Such a class, I wouldn't have drawn an N card, would I?

Next, he took two homemade lemon tarts, carefully wrapped in plastic wrap, out of the side pocket of his backpack.

He had made them on a whim yesterday; they were refreshing and not too rich, perfect as a backup snack.

He placed them carefully into the refrigerator compartment of his small fridge.

After finishing this, he locked the door and went downstairs.

Kikyo Kushida was already waiting in the shade of a tree downstairs, holding two unopened bottles of mineral water. Seeing him come down, she immediately trotted over to meet him and handed him a bottle.

"The opening ceremony is about to start, let's hurry to the auditorium so we aren't late!" Her voice was as energetic as ever.

As she spoke, she reached out quite naturally and gently took hold of Lin Mu's wrist, and then the two of them walked naturally toward the magnificent auditorium building in the distance.

Her hand was warm, soft, and slender, but her grip was very light.

Lin Mu subconsciously tensed his muscles, feeling an urge to pull his hand away, but then he thought: pulling away would only make things look awkward and might attract more unnecessary attention and questions.

What a hassle. He simply let her lead him, continuing to walk at a steady, unhurried pace while his teeth lightly tapped the lollipop in his mouth.

It made a faint "click" sound, and the sweet and sour grape flavor spread once more, smoothing out his last bit of subtle resistance.

(The incompetent, raging Lin)

The auditorium was already packed with people, bustling and noisy.

The first-year freshmen were divided into exclusive areas according to their classes. The four areas—A, B, C, and D—were clearly demarcated by aisles, with eye-catching signs standing in front of each section.

The two followed the signs for "Class D" and stood in the designated area.

Many classmates had already gathered around. Lin Mu habitually scanned the area with a quick glance, and a subtle premonition immediately arose in his heart.

Compared to the freshmen in areas A, B, and C, who were generally spirited, stood with relatively good posture, and seemed more orderly in their quiet conversations, the atmosphere in Class D was clearly a bit... lax.

Although most of the students just looked normally nervous or curious, there were indeed a few boys standing crookedly, yawning, and looking sleep-deprived;

There were also two or three huddled together, laughing a bit too loudly, drawing side-glances from students in nearby classes.

The overall impression was one of being "less uptight," but in certain environments, this "lack of tension" was not necessarily a good thing.

Lin Mu muttered to himself: Could he really be this "lucky" to be assigned to the legendary "bottom-tier" class?

With his superpowers, even in the worst class, it would be effortless for him to coast until graduation or even achieve good grades.

Using telekinesis to have the teacher change his test papers, using clairvoyance to see the exam questions, or simply using hypnotic suggestion to influence the teacher's grading tendencies... there were plenty of ways.

But the thought of having to spend the next three years living day in and day out with a group of classmates who looked like they were either "troublemakers" or "unfocused" gave him a bit of a headache.

When it came to trouble, the less, the better.

Kikyo Kushida beside him seemed to notice his subtle shift in mood and gently touched his arm, asking with concerned, hushed tones:

"Lin Mu, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Your face looks a little..."

Lin Mu snapped back to reality, the plastic stick of the lollipop moving in his mouth as he vaguely brushed it off: "It's nothing, just woke up too early and I'm a bit sleepy."

He couldn't exactly tell her the truth: "I'm judging our classmates for looking unreliable and I'm worried it will affect my ability to slack off."

After all, this was just a guess based on his first impression; perhaps there was a hidden talent among these people on the level of a sweeping monk from a martial arts novel?

As for directly using telepathy to eavesdrop on the true thoughts of the students around him to verify it?

He dismissed the thought as soon as it crossed his mind—prying into others' privacy right at the start of school was too intrusive and too impolite.

More importantly, if he actually heard some depressing, negative, or stupid thoughts, it would only ruin his own mood.

It wasn't worth the cost; what the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over, and what the ear doesn't hear, the mind doesn't worry about.

In any case, to him, most of his classmates were just passersby sharing the same space for the next three years; it was best to keep a proper distance.

Just then, the stage lights in front of the auditorium suddenly dimmed and quickly converged on the center of the podium.

The previously noisy venue quickly quieted down, and everyone's eyes turned to the side of the stage.

The first to walk out was the student council secretary, Akane Tachibana.

She was dressed in a meticulous dark red girls' uniform, wearing the dark red armband that represented the student council, her temperament gentle yet capable.

She walked to the microphone in the center of the podium, bowed slightly to the audience, and then picked up the mic, her voice clear and soft as it carried through the speakers across the auditorium:

"Good morning, freshmen. I am the student council secretary, Akane Tachibana.

First, on behalf of the Advanced Nurturing High School student council and all the students currently enrolled, I would like to extend our sincerest welcome to all of you."

After a few concise and appropriate opening remarks, she turned to the side of the stage and made an inviting gesture, her posture elegant:

"Next, I would like to invite the student council president, Manabu Horikita, to give an address to the freshmen."

As her voice faded, a boy with a posture as upright as a pine tree walked slowly to the front of the stage.

He was also wearing a crisp uniform and thin-rimmed glasses, his expression cold and stern, his lips pressed into a straight line.

Just by standing there, he naturally exuded a calm and powerful sense of oppression, as if the very air had stagnated.

The auditorium, which had still been buzzing with slight commotion, fell completely silent.

Manabu Horikita took the wireless microphone from Akane Tachibana but did not speak immediately.

His gaze slowly swept across the dense phalanx of freshmen below the stage, and everyone brushed by that look instinctively straightened their backs.

A few seconds later, he raised the microphone to his lips. His voice was steady, powerful, and possessed great penetrating force; it lacked much emotional color, yet every word was crystal clear:

"I am the student council president, Manabu Horikita."

"On behalf of all the current students, I would like to welcome all of you who have enrolled this year."

After a simple self-introduction, he paused slightly and continued: "This school is committed to providing a comprehensive elite education."

"With a rate of advancement to higher education and employment exceeding ninety-nine percent, as well as the outstanding achievements of our graduates in various fields of society over the years, I presume you have all heard of this before enrolling."

Lin Mu still stood straight, though his posture was relaxed, forming a contrast with many of the freshmen around him who were sitting at attention subconsciously.

He listened nonchalantly, the grape-flavored lollipop in his mouth having melted down to a small piece, its sweetness fading.

Without changing his expression, he fished another milk-flavored one out of his pocket and quickly swapped them.

The rich, milky sweetness bloomed on the tip of his tongue again, bringing a familiar sense of satisfaction.

Energy (or rather, psychological comfort) replenished.

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