The Chaos of Class D and the Invisible Man

April.

The season of cherry blossoms in full bloom.

Advanced Nurturing High School, Class D classroom.

The moment Natsume Yu stepped into the classroom, a sweltering air mixed with sweat, cheap perfume, and adolescent hormones rushed to meet him.

It was noisy, rowdy, and completely devoid of order.

Someone sat with their legs crossed, loudly boasting about their glorious achievements back in middle school.

Groups of three or five were huddled together, discussing the latest anime episodes from the night before.

Others were holding small mirrors, touching up their makeup as if no one else were around.

It was practically a chaotic wet market.

The corners of Natsume Yu's mouth curled into a gentle yet distant smile.

He pushed up the plain-glass spectacles he wore as a disguise; the eyes behind the lenses were calm and waveless, like a pool of bottomless cold water, reflecting the group of "future social elites" before him as something ridiculous and comical.

This was exactly what he wanted.

Class D.

The school's universally acknowledged dumping ground for all the defective products.

The most perfect place to hide.

The scene from the entrance exam surfaced in his mind.

Those questions, which were like cryptic texts to ordinary students, seemed as simple as kindergarten arithmetic to him.

But he chose not to write down the correct answers.

He precisely controlled his score to land in an awkward, mediocre position—not high, but certainly not at the bottom.

During the interview, he played the role of someone with "poor social skills, an introverted personality, and a lack of eloquence" to perfection.

A slight stutter, shifty eyes, knuckles clenched until they turned white.

Every detail was flawless.

The admissions officer's gaze, filled with a hint of pity and contempt, still amused him to this day.

"Poor social skills."

What a wonderful evaluation.

These four words were his pledge of allegiance to this school, his pass to successfully blend into this "quagmire."

Now, his opening was nothing short of perfect.

As a qualified "invisible man," he only needed to sit quietly and enjoy the show that was about to unfold.

"Everyone, be quiet!"

A cold female voice rang out, carrying undisguised annoyance.

The homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae, walked in, her heels clicking against the floor. She scanned the room, her gaze not like that of someone looking at students, but rather like someone appraising a batch of goods waiting to be valued.

"From now on, we will begin self-introductions."

No sooner had her voice fallen than the whispering started up again below.

No one took her seriously at all.

A boy with dyed red hair and a fierce expression even propped his feet up on his desk, looking thoroughly impatient.

Sudo Ken.

Natsume Yu silently recited the name in his mind.

Strong limbs, simple mind, one of the future troublemakers.

Predictably dull.

Natsume Yu's gaze swept across the classroom with boredom, like a king patrolling his territory.

Then, his eyes locked onto something.

In the corner of the back row, a black-haired boy was resting his chin on his hand, staring expressionlessly out the window, radiating an aura that screamed, "Don't bother me, I just want to be a background character."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

Natsume Yu's mouth curled slightly, forming an almost imperceptible arc.

Keep acting.

Go ahead and keep acting.

Longing for an ordinary life?

That is nothing more than a protective coloration of a herbivore worn by a top-tier predator to avoid trouble.

You might fool others, but you can't fool me.

This is no mere background character.

This was the sharpest spear and the sturdiest shield in this school.

A perfect tool that could be used for my own ends.

Natsume Yu withdrew his gaze and turned toward the seat next to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

Long black hair, delicate features, and a cold temperament, but the arrogance and indifference emanating from those eyes were enough to turn into ice.

Horikita Suzune.

A lone wolf with outstanding ability, yet extremely self-centered and incapable of teamwork.

Natsume Yu could already foresee that in the collective of Class D, she would become the detonator for the initial conflicts.

Of course.

She was also a very useful chess piece.

With just a little guidance, she could be made to stir up enough waves exactly where he needed them.

Right in the midst of the chaotic atmosphere, Chabashira Sae wrote a line on the blackboard with an expressionless face.

[100,000 Private Points will be issued to each student every month]

Her cold voice rang out once again.

"In this school, points are everything. You can use them to purchase anything in any of the school's facilities, whether it be food, entertainment, or other services."

"As long as you have enough points, this place is heaven."

The words fell.

The entire classroom fell silent for three seconds.

Immediately following, there was a cheer like a volcanic eruption!

"One hundred thousand? Did I hear that right? It's one hundred thousand every month?!"

"We're rich! This school is way too generous!"

"Let's go to KTV tonight! My treat!"

The students instantly boiled over, their faces overflowing with the ecstasy of winning the lottery, as if they could already see their luxurious school lives.

The magic of money was revealed in its entirety at this moment.

Natsume Yu leaned back in his chair, hands in his pockets, watching these peers who had been blinded by desire with a cold eye.

He maintained a gentle smile on his face, but he was sneering on the inside.

Heaven?

No.

This was the most expensive trap in the world, and you idiots were scrambling to jump into it.

He saw the golden-haired, handsome Hirata Yosuke, who was surrounded by girls like a prince, smiling gently and calming everyone down.

He also saw the cute girl Kushida Kikyo, who was being treated like a star by the boys, saying in a sweet voice, "Let's all get along well from now on."

What a wonderful performance.

Natsume Yu's gaze lingered on them for a moment, his mind already beginning to outline their future consumption patterns and potential weaknesses.

Squander it.

Squander it to your heart's content.

Every point you spend now will become a noose around your necks in the future.

And I will be the one to tighten the rope.

During the lunch break, the cafeteria was packed.

Natsume Yu carried his tray, weaving through the crowd at a leisurely pace.

His gaze precisely locked onto a target.

A petite girl with thick glasses and short pink hair.

Sakura Airi.

She was carefully holding her tray, her expression nervous, like a frightened little rabbit, trying to find a safe corner in the crowded throng.

Natsume Yu curled his lips and adjusted his path.

Just as he approached, a tall boy bumped recklessly past Sakura Airi.

"Ah!"

Sakura Airi let out a cry of surprise, her body stumbling, and the tray in her hands shook violently; the soup in the bowl was about to spill out.

Now.

Natsume Yu acted as if he were just passing by, happening to appear at her side.

He reached out his hand and steadily caught the tilting tray.

The movement was clean and efficient, without a trace of excess.

"Be careful."

His voice was kept very low, gentle, and carried just the right amount of concern.

Sakura Airi looked up, still shaken, and saw a face with a gentle smile through her thick lenses.

"Ah... th-thank you."

Her voice was as thin as a mosquito's, and her cheeks flushed bright red in an instant.

Natsume Yu simply nodded at her gently, then withdrew his hand and turned to leave, neither leaving his name nor sparing her another glance.

A perfect encounter.

The impression of a "gentle stranger" had already been quietly planted.

This was the first step.

It laid the most perfect foreshadowing for the "hero saving the beauty" that was scheduled for the near future.

Night fell.

Natsume Yu returned to his single dormitory and closed the door.

All the clamor of the outside world was shut out.

The gentle mask on his face faded instantly, replaced by a deep, cold indifference.

He walked to his desk and opened a brand-new notebook.

The tip of his pen scratched across the paper, making a rustling sound.

The power structure within Class D gradually became clear under his pen.

Hirata Yosuke, the surface leader, maintained the fragile peace of the class.

Kushida Kikyo, the hidden social core, possessed a massive intelligence network but was also the most dangerous ticking time bomb.

Sudo, Ike, and Yamauchi, three pure liabilities, were nevertheless excellent tools for stirring up the situation.

Horikita Suzune, the aloof blade, needed someone to wield her.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka...

Natsume Yu drew a circle around that name and placed a heavy question mark next to it.

Finally, his pen tip stopped on the name "Kushida Kikyo."

The appearance of an angel, the heart of a devil.

He knew better than anyone what kind of disgusting dark side was hidden behind that seemingly harmless "class idol."

"Your little secret won't be a secret for much longer."

He whispered to himself, his eyes flashing with calculation.

Finding her leverage, controlling her, and making her his most loyal dog—he certainly wouldn't be satisfied with just that.

Passing three years safely in Class D?

That was just a smokescreen he threw to the outside world.

His true goal had never changed since the first day he stepped into this school.

Class A.

That was his final destination and the stage where he would announce his existence to the world.

There, he would find the top-tier resources and the most excellent partners.

And, the most worthy challenges to conquer.

He didn't just want to graduate.

He wanted control.

Control over the rules, control over people's hearts, and control over everything that belonged to him.

He wanted to make those who once looked down on him, thinking he was just a "socially inept" loser, crawl at his feet.

He wanted to use his strength to tear off the hypocritical mask of this school.

Then, he would lead his carefully selected "harem" to live a luxurious, carefree, top-tier life.

This was the ultimate meaning of Natsume Yu coming here.

His fingertips brushed over the names in the notebook, his eyes deep, like an abyss.

This school, these people.

They would all become stepping stones for his ascent.

Natsume Yu looked calmly out the window; the clamor below the dormitory building and the chaos of Class D sounded like child's play to him.

He knew.

This game had only just begun.

And he.

Was the only player.