Akira returned to his dorm and took a refreshing hot shower.
After changing into his crisp school uniform, he sat alone in a corner of the cafeteria, chewing on his free breakfast.
Eighty thousand points—that number again.
Including Ichinose's transfer this time, several of the most outstanding girls in the four classes had all intersected with him through this magical number.
Oh right, and Chabashira's one million points.
Of course, given her age, she could hardly be called a beautiful girl anymore.
"Currently, my account has 1.37 million points..."
Akira muttered to himself, staring at the number displayed on his phone screen.
It had been less than two weeks since school started, and he'd already earned 1.37 million points.
He wasn't sure how much other students had in their accounts, but for a typical high school student, this was undoubtedly a huge sum.
However, at the end of the day, these were just internal school points and couldn't be used in the real world.
Furthermore, these points couldn't be touched for now, as they were earmarked for renting surveillance equipment.
From today onwards, he had to strictly control every expenditure.
He'd make do with the free breakfast this morning.
Speaking of which, there'd been no news from the Student Council President since their separation yesterday.
But this was understandable—after all, the agreement had just been made last night, and he couldn't expect him to complete the task immediately.
Moreover, the Student Council President had clearly stated that there'd be results by Thursday after school at the latest.
Just one more day of holding out!
Once he got through this meal, he wouldn't have to live so frugally anymore.
"How pathetic!"
A slightly disdainful female voice suddenly came from above his head.
Akira snapped back to reality, his gaze landing precisely on a pair of long, beautiful legs.
He looked up and saw Kamuro holding a tray, looking down at him with an undisguised look of contempt in her eyes.
"Among all these new students, you're the only one eating the free meal," she said, unceremoniously sitting down opposite him.
The gourmet meal on her tray formed a stark contrast with the simple free meal in front of Akira.
Akira slowly swallowed the food in his mouth, then looked up at the girl opposite him. "Kamuro-san, good afternoon. Have you forgiven me yet?"
He suddenly remembered the excessive joke from last time. The girl still seemed to be holding a grudge.
"Apologize with a dogeza, and let me step on your head as atonement," Kamuro snorted, her slender fingers lightly tapping the edge of the tray.
But then, her gaze swept over the free meal in front of Akira, and her tone subtly softened a few degrees. "...However, seeing as you actually listened to me and are diligently eating the free meal to save points..."
She poked the food on her own plate with a fork. "...I'll let you off this time."
Akira was momentarily speechless, a subtle stiffness on his face.
He did remember Kamuro warning him in a chat message to be mindful of his point usage, but he hadn't expected her to remember it so clearly.
—Although she completely misunderstood the reason.
He was only saving money temporarily to rent surveillance equipment.
"...I ordered an extra portion, you're lucky," Kamuro suddenly turned her face away and pushed a small bowl of golden, crispy fried chicken popcorn in front of him.
Akira's gaze swept over the lonely ramen on her plate—clearly a side dish temporarily separated from a set meal.
A flicker of understanding passed through his eyes, but he merely smiled gently. "Then, thank you, Kamuro-san."
For some kindness, accepting it tacitly is the best respect for the giver.
Kamuro's lips involuntarily curved into a tiny arc, but she immediately straightened her face. "...You won't even pretend to decline? You really are thick-skinned!"
She suddenly pointed her chopsticks at Akira, her tone carrying the arrogance unique to Class A. "Speaking of which, now that you know the truth, you should understand—even if you Class D students tell the truth, it won't change anything. After all..." She deliberately drew out her words. "...you are just the leftover defective products. Will you really be so obedient?"
"At the beginning of next month, your class will probably only have two or three hundred points, right? Barely enough for an occasional good meal. But I'm different. Class A's points are three or four times yours." She said this boastfully, her eyes occasionally glancing at the fried chicken popcorn in front of Akira, as if checking if he was eating it properly.
Akira's lips held a faint smile as he slowly chewed the crispy chicken popcorn. Regarding the several million points that were about to arrive, he chose to remain silent.
He saw it very clearly—Kamuro wasn't genuinely mocking him. She was just clumsily trying to maintain her proud image as a Class A elite, while also subtly offering help.
"Yes, yes," he nodded obediently, indulging the girl's small vanity.
"How were your entrance exam scores?" Kamuro suddenly asked.
"Except for physical education, all subjects were failing," Akira replied frankly.
Kamuro's expression stiffened. She looked Akira up and down, her gaze finally resting on the solid lines of his arms. "...No wonder you ended up in Class D. So you're just a muscle-brained idiot."
"By the way," she suddenly straightened her back and pointed her chopsticks at him, "my entrance exam scores were much better than yours! So get rid of that 'looking down on me' attitude!"
Akira then realized—she was still bothered by his heartfelt words that day.
"I said the wrong thing that day," he put down his chopsticks, his expression unusually serious. "I promise, I won't harbor such disrespectful thoughts again."
He had to admit that, despite Kamuro always putting on an arrogant front, both her straightforward personality and her principles for dealing with the world were much purer than most people in Class D.
Especially her awkward way of showing concern, which made Akira feel particularly genuine.
Kamuro's fingertips quickly slid across her phone screen, and suddenly a notification sound rang in Akira's pocket.
"You... your personality is too weak, isn't it?" She frowned, deliberately using a disdainful tone to mask her discomfort. "You agree to everything I say... Never mind, since you're so obedient, I'll lend you ten thousand points for now."
Kamuro suddenly stood up again, her tray making a crisp clattering sound in her hands. "Don't eat such pathetic meals anymore. Sitting with you... I feel embarrassed."
Before Akira could respond, she quickly walked towards an empty seat in the distance.
Halfway there, she suddenly stopped and, without looking back, threw out a line. "...Remember to claim the points, don't make me come to Class D to find you personally!"
"Kamuro really is a good person."
Akira looked at Kamuro's receding back and couldn't help but say it out loud.
Despite being so directly disliked, a strange warmth welled up in his heart. (T/N: Is he awakening something?)
He looked down at the leftover chicken popcorn on his tray and suddenly realized—this was probably Kamuro's way of showing care.