The Opening Ceremony and Class D's Label

The bus came to a steady stop at the school gates. The moment the doors opened, a spring breeze carrying the scent of cherry blossoms rushed inside.

Orikasa Yuu was the last to stand. Carrying the standardized luggage bag issued by the school, he followed the crowd off the bus. His gaze swept over the imposing school gates before him. He did not marvel at them; he merely made a quick assessment in his mind—building materials, security level, surveillance blind spots.

Conclusion: a beautiful cage.

"Attention, all new students."

The announcement came from the speakers on either side of the school gates, clear and cold.

"The opening ceremony will soon be held in the gymnasium. Students of each class, please follow the signs and proceed to the gymnasium immediately. I repeat, please proceed to the gymnasium immediately."

The crowd began to stir.

Orikasa Yuu followed the sign pointing toward Class D, his pace neither hurried nor slow. His eyes paused for a second at the class assignment board by the roadside—[Class D: Orikasa Yuu]. Just as expected.

"I'm in Class D..." "Me too." "I got Class B. How did they sort us?" "Maybe by application order or surname?" "Could've been random?" Discussions rose all around him. No one connected the A-to-D ranking with "ability." To most of them, they were merely four meaningless labels.

In his memories of the original story, Class D was a gathering place for "defective products." Problem children, people with character flaws, and pieces deliberately placed on the board.

He had no objections to that. If anything, Class D suited his energy-saving needs perfectly: no expectations, no attention, the ideal environment for staying invisible.

The gymnasium stood at the center of campus, its dome soaring overhead and its interior almost absurdly spacious. Contrary to Orikasa Yuu's expectations, there were no seats inside. All new students were instructed to stand in their designated class areas.

Class D's area had been placed at the very back, near the exit, where the lights were dimmest and the location most remote.

Orikasa Yuu stood at the very edge of the Class D crowd, his back against the cold wall and his hands in his uniform pockets. A few steps to his left stood Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. The boy looked half-asleep, his eyes only partly open, yet his gaze spread across the entire hall like a spiderweb.

To his right and slightly ahead, Sakura Airi hid within the crowd. Her pink hair fell around her as she clutched her camera, as though trying to turn herself into part of the wall.

Their eyes happened to meet for an instant over the shoulders of several classmates.

Like a startled rabbit, Sakura Airi immediately lowered her head and shrank farther into the crowd.

Orikasa Yuu withdrew his gaze and continued looking straight ahead.

Rule Four of energy conservation: do not acknowledge eye contact, and do not create chance encounters.

At the front, the Class A students stood straight and neatly dressed, like an honor guard arranged through precise calculation. Classes B and C each had their own characteristics—students in Class B chatted quietly among themselves, creating a lively atmosphere, while Class C seemed loose and unfocused, with several students idly surveying their surroundings.

And Class D... Sudou Ken held his head high and glared provocatively at Manabu Horikita on the stage, like a beast ready to pounce at any moment. Ike Kanji yawned with his mouth open, his eyes unfocused. Yamauchi Haruki tilted his head, his body swaying faintly with each breath as his head bobbed up and down. He was clearly asleep on his feet.

What a stark contrast. Orikasa Yuu gave Class D a new definition in his mind: a pile of loose sand.

That was good. A pile of loose sand would not draw attention to the shape of any individual grain.

He did not feel humiliated. He only calculated how much this deliberate unequal treatment could reduce the outside world's attention toward him.

Conclusion: extremely advantageous.

A tall, stern-faced boy stepped onto the podium at the front of the gymnasium. He wore a third-year uniform, with the student council president's badge pinned to his chest. When his gaze swept across the hall, it carried a lofty scrutiny.

Manabu Horikita.

Orikasa Yuu's eyes rested on him for half a second.

His center of gravity leaned slightly left when standing, and when his right hand hung naturally, it rested near the outside of his thigh—right-handed, but with signs of left-hand training as well. His breathing was steady, and the contours of his shoulder and back muscles were faintly visible beneath his uniform. His gaze was sharp, his pupil contraction normal, indicating exceptional emotional control.

Conclusion: stronger than an ordinary student, but below threat level. Energy consumption rating: moderately high. Recommendation: keep distance.

His voice was not loud, but it traveled clearly to every corner through the microphone.

"I am the student council president, Manabu Horikita. On behalf of the current students, I warmly welcome this year's incoming class."

"Our school is renowned for its emphasis on both academics and athletics, as well as its high rates of advancement to higher education and employment."

The rest was nothing more than routine procedure—an introduction to the school's history, an emphasis on school rules and discipline, reminders for new students to watch their conduct, and encouragement to strive for improvement. There was no mention of points, class competition, or any so-called hidden traps. To the new students, this was simply an ordinary elite school with strict management and first-rate facilities.

But Orikasa Yuu noticed the details.

Whenever Manabu Horikita mentioned "classes," his gaze lingered on Class A's area for an extra 0.3 seconds. When he said, "I hope all of you will have fulfilling school lives here," there was no warmth in his tone. And from beginning to end, he had not looked toward Class D even once.

It was not neglect. It was deliberate omission.

Orikasa Yuu did not listen seriously to the empty formalities. His attention was on the gymnasium's structure—the dome was roughly twelve meters high, with a steel frame and sufficient load-bearing capacity. There were four exits, and the one behind Class D was the nearest, though also the narrowest, making it a secondary passageway. There were three surveillance blind spots, located respectively at...

A silver-haired girl in Class A, Arisu Sakayanagi, was surveying the entire hall with great interest, her gaze seeming to select prey.

A boy with an earring in Class C, Ryuuen Kakeru, stood among the crowd with his eyes closed, as though dozing.

Both were high-energy-consumption individuals. Keep distance.

Manabu Horikita's speech lasted roughly fifteen minutes and ended with the words, "I hope all of you will have fulfilling school lives here." He turned and walked off the podium without sparing anyone another glance.

"Classes will leave in order. Class D will leave last."

A wave of dissatisfied complaints rose from the crowd, but no one dared resist.

Orikasa Yuu noticed that throughout Manabu Horikita's speech, the people in Class D had barely changed at all—Sudou Ken had kept his head raised, glaring at the podium like an unyielding beast; Yamauchi Haruki continued nodding off; Ike Kanji yawned again, squeezing tears from his eyes.

Only one person was different.

Horikita Suzune's back was perfectly straight, her chin drawn in slightly as she stared directly at Manabu Horikita's departing figure. It was neither admiration nor fear, but an almost stubborn, unyielding obsession with refusing to lose. Her fingers curled faintly at her sides, her nails digging into her palms.

Orikasa Yuu noted in his mind: this girl's energy consumption rating was not low. Recommendation: avoid operating in the same area.

As the crowd moved toward the exit, Sakura Airi walked a few steps ahead of him, hugging her camera. Her footsteps were so light, as though she feared crushing something. From time to time, she glanced back, then quickly turned away again, her hair swaying softly with the motion.

Orikasa Yuu pretended not to notice.

Once outside the gymnasium, the spring sunlight fell over him again. Orikasa Yuu took a deep breath. The air smelled of cherry blossoms.

Class D. The most remote position, the most inconspicuous corner.

He looked up at the grand school building, and at last, the faintest curve appeared at the corner of his lips.

"Perfect."

Here, no one would expect a Class D student to create a miracle. That meant he could finally, without worry or burden—

Save energy.