Sae Chabashira's Palpitations

"One million."

"I can give you one million Private Points as a personal reward."

"Tch."

"Chairman, you must be joking, right? How about showing a bit more sincerity? Let me name a figure."

"One hundred million."

"Impossible..."

After a heated exchange of words, Xu Nuo ultimately used the pretext of helping the school build a network firewall to shift the reward from private to public funds, raising the amount to—

Eighty million Private Points.

That's right.

Nearly two-tenths of the entire school's circulating points.

"I never imagined that the famous Nameless Guest online would turn out to be my student." Sakayanagi Narimori sighed in admiration, showing no sign of feeling shortchanged.

The Nameless Guest.

A ruthless figure who once roamed the Pentagon and even escaped unscathed, yet had vanished from the scene in recent years.

A single feat made him famous!

He was practically an idol to countless computer geeks.

Eighty million.

For one job from him.

Well worth it!

Originally, the Chairman had intended to hold firm at twenty million, but the other party had offered terms he couldn't refuse.

The Nameless Guest.

Was just one of Xu Nuo's many aliases.

A title others had given him back when he wielded his Ultimate hacker abilities.

Xu Nuo revealing it.

Was both a stepping stone.

And a warning.

It showed he was fully capable of breaching the school's firewall and taking those points without breaking a sweat.

Yet he still chose to use the original method to steal them.

And even sent a notice in advance.

He'd already given the Chairman plenty of face; it was the school that failed to stop him, so this price was hardly unreasonable.

Hacker, writer, pianist...

At this point.

Sakayanagi Narimori was genuinely starting to consider the possibility of Xu Nuo becoming his son-in-law.

"My daughter has always admired..."

He straightened his expression slightly, subtly playing the role of a matchmaker without making it obvious.

Xu Nuo felt a bit speechless, but he listened politely and quietly, then couldn't help feeling a surge of surprise.

He never expected.

That getting into this school.

Had actually been orchestrated by Sakayanagi Arisu.

"Alright."

"Then I won't keep you any longer, student."

Sakayanagi Narimori cleared his throat and gently ended the conversation, well aware that too much was as bad as too little, so he only hinted without going into detail.

"So, a pleasant cooperation?"

"Don't forget to transfer those eighty million points to me."

Xu Nuo shrugged, placed the USB drive on the desk, then stood up and left without hesitation.

"Click—"

The office door softly closed.

Sakayanagi Narimori leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath. He took off his glasses, pressed his fingers against his brow, and a hint of weariness showed on his face.

"The younger generation is formidable." He shook his head with a wry smile.

Having run this school for so many years, he'd seen all kinds of students—academic elites, star athletes, geniuses skilled in both arts and combat...

But never anyone like this.

To be reduced to such a state by a student who hadn't even been enrolled for a full week.

This year's batch...

Might very well be more interesting than any before it.

The hallway was quiet.

Only the rustling of leaves stirred by a gentle breeze could be heard.

Sae Chabashira stood with her back to the Chairman's office door, positioned in the corridor. Her high ponytail, straight spine, and long legs sheathed in black stockings were all on display. A woman's cigarette was pinched between the fingers of her right hand.

Smoke rose slowly.

Her face, usually cold and stern, now appeared unusually soft in the haze of smoke, thanks to the angle of her profile and the play of light.

Her nose was high and straight, her features delicate. Her lips were pressed together slightly, her eyes gazing into the distance, lost in thought.

There was a unique beauty to it.

Not the shy, green charm of a young girl, but the distinctive allure of a mature woman... Her gorgeous face revealed a hint of weariness, a touch of resolve, and an indescribable loneliness.

"Haah..."

She took a deep drag, then slowly exhaled.

From her expression, this mature beauty was far from at ease right now, her body even slightly tense.

Several cigarette butts already lay extinguished on the floor.

It seemed.

She had been waiting for quite a while.

"Click--"

The sound of a door opening came from behind her.

Sae Chabashira's body stiffened slightly, but she didn't turn around immediately. She took another deep drag before slowly turning to ask in a cool tone:

"How did it go?"

Her voice was very calm.

But a trace of barely perceptible tension flickered in her amber-gold eyes as she stared straight at the newcomer.

Seeing this.

Xu Nuo raised an eyebrow, showing no intention of answering.

Instead, he walked straight toward her, his footsteps echoing distinctly in the quiet hallway.

One step, two steps, three steps...

"..."

Sae Chabashira watched him approach, her brow furrowing slightly.

She seemed about to say something, but after opening her mouth, she ultimately chose silence, her golden eyes sizing him up, wondering what this guy was up to.

Soon.

Xu Nuo reached her and stopped.

The next moment.

He reached out directly, plucked the still-burning cigarette from between her fingers, dropped it on the floor, and crushed it out with his shoe sole. The whole motion was fluid and seamless.

"Hm?"

Sae Chabashira's pupils contracted, and she stood frozen in shock.

"What's a girl doing smoking?"

Xu Nuo shook his head, his tone carrying a hint of disapproval, completely unconcerned with her stiff expression.

Truth be told.

He'd wanted to do this the last time.

Too bad he'd needed a favor from her then, so she'd dodged the bullet. He hadn't expected to run into her again today.

And smoking this much—he had to crack down hard!

Hearing this.

Sae Chabashira was momentarily stunned.

Her lips moved as if to say something, but the words caught in her throat, refusing to come out.

She stared blankly at him.

At that face, dazzling under the sunlight.

Those jet-black eyes, that high nose bridge, those perfectly shaped lips—every feature came together just right, forming a beauty that was hard to look away from.

At that moment, a faint trace of concern appeared on her face.

It wasn't deliberate or forced, but entirely natural—like when you see a friend doing something they shouldn't, and you casually offer a word of warning.

Somehow, Sae Chabashira's heart began to race.

She could feel her cheeks growing warm, the tips of her ears heating up. This sensation was unfamiliar, so unfamiliar that it left her at a loss.

It had been a very long time since she'd felt this way.

Or perhaps she never had!

No, that's not right.

Sae Chabashira shook her head firmly, trying to toss those messy thoughts out of her mind.

Then, she spoke, her voice oddly hoarse.

"I..."

"I just..."

Her mind was in chaos, and for a moment she didn't know how to explain herself, even stumbling over her words.

Say she wanted to relax? Say she was smoking because she was nervous? Say she was waiting here because she was worried you'd get expelled?

None of those words would leave her lips.

In the end, Sae Chabashira turned her face away, looking into the distance.

"You're meddling too much."

She was an adult, after all, and could manage basic emotional control. Her voice quickly returned to its usual coldness, but if you listened closely, you could catch a faint tremor hidden within.

"And besides..."

"I'm twenty-six. I'm not some little girl."

The words were soft, and she didn't shy away from mentioning her age, as if trying to remind herself, to snuff out some budding thought.

The hallway fell silent again.

After a moment, Xu Nuo shrugged. "Who says twenty-six isn't a girl? In my book, as long as you're cute, even ten thousand years old counts as a young lady."

A frivolous remark, the kind that made you want to punch him.

"You..."

Sae Chabashira was left speechless. That flutter in her heart was completely buried, and she resumed her usual cold demeanor.

"Forget it. Let's go. You should get back to class."