Surprise Quiz

The whole class was cowed into silence by their homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae's imposing presence. Some frowned, some looked indifferent, and others reflected on their own behavior.

Chabashira Sae slapped the blackboard. "This is the school's S System—the real-time assessment and calculation of student scores."

"Look. You've perfectly proven that Class D is the bottom-of-the-barrel trash."

Zhuge Linghao clearly saw what was written on the blackboard:

Class A 940cp

Class B 650cp

Class C 490cp

Class D 0cp

Chabashira Sae picked up a piece of chalk and circled the figures on the board. "These are each class's current Class Points. One Class Point is equivalent to 100 Personal Points."

"Each class started the school year with 1,000 Class Points."

Chabashira Sae even clapped sarcastically, her words dripping with irony. "I'm truly impressed. You managed to lose all your points in just one month. You've set a school record among all the Class D groups that came before you!"

"As expected, you really are the 'most outstanding' and 'most perfect' class I've ever taught!"

Zhuge Linghao noticed Horikita Suzune gritting her teeth beside him. She seemed to be having a hard time accepting the result.

That made sense. Getting into Class A was your obsession, but you didn't have the ability to do it yet.

Right now, you were indeed excellent on your own, but your teamwork was terrible.

Zhuge Linghao stroked his chin, pondering.

You can't climb up with your strength alone, Suzune-chan.

Just then, Hirata Yosuke stood up, his expression grave. "Teacher, please tell us the specific criteria for gaining and losing points!"

Chabashira Sae scoffed. "No. Just like when you enter society, you won't be told the details of your personnel evaluations."

Seeing that no one else had any questions for the moment, Chabashira Sae continued, "By the way, if your Class Points surpass Class C's, you'll be promoted to Class C, and Class C will be demoted to Class D."

Kushida Kikyo also raised her hand tentatively. "Um, teacher, will there be another opportunity to earn Class Points? We'd really like to work hard and move up a class~"

Chabashira Sae chuckled. "There will. Based on your results on the Midterm Exam, you can earn up to 100 Class Points."

Before long, Chabashira Sae's gaze turned cold again. "But by all means, struggle as much as you like. Anyone who fails the next Midterm Exam will be expelled."

Zhuge Linghao got excited again. Looking at the varied expressions of the people in front of him, he was eager for the Midterm Exam to arrive. It was sure to be a perfect day for farming emotion points.

The next day, Chabashira Sae brought a stack of short quizzes and sprang a surprise test on the class, saying it was a practice test to help them prepare for the Midterm Exam.

Zhuge Linghao was already starting to fidget.

What do I do now? I haven't studied at all!

System, hurry up and open my status panel.

Ding... Opening now...

School: Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School

Class: Class 1-D

Name: Zhuge Linghao

Alignment: Neutral

Emotion Points: 468 (the fruit of a month's effort since the start of school)

...

Academic Ability: C

Intelligence: C

Emotional Intelligence: C

Physical Ability: C

Judgment: C

Skill: Triple Slide-Kneel Kowtow (Comes with the system; ability varies with luck.)

Personality: Bad at everything but loves talking back, hopelessly clueless about romance, and full of inner monologue.

Ah, I can't take it anymore. I'll just have to grit my teeth and do my best.

Guanyin Bodhisattva, please bless me so I pass every subject!

Once all five subjects were finally over, Zhuge Linghao slumped over his desk, utterly exhausted and wearing a completely hopeless expression.

Like a lazy fish, he turned to ask the guy who controlled his scores, "Ayanokoji, how did you do on the quiz?"

Ayanokoji was good at hiding his true self. With a somewhat troubled expression, he said, "I haven't studied properly these past few days, so I'm probably in trouble on this surprise quiz."

Zhuge Linghao scoffed. Look at my face. Do you really think I believe you?

His right hand acted up again, and he poked the girl in front of him. "Pretty girl, how'd you do?"

"Go away. I don't talk to perverts!" Karuizawa Kei snapped without turning around.

Zhuge Linghao turned and asked the beautiful girl with long, straight black hair, "Suzune, how'd you do?"

Horikita Suzune kept her eyes forward. "All right."

Then, for a moment, it was as if Zhuge Linghao had been transported to the snowy wastes of Antarctica, frozen stiff and afraid to move.

It brought a poem to mind: "In ice and snow, the wind roars like a tiger; those who weep naked have nowhere to shelter."

"Who said you could call me by my name?"

Zhuge Linghao looked exaggeratedly surprised. "Uh, I thought we were friends by now?"

"Hmph. Don't flatter yourself."

Horikita Suzune emphasized again, "Being friends with someone like you would lower my standards!"

Karuizawa Kei, who had been watching from the side, chimed in gleefully, "Great minds think alike. Who'd be friends with a pervert like him?"

Zhuge Linghao wailed, "Come on! What have you all decided I am in just one month?"

Ayanokoji replied, "A clown? A weirdo? An idiot?"

Horikita Suzune said without a hint of mockery, "Trash? A talentless loser who likes to bark?"

Without even blinking, Karuizawa Kei blurted out with a look of disgust, "A pervert? A scumbag? A lunatic?"

Zhuge Linghao silently screamed, Hey, hey, hey! This isn't me with my identity skill active!

My average ability is just an ordinary C!

My personality is perfectly normal, and my character is absolutely perfect!

Ow! What are you doing? Please stop looking at me like I'm some kind of freak!

Before, I was just forced into it. I was trying to stay alive, that's all. At most, I also wanted to earn some emotion points along the way...

Heaven and earth are my witnesses: even though I've been doing all sorts of attention-grabbing things to show off, I never meant to hurt any of you!

Zhuge Linghao hadn't expected to get stuck with so many bad labels so soon. All he could do was sigh and repeat his lament once more: Sigh, what a disastrous start.