The May breeze was warmer.
Tsukishima's drawing skills were improving quickly, too. He could now draw simple portraits.
President Yamada said he was ready to try drawing people.
[Tsukishima]: That's about it. Starting tomorrow, come to my dorm room on time to model for me, Saintess.
[Kushida]: Got it. I'll be a good girl and do as I'm told.
[Tsukishima]: You can drop the act. I'm keeping a complete record of our chat. Be good. I'll be very gentle.
"Kushida, are you feeling sick? You look a little pale."
Surrounded by her friends, Kushida slipped her phone into her pocket.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tsukishima making faces at her. She wanted to explode at him right then and there.
"It's nothing. Maybe I ate something bad. I'm going to the bathroom."
Kushida kept her warm smile as she hurried out of the classroom and into the restroom, where she locked herself in a stall.
She pulled out her phone and began typing furiously.
[Kushida]: What exactly do you want?
[Tsukishima]: Didn't we already agree? You're going to model for me.
[Tsukishima]: My drawing skills have improved lately, and I can draw portraits now, so I need a model. Of course, if you want proof, you can come along too.
[Tsukishima]: And you can let out all your pent-up feelings, too, but try to keep your voice down. It wouldn't be good if anyone else heard.
[Kushida]: Next time, wait until I have time before bringing it up!
[Tsukishima]: No. As a pervert, isn't it perfectly normal for me to set off a few little gadgets when the Saintess bathes the world in her radiance?
[Tsukishima]: Isn't it thrilling for the pure Saintess to have to endure the stirrings in her body and heart in full view of everyone?
[Kushida]: You really are a pervert! Disgusting! Go die!
Kushida crouched in the restroom stall for five minutes, staring at the phrases "in full view of everyone," "the pure Saintess," and "isn't it thrilling?" on her screen. She wanted to toss her phone into the toilet.
But in the end, she took a deep breath, put her phone away, and adjusted her expression in the mirror.
The smile in the mirror was perfect and flawless.
She opened the door and walked back to the classroom.
As soon as she stepped inside, she heard Yamauchi wailing:
"5000?! Why did we only get 5000 points?! I've been so good! I haven't even skipped class!"
Ike clutched his phone and howled, "You've got to be kidding me! What about my plan to spend money on games?!"
The group of girls was lamenting, too:
"My new lipstick..."
"My manicure..."
"How am I supposed to get by this month..."
Kushida froze for a moment, then quickly took out her phone.
[Personal Points Deposit Notification for This Month] 5000 Points
"Kushida!" Yamauchi rushed over as if she were his savior. "Look at your phone! The points! We only got 5000!"
Kushida played along, covering her mouth and widening her eyes.
"How could this happen... So few..."
Hirata stepped forward, trying to keep things under control.
"Everyone, calm down! Let's figure out what's going on first—"
"Calm down? How can we calm down?" Sudo slammed his hand on the desk and stood up. "What can you even do with 5000 points? It's barely enough for two meals!"
"Exactly!"
"Is the school trying to starve us to death?!"
The classroom descended into chaos.
Just then, the classroom door opened.
Sae Chabashira walked in on her high heels, carrying a stack of documents.
She stepped up to the lectern and slapped the documents down on the desk. The students turned to look at her.
Chabashira said nothing. She simply watched them.
Slowly, the students returned to their seats.
Kanji Ike raised his hand timidly. "Teacher, why did we only get 5000 points this month...?"
Chabashira's lips curled. "Didn't you already know the school's rules? That's what Kushida spent 200,000 points to find out."
"Kushida, it seems all your points went to waste."
Though she was talking about Kushida, she was looking at Tsukishima.
Yamauchi stood up. "But we've been good! Nobody skipped class..."
Under Chabashira's gaze, Yamauchi wilted.
"Why did you stop? How many times have you played on your phones in class, filed your nails, or passed notes?"
"Even after learning the school's rules, you managed to spend all your points in your very first month. You're the first Class D in the school's history to do that."
She wrote a line on the blackboard.
Personal Points = Class Points × 100
Then she wrote down the points held by the other classes.
A: 960
B: 870
C: 500
D: 50
"With only 50 Class Points left, doesn't it make sense that each of you received 5000 Personal Points?"
"This is a school established by the government and financial conglomerates, not some charity."
"Even if it were a charity, you defective students wouldn't qualify for assistance, would you?"
Chabashira tossed the chalk aside and folded her arms. "Still, you do have a chance. If you surpass Class C in next month's midterm exams, you'll earn 100 Class Points."
"But if you fail, you'll be expelled."
"I'm curious. How many of you will still be here next month?"
Sudo shot to his feet, furious. "What do you mean? I've never heard anything like this!"
Chabashira planted both hands on the lectern and sneered. "Who said we had to tell you every rule? I'm sure I told you, didn't I? This is a school where ability comes first."
After that, she simply began teaching, going over the quiz from last time.
The class was quiet, and Tsukishima was happy.
The bell rang.
Yamauchi Haruki and Kanji Ike came over with big smiles on their faces. "Hey, Tsukishima, we haven't seen you spend much since school started. You must still have plenty of points, right?"
Tsukishima shrugged. "I do have some, but I joined the Manga Club, and buying equipment for it cost a lot of points. I can't lend you any."
"Tsukishima, we're classmates and good friends! You can get cheaper equipment. It won't make much difference!"
"Yeah, yeah! You could talk to the club seniors and borrow theirs for a while!"
"I can lend you my game console. It has all kinds of games!"
"We'll definitely pay you back next month!"
Tsukishima rolled his eyes. "Sorry, I've already made arrangements with the shop owner, so I can't change anything."
Ike immediately stood up and shouted, "Hey, come on! We're classmates! You're being a terrible friend! We're only asking to borrow a few points, and you don't even spend much!"
Yamauchi Haruki chimed in, too. "Exactly! It's not like we won't pay you back. Is equipment really more important than your friends?"
Before you continue