Chapter 011 Today's Outcome: Shimizu Akira's Victory
Shimizu Akira lowered his head slightly, preparing to take his phone out of his pocket to check the time.
"It is currently 10:14 and 23 seconds," Sakayanagi Arisu, standing beside him, suddenly said with a beaming smile.
This sudden announcement caught Shimizu Akira off guard; for a fleeting moment, he felt as though he were receiving a wake-up call service from a beautiful girl. He instinctively glanced at his phone screen—10:14, not a second off.
"Do you really distrust me even in this? How suspicious of you," Sakayanagi Arisu's silver-white hair swayed gently as she shook her head.
"Your attitude was much more enthusiastic when you were talking to that black-haired female classmate, though."
"You even saw that?" Startled, Shimizu Akira took a reflexive half-step back to put some distance between them.
Sakayanagi Arisu was stunned.
'Is he really that repulsed by me?!'
She gritted her teeth inwardly—in terms of looks and temperament, she shouldn't lose to that girl at all.
"My hair color is silver-white, you know!" She defiantly curled a strand of hair around her finger. "Isn't this the hair color Asians yearn for the most? Does it really not attract you even a little? Why are you always avoiding me?"
From their first meeting, she had been utterly perplexed—why did this boy act as if he had encountered some great scourge every time he saw her, wishing he could flee instantly.
"The hair color is indeed beautiful, and I really do want to try touching it," Shimizu Akira admitted frankly, before shifting the conversation.
"But I'm more worried that one day you'll secretly record me, or that I'll somehow become a pawn in one of your plans and end up in a mess of trouble."
Admittedly, the girl before him had an exquisite face, but behind those seemingly innocent eyes, who knew how many schemes were hidden?
For a "hara-guro" (black-hearted/scheming) character like her, no matter how cute she looked on the outside, he was determined to maintain a safe distance.
Sakayanagi Arisu suddenly let out a soft laugh, a flicker of seriousness crossing her eyes.
"I see... so you're afraid of those things." Her voice softened slightly. "Please rest assured, I would never use such low-handed methods as secret recordings to threaten you."
She looked directly into Shimizu Akira's eyes and said word for word, "Using such tactics against a respected opponent would be far too rude."
Seeing her sincerity, Shimizu Akira nodded.
"Since you put it that way, I'll believe you this once."
"However—" Sakayanagi Arisu suddenly changed the subject. "By that logic, that black-haired female classmate must be the innocent and romantic type? Is that why you can talk to her without any guard up?"
"Innocent and romantic?" Shimizu Akira laughed and shook his head.
"She isn't stupid at all; she's just a bit too stubborn sometimes."
The smile on Sakayanagi Arisu's lips deepened. "I understand~" she said, deliberately dragging out the end of the sentence. "Boys are all like that; they prefer spending time with simple and cute girls!"
Shimizu Akira shrugged. "I won't deny that. You should understand now why I keep you at arm's length."
Spending time with a girl who is too smart always feels like you have to be constantly on guard; it's too exhausting.
Sakayanagi Arisu's thoughts split into two subtle paths. She realized the double meaning in Shimizu Akira's words—it was both an affirmation of her intelligence and a clear expression of his desire to distance himself. This realization made her feelings complex. The corners of her mouth curled up involuntarily, only to flatten into a straight line a second later.
Of course, she didn't harbor any special feelings for the boy in front of her, it was just... like catching sight of a unique accessory in a boutique window. Before deciding whether to buy it, you watch it get purchased by someone else—a faint sense of regret mixed with a bit of frustration.
From a certain perspective, the standards for choosing a partner are surprisingly consistent between genders—just as most women instinctively admire powerful, excellent, and wealthy men, men often lean toward choosing partners who are simple, cute, and provide emotional value. This realization made her purse her lips.
If she hadn't recognized Shimizu Akira's ability, why would she have initiated that wager in the first place? After all, in her eyes, there weren't many candidates who could catch her fancy.
However, Sakayanagi Arisu's gaze was suddenly drawn to Kamuro Masumi nearby. The purple-haired girl was surreptitiously reaching toward the convenience store's beer shelf.
"Should I call it out now?" Shimizu Akira asked in a low voice.
"Don't rush..." Sakayanagi Arisu shook her head slightly, her silver hair swaying with the movement.
"She's already reached her hand in, you know?"
"Shimizu-kun," Sakayanagi Arisu suddenly turned her head, "please do not interfere with my judgment."
Shimizu Akira raised an eyebrow and simply leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, observing this silent game with great interest.
A few minutes later, Sakayanagi Arisu finally spoke, her voice clear and certain: "Kamuro Masumi will steal that can of beer between 10:29:30 and 10:30:30."
Her tone didn't sound like she was guessing; it sounded like she was announcing a predetermined fact.
The moment her words fell, Kamuro Masumi's fingers seemed to be enchanted, stopping precisely on that can of beer. Shimizu Akira saw Kamuro's fingers trembling slightly, as if she were undergoing a fierce internal struggle.
"28 seconds... 29 seconds..." Sakayanagi Arisu counted down softly, her voice carrying the composure of someone who had already won.
The moment she reached "30 seconds," Kamuro Masumi suddenly grabbed the beer and shoved it into her school jacket with lightning speed.
Sakayanagi Arisu turned around gracefully. "Well? My reasoning was perfectly correct, wasn't it? ~" Her voice carried undisguised joy.
Shimizu Akira instinctively re-confirmed the information surfacing in his mind:
[Intelligence 1: (Today at exactly 10:30) After the entrance ceremony... Kamuro Masumi will "shoplift" a can of beer in the campus convenience store.]
Every detail was exact. He looked at the petite silver-haired girl before him, a complex sense of admiration rising in his heart. Sakayanagi Arisu had not only perfectly predicted the theft but had also narrowed the time down to the second.
"Brilliant!" Shimizu Akira applauded sincerely. "Sakayanagi-san, I must admit, you are the smartest girl I have ever met."
His gaze swept over the girl's exquisite face, her eye-catching silver hair, and that expression that always carried a hint of pride. Although she always held a condescending attitude toward ordinary people, she was unexpectedly sincere toward those she acknowledged. This contradictory trait actually made her seem more... charming.
Sakayanagi Arisu rested her slender finger against her chin. "To receive such a high evaluation from Shimizu-kun truly makes me feel flattered."
Shimizu Akira spread his hands calmly. "However... I decided to give that can of beer to Kamuro-san as early as 9:55." He paused, gazing at her calmly.
"So strictly speaking, this does not constitute a theft. It seems Sakayanagi-san's judgment was incorrect this time."
"What?!" Sakayanagi Arisu's pupils contracted suddenly, but she quickly regained her effortless smile: "Interesting... may I see the evidence?"
Shimizu Akira unhurriedly displayed his phone screen. It was a brief LINE conversation:
[Today 9:55] Shimizu Akira: Chabashira-sensei, could you please purchase all the loose beer in the convenience store on my behalf?
Chabashira Sae: Asking a teacher to buy alcohol for a minor? You'd better have a reasonable explanation.
Shimizu Akira: It's not for drinking. I just discovered a female student planning to steal, and I hope you can buy it first and then temporarily put it back on the shelf.
Chabashira Sae: And the reason for this unnecessary step?
Shimizu Akira: A wager with someone regarding "whether a crime can be established."
Chabashira Sae: ....In other words, the beer was legally purchased for you by me as an adult. Whether that girl's behavior constitutes theft depends entirely on your judgment?
Sakayanagi Arisu fell into a rare, brief silence.
"I see... so at 9:55, you already began implementing the entire plan?" she suddenly laughed softly, though her laughter carried a hint of complex emotion.
Chapter 012 Kamuro Masumi: He Didn't Report Me, He Gave Me Beer... Could He Be...?
Before agreeing to the wager, Shimizu Akira had indeed spent a long time talking to someone on his phone. Looking back now, that must have been when he was negotiating the plan with his homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae.
Sakayanagi Arisu suddenly realized the perfection of this setup: as an adult, the homeroom teacher legally purchased the beer, and ownership was indirectly transferred through Shimizu Akira. This created a sophisticated legal loop—whether an act of theft was established depended entirely on the subjective determination of the owner.
"It truly is... a flawless winning strategy." Her voice carried a hint of trembling frustration, yet it was mixed with undeniable admiration.
The most impressive part wasn't the plan itself, but the fact that Shimizu Akira had cast his net before even accepting the bet—he had prepared a certain-victory tactic the very instant she proposed the challenge.
The plan was so perfect she felt inferior: first, given her haughty personality, she would never have thought to ask a homeroom teacher for assistance; second, she was so obsessed with the contest against Shimizu that she overlooked the most fundamental scrutiny of the rules.
"I concede." Sakayanagi Arisu looked up, a forced smile playing on her lips. "Let's add each other as friends. The 100,000 points... I'll transfer them to you now."
"Fine." Shimizu Akira raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised.
He thought she might press for more details, but on second thought—with Sakayanagi Arisu's brilliance, she had likely already seen through the entire layout. After the two exchanged contact information, the 100,000 points arrived instantly.
"Netting 80,000 points on the first day of school... that's not a bad feeling." A pleasant curve rose at the corner of Shimizu's mouth.
After deducting the 10,000-point errand fee for Chabashira Sae and the cost of the beer, it was indeed a substantial income. More importantly, he had successfully given this proud silver-haired girl a taste of defeat.
Still... would she hold a grudge because of this?
As he was pondering, he met Sakayanagi Arisu's complex gaze. Her eyes were a mix of confusion, frustration, and an indefinable emotion.
"I truly cannot understand," her voice carried a rare tremor. "With your intellect, how could you be assigned to Class D?"
"I didn't perform very well during the interview," Shimizu Akira bluffed casually, naturally choosing not to mention the absurd truth of his reincarnation.
"...Just how badly did you have to perform?! To the extent of being in Class D! ...Wait, could it be that the interviewer took a dislike to you and gave you low marks? Regardless, I will investigate this matter thoroughly." Sakayanagi Arisu's voice turned cold for a moment, but when she looked back at him, her face had returned to its usual elegant smile.
"Shimizu-kun, I won't lose next time."
"You're welcome anytime," Shimizu shrugged easily. "As long as you have an interesting game and enough points ready."
He certainly wasn't going to turn down such proactive "sponsorship."
However, her remark about "investigating thoroughly" caught his attention.
Why did she suddenly sound like she represented the school administration? Was there some hidden privilege in Class A? Could this seemingly frail young lady actually be the Chairman's precious daughter, or even a direct granddaughter?
If that were the case, hadn't he offended the daughter of the school's top brass on the very first day?
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On the other side, Kamuro Masumi tried to act composed as she blended into the crowd of students. The canned beer in her bag felt inexplicably heavy, as if it might burst through the thin fabric at any moment and expose her to everyone.
'Just now... was someone watching her?'
She glanced sideways, her peripheral vision scanning behind her. A few blurred figures were moving through the aisles, but no one stopped, and no one was staring.
'Was it... an illusion?'
She let out a soft breath and instinctively quickened her pace the moment she stepped through the convenience store's automatic doors. The refreshing summer breeze filled her lungs, slightly diluting the tension in her chest.
Feeling the cold touch of the beer can inside her bag, Kamuro Masumi's lips curled up involuntarily, a strange sense of pleasure surging through her.
'Success again!'
She cheered silently, a subtle sweetness touching her tongue. This was far from the first time—ever since that sweltering afternoon in middle school when she first slipped an eraser from a stationery shop into her uniform pocket, the thrill of her heart nearly jumping out of her throat had been deeply etched into her memory.
She had just taken a step when an unfamiliar male voice came from behind her—
"Kamuro-san, wait a moment."
Her back stiffened instantly, her blood seemingly freezing in that second.
'Could it be... I was caught?'
Slowly turning around, a male student she didn't recognize came into view.
"Is there something in your bag?"
His gaze fell lightly on her shoulder bag. Kamuro Masumi's throat tightened, but she maintained a cold expression. "...What are you talking about? I don't understand."
The male student took a step forward.
"Your technique is quite clean; it shouldn't be your first time, right? But why beer? Do you like drinking that much?"
'...This guy! He even knows what I stole?!'
Her pupils contracted, and her heart gave an involuntary jerk. This was the first time in her life she had been exposed on the spot.
"Fine, take it... report me if you're going to!" She yanked the beer can from her bag and thrust it toward him, almost defiantly.
The boy was stunned for a moment, then showed a face that didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "...Wait, why are you handing me the evidence? You're surrendering a bit too quickly, aren't you?"
"Enough!" She turned her face away, the tips of her ears flushing with shame.
"You saw the whole thing anyway, didn't you?!"
"Are you really a student from Class A?" The boy suddenly looked at her with a peculiar expression.
"This reaction... it's almost like you belong in my class."
Kamuro Masumi's pulse throbbed at her temples.
'How does he know my class? He even knows my name?!'
What annoyed her even more was his gaze—that look of shock mixed with a hint of disdain. Was he looking down on her reaction?!
"What do you want?! If you're not going to report me, I'm going to contact the school myself!" Her voice rose slightly, the beer can deforming under her grip.
"I never had any intention of reporting you. On the contrary, I'm here to give you your share of the cut." The boy laughed softly and suddenly unzipped his own shoulder bag—
Clatter! Clatter!
A dozen cans of beer tumbled onto the ground.
"Thanks to you, I made a small profit—100,000 points in total." He shrugged. "I don't drink. Here, they're all yours. You seemed to like beer quite a bit."
"...Huh?!" Kamuro Masumi's eyes widened as she stared at the pile of beer on the ground, her brain momentarily stalling.
'He's not reporting me... and he's giving me beer? A 'cut'? What did I even do?! He made 100,000 points—exactly what kind of idiot would lose that much to this guy!'
The boy turned to leave but stopped suddenly, raising a hand to wave.
"By the way, let me give you a quick lesson.
First, those beers you took were already bought by me, so it wasn't an act of theft at all.
Second, points can buy anything in this school; you can literally buy off the act of theft from the administration.
Third, you can use points to bribe witnesses or buy the convenience store footage. Basically, there are many ways to solve a problem... don't let others get leverage over you."
Kamuro Masumi froze in place, the beer can in her hand making a slight metallic creak from her tight grip.
'These loopholes... why did he go out of his way to tell me?
'Not only did he not report me, he gave me beer... he even helped me avoid the consequences of theft... he's actually a pretty good guy!'
She watched his receding back, and an absurd thought suddenly flashed through her mind—
"Wait... could he be...?"
Chapter 013 Chabashira Sae's Sudden Concern
'So, people in Class A aren't all as smart as Sakayanagi?
A girl with a criminal record of theft makes it into Class A, while an honor student like Horikita is in Class D... I understand this school less and less.'
Could it be that the people assigning classes don't actually care much about the students' dark histories?!
However, looking at it now, the fact that this Kamuro-san was assigned to Class A doesn't seem to be a good thing. When he parted with Sakayanagi Arisu earlier, he caught an accidental glimpse of the way she looked at Kamuro Masumi.
That gaze was like seeing prey—filled with effortless playfulness and a cold, calculating interest. That meticulous beauty had already identified Kamuro Masumi as the perfect candidate for a henchman.
Come to think of it, if it hadn't been for his timely intervention, Kamuro Masumi would likely have fallen completely into Sakayanagi Arisu's hands as a plaything due to the beer theft.
That's why he had conveniently given her the beer he just took from the shelf and offered a few words of advice as if in passing. He told her to pay more attention so she wouldn't be tricked by some "bad woman." She should understand what he meant. Since she was a student in Class A, her intelligence should have a basic guarantee.
Probably.
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Shimizu Akira went back to the faculty office in the morning for a private talk with Chabashira Sae. Chabashira explained the outcome of the previous reporting incident and transferred 50,000 private points into his account.
Though she didn't say it explicitly, the implication was clear—this was hush money.
Shimizu Akira accepted the arrangement readily. After all, his original intention in reporting was to use Chabashira Sae to test the boundaries of the school's rules. Since the goal was achieved, there was no need to dwell on the matter.
Shimizu Akira transferred 15,000 points back to her. This included the cost of the canned beer—less than 300 Yen per can, totaling about 5,000 points. The other 10,000 points were his payment for her running the errand. His net profit for this venture was 85,000 points. Adding the 50,000-point reward and his original 100,000 points, Shimizu Akira's current balance stood at 235,000 points.
Chabashira Sae mentioned casually,
"Who was the opponent who lost the bet to you?"
"Sakayanagi Arisu from Class A,"
Shimizu Akira replied offhandedly. Before his words had even faded, he noticed Chabashira Sae's expression become quite vivid.
A strange light flashed in her eyes—a complex mix of surprise, expectation, and even a faint, hidden excitement.
She parted her lips slightly as if wanting to say something important, but eventually just murmured: "Let's... wait until a month from now to talk about it."
These words seemed intended for Shimizu Akira, yet also sounded like a warning to herself.
As he was leaving, Chabashira Sae suddenly urged him with uncharacteristic caution: "Private points... use them sparingly."
Her tone held a rare trace of concern, making her seem like a completely different person from her usual cold self. Shimizu Akira immediately set off an alarm in his mind.
When a habitually cold person suddenly shows kindness, there is inevitably a meticulously calculated motive behind that warmth. However, at this moment, he couldn't see through the scheme hidden behind that gentle mask.
Shimizu Akira shook his head, deciding to set these doubts aside for now. At the end of the day, Chabashira Sae was the homeroom teacher of Class D. Even if she had other motives, she likely wouldn't do anything to harm her own student—at least on the surface, the interests of the teacher and student were aligned.
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The first task for the freshmen was to check in.
When Shimizu Akira followed the map to the first-year dormitory area, he paused at the sight of the building—standing before him was a modern, high-end apartment complex. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, he could catch glimpses of a minimalist and comfortable interior, perfectly validating the promise in the student handbook: every student would enjoy an independent single room.
In all his years as a student, this was the first time he had a room of his own. He felt a strange, small surge of excitement.
Shimizu Akira stood in the check-in line. He suddenly discovered that the apartment was actually co-ed. On the wall nearby, the "Student Dormitory Regulations" were neatly posted in black ink on a white background.
Under the "Student Interaction Guidelines," the school neither explicitly banned dating nor set any restrictions, merely stating in ambiguous text: "Romantic relationships inconsistent with the status of a high school student are prohibited."
'That sentence is basically a word game...'
Shimizu Akira muttered to himself. What does "inconsistent with the status" mean?
Is it implying a ban on teacher-student relationships? Or does it mean anything goes as long as it doesn't affect academics?
When his peripheral vision caught the vending machine in the corner, he saw it prominently displayed various types of condoms.
'I see... it's not forbidden, but you have to pay attention to safety? It means 'just don't end up with a pregnancy,' right?!'
It was soon his turn to handle the procedures.
After confirming his assignment to Room 402, the meticulous Shimizu Akira specifically asked about utility bills and rent.
"All expenses incurred by the accommodation are fully covered by the school, student," the staff member explained kindly. "You only need to be careful not to waste excessively."
This answer made Shimizu Akira click his tongue—the dormitory conditions were almost too good.
On second thought, perhaps this was the school's carefully designed safety net: even if a student exhausted their monthly points, they would at least have their basic housing needs secured.
Shimizu Akira thoughtfully rubbed the keycard in his hand and suddenly asked, as if thinking of something: "Is there only one keycard? If it gets lost..."
The staff member lightly pushed up his glasses and explained in a gentle tone: "The standard configuration is indeed just one master card. However..."
He paused deliberately. "As long as relevant proof is provided, a secondary card can be processed for a specific person."
Noticing Shimizu Akira's slightly surprised expression, a smile of understanding appeared on the staff member's face: "Whether it's a best friend or a lover, as long as both parties reach an agreement, you can apply." He added meaningfully, "Of course, this must all be based on a completely voluntary foundation."
"I see, thank you for the explanation," Shimizu Akira nodded politely.
Although his current status meant he had no use for this service yet, the school's liberal management style still caught him by surprise. He just wondered what the certification standards were; it couldn't be as simple as any girl claiming to be his girlfriend and being able to rightfully get a keycard, right?
Chapter 014 A Chance Encounter with the Withdrawn and Introverted Ayanokouji Kiyotaka
Just as Shimizu Akira was about to press his keycard against the sensor of Room 402, the door to the adjacent Room 401 slid open soundlessly.
A boy with short brown hair stepped out expressionlessly, and the two locked eyes in the narrow corridor. Shimizu immediately recognized him as his classmate, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka—the boy who had performed exceptionally awkwardly during self-introductions and was "introverted to a worrying degree," or at least, that was how Ike Kanji had described him.
Ayanokouji's eyes were as calm as a pool of stagnant water; he showed neither surprise at encountering a classmate nor any intention of initiating a greeting.
Shimizu Akira's hand holding the keycard paused slightly. The aura radiating from this boy was less "introverted" and more "profoundly reserved." It was like the undercurrents surging beneath a calm sea—undisturbed on the surface, yet instinctively signaling danger.
While "introverted" and "reserved" might sound similar, their meanings are entirely different.
Introversion is being timid about expressing oneself, whereas being reserved is a conscious choice not to express oneself.
The classmate before him clearly fell into the latter category.
'This Ayanokouji-kun... doesn't seem quite so simple. Could it be that Class D is actually full of hidden talents?'
In the brief moment he was lost in thought, Ayanokouji had already walked toward the elevator with steps as precise as a machine. Shimizu Akira eventually withdrew his gaze.
They were classmates, after all, with only Horikita Suzune sitting between them; there would be plenty of opportunities to talk later.
Shimizu turned and pulled the door shut behind him. With a soft click, he officially stepped into the place that would become his private sanctuary.
Looking around, sunlight streamed through bright windows, the private bathroom was clean and tidy, and an air conditioner hung quietly on the wall. The living conditions were much better than he had anticipated.
Shimizu's attention was drawn to the landline telephone on the small bedside table. With a hint of curiosity, he flipped through the dormitory regulations manual provided by the front desk. His eyes skipped over the trash sorting schedule and daily rules, finally stopping at a special note:
"Landlines in each room can directly contact front desk services. In case of emergencies, you may contact classmates."
This discovery made his eyes widen slightly.
'Emergencies? Does that imply a situation where one has no points to pay for a phone bill and can't make calls?'
If every room was equipped with the same landline and the front desk had registered the information of all students... it meant that as long as he had a suitable reason, he could theoretically be connected to any classmate through the front desk.
However, given Shimizu's current social circle, this service was of little use—he could count the classmates he knew on one hand.
'I have a feeling this might come in handy someday...' He silently noted this discovery.
The April weather already carried the dry heat of early summer, and Shimizu felt a thin layer of sweat on his back. Despite the stifling heat in the room, he decided to take a cold shower, adhering to the "One Punch Man" principle of training the body by not using the air conditioner.
Ten minutes later, having finished his quick shower, Shimizu stood in the misty bathroom and wiped the water droplets off the mirror. In the humid steam, his young physique was partially visible—six-pack abs with clear lines that weren't overly exaggerated, a typical Japanese build. Unlike the bulk of Western bodybuilders, his frame was closer to that of a streamlined leopard, every muscle reflecting refined aesthetic power.
As the steam dissipated, he dried himself off. His morning workout was complete, and having just showered, he didn't plan on starting another training session today.
Shimizu pulled on a loose T-shirt and tossed his discarded uniform into the laundry basket. After a quick sweep of the floor, he noticed the sunlight outside had become harsh. The clock on his phone pointed to 11:30, and his stomach issued a timely protest.
"Time to eat."
Shimizu briskly pulled on his uniform trousers, tied his laces, and closed the dorm door behind him. The early summer breeze, carrying the sound of cicadas, drifted in through the window at the end of the hallway.
This afternoon, he decided to check out the cafeteria. Since it was the first day and his points were abundant, there was no need to agonize over choices between rice balls and bread in the convenience store's refrigerated section.
Pushing open the heavy glass doors of the cafeteria, the wall of noise that hit him made him pause.
The spacious area, nearly two stories high, was much larger than he had imagined—neatly arranged light-colored tables extended like a chessboard into the distance, with a rough estimate of at least four or five hundred people. He recalled the data from the handbook: four classes per grade, forty students per class; three grades totaled 480 people.
The lines for food were still very long. Shimizu noticed a window in the corner offering a free set menu. Unlike the other windows, there was no "limit of three per person" sign here—after all, the school couldn't let students without points actually starve.
In sharp contrast to the crowded paid windows, only a few scattered upperclassmen stood at the free window. Shimizu thought to himself: Those who fall to eating free meals right at the start of the term are likely senpais from Class D.
Just then, a conspicuous red-haired boy caught his eye. He had flashy long hair and walked up to the free window, standing in front of two upperclassmen and pointing toward the high-end restaurant upstairs while saying something.
'If I remember correctly, he's a student from Class C.'
Shimizu recognized him instantly because the boy had stood at the very front of the Class C formation during the entrance ceremony. Looking around again, he discovered another acquaintance from Class B.
Just like the red-haired boy, this person had also stood at the front of her class. This pink-haired beauty was currently talking with several senior girls. Even though she wore the same uniform as everyone else, she somehow exuded a faint, indefinable sensuality—perhaps it was the slender collarbones revealed by her slightly open collar, or the glimpses of her leg lines beneath the hem of her skirt.
Shimizu Akira narrowed his eyes slightly, observing the scene quietly.
'So, students from Class C and Class B have also started scouting for intelligence from the senpais?
It seems the other classes aren't lacking in far-sighted individuals either...'
Chapter 015 Today's Intelligence Refresh: Karuizawa Kei is Looking for a "Fake Boyfriend"
After finishing lunch, Shimizu Akira made another trip to the supermarket.
He had noticed while riding the bus this morning that the students around him were all traveling light, carrying at most a single shoulder bag; no one was dragging heavy suitcases. The school notification had been like that—they were only told that daily necessities could be purchased at the supermarket, but students often think of much more.
So, he spent the entire afternoon on a shopping spree. From slippers, toothpaste, and toothbrushes to bedsheets and duvets; from water heaters and power strips to toilet paper, and so on.
While prowling between the shelves, Shimizu Akira unexpectedly discovered that the supermarket displayed quite a few high-priced items—the latest handheld consoles and high-spec laptops were lined up in a dedicated area. However, the strings of digits on the price tags were staggering; the cheapest started at 50,000 points.
He rubbed the phone in his pocket but ultimately did not scan to buy anything. Despite having a considerable amount of points sitting in his account, squandering them on the first day of school would likely lead to a desperate situation by the end of the month.
Furthermore, his status in Class D was like the Sword of Damocles hanging over his head—who knew if he would receive any points next month? If luck was against him, he might have to live a hand-to-mouth existence for the next three years.
Although he carefully selected various budget items, small amounts add up. When checking out, the amount displayed on the terminal still stung his eyes—a full 5,000 points. Combined with the 1,000 points spent on lunch, his account balance plummeted from 235,000 to 229,000.
The night passed without word.
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The next day.
At 5:30 AM, Shimizu Akira opened his eyes punctually. He rolled out of bed without a moment's hesitation, changed into loose sportswear, and began his routine morning exercise.
First was fifteen minutes of systematic stretching—every movement precise, his joints letting out slight, crisp pops. Once the warm-up was over, the real training officially began.
100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats—this set of basic training had long since become as natural to him as breathing. By the time sweat dripped from his jawline onto the floor, he had completed three full sets.
At 6:30, Shimizu Akira pushed open his door and went to the school track. After adjusting his breathing, he began running at a steady pace. For the first eight laps, he maintained a stable tempo, his breathing not ragged at all. On the ninth lap, he suddenly accelerated, and the final lap was an all-out sprint. Today's 10-kilometer long-distance run time was 39 minutes and 34 seconds.
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The moment Shimizu Akira arrived at his seat, the familiar notification tone rang out in his mind on cue.
[Ding~ Today's Intelligence has been updated]
[Intelligence 1: Yamamura XX from Class 2-D is in urgent need of a large amount of personal points. She is willing to exchange some rules of the S-System with a freshman for 30,000 points (her absolute floor is 10,000 points).]
[Intelligence 2: Ichinose Honami from Class 1-B—only one day since school started, and her contact list has already exceeded three digits, including many senpai.]
[Intelligence 3: Karuizawa Kei from Class 1-D is looking for a "fake boyfriend" to act as a protective umbrella.]
Shimizu Akira was slightly stunned.
The classroom clock stopped exactly at 8:00 AM. —This intelligence system was even more punctual than an alarm clock.
The first piece of intelligence concerned him the most. A senpai from Class 2-D wanted to trade "S-System rules" for points? This transaction itself was very intriguing.
On the second day of school, although Shimizu Akira had figured out two rules—the class grading system and the unequal monthly point distribution—the most critical S-System evaluation criteria remained shrouded in mist. It was like playing a game where he couldn't see the opponent's moves.
'Evaluation criteria... for students, the most intuitive thing should be exam results.
If I'm not mistaken, Horikita-san's academic grades should be very good.'
His gaze instinctively turned to his neighbor, Horikita Suzune. The girl was immersed in that copy of Crime and Punishment as usual, her black hair falling over the pages.
"I told you to stop looking at me... Raskolnikov."
The sound of the book suddenly slamming shut brought Shimizu Akira back to his senses. Horikita was staring at him with her cold eyes.
Raskolnikov? Shimizu Akira's pupils dilated slightly.
This sudden literary reference caught him off guard—the protagonist from Crime and Punishment struggling in a moral dilemma? Memories of cramming famous works back in university to pursue a girl from the literature department started attacking him. Those nights spent staying up late to digest Dostoevsky were now coming in handy in this unexpected situation.
"I don't think I've committed a murder yet," he replied nonchalantly.
Horikita's eyebrows twitched imperceptibly. This subtle change in expression convinced Shimizu Akira—he had successfully caught this sudden literary code duel.
"...Soon! I'd say the victim is likely to be Yamauchi Haruki," Horikita interjected coldly.
Shimizu Akira realized she was referring to the incident where he laid hands on Yamauchi Haruki during the entrance ceremony. To use the word "victim" to describe a classmate—this girl's toxic tongue was truly ruthless.
"He said you have a thin figure," Shimizu Akira added lightly, suddenly remembering something.
Horikita Suzune's body instantly stiffened. A flush spread across her fair cheeks at a visible rate, and those eyes, usually calm and self-possessed, now burned with the flames of embarrassed irritation.
She stood up abruptly, walked to Yamauchi Haruki with sharp strides, and looked down at him, her voice so cold it seemed to freeze the air:
"Yamauchi-kun, watch your mouth from now on. Otherwise—I will show you no mercy with physical sanctions."
She narrowed her eyes and said word by word:
"If there's a next time, I'll make sure you can't hold chopsticks with your left hand for three months."
Yamauchi Haruki's body visibly stiffened for a moment.
He opened his mouth as if to defend himself, but when he looked up and met the girl's ice-like eyes, all words got stuck in his throat. He ended up just lowering his head resentfully, shrinking his neck like a beaten dog drenched in rain.
Not far away, Shimizu Akira blinked, a subtle expression appearing on his face—wait, wasn't that the line he just used at the entrance ceremony yesterday?
The two of them were quite in sync; when facing tactless provocateurs, they both couldn't be bothered to waste words and preferred to let their fists do the talking.
"Horikita-san, if Yamauchi Haruki really dies one day, you'll definitely be the prime suspect."
"Wrong. Given Shimizu-kun's 'spectacular performance' at the entrance ceremony yesterday, the first person the police would suspect is you."
Chapter 016 Horikita Suzune is Still Clueless About the Rules
"Horikita-san, how were your entrance exam scores?" Shimizu Akira shifted the topic, throwing out the main question.
Horikita Suzune raised her chin slightly, her tone carrying an unquestionable confidence: "Conservatively speaking, top five in the entire grade."
"Oh?" Shimizu Akira raised an eyebrow.
It was unlikely that Horikita Suzune was lying.
This answer made him even more certain—the criteria for class placement were definitely not based solely on academic performance. Since that was the case, following the same logic, the evaluation system for the school's point distribution was likely far more complex than it appeared on the surface.
"What do you think of this class placement system?" Shimizu Akira suddenly tossed out a seemingly casual question.
Horikita paused for a moment, her fingertips lightly tapping the desk: "...It is nothing more than random assignment."
Her gaze instinctively swept across the classroom—based on Shimizu Akira's intelligence, his grades were clearly not inferior to hers, not to mention that the class had excellent students like Hirata Yousuke.
In Horikita's perception, the strength of Class D was actually quite high.
"Horikita-san," Shimizu Akira suddenly asked, "in the last two days, besides me and Ayanokouji-kun over there, have you actually spoken to anyone else? For instance, students from Class B, C... or even Class A?"
His gaze pointedly swept the room, finally landing on Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. Surprisingly, this reserved man actually nodded toward them with a bit of awkwardness.
Shimizu Akira couldn't help but raise an eyebrow—in his impression, this classmate shouldn't be the type to get embarrassed so easily. Out of politeness, however, he returned a friendly nod.
Ayanokouji spoke with a subtle sense of detachment, "Except for that one question yesterday, Horikita-san and I haven't really spoken..."
Horikita Suzune's answer was short and crisp, without a hint of hesitation: "...I have no interest in making friends."
Shimizu Akira almost blurted out the second half of the sentence for her—"If any of you are aliens, time travelers, or espers, please come find me."
The thought made him chuckle inwardly; after all, this ice-cold girl beside him didn't seem to have anything in common with the high-energy Haruhi Suzumiya.
'But then again...'
Even for someone who rejects socializing, a normal high school student should at least have one or two people they can talk to. To be completely solitary like this was a bit too...
"Does that mean I'm the only person you've talked to in the last two days?" Shimizu Akira suddenly realized this fact, a hint of surprise leaking into his tone.
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's gaze shifted between the two of them, and he said expressionlessly: "Horikita-san seems to enjoy herself quite a bit when talking to Shimizu-kun."
Horikita Suzune immediately frowned, refuting coldly: "Enjoy myself? Don't misunderstand. It's just necessary communication because we happen to be in the same class and sit at the same table."
At this moment, Shimizu Akira finally recognized a fatal flaw in Horikita Suzune—her almost obsessive social anxiety had severely compromised her judgment.
'I see...'
Horikita Suzune indeed possessed superior intelligence, but her method of completely sealing herself off in her personal world meant she couldn't even establish the most basic campus intelligence network.
Just like now, her understanding of the class placement system remained at the surface level of "random assignment," a judgment based entirely on her isolated conjectures.
'She's only spoken to me for two days... no wonder.'
Shimizu Akira recalled how he had managed to coax the truth about the class placement rules from the homeroom teacher. No matter how smart a person is, they cannot obtain all critical information in a state of total isolation. Horikita Suzune was like an isolated island; though the island was rich in resources, it was gradually falling into a predicament because it was cut off from the mainland.
Shimizu Akira shook his head slightly, his voice calm yet firm: "You guessed wrong. It isn't random."
"What makes you—" Horikita Suzune instinctively started to argue, but stopped abruptly when she saw his expression. There was no trace of teasing in those eyes, only the certainty of stating a fact.
She suddenly realized that the person in front of her had no motive to lie to her.
Silence spread between them.
Shimizu Akira watched the pensive Horikita. He admired the girl's beauty and stubbornness, but intelligence was never a free lunch.
"If you really can't figure it out, you can buy it from me using points." Shimizu Akira leaned forward slightly, his voice lowered so only the two of them could hear, "I can give you a 20% discount. I guarantee it's worth the price."
"Unnecessary!" Horikita Suzune rejected him almost reflexively, her voice filled with unwavering determination. "I can figure it out myself."
This proud deskmate had absolute confidence in her own intellect. However, this kind of intelligence usually required extensive socializing to gather clues, and given Horikita's "keep-away" personality...
Shimizu Akira couldn't help but imagine the scene of her trying to scout information from upperclassmen—her cold attitude alone would be enough to make anyone back away. If social means were prohibited, even he would find it hard to think of other ways to obtain the hidden rules.
.
.
.
The morning classes began as scheduled.
Shimizu Akira opened the brand-new textbook, his fingertip lightly brushing the paper. Although his grades in his previous life were quite good, the Japanese educational system was another matter entirely. Math and English were fine, as formulas and grammar are universal. But when the Japanese Language teacher started explaining classical grammar, his brow furrowed involuntarily.
"In this section of 'The Pillow Book,' Sei Shōnagon employs a specific rhetorical device..."
On the podium, the teacher's voice gradually faded into blurred background noise. Shimizu Akira stared at the dense annotations in the textbook, feeling as if every kanji was dancing before his eyes. He instinctively rubbed his temples—a subtle movement that did not escape the gaze of his neighbor.
"Heh~"
'Is she making fun of me?'
.
.
.
When the lunch bell finally rang, the classroom immediately became lively.
"Want to go to the cafeteria together?" A sunny and handsome boy stood in the aisle, smiling as he issued the invitation. Shimizu Akira recognized him instantly as the core figure of Class D, Hirata Yousuke—intelligence he had received personally from Ike Kanji yesterday.
"Sure! Hirata-kun, let's go!" several boys responded enthusiastically.
'Speaking of which, there's also that gyaru group led by Karuizawa Kei that's quite conspicuous.'
Shimizu Akira searched for memory fragments in his mind, his gaze instinctively drifting to the other side of the classroom.
Chapter 017 In the End, Karuizawa Kei Gave Up on Hirata Yousuke
"Sure, sure~"
Accompanied by a flighty yet pleasant voice, a girl with a brown ponytail stood up lightly from her seat and naturally blended into the group. She had a delicate doll-like face, but her most striking feature was her unique honey-toned skin—looking as if she had just returned from a vacation in Hawaii, or perhaps as if she were born with the scent of sunshine.
Karuizawa Kei, the core figure of the Class D gyaru group.
She casually toyed with the ends of her hair, her uniform skirt swaying gently with her steps, exuding an aura that was both bold and sweet.
'That wheat-colored skin... was it tanned on purpose?'
However, Shimizu Akira's gaze shifted to his third piece of intelligence.
[Intelligence 3: Karuizawa Kei from Class 1-D is looking for a "fake boyfriend" to act as a protective umbrella.]
'Wait... has Karuizawa Kei set her sights on Hirata-kun?'
Shimizu Akira suddenly realized something, his gaze moving back and forth between the two. Thinking about it, it was indeed logical—in every class so far, Hirata had actively raised his hand to answer questions, displaying exceptional knowledge.
'He's practically an all-rounder...'
From appearance to ability, he was impeccable. Hirata Yousuke was like a perfect male lead stepped out of a school manga—handsome looks, excellent grades, and a gentle personality. Even yesterday, after Shimizu Akira left the scene, it was Hirata who took the initiative to stand up and organize the self-introduction session.
A "Hexagon Warrior," Hirata Yousuke!
'No wonder even the leader of the gyaru group would look at him differently.
However, Karuizawa Kei's motive doesn't seem to be pure.'
To be honest, he found it difficult to understand the logic behind this intelligence. In the classroom ecology, the gyaru group was always a "Tier 0" existence alongside the delinquents. One should thank the heavens if these people didn't bully others; why would they need to seek protection?
'Unless... Karuizawa Kei has run into some kind of trouble?
But that has nothing to do with me.'
Though he wasn't sure what image he projected in the eyes of his classmates, Shimizu Akira knew very well—based on his performance in class so far, he was just an ordinary student.
.
-
-
'Shimizu Akira... as expected, he's not an ordinary student.'
Using the motion of tucking her hair, Karuizawa Kei's peripheral vision swept over Shimizu Akira in the corner of the classroom once more. She quickly withdrew her gaze, a playful smile on her lips as she continued discussing lunch options with Hirata Yousuke.
"I heard the ramen set in the cafeteria is pretty good," she said, her voice light.
In fact, since school started yesterday, this boy named Shimizu had caught her attention. While everyone else was busy making new friends, he was the only one who chased out of the classroom to stop the homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae.
'Chabashira-sensei's attitude toward him... is far too intriguing.'
Karuizawa Kei's thoughts drifted back to the entrance ceremony held yesterday morning.
She clearly remembered that before Shimizu Akira arrived late, another boy had also run into the formation in a panic—Chabashira-sensei only gave him a cold glance, not even bothering to scold him.
But when Shimizu Akira showed up just in time, everything was different. Chabashira Sae's attitude toward him wasn't harsh; it even carried a subtle, hard-to-detect sense of compromise. More abnormally, she actually signaled for Shimizu Akira to stand at the very front of the line—the prominent position that should have belonged to the class representative or an honor student.
'To dislike someone is to ignore them directly, but special attention... often implies more complex reasons.'
Karuizawa Kei's grades and athleticism might only be at an average level, but when it came to "interpersonal relationships," she observed more than others when talking to them because of the massive setback she suffered during her middle school "dark history." If she didn't do this, she feared she might completely lose her "gyaru" label.
Generally speaking, in her eyes, Shimizu Akira was already a figure on the same level as Hirata Yousuke.
"Karuizawa-san? Are you listening?" Hirata's gentle voice pulled her back to reality.
"Ah, sorry," she blinked. "I was just thinking about something.
By the way, if a conflict happens between students, and one side is someone you know, Hirata-kun, how would you handle it?" Karuizawa Kei tossed out the topic as if casually.
"Well..." Hirata thought for a moment and showed a gentle smile, "I would handle it fairly. Since we are all classmates, I won't take sides."
"As expected of Hirata-kun, truly just," the boys nearby immediately chimed in.
"Yeah, you really are yasashii (kind)," Karuizawa Kei echoed with a light laugh.
But a ripple formed in her heart.
A "nice guy" who doesn't take sides?
This answer made her feel inexplicably disappointed.
While Hirata's trait of treating everyone equally was indeed perfect, given her personality, she hoped a friend would stand by her side at critical moments.
In a romantic relationship, she also hoped her future boyfriend would be a "selfish" person. She craved exclusive tenderness, something that would make her feel like a unique existence. Because, at her core, Karuizawa Kei was a girl who lacked a sense of security to an extreme degree.
'As expected... should I really let that guy Shimizu Akira play the role of the "fake boyfriend"?
But if I choose Hirata-kun...'
With his "nice guy" personality, if he knew about her experiences in middle school, he would surely agree to play her "camouflage boyfriend" without hesitation, right? After all, he was the type of person who would protect others unconditionally.
But—
'If it were Shimizu Akira...'
Her throat tightened slightly, and an uncertain anxiety spread through her chest.
'Would he really be willing?'
At the end of the day, they were just ordinary classmates, not even friends, as they hadn't spoken a single word to each other. Even if she laid out all her weaknesses and ugliness before him, why should he take on such trouble for her? Sympathy? Pity? Or...
'Would he simply not care at all?'
The image of Shimizu Akira decisively attacking Yamauchi Haruki flashed through her mind—that stance without a hint of hesitation formed a sharp contrast with Hirata Yousuke's forever gentle and restrained manner.
'If it were him...'
She could almost imagine the scene: if she were "fake dating" Hirata Yousuke and one day truly got into a conflict with other students, Hirata would still wear that perfect smile and say, "everyone should get along"—just the thought made her chest feel tight.
'This 'central-air-conditioner' style of tenderness... forget it!'
Karuizawa Kei took a deep breath.
'It's decided—
I'll choose Shimizu Akira.'
Then, Karuizawa Kei suddenly realized a more realistic problem.
'So, is there... anything about me that can attract him?'
Chapter 018 Giving Back the Beer Already? / A Chance Encounter with Ichinose Honami
Today's lunch was the signature pork bone tonkotsu ramen.
Shimizu Akira had always been fond of ramen, especially the rich broth paired with springy thin noodles. The shop had specially added smooth narutomaki and bright green spinach as toppings; the green spinach leaves flickering in the thick soup were enough to make anyone's mouth water.
Just as Shimizu was about to pick up his chopsticks to dig in, an uninvited guest took a seat opposite him.
"I'm not drinking these. I'm giving them back to you," the purple-haired girl said abruptly.
Kamuro Masumi—currently pushing a bulging plastic bag toward him. Through the semi-transparent plastic, one could clearly see the neatly arranged cans of beer inside.
Shimizu raised an eyebrow and looked her over.
"Is it because the alcohol content is too low for your taste?"
"The point isn't the alcohol content at all!" Kamuro's voice rose sharply, drawing glances from several people at neighboring tables.
"I have something to ask you. Which class are you in? What's your name?"
She leaned forward slightly.
"And why do you know my class and my name?"
Shimizu unhurriedly took a sip of soup before speaking slowly: "Class 1-D, Shimizu Akira."
He paused. "As for why I know your information..." He shrugged. "Sakayanagi Arisu told me."
—Strictly speaking, this wasn't a lie. During their first meeting, that black-hearted Class A student had indeed inadvertently revealed Kamuro Masumi's information.
"...It was actually Sakayanagi-san?"
Of course she knew Sakayanagi Arisu—at yesterday's freshman orientation, that girl with the cane and the boy named Katsuragi Kohei had become the focus of the entire Class A almost instantly.
'Why would Sakayanagi reveal my info to a Class D student?) (And for that matter, why did this guy help me?'
Kamuro Masumi frowned slightly, scrutinizing Shimizu Akira. The way he carried himself with such breezy nonchalance didn't look at all like a boy facing a girl he had feelings for.
'Could it be... I misunderstood?'
Perhaps he really did just lend a hand out of genuine goodwill?
"...I owe you one," she said stiffly, her eyes drifting elsewhere.
"It was nothing, don't worry about it," Shimizu waved his hand dismissively.
After all, buying the beer was primarily for the bet with Sakayanagi Arisu; helping her out of a jam was just a byproduct.
"Give me your contact info." The girl ignored his response and pulled out her phone, her pupils locking onto him.
Shimizu was slightly taken aback, realizing that the person in front of him was a complete egoist. He took out his phone and added her as a friend.
"Using your real name as your ID? You're a textbook example of a boring man."
"It makes it harder to get people mixed up."
"You can ask me for help if you have something important. But you only get one chance..."
Leaving him with that, she took her phone and turned away decisively.
Shimizu had to admit, Kamuro Masumi was a person full of contradictions—prickly and unapproachable on the surface, yet frank enough to admit she owed him a favor. She acted like she only cared about herself, but she was surprisingly principled at her core.
"That kind of awkward honesty... isn't so bad."
He looked down at the new contact on his phone. Compared to hypocritical pleasantries, he actually appreciated this kind of blunt directness. However, his contact list still only had two lonely names: Kamuro Masumi and Sakayanagi Arisu.
"Maybe... I should try interacting with my Class D classmates?"
While not averse to socializing, he was the type who only chose to start a conversation when he encountered someone interesting. On the second day of school, his friend list remained at just two names.
His gaze shifted down to the second piece of intelligence:
[Intelligence 2: Ichinose Honami from Class 1-B—only one day since school started, and her contact list has already exceeded three digits, including many upperclassmen.]
"Other people already have over a hundred friends..."
He stared at the bag of remaining beer on the table. Dealing with these had indeed become a bit of a headache.
As a non-drinker, he pondered the most appropriate way to handle them.
Perhaps giving them to an adult would be the best move? Someone like his homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae, would be a suitable candidate.
As his thoughts drifted, he remembered another important matter—the senior named Yamamura XX seemed to be hiding a secret. Getting information on part of the S-System rules for just 10,000 personal points seemed like a very good deal.
"Excuse me, student! You can't drink alcohol if you're under 20, you know~"
While he was lost in thought, a sweet, clear voice came from beside him.
The moment he turned, a beautiful girl with long pink eyes entered his vision. She was staring at the beer on the table with eyes full of concern.
Shimizu was slightly dazed. It was the leader of Class B.
"Actually, I don't drink. I was just wondering how to get rid of this beer."
"Really?" The girl's eyes lit up at his words. "Our homeroom teacher happens to love drinking~ If you don't mind, why don't you let me handle the beer for you?"
She tilted her head, thinking for a moment, then added: "By the way, how much was the beer? I'll transfer the points to you."
"No need," Shimizu waved his hands quickly.
"You're doing me a huge favor just by taking them off my hands."
"I can't do that!" The girl shook her head vigorously. "That wouldn't be fair to you. At least let me do you a favor in exchange!
But before that, let me introduce myself!" the girl said with a smile. "I'm Ichinose Honami from Class 1-B. Hello there~"
Shimizu's pupils dilated slightly, and he felt a momentary sense of daze.
—I-Ichinose Honami?
The "social genius" from the intelligence report who broke three digits in her social circle in just one day?
He composed himself and responded politely: "I'm Shimizu Akira from Class D. Nice to meet you."
"Eh? Class D!" Ichinose's eyes sparkled.
"What a coincidence! I know Kushida-san from your class; we just exchanged contact info yesterday!"
Shimizu couldn't help but take another look at her. —The second day of school, and she's already made connections in Class D?
'...This social ability is... truly terrifying.
Wait! ...This might be a perfect opportunity!'
Shimizu's eyes brightened as he followed up: "Then I'll have to trouble you, Ichinose-san! Actually, I was looking for a senior from Class 2-D for something. Could you help introduce me?"
"Class 2-D? No problem, leave it to me~" Ichinose Honami patted her chest readily, a smile as bright as a sunflower blooming on her face.
'Is this person an angel sent by the school?!'
Despite it being their first meeting, she not only volunteered to handle the troublesome beer but also agreed to introduce him to a senior without a second thought. This kind of defenseless kindness was something he hadn't felt in a very long time.
Chapter 019 Partial Rules of the S-System
After finishing his meal, Shimizu Akira happened to cross paths with Ichinose Honami in the corridor just as she was handing the beer over to her homeroom teacher.
As they walked one after the other toward the second-year classrooms, Ichinose suddenly spoke: "Shimizu-kun... if I remember correctly, you're the student who almost got into a fight with a classmate during the entrance ceremony, right?"
"That's me," Shimizu admitted frankly, though he was secretly surprised. He hadn't expected that incident to be noticed by students from other classes.
"Is that so?!" Ichinose's voice suddenly became lighthearted.
"After all, that Yamauchi-kun said some very out-of-line things to the girls in class. I think your stance was completely correct! It's just..." She tilted her head slightly, offering a kind smile, "As high school students, perhaps we could consider ways to resolve things other than using our fists?"
Shimizu couldn't help but be inwardly shocked. This was only the first day of school, yet Ichinose from Class B already had a thorough grasp of the specific situation in Class D.
Was it a chance hearing, or... was it by design?
He couldn't help but re-evaluate the bright, smiling girl before him. Unlike Horikita Suzune's coldness that pushed people away, Ichinose Honami seemed naturally gifted at weaving a web of interpersonal relationships, handling every detail with perfect precision.
This innate social talent was truly admirable.
Her way of speaking was also quite sophisticated—she didn't directly criticize his impulsiveness but instead affirmed his stance before tactfully offering a suggestion. It wasn't offensive, yet it cleverly conveyed her thoughts. She was the literal definition of "high emotional intelligence."
"Yeah, you're right," Shimizu nodded in agreement.
"Really?" Ichinose Honami said cheerfully. "Shimizu-kun, why don't we exchange contact information? We might need to get in touch in the future."
She made the suggestion naturally, as if it were just a casual, trivial matter. And just like that, Shimizu gained his third classmate's contact info.
The two slowly reached the door of Class 2-D. Along the way, Shimizu had mentioned the name of the senior he was looking for to Ichinose. Since it was lunch break, there were only a few scattered students in the classroom.
"Oh, isn't this Ichinose-kouhai?" a girl greeted them with a smile.
"Senpai!" Ichinose responded warmly. "Actually, I came to your class to find someone named..."
Before Shimizu could even react, the girl referred to as "Yamamura-senpai" was already standing in front of them—the very person he was looking for.
"Yamamura-senpai, could we have a word in private?" Ichinose led the other girl to a secluded corner of the corridor with a smile, her movements as natural as if they had been planned all along.
"Well then, Shimizu-kun, I'll leave the rest to you." She gave Shimizu a slight nod and turned to leave before he could even say thank you, her departing figure clean and efficient.
Shimizu checked his phone. From his encounter with Ichinose until now, barely twenty minutes had passed. Subtracting the time she spent dealing with the beer, she had actually only used less than ten minutes to help him find the right person. This terrifying social efficiency left him speechless.
The smooth way she handled things was not like a high schooler at all. She didn't even need him to hint at needing a private space; she withdrew at the perfect moment, providing help without making it feel like she was over-meddling.
'It's almost like she can read minds...'
Watching the direction she left in, Shimizu truly experienced for the first time the art of "silent and subtle" social influence. However, business came first.
Shimizu's gaze discreetly swept over the female senior, lingering for a split second on the rather meager lunch in her hand.
"Senpai, the points your class received this month... aren't quite enough to go around, are they? Interested in making a deal?"
Yamamura-senpai's fingers stiffened slightly. She snapped her head up, a flash of surprise in her eyes: "You... you're just a freshman, right? You've already figured out the point rules on the second day... are you from Class A?"
Her voice was a mix of shock and caution. Her eyes instinctively scanned the surroundings to ensure no one else was paying attention to this conversation.
Sensing the tension in her gaze, Shimizu reassured her softly: "Are you worried about being seen, Senpai? Rest assured, there is no one else nearby."
"It's not just that..." Yamamura lowered her voice.
"The school's surveillance system is everywhere. If we're caught making this kind of trade, class points will be deducted directly."
"Class points?" Shimizu put on a perfectly timed expression of confusion.
The senior raised her chin suddenly. "If you want to know the details, transfer 30,000 personal points first."
"10,000," Shimizu countered without changing his expression.
"I'm taking a risk here!" she hissed excitedly. "At least 20,000!"
"10,000," Shimizu maintained his calm tone.
"...You freshman..." Yamamura-senpai glared at him through gritted teeth before finally slumping her shoulders in defeat. "...Fine. Deal. Transfer the points first, and I'll tell you everything I know."
Ultimately, Shimizu successfully obtained critical intelligence from Yamamura-senpai. Aside from the basic class placement and point distribution mechanisms, he organized five core rules:
First: The school implements a "Class Point" ranking system. There is a dynamic promotion and demotion relationship between classes. For example, if Class D's points surpass Class C's, the two classes automatically swap ranks. Second: Class points are directly linked to students' personal interests. The school converts class points into personal points at a 1:100 exchange rate, distributed on the first of every month. Third: At the start of the term, each class is granted 1,000 class points by default. During the first month, a code of daily conduct is enforced—behaviors like being late, cutting class, or classroom disruptions will be used as the basis for point deductions at the end of the month once captured by surveillance. Fourth: Although the penalty mechanism is harsh, there are also ways to increase points. The school periodically holds exams and activities, and those who perform excellently can win extra points for their class. However, when mentioning this, Yamamura-senpai's tone turned noticeably bitter—for Class D, these opportunities were often just for show. Fifth: Disclosing the S-System to newly enrolled freshmen is explicitly forbidden. If caught by surveillance, the party revealing the information will have class points deducted.
Because of this, students from Class A, B, and C usually keep their lips sealed. But the situation in Class D is entirely different: when personal survival is at stake, the collective becomes less important. A small portion of Class D students will even take risks to sell intelligence in secret.
If not for the explicit school ban, given the situation of Class D students, they would have likely cornered all the freshmen long ago to sell every scrap of information they knew. After all, the school wants students to discover the rules through independent exploration; direct
selling of intelligence ruins this development process. As long as surveillance is avoided and transactions are small and hidden, the school often turns a blind eye.
Chapter 020 Don't Want to Be a "Blood Bag," Better Work Hard to Earn Personal Points
There is an old saying in the Celestial Empire: "Once you enter Class D, the depths are as vast as the sea."
Before learning about this S-System, Shimizu Akira had naively thought that as long as he scored well on the exams at the end of the month, even if he couldn't get 100,000 points, 30,000 to 50,000 should be in the bag.
Now he understood—he was still too naive.
The reality of personal points being forcibly tethered to class points hit him like a bucket of cold water poured over his head.
He instinctively scanned his surroundings, and the sight made his heart tighten: It was only the third period in the afternoon on the second day of school, and it was even the class of the homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae, yet several students in the classroom were already sneakily playing on their phones.
In the corner of the classroom, a conspicuous surveillance camera was silently recording everything.
'Don't tell me all the class points are going to be deducted by the second day of school...'
Shimizu Akira suddenly realized that in this class, perhaps the greatest enemy was not the strict school rules, but this group of teammates who lacked any sense of self-awareness.
'I see...'
Shimizu finally understood the deeper meaning behind Chabashira Sae's words to "save your points." This set of rules, which should have been open and transparent, was intentionally left vague by the school.
He watched another student swagger into the classroom late; the guy didn't even have the most basic sense of urgency.
Right now, he faced a choice: should he reveal this intelligence to everyone?
But at the thought of sharing the intelligence he spent 10,000 points on for free with this group of oblivious classmates, he felt a long-lost sense of speechlessness. It gave him the inexplicable illusion of when he first started working in society and had his performance leeched off by lazy seniors.
He had been a "blood bag" (resource provider) enough in his past life; he had absolutely no desire to be one in this life.
Thinking carefully, even if he spoke up, it probably wouldn't change anything. If this were Class A or B, those honor students would likely adjust their behavior immediately to protect the class's interests. Or rather, even if they didn't know the rules, they might not lose many points to begin with.
But this was Class D—a gathering place for problem students who couldn't even follow basic discipline.
On the second day of school, during the first class, after the teacher tacitly ignored some students sleeping or playing on their phones, a portion of the class seemed to lose all restraint and began engaging in small disruptions.
It turned out Class D was the true vocational school tier.
The thought of revealing the rules only for the Class D students to disbelieve him—or even look at him like he was an idiot—made his temples throb with pain. Not only would there be no reward for being a good person, but he might even become a laughingstock.
Is this the current state of being a good person in Class D? It felt like an ever-worsening vicious cycle. He wouldn't do such a losing trade even if he had water in his brain.
'Truly dismal numbers...'
Shimizu Akira silently calculated the information the senpai had revealed—the second-year Class D had less than 30,000 personal points per month, which meant their class points were less than 300. On average, per day, they couldn't even afford a decent lunch, only the vegetable set meal. And that was the result after various exam bonuses were opened up in the later stages, showing just how dire the situation for Class D was.
'Class points? Faraway water cannot quench a nearby thirst.'
He stared at the open textbook on his desk, but his eyes were focused on a more realistic problem.
Rather than hoping his classmates would suddenly awaken and bring glory to the class, it was better to ensure his own personal point income first.
After all, in this "law of the jungle" campus, personal points in hand were the only true capital belonging to oneself. Class points were still too ethereal for him.
.
.
.
The moment the bell rang for the end of school, Shimizu Akira quickly packed up his books. He planned to head to the First Gymnasium—before the end of lunch break, the school broadcast had specifically notified students interested in club activities that they could visit for observations.
'Club activities... perhaps that's an opportunity.'
He recalled the information the senpai had shared: ordinary students have the chance to earn points by participating in clubs. If they perform exceptionally, they can receive extra subsidies
from coaches, and the school also issues rewards. This was much more practical than relying on unreliable class points. Of course, these rewards were personal honors, and the prizes were all personal points.
A faint scent of citrus wafted over.
"Shimizu-kun~" Kushida Kikyo stood with her hands behind her back, leaning in slightly, "Take out your phone. While you were away yesterday, I already exchanged contact information with almost everyone in class."
Shimizu didn't stop his movements, giving only a brief nod: "Sure."
Kushida pulled out her phone, the contact exchange screen already open. Their fingers tapped on the screens, completing the exchange.
"Horikita-san... if it's okay..." Kushida Kikyo looked toward Horikita Suzune nearby with a sweet smile.
"I don't want to." Horikita Suzune didn't even pause her steps; the three cold words escaped her lips as she vanished out the classroom door in an instant.
"Aw~ rejected by Horikita-san again." Kushida Kikyo let out a soft sigh, but immediately followed it with an even more brilliant smile, pumping her fists in front of her chest in a cheering gesture, "Looks like I'll have to keep trying harder next time!"
Standing to the side, Shimizu Akira silently watched this scene.
He knew better than anyone the true face hidden beneath that sweet smile—which was precisely why he found it terrifying. Just how much pressure must she endure to maintain a perfect smile in the face of such blatant rejection?
'Speaking of which... how does this girl usually vent her stress? Surely she doesn't watch those 'stress relief' short videos, right?
Maybe she can recommend some good ways to relieve pressure.'
Shimizu Akira was currently under a lot of pressure after learning about the S-System and badly needed some relief.
"Come to think of it," Kushida Kikyo suddenly turned to Shimizu, tilting her head with a curious expression, "Shimizu-kun seems to be able to communicate normally with Horikita-san."
"It's just normal deskmate communication. Actually, I don't have her contact info either," Shimizu paused and shrugged. Although he had never actively asked, given Horikita's personality that pushed everyone away, she wouldn't easily give her contact info to anyone.
"Oh right, right! Shimizu-kun didn't have time for a self-introduction yesterday, did you? Let me help introduce you to everyone!" Kushida Kikyo suggested enthusiastically with a radiant smile.
Dismissal time in Japanese schools was always quite early; it was currently not even 4:00 PM, and the sunlight outside the window was still bright. There was still over an hour until 5:00 PM, and Shimizu could easily stay in the classroom to mingle.
This suited Shimizu's intentions perfectly, as he was thinking about adding a few more friends to his social account.
"Then I'll leave it to you."