The First Day of School

This school's system has a certain degree of hierarchy.

The classes are divided into four: A, B, C, and D.

Naturally, each class's strength differs. Class A is undeniably first in the school's recognized comprehensive strength, while Class D is undeniably the lowest.

Being placed in A means your overall ability meets the school's standards—nothing more.

Since he was personally meeting the school's chairman, Sakamoto happened to skip the morning's events, avoiding the lengthy and tedious opening ceremony. This kind of behavior, entirely meant to discipline people, was meaningless to Sakamoto, and probably no one would enjoy such an activity anyway.

So the Class A students returning to the classroom carried a bit of cathartic noise, complaining about the principal speaking from a shaded seat on the podium while they had to bake under the scorching sun. Of course, the students didn't take it to heart and soon started all kinds of conversations. But their eyes kept drifting to the seat by the window in the back row, where a man with an exceptionally striking aura, like an aristocrat, sat.

Some girls who had arrived early to the classroom were already feeling lucky to be placed in Class A. In contrast, the boys had mixed feelings about such a figure.

A few had already started muttering that with a guy like that around, how could they ever get a girlfriend? Their beautiful campus life in Class A was over before it even began.

But soon, this strange atmosphere was broken. A man with a hairstyle that screamed "strong character" walked toward the front door of the classroom, a water cup tucked under his arm. Sunlight reflected off him unconsciously into the room, and several Class A students looked in surprise at this radiant peer.

The moment he entered, he immediately noticed the very conspicuous Sakamoto. The reflection of light caught Sakamoto's attention, and he lifted his chin slightly, fixing his gaze on the other man. The two shared their first eye contact across half the classroom. The other man quickly looked away and went to his seat. Sakamoto propped his head on one hand, watching with interest this man—the first in Class A so far to meet his gaze without any obvious change in expression.

In the game, this Katsuragi Kohei was one of the main characters in the early storyline. From the start, Sakamoto's high-level player instincts told him this bald man was important, so he invested considerable effort into him, hoping he'd play a major role. But unfortunately, the guy didn't have the protagonist's looks. In a game where looks are justice, he was bound to lose.

Sakamoto mused silently, smoothly spinning the pen he'd taken from his pocket with his right hand. He had deliberately chosen this perfect seat by the window in the back row, allowing him to observe every move the students in the classroom made, keeping everyone within his line of sight.

Suddenly, a boy with a low yellow ponytail walked in boldly. This long-haired guy, who seemed very outgoing, also noticed the extremely conspicuous Sakamoto at a glance. There was no helping it—an aura so clearly different from ordinary people was just too eye-catching.

The long-haired boy looked around, noticed Sakamoto was alone, and walked over with a confident smile:

"Hey, classmate, you're new to this class too, right? I'm also a Class A student. Looking forward to working with you!" The overly familiar long-haired boy rested one hand on the corner of Sakamoto's desk, waiting for a response.

But no answer came.

The long-haired boy scratched his head awkwardly.

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

The outgoing social butterfly Hashimoto tried to build rapport, but his eyes could only catch a completely unreadable smile from the other. Just a few seconds made this long-haired boy, thick-skinned from dealing with people, feel a bit uneasy. Just as he thought his attempt at conversation had completely failed, Sakamoto, maintaining his elegant demeanor, spoke gently:

"Good morning, Hashimoto."

Huh? So he is willing to talk. Hashimoto switched back to his confident, socially adept self and was about to continue when he was interrupted by a commotion at the classroom door.

"What a cute girl!"

"Wow, silver hair—is it dyed?"

A circle of curious and enthusiastic students had gathered around the seat by the door. In the center of the crowd was a petite girl, exuding aristocratic poise, her cane resting steadily beneath her knees. Unfazed by the many eyes, she responded to every classmate's questions with a constant smile, clearly trained to handle such situations.

The girl's voice was warm and gentle, yet carried a steady strength. Because of this, the lively scene remained orderly.

Her fair face, perfectly placed smile, and frail, sickly figure combined to naturally evoke a protective instinct in others.

The students vied to talk to her, afraid of missing their chance.

Through the dense crowd, Sakamoto focused on the girl at the center—

Sakayanagi Arisu. The female leader of Class A, one of the top three most popular characters in the game. A Class A intellectual with a congenital heart condition and a thing for thigh-high socks.

Sakamoto had once thought she was the powerful antagonist of the early game. An enemy like that excited him quite a bit. He'd planned many strategies, dug deep into Class A's intel, and even completely figured out Sakayanagi's background. But to his surprise, she wasn't an enemy. To ensure he cleared the game, Sakamoto had to abandon the traps he'd prepared for the delicate silver-haired girl.

"Sakayanagi, Sakayanagi..."

"That Sakayanagi, just arrived at school and already so many people are rushing to talk to her. It's a really strange phenomenon." Hashimoto rubbed his chin in confusion. The class had suddenly turned into a one-person show.

"Sakayanagi Arisu. The chairman of this school is also named Sakayanagi. Probably some connection that makes her peers curious."

Katsuragi, sitting one seat to the right and not joining the crowd, spoke up to explain for Hashimoto.

"I see. She handles the crowd flawlessly, like a government official. She's a very cute girl herself, and her background is unfathomable. Looks like Class A is going to be interesting."

Hashimoto let out a sigh, whether in admiration of the pretty girl or her strength.

No matter how well she performed on the surface, it couldn't hide the fact that deep down, she completely didn't care about these people right now.

Wait until later, when you see her actions—I wonder what kind of surprised expression you'll show.

This mental response would never be known by anyone.

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

In Japan, students have a habit of carrying handkerchiefs, so Sakamoto also had a high-quality one on him for cleaning.

"Yeah, our class really is interesting. No, strictly speaking, this whole school is interesting."

Sakamoto's remark surprised both boys, as if he already had a very deep understanding of the school.

Sakamoto began to think about how to enjoy the afternoon, since that was one of his main purposes for entering this school.

At that moment, the graceful girl finally turned her gaze to the three people in the corner.

Or rather, to Sakamoto.