It had been about a week since the Management Game began.
During our usual tea party, a question suddenly occurred to me.
"Now that I think about it, you all seem quite comfortable using computers."
"Well, of course," Tennoji-san replied, setting her teacup back on the table. "Computers are a necessity in modern business. We’ve been taught how to use them since we were small children."
"We even had classes for it back in our first year, didn't we?" Asahi-san added with a cheerful laugh.
By "classes," she likely meant basic computer literacy. Even the high school I used to attend had those. It certainly wasn't strange for them to be tech-savvy, given that almost all work is digitized these days.
However, that wasn't exactly what I was getting at.
"Even so, don't you feel like your knowledge is a bit... lopsided?"
"In what way?"
"Well, for instance, you don't seem to know much about Commoner culture..."
Things like the three-second rule, or keeping things you've borrowed... those were admittedly niche, but there were plenty of opportunities to learn about game centers or shopping districts. Especially for someone like Tennoji-san—I figured that once she took an interest in something, she would do at least a bit of research.
"...Now that you mention it, you have a point."
Tennoji-san wore a puzzled expression. Beside her, Hinako tilted her head as well.
"I wonder why that is."
◆
"It's because of the filtering."
After returning to the manor, I posed the same question to Ms. Shizune. Her answer was immediate and clear.
"The upper class is full of doting parents—excuse me, highly protective individuals. Special filtering services are contracted specifically to shield the children of such wealthy families."
I thought "doting parents" described it perfectly well. While it might make sense for a primary school student, I found it hard to believe that a second-year high schooler needed that kind of filtering.
"At times, ignorance can contribute to one's sense of dignity," Ms. Shizune continued.
"Meaning...?"
"Tell me, Itsuki-san, what was your honest impression of the young ladies when you realized they knew nothing of Commoner culture? Didn't you feel as though you were witnessing the 'genuine article'?"
"...Fair point."
Seeing Hinako and the others so utterly detached from everyday Commoner life hadn't left me exasperated; rather, it was impressive in a roundabout way. I might have even felt a slight thrill, realizing that a true, sheltered Young Lady—the kind usually found only in fiction—was standing right before my eyes.
In short, it was part of maintaining the "Young Lady" brand. The filtering was a tool used to preserve that image.
"It's not a service intended for the general public, but it's easy enough to find if you look. Here, this is it."
Ms. Shizune showed me the screen of her tablet.
"The 'Celeb Filter'... well, that's certainly direct."
I made a face that was hard to describe as I stared at the name of the service.
"Is Hinako using this too?"
"She used it when she was younger, but the subscription has since been canceled."
"Why cancel it?"
"In the Young Lady's case, if she had enough free time to look up pointless things on a computer, she would choose to spend it sleeping."
I was convinced by that explanation from the bottom of my soul.
"However, she has been changing lately. It might be wise to keep a closer eye on her."
"I agree. She's been taking an interest in shoujo manga recently, so she might try to buy some online."
"I don't mind how many manga she buys, but..."
"I don't know the specifics, but I've heard some modern shoujo manga can be quite graphic. The ones she's reading now were borrowed from Yuri, so I'm sure she filtered out anything inappropriate, but..."
I wondered if I was becoming a bit overprotective myself. But Hinako was pure-hearted to a fault—a girl literally raised in a greenhouse. If she was exposed to something too provocative and ended up coming down with a fever from the shock, it would be a disaster.
"As a precaution, I monitor the Young Lady's browser history myself. If anything happens, I can intervene before it becomes an issue."
"Wait, is that okay? I feel like search history is a major privacy concern..."
"Those are Kagon-sama's orders, and the Young Lady has been informed of the arrangement."
Well, if she was aware of it, I supposed it was fine.
"...Oh."
Ms. Shizune suddenly knit her brows as she looked at her tablet.
"...This is not good."
"What happened?"
"The Young Lady is currently viewing an indecent website."
"What!?"
◆
While Itsuki and Shizune were discussing the Young Lady's internet habits, Hinako was in her room, working on the Management Game.
(Phew... that's enough for today. Time for a break...)
As she looked away from the monitor, her eyes fell upon the shoujo manga stacked on the corner of her desk. Borrowed from Itsuki's childhood friend, Yuri, these were Hinako's textbooks for her "romance tactics."
She had already finished every volume she had. Yuri had promised to bring the sequels the next time they met, but Hinako honestly didn't think she could wait that long. She wanted to know what happened next right now.
"...I know. If I look it up online, I might be able to find the rest."
This was her first time using the internet for personal reasons. Hinako immediately typed the title of the manga into the search bar.
She managed to find the series' official website, but...
"...What's this? An advertisement...?"
A small ad appeared in the corner of the screen. Driven by curiosity, she clicked it.
Instantly, the screen was filled with a shocking pink image.
"Wait... what? What is this...!?"
It was an advertisement for a particularly provocative series, even by the standards of shoujo manga.
"Wh-wh-wh-wh-what is this!? What is this!?"
Confronted by a level of stimulation she had never experienced in her life, Hinako’s face turned scarlet as total confusion took hold. Below the main image, a prominent "steamy" scene was displayed in full view...
"Young Lady!"
"Hinako!"
Shizune and Itsuki burst into her room, frantic.
However, Hinako was already beyond help.
"Uuuuh... uuuh..."
Her mind had short-circuited from the shock, and her eyes were spinning in circles.
"It seems we were too late..."
"I knew it... it was too much for her..."
The two of them looked at the still-open computer screen and hung their heads in unison.
The following day, acting on Kagon-sama's orders after receiving Shizune's report, Hinako’s computer was quietly signed up for the Celeb Filter—entirely without her knowledge.