Sakurajima, Koudo Ikusei High School. In the April breeze, pink cherry blossoms drifted down like rain as a luxurious black sedan waited outside the school gates.
Once the car had stopped and the door opened, a girl in a maid outfit stepped out, carrying a schoolbag. She stood respectfully to one side and waited.
Then a boy with tousled black hair and strikingly handsome features stepped out of the car. His clothes were immaculate, and a brilliant smile graced his face.
"I'm starting school here today."
The smile at the corner of Tenyo Yuyuki's mouth grew brighter.
Tenyo Yuyuki was a sixteen-year-old boy who had originally belonged to another world. He was a reincarnator.
The surname Tenyo represented the Tenyo Family, one of the Six Zaibatsu of Sakurajima. The family secretly controlled thirty percent of Sakurajima's economy and wielded considerable influence overseas. It was easy to imagine the depth of the Tenyo Family's resources.
Because he had displayed unparalleled talent from the moment he was born, Tenyo Yuyuki could memorize anything at a glance and had an astonishing ability to understand things from a young age. The Tenyo Family had given him the best education and raised him as one of its next-generation heirs.
But things weren't so simple.
Sakurajima's families were nowhere near as polished and glamorous as they appeared. Simply put, the people at the very top of Sakurajima were all gentlemen. Once their collateral branches were included, there were easily over a hundred descendants.
As a result, the Tenyo Family had devised many ways to select its heir, and attending Koudo Ikusei High School was one of them.
This school, overseen by the government, was one of the fairest places for the various zaibatsu to choose their heirs. Here, aside from Sakurajima's laws, the School Rules took precedence over everything!
Even if a zaibatsu could use its influence to replace the school's Chairman, it still had to operate under the school's rules. The Chairman was no exception. The rules applied in meticulous detail to everyone, from the Chairman down to the students.
Koudo Ikusei High School was also completely different from other schools. It upheld the principle of absolute meritocracy, admitting a set number of students each year through a special selection process.
Each year's students were divided into the ABCD Four Classes. Only those who graduated from A Class could claim the school's promised reward: the freedom to choose any career they wanted!
Those who wanted to become professional athletes could join the National Team outright. Those who wanted to continue their education could enroll at Sakurajima's Top University without taking an entrance exam. Those who wanted to enter politics could choose a department they liked and start from the bottom.
Thus, over the course of three years, the four classes would constantly compete, striving for the chance to graduate from A Class and make their dreams come true!
The competition was fierce!
It was one of the best places for the zaibatsu to choose their heirs!
Naturally, the selection process couldn't be as simple as graduating from A Class. After all, dozens of students graduated from A Class every year. That would be far too easy—and far too childish for a family that controlled immense wealth!
Therefore—
Graduating from A Class was only the most basic requirement.
Three years later—
The family would see how many A Class graduates were willing to abandon their own dreams and continue following Tenyo Yuyuki.
It was a test of his ability to win people over and command his subordinates!
Those were the abilities a family's leader needed. Personal strength, by contrast, was secondary!!
"Young Master, I'll take my leave now!"
The girl in the maid outfit handed over the schoolbag, then bowed slightly. After receiving Tenyo Yuyuki's permission, she got back into the car.
Only then did Tenyo Yuyuki take the time to look over the school in front of him. Since he had arrived rather early, only a handful of young men and women in red uniforms were gathered by the gates.
The speeding luxury car caught the attention of several of them. They all turned to watch it disappear into the distance.
At the same time, a beautiful figure on the steps caught Tenyo Yuyuki's eye.
A lovely girl with an open, friendly air and a bright smile was looking in his direction.
She had long pink hair that fell to her waist and blue eyes like sapphires. Her features beneath her bangs were exquisite, and her radiant smile gave her an irresistible warmth.
Most striking of all were her impressive curves, which filled out her wine-red school uniform, her slender waist, and her long, straight legs.
Ichinose Honami!
Having read the novel, Tenyo Yuyuki recognized her at once.
The future leader of B Class.
She was no slouch in a fight, and on the surface, she had the highest grades in the entire year. She treated everyone with kindness and tolerance, had a strong sense of justice, and possessed enough compassion to overcome anyone's shortcomings.
In an instant,
all the information Tenyo Yuyuki had about Ichinose Honami surfaced in his mind.
He had learned all of it from the novel.
His greatest advantage wasn't his status, talent, or strength. It was his knowledge of the story.
With that thought, Tenyo Yuyuki gave Ichinose Honami a brilliant smile. She smiled back and gave him a slight nod.
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