"Wait, Sakamoto!"
A loud voice came from behind him. Hashimoto Masayoshi had hurried after him.
Sakamoto stopped and turned to face him, standing tall.
"Hashimoto, did you come after me for a reason?"
Sakamoto smiled as he asked. Hashimoto looked hesitant. After a moment, he finally spoke.
"It's only the first day of school, and you've already pointed out that students might be expelled. You didn't seem worried in the slightest about being expelled yourself.
"Someone like you either doesn't care about the advantages of graduating from this school, or is extremely confident in his own abilities." Hashimoto took a step forward.
"I believe you're the latter," Hashimoto said with conviction.
"Whether that's true isn't important. What matters is what you think, Hashimoto." Sakamoto replied with a question of his own. He found Hashimoto rather interesting.
"What I think?" Hashimoto Masayoshi, a Class A student, felt somewhat lost. He knew that students who graduated from this school could receive a letter of recommendation from it. That alone was enough to make many large companies and corporations give its graduates priority in hiring. That was his goal, too: to graduate successfully and get a recommendation, securing a better future. So he had to avoid the fate of being expelled. At last, the blond young man made up his mind:
"To be honest, I'd never heard anything about this school's internal affairs before. Maybe it's because of Japan's policies. Whatever the school's system is like, no matter how complicated its evaluations are, I'll give it everything I've got and make use of every means available. I'll definitely graduate from this school. Sakamoto, please support me!"
Hashimoto gave him a perfectly proper bow, lowering his face all the way and shutting his eyes tight. It seemed he was using this complete avoidance of eye contact to hide his nervousness. To people in Japan, such behavior was also considered rather rude.
He didn't know why, but even though they'd only just met, he felt that Sakamoto was special. He'd opened his heart and spoken honestly without holding anything back. It was probably a first for him.
Sakamoto studied Hashimoto Masayoshi, who was still holding the perfectly proper sumimasen bow. A look of approval appeared in his eyes. Not bad.
Just as you'd expect from someone who took action decisively: he'd noticed something unusual and acted on it right away. That kind of directness, like a hunting dog, was rare. Sakamoto recalled how he, as a game player in his previous life, had described Hashimoto Masayoshi—
In the original story, because Sakayanagi Arisu had difficulty walking, Hashimoto Masayoshi was often the one who went out to investigate the movements of each class. He had an enormous amount of information and learned quickly, but relied too much on Sakayanagi Arisu when it came to strategy. He didn't have much leadership ability, but I don't think anyone in this year could match his ability to get things done. His goal was to remain in Class A, and he interacted with every class to lay the groundwork for staying in Class A in the future.
From what had happened before, this person wasn't loyal to any one individual. He was loyal to his own interests. If someone guaranteed him 20 million points to keep him in Class A, he might even accept a deal that harmed Class A's interests. In that sense, Hashimoto Masayoshi wasn't a suitable companion at all.
However, Sakamoto didn't care in the slightest. He had no plans to form a team, either. In fact, to him, this world felt more like a game.
"Hashimoto, you want to stay in Class A and graduate successfully, right? Let me tell you something interesting."
Hashimoto had been looking down, but now he turned his gaze toward the speaker.
Sakamoto began to use a persuasive tactic to win him over:
"Because of this school's system, the classes are ranked. Classes A, B, C, and D are all different, with Class A being the strongest overall and Class D the weakest."
'As for why it's set up this way, only students who graduate as members of Class A can enjoy the benefits provided by the school. The others aren't recognized at all. That's how Advanced Nurturing maintains its 100% employment rate.'
Hashimoto's body clearly shuddered at those words. He seemed even more resolved in his decision. He lowered his head again, looking as if he wouldn't get up unless Sakamoto helped him.
"Ha ha ha ha!" Sakamoto suddenly burst into laughter. It was the laughter of someone whose expectations had been met, someone thoroughly pleased with his prey.
"Hashimoto, how about we make a deal? You want to graduate from Class A, so you're looking for some help. All you have to do is follow my orders."
Hashimoto's back, which had been bowed under the pressure of his upper body, finally returned to its former position. He furrowed his brows as he looked at Sakamoto's ever-elegant bearing. A certain suspicion briefly surfaced in his mind, then quickly faded—
Yes, Hashimoto wanted to graduate from Class A, but that didn't mean he wanted to be someone's underling. (Sakayanagi: Really?)
Sakamoto lightly adjusted the specially made half-frame glasses on the bridge of his nose.
"The reason you want to graduate from Class A is so you can get a good job. You should understand what that means for your future."
"Allow me to introduce myself again. I'm Sakamoto, the only son of the chairman of the Sakamoto Group."
"Hashimoto, I believe in your abilities. Come work for the Sakamoto Group, and I'll offer you a job you'll be satisfied with."
The ultimate temptation for an elite in Japan—a high-class corporate workhorse—made Hashimoto's resolve waver.
It was true! Hashimoto's pupils suddenly contracted as the thought that had been forming in his mind surfaced.
Thinking about it carefully, such excellent manners, that unique air about him, and his warm, spring-breeze-like way of interacting with people—all of it was exactly what you'd expect from someone born into an aristocratic family.
Everyone had been so shocked by the "cruel" reality Sakamoto had revealed that they'd nearly overlooked who had brought it up in the first place. Once his classmates came to their senses, they would surely wonder about Sakamoto's identity.
The young master of the Sakamoto Group. No wonder he didn't care about the cruelty of the school's system. He could inherit a vast business empire even if he graduated from just any old school. Even in the worst case, he could be a bored rich kid with nothing but money.
"Hashimoto, it's up to you whether you accept. Think carefully: do you want to work so hard to keep your place in Class A, or take the chance to get a high-paying job in the future?"
The devilish whisper circled around Hashimoto Masayoshi's ears.
He looked at the man before him, bathed in light, elegantly holding out a hand.
He could only chuckle bitterly. He didn't resist at all, unable to tell whether this was an angel or a devil...
"With benefits that perfectly suit my needs, of course I'll accept."
Hashimoto, who was in the lower position, reached out to take his hand as well.
Their hands clasped tightly together...
In the end, our high-class corporate workhorse, Hashimoto Masayoshi, had been won over by Sakamoto's personal charm (background).
"Let's go."
Sakamoto turned and walked away.
Hashimoto hurried after him, following half a step behind.
The two of them left the school building together.
Before you continue