Lucky Draw

"It's simple. I just used a little bit of... the most valuable resource in this school."

His lips silently formed two words.

"Points."

"Boom—"

That word struck like a thunderclap, exploding in Sakayanagi Arisu's mind.

In an instant, all the confusion, all the bewilderment, all the doubts, connected into a single thread.

That scoring rule Majima Tomoya had declared "absolutely fair, with no possibility of error."

That fundamental oversight she had ignored, hidden beneath all the rules.

In this school, points could buy anything.

So that was it...

So that was it!

She had always defined this duel as a pure contest of intellect.

But he, from the very beginning, had defined it as a war where all resources could be used, with no holds barred.

He had exploited her pride and obsession with an "intellectual duel" to deliver a complete dimensional strike.

"Quite impressive, isn't it?"

Kazehara Tetsu watched the dawning realization on her face.

Sakayanagi Arisu said nothing.

She simply closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

When she opened them again, all emotional turbulence had vanished from those violet irises.

"I understand."

She straightened her body, tapping her cane lightly against the ground, producing a crisp sound.

"Then, as agreed. I lost."

She calmly admitted her defeat, her unique pride preventing her from any denial.

"From today onward, I, Sakayanagi Arisu, am your girlfriend."

[Ding]

[Quest: Defeat Sakayanagi Arisu in the Midterm Exam]

[Completed]

[Reward: 300 Points]

[Points: 573]

The system's cold notification rang in his mind, but Kazehara Tetsu's attention was entirely fixed on the girl who had just declared herself his "girlfriend."

"To celebrate the establishment of our relationship, let's go grab a meal together, my girlfriend."

His voice carried a hint of amusement, especially the last title, which he deliberately emphasized.

Sakayanagi Arisu's eyelids lifted slightly, those violet eyes meeting his gaze.

"Is this the first order you give me as the victor?"

"It's not an 'order.' It's a perfectly normal date invitation from a boyfriend to his girlfriend."

Sakayanagi Arisu's lips moved, but in the end, she offered no rebuttal.

She simply nodded, signaling her agreement.

"Then, please lead the way."

The Beech Tree Shopping Mall was still bustling with people, filled with noise.

Yet Kazehara Tetsu didn't lead her toward any restaurant.

He wove through the crowd, bringing her to the entrance of a large supermarket.

Bright lights, shelves lined with every kind of goods.

She stopped in her tracks.

"We're going to eat. What are we doing here?"

This was clearly not a suitable place for a "date meal."

"Going to a restaurant means using points to buy a chef's labor. But today, I plan to show you something a little more special." Kazehara Tetsu pulled a shopping basket from the side.

He turned his head, looking at Sakayanagi Arisu's slightly puzzled face, and smiled.

"I'm going to cook for you."

"In this school, you'll be the first."

The information contained in this sentence caused a faint, barely perceptible flicker of surprise to pass through Sakayanagi Arisu's eyes.

This guy could cook too—he didn't seem like the type at all.

"I'll make something Chinese-style; you probably haven't had much of it." He spoke as if talking to himself, yet also as if explaining to her.

And so, Kazehara Tetsu began his shopping trip.

Throughout the entire process, Sakayanagi Arisu simply followed quietly behind, without saying a word.

She realized that her understanding of this man still seemed to rest on an extremely shallow surface.

At this moment, the man skillfully selecting ingredients and planning a dinner revealed a side of himself that was entirely beyond her expectations.

The shopping basket was soon about half full.

"Alright, that should be enough." Kazehara Tetsu stopped, glanced at the spoils of war in the basket, and nodded in satisfaction.

After buying the vegetables and meat, the two of them headed to the checkout counter to pay.

The line wasn't long, and soon it was their turn.

A young female cashier wore a professional smile on her face as she deftly operated the register.

Kazehara Tetsu pulled out his phone, ready to pay.

The female cashier's gaze swept between Kazehara Tetsu and Sakayanagi Arisu.

Seeing the two of them standing together, and glancing at the ingredients clearly meant for cooking at home, her smile became much more genuine.

"Are you two a couple? You look really well-matched!"

She said in a tone tinged with envy, "Our supermarket just happens to be running a customer appreciation event."

Hearing this, Sakayanagi Arisu's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Did they really look that much like one?

"Every customer who makes a purchase here gets one chance to draw a prize."

The female cashier pointed to a beautifully decorated black box nearby. "Most of the prizes are small stuff, but if you're lucky, you might even draw the first prize!"

She handed over a flyer.

Kazehara Tetsu took it and scanned it with his eyes.

Consolation Prize: Brand-name soy sauce/cooking oil (small bottle). Third Prize: Supermarket 1000-point voucher. Second Prize: Basic kitchenware set. First Prize: Hot spring day pass for two.

Kazehara Tetsu's gaze lingered on the words "First Prize" for two seconds.

A hot spring pass... that's not bad.

"Sounds interesting, then we'll give it a try."

He said to the female cashier, then turned his head to look at Sakayanagi Arisu. "You go first?"

Sakayanagi Arisu's face showed no expression; she had never been interested in things governed by randomness.

But she didn't refuse. She simply extended her slender hand and reached into the black lottery box.

She stirred it around casually, then pinched a smooth little ball and pulled it out.

"It's a blue ball! Congratulations, you've won a consolation prize!"

The female cashier took out a small, beautifully packaged bottle of cooking oil from under the counter. "Please take it."

Sakayanagi Arisu didn't even glance at the bottle of oil; she simply set it down on the counter.

To her, the value of this item was no different from the lottery box itself.

"Alright, your turn, handsome." The female cashier put the blue ball she had drawn back in, then smiled at Kazehara Tetsu.

But Kazehara Tetsu didn't reach in immediately.

He looked at the black box, then at the tempting first prize on the flyer, and a slightly skeptical expression appeared on his face.