Don't Do That Kind of Thing!

The next morning, Yuki Himeno dragged her leaden legs toward the classroom, step by step, as if her soul had been drained away.

Her face, usually carrying a hint of languor, was now etched with utter despair, looking exactly like a doll that had been sapped of all its energy.

It was the expression of a corporate slave who, after finishing a 996 shift, returned home only to be scolded by their family.

"Yuki, are you okay? Oh no, Yuki's eyes are dead!"

Amikura Asako stepped forward in concern, only to be terrified upon seeing the look in Yuki Himeno's eyes.

Previously, Yuki Himeno's dead fish eyes had at least held a spark of vitality, but now, they looked more like a salted fish in a market that couldn't even flip itself over.

"What's wrong with you? Did you pull an all-nighter?"

Makoto Nishikado was also puzzled.

Logically, ever since Yuki Himeno escaped the hell of the Infinite Gathering, she had been quite energetic every day.

Even if she wasn't exactly "fully charged," her dead fish eyes usually looked fairly nourished; what happened today?

"Wasn't it you who told me to organize the data?"

Yuki Himeno looked at Makoto Nishikado in disbelief.

Her voice was thick with exhaustion, carrying a trace of imperceptible grievance.

She had stayed up until three in the morning; the fact that she could barely keep her eyes open now was all because of the task assigned by a certain someone, wasn't it?

"You stayed up all night? I didn't say I needed it today."

Makoto Nishikado spread his hands, his face the picture of innocence.

He wasn't about to take the blame for this.

"Huh?"

Yuki Himeno was instantly dumbfounded. She stood frozen, her brain spinning rapidly as she carefully recalled last night's conversation.

After a long while, she realized with frustration that Makoto Nishikado had indeed only asked her to organize the data without setting a deadline.

"Are you stupid? The school won't make any new moves before the first month ends."

"You would have had more than enough time to finish it in a week. Why work so hard?"

Makoto Nishikado looked Yuki Himeno up and down, as if seeing her for the first time.

To think that someone with such dead fish eyes, full of accusations against society, would voluntarily work overtime.

"Himeno, you might just be a natural-born corporate slave."

[Triggered Yuki Himeno's emotions, obtained 3138 emotion points.]

"Why do you have to say such mean things?"

Yuki Himeno puffed out her cheeks and weakly waved a fist at Makoto Nishikado.

Even if she were to jump off the school building, she would never become a corporate slave!

"Ximen, Yuki's condition isn't great. I'm afraid she's going to violate the rules today."

Amikura Asako was very worried and turned to Makoto Nishikado for help.

She knew that although Yuki Himeno didn't seem to have much motivation and didn't want to be too close to everyone, she still considered herself a member of Class B.

Yuki Himeno was willing to work hard to help everyone promote to Class A.

If she were to hold back the entire class because of her own issues, Yuki Himeno would definitely be devastated.

"It's fine. I'll pay the points to exempt her from the penalty."

Makoto Nishikado took out his personal terminal.

In this world, ninety percent of things could be solved with money.

And in this school, ninety-nine percent of things could be solved with private points.

"Then I'm going to sleep."

As if granted an amnesty, Yuki Himeno immediately closed her eyes and slumped onto her desk, falling asleep almost the moment her head hit the surface.

Her sleeping posture was actually quite decent; at the very least, she didn't snore, and her long eyelashes fluttered slightly with her breathing.

"Amikura, can we switch seats?"

After observing for two minutes and confirming that Yuki Himeno was fast asleep, Makoto Nishikado suddenly made the request.

"Huh? I suppose I can, but what are you doing?"

Makoto Nishikado quickly occupied the seat Amikura Asako vacated.

Right in front of Amikura Asako, Makoto Nishikado took out his personal terminal and snapped a photo of Yuki Himeno's sleeping face.

[Triggered Amikura Asako's emotions, obtained 4356 emotion points.]

"Ximen, what are you doing?"

Once Amikura Asako realized what was happening, she felt completely numb.

Had she known Makoto Nishikado wanted to switch seats for something like this, she would never have agreed.

"In daily life, one must possess eyes capable of discovering beauty; only then will life have color."

"I am merely capturing the beautiful things before my eyes."

Makoto Nishikado said this with a straight face, then put away his personal terminal.

"I'm going to tell Yuki Himeno about this," Amikura Asako said indignantly, then leaned in cautiously toward Makoto Nishikado, lowering her voice to ask, "Ximen, do you like Yuki Himeno?"

While asking, she paid close attention to Yuki Himeno's condition.

It was as if she were avoiding waking her, or perhaps she felt guilty like a thief.

Perhaps girls are naturally interested in gossip.

"Are you using this strange method to pursue Yuki Himeno?"

Without waiting for Makoto Nishikado to answer, Amikura Asako continued to press him.

When Yuki Himeno became Makoto Nishikado's lackey to help him with tasks, she hadn't thought much of it at first.

After all, the two were desk mates, communicated frequently, and it didn't seem too strange.

But thinking about it now, a boy asking a girl to be his lackey—this seemed like a very novel way of pursuing someone.

"You're only just realizing this now?"

Makoto Nishikado was stunned.

Yuki Himeno herself had realized this possibility the very day Makoto Nishikado invited her.

Yet, Amikura Asako hadn't even considered that direction after all this time?

In truth, the real reason was that Yuki Himeno was beautiful, and Makoto Nishikado found it pleasing to the eye to keep her by his side.

"In other words, is that really what you're planning?"

Amikura Asako's eyes lit up.

She decided that once Yuki Himeno woke up, she would find out what she thought of Makoto Nishikado.

If they were mutually interested, she wouldn't mind helping to play matchmaker.

"I sought her out for legitimate business; the key right now is you."

"Amikura, you are so dense when it comes to romance. Could it be that you've had the experience of realizing you liked someone, only to find out they already had a partner?"

"..."

Amikura Asako's heart was deeply pierced.

She had been living her school life happily, only to be stabbed out of the blue.

Makoto Nishikado hadn't guessed wrong at all.

In fact, the situation she had encountered was even more melodramatic than what Makoto Nishikado had guessed.

The last time her heart had hurt this much was when she discovered she had fallen for a friend's boyfriend.

Because she could do nothing and dared to do nothing, she had to let that romance remain a one-sided crush.

"It seems I hit the mark. Amikura, I suggest you read more romance novels. If you continue like this, you'll repeat your mistakes."

Makoto Nishikado advised her earnestly.

"Xi-Ximen, is reading romance novels really useful?"

Amikura Asako's delicate body trembled slightly; she was truly afraid.

She had already witnessed Makoto Nishikado's capabilities during this time, a level she could never hope to reach.

Since Makoto Nishikado said she would repeat her mistakes, she really didn't dare not to believe him.

Did this mean that next time, because of her denseness, she would again fall for a friend's boyfriend after it was too late?

She didn't want that!

She didn't want to go through that a second time!

"It's not guaranteed to be useful, but it's better than doing nothing."

Makoto Nishikado gave a thumbs up, cheering Amikura Asako on.

Amikura Asako took this to heart and decided to visit the library another day.

After two periods, Yuki Himeno finally woke up and was immediately called away by Makoto Nishikado.

"Let's go, come with me to Class D."

Arriving at the door of the Class D classroom, Makoto Nishikado found Airi Sakura hesitating to enter.

From inside the classroom, the loud voices of several boys discussing something could be heard.