Medicinal Smoke Brand

Lin Mu remained indifferent to the obvious probing and playfulness in Sakayanagi Arisu's words, as if he hadn't heard the subtext at all.

Instead, he walked over to the water station on the side of the office with the familiarity of a regular, where disposable paper cups were kept.

He picked up a cup, filled it halfway with hot water, and pinched a few tea leaves from the canister nearby to drop inside.

His movements were fluid and natural, as if he were in his own dormitory.

He blew on the steam rising from the rim, took a cautious sip, and only then turned around to face Sakayanagi Arisu once more.

A curve tugged at the corner of his lips, accompanied by a nonchalant tone:

"Oh my, for Classmate Sakayanagi to say that, it seems you're interested in my little 'tricks' after all?"

With that, he set the tea aside, pulled a deck of Tarot Cards from his pocket, and with a nimble flick of his fingertips, the cards danced in his palm as if imbued with life, shuffling and fanning out.

(I need to check the cards--French accent)

He delivered a dazzling visual feast of fancy shuffling, his movements so skilled and fluid they rivaled a professional magician.

Once this display of technical skill concluded, Lin Mu held the neat stack of cards in one hand and looked at Sakayanagi Arisu, who remained seated on the sofa, clutching her teacup with an elegant, faint smile on her face.

The inquisitive light in her amethyst eyes grew more intense, yet she remained silent, as if waiting for Lin Mu's next performance, or perhaps, evaluating the person he was.

Seeing no response, Lin Mu was neither disappointed nor surprised.

He shrugged, shifted his gaze away from Sakayanagi Arisu, and swept it across the other "audience members" in the office.

The stern-faced Manabu Horikita, the tense and vigilant Kohei Katsuragi, and Akane Tachibana, who stood beside Manabu Horikita looking slightly uneasy.

His mouth curled into a playful grin, his tone as light as if he were preparing to play an interesting game:

"Since Classmate Sakayanagi still feels my fortune-telling is 'unnecessary'... what about the rest of you? Does anyone need a reading?"

He paused, his gaze shifting between Manabu Horikita and Katsuragi's faces before glancing at Akane Tachibana, speaking in a tone that seemed to see through everything.

"I have already 'seen' it—both of you are harboring some minor, yet troublesome, family matters in your hearts."

(I have already seen it...)

"And as for the other one..." His gaze fixed on Akane Tachibana's face, and he gave a mischievous wink.

"Hidden in the depths of your heart is... hmm, a sweet little secret about love for someone, isn't it?"

When he mentioned "family troubles," his gaze landed precisely on Manabu Horikita and Kohei Katsuragi for a fleeting moment.

When he brought up the "love secret," his line of sight shifted steadily toward Akane Tachibana.

The effect was immediate.

Akane Tachibana's cheeks instantly flushed a faint, visible shade of red.

She subconsciously lowered her head to look at Manabu Horikita, trying to avoid Lin Mu's gaze, her fingers twisting together involuntarily.

The look behind Manabu Horikita's lenses darkened abruptly; although his expression remained unchanged, the air pressure around him seemed to drop.

Kohei Katsuragi, meanwhile, furrowed his brows deeply, staring sharply at Lin Mu as if judging whether he was just guessing blindly or if he truly knew something.

The office fell into a brief silence once more, save for the faint sound of the pool's commotion drifting in from outside the window.

Seeing that everyone was silent as if their secrets had been poked, with no one to refute or pick up the conversation, Lin Mu suddenly felt a bit bored.

He casually shoved the deck of Tarot Cards back into his pocket with a "whoosh," the movement so fast it was impossible to track.

Then, as if he had truly only come to find a place to rest, he walked over to the long sofa in the guest area on his own.

He found the spot on the far end, sat down comfortably, leaned back with a lazy posture, and crossed his legs.

"Since none of you are interested in my 'little tricks,' I won't bother you any further."

He picked up the hot tea and took another sip, his tone flat. "I'll just sit here for a while and leave when class ends."

"Of course, you can continue discussing your... well, school rules or the S System, just pretend I don't exist. I'll act as if I didn't hear a thing."

His act of taking charge and remaining perfectly composed made Manabu Horikita and Katsuragi frown even more tightly.

However, Lin Mu's voice trailed off, as if he had suddenly remembered some trivial matter.

Then, in that same lighthearted tone, he dropped a bombshell capable of detonating thunder on a calm lake:

"After all..." He tilted his head, a few strands of white hair sliding down with the movement.

"That rule in the school about 'saving up twenty million private points to apply for a class transfer,' I think... I already achieved that."

"Swish—!"

Every gaze in the office was instantly drawn like an invisible magnet to Lin Mu's face, which remained expressionless and even slightly innocent after dropping that line!

Manabu Horikita looked up sharply, his gaze as piercing as a hawk's, shooting straight at Lin Mu; the pupils behind his lenses contracted imperceptibly.

The coldness and composure he had maintained for years finally showed a clear crack, unable to hide his astonishment.

Akane Tachibana's eyes widened, her mouth slightly agape, her face full of shock and disbelief that screamed, "That's impossible!" and "Are you joking?"

Twenty million points? What kind of concept was that? Less than two months after enrollment, personal points exceeding twenty million?

This was simply a fantasy!

Kohei Katsuragi was left completely stunned, his tall frame seemingly frozen, his face a mix of bewilderment, surprise, and deep confusion.

Transfer rules? Twenty million points? He hadn't heard a single word about this information until now!

And this boy from Class D, who looked like he had nothing going for him besides his looks, was actually claiming he had achieved it?

His brain raced, desperately trying to digest this incredible piece of information.

Only Sakayanagi Arisu, after an initial moment of surprise, found that the elegant, faint smile on her face not only didn't vanish but grew even more pronounced, the playfulness and interest in her violet eyes nearly overflowing.

She gently set down her teacup, folded her slender fingers over her lap, and looked at Lin Mu with eyes that held not just inquiry, but a growing, undisguised appreciation.

This boy from Class D was truly far more interesting than she had anticipated, so interesting that... it even made her feel a little excited.

Lin Mu watched the varied but universally shocked expressions on everyone's faces and found it somewhat amusing.

He tilted his head with a feigned air of innocence and spoke in a consoling tone:

"What? Is everyone really that surprised?"

His tone carried a hint of confusion, "Do you think I shouldn't know about this? Or do you think... it's impossible for me to have saved up that many points?"

He shrugged, "This was information I had to go through a lot of trouble to 'divine,' after all.

Though, looking at it now, it doesn't seem to be such a top-secret matter, does it?"

He cast his gaze toward Manabu Horikita, who had recovered his composure the fastest, though his eyes were now different, and asked in a casual yet probing tone:

"Senior Manabu, why don't you tell us? Is what I said true or not?

After all, as the Student Council President who is about to graduate, and with Senior Akane Tachibana here, surely you wouldn't be unaware of this clause written in the school rules? There should... be such a thing, right?"

He paused for a moment, and without waiting for Manabu Horikita to answer, he continued:

"Rest assured, I have no interest in what you all are discussing, nor do I have any intention of interfering or 'looking after' that group of people in Class D.

The only reason I'm not transferring classes right now is because... well, I find staying in Class D to be quite peaceful and rather fun.

Transferring to Class A or Class B now would just mean too many rules, and getting along with people there would be such a hassle."