Shimizu Akira suddenly realized that in this class, perhaps the greatest enemy wasn't the strict school rules, but his completely clueless classmates.
(I see...)
Shimizu Akira finally understood the deeper meaning behind Chabashira Sae's words: "Spend sparingly."
The School Administration had deliberately kept the details of what should have been a transparent, public rule vague.
Then he watched another classmate saunter into the classroom late, without even the slightest sense of urgency.
Now he faced a choice: should he make this information public?
But the thought of sharing for free with his clueless classmates information he'd spent ten thousand points to obtain left him speechless in a way he hadn't felt in a long time.
It gave him the odd impression of being back when he'd just started working, with some lazy old-timer taking credit for a bunch of his accomplishments.
He'd been treated like a blood bank often enough in his previous life. He had no intention of letting that happen again.
Thinking it over, even if he told them, it probably wouldn't change anything.
If they were in Class A or Class B, the honor students would probably adjust their behavior at once and work together to protect the class's interests.
Or rather, even if they didn't know about the rule, they might not lose many points anyway.
But this was Class D—a gathering place for problem students who couldn't even follow basic rules.
On the second day of school, during the first class, the teacher let certain students sleep and play on their phones without saying a word. After that, some of them seemed to take it as permission to start acting up.
So Class D really was the true vocational school.
Just imagining his classmates refusing to believe him—and some of them looking at him like he was an idiot—made his temples throb.
It was bad enough that being a good person brought no benefits. He might even end up a laughingstock.
Was this what it was like to try to be a good person in Class D? The vicious cycle seemed to be getting worse.
Even if his brain had been waterlogged, he wouldn't have made such a losing deal.
(Those are bleak numbers...)
Shimizu Akira silently calculated the information the upperclassman had revealed. Second-year Class D received fewer than thirty thousand Private Points each month, which meant its Class Points amounted to fewer than three hundred.
On average, they couldn't even afford a decent lunch each day. They were stuck eating the vegetable set meal.
And that was after the school later introduced various exams that offered bonus points. It was clear how difficult things were for Class D.
(Class Points? That won't help me anytime soon.)
He stared at the textbook spread across his desk, but his thoughts were focused on a more immediate concern.
Rather than hope his classmates would suddenly wake up and bring glory to the class, he'd be better off making sure he secured his own Private Points.
After all, in this dog-eat-dog school, the Private Points he could hold in his own hands were the only capital that truly belonged to him.
As far as he was concerned, Class Points were still far too abstract.
As soon as the dismissal bell rang, Shimizu Akira quickly packed up his textbooks.
He planned to check out the First Gymnasium. Before lunch ended, a school announcement had specifically invited students interested in club activities to go and take a look.
(Club activities... This could be an opportunity.)
He remembered what the upperclassman had told him: ordinary students could earn points by joining clubs. If they performed well, they could even receive additional allowances from their coaches, and the School Administration might award them bonuses too.
That was far more reliable than counting on Class Points.
Of course, these rewards were personal honors, and they all came in the form of Private Points.
A faint citrus scent drifted over.
"Shimizu-kun~" Kushida Kikyou clasped her hands behind her back and leaned closer. "Take out your phone. While you were away yesterday, I exchanged contact information with almost everyone in class."
Shimizu Akira kept doing what he was doing and gave a brief nod. "Sure."
Kushida pulled out her phone. The contact-sharing screen was already open.
They tapped their screens a few times and exchanged contact information.
"Horikita-san... If you don't mind..." Kushida Kikyou looked toward Horikita Suzune nearby with a sweet smile.
"I don't want to." Horikita Suzune didn't even pause as she walked away. The three icy words had barely left her lips before she disappeared through the classroom door.
"Aw~ Horikita-san turned me down again." Kushida Kikyou sighed softly, then quickly put on an even brighter smile. She clenched her fists in front of her chest in an encouraging gesture. "Looks like I'll have to keep trying next time!"
Shimizu Akira silently watched the scene from the side. He knew better than anyone what lay beneath that sweet smile—which only made it more frightening.
Just how much pressure did she have to be under to keep smiling perfectly in the face of such an obvious rejection?
(Speaking of which... How does she usually relieve stress? Could she be watching those little stress-relief videos?)
(Could you recommend a few good ways to unwind?)
Now that Shimizu Akira knew about the S System, he was under a lot of pressure and badly needed a way to relieve it.
"By the way," Kushida Kikyou suddenly turned to Shimizu Akira, tilting her head with a curious expression. "You seem to be able to talk to Horikita-san normally."
"We just have normal conversations because we sit next to each other. Besides, I don't have her contact information either." Shimizu Akira was taken aback and shrugged.
He'd never asked her, but with Horikita Suzune's aloof, keep-your-distance personality, there was no way she'd casually give her contact information to someone.
"Oh, right! Shimizu-kun, you didn't get a chance to introduce yourself yesterday, did you? Let me introduce you to everyone!" Kushida Kikyou suggested enthusiastically, beaming.
Japanese schools usually let out early. It wasn't even four in the afternoon yet, and the sun was still shining brightly outside the window.
There was more than an hour until five. Shimizu Akira could easily stay in the classroom and spend time with his classmates.
That suited him just fine. He'd been thinking about adding a few more friends to his social media account. "I'll leave it to you, then."
Kouenji Rokusuke: Shimizu-kun is a rare gentleman. I owe him a favor.
Shimizu Akira had noticed that Kushida Kikyou was like a miniature version of Honami Ichinose.
Whether it was the aloof, proud Hasebe Haruka, the taciturn Miyake Akito, or even the introverted Yukimura Teruhiko, they all got along well with her.
Thanks to the social bridge Kushida had built, Shimizu Akira managed to get the contact information of some of his classmates.
"Shimizu-kun, you've got to teach those three idiots a lesson sometime!" Shinohara Satsuki whispered, her eyes involuntarily drifting toward Kanji Ike. "They're always blurting out vulgar stuff. It's like they think they own the classroom."
(The Three Idiots? That's a pretty fitting nickname...)
"Hehe... Don't let it get to you, Shinohara-san~" Kushida Kikyou chimed in at just the right moment. "Boys this age tend to have... um... all sorts of thoughts. It's normal for them to be going through puberty."
"Kushida-san, you're an angel! KMT!" Yamauchi Haruki and Kanji Ike shouted in unison, their eyes practically turning into hearts.
Kushida Kikyou's name was romanized as Kikyou Kushida, so those initials—KMT—weren't exactly wrong.
(If those two were transported to another world, they'd probably let Elsa Granhiert dismember them without a second thought just to protect a saint like Emilia...)
It was worth noting that thanks to Kushida Kikyou's skillful mediation, Shimizu Akira and Yamauchi Haruki could now have normal everyday conversations, at least on the surface.
As for what Yamauchi Haruki truly thought of him? Shimizu Akira didn't care.
As long as the other guy had enough sense not to pick a fight with him, that was all that mattered.
And in just a little over ten minutes of socializing, nearly half of the class had been added to Shimizu Akira's contacts.
The efficiency of being led through a social dungeon by an expert made him feel as if he were getting carried to victory—as though Kushida Kikyou, the "social MVP," were helping him rack up points in the class's social scene.
"Shimizu-kun..." Kushida Kikyou suddenly tugged lightly on his sleeve, a faint blush rising on her cheeks. "Um... could I ask you a small favor?"
Shimizu Akira was taken aback, then gave her a knowing smile.
(So there really is no such thing as a free lunch...)
It reminded him of the guys in his dorm from his previous life. Their "little requests" for him to pick up food or buy drinks had never stopped.
But surely a request from this social expert wouldn't be that simple.
He leaned in slightly, keeping a suitably polite distance. "What would you like me to do, Kushida-san?"
"Do you remember the first thing I said when we first talked?" Kushida Kikyou asked, folding her hands in front of her.
"You said you'd exchanged contact information with almost everyone in the class." Shimizu Akira picked up on the hint.
"That's right..." The girl bit her lip, looking unusually troubled. "Actually, besides you, there are still two people I haven't managed to get in touch with: Horikita Suzune-san and Kouenji Rokusuke-san."
(I see. This is the real boss level...)
Shimizu Akira nodded thoughtfully. "So you want me to help you make an introduction?"
"Exactly. I only need you to help me get to know one of them." Kushida Kikyou looked up, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "If it's you, Shimizu-kun, maybe you could..."
(On the surface, I have two choices. In reality, there's only one...)
Shimizu Akira thought to himself. After all, everyone in class knew that as Horikita Suzune's seatmate, he was the perfect middleman.
(So this is where you were going with this...)
He studied the "social expert" in front of him with interest. The almost obsessive determination in her eyes reminded him of players with a compulsion to complete every entry in a collection.
(Does she really want to be "friends" with everyone?)
Her personality, which treated human relationships like a lifeline, was just like someone who treated their social media follower count as a life KPI.
For Kushida Kikyou, even one person disliking her probably felt as unbearable as having her carefully maintained image exposed in public.
"I understand." Shimizu Akira suddenly flashed a meaningful smile. "Come on. I'll introduce you to Kouenji-kun."
"Huh...?" Kushida Kikyou's pupils widened slightly, and the perfect curve of her smile stiffened for an instant.
(Heh. Didn't see that coming, did you?)
Shimizu Akira put on a puzzled expression. "What's wrong? Kouenji-kun and I are both guys. It's easier for men to talk to each other, isn't it?" He asked pointedly, "Unless you... don't think so, Kushida-san?"
It was true that he owed the other guy a favor, but that didn't mean he was willing to be a puppet anyone could manipulate.
(If I have to choose, I'm obviously going with the one that'll surprise you most—)
Kushida Kikyou's expression control was flawless. After only 0.5 seconds of losing her composure, her delicate face wore an impeccable, gentle smile again. "You're right, Shimizu-kun... I'll leave it to you, then."
When the two approached, Kouenji Rokusuke was studying his flawless profile in a small gold-plated mirror.
"Kouenji-kun..." Kushida Kikyou approached him with her trademark sweet smile.
"Hmm?" Kouenji didn't even raise his head. His slender fingers gently brushed his sideburns. "Could it be that Kushida-san still feels guilty about making me give up my seat last time? Don't worry. I, Kouenji Rokusuke, would never dwell on such a trivial matter."
Kushida's smile froze on her face.
(Interesting... It seems Kushida Kikyou was right. This is exactly the type of narcissist she has the hardest time dealing with.)
He silently compared this narcissist with Kamuro Masumi.
Both were self-centered, but Kamuro was like a rose armored in thorns, while Kouenji—
"What's the matter? Are you moved by my magnanimity?" Kouenji finally lowered his mirror and gave them an extremely confident smile.
This classmate was more like a daffodil growing beneath the spotlight, with "I'm the most beautiful" written all over him from head to toe.
"Oh? Shimizu-kun, you're here too?" Kouenji suddenly turned his attention to Shimizu Akira. He casually put the small mirror away on the desk and turned to face the two of them with elegant poise.
Before Kushida Kikyou could react, Kouenji announced in a theatrical voice, "Go on, tell me what you want. I grant you permission."
"Huh?" Kushida's eyes widened, and the phone in her hand nearly slipped.
She glanced at Shimizu Akira and found him wearing the same confused expression.
Kouenji continued without a care. "After all, this gentleman not only gave up his seat for me but also reported those clueless interviewers on my behalf, didn't he?"
At that, Kushida glanced at Shimizu Akira in surprise. In the end, she silently handed over her phone, and the two exchanged contact information.
Shimizu Akira felt an indescribable sense of exasperation welling up inside him.
Who told you he gave up his seat for your sake? There's a limit to how narcissistic you can be.
Wait, how did the other guy know he'd reported them?
Upperclassman: Trust me, this is a school where might makes right.
"Have a few more upperclassmen asked me out for coffee?"
"Then I'll be going."
Kouenji brushed back his bangs and said it in a languid tone before turning elegantly to leave the classroom.
Just before stepping over the threshold, he suddenly stopped. His meaningful gaze swept over Kushida Kikyou before finally settling on Shimizu Akira.
"My 'favor' extends far beyond a simple exchange of contact information."
Before you continue