Triggering a Conversation and Sudō's Breakdown

He stood still, using Psychokinesis and his senses to quietly sweep the surrounding area.

Everything seemed normal. There were only a few students hurrying along, none carrying anything dangerous or showing any hostility toward him.

"Tch." Lin Mu pursed his lips and muttered to himself, Forget it. I can't figure it out.

With my abilities, no one at this school should be able to seriously hurt me anyway. I'll think it over after tomorrow's exam.

Then he started walking again, casually patting the pockets of his uniform trousers out of habit. There was only one grape-flavored lollipop left.

He peeled off the wrapper and popped it into his mouth. Then he remembered that his stockpile of snacks and spare lollipops in his dorm was almost gone, too.

His brow furrowed at once.

Restocking... what a hassle.

(Actually, the school offered home delivery, but I have to trigger the plot.)

He'd have to go to the convenience store, pick things out, and carry them back... Just thinking about all those steps made him feel his chronic laziness kicking in.

But... life without lollipops and snacks was unimaginable! Could that even be called living? It was more like the ascetic life of a monk!

Though he was deeply reluctant, his dependence on sweets and junk food, along with his excuse that they kept him "at full power," ultimately won out over his inertia.

Lin Mu sighed and accepted his fate, turning toward the school convenience store.

The moment he stepped inside, he went into "stock-up mode."

His eyes locked onto the candy section, and he grabbed two big bags of every lollipop flavor—milk, strawberry, grape, orange, cola, mint...

At the potato chip rack beside it, he picked up several big bags of every brand and flavor.

(Cucumber-flavored chips are delicious.)

Cookies, chocolate wafers, little packets of nuts, and a certain probiotic drink he'd recently taken to... Before long, his shopping basket was piled high.

At checkout, the terminal deducted a hefty sum of Class Points, but he didn't even blink.

With two heavy bags of "strategic supplies" in hand, he stepped out of the convenience store into the cool evening breeze.

"Since I'm already here..."

Looking at the neon signs of the school's shopping district in the distance, a classic thought crossed his mind.

So, instead of heading straight back to his dorm, he veered toward his favorite dessert shop in the shopping district.

Two strawberry cream cakes;

One chocolate lava cake, which looked pretty good;

A box of matcha red bean pudding, sweet and light;

And the new mango crepes...

(Flying Horse Year Wang Wenwen, Lü Bu uses his ultimate.)

By the time he left the dessert shop, thoroughly satisfied, he had two more neatly packed paper bags bulging with goodies.

And so, on the last leg of his walk back to the dorm, Lin Mu made a somewhat ridiculous sight: a handsome, stern-looking white-haired young man, 178 centimeters tall, with a lollipop in his mouth.

He carried two bulging bags in each hand, his steps a little heavy but still as languid as ever, as he strolled along the campus path at dusk.

Fortunately, there weren't many people around. Otherwise, he would have attracted even more stares.

Just as he passed a fork in the road between the shopping district and the dormitory area, a familiar voice called out to him in delight:

"Lin Mu!"

Lin Mu turned toward the voice and saw Ichinose approaching from another path. She, too, carried a small shopping bag, which seemed to hold some stationery and snacks.

Her golden hair shimmered warmly in the evening glow, and a sincere, radiant smile spread across her face as she hurried over.

"It really is you! Long time no see!"

(Is he your cousin?...He's your younger cousin!)

Ichinose stopped in front of him, her voice filled with gratitude as she gazed at him with bright, shining eyes.

"Thank you so much for what you told me last time! After I got back, I thought carefully about it, and I realized you were right, Lin Mu.

"So later, I worked with everyone in Class B to maintain good habits around school and take every class and quiz seriously..."

The more she spoke, the more excited she became, her tone light and cheerful. "It's really worked!

"Class B might not be at the very top, but our Class Points have been steady all month, and we haven't lost any. Everyone's working together, too! That's all thanks to your advice!"

Seeing her so lively and full of enthusiasm, Lin Mu compared her to the mess that was his own Class D. He didn't feel much of anything, though; he simply nodded.

"You managed them well, and your classmates were willing to listen and work together."

He was being honest. "If it were Class D..." He paused, thinking of the faces in his classroom who still did whatever they pleased, and of Ken Sudō pounding on his desk. He shook his head.

"Even if I warned them, I doubt many would take it seriously. In the end, they'd still lose points, and some would still get zeroes."

His words were blunt, even a little cold, but Ichinose knew he was telling the truth. She didn't look displeased; instead, she nodded even more earnestly.

"Yeah! That's why I feel so lucky to be with everyone in Class B.

"And I'm lucky to have met someone like you, Lin Mu... um, a friend?"

She hesitated slightly over the word "friend," as if unsure whether it was appropriate, and her cheeks flushed faintly.

Lin Mu didn't confirm or deny it. A friend? Sure, more or less. At least he was better than a stranger.

The two of them stood by the road and chatted briefly.

They talked about the recent happenings in their respective classes and their slight nerves about the upcoming midterms. Ichinose was genuinely nervous; Lin Mu was pretending. At one point, Ichinose asked him how the food was at a newly opened restaurant in the shopping district.

The mood was relaxed and peaceful. They were just two ordinary classmates who had run into each other and stopped to chat.

After saying goodbye, Ichinose headed off in the opposite direction, her steps light.

Lin Mu continued on, lugging his four big bags of "supplies" as he ambled back to his dorm.

Time flew by, and soon it was the day the midterm results were officially announced.

The air in Class D's classroom seemed frozen, thick with a strange mix of tension, anticipation, unease, and a hint of relief.

Everyone held their breath, staring intently at Chabashira Sae on the podium as they waited for her to deliver the verdict that would decide their fate.

Thanks to the answers Kikyo Kushida had obtained "after much hard work," most of the class had felt "confident" during the exam and had found the questions unusually easy.

When they compared answers afterward, most of them seemed to be right, too.

A restrained excitement and anticipation rippled through the classroom. This time, surely, they'd finally earn some Class Points, right?

They'd finally escape the nightmare of getting zero, wouldn't they?

Chabashira Sae stood at the podium, her face as impassive as ever.

Her gaze swept slowly over every expectant face below, cold as ice. The corner of her mouth seemed to dip almost imperceptibly.

"To be honest," she said, her voice flat and emotionless, ringing clearly through the silent classroom, "I'm somewhat surprised."

Quite a few students below felt a surge of happiness. Was she surprised by their improvement?

But Chabashira Sae's next words made their hearts sink.

"I didn't expect you to get scores like these."

Her tone gave nothing away. "I acknowledge your... 'effort' on the surface."

"But," she continued, her tone suddenly shifting. Her icy gaze became a scalpel, piercing precisely toward a spot in the back of the classroom. "One student failed."

(Ken Sudō was in the last row, near the door.)

She paused, then clearly spoke the name:

"Sudō."

"Boom—!"

It was as if a thunderclap had exploded in Ken Sudō's mind!

He jerked his head up, all color draining from his face. His eyes widened, his pupils contracting slightly in shock and fear.

He sat frozen in place, completely motionless, and didn't react for several seconds.

"N-no... Impossible!" (M-Masaka...)

At last, he snapped out of it. Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, he slammed his hands against his desk and shot to his feet. The loud crash made the whole classroom tremble.

His face flushed red, and his voice warped with panic and hysteria as he pointed at Chabashira Sae and shouted:

"Quit messing around! I—I memorized the answers! How could I have failed?! You must have made a mistake!"

(Activity period: May 1 to May 5.)