On the Matter of Nothing Being Unobtainable with Points (Part 2)

The president's office was spacious and bright, fully equipped with all sorts of facilities, to the point of appearing slightly extravagant.

Behind the office chair was a massive floor-to-ceiling window; not only was the lighting excellent, but one could also overlook the campus scenery and the various students passing through the corridors from here.

It was no wonder that the Second-year Student at the entrance ceremony had been so desperate for the position of Student Council President.

With such high-profile facilities at one's disposal, it would be hard for anyone to believe a claim of having little power in one's hands.

The president's real name was Manabu Horikita; I glanced at the nameplate placed in the center of the desk.

"You are the first freshman to visit. Is there something you need?"

Manabu Horikita leaned back in his chair, asking me while looking over the documents in his hands.

"Senior Horikita, may I address you as such?"

"Of course, I am your senior, after all."

"I have heard that there is nothing in this school that cannot be bought with Personal Points. In that case, may I purchase the documents in your hands, Senior Horikita?"

Manabu Horikita moved the documents aside and picked up the pen on the desk, spinning it.

"In this school, you can purchase anything you need with points."

Manabu Horikita adjusted his glasses.

"If you want this information, you will need to prepare 2,000,000 Personal Points for payment."

"If you are ready, we can make the transaction right now."

I did not stare at the documents on the desk, but calmly watched Manabu Horikita instead.

He was in no rush to make me decide quickly, simply meeting my gaze in silence.

"Deal."

After staring at each other calmly for a moment, I raised a smile.

Feigning a search for my student ID, I frowned as I looked at Secretary Tachibana, who had been standing behind Manabu Horikita the entire time.

"Provide an account for me to make the payment."

Secretary Tachibana stood there at a loss, looking toward Manabu Horikita for help.

I heard Manabu Horikita tap the pen he was spinning against the desk, producing a crisp sound.

"Thank you for your patronage."

I looked up at the screen Manabu Horikita held out, displaying the amount of Personal Points I needed to pay.

5,000,000...

"Prices fluctuate in real-time. You have the right to purchase with points, so I have the right to represent the Student Council in determining whether the price for the value of this intelligence is reasonable."

Manabu Horikita's change of heart was within my expectations; after all, if this information weren't important, he wouldn't have gone out of his way to find Secretary Tachibana.

If the content hadn't concerned him this much, he wouldn't have been so impatient.

Although I was only pretending to have that many Personal Points.

However, the point that anything could be bought with points had indeed been verified for now.

While the other party could prevent me from purchasing by infinitely raising the price, this was based on the fact that I didn't know what kind of power was contained within these documents.

Everything has a price set at the moment of its inception.

I was merely testing the waters...

"My apologies, I cannot afford this price for the time being. I won't disturb you any further, Senior Horikita."

I said this while preparing to stand up and leave.

I might as well go purchase some daily necessities next.

Just as my hand touched the doorknob to open the door and leave, Manabu Horikita's voice suddenly came from behind me.

"You are a student in Class B of the first year, right? I have some impression of you."

Of me?

This was our first formal meeting, wasn't it? To say he noticed me during the freshman ceremony this morning would be somewhat unrealistic.

I didn't stop my pace toward the exit, replying to him as I went.

"Class B, first year, Hajime Kashima."

"There is a piece of information you can afford. Would you like to know about it?"

Hm?

I turned back and saw Manabu Horikita stand up and walk over, handing me a document.

"As long as you pay the remaining points you have on you, that will suffice."

I looked at the words on the document envelope, unable to help but feel stunned.

Manabu Horikita extended a hand.

3, 2...

"Fine."

This is the one time I cannot afford to hesitate.

I decisively paid all my remaining Personal Points and flipped through the documents I held.

It seems this is quite a significant gain.

I took the bag handed over by Secretary Tachibana and tucked the documents inside.

"Sorry for the trouble, I'll be heading out now if there's nothing else."

I waved my hand, opened the door, and left the room.

I suppose this counts as an unexpected windfall for today.

What should I do now? I had originally planned to stroll around the supermarket.

Although I don't have any particular decorations in mind for my room, I still need to purchase the bare minimum of daily necessities.

Having made up my mind, I identified the route to the store.

Having reaped an unexpected reward, my steps felt unconsciously lighter.

But as I walked, I suddenly realized something.

...I seem to be out of money.

It feels as though the fact that Personal Points exist as a form of digital currency has made me lose touch with the reality of money.

It just feels like trivial points, or perhaps just a string of numbers.

Only when it truly hit me did I realize that this expenditure was actually quite substantial.

If converted into cash, it would have been a thick stack.

So, what should I do in this situation? Not going is simply not an option.

After all, I would be troubled without daily necessities.

Leaving the house feeling fresh and clean makes a world of difference, not just to others, but to myself as well.

How should I put it? For me, it's like a ritual marking the start of a new day.

While I don't go as far as meticulously styling myself every single day, simply feeling clean and refreshed makes both myself and others feel comfortable, doesn't it?

I quickened my pace.

I hope I can still run into a classmate I know at the shopping center.

As expected... most students had already gone in groups to purchase their daily necessities after lunch.

If there's anywhere I might run into people, it would likely be the Zelkova Shopping Center mentioned in the orientation materials.

I wandered through an entire floor of the mall without encountering more than a handful of students.

As for the floors above, the chances of running into anyone were even slimmer.

I really was too late.

I prepared to leave and headed straight for the checkout counter.

Suddenly, I caught sight of a pile of miscellaneous goods in the corner with a sign that read "Free Supplies."

Upon closer inspection, they were all daily necessities with less than two months until their expiration dates.

Well, one must always bear the consequences of their own actions.

Although there was a bit of dust on the packaging, the seals were still perfectly intact.

I can't quite describe how I feel, but if one were to be swayed by shame in this situation—feeling it's too embarrassing to accept relief—

then, in my opinion, it is those people who need to reflect on themselves.

Reflect on why they ended up in such a predicament, whether they planned their expenses reasonably, or if they are regretting taking on costs beyond their means for some reason.

Based on my own judgment, I believe the value of those documents far exceeds the points I had to pay.

So, even in this current situation, I don't think there is anything wrong with it.

Of course, forgive my self-righteous preaching, but I simply find that such self-reflection can be exceptionally interesting at times.

Managing to keep myself thinking, analyzing, and developing my own understanding of the world.

Perhaps this is how self-confidence is cultivated; because I understand myself better than anyone else, I am able to believe in myself more than anyone else.

"..."

Footsteps sounded from behind, interrupting my wandering thoughts.

"Hajima-kun... what are you doing?"

Ichinose tilted her head, seemingly curious as to why I was lingering here.

"Ah, I'm shopping."

I waved the toothbrush in my hand.

"Eh? Shopping... here?"

"Of course. Isn't this a shopping mall?"

"Although I heard what Hajima-kun said about planning the use of Personal Points carefully, don't you think buying something better that lasts longer is also a great choice?"

She took the toothbrush from my hand, examined it closely, and then tossed it back onto the pile of goods.

"...Come with me~"

Ichinose hooked her arm through mine and headed straight for the specialty counters on the second floor.