"It's all right! Please, have a seat. Standing for so long must be tiring." Kushida Kikyo's smile grew even sweeter. Without giving the elderly passenger a chance to refuse, she helped them into the seat she had given up. The whole process was seamless, radiating sunny warmth and instantly dispelling the awkwardness. Several students nearby visibly relaxed, looking at Kushida with gratitude and admiration.
[Target: Kushida Kikyo]
[Skill Tree Refresh: Social Affinity (Broad) Rank A (Active)... Expression Management and Emotional Camouflage Rank A (Active)... Topic Guidance and Listening Skills Rank A (Active)...]
Toudou Shizuka's gaze lingered briefly on Kushida as the System Interface faithfully refreshed her skill status. Three Rank A skills were operating at once with the efficiency of a finely tuned social engine. Perfect timing to smooth things over, perfect control of her expression, and perfect success in winning everyone's favor. This wasn't merely kindness; it was social skill at its peak. A faint trace of curiosity flickered in his eyes. With such terrifying social talent, what was she really like? The system scan could reveal skills, but it couldn't see into people's hearts.
He drew his gaze away and refocused on the most dazzling skill in Kushida Kikyo's skill tree: [Social Affinity (Broad): Rank A].
[Enter the Virtual Training Ground to simulate learning the target skill: Social Affinity (Broad)?]
Confirm!
His consciousness was pulled away once more. The bus, the sunlight, the crowd... everything receded.
This time, he appeared in a completely different space. It was no longer the cold, dead, black Training Ground, but a vast banquet hall filled with noise and shifting light.
Crystal chandeliers scattered blinding light. A melodious yet irritating classical tune mingled with the din of voices. Blurry figures dressed in finery moved before him, talking and raising their glasses. The air was thick with a suffocating blend of perfume, food, and fake smiles.
Toudou Shizuka stood alone in the middle of the hall, wearing an ill-fitting, somewhat shabby school uniform. The intense sense that he didn't belong, along with the pressure of the crowd, crashed over him like real waves. His throat tightened, his palms grew sweaty, and his mind went blank. All he wanted was to curl up in a corner.
[Simulation Scene: Large Social Banquet (Beginner). Training Objective: Blend into the environment and start and sustain a natural conversation with any three strangers (duration > 30 seconds).]
The system's icy prompt rang out with unusual clarity amid the clamor.
Toudou Shizuka took a deep breath, trying to imitate Kushida Kikyo's warm, welcoming smile. He picked the nearest blurry figure, who was holding a glass and seemed fairly friendly, gathered his courage, and walked over.
"Uh... hello. The... music today is pretty good, isn't it?" His voice was dry and strained, and his smile was so stiff it looked like a mask. (Aside: He was already wearing one ƪ(˘⌣˘)ʃ elegant)
The blurry figure stopped and looked him up and down with a mixture of confusion and aloofness. Their brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, as if they were looking at an intruder. They didn't answer, merely giving him a perfunctory nod before quickly turning and blending into another group.
[Failure: Target did not engage in a meaningful conversation. Evaluation: Stiff expression, tense tone, abrupt and insincere conversation opener.]
Toudou Shizuka's cheeks grew slightly warm. He steadied himself and approached a woman who looked more talkative.
"Sorry to bother you, but I think your... um... brooch is lovely." This time, he tried to make his tone sound sincere.
The woman did stop. She glanced at her ordinary brooch, then at Toudou Shizuka's nervous face, and curled her lips into a faintly mocking smile. "Thanks, but that kind of pickup line is a little old-fashioned, kid." With that, she chuckled and left with her companion.
[Failure: Conversation lasted < 5 seconds. Evaluation: Inappropriate topic choice (unsuited to the person), superficial compliment, no ability to follow up.]
Frustration washed over him like a cold tide. He gritted his teeth and tried for a third time. This time, he chose a young man who seemed just as marginalized as he was.
"Hey, do you think it's a little... too noisy in here, too?" He tried to find common ground.
The young man paused, then seemed to have found a kindred spirit. His eyes lit up. "Yeah! It's giving me a headache! I..."
[Success: Target responded positively. Training Objective: Sustain conversation and guide the topic naturally.]
Toudou Shizuka was delighted. He was just about to build on that when the other man launched into a lengthy complaint about how boring the banquet was, how awful the music was, and how bad the food tasted... Toudou realized he couldn't get a word in. All he could do was passively nod along, murmuring, "Mm-hmm" and "Yeah." Before long, the other man seemed to lose interest too and made an excuse to leave.
[Failure: Conversation lasted 28 seconds (< 30 seconds). Evaluation: Passive listener; failed to effectively guide the conversation and lacked interaction.]
Time raced by amid one failed attempt after another. Toudou Shizuka endured countless times being ignored, brushed off, mocked, and treated like a weirdo. He practiced the curve of his smile, adjusted his tone and volume, and tried different openings and ways to introduce topics. He forced himself to remember what the subtle expressions and body language of the blurry figures meant.
Every failure came with the system's cold analysis and another comparison in his mind to Kushida Kikyo's flawless social poise. Gradually, he began to understand that Rank A Social Affinity wasn't just about smiling sweetly or knowing what to say. It was a complete aura, a keen sense of the atmosphere, an instinct for finding common ground and connecting in an instant, a kind of magic that made others feel comfortable and valued. It required keen Observational Skill, strong emotional control, and the ability to adapt in an instant.
After countless failed attempts to strike up conversations, awkward lulls, and uncomfortable silences, Toudou Shizuka approached another blurry figure. His steps were no longer hesitant. His smile still couldn't melt ice and snow like Kushida's, but it was much more natural, and his gaze held a gentle focus.
"Sorry to interrupt. I heard you mention the new exhibit at XX Gallery just now. I'm interested in that artist too. What do you think of the change in style in his latest work?" His voice was steady and clear, and his opener directly picked up on something the other person had just been discussing.
The blurry figure looked surprised, then visibly pleased to have been understood. "Oh? You follow XX too? I think he's using color more boldly this time. It's a little controversial, but..."
[Success: Conversation started naturally, with a strong connection to the topic.]
[Training Objective: Sustain conversation and guide the topic naturally (in progress)...]
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