Kurokumo Academy was an elite girls' school with a large endowment and a dark secret. Men of wealth could make large contributions to the school and in return, they could use any of the students sexually. The girls who attended the school were well aware of the arrangement, and accepted sacrificing their bodies and morals for a place in a prestigious school and a chance at attending an elite university after graduation.

One morning, three students were walking together, heading to Kurokumo Academy. One was a beautiful girl with black hair and blue eyes. She was tall, almost 180 cm tall. Her name was Yuno Himegami, and she was from a family of famous lawyers. Yuno had a reputation for being a hard-working, ambitious student, and she had recently won a national debate competition. On her left was a tall girl with short, platinum blonde hair, dark grey eyes, and a slender face. She was in the same club as Yuno, the swimming club. Her name was Saika Kujiragi, and she came from a middle-class family. Saika was quiet and rarely spoke, but she had won the national science fair the year before, and had a bright future ahead of her.

On Yuno's right was a small, pretty girl with pink hair and light blue eyes. Her name was Tomomi Koyomi, and she was a former child idol. She was known for her cute looks and her energetic personality, and was currently taking dance classes to prepare for a new singing career. Each of them was well aware of what was expected of them if any of the Patrons spoke to them, and each had differing opinions on the matter.

For Tomomi, already used to the seedy side of the entertainment world, the idea of Patrons wasn't anything new. She saw it as just another job, and she accepted the arrangement with little qualms.

For Yuno, the idea was quite unappealing, but one she accepted. She felt that she had to make sacrifices for her future, and with the connections she could make here with her fellow students, and the Patrons, Yuno believed that she could climb to the top of the legal world, and become powerful in her own right.

For Saika, the idea was just plain disgusting, and she had little interest in the prospect. But her parents wanted a better future for her, and convinced her to attend Kurokumo despite her disgust at the idea of Patrons.

The three friends were chatting as the walked to school, discussing their plans for the day. As they approached the school gate, Yuno stopped in her tracks, and looked up at the school flagpole. A red flag flew from the pole, meaning that Patrons would be visiting the school today. She was the first to notice, and it brought her mood down considerably.

"Oh no..." she muttered. "More Patrons coming in today."

Saika and Tomomi looked up at the flagpole, and noticed the same thing. Saika looked away in distaste while Tomomi sighed.

"Well, what can you do? Hopefully there's only a couple of them today..." Tomomi said with a shrug, wishing she had a cigarette.

Yuno wasn't as optimistic. She had dealt with Patrons many times before, and knew how bad they could get. "I hope you're right, Tomomi. I'm going to head to class. See you there."

"Alright, see you then."

Yuno went to class alone, while Saika and Tomomi stopped at the school gates.

"I...I'm going to skip..." Saika stammered, not wanting to go into school.

"Saika, you can't. If they catch you, you'll be expelled and your parents will have to pay back your scholarship. Don't be silly."

Saika knew that Tomomi was right. She couldn't afford to be expelled. The only reason she was even attending Kurokumo was for the scholarship.

"But...I don't want to be near them..." Saika whispered. She had been able to avoid the patrons' attention so far, but she knew her luck couldn't last.

Tomomi looked at Saika with sympathy. "Just remember what Yuno told us. Move with a group and don't draw attention to yourself. Hey, and if I'm with you, I'll try to draw their attention, okay?"

Saika looked at Tomomi and smiled weakly. "Thank you, Tomomi..." She hated the idea of her friend sacrificing herself for her, but Saika knew that there was no other option.

"No problem. Now come on. We'd better hurry, or we'll be late."

The two girls ran into the school, and parted ways, each of them heading for their own class.