Points accumulated once more. Kanzaki's Affection was only 2 points away from unlocking [Rational Analysis and Decision Making B-Rank]! Shiranami Chihiro was also just 3 points away from unlocking [Information Synthesis B-Rank]!
Teacher Hoshinomiya watched Class B quickly reach a consensus and put their plans into action with satisfaction, then nodded. "Excellent! I'm very pleased with how Class B has performed! The points have now been deposited into everyone's Personal Accounts, so please check them and plan how to use them wisely. Class dismissed!"
The bell rang, but the students in Class B didn't leave right away. They gathered around Ichinose, Kanzaki, and Shiranami, eagerly discussing how to allocate their points, improve the Study Group, and avoid losing points for breaking classroom rules.
Toudou Shizuya joined in, suggesting practical ways to make use of In-School Free Resources, such as the Library Database, basic fitness facilities, free daily necessities from the Convenience Store, and Free Lettuce Salad in the cafeteria. His suggestions were useful without drawing attention.
[Kanzaki Ryuji Affection +1 (appreciated his practical suggestions). Current: 44 (neutral) -> Target: 45 (recognition).]
[Shiranami Chihiro Affection +1 (grateful for the Information Supplement). Current: 38 (neutral) -> Target: 40 (close).]
Just one step away from the goal!
Toudou Shizuya glanced beyond the discussion circle and spotted Kobashi Yume encouraging a few classmates who seemed a little lost about how to manage their points, using [Infectious Vitality B-Rank]. "Don't worry! We have our Class Leader and Vice Class Leader. We just need to stick to the plan! If we all work hard together, we'll definitely have more points next month! Maybe we'll even surpass Class A!" Her smile was sunny, and her words brimmed with persuasive energy, bringing smiles back to the faces of the classmates she was encouraging.
(ƪ(•̃͡ε•̃͡)∫ʃ Open your eyes and get to work; close them and it's time to "get it done.")
[Kobashi Yume Affection +1 (successfully encouraged her classmates with her skill). Current: 41 (close).]
Toudou Shizuya's lips curved faintly. The seeds of his skills had begun to sprout in the class.
(╰(*´︶`*)╯)
As he left the classroom, he deliberately detoured to the hallway window and looked toward Class D again. It remained eerily quiet, its classroom door shut tight.
The Blank Card Paper Chabashira Sae had flung to the floor had been quietly picked up, but that cold Sense of Humiliation had been branded into the heart of every Class D student.
He spotted Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. He was walking alone and calmly down the corridor toward the stairs. As they passed each other, Toudou Shizuya clearly felt Ayanokouji's dull gaze linger on him for a few fleeting seconds.
[Target (Ayanokouji Kiyotaka) briefly looked at you. Correlation Analysis: low. Motive: observation. Threat Assessment: none. But... presence increasing.]
Toudou Shizuya pushed up his glasses and continued down the stairs, his expression unchanged. The Torrent of Points had fallen, and the class had steadied its course after its first storm.
Power surged through his body, resources had accumulated in his account, and steadily rising Affection surrounded him. Kanzaki and Shiranami were close to unlocking their skills, his connection with Sakura flowed like a gentle stream, his "deal" with Chabashira remained temporarily sealed away, and Ayanokouji's attention was hard to read.
He looked up at the sky. The sky above Kōdo Ikusei High School was still blue, but beneath the calm, the clouds of the first Special Exam were already gathering on the horizon.
And he was ready to keep "competing harder" (giving up) and keep hunting for Target Skills. Next Step: seize those two skill fruits within reach, or turn his gaze toward a more distant chessboard?
The answer gradually became clear with every steady step he took.
----(Golden Ratio)
The 65,000 points poured into every Class B student's account like molten lava, igniting an unprecedented sense of crisis and a desire to strive forward.
The points management group led by Kanzaki Ryuji quickly got to work. Shiranami Chihiro compiled detailed tables of In-School Resources prices, club activity expenses, and study material costs, while Kanzaki drafted a "six-three-one" allocation plan: sixty percent for necessary study and living expenses (including mandatory savings), thirty percent for the class's public reserve fund (for unexpected exams or team resources), and ten percent for personal use (to meet reasonable individual needs).
The plan was unanimously approved at the class meeting. Rather than being swept away by the Torrent of Points, Class B's order had become even more stable.
Toudou Shizuya's Private Points had swelled to more than 300,000 (Class Points + Hush Money from Chabashira), but he still kept his spending habits modest.
That enormous pool of points was leverage he could use to secure even greater resources in the future. He couldn't reveal it carelessly. He was more interested in finding out how to learn more about Special Exams and how to improve the class's evaluation.
An opportunity soon came during an art elective that seemed easygoing enough.
The teacher was a gentle, middle-aged woman named Miyazawa. The lesson covered the appreciation and practice of creating modern abstract art.
After explaining the distinctive styles of several prominent abstract artists, Miyazawa-sensei smiled and offered a little prize:
"Now that we've finished the theory, let's try something fun. You'll have thirty minutes to create an abstract sketch on the theme of 'The Rhythm of Campus.' You can use any tools you like: charcoal, crayons, or even your fingers dipped in paint!
I'll choose the three most expressive pieces and award their creators Private Points!
First place gets 500 points, second place 300, and third place 200!"
The classroom immediately grew lively. It wasn't a lot of points, but it was still a small fortune to an ordinary student—and more importantly, there was the prestige.
"Toudou! Let's compete!" Kobashi Yume perked up at once and challenged Toudou Shizuya with enthusiasm, clearly wanting to test her newly acquired [Infectious Vitality B-Rank] in her art.
Toudou Shizuya smiled and accepted, though his thoughts were already racing. The Private Points reward came second. This was more of a chance to observe his classmates and gather information about "rhythm." He picked up a charcoal pencil and sketchbook, his gaze seemingly wandering over the classroom.
[Thought Acceleration] and [Rational Analysis and Decision Making B-Rank] quietly activated.
Objective: capture the core of an abstract expression of "The Rhythm of Campus." Was it students hurrying along? The sweat of club activities? The rustle of pages turning in the library? Or... the competition lurking beneath it? Or perhaps some stifling behavior that would give people a headache just looking at it? Maybe even some overly narcissistic classmates...
Action plan: Don't focus on technique; focus on conveying the concept. Draw on recent observations (such as the impact of the day points were distributed and Class D's ostentatious suppression) and use simple, forceful lines and composition to depict "vitality under pressure" or "restlessness within rules."
He focused, and the charcoal pencil swept quickly over the rough paper. He drew no distinct figures, only rugged lines that intersected, pressed against one another, and broke upward, along with several patches of color that seemed boxed in by rules yet still tried to spread. The whole process flowed smoothly, carrying a sense of restrained release.
(RVR)
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