Early summer in April.
The temperature in Tokyo was already nearing scorching. At half past two in the afternoon, it was approaching school dismissal time in the island nation. The sun slowly moved towards the western hills, and the heat of summer was only temporarily relieved.
"Ding-a-ling-ling—"
The bell rang, and Hoshino Jun put his books into his shoulder bag, walking out of the classroom with Takasaki Yusuke and Jo-kun, who were in front of him.
"This year's Tokyo is really cursed. It's only April, and it's already so hot."
"Yeah, I think the same as Yusuke said, Tokyo is really too hot."
The conversation of the two boys reached Hoshino Jun's ears. He looked up at the sun in the sky.
This year's Tokyo was indeed a bit hot.
"But compared to Nagasaki and Hiroshima decades ago, how hot could it really be?"
"Facing temperatures of six thousand degrees, the people of those two places didn't utter a single sound."
"The people of the island nation now are still too delicate."
Hoshino Jun murmured a few words.
He had been transmigrated here for nearly three years. Other than having an aunt who treated him exceptionally well, there wasn't much difference from his previous life.
Parents deceased, no car, no house.
He was exceptionally handsome and received love letters very easily.
However, everything came with a price. While having a handsome face that was deeply liked by girls, he naturally suffered the resentment from male classmates.
For example, Takasaki Yusuke and Jo-kun in front of him.
Don't misunderstand, Hoshino Jun and they were not friends. The reason they were walking together now was not because they had a good relationship.
Instead, they were going to the teacher's office together to be lectured.
As for why?
As Hoshino Jun looked at them, a panel about the two suddenly popped up.
Name: Takasaki Yusuke
Stamina: 5
Intelligence: 5
Charm: 7
Occupation: Student
Friendship: In a state of debt, determined to be unable to repay, this debt has been automatically transferred to his girlfriend, "Kato Nana."
Hint: Please collect this person's friendship debt as soon as possible. Upon successful collection, you will receive a reward.
The Friendship System appeared yesterday when Hoshino Jun was framed by Takasaki Yusuke and Jo-kun for stealing money.
As long as Hoshino Jun chose not to pursue their wrongdoings, they would owe Hoshino Jun a friendship. If the system determined that they could not repay the friendship.
Then this friendship debt would be randomly transferred to someone with a close relationship with them.
And what Hoshino Jun needed to do was to successfully collect the friendship debt and receive the reward paid by the system as compensation.
"Hey, Hoshino, when you see Teacher Hamasaki later, you know what to say, right?"
Jo-kun suddenly turned around, his eyebrows raised, his tone unfriendly, as if he was threatening Hoshino Jun.
Speaking of which, Jo-kun and Hoshino Jun were neighbors and should have been good friends. Originally, they were.
But everything changed after the girl Jo-kun had been relentlessly pursuing handed a love letter to Hoshino Jun two years ago.
Even though Hoshino Jun clearly rejected that girl, and even though Hoshino Jun had never really paid much attention to her, Jo-kun still held a grudge against Hoshino Jun because of it.
Yesterday, he even colluded with Takasaki Yusuke to falsely accuse the impoverished Hoshino Jun of stealing money.
Fortunately, someone reported the two, saying they saw them actively putting money into Hoshino Jun's bag.
This prevented the money-stealing incident from causing any commotion.
"I understand. Since I said I would forgive you, I won't go back on my word."
Hoshino Jun looked at the panel in front of Jo-kun and added in his heart.
You'd better pray that the reward the system pays me can soothe my anger.
Otherwise, Jo-kun and Takasaki Yusuke would both know that Hoshino Jun was a very petty person.
Name: Jo-kun
Stamina: 6
Intelligence: 4
Charm: 7
Occupation: Student
Friendship: In a state of debt, determined to be unable to repay, this debt has been automatically transferred to his mother, "Takayanagi Yuki."
Hint: Please collect this person's friendship debt as soon as possible. Upon successful collection, you will receive a reward.
Hoshino Jun really wanted to see what kind of reward the system, which appeared after he had been in Tokyo for two and a half years, would bestow.
Preferably money.
His family's finances were a bit tight, and Hoshino Jun wanted to get money to help his aunt relieve some pressure.
...
One minute later.
Hoshino Jun arrived at the teachers' office on the third floor, knocked on the door, and after hearing "Come in," pushed the door open.
At this time, there were more than a dozen teachers sitting in the office, all dressed in uniform white shirts, their hairlines slowly receding in a unified direction.
The older the teacher, the higher the hairline, with the highest already completely bald.
But there was one teacher who was an exception.
The drawn blinds couldn't block the afternoon sun, and a beam of light shone on the innermost workstation in the office, where a woman in her early twenties sat.
Hoshino Jun respectfully bowed his head and greeted, "Teacher Hamasaki!"
Hamasaki Mayu.
She was 1.70 meters tall, with a cascade of black hair flowing down her back, wearing gold-rimmed glasses. Beneath her professional hip-hugging skirt, a pair of straight, long legs, clad in thin flesh-colored stockings, showed no flaws.
Her skin was fair, her face beautiful, and she always wore a cold expression, exuding a strong mature woman's aura.
"Hoshino-kun, have you thought it through? This time, it was Takayanagi and Takasaki who maliciously framed you. The teacher hopes you make the correct judgment."
Teacher Hamasaki's tone of voice was as cold and authoritative as her appearance.
When her gaze swept over Jo-kun and Takasaki Yusuke, they both bent and lowered their heads like quails.
"Teacher, we were just playing a friendly joke with Jun-kun, Jun-kun, you agree, right?" Jo-kun frantically winked.
Teacher Hamasaki's willow-like eyebrows furrowed, and her smooth, long legs, encased in stockings, swayed as she scolded, "Did I give you permission to speak?"
"I'm sorry, Teacher, I spoke out of turn."
Jo-kun lowered his head, not daring to say more, only able to pin his hopes on Hoshino Jun.
Hoshino Jun did not disappoint. After a brief pause, he nodded and said, "Teacher, yes, Jo-kun and I are neighbors, and Takasaki-kun has been my classmate for three consecutive years."
"I am willing to believe they were just joking with me."
He didn't really think they were joking, but was just willing to believe they were joking?
Teacher Hamasaki's eyebrows remained tightly furrowed, and her eyes, as she looked at Hoshino Jun, held a hint of worry. She was very concerned for this handsome young man who was excessively kind.
"Hoshino-kun, you must know that if a person is too kind, they are very easily bullied by scoundrels."
That word "scoundrels" was clearly aimed at Jo-kun and Takasaki Yusuke.
Their backs bent even lower; for the sake of their studies, they dared not refute in the slightest.
"Teacher, please rest assured, I am not some fool who lets people bully him. This time, it's because I am willing to believe."
"Alright then, this is your decision, you make your own choices."
Teacher Hamasaki sighed softly. She actually still hoped Hoshino Jun could be a bit more assertive.
But since Hoshino Jun had already made his choice, she couldn't say much more.
"Hoshino-kun, you can go back first. Takasaki and Takayanagi, you two stay behind, go to the corner and write a two-thousand-word self-reflection letter before you leave."
The office echoed with the disheartened lamentations of Takasaki Yusuke and Jo-kun.
Evening, the sun set in the west, and the sky was filled with a fiery glow.
Hoshino Jun received a text message from Jo-kun.
"Hoshino, don't think that because you did this today, I will forgive you."
How to put it, one could only say that Jo-kun was truly too conceited.
Hoshino Jun never needed his forgiveness.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
The door of the Takayanagi Family was knocked by Hoshino Jun. The one who opened the door was a voluptuous beautiful woman, with long brown hair tied into a braid that fell over her ample bosom.
"It's Jun! It's been a long time since you came to our house to play, come in quickly!"