Classroom of the Elite: I Can Issue Master's Tasks

[Additional abilities: Intermediate Acting Mastery, Kato Taka's Hand, Gene Enhancement (Second Stage)]

[Experience: 480/1600]

[Current number of available task targets: 7 (Horikita Suzune, Kikyo Kushida, Karuizawa Kei, Sakura Airi, Shiina Hiyori, Ichinose Honami, Sakayanagi Arisu)]

[Current available task issuances: 4/13 (resets daily at midnight; incomplete tasks do not count toward the limit)]

[Currently available task types: One-Time Task, Daily Task, Bond Task]

[Items held: People-Finding Cane, Mosquito-Fly Camera x1]

Fourteen days had passed.

Aside from the fixed daily tasks, Nangong Cheng had stuck to his previous approach, issuing the safest possible tasks to collect the guaranteed 100 points.

His ability level had finally reached Lv. 6, and his points, number of task issuances, and task types had all changed noticeably.

Among them, [Bond Task] was an important new addition that had only appeared upon reaching Lv. 6.

This task could also be understood literally—a task intended to deepen a bond, or one that could only be issued to someone with whom a bond had been established.

To give the simplest example:

As early as the first week of school, Nangong Cheng had traded a Student Council position for the right to call Ichinose Honami "Mom." Although this was more like kindergarten children playing house, both parties had acknowledged the terms of the exchange, so the system had classified it as a [Parent-Child Relationship].

That meant Nangong Cheng could issue bond tasks to Ichinose Honami that would strengthen this so-called [Parent-Child Relationship].

For instance, there was an "excuse" Ichinose Honami had used before—when a baby could not eat on his own yet, his mother needed to feed him.

Or services that went a step beyond a lap pillow, such as cleaning his ears or lulling her baby to sleep.

Then, each time Ichinose Honami completed a [Bond Task], she would receive so-called [Bond Points] in addition to the fixed point reward.

[Bond Points] were essentially the same as [Experience], a special value that existed to raise one's [Bond Level].

The higher the [Bond Level], the greater the benefits.

For example—

Percentage increases to point rewards from tasks, exemptions from task penalties, discounts on shop purchases, and so on.

Viewed this way, [Bond Task] was purely a special task type that helped him secure direct personal perks.

Furthermore, these so-called [Bonds] were not limited to those between him and his task targets. They could also be [Bonds] between two task targets, or even involve people who were not task targets.

Examples included the best-friend relationship between Ichinose Honami and Amikura Mako, or the book-friend relationship between Horikita Suzune and Shiina Hiyori.

However, these same-sex [Bond Relationships] were limited to ordinary emotional connections—put simply, the girls in his harem would not end up falling for one another.

That was good news, too.

First, anyone trying to build a harem would inevitably encounter an objection or two. If he could establish those relationships beforehand, they could help whisper a few persuasive words in the right ears when the time came.

Second, if the system had a limit on the number of task targets it could bind, [Bond Relationships] would provide an indirect alternative for expanding that number.

For now, though, Ichinose Honami was the only person to whom Nangong Cheng could issue [Bond Tasks].

Yes, just one.

Sakura Airi had wanted to "define" their relationship back then, but unfortunately, he had chosen to brush her off with a playboy's smooth talk.

Then there was Horikita Suzune.

Strictly speaking... she ought to call him her teacher.

After all, Horikita Manabu had paid her tuition.

Perhaps their bond simply was not deep enough yet.

But once the special exam began, Nangong Cheng had at least a hundred ways to make Horikita Suzune understand that her man Cheng would always be a cut above her.

There was also another heavyweight contender—the two-faced young lady who was the hardest to win over in all of Classroom of the Elite.

Kikyo Kushida had actually refused to acknowledge their [Accomplice Relationship]. How utterly—expected.

After all, the harassing messages she sent him every night made her intentions perfectly clear. She simply wanted to save enough points to exchange for a [Dark History Erasure Card], then find an opportunity to stab him in the back...

What a rebellious little wildcat.

She probably still did not know that, because of the relationship between the main system and its subsystems, the [Dark History Erasure Card] would have no effect on him.

Although he really wanted to see Kikyo Kushida's shocked expression when that happened, doing so would essentially expose him as the mastermind behind everything.

In that case, it was about time to put [Advanced Acting Mastery] on the agenda.

Nangong Cheng had previously made a point of asking the system how many points it would take to erase [Dark Histories] on the level of Kikyo Kushida's, Ichinose Honami's, and even Sakura Airi's.

The answer was—

Kikyo Kushida needed 10,000 points, while Ichinose Honami and Sakura Airi needed only 1,000 each.

It was somewhat surprising, but also perfectly reasonable.

In Japan's social climate, where privacy and personal boundaries were taken extremely seriously, Kikyo Kushida would have practically nowhere left to go if her actions were exposed and started trending.

By comparison, Ichinose Honami's theft was a relatively commonplace social phenomenon. Add in the fact that she had ultimately prostrated herself in apology and had done it to get her younger sister a birthday present, and the resulting social impact was very limited.

As for Sakura Airi...

Being an idol was a fairly common profession in Japan, especially an underground idol.

It certainly sounded somewhat disreputable and could even invite stereotypes, but in the realm of [Dark History], it hardly ranked at all.

At most, if someone discovered it after she had left that life behind and become a full-time housewife, it would be enough to threaten her into submission with the standard "Ma'am, you wouldn't want..." routine.

Even then, it depended on the person and the circumstances.

Some people did not care, and would even openly discuss their past work as underground idols.

But a girl like Sakura Airi would certainly fall into the category of people who could be successfully threatened, which was why she needed a [Dark History Erasure Card].

"I'll steer her in that direction when the time comes."

Nangong Cheng did intend to make Sakura Airi an idol, but an idol for him alone.

He would definitely have to take care of this beforehand.

Meanwhile.

As usual, Ichinose Honami and Amikura Mako had split the work, with one cooking and the other helping.

But the former seemed a little distracted.

"Honami-chan? Honami-chan!"

"Huh?!"

Amikura Mako pouted, looking both displeased and worried. "Have you not been sleeping well lately, Honami-chan? I've noticed you spacing out in the mornings these past few days."

Ichinose Honami gave an awkward smile and was just about to come up with an excuse when her expression suddenly shifted.

"Mako, is there someone you like?"

"Huh?!"

Now it was Amikura Mako's turn to stammer.

One look at the girl's blushing face was enough to tell Ichinose Honami the answer.

"Why are you asking that all of a sudden, Honami-chan?"

"Ah! Don't tell me you've really fallen for that big jerk Nangong Cheng!"

"Shh!"

Ichinose Honami immediately covered Amikura Mako's mouth, her eyes darting toward the kitchen doorway, afraid Nangong Cheng might appear at any moment.

It was not that she was embarrassed. She was worried her friend would get herself into trouble with her mouth again.

"Mako, answer my question first."

"...Yes."

Ichinose Honami breathed a sigh of relief.

But she relaxed too soon.

"It's one-sided, though. He already told me ages ago that he likes his childhood friend."

Amikura Mako sighed sadly, then retaliated by tickling Ichinose Honami, trying to continue her interrogation. "I've told you mine. Now it's your turn, Honami-chan."

"Come on, tell me why you asked that!"

"Ahaha..."

Ichinose Honami was very ticklish. She immediately wriggled free, then explained, "Because you keep coming here with me, Mako. If someone finds out, they're bound to get the wrong idea."

Amikura Mako first looked enlightened, then said nonchalantly, "Let them. We're not doing anything wrong."

But then she changed tack. "Unless you really do... Mmph! Mmph!"

Ichinose Honami covered her mouth again.

With complicated feelings, she looked at the new changes that had suddenly appeared on the panel in her field of vision a few days earlier—

[Host: Ichinose Honami]

[Age: Mom-level]

[Height: 159 cm]

[Measurements: B: 95 (F) W: 61 H: 91]

[Fated Partners: Nangong Cheng]

[Bonds: Ichinose Soyo (mother and daughter), Ichinose Himezuki (sisters), Amikura Mako (best friends), Nangong Cheng (role-play mother and son)]

[Items exchanged: Bamboo-Copter, Invisibility Potion, 1,199,000 Japanese Yen]

[Abilities exchanged: None]

She had already obtained both the Bamboo-Copter and the Invisibility Potion, but Ichinose Honami had yet to return home.

As for the reason... was it the apprehension of returning home after a long absence?

That expression probably was not meant to be used this way, but the idea was close enough... she was simply afraid for no clear reason.

Right now, however, something else was more important.

[Bond partner: Amikura Mako]

[Bond type: Best friends]

[Bond level: 1 (0/50)]

[Bond bonus: Locked (shared access to some system privileges, taking penalties in another's place...)]

[Bond partner: Nangong Cheng]

[Bond type: Role-play mother and son]

[Bond level: 1 (0/50)]

[Bond bonus: Locked (percentage increases to point rewards from tasks, exemptions from task penalties, shop discount privileges, access to special shop items...)]

The word "bond" was easy enough to understand.

In everyday terms, friends, colleagues, teachers and students, couples, spouses, and family all shared so-called [Bonds].

The only difference was their depth.

Ichinose Honami stared at the lines beneath Amikura Mako's and Nangong Cheng's names with complicated feelings, sensing a fierce clash between her reason and her emotions.

Finally, she sighed.

"Mako..."

Her voice sounded a little hoarse to her. "Starting tomorrow, please don't come here with me anymore."

"Why?"