A Compass Is Not Meant for Stabbing People

Turning around, Horikita was right behind him, looking shy... well, no, she wasn't. Her expression was as serious as ever, and with her icy gaze and blunt tone, it was impossible to tell she was asking for a favor.

However, for someone who had declared during her self-introduction that she "didn't want to get along with anyone," this was perhaps already a significant effort on her part.

"Did the sun rise in the west today, or am I still at the entrance ceremony, dreaming in my sleep?"

Horikita frowned slightly, her sharp aura becoming even more piercing as she reached into her pocket and pulled out something pointed—it looked like a compass.

"Shinomiya, would you rather regret in pain, or suffer in regret?"

Um, I was just joking. Why am I being asked such a question? And please stop pointing the sharp end of that compass at me, it hurts.

In summary, angering Horikita seemed to be the wrong choice. She was the type to take action immediately, and besides, wasn't receiving this kind of treatment Ayanokoji's exclusive privilege?

"So, Horikita, what exactly do you need from me?"

In the end, Ju Ji surrendered to the threat of force. Although Horikita's personality was a bit severe, it didn't reach the point of being detestable; if she didn't like stabbing people with compasses, she would actually be quite pleasant.

"You don't have anything to do anyway, so why not accompany me to the convenience store to pick up some things?"

"No, aren't there better choices than me? Like Ayanokoji, or a female frien... never mind, forget I said that."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, true to his isolationist nature, was nowhere to be found nearby; he had likely already headed back.

And looking at Horikita's personality, it was clear she hadn't made any female friends, otherwise, she wouldn't have come to him. This was what they called lonely people huddling together for warmth.

Presumably, even for Horikita, entering a convenience store where most people shopped in groups would feel uncomfortable alone.

"So, what's your answer?"

"Okay, as you said, I don't have anything to do, and I certainly don't want to be poked by a compass again."

Ju Ji raised his hands in surrender.

"Wow! The selection of instant noodles is also very complete. This really is a convenient school!"

A few boys were making a racket in front of the instant food section. They loaded baskets with mountains of instant noodles and headed to the checkout. Besides the noodles, the baskets were also filled with snacks and drinks.

It didn't look very healthy, but with an endless supply of points, it was only natural to consume like this. He, who had also put a large amount of cola and potato chips into his own basket, was in no position to judge others.

"Do boys really like this kind of stuff? Though I don't think it's very healthy for the body."

"It's certainly not healthy, but everyone has their own lifestyle habits, and this surely isn't meant to be a staple diet."

Ju Ji said this while placing vegetables, meat, and fruit into his basket.

"You can cook?"

"Barely edible, but studying cooking is a hobby of mine."

Under the guidance of the grandfather who adopted him in this world, Ju Ji had honed decent culinary skills, and there was no reason not to put them to use.

As for daily necessities, he had brought enough, so there was no need to purchase any; therefore, he only needed to replenish ingredients and the like.

"Do you want to try it too?"

At that moment, Horikita was picking up a cup of instant noodles labeled 'G Cup,' which seemed to imply a large portion, giving the impression that one would be very full after eating it.

However, Horikita wasn't flat-chested—or rather, she was on the perfect borderline, which, personally speaking, Ju Ji quite liked.

"Shinomiya, you aren't thinking about something boring, are you?"

"No, not at all. [If you're curious, trying it wouldn't be bad; this flavor is actually quite good]."

I'd heard that girls were sensitive to gazes in that regard; it seems the rumor is true. To avoid revealing his true intentions, Ju Ji chose to change the subject.

By the way, he had used his [Hypnosis] ability on that sentence, though at its current level, it only served to increase the persuasiveness of his words—a 10% success rate, heh.

"If not, then that's fine. But, since you suggested it, Shinomiya, trying it out does sound good."

As she spoke, Horikita added the bone-broth flavored noodles to the basket. But to think she hadn't even eaten instant noodles before—her upbringing must have been very strict. No wonder she developed such a personality.

However, choosing the cheapest items for everything suggested that Horikita had also discovered some truths about this school and was saving her points.

In reality, even without deliberately saving points, one would still have more than half left after a month of normal consumption.

Shopping in a convenience store with a girl was still a somewhat surreal feeling. Horikita was, after all, a very cute girl.

"Come to think of it, there are free items in this store too."

Ju Ji pointed to the free goods piled in a secluded corner of the store.

They were daily necessities like toothbrushes or bandages, stuffed into a shopping cart labeled 'Free,' with a sign stating a maximum of three items per month. It looked quite out of place in this school.

"Free? Isn't this school being too indulgent toward its students?"

With a fixed monthly allowance of 100,000 points and relief measures provided for students who spent heavily, it certainly seemed overly indulgent to those who didn't know the details.

"Is it possible that, in the end, some students won't be able to get that many points at all? You know, this school evaluates students based on ability. So, if the school decides later on that certain students have no value, what will happen?"

"Between the question you asked Chabashira-sensei earlier and what you're saying now, Shinomiya, you really do know some special information, don't you?"

Although Horikita was somewhat antisocial, she wasn't a fool. With Ju Ji hinting so obviously, there was no way she wouldn't notice. After all, students having so many points every month was an anomaly in itself.

"Who knows? It might just be my speculation. However, I believe that in a month, this school will reveal its true colors. Let's just hope we still have points left by then."

Although Ju Ji knew the inside story of the school, they were just freshmen who had just enrolled and hadn't even toured the campus yet. For now, these were just 'speculations' without evidence; he couldn't give a definitive answer, or it would be too suspicious.

"Shinomiya, I don't like the way you talk."

[I was just telling the truth, and why are you pointing that compass at me again? It hurts!]

The girls' dormitory was right above the boys', and it seemed Horikita really had been looking for someone to carry her bags; as the price for angering her, he was left carrying all the heavy items by himself.

Fortunately, he had specifically trained his physical strength, so this amount of weight was nothing to him.

"This is far enough, thank you for today."

"Won't you let me come in for a bit?"

"We aren't close enough for that."

With a loud bang, the door to Horikita's room slammed shut. He realized a simple fact: he really was just a tool for carrying bags. But it didn't matter, because Horikita's favorability had already reached 40 (an acquaintance who looks somewhat pleasing to the eye)...