Everyone was the star of this celebration, so Ju Ji wasn't given any special treatment... probably. All right, his classmates really had gotten a lot more enthusiastic. If this had been a cocktail party, he'd probably have already collapsed.
"You look utterly miserable. Should I say you brought it on yourself? Still, I'm a little jealous of how popular you are."
"Is that so? I think if it were you, Suzune, you'd definitely do a better job than me."
"My excellence is beyond question. But it's also true that you're more capable than I am. I can't do the same things you can. Still, I imagine I wouldn't do too badly."
Suzune's opinion of herself was as high as ever. There probably weren't many people who could praise themselves so boldly and confidently. But wasn't she rating Ju Ji a little too highly? Someone like her had actually admitted that she was inferior to someone else—someone other than her brother, no less.
"I should've known, Suzune. That answer is so you. But do you ever feel like it wouldn't matter if the world changed in any way?"
"Unfortunately, I've never been pessimistic about my life. That doesn't sound like the sort of question you'd ask. What are you really trying to ask?"
Suzune looked surprised, as if she couldn't imagine Ju Ji asking her something like that.
"I was wondering what the point is of people working so hard in this meritocratic system."
"Obviously, it's for themselves. Are you an idiot? They improve their abilities and pursue jobs with social standing, all so they can live better lives."
Suzune answered as if it were obvious. It wasn't hard to understand. People went to high school, college, or graduate school mainly to find the best jobs they could in the future. Ju Ji had done the same in his previous life.
Of course, there were also people who had pursued their dreams since childhood. Sudo, for example, dreamed of becoming a professional athlete. But they were few and far between, and it was all too easy to set a goal they'd never be able to reach.
"Then what do you want to be in the future, Suzune?"
"I haven't decided yet. I have endless possibilities, after all."
No, wasn't it a bit much for Suzune to say she had endless possibilities? At least her boobs weren't going to grow any bigger.
And wasn't that just an excuse she was using until she found a goal? It was amazing she could even brag about it.
"So, what do you want to be when you grow up...? I get the feeling you haven't even thought about it."
"Don't jump to conclusions. Just because you haven't thought about it doesn't mean no one else has. My great ambition is to build a harem."
After hearing Ju Ji's answer, Suzune put a hand to her forehead.
"Fine, I'll ask you. I feel like an idiot for even doing so. Don't choose such an unrealistic dream. Why not think of something a little more practical?"
"What do you mean, unrealistic? I chose this dream because it's possible."
"With you, who barely has any friends...? No... sorry, that was rude. You've got quite a few friends now. Anyway, pick something else."
It was true that Ju Ji had quite a few friends. He'd already confirmed that he was friends with Hirata, Kikyo, Suzune, Sakura, Ike, and Sudo. In a class of only forty students, that was definitely a lot. So Suzune could no longer use that reason to argue with him.
But for some reason, Suzune seemed surprisingly determined to make him choose another dream.
"If I had to pick something else, I'd probably say finding a rich woman to support me."
"Hahaha! What? I never thought you'd have a dream like that. I don't know whether to say you have no ambition or what. Someone as capable as you is such a waste."
After hearing Ju Ji's dream, Suzune actually doubled over laughing.
"What? Don't underestimate this dream."
It was a dream he'd never managed to achieve in his previous life, right up until he died in an accident. Of course, now that he had a system, his possibilities were endless. He could set his sights a little higher.
"No, I'm not making fun of you. Everyone has their own aspirations. There's nothing wrong with a dream like that. At least it's a lot more realistic than that harem business. If that's what you want, maybe I can help you make it happen."
"Shinomiya, you're the star of this celebration, so you can't just hide in the corner. Come on, join the fun! Sorry, Horikita, but we're borrowing Shinomiya. Sudo, let's carry him over!"
"Suzune, what did you just say? Your voice was so quiet I couldn't hear you... And Sudo, Ike, this is dangerous! Put me down!"
Perhaps Suzune had been talking to herself too quietly, and the celebration was too noisy for Ju Ji to hear what she'd said afterward. Then Sudo and Ike found him and carried him off by force.
"Everyone, we've brought the star of the party back! Let's take a picture of him being tossed in the air. It'll make a great memory!"
"That's way too dangerous!"
"Relax, Shinomiya. I've got you."
Sudo's big build was reassuring, sure, but tossing someone into the air was a different matter entirely. Especially when Ju Ji had a mild fear of heights. Unfortunately, everyone was too excited now to listen to his feeble protests.
"Sudo, be careful. Don't let Shinomiya fall."
"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him, Hirata."
"Everyone, get ready! We're taking the picture. One, two, three... click!"
In the end, they got the shot of Ju Ji flying through the air, his face twisted in horror. Yet thanks to Sakura's excellent photography skills, the picture somehow looked both funny and cute. It captured the lively atmosphere perfectly.
"Great shot, Sakura! I'm going to make it my phone wallpaper and admire it every day. Send it to me later!"
"Me too! Send me a copy!"
"Hey! What are you going to do with someone else's embarrassing photo?"
"Give it up, Shinomiya. This just shows how much everyone likes you."
In the end, after being won over by Sakura's cuteness, he gave up on getting his photo back. His classmates liking him was good news, too. But couldn't they show it in some other way? Like how Class B had entrusted all their points to Ichinose. He'd be more than happy to let them treat him like a bank.
But he knew he didn't have the same natural affinity with people that Ichinose did. There was no way he could pull off something like that. The process hadn't gone quite as he'd hoped, but as long as the result was good, that was perfect. Yes, this was fine.
In the end, after the celebration was over, they all asked the staff to take a group photo of Class C (Ju Ji). Hirata was smiling especially brightly in it. Perhaps this was the kind of scene he'd been searching for ever since starting high school. It was surprisingly nice...
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