"5 Zsech Hoodies, 7 Zsech jeans, 3 round-neck shirts, 8 inner clothes, 3 large towels, and 3 bed sheets."
"That would cost you exactly 15 points." The voice of an older man rang out from behind the counter, and Everlearn nodded.
"You can pay for it by simply placing your device close to this," he said, pointing to a machine by the side.
BEEP
The satisfying sound was made, and Everlearn saw the notification.
[-15 points.]
[Points left: 85]
He stepped out of the clothes store with a nylon bag in hand.
With him having gotten new wear, he felt much more at peace, even though his heart was still stinging from getting his points slashed.
This area served as the shopping district of the academy, featuring a variety of shops throughout.
Everlearn arrived before another shop and stepped in.
This time, it was filled with electronics.
There weren't many students around, just about three or so far away from him.
He found what he needed, quite a lot, before moving to the counter.
"So you want to buy a 47" Curved Orano High Design Monitor, a 15" Fast Ellen Laptop Prototype S, Toiro Wireless Keyboard, a Gonitch Pro Click Mouse, Edifier 270 Soundbar and PSB-A Docking Station, an Adjustable Lihuips Hue Smart Bulb." The lady behind the counter read out, her brows furrowed as she turned to look at Everlearn, dumbfounded.
"All of this will cost you 35 points," she said, and Everlearn nodded.
"I know it's out of my place to ask, but what do you even need this for?"
"You're a newcomer, and I don't think I've seen any newcomer around gathering gadgets with their newcomer points?"
She said, genuinely worried, as Everlearn scratched the back of his head.
"I'm more of a… Mech Designer than a Corer," he said, watching a glint cross through her eyes.
She didn't ask more, just helped him pack everything into one big bag before passing it to him.
Everlearn paid for it, before he also moved out of that shop.
Another two minutes of walking, and he entered a different shop.
After three minutes of loitering around, he got what he wanted and moved to the counter.
"A Fillian Motorized Standing Desk, an Emel Executive Chair, and a footmat. All that will cost you 10 points," he said, and Everlearn nodded, placing his device upon the reader.
BEEP!
[-10 points.]
[Points left: 40]
The notification came, and his heart bled.
The objects were packed into another bag and given to him.
While the bags were humongous, it was still no problem for Everlearn.
These were the last things he needed to get, so he immediately headed out of the shop area of the academy.
He got quite the look from the other students on his way back, and that made Everlearn take extra precautions.
There was an alleyway that he had passed to arrive quickly at the shop, the obvious shortcut if anyone wanted to get to the dorm.
However, this time he didn't pass that way, instead walking closer to the instructor's offices.
The last thing he wanted was to get cornered in an alleyway and have everything he bought stolen from him.
Tracking or regaining the devices will be difficult since they are not registered in anyone's name.
The detour for safety took an extra 30 minutes, but Everlearn eventually got to the dorm building and took the elevator up.
But when he stepped out this time, he was surprised to find a student just stepping out of their own room, and it was actually the person next to his door.
It was a pink-haired lady, around 19 or 20, her card leaving the scanner before she turned, finding the elevator open at the exact moment, revealing Everlearn.
She had a big pink balloon over her face, one formed from chewing gum, and it exploded with a loud bang, her eyes widening when she saw him step out, covered in gigantic bags.
Everlearn continued his step forward, and she didn't stop him until he arrived before his door, just next to hers.
"Waaaaaaaaah!?"
"You're my new neighbour!"
She asked, her tongue rolling over her lips and sucking the gum over her lips with one swipe.
Everlearn's eyes at first dimmed before he raised a hand, waving slightly.
"My name is Rosa. Rosa Deineira," she said, stretching her hand for a handshake, with a cute smile on her face.
"Everlearn Snowfall," he said, taking the hand.
"How cold."
"How warm."
The two thoughts rang in both minds.
He suddenly paused, his gaze fixed intently on something in the distance.
"Wait, what's that?" Everlearn mused beneath his lips, and Rosa took back her hand as she moved closer to the railings, looking in the direction Everlearn was.
"What's…"
BEEP!
The sound of the beeper rang out, and she turned only to find Everlearn had disappeared with his door just getting shut.
"Did I just get… tricked?"
_______________
"Huuuuu," Ryuk exhaled lightly as he stepped into his room and placed the bags close to the sofa.
He finally got all that he needed.
The first thing he did was move to his bedroom and organize the new clothes he bought into the wardrobe.
Then turned to the bed and brought out the sheets, quickly making it.
With that done, Everlearn moved back to the living room, and he began his setup.
The first thing he arranged was the desk, which surprisingly came with its own LED light, though Everlearn still planted the smart bulbs.
Then he moved, setting up the chair.
Once those were completed, he moved to the techs, brought out the monitor, arranged it, followed by the keyboard and the mouse, and the Edifier soundbar.
Then, he moved to the Ellen laptop and quickly set it on the desk.
It came with its own personal laptop stand that even held a cooler.
After securing the connections with the PSB docking station, he plugged the ports into the wall socket.
But only after he was done with that, did he see the foot mat, and he smacked his forehead.
He had to shift everything aside, place the mat beneath, before he reset it.
When it was done, Everlearn looked at the perfect desk setup before him with a big smile.
[What are you even doing?]
[The rest of the students are getting bionic fluids to boost their strength, and you're getting fancy tech gadgets?]
The system asked, dumbfounded.
It was the same confusion as the lady in the shop, and it wasn't unreasonable.
All the students are currently focusing on items that can enhance their strength while saving as many points as possible.
Yet here was Everlearn beautifying his room and collecting gadgets.
"I thought I mentioned this before," Everlearn mused, as he gave one last look at the room whose blandness had been rubbed off due to the new setup, before he continued to the bathroom to take a shower.
Before he disappeared through the door, the words lingered in the room:
"I'm more of a Mech Designer than a Corer."