The Beginning of Borrowing Money

This statement contained a massive amount of information, and the attitude behind it was outrageously arrogant.

As the only person present who was not well-versed in the school's rules, Kohei Katsuragi was the one most impacted by this revelation, falling into a state of chaotic contemplation.

Even Manabu Horikita, the Student Council President, did not immediately refute or question him, remaining silent instead... This suggested that this matter was, in all likelihood, true!

Had this seemingly lazy boy from Class D really managed to quietly accumulate twenty million private points in less than two months?!

How did he do it? Divination? Are you kidding me!

He looked at Lin Mu with eyes that had shifted from initial vigilance and astonishment to deep wariness and disbelief.

What kind of monster was hidden in this Class D?

Manabu Horikita remained silent for a moment.

His gaze, fixed behind his lenses, locked onto Lin Mu as if he were trying to dissect him from the inside out.

That sharp scrutiny lasted for several seconds, and finally, the ripples in his eyes returned to their usual calm.

However, the indifference typically held by a Student Council President toward an ordinary student had quietly faded from his gaze toward Lin Mu.

It was replaced by a formal sense of gravity, treating him as a "subject of interest"—after all, his own sister, Suzune Horikita, was in Class D.

Manabu Horikita gave a slight nod, his tone even more formal than before as he said calmly:

"The school does indeed have such a regulation. Since Lin Mu-kun is aware of it and has met the conditions, then... so be it."

His words were directed at Lin Mu, but they also served as confirmation for Arisu Sakayanagi and Kohei Katsuragi, letting them know that the school did indeed have this rule.

Afterward, he acted as if he truly regarded Lin Mu as a "harmless bystander," turning his attention back to Arisu Sakayanagi to continue the conversation about the "S System" that had been interrupted earlier.

However, his phrasing was clearly more cautious and subtle than before, with many keywords replaced by vague substitutes.

Lin Mu, meanwhile, did not care at all about their "encrypted conversation."

Happy to be idle, he leaned back into the comfortable sofa, refocusing his attention on his hot tea and the lollipop that was nearly dissolved in his mouth, even closing his eyes slightly to rest.

The hushed discussion that resumed in the office was like white noise to him, making him feel a bit sleepy.

It wasn't until the crisp bell signaling the end of the swimming class penetrated the walls that Lin Mu opened his eyes and stood up, as if a start button had been pressed.

He stretched, his bones making a faint sound, and then waved casually at the people in the office.

Taking that as his farewell, he walked straight to the door without looking back and pulled it open to leave.

As for what kind of discussion Manabu Horikita, Arisu Sakayanagi, and Kohei Katsuragi had about him—this "unexpected variable"—after he left... he didn't care in the slightest.

It was nothing more than an insignificant little interlude.

In the days that followed, Lin Mu began appearing in the Class D classroom on time every day for lessons, never missing a single attendance, which surprised some of his classmates.

At this moment, the Class D classroom no longer held the carefree, even recklessly loose atmosphere it had when they first enrolled in April.

The air was filled with a sense of anxiety, embarrassment, and even despair.

Those students who had squandered their one hundred thousand points in April, or even overspent, had fallen into a desperate situation with no points left to use.

The free basic meal plan was tasteless, and the free daily necessities were crude and rough, making it impossible for them to adapt after having just grown accustomed to high-quality consumption.

Consequently, figures begging for money could be seen everywhere in the classroom.

"Hey, classmate... could you lend me a thousand points? I'll pay you back as soon as the points are issued next month!"

"Please, I'm just five hundred points short of buying a reference book!"

"The ones I borrowed a few days ago... can you give me a few more days? I promise!"

The thick-skinned ones would approach acquaintances or casual contacts, while the shy ones could only seek help from close friends.

The interpersonal relationships within the entire class had become subtle and tense due to this sudden "economic crisis."

A few boys who had observed Lin Mu in the past and felt that, although he was a loner, he never seemed to lack money—noticing that the snacks he ate and the things he used were of good quality—seized the opportunity to approach him.

"Lin Mu-kun," one boy said, rubbing his hands together with a fawning smile on his face, "could you... lend me some points for an emergency?

It doesn't have to be much, three thousand points will do! After the midterm exams this month and the class receives its points, I promise to pay you back immediately!"

Lin Mu was staring out the window with a lollipop in his mouth; hearing this, he turned his head, looked at the boy's entitled expression, and without a second thought, spat out two words:

"Not lending."

He muttered to himself: Give me a break, why didn't you think about the consequences when you were blowing through your money?

We haven't even spoken more than a few words to each other; where would the friendship come from to borrow money?

Even if I did lend it, given the state of Class D, it's questionable whether we'll even get points after the midterms, let alone when they'd be paid back.

The thickness of this classmate's skin was truly something else.

The rejected boy's face stiffened, seemingly not expecting Lin Mu to refuse so directly, and he tried to argue:

"We're all classmates, we should help each other, I'll pay you back soon..."

Lin Mu had already turned his head back with a cold face, not even bothering to spare a glance, simply dropping an even colder remark: "No money, not lending."

The boy was rebuffed, his face flushing red and turning pale by turns, but he ultimately dared not pester him further, only able to leave sheepishly to continue searching for the next potential "patron."

Scenes like this were playing out between boys and girls all across the classroom.

And Kikyo Kushida was undoubtedly the person most frequently "begged" among the girls.

(Two-faced Prison Sister, failed man)

She had always aimed to be on good terms with everyone, and with her gentle and kind personality, she didn't know how to refuse.

(Not that she doesn't know how, that's not the case at all)

Facing the requests of "friends" who used to shop and chat with her but were now gazing at her with eager eyes, she simply couldn't harden her heart to say no.

(She curses people quite filthily behind their backs)

She could only bite the bullet, nodding and agreeing time after time, lending out the points she didn't have much of to begin with. (Because she had already spent quite a lot on socializing)

This was the price of her "becoming friends with everyone"—when you are "everyone's friend."

It also means that everyone might feel they have a reason and the right to make demands of you.

Lin Mu sat in the back row, watching Kikyo Kushida surrounded by three or four girls, a strained smile on her face.

Dealing with A's request while simultaneously responding to B's grievances, he felt the sight was too painful to watch.

(I cannot bear to watch you suffer, so I turn away to avoid seeing you suffer)

He simply slumped over onto his desk, choosing to see no evil.

After the bell rang, the crowd in the classroom began to stir.

Lin Mu took out his phone, hesitated for a moment, then opened the chat window with Kikyo Kushida, his fingertips tapping the screen to send a message:

"Do you still have enough personal points?"

The message was returned almost instantly.

(Activity period: May 1st to May 5th)