Unusual

A week had passed since school started. Even though Zhuge Linghao had racked his brains, he had triggered only three options in all that time.

After all, hardly anyone ever provoked Zhuge Linghao.

So, he'd gained only 90 emotion points in those seven days.

Sitting in the classroom, Zhuge Linghao stared blankly at the sparrows outside the window.

[System, open my status panel.]

[Ding...]

School: Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School

Class: Class 1-D

Name: Zhuge Linghao

Alignment: Good (Progress: 2%)

Emotion Points: 182

Academic Ability: C

Intelligence: C

Emotional Intelligence: C

Physical Ability: C

Judgment: C

Skill: Triple Slide-Kneel Kowtow (Comes with the system; ability activates at random.)

Personality: Bad at everything but loves to argue, hopelessly clueless about romance, prone to overthinking.

As an observer, Zhuge Linghao had already noticed that the class had formed quite a few cliques.

For example, the dunce trio—Yamauchi Haruki, Kanji Ike, and Sotomura Hideo—often played online games together.

Then there were the members of Kushida Kikyo's clique and Hirata Yosuke's clique, chatting happily about something nearby.

And then there were the girls right in front of Zhuge Linghao: Karuizawa Kei, Shinohara Satsuki, Wang Meiyu, and Matsushita Chiaki.

The girls were very close. They often went shopping together, bought clothes, gossiped, and had lunch together.

Of course, there were also loners like Zhuge Linghao, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, Horikita Suzune, Sakura Airi, Koenji, and Ken Sudo.

Zhuge Linghao had been at his wits' end over emotion points these past few days. He hadn't made any effort to befriend anyone. All he could do was hope someone would stir up trouble for him!

At noon, Zhuge Linghao packed his bag and was about to head to the cafeteria for lunch.

Suddenly, Horikita Suzune's cool, pleasant voice rang out. "This school really lets its students do whatever they want. Some people sleep in class, others play games, and the teachers don't do a thing. Is this really a top national school?"

Zhuge Linghao grinned. "Once you're in high school, it's up to the students to manage themselves."

To his surprise, Horikita Suzune didn't argue. She took out a piece of bread and was about to eat it.

The kind Zhuge Linghao openly stared at Horikita Suzune's chest and said, "Instant bread like that isn't very nutritious. You could eat as much as you want and still not—"

Horikita Suzune put down the bread and shot him a murderous glare.

Zhuge Linghao hurriedly shut his mouth, grabbed his other desk mate, Ayanokoji, and ran.

"Bro, come have lunch with me. Let's go!"

To his surprise, the moment they stepped out of the classroom, Kushida Kikyo stopped them.

"Um, you're Zhuge and Ayanokoji, right? Could I have a moment of your time?"

When Zhuge Linghao wasn't acting crazy, he was utterly unremarkable.

His attention was completely captured by her full, firm breasts. His throat bobbed as he asked, "Um, you're Kushida, right? What do you need?"

"You're on good terms with Horikita, aren't you? I want to become friends with her. Could you help me ask her to go to a café after school and talk?"

Bro wasn't sure. "Um, we're not really that close to her, though."

Kushida Kikyo blinked her big eyes. "But you're the only ones who can talk to Horikita, aren't you?"

As she spoke, she deliberately leaned forward, pressing those full breasts together until they nearly spilled out...

"I really want to be friends with everyone in our class. I even asked Horikita for her contact information, but she said she didn't want to be friends with anyone and turned me down."

Zhuge Linghao let out a breath and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's just the kind of person she is."

Out of nowhere, Kushida Kikyo took Zhuge Linghao's left hand in both of hers and pleaded in an even more pitiful, coaxing voice.

"But I really want to become friends with Horikita. Could you help me?"

Zhuge Linghao trembled with excitement, a blush creeping up to his ears. With judgment skills of only C, he found himself about to agree without thinking.

[Ding, detected that Kushida Kikyo intends to use the host to stir up trouble. Triggering selection task...]

[Whew, that was close! I almost let her looks distract me!]

[Still, as someone who's been single since birth, this is my first time holding a girl's hand... Heh, now I get it.]

[Option A: Neutral. "Dump Kushida Kikyo's whole request on Bro to handle, then tell him with the excuse: This is a brother looking out for you. Anyone can do it! Go on, go on! Go chase your happiness! I wish you a long and happy marriage, lots of kids, and eternal life!"]

[Option B: Hopeless romantic. Drop to one knee at once and agree to Kushida Kikyo's request, willingly let her use you as a pawn, treat every word she says as a royal decree, and after every task, shout at everyone around you with a lovesick look: Kikyo is the best! Kikyo is the best! Kikyo is the best!]

[Option C: Politician. Push up your imaginary glasses, expose Kushida Kikyo's scheme on the spot without mercy, summon Horikita Suzune to confront her face-to-face, then run wildly back and forth between them, fanning the flames and doing everything you can to make them fight right there!]

[Oh wow, that's some serious cat behavior. Option B is an instant no. So, A or C?]

[Dumping it on Bro could work. He's the real deal, after all, and I've got to cling to him tight! But this time... I'm picking C!]

[Only when justice and evil coexist am I truly complete!]

Zhuge Linghao reluctantly let go of Kushida Kikyo's soft hand and said with righteous indignation, "What are you really after? Why are you using me to arrange a meeting with Horikita Suzune?"

After he finished, Zhuge Linghao gave a roguish grin, turned toward the classroom, and shouted, "Horikita! Horikita! Come out! Someone's looking for you!"

Horikita Suzune walked out step by step and stared coldly at Zhuge Linghao and Kushida Kikyo. "What do you want?"

Zhuge Linghao immediately launched into his act. "Uh, well, Kushida here wants to use me to arrange a meeting with you. If there's something she wants, shouldn't you ask her?"

Zhuge Linghao's move completely threw Kushida Kikyo's plan into disarray. Her expression turned a little awkward. She lowered her head and said softly, "I just want to be friends with Horikita..."

Zhuge Linghao started doing Kemu San. "Huh? If you want to ask Horikita out, why not ask her yourself? Why use a nobody like me? What are you really up to?"

Seeing Horikita Suzune and Kushida Kikyo's expressions darken, Zhuge Linghao kept stirring the pot. "Kushida, your real goal isn't to be friends with Horikita."

"You two are so different in personality and presence that it'd be hard for you to become close friends, wouldn't it?"

"So, the truth is, Kushida Kikyo, what you really think is that you absolutely hate Horikita, don't you?"

Zhuge Linghao delivered the final blow!