"Senpaku, I am Sakamoto. What brings you here?"

"Passed by all? Result one? Ichinose-kun, you're so adorably naive."

Her gaze swept over the students in Class D, finally settling on Ichinose.

"Think about it carefully. Looking at the overall distribution of class points, classes A, B, and C have a huge lead and don't need these individual points at all. As for class D? They are at the bottom."

As she spoke, she glanced at the students from Class D sitting opposite her.

"Who benefits the most from pursuing outcome one? It's Class D. This only allows lagging classes to ride on the coattails and doesn't actually widen the gap between classes. Does the school hold this kind of exam to encourage egalitarianism and a happy ending? It's definitely to promote competition."

"What nonsense are you talking about!"

Upon hearing the accusation targeting only Class D, Karuizawa Kei immediately flew into a rage, abruptly standing up and pointing at Manabe.

"Why can't we all pass together? You're just targeting Class D!"

"Manabe, your statement is too one-sided!"

Hideo Tomura from Class D also pushed up his glasses and began his excited analysis:

"You three classes clearly had a huge lead over us because of your initial advantage! Now you want to create division in this group exam that requires cooperation? Your class even tried to sow discord between our class and Class C before. Now you're openly excluding us? And you still say you're not targeting Class D? You look like a delinquent!"

"What did you say? You fat otaku!"

Manabe Shiho was also a little annoyed by Sotomura's words and slammed her hand on the table.

The scene instantly descended into chaos, filled with tension.

"Everyone, calm down! Please don't fight!"

Ichinose quickly raised her voice, trying to calm both sides, her face filled with anxiety.

"Manabe-kun, I understand your concerns, but cooperation doesn't mean there's no competition! And Tomomura-kun, please refrain from personal attacks!"

Ayanokouji calmly observed the chaos before her.

Manabe's sudden attack, considering Ryuen Sho's style, is very likely a strategy he instructed.

After suffering a setback on the deserted island, Longyuan clearly adjusted its tactics.

They became more aggressive, attempting to use the rules to create antagonism between classes, especially targeting the seemingly weakest, Class D.

Thus, they could find an opportunity to defeat Class A amidst the chaos.

Just as Ichinose was struggling to maintain order, and the discussion seemed to be reaching a stalemate,

A calm voice, like cold water dripping into boiling oil, rang out clearly.

"Regarding the feasibility of 'Outcome 1'."

The sound came from the direction of Class A.

Everyone followed the sound,

Sakamoto had raised his head again at some point, his gaze behind his glasses calmly sweeping over the two arguing parties.

"In my opinion, Manabe's point of view contains a logical fallacy."

In an instant, the entire discussion room fell completely silent.

All eyes were focused on the black-haired boy who had been silent all along.

Ayanokouji's heart stirred slightly.

Sakamoto is finally going to make his move.

First Grade Summer Vacation: Chapter 120: Cleaner Sakamoto

Manabe Shiho was rooted to the spot by Sakamoto's words, her provocative sneer frozen on her face.

"Logical fallacy? What do you mean?"

Her voice unconsciously rose, and her sharp gaze pierced the figure in the center of Class A.

Not only him, but Kiyotaka Ayanokoji's attention was also raised to the highest level.

He slightly adjusted his posture, seemingly casually, but in reality, he focused all his senses on the Saka himself.

Under everyone's gaze, Sakamoto slowly stood up, still with that steady movement that seemed to defy gravity.

He didn't look at the real pot; his gaze seemed to penetrate the bulkhead and reach deeper into the school.

"Manabe believes that the purpose of this exam is to promote competition within the class and widen the gap between students."

"However, I believe that before discussing competition, we should perhaps consider a premise: Why does Advanced Education High School divide us into four classes, A, B, C, and D, from the very beginning of our enrollment?"

"Based on my limited understanding, the school's resource allocation, and even its ultimate promise of a 'successful future,' are all closely linked to class ranking."

"This system design itself seems to constantly emphasize 'differentiation' and 'selection'."

There was silence in the conference room.

He left it at that, revealing no more, but those words were enough to spark the imagination.

This is no longer a simple discussion about exam strategies, but has risen to the level of questioning the rules governing the operation of schools.

Ayanokouji's mind raced, and in a flash, he made a decision.

He couldn't be sure of Sakamoto's full intentions, but he keenly sensed that...

This is an opportunity, a chance to divert the discussion from the deadlock of "targeting Class D" and to test Class A's attitude.

Just as Manabe was about to refute Sakamoto's "pretending to be mysterious," Ayanokoji Kiyotaka spoke up.

"I think I understand what Sakamoto-san means a little."

Everyone's attention instantly shifted from Sakamoto to the silent student from Class D.

Even Sakamoto turned his head slightly, his gaze behind his glasses seemingly falling on Ayanokouji.

Ayanokouji met his gaze and spoke in his characteristically calm tone:

"Aside from Class A, which has the highest class score, for other classes in situations like this group exam, focusing on internal conflicts between classes might not be the optimal solution. Instead, temporarily setting aside class differences, seeking cooperation, and striving for 'Outcome 1'—a solution that benefits most members of the group—is a more rational choice. After all, in the face of an absolute difference in strength, fighting each other will only allow Class A to reap the benefits."

Honami Ichinose's eyes lit up. Ayanokouji's words struck a chord with her, and she immediately replied:

"Ayanokouji-san is right! We should cooperate! We can't let the differences in class strengths make us hostile to each other!"

Sakamoto listened quietly without making any comment.

His calm and expressionless face made it impossible to discern his true thoughts.

But Ayanokouji's response steered the conversation in another direction, and he chose to acquiesce.

Shiho Manabe opened her mouth, wanting to stick to the "shifting the blame" strategy instilled by Ryuen, but faced with Ayanokouji's logic of "cooperating to deal with Class A,"

She couldn't find a stronger rebuttal at the moment.

In Longyuan's plan, the primary task is to incite conflict between Class D and Classes B and C, but the premise is that they cannot put themselves in opposition to all non-Class A.

"Hmph, that's putting it lightly."

Manabe could only manage a forced composure, but his tone clearly weakened.

"But class competition is a fact...cooperation? Who knows if someone is trying to take advantage of cooperation?"

The meeting ended hastily in a somewhat chaotic and unsatisfying atmosphere.

The students from Class B left, confused, while Ichinose was still trying to communicate with Manabe.

Manabe looked rather grim and left in a hurry.

Ayanokouji followed the flow of people out of the conference room. He didn't immediately return to his cabin, but instead wandered aimlessly through the brightly lit cruise ship corridor.

His mind was still replaying what had just happened.

Sakamoto's words were by no means just idle chatter.

He must be trying to express something deeper, and my response might have been a lucky coincidence, or it might have hit the nail on the head.

He needs to find Sakamoto and confirm it face-to-face.

The feeling of being manipulated by an invisible hand gave him a long-lost urge to clarify things directly.

As he passed the atrium next to a curved staircase leading to the lower deck, a muffled argument caught his attention.

He instinctively turned to the side, hiding behind a potted lush foliage plant.

In the courtyard, Karuizawa Megumi was confronting Manabe Shiho, who had just been at the meeting, and another girl from Class B. The atmosphere was clearly tense.

"...I just happened to pass by and said, 'You were so arrogant at the meeting, why are you so quiet now?' Is it really necessary for you to keep bothering me like this?"

Karuizawa crossed his arms, his face showing undisguised annoyance.

Before Manabe could speak, the girl next to her named Rika spoke first, her voice filled with grievance and anger:

"Karuizawa-kun, you...you bumped into me while cutting in line at the coffee shop in the shopping district before summer vacation, and you didn't even apologize! And now you're doing this again..."

Shiho Manabe frowned and tugged at Rika's arm, seemingly trying to smooth things over:

"Pear Blossom, forget it. Longyuan said to try not to cause unnecessary trouble."

Her attitude was completely different from her aggressive demeanor during the meeting.

This scene immediately confirmed to Ayanokouji that Manabe's speech at the meeting was entirely part of Ryuen Sho's plan.

The girls in Class B were not extreme fighters.

However, Karuizawa Megumi's rebellious nature was provoked by the other party's "concession."

She raised her chin and let out a "ha" in a typical hot girl tone:

"Who remembers such trivial things? Isn't it annoying?"

Seeing that Rika's eyes were red, Manabe's expression also darkened.

At this tense moment——

"Shh-!"

A black shadow, accompanied by a strange, moisture-laden wind, glided across the open space between the two sides at an extremely fast speed.

Everyone was stunned.

Upon closer inspection, Sakamoto appeared there at some unknown time.

He... was sitting astride a long mop, his hands gripping the handle as if he were driving some strange vehicle.

The mop head was wet, leaving a clear water streak on the floor.

Meanwhile, Sakamoto's shoes had been covered with a transparent waterproof shoe cover at some point.

He smoothly came to a stop between Karuizawa and Manabe, adjusted his slightly slipped glasses, and said in his characteristically calm tone:

"I apologize for interrupting you all. This area has just been mopped and is still damp. Please watch your step to avoid getting your shoes wet."

His appearance was so abrupt and absurd that it instantly dispelled all tension.

Manabe and Rika stared at him in disbelief, then looked at the fresh water stain on the ground and the waterproof socks on his feet, speechless for a moment.

Karuizawa was also stunned, forgetting the argument that had just taken place.

Sakamoto nodded slightly to the group, then hopped on his mop and glided to the other end of the courtyard, disappearing around the corner, leaving only a wet trail and three girls looking at each other in bewilderment.

The conflict was thus abruptly interrupted in an almost comical manner.

Ayanokouji slowly emerged from behind the plants, looking in the direction where Sakamoto had disappeared, and then at the water stain on the ground that was rapidly evaporating.

Let's go after them and see.

First Grade Summer Vacation: Chapter 121: Sakamoto Being Questioned

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji walked briskly along the intermittent watermark in the brightly lit corridor of the cruise ship.

His steps were steady, but he couldn't quicken them.

The water stains on the floor looked especially dangerous on the smooth surface.

He had to control his speed to avoid slipping.

But the figure riding the mop ahead was moving at an astonishing speed.

Like ice skating, it disappeared at the end of the corridor after a few turns.

Ayanokouji stopped and looked at the deserted fork in the road ahead.