A Bet with Shiina

All morning, Xia Mu propped his chin on his hand and gazed out the window.

At noon, he went to the cafeteria to find something to eat.

On the way, he ran into Shiina in the hallway.

Normally, she would have greeted him with a cheerful smile, then told him what new things she had learned from reading that day.

But today, she kept her head down, trying to make herself less noticeable so Xia Mu wouldn't see her.

And yet, strangely, she also hoped he would notice her and explain himself properly.

What a contradiction. It really was.

But Xia Mu merely watched her pass by. Seeing this, she pressed her lips together, feeling inexplicably upset.

Even after she'd gotten her food and sat down in the cafeteria, she still felt dazed.

She had no choice but to open her book, hoping that reading would suppress the jumble of thoughts in her mind.

Just then, a tray was set down in front of her.

"Sorry, someone's sitting here..." she began automatically, but when she looked up, her voice trailed off.

"Are you avoiding me, Shiina?" Xia Mu asked, sitting down as if he hadn't heard what she'd just said.

Had she seen him with Kushida yesterday and gotten the wrong idea?

"I, I..."

Shiina really didn't want to admit it, but she didn't want to lie again, either. She'd hated how things turned out the last time she lied.

Why couldn't people just be a little more sincere with each other?

"You've been busy lately, and you've been in touch with a lot of 'female classmates.' I started wondering if I was getting in the way of your life, so I..." Shiina lowered her head like a child who'd done something wrong, crossing her hands and rubbing the back of one with her thumb.

Just then, a warm hand suddenly came to rest on her head, then ruffled her hair roughly, jolting her out of her thoughts.

"Huh?" Her face reddened. She looked up and saw Xia Mu smiling brightly.

She wanted to resist, but found her body strangely limp. It even felt kind of nice.

"W-what are you doing..." In the end, all her protests turned into a shy murmur.

"I only spend time with the others because I need their help with something."

"You're different. Deep down, I truly consider you a friend."

Xia Mu sat down, facing Shiina's flushed cheeks.

This girl was way too easy to reassure.

"Ah..."

"R-really?"

His unexpected declaration made Shiina feel special, and all her resentment vanished in an instant.

"Then if you ever get a girlfriend, you have to tell me, okay? Otherwise, I really will get mad."

She raised her fist in a fierce little threat, trying to look intimidating.

But to Xia Mu, she didn't seem threatening at all.

"Okay, I promise." Xia Mu agreed without hesitation.

Because he wasn't going to date anyone.

It would get in the way of earning Skill Points.

He'd figured it out: most of the system's abilities had something to do with correcting people, and there were more than just a few troubled girls at this school.

As for what triggered the tasks, Xia Mu still wasn't sure.

But one thing was clear: things wouldn't stop with the two Correction tasks that had appeared so far. There would definitely be new ones.

After getting an explanation, Shiina immediately forgot her earlier unhappiness and discomfort. She happily sat with Xia Mu and chatted as they ate.

"Xia Mu, midterms are coming up soon. Do you think you'll be okay?"

Shiina scooped up a spoonful of porridge and put it in her mouth. After swallowing, she asked him.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Xia Mu replied, then lowered his head and dug into his food.

Shiina couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from lifting. Xia Mu really did love his food.

Whenever he ate, he was completely focused. It was kind of cute.

"Really? You're that confident?"

Shiina poked at her mound of rice with her spoon, her bright eyes blinking. "The school's taking midterms seriously this time. Your class might not be so lucky as last time."

"If you think you need help, I can tutor you."

By "lucky," she meant that almost everyone in Class D had passed with high marks.

Anyone could tell there had to be something fishy about it. The school probably knew, too.

But the school had turned a blind eye. After all, as long as nobody cheated during the exam, it counted as passing.

Even getting the answers ahead of time from somewhere else was a kind of ability.

"Whew, that hit the spot."

After finishing his meal, Xia Mu leaned back against the chair like a man sprawled on a couch. "It'll be fine. Just trust me."

"Really?"

Shiina was afraid Xia Mu was only saying that to save face, so she pressed him again. "If you fail, you'll be expelled. Then you'll never see me again."

Xia Mu nodded again. "If you don't believe me, how about we make a bet?"

"A bet?"

"Huh? Gambling is bad!"

Shiina frantically waved her fair, rosy hands, but when she saw the faintly challenging smile on Xia Mu's face, she pressed her lips together.

"Fine, I'll make an exception for you. What do you want to bet, Xia Mu?"

Xia Mu answered, "Simple. We'll compare our scores."

"If I lose, I'll be your lackey for a day and do whatever you say. If you lose..."

Shiina's curiosity was immediately piqued. "What happens if I lose?"

At that, Xia Mu stood up and leaned close to Shiina's ear, whispering a few words.

"Huh?!"

Shiina was so startled that she jolted back against her chair. Sweat beaded on her face. "Are you serious?"

Her heart pounded. She'd never even heard of anyone making a bet like Xia Mu's, let alone doing it.

"Of course. But whether you want to bet is up to you. I won't force you." Xia Mu shrugged. To be honest, he just liked seeing Shiina flustered.

Shiina thought it over, then clenched her teeth. "No. I get to choose the stakes myself."

"Since you put it that way, I want to make a request of my own, too."

Xia Mu folded his hands, inviting Shiina to go ahead.

"I..."

Shiina thought for a long time, then suddenly came up with a daring idea. "If you lose, you have to put on a maid outfit and serve me for a day!"

"Whoa..." Xia Mu was startled by how excited Shiina looked.

It was hard to imagine that such an honest girl would come up with an idea like that.

But there was no way he'd lose.

So it didn't matter what the stakes were.

"Deal." Xia Mu held out his little finger. "Pinky promise."

Seeing how confident Xia Mu was, Shiina's confidence wavered a little.

But she believed she wouldn't lose. She could score at least 95 in nearly every subject, and she'd even gotten perfect marks in several subjects on the last exam.

Both of them were absolutely confident. Their little fingers hooked together, and the bet was on.