Just Want to Be a Slacker

So that path is set aside for now.

Since the Class Points route is too difficult, I'll just go straight for Private Points. As for how to obtain them, I'll need to think it over carefully and come up with a plan.

After returning to the dorm, Kamio Tatsuya stopped dwelling on that issue and instead focused on his cheat ability.

He had one chance to draw from the System Space, and he had no idea what was inside it, so he was filled with anticipation.

Using that draw, a black vortex appeared in the space before him.

[Please reach your hand into the vortex to draw a random item.]

Though a bit uneasy, he followed the system's prompt and thrust his right hand inside.

The moment his hand entered, Kamio Tatsuya was horrified to find that he could no longer sense it. In a panic, he immediately pulled it out.

Empty-handed, but at the same time, the sensation in his right hand returned. The vortex before him quickly faded and then vanished completely.

[Congratulations on drawing a pack of toilet paper.]

Kamio Tatsuya stared at his right hand and the toilet paper in it, a thousand curses stuck in his throat with no way to voice them.

"Seriously, system? You give me this?"

Kamio Tatsuya was utterly incredulous. The Body Repair Potion issued earlier clearly proved you had good stuff, so the lottery gives me this?

[This draw is the initial draw, which can only yield a Tier 1 Item. If you are dissatisfied with the item, you may choose to forfeit this reward. After forfeiting, the next draw will yield a higher-tier item.]

[Lottery Rule: Each time you forfeit, the maximum tier of items you can draw increases by one.]

So if I forfeit this Tier 1 Item, the next draw can get me a Tier 2 Item?

Even though I don't know what's in the Tier 2 pool, it can't be worse than this toilet paper.

"By the way, system, what tier was the Body Repair Potion issued earlier?"

[The Body Repair Potion is a Tier 8+ Item, capable of repairing any physical defect. After forfeiting eight rewards cumulatively, you will have a chance to draw it.]

[Would you like to accumulate forfeits?]

Accumulate!

Decisively accumulate!

At that moment, Kamio Tatsuya made his choice without hesitation!

Chapter 11: Nothing in the World Is Hard, as Long as You're Willing to Give Up

Although this draw didn't yield any tangible reward, Kamio Tatsuya wasn't disappointed at all.

Because the biggest gain from completing Nagumo Miyabi's task was actually the intel Nagumo had given him. As for the system's reward, let it wait a bit.

The next day, Kamio Tatsuya woke up very early. After all, it was the first day of school, and being late wouldn't be a good thing.

Thank goodness for the alarm clock.

And though he had no hopes for Class D's members, he didn't want to lose points for the class because of his own tardiness.

The school provided such good living conditions, and the work was just studying—Kamio Tatsuya didn't see anything to complain about.

But reality still gave Kamio Tatsuya a harsh slap.

Even though he wasn't late, someone actually was on the very first day. That definitely cost them points.

Since it was the first day of class, the teachers didn't make much substantive progress on the curriculum, only broadly explaining the future teaching policy.

The relaxed atmosphere made many students drop their masks immediately.

The Class D students, who had been willing to put on a show, instantly let themselves go.

Sleeping, whispering, playing on phones, reading manga—everything was on display.

The teacher at the podium completely ignored this lax behavior, just pushing through the lesson at their own pace.

Kamio Tatsuya glanced at the camera in the corner of the classroom and fell silent for a moment. If every breach of discipline cost a point, then after just half a day, they'd probably already lost over ten points.

There were still over twenty days left this month.

Optimistically speaking, by the start of next month, there might still be two or three hundred Class Points left?

But that was clearly wishful thinking.

Because laxness is contagious.

In just a short while, by the last class of the morning, almost none of the Class D students were still paying attention.

It's over. All over.

Though he knew the overall quality of Class D students wasn't great, this was too ridiculous.

He had thought about maybe salvaging some Class Points to keep a bit of spending money, but at this rate, whether he'd even have living expenses next month was another question.

Kamio Tatsuya felt relieved that he hadn't wasted money yesterday.

As for stopping them from breaking the rules, Kamio Tatsuya immediately dismissed the idea.

Even the teacher didn't care. How could he, a student, appeal to them to study seriously? Was that even possible?

Besides, he had no proof that the information he held was true. Without evidence, he'd just end up being mocked with sarcastic remarks.

Impossible. Absolutely impossible.

Kamio Tatsuya wasn't the type to be a sunny, cheerful boy either.

So the conclusion was simple: Class D was hopeless.

Since the path of Class Points was a dead end, he might as well consider the route of Personal Points. He could wrong anyone but himself.

He still had three years to spend at this school. Assuming fifty thousand Private Points a month would let him live comfortably, that came to 5*12*3, or one million eight hundred thousand Private Points.

Rounding up, that was two million Private Points.

But how on earth was he supposed to scrape together such a huge sum?

Kamio Tatsuya was a bit at a loss.

So after lunch, while resting in the classroom, Kamio Tatsuya took the chance to think about what he currently had in hand.

There was only one answer: an advantage in information.

He had been the first to discover the true nature of competition at this school, and he'd also gotten a piece of intel from Nagumo Miyabi—during the first month of school, the administration would secretly conduct a moral behavior review of the students.

If that was the case...

Kamio Tatsuya came up with the rough outline of a plan, and a smile crept onto his lips.

Just then, the school's PA system crackled to life.

[Starting at five o'clock this afternoon, a Club Information Session will be held at the First Gymnasium. Students interested in clubs, please assemble at the First Gymnasium. I repeat. Today...]

Clubs, huh. So those existed too.

Because he'd thought of a way to make money, Kamio Tatsuya was in a pretty good mood right now, so he decided to head to the gym at five to check out this so-called Club Information Session.

Right at that moment, the girl seated to Kamio Tatsuya's left suddenly chopped the boy further left on the head with her hand.

If he remembered right, this girl was called Horikita Suzune, yeah? As for the victim to her left, that was Ayanokoji Kiyonaka, whom he'd seen once yesterday at the supermarket entrance.

He didn't know what had happened before, but the fact that Ayanokoji Kiyonaka had taken a chop from Horikita was something Kamio Tatsuya had seen with his own eyes.

And then, Ayanokoji Kiyonaka, whose gaze was turned this way, also noticed Kamio Tatsuya's stare.

He seemed to send out something like a signal for help.

Are you kidding me? Asking me for help?

Then I'll just silently turn my head and pretend to be thinking.

This matter had nothing to do with him anyway, and he didn't want to meddle.

Besides, what if those two were just flirting?

You want me to be part of your little game?

You're thinking way too much!

The afternoon classes ended quickly, and just like in the morning, the teacher didn't care at all what the students below were doing.

But Kamio Tatsuya's mood was completely different from the morning's.

Sure enough, nothing in the world is hard if you're willing to give up.

As long as I don't put pressure on myself, no one can pressure me!

Helping Class D keep its Class Points? I'd have to be crazy to do that, right?

After school let out, Kamio Tatsuya first went back to his dorm, then set out again for the First Gymnasium.

When he got there, he found quite a crowd had already gathered—by his estimate, over a hundred people.

He also noticed that most people had come in groups; the only one alone was Kamio Tatsuya.

After a while, he spotted those two from lunch, Horikita Suzune and Ayanokoji Kiyonaka, arriving together and standing not far from him.

See, I knew it—you two were trying to make me part of your game at noon, weren't you?

I have no grudge against you, so why do you want to mess with me like this?

I'm remembering this grudge!

This is way too much. I'm going to seriously condemn you two lovebirds.

Then, Kamio Tatsuya opened the pamphlet the senior students had handed out when he entered the gym and looked at the detailed club information printed on it.

It had basic introductions to the clubs, as well as the rankings they'd achieved in competitions and so on.

"Amazing—every club seems to have a really high level, and there are a lot of national-level clubs or athletes too."

Whoa, that impressive?

Kamio Tatsuya didn't really understand any of this, but the exclamations coming from beside him made him silently marvel.

He turned his head. What a coincidence.

The ones who'd just spoken were also Class D students. Besides Yamauchi and Ike, that pair of a Crouching Dragon and Fledgling Phoenix, there was also a scary-looking red-haired delinquent.

If he remembered right, that was Sudo Ken, yeah?

Noticing Kamio Tatsuya's gaze, the other person looked back.

"Uh, hello."

Having made eye contact, Kamio Tatsuya was the first to greet them.

Better to deal with a god than a demon, and harder to handle a small fry than a big shot—just after enrollment, it was wiser to keep a low profile.

Chapter 12: The Club Information Session Uproar

In response to Kamio Tatsuya's greeting, Sudo Ken scratched his head, apparently having no idea who he was.

There was only one student sitting between us, and you don't even recognize me? Your thick-headedness has a limit, buddy.

Kamio Tatsuya was a little speechless, but Ike and Yamauchi recognized him and gave a casual reply as a greeting.

Just then, a female voice rang out from the speakers.

"First-year students, thank you for waiting. Next, representatives from each club will take turns explaining our school's clubs. I am Tachibana, the secretary of the Student Council, and I'll be hosting this information session. Pleased to meet you."

The girl who called herself Tachibana Akane was a cute-looking girl with a bun of purple hair, exuding a very approachable aura. The gymnasium, which had been somewhat noisy, gradually quieted down.

Then, Tachibana Akane stepped to the side of the stage, while the club representatives lined up on the gymnasium stage.

From a muscular-looking senior in a judogi to a senior girl in a beautiful kimono, Kamio Tatsuya even spotted Nagumo Miyabi in the corner of the stage.

Soon, a senior girl stepped forward to start introducing the clubs. The first to come out was a senior from the school's Archery Club.

"My name is Hashigaki, and I am the captain of the Archery Club..."

But Kamio Tatsuya's attention wasn't on these seniors introducing or waiting to introduce their clubs. His gaze fell on someone behind them.

There stood a senior over 170 cm tall, wearing a uniform and glasses, maintaining a poker face the whole time. Though he stood at the back, Kamio Tatsuya felt he was somehow different from the others in front.

He seemed to be at the back not because he was isolated, but as if he were the final act, the headliner.

And the reason Kamio Tatsuya noticed him directly wasn't because of his aura, but because that bastard Nagumo Miyabi's gaze kept landing on him.