The opening ceremony at the Gymnasium slowly drew to a close amid the school administrators' long-winded speeches.
They were the usual things: welcoming the new students, extolling the school's glorious history and bright future, and emphasizing discipline.
To Akiyama Shin, who had already seen through this school, the words were so hollow they seemed laughable.
He stood at the back of Class D's line, watching the impassioned speaker onstage and the students below, whose faces showed a wide range of expressions.
By the time the ceremony ended, it was nearly noon.
The afternoon was free time, and classes at Advanced Nurturing High School wouldn't officially begin until the next day, as was customary.
The students poured out of the Gymnasium like floodwaters released from a dam. Before long, they had gathered in groups of two and three, excitedly discussing where to have lunch.
The cafeteria and the various restaurants on campus would soon welcome their first batch of first-year students.
Watching the new students quickly sort themselves into groups, Akiyama Shin calmly categorized them in his mind.
At any Japanese high school, especially in an isolated environment like this one, the social structure of the students could generally be divided into several types.
First.
The popular, outgoing crowd.
They were usually attractive, cheerful, and highly sociable, able to quickly connect with most people and become the focus of the class and the center of its social network. Class D's Hirata Yosuke and Kushida Kikyo undoubtedly belonged to this group.
Second.
The clique types.
They had their own established groups of friends and relatively limited social circles. They might not stand out as much as the first group, but they weren't isolated by the class, either. In fact, most students belonged to this type.
Third.
Those who could be broadly classified as ordinary or invisible members of the lower tier.
In Akiyama Shin's eyes,
there was no fundamental difference between the two, at least for now. Both meant lacking presence and influence within the class.
They might be introverted and poor at expressing themselves, or they might have hidden flaws. They were the most likely targets of bullying and social exclusion.
Of course, there were also mavericks like Koenji Rokusuke, who stood entirely outside this system.
For the time being, Akiyama Shin placed himself among the ordinary students. He didn't deny that he had extraordinary abilities, but he was also keenly aware of his own cold nature.
After all, his lack of desire to socialize meant he was never going to be one of the popular, outgoing types.
Even if he was exceptionally good-looking, that would only draw people's attention at first. It wouldn't give him genuine social appeal.
As he walked aimlessly with the crowd, he continued refining his framework for analyzing Class D.
"The classes are assigned based on ability... My uneven skill set and lack of social skills got me placed in Class D..."
"Then the other thirty-nine people in Class D must also have all kinds of issues or shortcomings."
For example, Ken Sudō's short temper and potential disciplinary problems, Yamauchi Haruki and Kanji Ike's frivolity and lowbrow tastes, and even Horikita Suzune's communication problems and rigid thinking. Even Hirata Yosuke's overly accommodating nature, which might leave him short on decisiveness, was a flaw in Class D...
As for why Akiyama Shin knew the names of most of the conspicuous people in Class D despite not introducing himself to them, it was because when he'd been talking with Kushida Kikyo and the others, she had wanted to get closer to him and had apologized on behalf of Yamauchi Haruki and the others for their thoughtless remarks, in the name of friendship.
Kushida Kikyo's apology had been sincere, but Akiyama Shin instinctively thought she was putting on an act. He wasn't making that up; he had his reasons.
Even if she truly wanted to be friends with her classmates, Akiyama Shin couldn't believe someone as purely kind as Kushida Kikyo would willingly make trouble for herself by apologizing for a defective product like Yamauchi Haruki when she'd only known him for a short time.
Perhaps that was too absolute, but Akiyama Shin didn't think Kushida Kikyo was that kind of person.
If he had to admit there was some personal grudge involved, he would say there wasn't.
He was naturally observant, and that made him sensitive to emotions, too. He could easily sense when someone's mood shifted.
That was why he thought even Honami Ichinose from Class B seemed more genuine than Kushida Kikyo's false front.
That was enough digression. Back to the point.
If Akiyama Shin truly wanted to make use of this class, even lead it to Class A, then he would have to get to know every single person in it.
Then he could assess their value and risks, and understand their hearts and desires. That was far more complicated and interesting than mere academic competition.
As he sank into thought, a familiar, cool female voice came from behind him, interrupting his train of thought.
"What did you ask Chabashira, the homeroom teacher?"
Akiyama Shin stopped and turned around expressionlessly.
Sure enough, it was Horikita Suzune.
She stood there alone, her dark hair stirring lightly in the afternoon breeze.
Her braid, tied with a white ribbon, hung over her chest. Her delicate face bore an undisguised look of curiosity.
And there was an air of entitlement in her question.
At that moment, Akiyama Shin had already firmly placed Horikita Suzune's name at the top of his list of people to be put in their place and trained.
He had no particular interest in Horikita Suzune herself at this stage, but her attitude—as if she had a natural right to know everything and everyone else had an obligation to report information to her—had successfully stirred up intense irritation in him.
In Akiyama Shin's eyes, a character who was arrogant based on partial knowledge and had communication skills that were completely below zero...
needed to be thoroughly disciplined!
And if he wanted to change her, the only way would be to use precise pressure and guidance to correct her faulty thinking and behavior, making her useful—even turning her into an asset. That would take patience, strategy, and ruthlessness at critical moments.
Not a hint of his feelings showed on his face. He simply met Horikita Suzune's gaze with calm, dark-red eyes.
He said four words, flatly.
"No comment."
Horikita Suzune frowned, displeased by Akiyama Shin's standoffish attitude.
She wasn't stupid. Everything that had happened since the start of school—especially the possible significance behind those one hundred thousand points, as well as Akiyama Shin's hurried visit to the homeroom teacher—had made her vaguely suspect that this school wasn't as simple as it appeared.
Competition was inevitable.
Only its form was unknown.
She suppressed her displeasure and tried to find a more reasonable way to get information. Straightening her back, she spoke with slightly stiff directness.
"We're in the same class now. In a sense, that makes us partners with a common interest."
"If there's competition..."
"Sharing information is the bare minimum."
She paused, apparently considering her words, then continued.
"At the start of the term... I misjudged you..."
"I admit I may have underestimated you."
The words were especially difficult for her to say, but this was the greatest concession and acknowledgment she could offer.
Akiyama Shin calmly analyzed Horikita Suzune's words and expression. He knew she had a certain level of ability, whether in academics or in her stubborn refusal to fall behind. Her academic ability was naturally something he inferred from her arrogance and disdain for others; people who had always excelled tended to develop that kind of superiority complex. But her biggest problem was that she relied too much on limited information and subjective assumptions. Her thinking was one-dimensional, and she was sorely lacking in social awareness and the ability to put herself in someone else's shoes.
As for her admission just now that she'd misjudged him,
Akiyama Shin didn't believe a single word.
It certainly wasn't a sincere acknowledgment of his abilities...
It seemed more like a tactic!
A compromise she'd found in her haughty mind: a way to avoid fully backing down while still trying to get information from him. Her unspoken message seemed to be:
I've admitted I might have misjudged you. I've already given you the courtesy of that much. So you should tell me what you know, right?
This almost charitable acknowledgment only struck Akiyama Shin as even more ridiculous.
He remained silent, simply looking at Horikita Suzune as if examining a tool with some flaws but decent material.
Horikita Suzune felt uncomfortable under his gaze. The vague feeling that he could see right through her surfaced again. Forcing herself to stay calm, she pressed him.
"Well?"
"We're in the same class. You shouldn't keep information from me."
Akiyama Shin spoke again, his voice still flat and emotionless.
"I signed a contract with Class B. I can't disclose its terms to anyone in Class D for a month."
He wasn't lying. It was true.
The Buyout System's terms bound him.
He could have ignored them, but Akiyama Shin saw no reason to. Besides, telling the people in Class D would only make them even more complacent. They would think having the information gave them a head start in strengthening the class, but the truth was that Class D, a scattered mess, wouldn't realize how insignificant they were until they took a hit.
Akiyama Shin needed the gale of Class B's rise to fan the flames in the hearts of the students in Class D. Only then might they transform into a true storm among the first-years, even though at this stage there was no sign that Class D had any hope of reaching Class A.
A flicker of shock and surprise flashed through Horikita Suzune's eyes. She hadn't expected Akiyama Shin to have already started working with another class, but before she could question him, he changed the subject.
"However."
He looked into Horikita Suzune's stubborn, inquisitive eyes and made an unexpected suggestion.
"If you want to know more, or find things out for yourself..."
"You can follow me."
He paused, his tone taking on a hint of something almost mentor-like.
"By observing what I do, you might notice things you wouldn't have seen on your own. That would be more valuable to you than simply getting the answers."
The implication in his words couldn't have been clearer.
I can help you grow.
Horikita Suzune was visibly stunned.
A look of surprise flashed across her clear eyes, immediately replaced by fierce resistance.
Follow him? Observe him? Who did he think he was?!
She admitted that Akiyama Shin might be a little unusual, perhaps smarter than she'd first assumed. But that didn't mean she accepted that he was capable enough for her to follow or learn from him.
Horikita Suzune had relied on herself her entire life, getting where she was through her own abilities. When had she ever needed to observe someone else to grow?
To her, his words were dripping with condescension, as though he were a mentor who had mastered the truth and she were a lost soul in need of guidance.
That made her furious.
She didn't believe for a moment that real life had some protagonist pretending to be weak while secretly guiding everyone from the shadows.
In her eyes,
strength should be displayed openly and honorably! Not hidden behind mystery!
And yet...
Her intense curiosity and desire for information gnawed at her like a cat's claws.
She knew Akiyama Shin must have most of the key information, and the contract seemed to block the direct route to obtaining it.
Following him...
seemed to be the only way to get closer to the truth for now...
And, to be fair, she had developed a complicated impression of Akiyama Shin, unlike her feelings toward the other boys—a mix of resistance, curiosity, and a touch of competitiveness.
Pride wrestled with her desire to explore the unknown. She pressed her lips together and studied Akiyama Shin.
In the end, her thirst for knowledge and stubborn refusal to give up so easily gained a slight upper hand.
"Fine..."
"I'll see..."
"Just what you think I'll be able to observe."
She deliberately emphasized the word "observe," making it clear that she didn't agree with him and was merely trying a strategy.
Akiyama Shin didn't care that she was so unwilling. As long as the result met his expectations, the process didn't matter.
He nodded without saying more, turned, and continued walking.
Horikita Suzune watched his back, took a deep breath, suppressed her discomfort, and set off after him.
A cold, aloof man walking ahead!
A proud, arrogant girl following behind!
And this was only a tiny beginning to Akiyama Shin's long road of setting Horikita Suzune straight!
Before you continue