"GET REJECTED BY THE NEW TRANSFER STUDENT. +100 POINTS"
"Whaaat.... What kind of quest is this?" Tatsuya exclaimed, staring at his phone. "Whoever is sending these must watch some questionable anime. Now I'm curious about their identity."
"It's probably an F-tier ghost of some side character who got rejected. Now it's handing out quests like XP to feel better," Ren added without looking up.
They continued to discuss the new quest as they walked to class, a few students subconsciously moving out of their way as if their very aura was overwhelming.
"So we have a new transfer student," Ren mused, a calm expression on his face betrayed by the smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "These types of characters always play an important role. Sometimes they're even more important than just NPCs."
Tatsuya caught the smirk. 'That's Ren for you. He always welcomes a challenge and only sees it as an opportunity to level up.'
"We've got a new quest already, and the other unfinished one just disappeared," Tatsuya said as they entered the classroom, his eyes glued to his screen. "Do I accept it or...?"
Before he could finish his words his expression faltered. His eyes landed on a boy standing at the back of the classroom, slightly tapping his foot impatiently.
The boy's eyes lit up at the sight of Ren, and a few other students stole glances as they walked to the back.
"Let's discuss it with him..." Ren began, but was cut short.
"G'morning, boss man. I got everything on the list you gave me," the new boy said, a confident grin on his face.
"Sounds good. How much of everything did you get?" Ren asked.
"I got everything that was available. I remembered your words when I asked for the exact amount and you said, 'Get as much as you can afford.' So I just got everything which was available."
"Good. Now we'll move faster and finish more quests than we did in the past."
"Ren, the new quest—who will take it on?" Tatsuya interrupted.
"Oh, you're here," the gray-haired boy said, turning to Tatsuya and shaking his head in disapproval. "I expected you to be roleplaying with your figures somewhere, not ruining Ren's presence by existing."
His gray hair seamlessly reflected the light from the window, making him look cool despite the slight shaking of his head.
"Tough talk from a guy whose only worth comes from paper and appearance. At least I'm useful," Tatsuya taunted him.
"Well, money does make the world go round. Everyone needs it," Rick said with a smug look, trying to hide the fact that he was offended.
"You two. Focus."
Ren's three words cut through the tension, and complete silence fell.
"The quest," he added, his voice calm. "Let's talk about what we should do and how to guarantee a rejection."
Tatsuya put his hand on the back of his head and tapped it as he spoke. "The probability of humiliation is one hundred percent with no chance of recovery and there is no measurable return."
"I nominate myself. I'll take one for the team," Rick said, striking a serious tone.
"And how will youu... achieve the desired results?" Tatsuya questioned.
"It's all about presentation. They do say the first impression matters, so I'll use that to my advantage." Rick's sky-blue eyes were practically glowing as he explained his idea.
"Guys, I think I should do it..." Ren suggested.
Before Ren could say anything else, they both spoke in unison, not even willing to entertain the thought. "Not a chance. I'll handle it."
Ren let out a sigh as he sat down. "Alright. I'm trusting you. Don't screw this up."
"If the girl's in Class B, I'll get it done before lunch break. Trust me, I'm not like some otaku always screwing things up," Rick explained.
"Don't screw it up, then," Ren said just as the first bell rang.
With that, Rick clicked the 'accept' button. The quest notification disappeared from the others' phones.
As classes were about to start, Rick and Tatsuya headed to their respective classes.
As the teacher called out the roll call, Ren was stuck in his thoughts.
'Tatsuya is smart, but he failed the quest....well partly. Rick is too unpredictable and wild to know what will happen. I feel bad for the poor character, I hope it doesn't mess up their settings.'
Classes progressed quietly, especially for Ren, who was barely paying attention to the lessons.
After some time, the lunch break began. Ren was walking down the hall with his hands in his pockets when he felt a tug on his sleeve from behind.
He turned to find a girl holding a couple of papers close to her chest.
"Excuse me, are you Ren Katagiri?"
Ren's face remained neutral as he answered. "How may I help you?"
Upon the realization, her eyes lit up, the light reflecting off the lenses of her glasses. "I'm so glad I found you! I came to ask you if you could join our club?"
Before the words could even sink in, he replied, "No, thank you. I'm good." Then he continued walking.
But she quickly followed him.
"But why not? I was told you're the only student who hasn't joined a club. Please, the literature club really needs more members!"
"I haven't joined any because I don't have time to waste on pointless side quests," he explained as he continued walking.
"Side quests... that's a fantasy term you just used. You like books too, don't you? So please, just join us." She said as she moved closer to him, unknowingly invading his personal space.
'What a troublesome character. Is this a new quest or something? I wish they added a skip cutscene option.'
"Hey, give me some time. I'll think about it, okay?" Ren suggested before walking away without even hearing her reply.
As he walked he wondered.
'I'm not that hungry. I'll just skip lunch for today. I guess I'll go see the principal and see where that development takes me.'
He changed direction and started climbing the stairs to the principal's office.
'Speaking of developments, I wonder how Rick is doing '
Before he could finish the thought, his phone buzzed. He took it out and saw a new quest notification from the Guide app.
Before reading it, he thought to himself, 'Hmmm. Did he already screw things up?'