Small Reward from the Elective Class

Points accumulated again. Kanzaki's affection is only 2 points away from unlocking [Rational Analysis and Decision Making B-Rank]! Shiranami Chihiro is also just 3 points away from unlocking [Information Synthesis B-Rank]!

Teacher Hoshinomiya looked at the consensus and execution ability rapidly forming in Class B with satisfaction, nodding, "Very good! Teacher is very pleased with Class B's performance! Now, the points have been distributed to everyone's private accounts. Please check them and plan their use reasonably. Class dismissed!"

The dismissal bell rang, but the students of Class B didn't leave immediately. They gathered around Ichinose, Kanzaki, and Shiranami, enthusiastically discussing point allocation, optimizing study groups, and how to avoid deductions for classroom violations.

Toudou Shizuka also joined in, offering some practical and subtle suggestions on utilizing in-school free resources like the library database, basic fitness facilities, free daily necessities from the convenience store, and free lettuce salad from the cafeteria.

[Kanzaki Ryuji Affection +1 (Approval of his pragmatic advice). Current: 44 (Neutral) -> Target: 45 (Familiar).]

[Shiranami Chihiro Affection +1 (Thanks for information supplement). Current: 38 (Neutral) -> Target: 40 (Familiar).]

One step away from the goal!

Toudou Shizuka's gaze swept past the discussion circle and landed on Kobashi Yume, who was using [Infectious Vitality B-Rank] to encourage a few classmates looking bewildered about point planning. "Don't worry! With the class leader and vice class leader here, we just need to follow the plan! Let's all work hard together, and next month's points will definitely be more! Maybe we can even surpass Class A!" Her smile was radiant, and her words carried convincing vitality, making those classmates smile again.

(ƪ(•̃͡ε•̃͡)∫ʃ Eyes open, let's go. Eyes closed, it's 'done'.)

[Kobashi Yume Affection +1 (Successfully encouraged comrades using skill). Current: 41 (Familiar).]

Toudou Shizuka's lips curved slightly. The seeds of skills were beginning to sprout in the soil of the class.

(｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♡

As he left the classroom, he deliberately detoured to the corridor window, looking once more in the direction of Class D. It remained deathly silent, the classroom door tightly shut.

The blank card paper Chabashira Sae had thrown to the ground had been quietly collected, but the cold sense of humiliation was branded into the hearts of every Class D student.

He saw Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. He was walking alone, calmly through the corridor towards the stairs. In the moment they passed, Toudou Shizuka clearly felt Ayanokouji's gaze, lacking highlights, linger on him for a fleeting few seconds.

[Detected brief gaze from target (Ayanokouji Kiyotaka). Correlation Analysis: Low. Motive: Observation. Threat Assessment: None. But... presence is increasing.]

Toudou Shizuka pushed up his glasses and walked down the stairs with a composed expression. The torrent of points had arrived, and the class's heading had temporarily stabilized after the first storm.

Power surged within him, resources settled in his account, and steadily increasing affection surrounded him. The unlocking of Kanzaki and Shiranami's skills was imminent, Sakura's contact was like a trickle, Chabashira's "transaction" was temporarily sealed, and Ayanokouji's gaze was elusive.

He looked up at the sky. The sky of Kōdo Ikusei High School was still azure. But beneath the calm, the dark clouds of the first special exam were quietly gathering on the horizon.

And he was ready to continue "involuting" (giving up) and hunting for target skills. The next step was to pluck those two attainable skill fruits, or to set his sights on a more distant chessboard?

The answer gradually became clear in his steady steps.

Sixty-five thousand points poured into everyone's accounts like molten lava, igniting an unprecedented sense of crisis and ambition in Class B.

The point management group led by Kanzaki Ryuji operated efficiently. Shiranami Chihiro compiled detailed tables of in-school resource prices, club activity expenses, and study material costs. Kanzaki drafted a "six-three-one" allocation plan: sixty percent for necessary study and living expenses (including mandatory savings), thirty percent as a public reserve fund for the class (to deal with unexpected exams or team resources), and ten percent for free disposal (to satisfy moderate personal needs).

The draft was unanimously approved at the class meeting. Instead of collapsing under the torrent of points, Class B's order became even more stable.

Toudou Shizuka's personal point pool swelled to over three hundred thousand (class points + Chabashira's hush money), but he maintained his low-key spending habits.

These enormous points were leverage for him to acquire greater resources in the future and could not be easily exposed. He was more concerned with how to obtain more specific information about "special exams" and improving class evaluation.

An opportunity soon appeared in a seemingly relaxed art elective class.

The instructor was a gentle-looking middle-aged female teacher named Miyazawa. The course content was the appreciation and creative practice of modern abstract art.

After explaining the stylistic characteristics of several representative figures of abstract art movements, Teacher Miyazawa smiled and threw out a prize:

"After the theory, let's have some practical fun. You have thirty minutes to create an abstract sketch on the theme of 'Campus Rhythm.' Tools are not limited; charcoal pencils, crayons, even dipping your fingers in paint are fine!

I will select the top three most expressive works and award personal point rewards!

First place: 500 points, second place: 300 points, third place: 200 points!"

The classroom atmosphere instantly became lively. Although the points weren't a huge amount, it was still a small fortune for ordinary students, and more importantly, it was a sense of honor.

"Toudou-kun! Let's have a competition!" Kobashi Yume immediately perked up, energetically challenging Toudou Shizuka, clearly wanting to try out her newly acquired [Infectious Vitality B-Rank] in her creation.

Toudou Shizuka smiled and accepted, but his mind was racing. The personal point rewards were secondary; this was more like a window to observe class members and obtain information about "rhythm." He picked up a charcoal pencil and a sketchbook, his gaze casually sweeping across the classroom.

[Thought Acceleration] combined with [Rational Analysis and Decision Making B-Rank] quietly activated.

Objective: Capture the core abstract expression of "Campus Rhythm." Is it the hurried footsteps of students? The sweat from club activities? The rustling of pages in the library? Or... the underlying competitive relationships? Perhaps certain narcissistic students...

Action Strategy: Prioritize conceptual communication over technique. Combine recent observations (like the impact of the point distribution day, the suppressed atmosphere of Class D) to express "vitality under pressure" or "restlessness within rules" using simple, powerful lines and composition.

He settled down, the charcoal pencil moving rapidly across the rough paper. There were no concrete images under his hand, only intersecting, compressing, and upward-breaking rough lines, along with a few color blocks that seemed to be confined by rules yet still attempted to spread. The entire process flowed like water, carrying a sense of calm catharsis.

(RVR)