Chapter 5

So... was it popularity?

Probably.

After all, the girls currently listed were all characters who had appeared early on, and the shipping wars around Classroom of the Elite had largely revolved around them. How could they not be popular?

But if popularity was the deciding factor, wouldn't that mean missing out on plenty of prime little sheep to fleece?

System, you can't be so shortsighted!

[Insufficient permissions. Please raise your level as soon as possible.]

"Got it."

Nangong Cheng was only grumbling. After all, no matter how many candidates there were, he could still only issue three quests a day. That was nowhere near enough.

He might as well think about how to use his last quest for the day. Should he find a third little sheep, or pick between Horikita Suzune and Kikyo Kushida again?

"I hereby declare this entrance ceremony concluded..."

Time slipped by as he pondered, and the entrance ceremony finally ended.

The students of all four classes began leaving.

Once again, Nangong Cheng chose to trail behind the crowd, stealing a discreet glance at Horikita Suzune among the other students.

Issuing Horikita Suzune two quests in a row had already aroused her suspicions. Though she would never find proof that he was behind it all, provoking her further wasn't a good idea.

As for Kikyo Kushida...

As long as he openly spent more time with Horikita Suzune, that devoted Horikita fan was bound to approach him herself. There was no need to go out of his way to make contact.

[Additional information: Subsystem holders will not know of the main system's existence. They will also regard the host and themselves as fated partners, so please feel free to issue quests involving yourself.]

Damn, why didn't you say so sooner?!

Following the principle of "don't use a system you doubt, and don't doubt a system you use," Nangong Cheng simply chose to believe it.

In that case, he would spend today's last quest on a new little sheep to fleece.

The question was, who?

For ease of contact, choosing someone from Class D was still his best bet.

Sakura Airi was meek and easy to handle, while Karuizawa Kei, who was posing as a gyaru, was desperate to find a fake boyfriend to protect her.

Both were excellent little sheep.

But if he had to choose one...

"I choose you, Karuizawa Kei."

Springtime for Karuizawa Kei

Karuizawa Kei was a girl in the bloom of youth who should have enjoyed an ordinary adolescence. Instead, she had suffered a deeply humiliating period of bullying in middle school.

It had not only left an indelible scar on her body, but also inflicted psychological trauma akin to PTSD. It was no exaggeration to say that it had ruined her life.

Her mind was now consumed by the fear of being bullied and humiliated, allowing the subconscious urge to latch onto someone strong to take root and grow.

Even though she had enrolled at Advanced Nurturing, even though she had learned to act tough, even though no one at this school knew her past, and even though she could have started a whole new life, her past experiences and trauma still drove her to survive by clinging to someone strong.

"Karuizawa, want to go shopping with us?"

"Karuizawa, want to eat together later?"

"Karuizawa..."

Karuizawa Kei, who was showing signs of becoming the center of a small circle of girls, was actually in a pretty good mood. After all, her efforts to change herself were producing visible results.

But Horikita Suzune's question during homeroom had left her with some troubling thoughts.

Why wouldn't the teacher answer?

Was there something wrong with this school?

She desperately wanted to ask, but didn't dare. In the end, she could only go with the flow and hope they couldn't punish everyone.

"But we don't know whether we'll get another 100,000 points next month, so I think we should be a little careful with our spending this month."

That was what she should have said at a time like this.

Yet she was afraid that saying it would destroy the little bit of standing she had just gained within the group, so she ultimately went along with them.

As she watched the private points displayed on her Student Terminal slowly dwindle with every purchase, Karuizawa Kei's unease steadily mounted. The other girls, however, seemed lost in the pleasure of spending freely. Some even suggested going to KTV that evening.

Karuizawa Kei wanted to refuse, but skipping an outing like that would practically brand her as someone who couldn't read the room and leave her ostracized.

Just as she was about to grit her teeth and agree—

"Sorry to interrupt..."

"Are you Karuizawa?"

The newcomer was, of course, Nangong Cheng.

He had been following Karuizawa Kei's group ever since the entrance ceremony ended, waiting for the right moment to approach.

"Nangong? Do you need something?"

Since Karuizawa Kei intended to find a dependable boy to protect her, the handsome and remarkably poised Nangong Cheng had naturally caught her attention.

Now that he'd approached her himself, could he be interested in her too?

Hmm... if that was the case, she was a little worried. He wouldn't turn out to be a playboy, would he?

Never mind. She should hear him out first.

"Well, back home, we have a saying: 'A new look brings a fresh start.' Now that I'm in high school, I'd like to change my image a little."

"But I've never been good at putting outfits together," Nangong Cheng continued, following the speech he had prepared. "So I was hoping you and your friends could help me pick out an outfit, Karuizawa."

"To thank you, I'll treat you all to lunch. It's almost noon anyway."

With that, he issued Karuizawa Kei a quest based on his request.

After hearing him out, Karuizawa Kei wanted to agree.

She could avoid spending any more money and get a free meal. All she had to do in return was put together an outfit for a boy.

She could even use the opportunity to spend more time with Nangong Cheng and decide whether to choose him as her protector.

But just as she was about to speak, a pale blue, translucent panel suddenly appeared in her field of vision.

[Ding! Binding Perfect Life System...]

[Current quest: Accept Nangong Cheng's request and put together an outfit for him.]

[Completing the quest will award points, which can be used to redeem items in the Exchange Shop.]

[Penalty for quest failure: Ask Nangong Cheng to become your master in front of your friends.]

Karuizawa Kei froze for a moment.

What was this?

Was she hallucinating?

"Karuizawa? What do you think?"

Sato Maya and the others were asking for her opinion, and their voices made Karuizawa Kei realize that they apparently couldn't see the translucent panel in front of her.

"Let's do it. It's not much trouble, and we get a free meal out of it."

She hadn't planned to refuse anyway. She might as well accept and see what this supposed system was all about.

"Nangong, this is going to cost you, you know?"

"Go easy on my wallet, ladies~"

Though Nangong Cheng hadn't interacted much with the opposite sex in his previous life, he still knew the basics of making conversation. Besides, he was dealing with relatively simple-minded high school girls. Psychologically, he was already playing in an entirely different league.

The group arrived at the clothing store.

Karuizawa Kei and her friends had only just left the clothing store earlier, but now they were back for a second visit on Nangong Cheng's behalf.

"Do you have a favorite style, Nangong?"

"Nope. As long as it isn't too flashy."

After checking his preferences, Karuizawa Kei and her little group began picking out clothes for Nangong Cheng.

Though they mostly studied women's fashion, the underlying principles of putting together an outfit were the same. At worst, it wasn't as though they'd never seen a handsome guy before. Surely they could copy an existing look?

Before long...

Nangong Cheng had a huge pile of clothes in his arms.

"That should do it. Go try them on."

At their urging, Nangong Cheng entered the fitting room.

The old saying really was true.

Clothes made the man, just as a saddle dressed the horse. His already impressive looks, combined with a decent outfit, easily produced a visual effect greater than the sum of its parts.

Nangong Cheng was quite pleased with the result himself.

"Thank you very much for your help, ladies. Lunch is on me, so order whatever you like."

Karuizawa Kei and the others were happy too.

Not only were they getting a lavish meal for free, they had also enjoyed a handsome Tokyo boy's fashion show. They hadn't just come out ahead; they'd hit the jackpot.

She was about to say something when the pale blue, translucent panel popped up in front of her again.

[Quest complete.]

[Quest reward: The host has received 100 points.]

[System Exchange Shop unlocked.]

System Exchange Shop?

What was that supposed to be?

The instant that thought crossed Karuizawa Kei's mind, the display changed, presenting her with an interface filled with a dazzling array of merchandise.

[Youth-Preserving Pill: Permanently preserves your appearance at its prime upon consumption. Points required: 100,000.]

[Perfect Body-Shaping Liquid: Repairs all bodily imperfections and sculpts a perfect figure with golden proportions. Points required: 5,000.]

[Flawless Skin Cream: Removes all scars, acne marks, and discoloration, leaving flawless skin. Points required: 1,000.]

Row after row, the items all held an irresistible appeal for women.

Of course, there were other types of items too, but Karuizawa Kei's gaze was locked on the product labeled [Flawless Skin Cream].

1,000 points!

With just 1,000 points, could she erase that scar that clung to her like a curse?

Karuizawa Kei could hardly believe it.

Could any of this be real? Or was it all a hallucination brought on by overwhelming stress?

Still, proving whether it was real would be easy.

Karuizawa Kei quickly zeroed in on something she could afford right now—

[Note: Cash will not appear in your account out of nowhere. Instead, it will be awarded to you in a completely plausible manner.]

"If you're real, don't let me down..." Karuizawa Kei murmured as she tapped the exchange option, pouring in all 100 points she had just received.

The instant she confirmed the exchange, the phone in her pocket vibrated.

Could it be...?

Karuizawa Kei swallowed and pulled her phone from her pocket, trying to act natural. Then she saw a transfer notification accompanied by a message—

[Congratulations on being the first of this year's new students to enter our store! In accordance with our promotional rules, we are awarding you a new-student welcome package containing 100,000 private points.]

[We wish you a happy life and success in your studies!]