Bus Incident (4)

"It's okay! Please, have a seat. Standing for so long must be tiring." Kushida Kikyo's smile grew even sweeter as she insisted on helping the elderly person sit in the seat she'd vacated. The whole process was fluid, radiating a sunny warmth that instantly dispelled the awkward atmosphere from moments before. Several nearby students visibly relaxed, looking at Kushida with gratitude and admiration.

[Target: Kushida Kikyo]

[Skill Tree Refresh: Social Affinity (A-rank) (Active)... Expression Management and Emotional Camouflage (A-rank) (Active)... Topic Guidance and Listening Skills (A-rank) (Active)...]

Toudou Shizuka's gaze lingered briefly on Kushida as the system interface faithfully refreshed her skill status. Three A-rank skills running simultaneously at high efficiency, like a finely tuned social engine. Perfect timing for the rescue, perfect expression management, perfectly reaping the goodwill of everyone present. This wasn't just kindness—it was social artistry at its peak. A flicker of barely perceptible curiosity passed through his eyes. With such terrifying social talent, what was her true face? System scans could display skills, but they couldn't see through a person's heart.

He withdrew his gaze and refocused on the most dazzling entry in Kushida Kikyo's skill tree within his field of vision—[Social Affinity (A-rank)].

[Enter Virtual Training Ground to simulate and learn target skill: Social Affinity?]

Confirm!

His consciousness was pulled away again. The bus, the sunlight, the crowd... all faded.

This time, he appeared in a completely different space. Not the cold, deathly black training ground, but a massive, cacophonous banquet hall filled with shifting lights and shadows.

Crystal chandeliers refracted blinding light. The elegant yet irritating strains of classical music mixed with the clamor of voices. Gaudily dressed, faceless figures swayed, chatted, and raised glasses before his eyes. The air was thick with a suffocating blend of perfume, food, and fake smiles.

Toudou Shizuka stood alone in the center of the hall, wearing an ill-fitting, slightly shabby school uniform. The overwhelming sense of not belonging and social pressure crashed against him like tangible waves. His throat tightened, his palms sweated, his mind went blank—he just wanted to find a corner to curl up in.

[Simulation Scene: Large Social Banquet (Beginner). Training Objective: Merge into the environment, initiate and maintain a natural conversation with any three strangers (duration > 30 seconds).]

The system's cold prompt tone was especially clear amidst the noise.

Toudou Shizuka took a deep breath, trying to mimic Kushida Kikyo's spring-like smile. He picked the nearest blurry figure holding a wine glass, who seemed relatively friendly, and mustered his courage to step forward.

"Uh... hello, the music today... not bad?" His voice was dry and strained, his smile stiff as a mask. (Aside: He was already wearing a mask ƪ(˘⌣˘)ʃ Elegant.)

The blurry figure paused, looking him up and down with a mix of confusion and distance. His eyebrows furrowed almost imperceptibly, as if looking at an intruder. The other person didn't answer, just gave a perfunctory nod and quickly turned to merge into another crowd.

[Failure: Target did not initiate effective dialogue. Evaluation: Stiff expression, tense tone, abrupt and insincere topic entry.]

Toudou Shizuka's cheeks flushed slightly. He steadied himself and approached a woman who seemed more talkative.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I think your... uh... brooch is quite unique?" This time he tried to make his tone sound sincere.

The woman did stop, glanced at her ordinary brooch, then at Toudou's nervous face. The corner of her mouth curled into a slightly mocking smile. "Thanks, but kid, that pickup line is a bit outdated." With a light laugh, she took her comrade's arm and walked away.

[Failure: Conversation duration < 5 seconds. Evaluation: Inappropriate topic choice (mismatched target), superficial compliment, lack of follow-up potential.]

Frustration washed over him like an icy tide. He gritted his teeth and tried a third time. This time he locked onto a young man who looked as marginalized as he felt.

"Hey, do you think it's a bit... too noisy in here too?" He tried to find common ground.

The young man paused, then his eyes lit up as if he'd found a kindred spirit. "Yeah! It's so loud it gives me a headache! I..."

[Success: Target responded positively. Training Objective: Maintain conversation, naturally guide topic.]

Toudou Shizuka felt a surge of joy and was about to follow up, but the other person launched into a torrent of complaints about the boring banquet, the terrible music, the awful food... He found himself unable to get a word in, only passively nodding along with "mm-hmm" and "yeah." Soon, the other person seemed to lose interest and made an excuse to leave.

[Failure: Conversation duration 28 seconds (< 30 seconds). Evaluation: Passive listener, failed to effectively guide topic direction, lacked interactivity.]

Time flew by in a frenzy of failed attempts. Toudou Shizuka endured countless instances of being ignored, brushed off, mocked, and treated like a weirdo. He practiced the curve of his smile, adjusted his tone and volume, tried different opening lines and topic entries. He forced himself to remember the meanings behind the subtle expressions and body language feedback from those blurry figures.

With every failure came the system's cold analysis and the repeated mental comparison to Kushida Kikyo's flawless social demeanor. He gradually realized that A-rank Social Affinity wasn't just about a sweet smile or smooth talk. It was a comprehensive aura, a precise perception of atmosphere, an instinct to instantly find common ground and build connection, a magic that made others feel comfortable and valued. It required keen observational skill, strong emotional control, and split-second adaptability.

After who knows how many failed approaches, awkward silences, and embarrassing lulls, when Toudou Shizuka walked toward another blurry figure, his steps no longer hesitated. His smile, though still not reaching Kushida's ice-melting level, was much more natural, and his eyes carried a gentle focus.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I just heard you mention the new exhibition at XX Gallery? I'm also very interested in that artist. What do you think of the stylistic shift in his latest works?" His voice was steady and clear, the topic directly linked to the conversation fragment the other had just ended.

The blurry figure looked visibly surprised, then broke into a pleased expression of being understood. "Oh? You follow XX too? I think his use of color is bolder this time, though it's a bit controversial, but..."

[Success: Natural conversation initiation, strong topic relevance.]

[Training Objective: Maintain conversation, naturally guide (in progress)...]