The First Day of School

This school's system had a certain degree of hierarchy,

The classes were divided into A, B, C, and D,

Naturally, the classes were not equally strong. Class A was unquestionably the best by the school's official standards, while Class D was just as unquestionably the worst,

Being assigned to Class A meant only that you excelled in the areas this school valued.

Since Sakamoto had met with the school chairman in person, he had conveniently skipped the morning's events and didn't have to attend the long, tedious opening ceremony. Such an activity, designed entirely to discipline people, was meaningless to him, and probably wasn't something anyone would enjoy.

So when the Class A students returned to their classroom, they were more or less making a noisy show of letting off steam, complaining that the principal had enjoyed the shade from his seat on the stage while they'd been left to bake under the scorching sun. Of course, the students didn't take it too seriously. They soon started chatting about all sorts of things, though their eyes kept drifting toward the window seat at the back of the room, where a man with an exceptionally distinguished, almost aristocratic air sat.

Some of the girls who had arrived early were already congratulating themselves on being placed in Class A. The boys, on the other hand, had mixed feelings about someone like him.

Some had already started muttering that with a guy like that around, how could they possibly get girlfriends? Their wonderful life at Class A was over before it had even begun.

Before long, though, the strange atmosphere was broken. A man with the hairstyle of a strongman approached the classroom's front door, carrying a water bottle. The sunlight reflected off his head and, without his realizing it, shone into the classroom. Several Class A students stared in surprise at their dazzling fellow freshman.

The first thing he noticed upon entering was the conspicuous Sakamoto. The reflected sunlight had caught Sakamoto's attention, and he raised his chin to study the other man. The two exchanged their first look across half the classroom. The other man quickly looked away and took a seat. Propping his head up with one hand, Sakamoto watched with interest. So far, this was the first man in Class A to meet his gaze without any obvious change in expression.

In the game, Katsuragi Kohei was one of the major characters in the early main storyline. From the beginning, Sakamoto's veteran gamer's instincts had told him that this bald guy was important, so he'd spent a lot of effort on him, hoping he'd play a major role. Unfortunately, the other man didn't have a protagonist's face. In a game where looks were everything, he was bound to lose.

Sakamoto pondered in silence, smoothly twirling the pen he'd taken from his pocket with his right hand. He had deliberately chosen the perfect seat at the back by the window, where he could observe every move the students made and keep them all in view.

Suddenly, a boy with a yellow low ponytail strode into the room. The long-haired guy looked outgoing, and he immediately noticed the conspicuous Sakamoto. It was hard not to—the air around him was so different from that of an ordinary person that he stood out far too much.

The long-haired boy glanced around, saw that Sakamoto was alone, and walked over with a confident smile.

"Hey, you're new to this class too, right? I'm in Class A as well. Looking forward to getting along!" The outgoing long-haired boy rested one hand on the corner of Sakamoto's desk, waiting for a response,

But he didn't get one.

The long-haired boy scratched his head awkwardly,

"I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Hashimoto Masayoshi. What's your name?"

Hashimoto, an outgoing social butterfly, tried to strike up a friendship, but all he could make out in the other boy's eyes was an unfathomable smile. Those few short seconds left the long-haired boy, usually so thick-skinned and used to dealing with people, feeling a little uneasy. Just as he thought his attempt to start a conversation had failed completely, Sakamoto, who had maintained his elegant air the whole time, spoke gently:

"Good morning, Classmate Hashimoto."

Huh? So he was willing to talk after all. Hashimoto became his usual confident, socially adept self again and was about to continue when a commotion at the classroom door interrupted him,

"What a cute girl!"

"Whoa, she has silver hair! Did she dye it?"

A crowd of curious, enthusiastic students had gathered around the seats by the door. At the center of them sat a petite girl, poised with the bearing of a noblewoman. Her cane rested steadily beneath her knees, and the many eyes on her didn't seem to faze her at all. She kept smiling as she answered each classmate's question, clearly trained to handle this sort of situation.

The girl's voice was warm and gentle, yet carried a steady strength. That was why, despite the lively crowd, things remained orderly,

Her fair face and perfectly measured smile, paired with her frail body, naturally stirred a desire to protect her,

The students competed to talk with the girl, afraid someone nearby would snatch away their chance,

Through the densely packed crowd, Sakamoto focused on the girl in the middle--

Sakayanagi Arisu, the female leader of Class A and one of the three most popular characters in the game. She had a congenital heart condition, wore stockings, and was the brains of Class A.

Sakamoto had once thought she was the powerful antagonist of the game's early stages. An enemy like her had excited him, and he'd drawn up plenty of plans and dug deep into Class A's affairs. He'd even learned everything there was to know about Sakayanagi's background. But to his surprise, she wasn't an enemy at all. To make sure he could clear the game, Sakamoto had no choice but to give up on the traps he'd prepared for the frail, white-haired girl.

"Classmate Sakayanagi, Classmate Sakayanagi..."

"That Sakayanagi girl has so many people coming up to talk to her right after starting school. It's a pretty strange sight." Hashimoto scratched his chin, looking puzzled. The classroom had suddenly turned into a talent show.

"Sakayanagi Arisu. The chairman of this school is also named Sakayanagi, so her classmates are probably curious about whether they're related."

Katsuragi spoke up from a seat one place to the right. He hadn't joined the crowd either,

"Ah, I see. She handles a crowd without missing a beat—almost like a government official. She's a very cute girl, and her background seems unfathomable too. Class A's going to be interesting."

Hashimoto sighed, though it was hard to tell whether he was admiring yet another pretty girl or marveling at how formidable she seemed.

No matter how well she acted on the surface, it couldn't change the fact that she didn't care about any of these people at all.

Once you see what she does later, I wonder how surprised you'll be.

No one would ever know he'd thought that.

Sakamoto leisurely put away his custom-made pen and took a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his fingers.

In Japan, students were in the habit of carrying handkerchiefs with them, so Sakamoto also kept one on hand, made of exceptional material, for cleaning up.

"That's right, our class is certainly interesting. No, more precisely, this entire school is interesting."

Sakamoto's remark surprised both boys, as though he already had a profound understanding of the school.

Sakamoto began thinking about how he'd enjoy the afternoon. After all, that was one of the main reasons he'd come to this school.

At that moment, the impeccably polite girl finally turned her gaze toward the three boys in the corner,

Or rather, toward Sakamoto--