Points: 3,250,000
Ren didn't know exactly how many unlucky souls he had "visited," but he looked at his point total with satisfaction.
Since I have this many, I might as well round it up. I'm a bit obsessive about numbers.
He spotted another target and repeated the routine. "Hello, Senpai," Ren said with a gentle smile, greeting a female upperclassman.
His luck must have run out with the previous guys. Judging by her appearance, this senpai was likely from Class C or Class D, but based on her composure, she might even be a third year.
Looks like I'll have to find a bigger catch later.
"Hello, Kouhai. Can I help you with something?" The upperclassman turned to look at Ren, her voice soft and questioning.
"I'd like to ask about the school rules. We can make a deal over there in that corner, where there are no cameras." Adhering to the principle that every little bit counts, Ren wasn't going to let her go just because she looked nice.
...
The senpai followed Ren into the blind spot. Unlike the others, she didn't demand the points upfront. She simply started explaining the school rules. Most of the information was the same, but she went into much greater detail.
"Kouhai, you just got here, so you should save your points. I'll just charge you 10,000 points for this."
Just as Ren was about to complete the transfer, the senpai suddenly lowered the price herself.
Seeing Ren look up with a surprised expression, she smiled, her eyes crinkling warmly. She stood on her tiptoes, gently patted Ren's head, and said, "Welcome to your new school, my clever Kouhai."
In her opinion, this underclassman was very smart to figure out the hidden rules on his very first day. She didn't want to see this cute Kouhai fail because he ran out of points. Of course, it also helped that he was very handsome.
Ren didn't brush her hand away. He just waited quietly for her to take out her card and complete the deal.
I'm definitely going to teach her a lesson in a moment.
After transferring the points, Ren left without waiting for her to check the amount.
She waved at Ren's retreating back, then looked down at her student ID.
(Received: 250,000 points)
The girl rubbed her eyes, thinking she must have imagined an extra zero. But no matter how many times she counted, the number was still 250,000.
What an amazing Kouhai, she thought, still stunned.
...
Ren disposed of the thin blanket—its job now done—in a nearby trash can. He turned off the voice recorder in his pocket, walked to the staff office, and knocked lightly on the door.
"Come in," a cold voice answered from inside.
Sae Chabashira was focused on reviewing her new students' files. She glanced up as Ren entered, then immediately returned to her work.
"Katsuragi-kuuuun~" Chie Hoshinomiya, who had just poured herself a cup of instant coffee, breezed past Ren and called out her nickname for him. "What can I do for you?"
"Yes, Hoshinomiya-sensei."
"And what is it?" Hoshinomiya stirred her coffee slowly, asking with genuine interest.
"I want to keep a cat. I was wondering how many points a pet permit costs."
Hoshinomiya paused. What is this kid doing? He came all the way to the office just to ask about a pet permit? She thought he was here to discuss class strategy. She had even been planning to drop some hints about the exams.
"Eighty thousand points." Seeing Ren acting so carelessly with his points, Hoshinomiya felt a bit annoyed.
She quoted an exorbitant price that would hurt his monthly budget, hoping to make him drop the ridiculous idea. In all her time at this school, no student had ever asked about this. Points were everything here. Most students barely had enough to feed themselves; who would have the excess capital to raise a pet?
"Done. I'll take two." Ren had points to burn and didn't bother to bargain. He took out his card, signaling for Hoshinomiya to do the same for the transfer.
"Uh... I made a mistake. It's 100,000 points."
"Fine."
"130,000!"
"Hoshinomiya-sensei, how about we just call it 150,000 each? You can keep the extra 40,000 to buy yourself some candy." Ren laughed. To stop her from inflating the price any further, he simply transferred 300,000 points to her, signaling that the negotiation was over.
"Tsk. I'll send you a picture of the permits when they're ready." Hoshinomiya clicked her tongue. She couldn't believe Ren had managed to acquire that many points in less than a day. She had truly underestimated him.
Ren and Hoshinomiya hadn't exactly been whispering. Sae Chabashira, sitting nearby, had heard everything. She put down the student file and looked up at Ren with a scrutinizing gaze.
300,000 points wasn't a huge sum for a teacher, or even for upperclassmen in Class A or B who had time to save. But for a first-year student on day one? That was unheard of. Chabashira, obsessed with reaching Class A, began to seriously study the obstacle standing before her.
"Katsuragi-kun, is there anything else you want to tell your teacher?" Hoshinomiya latched onto Ren's arm, her eyes sparkling. She was practically begging him. Come on, say you have another request! Spend more! She was especially excited to show off in front of her "best friend," Sae.
(Transfer Complete: 100,000 points)
Another transfer notification appeared on Hoshinomiya's terminal, making her freeze for a second.
In that instant, Ren pulled his arm free from her grasp. He hoisted Hoshinomiya up as if she were a kitten, settled himself into her office chair, and then deposited her onto his lap. He immediately started patting her head.
Hoshinomiya: "..."
Chabashira: "..."
Ren: "Your hair is so soft, Sensei."
Just patting her head wasn't enough for Ren. He moved his hand toward her cheek, but she slapped it away.
"Katsuragi-kun, that costs extra," Hoshinomiya said, having recovered from the shock. Her voice was playful, but suddenly dangerous.
"Okay, Sensei. I'll be going then." Ren felt a tinge of regret that he didn't get to pinch her cheek, but he obediently stood up from the chair and left the office.
"That Katsuragi-kun... he really is amazing. He grasps the core rule so perfectly," Hoshinomiya murmured as she watched him leave.
Points can buy anything at this school.
Of course, 100,000 points couldn't really buy the right to harass a teacher. It was just Hoshinomiya's small reward to him for understanding the true nature of the school.
She fixed her hair, which Ren had ruffled. She then turned to the stunned Chabashira with a sweet smile. "Little Sae~ Want to go for a drink later? My treat."
"After all, I just earned 400,000 points."
That's right. A pet permit doesn't cost anything; you just have to apply for one. The school was very lenient about anything that encouraged students to burn through their points. She had only raised the price to make Ren give up. But now...
That Katsuragi-kun... he really makes his teacher proud.