeteria has full-time waitresses after all. And the menu is so luxurious that I’m not even sure it’s okay to call it a school lunch. Things like vichyssoise or veal terrine are on the menu like it’s totally natural. I think we learn table manners here as well. Black tea for drinks. If you’d prefer, you can add lemon or milk. By no means would you ever find a kid with a white moustache from gulping down milk. For dessert we don’t have frozen mikan; we have crêpe suzette.

Aah, it feels like it can’t get any more impossible. This is what you call a culture shock. I bet this is how the protagonist felt when she entered the high school section, huhh.

I wonder just how much the tuition fees for this place are. It’s scary so I’m trying not to think about it though.

Finally, the most important feature of Suiran Academy is a society called the Peony Society, or the “Pivoine”. The Pivoine is a gathering comprising students who not only entered during the primary section, but who pa.s.sed strict requirements for lineage, parentage, and monetary a.s.sets. The Pivoine exists in the middle and high sections, and all Pivoine members receive various special treatments from the school.

In the primary section, we instead have the Pet.i.te Pivoine. Once Pet.i.te Pivoine members enter the middle school section, they become Pivoine members. Because it comprises only purebred Suiran students, no matter how great your lineage, parentage or a.s.sets are, if you enter Suiran during the middle or high school sections, it’s impossible to join. A society that only the chosen can enter; truly the adoration of all Suiran students.

And I, Kisshouin Reika, am naturally a member of the Pet.i.te Pivoine. Hmm, Reika abused her authority as a Pivoine member and did whatever the heck she wanted in 『you are my dolce』 as well. Just being a member of the Pivoine meant that most things were allowed. But I really wonder about something like that being allowed in an inst.i.tution that’s supposed to teach its students how to live properly.

Pivoine members pin a peony badge under the Suiran crest on their uniform. It’s made from real gems, so it sparkles beautifully. And at the same time, it functions as a school-wide pa.s.s for exemption from the rules. …Once I considered that… although it was pretty, it felt a little scary too…

Ah, and as for why it’s the ‘Peony Society’, apparently in the language of flowers, the peony means the “the bearing of a ruler”. …Honestly, there’s just a lot of things scary about the way they think.

Being a Pivoine member means the other students look at you in half admiration, and half fear. And that’s natural. If you start trouble with a Pivoine student, it’ll be hard for you to keep going to school here. And their families would also be pressured by the people behind the Pivoine members, sometimes even harmed. Basically ‘If you know what’s best for you, don’t get involved with the Pivoine’. I also want to follow that rule.

But well, that’s impossible, huh. I’m a member after all. And I’m in really deep. Aah, so scary. And what’s even scarier is their sense of money. I mean, when I was in high school my monthly allowance was only 5,000 yen, so I can’t help but see money differently, right? Just how much money are they giving to these primary schoolers? It’s already gone past the level of ‘pocket money’ into the realm of ‘living expenses’. Well, I’m the same though.

Anyway, the point is, thanks to my family’s influence and money, I’m fairly comfortable at school. No, calling it “fairly” is being extravagant, I guess. I’m extremely comfortable at school. Even though I’m only a Year 1 student, I’ve already got followers after all. These girls were Reika’s followers in 『you are my dolce』 as well, weren’t they. Have they been currying favour this far back?

Even though they’re only six years old, they already know how to get ahead in life, huh~ Aah, what a harsh world this is. Even children are having it rough.

But if I had to be a bit greedy, I’d prefer friends over followers.

Hm? 『you are my dolce』 didn’t have any “Kisshouin Reika’s friend” characters either. Could it be that I’m going to stay friendless like this? Ah-, oh no. Tears are…

The manga only began when the protagonist entered the high school section so I don’t know what kind of school life Reika lived before that. But I’ll bet she looked down on people beneath her in her “Reika Pose” with left hand on hip, and laughing into the back of her right hand, doing whatever she pleased. All whilst following Emperor about.

But the current me will absolutely not do the same. After all, I can hear destruction’s footsteps on my door. And also I honestly don’t have the nerves to go “OOOHOHOHO” as anything but a joke. Even I know what shame is. But well, I get the feeling that in a school like Suiran, plenty of other students will be using the Reika Pose…

*imouto*

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*imouto*