Advance Mathematics
We didn't receive our Credits last night. The school instead provided us with a luxurious meal: meat, fish, soup, and expensive rice that filled my stomach with satisfaction. This morning, they gave us juice and high-end biscuits.
It actually tasted good. After all those years dieting to maintain a good shape, I finally had my first luxurious and expensive meal. To be honest, I'm starting to think this is my ideal life. Maybe I've fallen too quickly for the freedom I was so desperate for before.
The morning sun lit the classroom through its windows. I was looking out the window. The campus seemed lively, scattered with students either hanging out or minding their own business. Somehow, I'm used to being alone, but being in this room while seeing how lively the campus is only added to my boredom. I rested my jaw on my palm, pretending to stay awake, though I just wanted to sleep all day.
Everyone appeared to be listening to Ishikawa's lecture, though some, as usual, were distracted on their phones.
At the front of the room, just below the instructor's desk, Ishikawa stood with a folder in her hands. She lectured calmly, her expression composed as ever, as if yesterday's short debate with Kurosawa hadn't even happened. Kurosawa, too, seemed completely unbothered. He sat in his usual spot, feet up on the desk, arms crossed, eyes closed, either resting or simply ignoring everything around him.
That incident must've left some kind of impression on Kurosawa, though Ishikawa doesn't seem bothered by it. Still, I think she's fully aware.
"Mathematics has shaped civilizations," she read aloud in a calm voice. "It is the root of all structured thought, used in philosophy, architecture, and even warfare. The ancient Greeks studied it to understand harmony and logic. Today, modern societies use it to model the economy, predict climate, and build technology."
She turned a page, barely pausing. "Great minds like Archimedes, Gauss, and Ramanujan didn't just solve equations. They expanded the boundaries of human knowledge. Today, we follow in their footsteps. Mathematics isn't about memorizing formulas. It's about learning how to think, how to see patterns where others see chaos."
"In this class, your problem-solving process matters more than your answers. Show how you think, not just what you know. In the real world, innovation depends on the questions you ask, not the ones you copy."
She closed the folder gently and looked around the room.
"Any questions?"
No one spoke. For a moment, her eyes narrowedly lingered on the distracted students. Then she cleared her throat.
"Before we proceed to the next subject, I would like to explain the Advancement Score, or Advancement System, since there will be an upcoming test," she said, catching the attention of some distracted students, though a few remained lost in their own world.
Shirogane shifted in her seat, her expression tightening in focus. Last night, before going back to my dorm, we had talked about going shopping together when we received the Credits, but it didn't happen.
Ishikawa then walked back to her desk and lowered her folder. "This school doesn't write grades on a card or use something like A-plus or B. Instead, it uses two methods. For individuals, it's called the Personal Advancement Rate, or PAR."
She pulled a pen out of her blazer.
"Personal Advancement Rate, or PAR, is your personal grade, your performance. You can't check your grades through your phone right now, but the school will notify you monthly through your email about your progress. Now, why does your individual performance matter?"
She began writing as she continued.
"First of all, it determines how many Credits you'll get per month through your performance. Let's say we calculate all your subject scores, and your overall or average individual score is one hundred percent. That means you'll get one hundred thousand Credits."
Chatters and murmurs echoed chaotically throughout the classroom at the mention of the Credits.
"One hundred thousand!?"
"I can buy all I want!"
"I don't believe it."
Shirogane glanced at me. We were probably thinking the same thing.
One hundred thousand… That means one percent equals a thousand yen. Now I wonder, how hard is it to get a high percent?
Ishikawa paused for a moment, waiting for the murmurs to die down.
"That's only the small part. Class performance varies more than anything. For class performance, it's called Class Rank. Now, what is this?"
She paused again and began writing again.
"In this school, you can advance classes. Now, why does advancing matter? Overall, your class determines your status and reputation in this school. The higher your class, the better your living conditions are, and the more the school will value you."
She turned to us, lowering her pen.
"And what does status do? It lowers food costs. It gives you access to luxuries and grants privileges like better dormitories. What about reputation? It earns respect and recognition. Your reputation matters because that's how people will brand you." She paused, narrowing her eyes at us. "Just like in real society, the world values the rich more than the poor. That's why the credit system exists, to show who puts in the effort and to give chances to the poor." Her tone grew colder as she looked toward Kurosawa.
Kurosawa let out a chuckle, lowering his feet and crossing his legs. "Don't look at me like that, Miss. No objections here," he said, closing his eyes.
Ishikawa's expression softened, and she smirked a bit. "Good. Now, how will you all advance Class? First, we'll calculate everyone's PAR and convert it into a percentage. If your class score is higher than Class B, you will switch positions with them."
She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.
"That's all for the Advancement Score System."