The afternoon classes were just as ordinary. The teachers covered nothing but basic material, and to Kazehara Tetsu, a graduate student who had even been through the grind of working life, it was as dull as chewing wax.
He spent the entire time lost in thought, occasionally glancing at the other students out of the corner of his eye.
The students who had made it into Class A were certainly outstanding; they listened to the lessons with complete attention.
The dismissal bell rang, signaling the end of the day's classes.
The atmosphere in the classroom instantly grew lively. Students left in pairs and small groups, discussing where they would go to pass the time.
Kazehara Tetsu took his time packing up. He planned to head back to the Dormitory.
Just then, the faint sound of tapping drew closer.
"Knock... knock... knock..."
Kazehara Tetsu looked up and saw Sakayanagi Arisu standing beside his desk, leaning on her cane.
The students who had been chatting noisily fell silent as soon as they saw her, instinctively stepping out of her way.
"Kagihara..."
Her voice was clear and sweet, yet carried an unquestionable authority. "Do you have any plans for the rest of the day?"
"Nothing for now. I was just about to head back to the Dormitory and zone out. What can I do for you, Classmate Sakayanagi?" Kazehara Tetsu leaned back in his chair and looked up at her.
From this angle, he could clearly see her delicate jawline and long, fair neck.
"The Gymnasium is hosting a Club Joint Information Session," she said, not directly answering his question.
"The clubs are all trying to recruit new students. I thought it might be a nice way to pass the time."
She paused, a playful glint in her violet eyes. "But going alone would be rather dull. Are you interested?"
Hearing Sakayanagi Arisu mention it reminded Kazehara Tetsu that there had been an announcement over the loudspeaker at lunchtime about the Club Orientation Meeting.
But he had been following Yamauchi Haruki and the other two then, so he hadn't paid it much attention.
Kazehara Tetsu smiled. He stood up and casually slung his bag over his shoulder. "Since it's an invitation from Classmate Sakayanagi, I couldn't possibly refuse."
The two of them left the classroom side by side.
As they walked along the Teaching Building's corridors, students passing by couldn't help casting curious, puzzled looks their way.
It only took a day for curious students to start looking into their classmates, so it hadn't taken long for others to learn that Sakayanagi Arisu was the chairman's daughter.
Now she was walking with a boy, which was more than enough to draw her classmates' attention.
"Looks like walking with me has caused you quite a bit of trouble," Sakayanagi said, her voice so even that it gave nothing away.
"Trouble? No. I choose to take those looks as... an acknowledgment of my personal charm." Kazehara Tetsu turned toward her and winked.
"What a sleazy thing to say," Sakayanagi remarked flatly.
The walk to the Gymnasium wasn't long, but the two of them took their time.
"I thought about it yesterday. You stood up for me in class, but it wasn't only because you agreed with my point, was it?" Sakayanagi suddenly said, breaking the silence.
"Oh? Then what do you think it was, Classmate Sakayanagi?" Kazehara Tetsu asked in return.
"You were making an investment."
Sakayanagi's tone was certain. "You were showing me your worth and where you stood, hoping to earn my 'attention.' You want to secure a favorable position in Class A's Power Structure. And you judged that I would serve your interests better than Classmate Katsuragi."
"That's an excellent analysis."
Kazehara Tetsu didn't hold back his praise. "Talking to someone clever really does save time. You're right, I was making an investment. After all, betting on the person most likely to win is the most natural choice."
"Are you so sure I'll be the winner?"
"I never gamble unless I'm confident I'll win." Kazehara Tetsu smiled with complete confidence. "Besides, I'm confident I can swallow up all of Class A."
Sakayanagi stopped in her tracks.
She turned and looked Kazehara Tetsu in the eye.
"...Kagihara, your ambition is even greater than I imagined."
"Ambition is the best adornment a person can wear on the outside, isn't it?"
Kazehara Tetsu replied lightly and offered no further explanation.
Once they entered the Gymnasium, the scene before them was like a grand festival, with hundreds of new students weaving through the spacious venue.
There were all kinds of clubs, from sports to cultural activities.
The upperclassmen from each club did their utmost to hand out flyers to passing newcomers, loudly pitching the appeal of their clubs.
"Kagihara, which club do you want to join?"
"I'm afraid I have absolutely no intention of joining a club." Kazehara Tetsu's voice was calm, as if he had no interest in Club Activity whatsoever.
Sakayanagi Arisu couldn't help being curious and pressed him. "Oh? Why not?"
"What could anyone possibly gain by wasting their limited life on these childish group activities?"
"Looks like, in this regard, our views are surprisingly alike." Sakayanagi's lips curved slightly.
They didn't stop at a single booth, simply making their way through the crowd at an unhurried pace.
Just as they were about to reach the other end of the Gymnasium, a relatively quiet area came into view.
There were no loud calls here, just a simple booth with a long table.
A dark green cloth covered the table, with several sets of black and white chess pieces arranged on top.
The International Chess Club.
There were only two or three upperclassmen at the booth. Unlike the other clubs, they made no enthusiastic effort to recruit newcomers. They sat quietly behind the table, focused on their games, only occasionally glancing up at passing students.
For the first time, Sakayanagi Arisu stopped of her own accord. Her gaze settled on one of the chessboards, where the game was already in the middlegame.
"Kagihara,"
Her eyes remained on the board. "What do you think of International Chess?"
"International Chess..." Kazehara Tetsu looked toward the board as well. "I know a little, I guess. Enough to know the king shouldn't walk to its own death and the pawns need to keep advancing."
His answer was so modest it bordered on dismissive.
Sakayanagi Arisu finally looked away from the board and turned to him.
"'A little'? That's a rather vague and interesting answer."
Leaning on her cane, she took half a step closer to the booth. "In that case... why don't we use a game to get to know each other better?"
The instant Sakayanagi Arisu finished speaking, a notification sound that only Kazehara Tetsu could hear rang deep in his mind.
A line of pale blue virtual text appeared directly in front of his eyes.
[Side Quest Triggered: Chess Match] [Quest Objective: Play a game of chess against Sakayanagi Arisu and defeat her.] [Reward: 500 Points.]
Kazehara Tetsu's pupils contracted slightly for an instant, unnoticed by anyone.
Five hundred Points—more than he had saved up over a dozen years. Was this the benefit of entering the main storyline?
However, he knew all too well that with his current amateurish chess skills, Sakayanagi Arisu would probably crush him before he made it twenty moves.
His consciousness plunged into the System Store like a bolt of lightning. Rows of dazzling skills flashed past his eyes at high speed.
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