Opening Ceremony

Kid template?

Not bad.

Noticing the slight blush on the cold beauty's face at the neighboring desk, Xu Nuo smiled faintly, though he felt a tinge of regret inside—it was a pity it wasn't Phantom Thief Joker.

However.

The fact that he had pulled off this magic trick without any prior preparation was proof enough of its power.

Phantom Thief, quite magical, isn't it?

Soon.

Under Hirata's organization.

The students of Class D began to leave the classroom one after another, heading toward the Gymnasium.

Xu Nuo and Horikita walked side by side at the end of the crowd.

Well.

"Side by side" wasn't entirely accurate.

There was a subtle distance between them, and Horikita Suzune radiated an aura that warned others to keep their distance, firmly blocking someone out.

It made him look like a follower.

However, the red rose held in the aloof girl's hand made the atmosphere feel somewhat strange.

Horikita Suzune's expression was cold, the rose being pinched by her slender fingers; the petals were delicate and dripping with dew, forming a sharp contrast against the snow-white back of her hand.

This was the first flower she had ever received in her life.

Inexplicably, her heart fluttered.

Along the way, she didn't look at Xu Nuo again, only pursing her lips and staring straight ahead.

"Are you..."

"Really a Phantom Thief?"

After a long while.

Horikita finally couldn't help but speak up.

This man had overturned her conclusions time and time again, making her feel both teeth-grittingly annoyed and curious.

Xu Nuo shrugged, seemingly too lazy to say it again.

Horikita Suzune didn't press the issue.

The two of them, one in front and one behind, maintained this bizarre atmosphere until they arrived at the Gymnasium.

At this moment.

The Gymnasium was already packed, with students from each class divided into different areas.

Between the classes.

The styles were distinctly different.

Xu Nuo's gaze swept across the crowd without leaving a trace, quickly locking onto a few familiar figures.

At the front of the Class A formation.

A petite silver-haired girl was leaning on a cane, standing there quietly; her expression was calm, and a hint of an elegant smile graced her face.

White-haired Alice, or rather, Sakayanagi Arisu.

Even in the middle of a crowd, her presence was like a lighthouse in the night, too dazzling to ignore.

There was also a tall, browless, bald man.

He looked like a middle-aged uncle, appearing somewhat out of place standing among a group of students, yet under his organization, Class A had become the most disciplined group of all.

The direction of Class B was a completely different scene.

A girl with long cherry-pink hair was surrounded by a group of people in the center; she wore a smile as warm and gentle as the sun, energetically greeting the classmates around her.

That level of approachability was enough to melt anyone instantly.

Ichinose Honami.

Fatty Honami-chan~

A true little angel, she certainly lived up to her reputation.

In contrast, the people of Class B were also very well-behaved, making it the class with the best and most relaxed atmosphere.

As for the Class C area, it was under low pressure. A tall, red-haired man was standing there with an impatient look on his face, and the surrounding classmates were intentionally or unintentionally keeping their distance from him.

Ryuen Kakeru, Dragon Boy.

This unruly, tyrannical aura needed no extra words to embellish it.

However, it seemed.

He hadn't yet conquered the class to become that tyrant. His face was covered in bruises, and he was being subtly ostracized by his classmates.

As for Class D... it was better left unmentioned.

Xu Nuo shook his head.

Just then.

He suddenly felt a cold, almost tangible gaze cast down from the high podium, landing precisely on...

Horikita Suzune, who was standing right beside him.

Xu Nuo followed the gaze and saw a black-haired young man standing still on the podium, wearing glasses and a stern expression, radiating a powerful aura.

Their gazes met briefly for half a second before the young man expressionlessly looked away first.

The Student Council President—

Horikita Manabu.

Almost at the same time, Xu Nuo could clearly feel Horikita's entire body stiffen beside him.

She instinctively hid the rose behind her back, her spine as straight as a javelin, even her breathing becoming cautious; she looked incredibly adorable.

"Tsk tsk."

"Is this what a brother-complex is? Truly terrifying."

Xu Nuo really wanted to make a snide remark.

"Students..."

At this moment.

The teacher on the stage was preparing to announce the start of the opening ceremony.

However.

The freshmen below clearly hadn't adapted to the solemn atmosphere of the school yet, and many were still whispering, making the entire venue quite noisy.

Class D was the worst offender.

The teachers frowned and looked toward the Student Council President.

But Horikita Manabu said nothing, his cold eyes fixed on all the first-year students.

Just like that.

Gradually, the buzzing Gymnasium seemed to sense some dangerous presence, and within a mere half-minute, it fell deathly silent.

Everyone instinctively shut their mouths.

This was it.

The aura possessed by the man who stood at the pinnacle of the Advanced Nurturing High School student council and reigned over this school.

Seeing this.

Horikita Manabu finally began to speak.

The content was the same old routine, a brief introduction to the school and its clubs, along with a few precautions.

Ten minutes later.

The long-winded opening ceremony finally came to an end.

For the freshmen, the only significance of this ceremony was perhaps experiencing firsthand the Student Council President's ultimate ability to control a crowd.

After the ceremony ended.

Most of the students surged toward the same place—

The Supermarket.

Xu Nuo was also caught in the flow of the crowd.

Horikita Suzune naturally followed beside him.

Oh, wait.

It was Xu Nuo walking behind her; this aloof girl still maintained that "we aren't close" posture.

The supermarket was packed with people, bustling with activity.

"Free merchandise?"

At this moment.

Horikita Suzune stood in front of a shelf, looking at the labels posted on it, and fell into deep thought.

Her brows furrowed slightly.

Her reddish-purple eyes were filled with confusion.

She felt like she had grasped something, but was missing a spark of inspiration, so she instinctively looked toward the person beside her.

Unfortunately.

Xu Nuo had no interest in this and had no intention of explaining; his gaze was cast toward a corner.

Over there.

A girl with a long, purplish-red ponytail, a tall figure, and a cold, glamorous aura was absentmindedly examining the items on the shelf, her gaze drifting.

Kamuro Masumi.

A girl who sought thrills and suffered from kleptomania.

To think I would run into her so soon.

The girl looked left and right, her slender fingers pinching a can of beer as if she were hesitating.

She looked incredibly suspicious.

"I'm going to buy something over there; wait for me here."

At that moment.

Seeing that she was being ignored, Horikita Suzune temporarily abandoned her train of thought. She coldly tossed those words out, pushed the shopping cart toward the toiletries section, and left Xu Nuo where he stood.

The perfect timing.

Suddenly.

As if perfectly calculated, a petite figure walked out slowly and elegantly from the other end of the shelf, leaning on an exquisite ebony cane.

"Tap, tap, tap."

As she approached, the sound of the cane striking the floor was light, yet it carried a peculiar rhythm.

It made the surrounding clamor of voices seem to fade away in an instant.