Houtarou Oreki Classroom of the Elite

"Given Nagumo-senpai's nature, what should I do?" Kikyō, the little angel, asked with concern.

Her mood had soured considerably. Any lingering regret from nearly being recommended to the Student Council and then rejected by Houtarou had vanished, replaced by a pervasive sense of unease.

Kikyō, who aspired to befriend everyone, had always viewed Suzune's exclusion from her circle as a personal failure — one she'd been constantly striving to rectify.

Someone with such universal friendship aspirations would naturally shy away from romantic pursuits. After all, dating or falling in love could hinder one's ability to make friends and fully enjoy campus life.

Thus, angelic figures like Kikyō tended to strongly resist romance. Moreover, the prospect of entanglement with someone like Miyabi, who could potentially cause classmates to drop out, was particularly alarming.

Furthermore, Miyabi's position as vice president of the Student Council and his ability to amass enough Points to open a store demonstrated his exceptional capabilities. Being pursued by such a formidable individual seemed perilous — even rejection could prove troublesome.

Consequently, Kikyō's face had noticeably paled.

"As long as you limit your interactions, you should be fine." Houtarou reassured her, "Remember, I mentioned he has someone he likes, so he'll likely exercise some restraint."

But was she truly safe? Wasn't it equally risky to rely on Miyabi's self-control?

Or rather, didn't his interest in cute girls despite having someone he liked indicate a lack of self-discipline?

Kikyō's spirits sank even lower.

Houtarou discreetly checked the system prompt.

〖 Side Task: Not Here, Pal! 〗

〖 Task Requirement: Disrupt Miyabi's dual pursuit of Kikyō and Suzune!]

〖 Task Duration: 10 Days 〗

〖 Task Reward: Precognitive Dream (can have 3 precognitive dreams at specified times each week) 〗

〖 Task Punishment: None! 〗

〖 Task Progress: 50%+0% 〗

The progress here likely pertains to Kikyō's side.

Disrupting Miyabi's pursuit seemed complex, but Houtarou saw two potential solutions: prevent Miyabi from making a move or ensure the targets would refuse him outright. He opted for the latter.

Considering Suzune and Kikyō's mindsets, he realized these girls were unique in their rejection of anything love-related. Simply bringing up the topic might have an effect.

He deliberately mentioned Miyabi's interest in them, subtly portraying him as the type girls might dislike. This wasn't entirely unfair, given his penchant for associating with cute girls — evident from his willingness to reduce the store opening fee from 5 million to 4 million.

A shrewd businessman wouldn't offer discounts based on cuteness alone. Perhaps Miyabi initially wanted 4 million, quoted 5 million, then settled for 4 million to gain favor — achieving both profit and goodwill.

Alternatively, he might have quoted such a high price to discourage competition, given the limited market for bubble tea shops in the school center.

Regardless of his motives, minimal contact seemed advisable.

As for Kikyō, her reaction was swift and unsurprising. For someone with strong social skills, remaining single was crucial — much like celebrities who lose fans upon marriage. Her tendency to reject suitors likely contributed to the task's 50% progress.

Turning to the other target, Houtarou probed, "Horikita, what are your thoughts on love?"

"Love?" Suzune looked at him quizzically, "How is that relevant to students? Now is the time for studying. I don't think love is beneficial."

Her prioritization of academics resonated with him, fostering a sense of goodwill.

"If Nagumo-senpai were to pursue you—" He suggested.

"No." Suzune rejected instantly.

〖 Beep! 〗

At this moment, he heard the system prompt.

〖 Congratulations on completing the Side Task! 〗

〖 Congratulations, host has obtained a special reward: Precognitive Dream! 〗

〖 Precognitive Dream: Can have 3 precognitive dreams at specified times each week 〗

Oh. He got the reward.

It seems that he, Kikyō, and Suzune are indeed like a clean stream in this school — no pursuit of love. That's why the task was cleared so quickly.

This quest was practically handed to him on a silver platter. And now, the Precognitive Dream ability is his.

Dreaming of the future? Now that's intriguing.

⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟⍟

Due to the Miyabi incident, Kikyō harbored some reservations. She was now more reluctant to visit his bubble tea shop again.

A week passed.

In the end, Class B only attracted three more students. Houtarou and the two girls went to a different bubble tea shop and sat down.

"Let's start calculating the money now." He said.

It was the weekend, and although Houtarou had made an effort not to oversleep, he had just gotten out of bed and was feeling lazy. He wanted to finish things quickly and return home to lie down.

"We're calculating the compensation now?" Kikyō asked incredulously, "But the shop hasn't opened yet, right?"

In truth, she was eager to participate in opening the shop. The prospect of sharing in the profits was very appealing to her. The students of Class D could no longer be relied upon to perform well, so she needed to find alternative ways to earn Points.

As a "little angel", her daily expenses were quite high. Perfume, shower gel, facial cleanser, and cute clothes all cost money.

During their time at Miyabi's bubble tea shop, she had observed the business firsthand. It generated a profit of 2 million per month. Even if they spent 4 million more to purchase the shop opening rights from him, running a shop to earn profits still seemed promising.

Suzune, still in her uniform, had brought a vocabulary book with her.

She set it down and said, "There's no shop opening. Kushida, you must have misunderstood something. Oreki's idea was simply to collect everyone's first-period points. The cost and hassle of opening a shop are too much, so it wasn't considered."

Oh. So that's how it is... she was tricked!... Eh??

Kikyō looked at Houtarou and Suzune in shock.

⍟⍟⍟

T/N: If you want more chapters like this, check out my Patreon! I'm constantly translating and the difference will keep getting bigger!

For just $1 you can access all the extra content, and descriptive images, costs only $2!

That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)

https://www.patreon.com/mrblackwing