End Log [2]

Harry narrowed his eyes as if recalling something. "You mean... the 'survive for twelve hours' one?"

Tess nodded. "Yes. It also gave rewards according to my performance in the objective… or trial. You can check it—see if there's an exclamation mark after 'Complete.' It will give you, umm, an evaluation and the list of rewards you can claim."

Harry leaned back in his chair, his smirk returning as he muttered under his breath, "Show Status." A translucent screen materialized in front of him, glowing faintly. His eyes scanned the text, and sure enough, there was a small exclamation mark next to the words Objective 1 - Complete.

He tapped it, and a new branch screen appeared.

____ __ _

[ Objective 1 - Complete ]

Evaluation:

"Ah, Harry. What can we say about your performance? You survived. That's… something. You managed to save lives using methods that can only be described as creative (read: absurd). From convincing a group of terrified people to throw rocks at monsters(Really?) to narrowly escaping death by sheer dumb luck, you've proven that chaos is your middle name. 

Your logic was… questionable at best, but hey, it worked. You ran when you had to, fought when you could, and somehow made it out alive despite your best efforts to get yourself killed. Witnessing deaths along the way must have been tough, but let's be honest—you were too busy running for your life to process much of it. 

All in all, you survived. Congratulations. Barely."

_____ __ _

Harry's lips twitched. He could practically hear the sarcasm dripping from the words.

'The hell is this backhanded compliment?'

"Creative? Absurd? Questionable logic? Who wrote this, a stand-up comedian?"

Before he could complain further, more text appeared.

_____ __ _

[Rewards Granted]:

• 5 Attribute Points (Because even you deserve a little boost.)

• 1 Random Item (Let's hope it's not another banana peel.)

• 10 Bananas (For… reasons.)

[Choose One of the Following]:

• Lucky Charm (Increases Luck by 1. Because you clearly need it.)

• Sturdy Boots (Reduces Stamina consumption while running. You'll need these.)

• Tactician's Notebook (Improves strategic thinking. Or at least makes you look like you know what you're doing.)

_______

"You can claim them using the 'Claim' button at the right bottom." Tess's voice sounded.

Harry's lips curled into a smirk as he turned to Tess, his voice dripping with mock gratitude. "Woah, so smart. Thank you for explaining something I could clearly read myself. What would I ever do without you?" 

Swoosh-!

A sharp kick landed beneath the table, right against his knee. 

"Ow! What the hell—" Harry clutched his leg, grimacing in pain as he glared at Tess. "That was uncalled for!" 

Tess took a slow sip of her tea, completely unbothered. "If you're not interested in the rest of the information, then I'll take my leave." 

Harry immediately straightened up. "Wait, wait, wait—hold on now, there's no need to be so hasty. Of course, I'm interested! Your words are like divine wisdom, Big Sis Tess." His voice was thick with forced sincerity, but his grin remained intact. 

Tess looked at him, clearly amused. Then, still standing up, she added, "It's about the current objective. We'll talk when there are no 'ears' around." 

With that, she walked away, not giving Harry another glance. 

Harry didn't complain this time. He simply nodded, but as soon as she left, he noticed something— 

Tim was still staring at her retreating figure, his eyes slightly dazed. 

Harry's smirk returned. "Hehe."

He nudged Max, who, to his surprise, was also watching Tess leave.

Harry's grin widened. 'Oh? Is Max also—' 

But before he could get excited, Max turned to him with a blank expression and asked, "What?" 

Harry deflated instantly. 'Damn it, he's just spacing out.' 

Still, he wasn't about to let this golden opportunity go. He gestured toward Tim, who was now smiling like an idiot, clearly lost in his thoughts. 

Max blinked, then tilted his head. "...What about him?" 

Harry sighed dramatically. 'Why am I surrounded by dense people?' 

Still, he wasn't about to let the moment go to waste. He leaned back, stretching his arms behind his head. 

"You know, I think I have a crush on Big Sis Tess." 

Tim, who had still been staring at where Tess had disappeared, snapped his head toward Harry so fast it was a miracle he didn't get whiplash. His expression was a mix of terror and disbelief. 

"Wha—" 

But before he could say anything else, his brows furrowed as he noticed Harry's teasing smile. 

Then, realization hit. 

His face turned red. "I-It's not what you think!" 

"Sure~ sure~" Harry waved a hand dismissively. "Whatever you say." 

Tim opened his mouth to argue, but Harry had already turned to Max. 

"Come on, Max, let's go. We, the proud loners, shouldn't meddle with guys like these." 

Max, still confused but not really caring enough to question it, shrugged and stood up to follow him. 

Tim, however, wasn't having it. "H-Hey! That's not—! I don't—! You guys—!" 

But Harry ignored him completely, walking off with Max in tow. 

Panicked, Tim hurried after them, trying to explain himself. "Wait! It's really not what you—Harry! MAX! STOP IGNORING ME!"

"..."

...

Tim's protests faded into the background as Harry and Max strolled away, completely ignoring his flustered explanations. The cafeteria buzzed with activity, but amidst the chatter, a pair of keen eyes followed their departure.

Ashley's gaze lingered on Max's retreating figure. Her expression remained composed, her usual air of indifference unshaken, but her fingers lightly tapped against the table—a small, unconscious habit of hers when deep in thought.

"…Max," she muttered under her breath, almost as if testing the name aloud. "Why is he still ignoring me..."

Beside her, Caroline tilted her head, catching the unspoken weight in Ashley's voice. "President, don't look so down. Maybe he just doesn't know how to approach you?"

Ashley's fingers stilled. A moment passed before she replied, her voice as composed as ever. "Perhaps."

Caroline leaned in slightly, lowering her voice. "You know, he's always been quiet. A bit reserved." She grinned playfully. "It's kind of cute in its own way."

"Hmm..." Ashley didn't respond. Instead, her gaze subtly shifted to Harry, who was still teasing Tim in the distance. A faint, almost imperceptible frown formed.

Caroline noticed. And she knew that look.

"…But?" she prompted.

"I don't like him being with that guy," Ashley stated plainly.

Caroline blinked. "Which guy?"

"The fool."

"…You mean Harry?" Caroline's lips twitched. "Why?"

Ashley didn't answer immediately, instead directing a cool glance at her friend. It was the kind of look that said, 'Do you really need me to explain?'

Caroline let out a small chuckle. "Well… I mean, yeah, he's a bit of a troublemaker. And lazy. And a low-rank student. But he's not a bad person."

Ashley simply hummed in response, her expression unreadable. "I see."

'She doesn't believe me!' Caroline sighed, leaning back in her chair. Even after all this time, Ashley's thoughts were still a puzzle. But she wasn't about to give up.

"Oh, right," Caroline perked up. "I was planning to visit that fool later. I'll check up on Max while I'm at it. How's that sound?"

Ashley finally turned her full attention to her, considering the offer. "…Thank you."

Caroline grinned. "Of course. Anything you'd like me to find out?"

Ashley gave her a long look, then simply said, "A few things."

Caroline chuckled again. "Got it."