Looking at the student ID in his hand, Hoshino saw that he had less than 60,000 points left. Maybe because they had only just started school, his expenses were higher than he'd expected. Still, they were manageable.
But Hoshino felt the situation was far from promising. Only half the month had passed, and he couldn't even see how he'd make it through next month. The class was in terrible shape. Far too few students were paying attention, and most were busy doing their own thing. If there hadn't been a teacher at the podium, Hoshino had no doubt they would've started flipping desks.
Hoshino no longer felt like doodling and slacking off. At this rate, he'd soon be in a "financial crisis" himself. But judging by everyone's behavior at the start of the school year, he didn't think he could persuade so many people. He felt rather helpless.
The Japanese teacher at the podium kept lecturing as if no one else were there, completely unconcerned with what the students were doing below. Some were whispering, some were on their phones, some were reading manga, and a few were about to burst out laughing... Hoshino suddenly felt a lot less guilty about slacking off when he'd first arrived.
Come to think of it, that unremarkable, "expressionless" student sat at the back of the row by the window! His deskmate was a very pretty girl, though she looked a little unapproachable.
Hoshino didn't dare turn around too brazenly. He only pretended to stretch his neck as he glanced back. The two of them were among the few students in the class who seemed to be listening attentively, and for now, neither was doing anything unusual.
There was nothing worth paying attention to, so Hoshino stopped wasting his focus on the class and turned his thoughts back to earning points.
The school had pretty much every kind of shop you could want, and the shopping district was well stocked. The quality of the goods was decent, too. A school like this wouldn't let dangerous businesses set up shop, so opening his own store probably wouldn't bring in much. After all, Hoshino was only a student. It would be hard for him to compete with the high-quality businesses the school had already vetted. Cross that off!
If there were businesses, they'd need workers. Hoshino had noticed that while ordinary shops seemed fine, larger stores weren't particularly efficient. People often had to wait in long lines just to pay. With a little discussion, finding a part-time job shouldn't be difficult. But wouldn't that be a bit inefficient? The points they'd received in their first month amounted to 100,000. Hoshino could hardly imagine a normal part-time job earning that much. Still, it was a backup option, so he wrote it down.
Come to think of it, did the school have an editorial department? Could he write something or draw illustrations? He'd need to look into it, but the idea also gave Hoshino a few other possibilities.
Students sometimes traded with one another, such as by buying and selling secondhand goods. Given Class D's current point deductions, Hoshino figured plenty of people would need to sell things they'd just bought to get by next month. He'd seen some free items, but didn't think they'd be enough to meet the average student's needs. That made secondhand trading a decent option, too, though he'd need some points of his own to get started. For now, that seemed feasible.
Every school had clubs, and this one was no exception. Could he earn points by getting involved with one?
The first thing that came to Hoshino's mind was a wager: bet points on who would win. But he felt a little reluctant to do that. It was still gambling, wasn't it? Besides, he didn't think the clubs at this school were so "useless" that just anyone could "challenge" them and win. At least, Hoshino had no confidence in himself.
Thinking it over, there were so few things he could do! Hoshino scratched his head in frustration.
Using connections to earn points really was the easiest way. Too bad Hoshino hardly knew anyone.
As Hoshino struggled to decide what to do, the bell rang before he knew it.
"Class dismissed!" The Japanese teacher stopped in the middle of the unfinished lecture, packed up, and left.
"Are the teachers at this school all so irresponsible? They don't even keep us after class..." Hoshino felt they were "hopeless."
Hoshino had gotten nowhere with his thoughts and wanted a little peace and quiet! Unfortunately, things didn't go his way.
"Isn't it great that the teacher doesn't keep us late? Hoshino, why would you want them to?" Kushida, the class's "little angel," came over. Usually, as soon as class ended, she'd be surrounded by people. Hoshino couldn't imagine why she'd come to talk to him.
"Uh, it's nothing. What is it, Kushida?" Hoshino didn't want to talk with her too much. He remained seated and turned to look at her. Quite a few people were watching them.
"I wanted to apologize to you, Hoshino. I stood you up the other day..." Kushida nervously rubbed her fingers together, then bowed with an apologetic look.
"It's... it's fine. Don't worry about it." Hoshino hadn't expected Kushida to apologize again over that. He hurriedly waved his hands.
He'd thought that since she hadn't spoken to him in all this time, that would be the end of it. He hadn't expected her to bring it up again today. Hoshino couldn't figure out what she was trying to do.
"No, I have to apologize! Are you free after school today?" Kushida looked completely determined.
"Um, I think so..."
"Then could you wait for me after school? Let me treat you to a meal as an apology!" Kushida broke into a cheerful smile, though Hoshino felt several piercing glares suddenly land on him.
"Sure..." Hoshino's mouth twitched, but he agreed anyway. Here we go again.
How did that saying go? People didn't cherish what came too easily. Hoshino was the one being "too easy to get." He just hoped they could put this matter behind them for good this time!
"Thanks, Hoshino!" Kushida said, then cheerfully walked away.
Hoshino didn't pay it much mind, but some people were still pointing at him and whispering...
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