People bring their own maids to the training camp

"Of course, it's just a magazine."

"Then I won't be polite!" Karuizawa was indeed getting tighter and tighter with money. If Chihaya hadn't lent her some points, she would have been eating mountain vegetable meals every day.

"It's okay, there's always a special section for giving to friends."

Karuizawa knew this, since several students in Class D, including Suzune, Kushida, Hasebe, and Sakura, had received the magazine in advance.

Kushida and Hasebe generously lent their copies to the girls after they finished reading them, but no one dared to approach Suzune, and Sakura didn't read them in class, so most people didn't know that she also had one.

As a member of the Princess Group, Miyake was also fortunate enough to receive a copy, but he wasn't particularly interested in it, so he kept it in his room as a souvenir and didn't bring it with him. He was also worried that receiving a magazine from Chihaya as a male would provoke some jealous people to say something inappropriate, so he simply pretended he didn't have one.

However, Kushida and the others received theirs a day earlier, so when it was officially released the next day, those girls who really wanted to see it all went to buy it.

Because Class D's wallets are quite limited, not many people actually buy magazines. While 500 points isn't expensive for a magazine, some people are indeed struggling financially. To save money, you need to increase income and reduce expenditure, but if there's no source of income, you can only reduce expenditure by giving up unnecessary spending—like buying magazines.

Karuizawa did hesitate, but after thinking it over, firstly, Chihaya had lent her some points, so it was only right to support her; secondly, if she didn't buy the magazine, she might miss out on the hottest topics of the moment, and considering her own situation, she felt she should buy the magazine.

Now she's completely hooked, and starting to worry that she doesn't have enough points to learn the styling and makeup techniques Qianzao taught in the magazine—she's now developing a kind of resistance to the clothes she went on a shopping spree when school started.

Karuizawa sighed inwardly, "I was too complacent in the first month."

146 billion dots

"Speaking of which, did you decide to come here for coffee on a whim, Princess?"

After chatting for a while, Karuizawa noticed a bag next to Chihaya's feet, containing some ingredients.

"Well, I originally just came here to do some shopping at the supermarket, but when I passed by, I heard the Four Seasons Suite playing, so I changed my plans," Chihaya said.

"Four Seasons?" Karuizawa didn't understand what Chizuru was saying. She only knew that some music was playing and that the coffee shop was named Four Seasons.

"The music playing right now is the Four Seasons Suite, which consists of four pieces: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. I just happened to be listening to the spring piece when I passed by the door. It's rare for me to hear it from beginning to end, so I came in," Chihaya explained. "I also happened to see Karuizawa-san, so I came over to say hello."

"I see," Karuizawa exclaimed in sudden realization. "Elegant! So elegant!"

Karuizawa knows absolutely nothing about classical music, except for highly famous pieces like the Symphony No. 5 and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

"It's just a personal hobby, nothing special," Chihaya said. "I don't think there's any fundamental difference between liking classical music and liking pop music, okay?"

"So, Princess Hibiki must also be able to play the piano, right?"

"I have studied it, but my level is limited."

"Hime-kun is too modest! It must have sounded really good, right?" Karuizawa was already used to Chihaya's kind of modesty.

According to Kushida's tip, Chihaya, despite joining the archery club, claimed that she was not good at competitive activities and that the important thing about archery was self-cultivation. As a result, after cultivating her self-cultivation, Chihaya calmly veiled many first-year boys in competitive events.

This is not something that anyone can make sarcastic remarks about. After all, many girls, let alone having the ability to compete with boys, probably wouldn't even dare to talk to a black exchange student like Albert Yamada.

"Well, I'm really just at a very average level. I've tried learning a lot of things, but I haven't been able to stick with any of them. It's the same with piano, calligraphy, and the like. I can only say that I'm a little better than people who haven't tried anything, but I pale in comparison to people who have studied it." Chihaya pinched her thumb and forefinger together, trying her best to express the meaning of "a little."

But in Karuizawa's eyes, this was undoubtedly "a tiny bit".

"Only archery has truly been persisted in until now."

That statement isn't entirely untrue, but the preceding part was indeed a lie. Chihaya learned many skills by switching teachers because she felt her current teacher couldn't teach her anything anymore.

Musical instruments are an exception. It's not that the teacher has nothing left to teach, but rather that once they've learned fingering and such, they don't want to spend a lot of time practicing. For example, playing the piano for several hours a day is unrealistic because they don't have a passion for it, so they prefer to learn something else.

Rather than aiming to acquire more skills, Chihaya's actions are more about learning more skills. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect, and the best way to understand the piano is to learn it. But then again, since she doesn't aspire to be a pianist or pursue it as a hobby, she can move on to the next step once she has a sufficient understanding.

Therefore, musical instruments are not like kendo or karate, where Chihaya actually defeated her teacher in real combat, but with the piano, one can only say that she learned the techniques. That's why Chihaya said that she was at a very ordinary level.

Compared to a certain "martial arts talent," he is truly inferior to a professional when it comes to musical instruments.

"Speaking of which, did you know there's a cruise trip after the final exams, Karuizawa-san?"

"Hmm, I think Chabashira-sensei mentioned it during the midterm exams. Does Himegami-kun have some inside information?"

"I wouldn't call it inside information, but I do know some things."

"Is this something I can talk about?" Karuizawa looked around to make sure no one was watching, then leaned forward and asked in a low voice.

"You don't have to be so serious. These are all less important parts." Chihaya smiled slightly. "For example, all expenses on the ship are covered by the school. There will also be performances and restaurants on the ship, so everyone can relax and enjoy themselves for a few days."

"Really? That's great!" Karuizawa's eyes lit up; this was exactly what Class D wanted to hear.

After all, most of the people in Class D were short of points. Even if they didn't end up eating the mountain vegetable set meal, they usually ate the cheapest option.

A free meal is certainly exciting news.

"Can I tell this news to other people?"

"Of course, it's not a secret. If you ask Chabashira-sensei, she'll probably tell you. I just learned a little bit about it beforehand through President Horikita."

"I see. I'll share this good news with my friends in Class D. Thank you, Princess!"

“You’re welcome. I didn’t do anything,” Chihaya said. “I’m actually quite looking forward to it. After all, I’ve been staying at school for several months. Although there are many recreational facilities, it still feels better to be outside.”

"Does Princess Hibiki have the same thoughts?"

"Yes, I'm no different from everyone else. If I could, I'd really like to go home and visit."

Go home and visit (×)

Staying home and staying at home (√)

"That's true. After all, it must be quite difficult to have no contact with family for three years, right?"

"However, it can also be seen as a kind of training or an early adaptation. After all, this kind of thing is bound to happen sooner or later, and the so-called supremacy of strength probably includes this aspect of consideration."

"Is that so? I never thought of that."

The two chatted happily, especially Chihaya who noticed that Karuizawa's coffee was long gone but hadn't been refilled. So, after finishing his own coffee, he signaled to the two staff members to refill it.

Then the shop assistant said it was a free gift, which shut Karuizawa up from her refusal.

This made Karuizawa enjoy being with Chihaya even more.

He is not only a great conversationalist, but also very attentive and considerate of her feelings.

Karuizawa only decided to have a coffee on a whim after discovering that she could get a discount by owning a magazine. If she had another one, it would have been beyond her budget.

Karuizawa felt a pang of regret that they weren't classmates.

"I had a very pleasant chat with Karuizawa-kun today."

"I am also very happy."

"Good day, see you at our school."

"Okay." Karuizawa waved goodbye to Chihaya, feeling a little regretful that Chihaya was a girl; it would have been perfect if she were a boy.

But if it were a boy, he probably wouldn't have much of a chance, right? Karuizawa shook his head self-deprecatingly.

147. The next special exam

Half a month after the Ludo tournament ended, Chihaya confirmed with Horikita Manabu that Nagumo was not in the student council office after a phone call, and then visited the student council office after school that afternoon.

"You really hate Nagumo that much?" Tachibana Akane poured Chihaya a cup of tea. "You even called to confirm."

"Thank you, senior." Chihaya thanked Tachibana Akane first, "After all, Nagumo-senpai is really annoying, and I don't want to see him."

“I thought you were the more reserved type,” Akane Tachibana said, sitting down on the sofa opposite Chihaya. “After all, that’s the impression everyone has of you, right?”

"That's because no one asked me what I thought of Nagumo-senpai. If someone had asked me, I definitely wouldn't have hidden my thoughts—even if Nagumo-senpai himself had asked me."

"How come I remember you had dinner with him alone before?"

"According to rumors on campus, wasn't it because he wanted to pursue me but was rejected? And because of that, his subordinates even spoke rudely to my friend?"

"You yourself said it's just a rumor..." Tachibana Akane said helplessly.

"People only believe what they want to believe. As for the truth, they don't really care, because it's just something to talk about over tea. Only those involved and stakeholders will delve into the truth."

Akane Tachibana looked at Manabu Horikita with great helplessness. She felt that she had no way to communicate with this currently popular school beauty and devilish girl.

Yes, thanks to the double boost from the successful release of the Ludo game and the magazine, there are now many people calling Chihaya the school beauty. Although she denies it, many people do call her that behind her back.

"Did you come here to ask about something?" Horikita Manabu asked, having received Tachibana Akane's distress signal.

“Yes, I want to inquire about the next special exam,” Chihaya said to Horikita Manabu, “the one after the final exams.”

"Are you really that confident? What if it's just a small test? Wouldn't it be a waste of this opportunity?"

"There are 160 students in four first-grade classes. All their food, drinks, and entertainment are free, and they even get luxury cruises and beach vacations—it can't possibly be just a simple perk, right? Besides, the school has never said that special exams don't include all students' participation, nor has it ever said that special exams don't involve class points. It's just that the two special exams so far don't involve class points, which has been misunderstood."

"In that case, you're going to use your reward, right?" Horikita confirmed for the last time, then took a document from the drawer and pushed it towards Chihaya. "Take a look. This is part of the introduction to this exam."

"Oh? You're being quite generous this time, actually showing me the documents directly?"

“Yes, but according to the regulations, you are not allowed to disclose any information to others in any form after you have read the document. You can only disclose it after the special exam officially begins,” Horikita Manabu explained. “If you agree, I will consider it that you have exercised your rights by opening this document now.”

“Of course, I’m keeping my mouth shut.” Chihaya took the document without hesitation and began reading it.

A few minutes later, Chihaya had read it all.

"Spending a week on a deserted island as a class? That's a bit too much." Chihaya shook her head after reading it. "Although you can exchange for all sorts of things, the remaining points can be converted into class points. Isn't that a gamble? If you choose to have a comfortable vacation, you won't gain many class points; but if you keep as many class points as possible, this week will definitely be quite unpleasant, right?"

Horikita Manabu remained noncommittal, showing no intention of responding.

"So, I should still be able to get some help with this exam, right?"

“Yes.” Horikita Manabu nodded slightly. “You can get the coordinates of a few checkpoints in advance, but I can’t guarantee that they won’t be occupied by other people in the middle.”

"Is that so? That's quite interesting." Chihaya nodded in satisfaction. "This is much more interesting than the last time we played Ludo."

Chihaya wasn't worried about Class B. After all, Class B was a very united class, and they certainly wouldn't be stingy or wasteful when it came to using class points. Instead, they would try their best to find a suitable balance.

It's hard to say about other classes; in extreme cases, disagreements might arise, leading to infighting.

Putting aside other factors, the current situation of Class D makes such a scenario highly likely. After all, they only have 80 class points, and they certainly wouldn't want to give up a rare opportunity when a special exam with class points is available.

"The specific coordinates will be sent to your phone in advance. Remember to write them down before submitting your phone," Horikita Manabu reminded him. "If you don't remember them yourself, no teacher will tell you them later."

"Understood." Chizaki nodded and put the document back. He had already read through the general rules and didn't need to study the meaning of any of them.

"Not going to take another look? You might not have another chance."

"Let's leave it until the teacher announces the rules." Chihaya didn't take it seriously. After all, he wasn't in charge of Class B alone, so there was no point in studying it too much now. They should wait until the rules were officially announced before studying it together with Honami Kanzaki.

On the other hand, he's too lazy to do the mental work; he'll just need to agree with Fanbo when the time comes.

"By the way, I have a question I'd like to ask."