Commercial Empire Planning, Four-Tier Product System

The bell for break had just rung, and the classroom instantly erupted into noise.

Tsukishima, however, was slumped over his desk, chin resting on his arm, eyes hollowly fixed on the wood grain of the surface, while his mind frantically constructed his "business empire."

Calling it a "doujin business" wasn't quite accurate either.

Although Advanced Nurturing High School had an extremely high degree of freedom, the "Moral Influence" School Rule hung overhead like a sword of Damocles.

He wasn't entirely sure where the school drew the line on this kind of content.

Drawing those traditional, first-base-style "dirty books"?

Too risky. If the Student Council got wind of it, at best he'd lose points, at worst he'd be suspended—the cost outweighed the gain.

"Gotta go the 'art' route,"

Tsukishima calculated in his head.

"In my past life, I saw a god-tier artist, a master of 'creating something from nothing.'"

"His paintings didn't even have a person in them—just a pair of discarded stockings hanging over a chair back, or a bitten apple on rumpled sheets. But that erotic feeling burst right out of the screen, making your face burn."

Yeah, that was the feeling!

As long as he didn't draw people, it wasn't "distributing obscene character images." As long as he didn't show explicit parts, it wasn't "violating the rules."

Even if a disciplinary committee member caught him, he could argue with a clear conscience: "This is a still life! This is atmospheric art! It's your own impure thoughts—what does it have to do with me?"

Having figured this out, a mischievous grin curled at the corner of Tsukishima's mouth. He tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, starting to plan his four-tier product system:

Entry Level: [The Extraordinary in the Ordinary]

Content: Seemingly normal everyday campus outfits (uniforms, gym clothes), but with extremely tricky angles.

Selling Point: Close-ups of the forbidden zone, hints of a breeze under the skirt, sweat-soaked backs, the moment the first button comes undone.

Scale: All-ages suggestive content, focusing on "covering up to reveal more."

Price: 100 points per piece, bundle price 900 points for 10 pieces (buy ten get one free, the free one being a partial close-up).

Target Customers: Lowerclassmen with empty pockets but craving excitement, or conservatives just wanting a taste.

Intermediate Level: [Summer and Private Fantasies]

Content: Swimsuits, lingerie styles, semi-transparent shirts, wet look effects.

Selling Point: While never exposing key areas (using clever blocking, light and shadow, or props), the lines are bolder. For example, holding a melting ice cream about to enter the mouth with a dazed look, or just out of the bath wrapped in a towel, water droplets trailing down the collarbone.

Scale: Strong suggestion, overflowing hormones, but still holding the "non-explicit" line.

Price: 1,000 points per piece, bundle price 9,000 points for 10 pieces.

Target Customers: Guys with some savings, and some girls seeking thrills (don't underestimate female purchasing power).

Master Level: [Silence Speaks Louder Than Words]

Content: No characters appear in the picture at all.

Selling Point: Ultimate atmosphere creation.

Example 1: A messy bed, a pillow dented in the shape of a head, a few pieces of clothing scattered nearby.

Example 2: A bathroom mirror covered in steam, an ambiguous word written with a finger, a blurry silhouette faintly reflected in the glass.

Example 3: A pair of high heels kicked off carelessly, stockings rolled down to the ankles, dim lighting in the background.

Scale: All left to the imagination! The space left blank creates an even more terrifying and erotic effect than drawing it directly.

Price: 5,000 points per piece.

Target Customers: Hardcore otaku, imaginative artistic youths, and "high-end players" who think direct images are too tacky.

Custom Level: [Exclusive Metaphors]

Content: Private commission, created on demand.

Rules:

Absolutely no direct scene descriptions allowed.

Everything relies on metaphor, metonymy, speech bubbles, and symbolic props to express the request.

If the client specifies a "particular person" (e.g., a certain school beauty), a reference photo must be provided. Tsukishima will perform "de-identification" processing—changing hair color, slightly adjusting facial features, swapping eye color, even adding a mask or eye patch—to ensure "this is definitely not that classmate, just a coincidence."

Price: Starting at 10,000 points, no upper limit depending on complexity.

Disclaimer: "This work is purely fictional. Any resemblance is purely due to your overly vivid imagination. This shop is not responsible for the content of the client's fantasies."

Target Customers: Rich guys with money to burn, big shots with specific fetishes, and creeps who want to "own" someone but dare not say it.

Tsukishima couldn't help but hum softly:

For the female crowd, he could get Kushida to help promote. Forget Ichinose—the Archangel wasn't suited for this kind of scene.

For the male crowd, he could use Yamauchi. He didn't need him to actively promote—just let him know something was up, give him a little taste, and he'd start promoting on his own.

But there were some problems:

First, the identity issue. It wasn't that no one could know at all—that was impossible—but he couldn't let it be easily traced back to him.

After all, now that he was in Class D, if he had too many points on hand, he might face endless trouble from people trying to borrow them. Then they'd hit him with some moral blackmail, and it'd be annoying as hell.

Second: no physical goods. Better to go with digital versions, so there'd be no need for face-to-face transactions, saving him from getting cornered against a wall.

Tsukishima unconsciously scribbled messy lines on his notebook.

As for identity, maybe he could buy an encrypted campus forum account. It'd cost at least 500,000 to view? But given this school's nature, there'd probably still be plenty of people scheming after it.

He'd likely need to spend 500,000 points, plus a computer and a drawing tablet, or just get a tablet outright. That was another huge expense.

Now he had about 750,000 points left. At least 500,000 for a private account, 100,000 for equipment.

Tsukishima sucked in a cold breath. Damn, if he was lucky, he'd have maybe 100,000 left over. And if the drawings didn't sell, those points would be wasted.

Huh?

Why did he have to buy a private account? Could he find an intermediary and sign a contract instead?

Was anyone in the class suitable?

Was anyone among the students suitable?

What about non-student groups, like school staff?

Students weren't reliable. If some big mouth let it slip, he'd be screwed. Maybe he could look into school staff.

But why would school staff help him?

Could 300,000 points plus a share of the profits work?

How could he guarantee they wouldn't make extra sales behind his back?

Bring in the Student Council to supervise? Did the Student Council have enough leverage over staff? Or would the Student Council just crush him outright?

A bit of a shame. If only he could find some leverage on a staff member.

Maybe he could build trust with the bosses, gather intel, and learn something on the side...

Tsukishima suddenly furrowed his brow.

Wait. Something was off. Very off.

He stared at the intricate "business empire" on his notebook and felt like something was wrong.

But what exactly... he hadn't figured it out yet.