I Just Want Your Rewards

Chapter 4: Rewards and Rewards

Suzuki Tetsu discovered that this dormitory building accommodated both boys and girls, with boys on the lower floors and girls on the higher floors. 

When receiving the dormitory key and the rulebook, the administrator repeatedly emphasized not engaging in behavior inappropriate for high school students.

His dorm room was on the second floor, making the use of an elevator unnecessary. It was a single room with considerable space, a kitchen area, and a private bathroom. It was evident that AN High School provided excellent accommodations for its students. 

If these conditions remained unchanged, this place would be a dream come true for many.

However, the gifts of fate often come with corresponding costs. As he had mentioned to Kamuro Masumi earlier, the logic was simple: AN High School was a school with a special mission, supported by the government of Japan. 

Given this premise, it still provided students with sufficient benefits, including guarantees for higher education and employment, and no fees during their time at school, along with monthly personal points.

It seemed extravagant; no matter how developed Japan was, it couldn’t sustain such practices without justification. There was only one reasonable explanation: the investment and return were proportional, at least enough to satisfy the government. 

What was the return? Most likely, it was the special talents AN High School claimed to cultivate.

But how did they foster the talents they desired? By pitting them against each other, creating a highly competitive environment. 

In his previous job, Suzuki Tetsu was a top contender in internal competition, consistently making it to the finals of the annual elimination rounds. 

In a large corporation, talent was abundant, and one had to mold oneself into the shape preferred by the leadership to avoid being laid off.

He understood well that only through internal competition could leadership be satisfied. 

The logic was simple: in the same test, if you were the top performer, everyone would remember your name, not the second-place finisher.

If no exceptions were made, the class points would most likely serve as the measure of this competition. Compared to personal points, class points had a collective performance evaluation feel to them. Class points were more suitable for assessing overall performance, akin to a department’s total output.

Moreover, no matter how one viewed it, AN High School would aim to cultivate a group of elite students rather than just one top performer each year. Otherwise, there would be no need to introduce class points. 

This suggested that future competitions would likely involve classes pitted against each other, with the objective of integrating the class and leading everyone to outperform other classes.

However, there was a problem: what was the purpose of students competing? Suzuki Tetsu found it amusing; surely, they wouldn’t expel students who couldn’t keep up with the competition? 

Although AN High School guaranteed higher education and employment, it only applied to graduates. If AN High School expelled students early, those guarantees would become invalid.

As a top contender in elimination rounds, Suzuki Tetsu deeply understood this. Though he was indifferent to the idea, early expulsion might slightly impact his wishes. He calmed his mind as the rewards from his previous world materialized before him.

Items such as "Nissin Instant Noodles" 2, "JPY" 5,460,000, "Higuchi Madoka's Worn Black Stockings" 6, "Toilet Brush" 7, "Unicorn Gundam Fragment" 3, "Character Control Handle" 1, "Mind Cube" 88, "Wedding Ring" 9, "Cold Crow" 1, "Bug" 4, and so on. Most were meaningless, some even seemed like junk.

However, Suzuki Tetsu was only interested in one reward that he had earned by pushing himself to the limit. Although it was a random draw, he could specify a prize pool, such as the item pool, skill pool, knowledge pool, or supernatural pool. The first three were manageable and occasionally yielded good items, but the supernatural pool was abstract, containing all sorts of strange items.

He had previously drawn many incomprehensible items from the supernatural pool, such as "Mind Cube," "Light Sword," and "JPY." He couldn't understand why "JPY" was considered supernatural—perhaps it was the power of money?

Despite this, Suzuki Tetsu continued to invest in the supernatural pool. After experiencing the extreme terror of life and death, ordinary items no longer interested him. Achieving a few wishes and getting something interesting in return was satisfactory.

[Drawing a reward from the corresponding pool...]

[Congratulations! You have received "Nano Regeneration Solution"!]

["Nano Regeneration Solution": Injected via syringe, it can heal the target's injuries or enhance their physical abilities.]

[Reward has been issued, please check accordingly!]

It seemed to be a medical tool, and Suzuki Tetsu's expression grew slightly odd. The style resembled a product of black technology. It felt like the prize pool had mixed in many strange items. 

Exchanging a life-risking stunt for a medical tool seemed like an equal trade, not a loss. In case of an emergency, it could serve as a critical first aid measure.

Of course, if he wanted, he could use it on anyone, not just himself. Suzuki Tetsu calmly lay on his bed, thinking about his next steps.

...

On the second day of school.

The teachers only introduced the semester's teaching plan without touching on any substantive content. Despite this, Class A students listened attentively, without anyone slacking off. Some even actively asked how to cooperate with the teaching pace and what the key points were.

From this atmosphere alone, Suzuki Tetsu realized that many students were also top competitors, and some had probably already reviewed the textbooks. No matter where he went, it seemed impossible to escape the competition.

During break time, a few girls approached Suzuki Tetsu and chatted briefly, revealing they wanted his contact information. He didn’t refuse; humans are inherently social, and sometimes personal connections play crucial roles.

After getting his contact information, the girls excitedly left. He could hear them whispering about how the most handsome guy in the first year had to be from Class A. 

It seemed like students from different classes had already started interacting.

Moreover, small groups began to form within the class. The most popular was the group led by Katsuragi Kouhei, who had the highest popularity. 

He was calm, steady, had good entrance exam results, and had been a class leader and a member of the student council—his impressive resume alone surpassed many students, making him the natural leader of Class A.

Furthermore, a brief observation showed he was good at communication, knowing how to guide conversations without letting them die out. 

Soon, the students gathered around him got to know each other, marking the initial formation of a small circle.

Aside from Katsuragi Kouhei, Suzuki Tetsu also noted other individuals. 

For instance, a boy with long hair tied back who was very sociable and seemed naturally friendly—his name was Hashimoto Masayoshi. Other notable students included Kitou Hayato, Morishita Aoi, and Yamamura Miki.

They caught his attention not only because they were interesting, but also because some had wishes intertwined with them. 

Generally, background characters wouldn’t have wishes.