COTE: Bag And Love System

Revealing the rules

Inside the classroom of class 1-B, Hikaru once again turned his gaze to his classmate, Ichinose Honami.

The pink-haired beauty was surrounded by her classmates, her gentle and warm smile never wavering as she patiently interacted with everyone.

Even though today was her first day of school, Ichinose had already blended in perfectly with the class. Her striking appearance naturally drew attention, but the aura of confidence she exuded was just as captivating.

It was easy to get along with a person who could talk to anyone effortlessly. However, if Hikaru wanted to increase his preference for him, he would have to be more deliberate: building a relationship with someone so approachable might actually be more difficult than expected.

While his thoughts raced, he quickly assessed his starting capital: a rookie bonus of 100,000 points.

Ichinose's stock price was 10 points per share, with 5,000 shares available for purchase. To buy them all, he would have to spend a considerable amount of his money.

But this was just his first encounter. He still had no idea of his true personality, so he decided to observe a bit more before making a decision.

At that moment, a slender figure stepped up to the podium.

---

"Good morning, everyone. I am your teacher, Hoshinomiya Chie."

Hikaru looked up to see a young woman with long, wavy brown hair standing at the front of the classroom. Her modern clothes and the playful curls at the ends of her hair gave her a modern and elegant appearance. With a warm smile, she surveyed the students before continuing.

"First of all, congratulations on your enrollment! Our school follows a non-reclassification system, which means that the classmates sitting next to you will remain your classmates for the next three years. I hope you all get along well.

"As your tenured professor, I won't change either: I'll be with all of you until you graduate."

"Wow!"

The classroom immediately erupted in cheers; it was unclear whether they were celebrating the lack of class changes or the prospect of spending three years with a lovely professor.

"Next, let's go over some school rules. Our school operates on a full boarding system, which means that everyone will live in individual dormitories on campus. Except under special circumstances, no one is allowed to leave the campus."

"Of course, in addition to the academic facilities, there are many amenities for you to enjoy." Hoshinomiya started counting on his fingers, a playful expression on his face. "There's a cafeteria, a shopping district, karaoke bars and cafes, you won't have time to be bored!"

Just as the students were digesting this information, she revealed something even more surprising.

The S-System

"In addition, our school has implemented a special system known as the S-System."

Hoshinomiya took his phone out of his pocket and held it up for everyone to see.

"You will find this function pre-installed on the smartphones given to you by the school. It allows you to check your private points."

"Explaining how private points work would take a while, so think of them as a currency you can use within the school - one point equals one yen!"

"Points are automatically credited on the first day of each month, and you can check your balance using your student ID. These points will be used to cover your living expenses while you are here."

"Oh, and by the way... you all start with 100,000 points."

"WHAT!?"

"¿¡100.000!?"

"That's crazy, I've never had so much spending money before!"

The classroom immediately filled with excitement. All the students excitedly pulled out their phones, checked their student IDs, and confirmed that they had indeed been credited with their private points balance.

For a normal high school student, this was an incredible amount of money.

Hikaru also took out his phone. The data on his Student ID was crystal clear.

[Student ID]

[Name: Hashima Hikaru Hashima]

[ID Number: S01T]

[Gender: Male]

[Private Points: 100,000]

It's really 100,000 points.... Isn't that too generous? Wasn't this school funded by the government?"

Hikaru immediately calculated the staggering costs behind this financial structure.

With three grades and twelve classes, each with 40 students, the total monthly distribution of private points would be 48 million points.

And that was just for one month. Over the course of three years, the total expenditure could easily exceed billions of points.

"Everything in this school can be bought with points. There is no need to save excessively, as unused points are forfeited upon graduation. Therefore, you are encouraged to enjoy your high school life to the fullest."

"But!"

Hoshinomiya raised his finger playfully.

"You can't bully or force others to pay for you. If you do, Sensei will be very angry."

She made an exaggerated grimace, though her tenderness made it hard to take his threat seriously.

When he finished his explanation, Hikaru turned to Ichinose only to find her staring at the screen of her cell phone with an unusual expression on her face.

Could it be that she had been knocked unconscious by this stroke of luck?

Deciding not to disturb her, Hikaru began to mentally review everything he had learned so far.

A three-year boarding school system, a completely enclosed artificial island, luxurious commercial facilities, and a monthly stipend of 100,000 points for each student.

The more he thought about it, the more he frowned.

It all reminded him of a rather unpleasant term: experimental subjects.

A school that invested so much money while maintaining a 100% college acceptance and employment rate could not function without a hidden system.

And that system was definitely not designed to give students an easy, luxurious life.

"This school stands for the principle of meritocracy."

The words of the student council president suddenly clicked and connected all of Hikaru's suspicions.

A hypothesis formed in his mind. Now, only one piece of evidence was missing.

Ever since he had received his acceptance letter, Hikaru had made a firm decision: he would graduate from this school, no matter what.

And now that he had noticed something strange, there was no way he would start his school life blindly.

So he raised his hand.

---

From the moment he entered the classroom of Class 1-B, Hoshinomiya had been secretly observing his students.

This was not her first time as the principal of Class 1-B, so she had a good idea of their general abilities.

They were decent, but not at the top.

Unless a dominant leader emerged among them, their chances of making it to the top were slim.

Watching them indulge in their naive dreams of financial freedom bored her to tears.

Three more uneventful years, huh?

But then...

A voice echoed through the classroom like thunder, and her eyes locked on the student who had spoken.

A boy with chiseled features, a strong bone structure, clear piercing eyes, and a strikingly defined face. His thin lips and slightly upturned eyes gave him an edge: not a soft, gentle beauty, but a dangerously sharp one.

If I had seen him outside, I probably would have gone up to him myself.

She flashed her most enchanting smile and said:

"What is it, student? Sensei will answer your question ~"

Hikaru's eyes narrowed.

"I would like to ask: are the 100,000 points really credited automatically every month?"

-Ah, well... that's a bit complicated.

"Sensei can't answer that right now."

Hoshinomiya feigned hesitation, but her heart was racing uncontrollably.

She watched him intently, waiting for his next move.

Hikaru smiled and then dropped the bombshell.

-In that case, will you tell me if I pay?

"You said that everything in this school can be bought with points. That includes the truth about the school rules, right?"

Bingo.

He figured it out.

A smile spread across Hoshinomiya's face.

-Well, you're not wrong... but can you afford it?

"How much does it cost?"

"Fixed price: 2,000,000 private points."

Her eyes met his directly.

"I'll tell you everything you want to know."

Although the school's extravagant distribution of 100,000,000 private points had initially stunned her, she quickly grasped the situation.

Hoshinomiya-sensei's refusal to answer directly was itself an answer.

It meant that the school had hidden fundamental rules that new students were unaware of; rules so crucial that even to acquire them required a staggering 2,000,000 private points. That alone spoke volumes about their importance.

Realizing this, Ichinose decided to act.

"Hashima-kun, please wait a moment."

Hikaru had been waiting for her to intervene, so he immediately replied, "Oh? Ichinose-san thinks I was wrong?"

"No," he replied confidently, "I trust your judgment. If this school really has hidden rules, then the cost of 2,000,000 private points should be shared by everyone."

"That's exactly what I thought," Hikaru nodded.

Raising 2,000,000 private points meant that each Class 1-B student would have to contribute half of their newly issued 100,000 private points, which was no small request.

This was where Ichinose's virtues came into play. Since he had already established a good relationship with his colleagues from day one, he was in the best position to convince them.

-So, Hashima-kun, why don't you explain your reasoning? -Ichinose said, searching the classroom with his eyes. By now, all eyes were on him. If you can convince everyone, it shouldn't be a problem to collect the points.

-Very well, and thank you for your confidence.

After a short pause, Hikaru began his analysis.

"Let's start with what we all know."

The school advertises a 100% college acceptance rate and a 100% job placement rate. This means that every graduate must be exceptionally capable. If the school applied strict academic rigor and intense military-style training, I could understand how such results would be possible."

"But as Hoshinomiya-sensei just mentioned, this school is full of entertainment facilities, and students receive a generous 100,000 private points every month to spend as they please."

"If I were the school administrator, how could I guarantee that students would prioritize studying instead of wasting time on recreation after receiving such an amount?"

"100,000 is not an insignificant amount of money. It gives us the power to live comfortably and enjoy entertainment. And as long as the opportunity exists, many students will not be able to resist it. After all, it's part of human nature.

Ichinose's eyes widened slightly at Hikaru's words, and he continued, "Teenagers, especially those just entering high school, are naturally prone to being distracted. Only a handful would have the discipline to concentrate solely on studying.

"Moreover, this institution is entirely isolated from external influences. We will spend the next three years in this isolated environment, so even if some students have strong self-control and dedicate themselves to studying, how long will they last when surrounded by individuals living carefree lives?"

As Hikaru spoke, he closely observed the reactions of his classmates, many of whom were beginning to process the implications of his words.

This was precisely the outcome he had intended.

He then posed a rhetorical question to the class: if students are naturally inclined towards enjoyment, how does the school ensure a 100% success rate in college admissions and job placement?

His words resonated throughout the silent classroom.

"It appears that there are hidden rules that shape this system, rules so absolute that they determine the only possible outcome."

A palpable silence descended upon the 1-B classroom.

From his position at the front of the room, Hoshinomiya observed the scene with keen interest.

She had always considered the students of Class 1-B to be secondary options: students with potential, but not the elite.

However, before her eyes was a student who had discovered the deeper workings of the school on his first day.

This was a first in the school's over decade-long history.

Remarkably, this remarkable student was from her own class.

This student had the potential to be a contender and could potentially maintain his position over the next three years of intense competition.

Hoshinomiya broke the silence, addressing Hashima, "Hashima-kun, will you be paying the private points now?

Hikaru replied, "I will wait until the group has made a decision. Since half of their initial points are required, I can't make that decision for them."

Nonetheless, he discreetly signaled Ichinose, indicating his intention to take the initiative.

Despite the absence of prior dialogue, Ichinose intuitively trusted Hikaru, and he proceeded without hesitation.

"After listening to Hashima-kun's analysis, I believe we can all agree that there is more to this school than meets the eye.After all, there is no such thing as free."

She proceeded to the center of the classroom, prepared to persuade her classmates.

She then posed a rhetorical question, suggesting that the potential value of the points, which amounted to fifty thousand, might be worthwhile to invest in, given the potential impact on future prospects.

Besides, wouldn't it be better to understand the system from day one?

Some students were still hesitant, but Ichinose didn't miss a beat.

"If you're not sure, consider it a loan from me. I will personally pay you all one by one when the next round of points is issued."

The moment those words left his lips, the effect was instantaneous.

"I trust Ichinose-san, I'll pay!"

"Me too. We're going to be here for three years. Fifty thousand points isn't much in the long run."

"He's right! Anyway, in a month's time we'll reach another 50,000."

With Ichinose's encouragement, the whole class gathered their Private Points and in no time they had collected the 2,000,000 points.

"Well done, Ichinose-san."

-whispered Hikaru, genuinely impressed. He hadn't expected her to propose a loan, and his respect for her strategic thinking increased.

"Class 1-B is a team, and I'm willing to contribute to it," she replied with a soft smile.

"Thank you."

Turning his gaze back to the podium, Hikaru watched as Hoshinomiya-sensei confirmed the transaction and then finally revealed the truth.

Advanced Nurturing High School actually operated according to a meritocratic system.

The 100% college admission rate and employment rate were real.

However, only Class 3-A students could receive these benefits.

Class B, C and D students would graduate with a standard high school diploma.

And that was not all.

The S System was much more complex than they had been led to believe.

Each class was assigned a class score, which determined the monthly distribution of private points.

1 class point = 100 private points per student.

Each month, students' earnings were directly linked to their class performance.

In addition, class locations were not random: they were meticulously calculated based on student rankings.

Class 1-A housed the top students.

Class 1-D contained the weakest.

The school did not predefine their fates: students had three years to compete and special exams determined their progress.

Success in the special exams meant moving up the ladder.

Failure meant falling even further behind.

And then came the final bombshell: with private points you could buy anything.

Even... change class.

And the price?

20,000,000 private points.

There was silence in the class.

Some were relieved not to be in the 1-D class.

Others felt the weight of fierce competition and the real risk of being expelled.

But as everyone processed their surprise, Hikaru stood up again.

"Sensei, do the future special exams involve physical competition?".

"Of course. The school aims to train well-rounded individuals, so athletics are just as important."

"I see. Thank you."

As he sat back down, Hikaru's expression darkened.

He glanced at his system panel: his physical ability score was only 3.

At this rate, he would be dead weight.

"I have to fix this. Quickly."

Then he turned to Ichinose.

This girl had a collective conscience and a strong sense of responsibility: the perfect first target to boost her favorability.

With a smile, she went for it all.

[Purchased: shares of Ichinose Honami - FULL ALLOCATION].

[Stock price: 10 → 50]

Ichinose wasn't just a beauty.

She was a gold mine...