As a fan of the COTE series, Tal is ecstatic to hear this live. The ADR scriptwriter of the dub was incredibly clever. Because the speech momentarily stops after the word "capable," the message forms perfectly. It holds a dark, dual meaning. The word "TEACH" fits a school, and the word "PITY" fits the brutal nature of the S-System.
One word disguised the facility as an academy. The other promised to crush anyone stupid enough to show empathy. Manabu was looking down at the freshmen, casually explaining the meat grinder they had just walked into.
Then, Horikita Manabu leans back into the microphone and continues.
"Access here in just entirely on merit. So you alone control your path."
Tal smiles inwardly.
Those final two sentences add an M and a P to the dataset. The string updates to: I, H, A, T, P, E, T, Y, C, M, P.
Shifting the grid again, the true message reveals itself: PITY THE CAMP.
Teach pity is a philosophy. Pity the camp is a geographic reality.
The ceremony concludes shortly after, releasing the student body. Tal walks out into the wide hallway. The polished floor squeaks under his shoes. Dozens of freshmen wander aimlessly around him, chatting excitedly about their massive point deposits.
He walks out into the wide hallway. The polished floor squeaks under his shoes. Dozens of freshmen are wandering aimlessly.
He needs to visit the convenience store right now because he wants to check the prices of daily goods to confirm the exact purchasing power of a single private point.
He continues moving.
Up ahead, the familiar green and white sign of the campus convenience store comes into view. The automatic glass doors slide open with a soft mechanical hum.
Cold air washes over him as he steps inside. The store is packed tight. Freshmen are tearing through the narrow aisles, grabbing expensive snacks, premium sports drinks.
Tal bypasses the chaotic snack entirely. He walks straight toward the back corner of the store and stops in front of a small, inconspicuous wire bin tucked away near the cheap cleaning supplies.
A small cardboard sign hangs loosely above the bin. It reads: Free Items - Limit 3 Per Month.
Inside the bin sits a messy pile of cheap, generic goods. Plain white toothbrushes wrapped in thin plastic. Small tubes of unflavored toothpaste.
Basic adhesive bandages. Thin, rough bars of unscented soap.
Tal reaches deep into the bin and picks up a tube of toothpaste. The plastic feels cheap and incredibly thin. He turns it over slowly in his hands.
This is the ultimate safety net. The school provides exactly enough basic necessities to keep a failing student alive if they blow their entire point allowance. It is a cruel, clinical way to sustain a human life.
Why leave free resources on the table? One hundred thousand points is an illusion of permanent wealth, a starting budget rather than a guaranteed monthly income. If Class D implodes as expected and our allowance drops to zero next month, these cheap items become the difference between basic hygiene and public humiliation. Besides, private points are the ultimate ammunition in this school. They buy test scores, they buy silence, and they buy expulsions. Wasting even a single point on something the school offers for free is a fundamental strategic failure.
Tal claims all three free items, maximizing his monthly limit on the very first day.
Turning away from the clearance corner, he walks back toward the main aisles. He stops near the instant food section.
"My, what an unpleasant coincidence."
A sharp, icy voice cuts through the low hum of the refrigerated display cases.