The rest of the day, David spent driving around for fun, reading books, playing on his computer, and completing tasks. He earned 50 task points and 10 luxury points in just one day.
The next morning, he got up early for school, choosing to ride his bike and leave the sports car at home. He attended morning study and was diligent in all his classes until the last period in the afternoon, which was a literature class with his homeroom teacher, Mr. Walker.
Mr. Walker wasn't teaching that day; he was busy with some class arrangements since the final exams were in three days, and he wouldn't have any more classes after that. He was rearranging the seating, pairing students with good grades next to those who needed improvement. For the rest, he couldn't do much. The classroom was in chaos as seats were being shuffled around.
David thought he wouldn't be affected because he was sitting next to Liam, who, despite his sometimes goofy demeanor, was among the top fifteen students in the class and ranked within the top twenty-five of the entire senior year. But then he heard Mr. Walker calling out, "David, where's David?" The room was too crowded and chaotic from the seat changes for the teacher to spot him.
Upon hearing his name, David stood up and replied, "Here, sir." Mr. Walker spotted him and said, "Move your seat over here." David was puzzled—he was already sitting next to a top student. Although he wasn't a top student himself yet, he was getting there. Still, he didn't argue and moved his seat to where the teacher indicated.
To his surprise, he found himself next to the class president, Tina. Mr. Walker wanted him to sit with her. Curious, David asked, "Mr. Walker, I was sitting next to Liam, who's a great student. Why move me next to Tina?"
Mr. Walker explained, "Do you really want to know?" David nodded. "First, your grades are improving, but sitting with Liam makes me a bit uneasy. Liam is smart but also playful, though his grades never drop. Second, Tina is in the top three of the class and top ten in the senior year. Sitting with her will help keep you focused."
With that, Mr. Walker ended the conversation, urging them to settle down as school was almost over. David, understanding the reasoning, moved his seat next to Tina and sat down.
Tina glanced at him and blushed slightly, perhaps recalling a bet she had with him. David noticed her flushed cheeks and remembered the system's optional task to win Tina over. Now that they were sitting together, he wondered if he could start working on that task. He thought to himself, "Can I accept that optional task now?"
The system chimed in, "Sure." It added, "Then accept it!" David said.
Optional Task: The host must win over Tina before graduation.
Task Reward: 30 points.
Task Failure: None.
Accept? Yes.
Alright, time to tease her a bit! David leaned in, flashing a bright smile. "Hello, class president. Take care of me, okay?" Tina stayed silent. David continued, "Come on, say something. Why's your face red? Afraid you'll lose the bet?" Tina lowered her head, not wanting to talk to him. Every time she did, she felt something strange, especially when he playfully smacked her. It was oddly pleasant. What am I thinking? Her face turned even redder.
Seeing Tina's silence, David playfully slapped her thigh. Startled, Tina let out a small scream. Thankfully, the classroom was noisy with students moving desks, so no one heard her.
She rubbed her thigh, cursing David in her mind. That jerk, always picking on me. It hurts! I need to get back at him. Seizing the moment while David was distracted, she pinched his side hard, twisting it 360 degrees.
David was hit with a sharp pain that even an adult would struggle with. "Ouch, Tina! What are you doing? That hurts!"
"Hmph, serves you right for teasing me and hitting my leg. I'll squeeze you to death, you big bully." Tina kept twisting while David writhed in pain, nearly in tears. After a minute, she let go, satisfied. "Bully, try that again and I'll bite you next time."
David didn't care what she said. Lifting his shirt, he saw the bruise. Wow, she really went for it. All I did was tap her leg! If I ever win her over, I'll make sure she remembers this. Ouch, it really hurts.
Soon, the school bell rang. As David was about to leave, Teacher Walker called him over to the office. Most teachers had already left for the day.
Teacher Walker asked David to sit down. "Teacher Walker, I don't think I've done anything wrong lately. I've been studying hard these past weeks."
Teacher Walker replied, "I've noticed your hard work this week. I know. I kept you back because I wanted to talk to you about..." "Anything to say?" David shook his head, indicating he wasn't sure. Mr. Walker continued, "I've moved you to the front, sitting in front of Tina, to help you focus better in class and create a good learning environment for you."
"I want your grades to improve. I've noticed your progress in the quizzes over the past few weeks. With the final exam before graduation coming up, I hope you can make significant improvements. Can you do that?"
Without hesitation, David replied, "I can." Mr. Walker said, "It's too early to say now. We'll see if you're just boasting once the exam results are out."
"But sitting in the front shouldn't affect Tina's learning. She can influence you, but you shouldn't distract her. Do you understand?" "I understand, Mr. Walker. I'll study hard and won't disturb Tina," David said, flashing a bright smile.
"Alright, I trust you. You can go home now. Remember to take the exam seriously and don't let my efforts go to waste, okay?" Mr. Walker said earnestly.
"Okay, Mr. Walker, I won't disappoint you. I'll be going now." With that, David left the office, hopped on his bike, and headed home.