Invitation

Life returned to normal. Now all they had to do was take out their books and study hard to prepare for the upcoming exams.

They might not need it at this school, but they absolutely had to work hard for the final push toward the College Entrance Exam. They only had one chance to climb to the top of the world's stage. It was do or die!

A note was crumpled into a ball and sent across the distance between desks. It rolled over to Beihai and bumped against his finger. He noticed it; after all, his eyes had been fixed on his workbook. The sudden intrusion of a third party naturally caught him off guard.

He glanced over uncertainly and saw that the note's destination was once again that overly familiar Kiyotaka Kiyotaka.

The moment Beihai saw him, he knew something was amiss.

Airisu Sakura could only keep rolling the note around in her hands. She simply couldn't bring herself to throw it. Beihai had already been interrupted by someone else, and if she approached him now, it might backfire.

Forget it. She would treat him after school and thank him then. After all, she could count herself rich now.

"Throwing notes like that is all well and good, but have you thought about the others?"

Kiyotaka Kiyotaka's expression was stern. His usually blank face and dead-fish eyes had even changed a little. He raised his index finger to his lips and made a very obvious shushing sound.

They weren't in class right now, but it was clear he still didn't want a third party butting into the conversation.

The subject was written on the note in Beihai's hand. Open it, and it was immediately clear: this month's points still hadn't been issued. That was obviously a problem.

In April, it had been the Special Exam on conduct rules; in May, it had been the Nameplate Monthly Exam.

The exam was over. The points they'd earned were only a dozen or so, but converted, that still amounted to more than a thousand points.

Class D had been hungry for two months now and was already crying out for help. If they had to swallow their pride and borrow again, they wouldn't be able to find anyone willing to lend them money.

The main problem was that the internal economy of their class had completely collapsed. There was nothing left. Most students had less in their pockets than they had on their faces.

Suzune Horikita was frowning too, wondering why the points still hadn't been issued even though it was already June.

Kiyotaka Kiyotaka was clever. Horikita had put him to work twice already, and if he discussed an issue like this in front of her again, she would definitely drag him off to do something.

But there were things he had to say to a close friend, so he had used a note.

Even Kiyotaka Kiyotaka didn't know why the points hadn't been issued. Could there have been more than one exam in May? That seemed impossible. It would be downright sadistic.

Beihai received the note, promptly wrote his answer, and quickly passed it back. When the other boy opened it, he found three words: No idea!

There was no particular reason. It was very simple: he really didn't know.

Suzune Horikita was in a terrible mood. The class had already started getting rowdy, and the familiar feeling was like being back in April.

"Hey, Hirata, have your points come in?"

Someone couldn't hold back and began asking around for information. Yosuke Hirata was an ideal person to ask. Who didn't like a kindhearted upperclassman?

Yosuke Hirata was popular in Class D. Aside from a few of the class's Jiahaos, he was practically adored by everyone, boys and girls alike.

This time, though, he still wore a gentle smile, but the answer he gave wasn't what everyone wanted to hear.

"Sorry, I haven't received mine this month either. It's probably a problem on the school's end."

At that answer, many students couldn't help groaning. As Class D students, they'd gone three months without earning any extra money beyond the carefree start they'd had at the beginning.

Their homeroom teacher, Sae Chabashira, had probably gone outside for a cigarette before sauntering back in. The point was to keep Class D on tenterhooks.

Sae Chabashira's expression looked as if she were constipated. If she had to be compared to someone, she looked like an older Suzune Horikita. Seeing her like that really made it hard to feel any trust or goodwill toward her.

She smoked because she was frustrated. Keeping Class D on tenterhooks was purely her own perverse amusement.

As soon as she walked in, the scene replayed itself. Someone immediately raised a hand and asked, "Teacher, why haven't this month's points been transferred to our terminals?"

The scene was so familiar that the students fell silent, afraid their homeroom teacher would say the points had already been issued.

But when it came to Class Points, they weren't zero, so they needed an explanation.

Sae Chabashira didn't speak. She simply surveyed the class. After one look around, she saw every pair of eyes fixed on her, and stopped her inspection.

"The school's system has encountered some problems, so the points will be issued later than before."

Whatever the case, those words completely calmed the unease spreading through the class. As long as the problem wasn't their fault, that was all that mattered.

Suzune Horikita also let out a rare sigh of relief. So she had simply been overthinking it. Could she really be blamed?

The school just pulled too many crazy stunts. You never knew what it would do next, to the point that everyone was practically developing PTSD.

Kiyotaka Kiyotaka hadn't expected this outcome either. After his surprise wore off, he nudged Beihai's arm with his elbow.

"Want to stay up all night tonight?"

Beihai: "..."

He suddenly felt that Suzune Horikita was actually pretty great. Her biggest use was getting the Kiyotaka beside him to leave.

"Sorry, but I have to study."

Kiyotaka Kiyotaka stroked his chin, completely missing the meaning behind Beihai's words. Put plainly, he hadn't learned a thing about social etiquette.

He was still in the process of observing and learning how people interacted, dividing them into superficial friends and close friends. So without a second thought, he said, "That's fine. I'll study too. We can do it together..."

That's right, Kiyotaka Kiyotaka was a brilliant student. When it came to studying, even with Mind Sharing, Beihai probably couldn't beat him at solving problems.

"Sure."

When class ended, Airisu Sakura stood up at once, afraid someone in the class might beat her to it.

She couldn't take it. It was bad enough having some girl outside steal her chance; now she had to race a male classmate too.

"Beihai, are you free this afternoon? I'd like to treat you to a meal."

Airisu Sakura mustered all her courage, slapped the desk, and extended the invitation.

Kiyotaka Kiyotaka was startled, but his expression remained as calm as ever as he analyzed the situation based on what he'd learned about dealing with people.

He only thought to himself, Too late. I already made plans. A superficial friend like you will only get turned down when it matters.

Beihai was genuinely in a difficult position. He'd just agreed to something else, so this was hard to work out. He couldn't exactly make a shadow clone; he didn't have that kind of superpower.

Beihai understood even better that in Sakura, it was best to be a people pleaser. That way, he wouldn't offend anyone, and he wouldn't lose out either.

"Hmm, how about we bring Kiyotaka along too?"

Beihai made his decision. They were all just classmates anyway.

Airisu Sakura was a little surprised, but she agreed. She was a girl who didn't know how to say no, and she wouldn't object at a time like this.

When it came to dealing with people, Kiyotaka Kiyotaka was even more confident in his simple way of sorting things out.

He believed this was the difference between a superficial friend and a close friend.