The Point

Watching the two of them part on bad terms, Zhuge Linghao was already blooming with joy inside.

"Horikita, don't go! Let's go to the cafeteria together!"

"Get lost."

"You got it~"

"Kushida, don't go! Let's go to the cafeteria together!"

"Disgusting!"

"Understood!"

[System, open personal panel.]

[Ding... Opening now.]

School: Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School

Class: Class D, First Year

Name: Zhuge Linghao

Alignment: Kind (Progress 1%)

Emotion Points: 192

Academic Ability: S

Intelligence: S+

EQ: A

Physical Ability: D-

Judgment: S+

Identity or Skills: Politician, Triple Slide-Kneel Kowtow (System-granted, random ability.)

Personality: Weak but loves to troll, dense as a brick, rich inner monologue.

[Sigh, could my C-level judgment be affecting the probability of my choices? Is choosing C really not the optimal solution?]

[It seems choosing B would have been more entertaining!]

[Mmh, Politician is truly a god-tier skill. With all these added skill points, my head feels so clear right now!]

[I feel like I could score full marks on every subject!]

[But one thing is exactly as I thought: doing something black-hearted, annoying, or malicious causes the kindness progress to drop.]

After finishing lunch, Zhuge Linghao chatted idly with Ayanokoji.

A girl with long pink hair walked toward them. If Zhuge Linghao remembered correctly, she was the leader of Class B, First Year—Ichinose Honami.

Zhuge Linghao had no intention of greeting her; after all, it was their first time meeting, and the girl might even ignore someone as unremarkable as him.

Hmph, I'll deal with that when I start causing trouble later.

Zhuge Linghao asked Ayanokoji while walking, "How many points do you have left?"

Ayanokoji looked listless and said, "Over ninety thousand. Why?"

Zhuge Linghao's eyes widened: "Huh? Still that many? Are you living like a caveman?"

"Don't you think this hundred thousand is too much? I feel like something is off, so I'm saving it."

"Saving is one thing, spending is another. You need the basic necessities, right? Come on, tell me what you're missing, and I'll buy it for you, alright!"

With that, Zhuge Linghao dragged Ayanokoji toward the convenience store.

Zhuge Linghao smiled enthusiastically: "Nani, you don't even have these basic necessities? That won't do!"

"Come on, pick out the expensive stuff, don't worry about saving points for me!" Zhuge Linghao patted his chest in assurance.

[Let's see, imported facial cleanser, value-pack laundry detergent, a few sets of pajamas, milk to boost physical health, and other daily supplies...]

[It cost 5,325 points in total. Not bad, not expensive at all!]

Looking at the mere 60,000-plus points left on his phone, Zhuge Linghao fought back the tears that threatened to fall!

[Ayanokoji, considering how much I've looked out for you today, please, if I ever end up in trouble, you have to step in for me! I'm really counting on you to carry me to the top!]

Ayanokoji said nothing, simply accepting Zhuge Linghao's kindness like an ordinary student and promising to treat him to a meal next time.

[That's the spirit, Ayanokoji. Let's keep in touch. First time as strangers, second time as acquaintances, third and fourth time as true brothers!]

Two more weeks passed.

Zhuge Linghao noticed that most of his classmates still hadn't realized the importance of points and were continuing to live carefree school lives, spending their 100,000 points lavishly every day.

During class, the teacher still didn't bother with discipline or anything of the sort; students talked, slept, watched tablets, and played games underneath their desks, with absolutely no one intervening.

This included students arriving late or being absent, which had become a daily occurrence.

It was especially severe in Class D, which was even more outrageous; everyone there was a "talent," living an even lazier, more indulgent, and more dissolute "happy" life.

[Sigh, no matter how you look at it, this is a hopeless class!]

On the morning of May 1st, the sun didn't come out, dark clouds loomed over the classroom, and for the time being, the pleasant chirping of birds could not be heard.

At this moment, a chorus of complaints erupted in the classroom.

"What's going on? Haven't the points been deposited yet?"

"So you didn't get them either?"

"Why? Someone tell me the answer!"

"So annoying! What the hell is going on?!"

Zhuge Linghao observed the reactions of these defective products with great interest, glancing at the points on his own phone: 44,627 points.

He leaned in closer to look at Ayanokoji's, and was startled: [As expected of you, you actually still have 82,235 points! I guess that Horikita person probably has 80,000 to 90,000 points too.]

[What truly frugal and thrifty desk-mates! I should learn from you two!]

At this moment, Chabashira Sae walked into the classroom wearing a pair of black high heels. She spoke in her signature husky yet clear voice: "Return to your seats, homeroom is starting."

Yamauchi Haruki, with his horse-like face, could no longer hold back. He was the first to raise his hand and ask: "Teacher, what's going on with this month's points? Why haven't they been deposited yet?"

Ike Kanji, with his spiky hair, also raised his hand and said: "Yeah, aren't they supposed to be deposited on the 1st of every month?"

The homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae, crossed her arms and said without a hint of emotion: "No, this month's points were already deposited for you."

Upon hearing this, the students below began to stir restlessly.

"But? That's clearly strange!"

"Yeah, yeah! Did the school forget to send them to our class?"

Chabashira Sae reaffirmed that it was impossible for the school to have missed a single class.

Suddenly, Zhuge Linghao felt as if he heard a passionate yet eerie BGM start to play. It's here, it's here, the classic scene is coming!

Sure enough, the next moment, Chabashira Sae revealed an incredibly mocking smile.

"You really are a group of hopeless trash."

"Lateness and absences total 99 times, and violations during class such as using phones, talking, and slacking off total 402 times."

"You really lived quite comfortably this month!"

"In this school, the entire class's performance and evaluation are reflected in the points deposited every month."

"The school has unanimously determined that you have lost the 100,000 points you were supposed to have."

"The points deposited into your phones this month are: 0 points!"

Chabashira Sae leaned her hands on the podium, speaking word by word in an icy tone: "In other words, you are nothing but trash with an evaluation of zero!"

Completely ignoring the expressions of despair among the students below, Chabashira Sae intensified her mockery.

"You didn't actually think that mere high school students could use 100,000 points every month without restraint, did you?"

"Anyone with a shred of common sense would know that's impossible, right?"

Chabashira Sae's voice was like the whisper of a demon from the abyss.

"But why, of all things, did you choose not to investigate these questions or rules?"

"I emphasized it on the first day of school: this school places great importance on student ability."

No one dared to look Chabashira Sae in the eye; composed and unhurried, she pushed her aura to the limit!

"Little trash, welcome to the classroom of the elite!"