Five Dates in One Day

At 6:00 AM, Tang Yu opened his eyes, and the system interface unfolded in his field of vision right on schedule:

[Current Emotion Points: 61,200/∞]

[Today's Goal: Break through 70,000 points]

[Special Reminder: High-intensity social day recommended]

Tang Yu sat up and quickly planned his schedule for the day in his mind. In this final preparatory phase before the new semester, he needed to consolidate his network with key figures while gathering more emotion points. After a few minutes of precise calculation, a perfect timetable had already taken shape:

8:00 AM - Sakura Airi (help resolve Photography Club trouble)

10:30 AM - Kushida Kikyo ("chance encounter" at the library)

12:00 PM - Horikita Suzune (Kendo Club sparring)

3:00 PM - Karuizawa Kei (secret meeting at the cafe)

6:00 PM - Honami Ichinose (campus stroll)

"System, display the current favorability of the five targets."

[Sakura Airi: 55/100 (Shy Trust)]

[Kushida Kikyo: 40/100 (Superficial Friendliness)]

[Horikita Suzune: 75/100 (Competitive Respect)]

[Karuizawa Kei: 70/100 (Dependent Gratitude)]

[Honami Ichinose: 65/100 (Sincere Appreciation)]

Tang Yu nodded slightly. Aside from the two-faced Kushida Kikyo, the favorability of the others had already reached above the safety line. Today's goal was to further deepen these relationships while digging for more intelligence.

At 7:30, Tang Yu arrived early at the location agreed upon with Sakura Airi—a small garden in the northwest corner of the campus. It was rarely visited and was a famous "confession spot" on campus, but for the shy Sakura, it was a place where she could speak in comfort.

At exactly eight o'clock, a petite figure appeared timidly at the garden entrance. Sakura Airi wore her signature black-rimmed glasses, her brown hair almost covering half her face, and she gripped a professional camera tightly in her hands.

"G-good morning, Tang Yu-kun," her voice was as thin as a mosquito's.

"Sakura-san, thank you for coming," Tang Yu flashed a gentle smile, deliberately keeping a two-meter distance to avoid putting pressure on her. "Can you tell me more about the trouble with the Photography Club?"

Sakura's fingers twisted together: "That... the upperclassmen... they want me to take some... inappropriate photos..."

Tang Yu's eyes turned cold instantly. He activated Emotion Perception; Sakura's emotional cloud presented a deep gray of fear intertwined with pink shame. Clearly, she had been subjected to severe harassment.

"Names," Tang Yu asked briefly.

"T-third-year Imai-senpai and... and Sato-senpai," Sakura's tears welled up in her eyes. "They said... if I don't take them, they'll make my middle school photos public..."

Tang Yu gently raised a hand to interrupt her: "That's enough. Leave this to me." He activated Emotional Link, projecting a sense of security toward Sakura. "Your photography skills are excellent; they shouldn't be exploited like this."

Sakura looked up, her eyes widening behind her glasses: "You... you've seen my work?"

"The Sakura Rain series posted anonymously on the school network—the composition and lighting are very professional," Tang Yu accurately named her pen name from the photography forum. "You have real talent, Sakura-san."

[Shock from Sakura Airi +300]

[Being moved from Sakura Airi +400]

[Favorability increased to 65/100]

Sakura's face flushed instantly, and tears finally fell, but this time they were tears mixed with joy. Tang Yu handed her a handkerchief while silently noting the names of the two third-years—they would soon experience the taste of fear reflected back by Emotion Mirror.

At 9:45, Tang Yu ended his conversation with Sakura early to ensure he had enough time to head to the library. On the way, he redeemed the Presence Reduction skill (costing 500 points) to make himself less conspicuous in the crowd.

On the third floor of the library, Kushida Kikyo was sitting alone in the psychology section, with Group Psychological Manipulation spread out before her. Tang Yu deactivated the skill and pretended to pass by by chance.

"Kushida-san? What a coincidence."

Kushida looked up, instantly switching to that signature sweet smile: "Tang Yu-kun! What a coincidence~" Her voice was raised by a few decibels, drawing the attention of several boys nearby.

Tang Yu activated Emotion Perception, seeing the deep gray of calculation and vigilance churning beneath Kushida's pink surface-level friendliness. This two-faced girl lived her life wearing a mask forever.

"Studying psychology?" Tang Yu sat down across from her naturally. "Is it to better help your classmates?"

Kushida's eyelashes fluttered slightly: "Yes~ I want to understand everyone's thoughts better so we can get along better." She lowered her voice. "Actually... some girls have been very troubled lately, and I want to help them..."

Tang Yu immediately understood her trick—pretending to care while actually fishing for intelligence. He decided to play along: "For example, Karuizawa-san?"

Kushida's pupils constricted: "You... know something?"

"Just a guess," Tang Yu pretended to hesitate. "Actually, I've also noticed she's been acting unusual lately. If you find anything, can you tell me? I want to help."

This invitation to "conspire" hit the mark for Kushida. Her smile grew even brighter as she leaned forward, striking an intimate pose: "Of course~ We're both doing this for the sake of our classmates, right?"

Tang Yu activated Emotional Link, briefly peeking into Kushida's true thoughts—she was calculating how to use this alliance to control both Karuizawa and Tang Yu simultaneously.

[False enthusiasm from Kushida Kikyo +200]

[Current Emotion Points: 62,500/∞]

At 10:25, Tang Yu made an excuse about having an appointment and left early. This conversation of mutual calculation hadn't yielded much, but at least it confirmed that Kushida was indeed targeting Karuizawa, which was likely related to Ryuen's plan.

At 11:45, in the Kendo Club locker room, Tang Yu changed into his training gear and activated Muscle Memory Enhancement (costing 800 points), preparing for his sparring session with Horikita Suzune.

Ever since the Special Training Class, this arrogant girl's attitude toward him had undergone a subtle change, shifting from a pure rival to a partner of sorts.

The midday sun spilled in through the dojo windows. Horikita was already waiting there, her black hair tied into a neat ponytail, her posture holding the bamboo sword as standard as a textbook.

"You're thirty seconds late," she said coldly.

"Sorry, I got held up at the library." Tang Yu picked up the Bamboo Sword. "What are the rules?"

"Free sparring, first to two points wins." Horikita's eyes flashed with fighting spirit. "The wager is our ranking in next week's mock exam."

Tang Yu smiled. "Are you sure? I won last time."

"That was in the training class." Horikita assumed a middle stance. "This time is different."

The match began. Horikita's swordsmanship was sharper than before, clearly the result of special training over the summer break. Tang Yu activated Emotion Perception to predict her attack intentions, while simultaneously holding back on purpose to make the match more intense.

In the first round, Horikita scored a point with a beautiful strike to the face. A trace of triumph flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure. "Your reaction was slow."