Nest-Medicine Smoke Brand

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

Instead, he walked straight to the water station on the side of the office with the ease of someone at home, 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 of the cup, took a careful sip, and only then turned around to look at Sakayanagi Arisu again.

A curve tugged at the corners of his lips, his tone carrying a hint of nonchalance:

"Oh my, Classmate Sakayanagi, saying 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, shuffled, and fanned out in his palm as if imbued with life.

(I'm going to verify the cards--French accent)

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

Once this display of technical flair ended, 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 look of inquiry in her amethyst eyes deepened, yet she remained silent, as if waiting for Lin Mu's next performance—or perhaps, evaluating him as a person.

Seeing that she didn't respond, 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 slightly awkwardly beside Manabu Horikita.

A playful grin spread across his lips, 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 Kohei Katsuragi, then flicked a glance 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 brief moment.

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

The effect was immediate.

A faint blush spread across Akane Tachibana's cheeks at a speed visible to the naked eye.

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

The look behind Manabu Horikita's lenses darkened abruptly; although his expression didn't change, the air pressure around him seemed to drop even lower.

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

The office fell into a brief silence once more, with only the faint noise of the swimming pool drifting in from outside the window.

Seeing that everyone was silent as if their secrets had been poked, with no one refuting him or taking the bait, Lin Mu suddenly felt a bit bored.

He casually stuffed the deck of Tarot Cards back into his pocket with a "whoosh," as if performing a magic trick, his movements too fast for anyone to follow.

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 a spot on the very edge, sat down comfortably, leaned back lazily, 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, feel free to continue discussing your... well, school rules or the S System. Just pretend I don't exist; I'll act as if I heard nothing."

His calm, self-assured manner of taking charge made the brows of both Manabu Horikita and Kohei Katsuragi furrow even deeper.

However, Lin Mu paused, as if he had suddenly remembered something trivial.

Then, in that same light, offhand tone, he dropped a bombshell capable of detonating a thunderclap 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 a long time ago."

"Whoosh—!"

In that instant, everyone's gaze in the office was drawn like an invisible magnet, all staring straight at Lin Mu's face, which remained expressionless and even looked a bit innocent after saying those words!

Manabu Horikita lifted his eyes sharply, his gaze as keen as a hawk's shooting straight at Lin Mu, the pupils behind his lenses contracting imperceptibly.

The cold, steady 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 "You're joking, right?"

Twenty million points? What kind of concept was that? Less than two months after enrollment, breaking twenty million Private Points?

This was simply a fantasy!

Kohei Katsuragi was completely frozen in place, his tall frame seemingly stiffened, his face a mixture of bewilderment, surprise, and deep confusion.

Class transfer rules? Twenty million points? He had never heard of this information before!

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

His brain raced, 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 purple 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 touch of undisguised admiration.

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 comforting tone:

"What? Is everyone so 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 is information I went to great lengths to 'divine' after much effort.

But 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:

"Manabu-senpai, why don't you tell us if what I said is true?

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

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

"Don't worry, I have no interest in what you are discussing, nor do I have any intention of interfering or 'looking after' that group of people in Class D.

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

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

(Event duration: May 1st to May 5th)