"The second semester has officially begun! And that means the moment you've all been waiting for—the Management Game—is finally here!"
After the opening ceremony concluded and we moved to the classroom, Ms. Misono Fukushima, the homeroom teacher for Class 2-A, began her explanation in even higher spirits than usual.
"I imagine most of you are already aware, but I’ll go over the basics just in case. The Management Game is, as the name implies, a signature course here at Kikou Academy where students learn the ins and outs of business management. For the next month and a half, you will all participate in this game alongside your regular classes."
I had already received a rough overview of the event from Ms. Shizune.
While it was called a "game," it was strictly treated as a formal part of the curriculum. Naturally, that meant it would have a direct impact on our grades.
"Achieving strong results in this game will be reflected in your academic record. Furthermore, those who excel are considered to have a talent for management—that is, the operation of an organization—so they tend to be favored as candidates for the Student Council."
Several of my classmates' faces lit up with motivation.
They were likely aiming for positions on the Student Council.
...And I was one of them.
"Now then, I’ll distribute the laptops you'll be using for the game."
One notebook computer was handed out to every student. According to Ms. Shizune, these were all brand-new units.
Checking the specs, I realized they were incredibly high-end machines. The screen was detachable, allowing it to be used like a tablet. If you were to buy one at a retail store, it would probably cost at least two hundred thousand yen.
"The tutorial will walk you through the finer details of the game. Since the official start is tomorrow, please make sure you’ve completed the tutorial by then."
The teacher wrapped up her explanation, and homeroom came to an end.
(So, it’s finally starting.)
I thought back to the end of summer vacation.
On that day, Takuma-san had told me:
"Kikou Academy really begins in the second semester of the second year."
He was undoubtedly referring to the Management Game.
Takuma-san had also mentioned that if I wanted to become an executive within the Konohana Group, my best bet was to join the Student Council and build a solid track record. It felt incredibly presumptuous for an ordinary person like me to aim for the Student Council at an elite school like this, but if that was the only way forward, then that was the path I had to take.
"Yo, Tomonari. We're still on for today, right?"
As I was sliding my laptop into my bag, Taisho called out to me.
"Yes. Let's head to the usual cafe."
We had already finished our initial greetings before the opening ceremony. During the break, Taisho seemed to have been constantly on the move, even joining the employees of his family's company on their summer retreat.
"But, well... you've certainly gotten a tan."
"Yeah, well, I spent a lot of time out at the beach and in the mountains! But compared to her..."
Taisho’s skin was a shade or two darker than I remembered. However, his gaze was fixed on someone else.
"You two! It’s been ages since our last tea party, hasn't it!?"
Asahi-san skipped toward us, looking far more tanned than Taisho.
She already had a naturally bright personality, but combined with her healthy, bronzed skin, she looked like a literal bundle of energy.
"Asahi-san... you’re incredibly tanned."
"Right? I totally made the most of my summer!"
Asahi-san sounded quite proud of it. She didn't seem to mind the tan at all; if anything, she wore it like a badge of honor.
"Well, I’m sure next summer is going to be a grind. I get why you'd want to go all out now," Taisho muttered.
During the summer of our third year, everyone would be buried in entrance exam prep. And for the students of Kikou Academy, there might be even bigger hurdles waiting for them than just exams.
"My apologies for the wait."
While I was chatting with Taisho and the others, Hinako arrived.
She had been caught in a literal avalanche of greetings from our classmates. Looking out into the hallway, I could see students from other classes who had come just to see her, but there was no end to them. I figured they’d have to give up for today; Hinako looked exhausted as it was.
"Konohana-san... you didn't get a tan at all, did you?"
"I took proper precautions. Family circumstances, you see."
"I see. Must be nice being treated like a proper Young Lady. In my case, nobody even tried to stop me. They just kept saying, 'It suits you, it suits you'..."
Asahi-san looked a little dejected. A maiden's heart is a complex thing.
Now that I thought about it, I remembered seeing Ms. Shizune meticulously applying sunscreen to Hinako during the summer seminar.
It seemed that being a daughter of the Konohana family meant she wasn't even allowed the freedom to get a tan... yet Asahi-san seemed to long for that kind of "Young Lady" treatment.
Personally, I thought Asahi-san was plenty of a "Young Lady" herself.