Zsh, N = 22 + 2 + 3 = 27

print {~..!} {!..~} 

Try it online!

print turns out to be the most forgiving way to output for this challenge; echo has a "c", and <<< ends up too far away too (not to mention brace expansions aren't expanded with it).

As for why I used ! instead of :

print {~.. } { ..~} # would save a point, but doesn't work print {~..\ } {\ ..~} # works, but costs 13 points compared to "!" print {~..' '} {' '..~} # works, but costs 6 points compared to "!" print {~.." "} {" "..~} # works, but costs 1 point compared to "!" 

Instead, we rely on print joining the arguments with spaces to get the middle space.

Zsh, N = 22 + 2 + 3 = 27

print {~..!} {!..~} 

Try it online!

print turns out to be the most forgiving way to output for this challenge; echo has a "c", and <<< ends up too far away too (not to mention brace expansions aren't expanded with it).

As for why I used ! instead of :

print {~.. } { ..~} # would save a point, but doesn't work print {~..\ } {\ ..~} # works, but costs 13 points compared to "!" print {~..' '} {' '..~} # works, but costs 6 points compared to "!" print {~.." "} {" "..~} # works, but costs 1 point compared to "!" 

Instead, we rely on print joining the arguments with spaces to get the middle space.

Zsh, N = 22 + 2 + 3 = 27

print {~..!} {!..~} 

Try it online!

print turns out to be the most forgiving way to output for this challenge; echo has a "c", and <<< ends up too far away too (not to mention brace expansions aren't expanded with it).

Zsh, N = 22 + 2 + 3 = 27

print {~..!} {!..~} 

Try it online!

print turns out to be the most forgiving way to output for this challenge; echo has a "c", and <<< ends up too far away too (not to mention brace expansions aren't expanded with it).

As for why I used ! instead of :

print {~.. } { ..~} # would save a point, but doesn't work print {~..\ } {\ ..~} # works, but costs 13 points compared to "!" print {~..' '} {' '..~} # works, but costs 6 points compared to "!" print {~.." "} {" "..~} # works, but costs 1 point compared to "!" 

Instead, we rely on print joining the arguments with spaces to get the middle space.

Zsh, N = 24 + 4 + 3 = 29

print {!..~}{~..!} 

Try it online!

print turns out to be the most forgiving way to output for this challenge; echo has a "c", and <<< ends up too far away too (not to mention brace expansions aren't expanded with it).

Zsh, N = 22 + 2 + 3 = 27

print {~..!} {!..~} 

Try it online!

print turns out to be the most forgiving way to output for this challenge; echo has a "c", and <<< ends up too far away too (not to mention brace expansions aren't expanded with it).