June

The sun blazed overhead, and the lush green grass had turned yellow, drooping listlessly.

May 31 had finally arrived. Tomorrow was the glorious day when student points would be handed out.

In the classroom of Class 1-B.

A young female teacher was sprawled across the lectern, her chest nearly bursting out of her top!

Hoshinomiya Chie raised her head and wiped away a bead of sweat, then said in an exceedingly gentle voice, "Class 1-B, let's have another good lesson today..."

A girl in the front row covered her nose. "Sensei, you reek of booze!"

Hoshinomiya Chie held her aching head. "I drank too much last night. Anyway, let's not talk about that. I'm here to announce each class's points for this month!"

Hoshinomiya Chie wrote on the blackboard:

Class A 1004 CP

Class B 660 CP

Class C 600 CP

Class D 100 CP

The students in Class B were overjoyed. They kept thanking Ichinose Honami: it was only because they'd started the Study Group that they'd earned so many Class Points!

Shiranami Chihiro threw herself at Ichinose Honami and hugged her, her face flushed. "I'm so glad I'm in Class B... Being in the same class as you, Honami-chan, makes me so happy!"

Ichinose Honami stroked Shiranami Chihiro's hair and smiled warmly. "I'm glad I'm in Class B, too."

Shiranami Chihiro looked up and worked up her courage. "Honami, could you come behind the gym after school tomorrow? I... I have something important to tell you!"

Ichinose Honami's delicate hand trembled. She had a bad feeling about this.

The next day, Zhuge Linghao and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka stood by the elevator in the dormitory, yawning.

"Bro, how'd you sleep last night?"

"Like a log. You?"

"I had a rough night. I woke up several times! Today's the day they hand out points, right? Have you received yours?"

Ayanokoji was just about to answer when the elevator's chime cut him off.

Horikita Suzune, Kushida Kikyo, and several others were standing inside. Zhuge Linghao greeted them. "Good morning! I didn't expect to see you two together. Want to take a picture to remember the occasion? You're both beauties, so it'd make a great shot!"

"Good morning, Zhuge-kun, Ayanokoji-kun!" Kushida Kikyo replied sweetly.

"Are you getting in or not?" Horikita Suzune still had that same ice-cold beauty's expression.

"Coming, coming. I just had some sweet potatoes. By the way, what did you guys have for breakfast?"

No one answered. Zhuge Linghao took an awkward, deep breath, then his stomach suddenly let out a rumbling growl.

"Pfft!"

It wasn't loud, but everyone in the elevator heard it!

Don't panic! As long as you're not embarrassed, everyone else will be!

Zhuge Linghao put on a solemn face. "You should have some decency, you know. Ayanokoji, don't do that next time!"

Once everyone had stepped out of the elevator, pinching their noses, someone nearby called out, "Good morning, Kushida!"

Ichinose Honami waved, then glanced at Zhuge Linghao beside Kushida Kikyo. Curious, she asked Kushida, "Wait, is he your boyfriend?"

Kushida Kikyo looked troubled. "Huh? No, not at all!"

Ichinose Honami seemed thoughtful. "Oh, really?"

As if she'd made up her mind, Ichinose Honami turned to Zhuge Linghao with bright energy. "Um, Zhuge-kun, could you come behind the gym at six tonight? There's something I'd like to discuss with you~"

Zhuge Linghao stared at a certain indescribable pair of assets, his mind went blank, and he agreed to Ichinose Honami's invitation.

Then Ichinose Honami asked with concern, "Have you guys received your Personal Points?"

The scene shifted to the classroom of Class 1-D.

At the lectern, Chabashira-sensei said coldly, "There's a problem with the school system, so the first-year students' points will be delayed."

Yamauchi Haruki, with his horse-like face, started clamoring again. "The school's system is faulty. Shouldn't they compensate us somehow? Like giving us some extra points or something?"

Chabashira-sensei closed her eyes and replied, "There's nothing I can do about it either. The points will be credited once the problem is resolved."

[Beep. A deliberate delay in issuing the students' points has been detected. You're going to put up with this, Host? Triggering mission options...]

[Option A: The Disruptor. Immediately rush out of the classroom, weave from side to side to evade every security camera (modified), go to the store and buy a mask, then put it on and charge into Vice Chairman Tsukishiro's (modified) office. Smack Vice Chairman Tsukishiro (modified) twice, then loudly "introduce yourself": My name is Ryuen Kakeru. If you've got the guts, come find me in Class 1-C! Once the other party is still stunned, make a quick escape! Weave from side to side again to evade every security camera (modified), return to the classroom, then bow your head to Chabashira-sensei with a constipated expression and apologize: Sorry, sensei. I had diarrhea so bad I couldn't hold it in long enough to ask permission...]

[Option B: The Socially Mortifying One. The teacher responsible for the school's mess should take the blame! Take out the "little videos" the Host has treasured for ages—no, wait, a secretly filmed video of Chabashira-sensei. In the video, Chabashira-sensei confidently declares: The points are automatically credited on the first of every month. Please play this video on the classroom's multimedia system, in front of all the students and Chabashira-sensei, and loop it ten times. Every time the video finishes, mock Chabashira-sensei by saying: Sensei, are you dying of embarrassment yet?]

[Option C: The Protester. The school system occasionally malfunctioning is understandable, but students have the right to protest! Please protest in the following manner: Immediately pull out some clear tape and stick it to your forehead. Jump in place, raise your fist high, and passionately chant three times: Are kings and nobles born to the purple? Then grab a broom, thrust it into the air, and shout to the whole class: Minions, follow me! Let's overthrow the school's oppression and tyranny together!]

Zhuge Linghao read for so long that he nearly ran out of breath!

[System, can I skip choosing?]

[Beep. Sure. Hand over your life.]

[Ugh, guess I have to pick C!]

After completing Option C, just as expected, the brave Zhuge Linghao was sent into the hallway by Chabashira-sensei to stand as punishment. She also demanded he hand in a 2,000-word reflection tomorrow...

[Beep. Collected 41 Emotion Points nearby.]

Zhuge Linghao shook his head in frustration and silently thought: [System, open my status panel.]

[Beep. Opening...]

School: Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School

Class: Class 1-D

Name: Zhuge Linghao

Alignment: Neutral

Emotion Points: 1263

Academic Ability: C

Intelligence: C

Cooperation: C

Emotional Intelligence: C

Physical Ability: C

Judgment: C

Identity or Skills: Protester, Triple Slide-Kneel Kowtow. The probability of someone agreeing to your request when you beg them increases by 50%. (Built-in system, random abilities.)

Personality: Bad at everything but loves to talk back, hopelessly dense, full of inner monologue.