As soon as Goto Iwao stepped out the door, Ayaka Rie walked in holding Hanamaru Hanabi's little hand.
No sooner had she entered than she noticed Uesugi Sakura's gaze directed at her and haughtily lifted her head.
The well-mannered Hanamaru Hanabi, who was being led by her hand, gave him a slight nod. Her delicate little face combined with her small movements made her appear obedient and cute.
Ignoring Ayaka Rie entirely, Uesugi Sakura turned back to the book he hadn't finished reading.
Ayaka Rie seemed to harbor some hostility towards him.
The two sat down in their seats in the classroom.
Ayaka Rie and Hanamaru Hanabi were seated front and back. Usually, they had a very good relationship.
Because Hanabi had a timid nature, whenever she faced any unfair treatment, Rie would always defend her.
So Uesugi Sakura didn't bother with her and continued doing his own thing.
Around ten o'clock, after a long, boring school opening ceremony, Uesugi Sakura was finally relieved.
To be honest, he really couldn't stand the ceremony. The school's auditorium was obviously big enough, yet they insisted on having everyone stand. The principal's speech was also unchanging.
In his opinion, it was basically last year's script with minor edits being passed off as new.
However, Goto Iwao was exhilarated at the end, especially during the new students' entrance. He stretched his neck, looking around, and whenever he spotted a cute or pretty junior, he would insist on poking Sakura to have a look too.
To this, Uesugi Sakura showed no interest because, after all, they weren't as cute as Hanabi, so why bother?
Now, he sat alone on a bench in the school's courtyard, feeling the gentle spring breeze and enjoying the rare leisure time.
[Beep... Beep...]
[You've triggered a new lazy side mission. Accept?]
Seeing the transparent panel that suddenly appeared before his eyes, Uesugi Sakura was momentarily stunned, then opened the mission details.
[Mission Difficulty: Level 1+]
[Mission Content: Fulfill Kyujuu Rika's wish]
[Mission Time: Two hours]
[Mission Restriction: Must be completed in the presence of Kyujuu Rika]
[Mission Reward: Random Advanced Card]
[Special Note: A lazy person with dreams is a tuna of the lazy. ]
Kyujuu Rika was their class representative.
But what exactly was this class representative wish? He didn't recall speaking to her today.
Uesugi Sakura paid no attention to the mission and continued flipping through the soft pages of his book.
A gentle breeze rustled the leaves.
The morning sun of early April made the green leaves sparkle, and the serene scent of the flower beds stirred emotions.
The white pages in his hand were tinted by the shade of the dense greenery, making the colors scattered and varied, the black font increasingly garbled.
Inhaling the fragrance of flowers and grasses carried by the wind, Uesugi Sakura opened the system panel again and found the mission tab.
[Mission Difficulty: Level 1+]
[Mission Content: Fulfill Kyujuu Rika's wish]
...
[Please confirm if you want to accept.]
Raising intelligence to 8 requires spending 40 points. To be more effortlessly lazy, accepting it first seems more prudent.
With no restrictions, if he couldn't complete it, he simply wouldn't do it.
[Note: Side mission accepted, difficulty: Level 1+, timer started.]
Stretching his neck, Uesugi Sakura crossed his legs and continued reading.
He didn't do any cleaning in the morning, and knowing the class representative's personality, she would definitely come over when she found out.
All he had to do was sit and wait.
——————
About ten minutes later, as expected, their class representative interrupted his peaceful reading time.
"Uesugi-san, why didn't you do the cleaning?"
Uesugi Sakura glanced up at Kyujuu Rika, then looked down at his book, calmly replying:
"Goto and Tsubokawa took care of it for me."
Upon hearing this, the fair-faced Kyujuu Rika furrowed her pretty eyebrows, "Are you exploiting them again?"
Exploitation?
"Miss of our class, I am not that big capitalist of your family. How could I do such a heinous thing,"
He continued flipping the book in his hand without raising his head.
"This is equivalent exchange: I offer my looks, and they contribute a small amount of labor. We're all willing, isn't it a great deal?"
"Don't speak ill of my father."
As the class representative, Kyujuu Rika knew his lazy nature well, "And my father isn't a businessman. He's just a councilor, a politician."
"Councilor for the Farmers' Association," Uesugi Sakura remarked.
Startled by his sudden words, Kyujuu Rika didn't understand what Uesugi Sakura meant, but she didn't dwell on it and instead shifted to another topic:
"You must join a club this year."
"No," Uesugi Sakura closed his book lightly, decisively declining, "I know I'm a veteran member of the Returning Home Department, holding a high position in the school. This kind of poaching is absolutely unacceptable."
"If I leave, wouldn't the students of the Returning Home Department be heartbroken?"
Kamigoe High School didn't mandate students to join clubs because it would only increase the number of ghost members with no value.
Students joined clubs more due to "social circles" and interests.
Because of the "circles," genuine members of the Returning Home Department were mostly seen as eccentric.
Uesugi Sakura was on the edge of the class since last semester; no matter what he did, it was just so-so.
Not good nor bad, barely passing with a score of 100 reaching 60.
People always felt he was lazy at work, yet couldn't say much more.
Because he completed everything he was supposed to do.
"Everyone has joined clubs. Even Goto and Tsubokawa did. Don't you think you should join too, Uesugi-san?"
"The school also provides great support to club members, with credit subsidies and participating in clubs exempts additional courses. Competing can even waive high tuition fees. There's no harm in joining."
Uesugi Sakura understood what Kyujuu Rika meant. This was the so-called "circle" in school, where individuals who stood out faced a degree of exclusion.
But he always disliked such deformities and didn't care about others' opinions.
In Japan, seniors were the standard.
Newcomers to a club were often bossed around.
You mustn't outperform a senior in anything.
Like if a senior took a month to do something, and you, a newcomer, achieved it in a week.
The senior wouldn't be able to save face and would make things difficult for you everywhere.
Uesugi Sakura especially disliked that, so he wasn't inclined to join any clubs.
"They are them, and I am me. I won't care about others' views."
Uesugi Sakura said seriously: "I won't join any club, don't waste your time on me, class representative."
Kyujuu Rika now found Uesugi Sakura's handsome face particularly irritating, just as she was about to turn away in a huff, she heard him suddenly chirp.
"Unless—"
"Unless what?"
"Unless the class representative can help me find a more peaceful club."
"A more peaceful one?" Kyujuu Rika locked her gaze on his handsome face, "How about the Literature Department?"
"The Literature Department requires submitting weekly articles, and the head is always chasing people. No way."
"History Research Department?"
"Hmm, just a bunch of people only reading Japanese history. I don't get along with them."
"Shogi Club?"
"No Dragon King and lolis, not going."
"..."
Kyujuu Rika gave him a peculiar look.