The grading system at Shujin Academy ranged from A to C, with Shindai Hakuka currently sitting at a C grade.
Matsue Aimi glanced at Hakuka from the back of the class as she read his student file, squinting slightly as she studied him. *Well, he's certainly handsome,* she thought, *but his grades could use some work. At this rate, he's not getting into a good university.*
Sighing inwardly, she reminded herself that she had promised a certain "useless woman" to look after Hakuka. *It looks like I'll have to keep an extra eye on him going forward.*
"Shindai Hakuka!" she called out. "Stand up, it's your turn."
Hakuka had been lost in thought, staring at Mizuno Maki's back, trying to figure out why her name seemed so familiar. He couldn't quite place her from his memories, but he was sure they'd crossed paths before.
Hearing the teacher's voice, Hakuka stood up slowly and introduced himself.
"My name is Shindai Hakuka. My interests include reading and studying. That's all."
Matsue Aimi almost cringed. She wanted to retort, *How can someone with a C grade say that?!* But after thinking it over, she decided that at least his intentions were good. She'd seen students improve their grades from C to A before. If Hakuka was determined, it wasn't impossible.
*Sigh, oh well.* She'd promised to help, and now she was stuck with it.
"Not bad," Matsue Aimi nodded. "It's always great to hear so many students say they enjoy studying. If any of you want to improve your grades, feel free to come to me for help! But you'll need to focus and study hard."
"And don't rely on your good looks to slack off and start dating, letting your grades drop! I've seen that happen too many times, and I won't tolerate it in this class. I'll be watching all of you, and if your grades slip, you can expect to see your parents!"
She made a point of emphasizing the last part, playfully holding up two fingers to her eyes, then pointing them toward the students, signaling that she would keep a close watch on them.
For some reason, Hakuka felt like her gaze lingered on him a bit longer than on the others.
**Ding, ding, ding!**
The bell for the end of class rang abruptly, and Matsue Aimi nagged the students a bit more before finally leaving the room.
The second she was gone, the classroom erupted into lively conversation, with students forming groups to chat and make new friends.
Unsurprisingly, the area around Shindai Hakuka was the center of attention, as it was full of attractive and interesting students. With Hakuka, Chitanda Mirai, Mizuno Maki, and Ubahara Junko all seated nearby, it was like a magnet for curiosity.
Chitanda Mirai's easygoing nature and friendly demeanor made everyone feel comfortable around her, effortlessly maintaining conversations about any topic. She even tossed a few questions to Junko, who gave short, clipped responses, which everyone quickly realized was just her nature—intimidating but not unapproachable.
Mizuno Maki, on the other hand, stayed quiet and aloof, clearly not interested in forging many social connections. She responded only minimally to any questions, as if fulfilling a requirement.
Hakuka, meanwhile, seemed to attract more attention from the girls.
"Um, Hakuka-san, do you have a girlfriend?" one girl asked hesitantly.
"No," Hakuka replied curtly.
Upon hearing that, the girls' eyes lit up, and they eagerly followed up with more questions. "Then, do you plan on getting a girlfriend anytime soon?"
"I have no plans to date right now," Hakuka said, shaking his head.
The girls looked stunned. "Why not?" one of them asked, clearly baffled.
Hakuka, who was currently more focused on leveling up his life-based career system, responded bluntly, "No women in my heart, studying comes naturally!"
The girls were left dumbfounded. *What does studying have to do with dating?!*
"Pfft~" came a stifled laugh from Chitanda Mirai.
"Hmph!" Mizuno Maki let out a small scoff.
The classroom was noisy, and Hakuka didn't notice the sounds from Mirai and Maki, instead remaining focused on his goal.
As the crowd dispersed and it came time for the next class, the mood shifted. This time, it was math, taught by a bald male teacher instead of Matsue Aimi. The introduction session was over, and the class got into serious study mode.
Hakuka applied himself, studying diligently. Though he had once been an office worker in his previous life, he'd been out of school for a long time, and most of his high school knowledge had faded.
Even if he hadn't forgotten much, the education system in Japan was different from what he was used to back home, so he knew he'd have to start from scratch.
Since his first career was "student," studying was his only way to improve.
In the early stages, Hakuka's retained knowledge helped him level up quickly, but after reaching LV3, his experience gains had slowed significantly, trickling in point by point.
**[You studied diligently for a while. Student Career EXP +1!]**
**[You studied diligently for a while. Student Career EXP +1!]**
Even so, seeing his experience bar increase bit by bit gave him a strong sense of progress.
The visible growth brought him immense satisfaction, and the positive feedback loop motivated him to push harder. When progress is clear and measurable, the drive to achieve goals becomes much stronger.
As his experience continued to build, Hakuka could feel that he was getting close to the next level.
He estimated that by the end of the day, he would likely reach LV4 in his student career.
If no new skills unlocked after that, he'd have to rely on unlocking his next career to gain new abilities.
However, unlocking the next career slot required 100,000 yen.
At the moment, Hakuka only had around 50,000 yen, meaning he was still 50,000 yen short.
His plan was to ask Matsue Aimi for the forms to apply for a part-time job after school.
The math class ended, and Hakuka checked his career progress.
**[Occupation: Student]**
**[Level: 3]**
**[EXP: 388/400]**
He'd gained about six experience points during class, which was a nice boost compared to studying on his own.
Hakuka was pleasantly surprised. It seemed that external factors, like having a teacher guide the lesson, significantly increased his experience gain compared to self-study.