With less than three weeks until midterms, students across every year were using their free time during lunch and after school to study and review in the library.
"Ah, thank goodness Classmate Kushida is helping us with our studies. You've been a huge help!"
Kanji Ike said with a grin. Not only could he improve his poor academic performance, but he also got to spend time up close with Kushida Kikyo, the most popular girl in their year.
He was starting to look forward to their daily tutoring sessions.
"If Ike paid attention in class, the pressure of tutoring would be a lot lighter later on."
Kushida Kikyo pointed out Ike's shortcomings bluntly. In the past, she wouldn't have said much about it, but now she wanted to make some changes.
"I'll try, I'll try..."
Kanji Ike laughed awkwardly, without saying whether he'd actually pay attention in class from now on.
Kushida Kikyo even wondered whether he'd understand what the teacher was saying, even if he did pay attention.
Their recent tutoring sessions had been focused on helping him catch up on the basics, and the group's progress had been remarkably quick.
"Knowledge itself is secondary. People often wonder what practical use something like the 'derivatives' they learn in math has in everyday life."
Sakayanagi Arisu spoke languidly, as ever holding a small cane in her hand.
"But the learning habits developed through regular lessons exercise the mind and help people meet the challenges of surviving in society with greater ease."
"That's a very good point, Sakayanagi!"
Kushida Kikyo praised her. She meant it, and hoped Ike and Yamauchi Haruki would take the words to heart.
"(ˉ▽￣~) Tch~~"
Ken Sudō scoffed dismissively. He hated being lectured.
"With an attitude like that, you'll pay dearly for it someday."
Seeing Sudō's unconcerned expression, Kamuro Masumi couldn't help speaking up to criticize him.
Before he could reply, a familiar voice sounded again:
"Oh, my~ I'm surprised to hear that coming from Kamuro."
"Mind your own business!"
Kamuro Masumi sounded rather exasperated.
"Isn't that just like Sudō right now?"
Sakayanagi Arisu added another jab.
Kamuro Masumi fell silent. She felt as if Sakayanagi Arisu had been born to torment her.
"Hey, looks like you're all getting along pretty well."
Since the study session was almost over, Makoto came over to say hello.
Honami, whom Sakayanagi and the others knew well, was beside him, along with a few students from Class A and Class B.
Correction: Kanzaki Ryuji was the only one from Class B.
He planned to come by and scout out the other two classes.
"Isn't this our very busy Makoto? What brings you over here?"
Sakayanagi Arisu's first words left Makoto speechless. He scowled and shot back:
"Well, if it isn't the young lady Arisu. What wind blew you to this school? Goodness gracious, this place can't possibly contain someone as grand as you."
Sakayanagi Arisu's smile froze at once. Kamuro Masumi quietly shrank back a little when she saw it.
"All right, all right," Honami said, smoothing things over. "I've already booked a private room. How about we all go celebrate passing our midterms ahead of time?"
Celebrating was just an excuse; making memories was the real point. Only those confident in their abilities would be joining... probably.
"If Kushida's going, then I'm going too!"
"Plus one."
"Then I'll go too."
The group suddenly grew by several people. Honami remained unfazed. They weren't from Class A, and she wouldn't stop them from joining. Their own class leaders could deal with the headache.
"Let's go."
The group headed to the private room in high spirits. The students from Class D were moved to tears at the sight of the luxurious lifestyle they had missed for so long.
"It's back! We're finally back!"
"Yeah, this is the kind of life I want!"
The smile Kushida Kikyo had been maintaining turned awkward. They were here to freeload, yet everyone was talking so loudly and casually. Honestly—
It was so embarrassing!
"You get along with students from other classes like this?"
Kanzaki Ryuji pushed up his glasses with his index finger, his face full of doubt.
Was this really the kind of school life he had imagined, with Classes A, B, C, and D all competing against each other?
"How else should we get along? Aren't we all at the same school?"
Makoto stuck to his belief that everyone was equal, at least when it came to something like this.
He meant the cost of the meal.
Personal points and Sakura Coins converted at a one-to-one ratio, much like online payments on a smartphone in his previous life.
The number displayed on a screen and a stack of cash in your hand had the same purchasing power, but they felt completely different.
It was easy to overlook the value of the money on the screen.
If you saved up twenty million personal points, you could safely join Class A upon graduation...
Put another way,
a person who earned twenty million Sakura Coins in three years would be making the equivalent of 333,000 Dragon Kingdom currency a year, or 28,000 a month.
A student who could do that had already proved their worth.
For someone like that, graduating from Class A would probably be beside the point.
Unless something unexpected happened, a person like that would thrive wherever they went.
"Looks like I still have a lot of room to grow."
Kanzaki Ryuji sighed, then followed behind Makoto.
"What are you doing?"
The scene felt strangely familiar, and Makoto covered his vital parts.
"I'm just using your reputation to score a free meal... Why are you holding your hands there!"
Kanzaki Ryuji scowled and shoved Makoto into a seat right beside Honami.
Of course, he knew who Makoto's girlfriend was.
Then he dropped into the seat on Makoto's other side.
"So this is Makoto's friend from Class B?"
Honami turned to ask.
"Yeah. I bought him off with seven thousand points earlier, so he's my friend now."
"Mm-hmm... Hm?"
Makoto sounded so convincing that Honami shot Kanzaki Ryuji a suspicious look.
She wondered if Makoto had hired him as an actor.
Wait! Would anyone really come right out and admit they'd hired an actor?
With Makoto... it was actually possible!
"It's true that I took your seven thousand points, but you were the one who offered them to me in the first place, weren't you?"
Kanzaki Ryuji defended his reputation.
"If you really think I'm that kind of person, I'll leave right now."
"I'm sorry!"
Makoto immediately backed down and apologized. Honami couldn't help covering her face and sighing at his smooth little routine.
Is that how you make friends...?
At least he finally had one.
Makoto had really been through a lot...
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