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

Masumi Kamuro kept her eyes fixed on the cashier counter.

She witnessed Shiina Hiyori's fluent conversation with Sakamoto, Sakamoto's composed demeanor, and Shiina Hiyori's calm departure. A powerful impulse surged within her.

She wants to go too!

She took a deep breath, suppressed her emotions, stood up, and walked quickly to the cashier.

Approaching Sakamoto, Masumi Kamuro maintained a calm expression as she looked at him:

"A... latte. Thank you."

Sakamoto's gaze fell on her, his eyes behind his black-rimmed glasses calm and unwavering.

He nodded slightly and smoothly operated the order screen:

"One latte, please."

His voice was clear and calm, without any hint of anything unusual.

However, just when Masumi Kamuro thought the conversation was about to end—

Sakamoto slightly raised his eyes, his gaze calmly meeting her purple eyes:

"Kamuro-kun, please wait a moment."

He... he remembers me?!

That brief and awkward encounter at the convenience store.

He actually remembered my name.

An indescribable surge of emotion instantly dispelled her previous hesitation, causing her fair cheeks to flush slightly.

But then, a sense of loss quietly welled up in my heart.

Her mind was racing with all sorts of questions—why was Sakamoto working part-time? What was his relationship with Sakayanagi? Did he know about Sakayanagi and Ryuen's conspiracy?

However, it seems that Hiyori Shiina has already asked the most crucial questions.

Moreover, Sakamoto answered so frankly.

What else could she ask?

Looking at Sakamoto's calm and expressionless face, Kamuro Masumi didn't want the conversation to end so simply!

“Sakamoto-san…”

She hesitated for a moment, her voice tinged with inquiry.

"How did you get this job? It's only the third day of school. Do you have some connection with this store?"

She was trying to find a new angle to start the conversation.

Sakamoto's fingers, which were operating the single-screen interface, paused slightly.

He didn't answer immediately, but instead raised his gaze and calmly looked at Masumi Kamuro, his eyes so deep they seemed to see right through people's hearts.

After a moment, he slowly spoke, his voice deep and magnetic:

"Kamuro-kun, in this school—"

He paused slightly, then tapped the order screen with his fingertip, producing a crisp "beep" sound.

"Points can buy everything."

After saying that, he stopped talking, simply sent the order information to the kitchen, and then nodded slightly, indicating that Masumi Kamuro could leave.

Kamuro Masumi stood there, stunned.

Points can be used to buy everything.

She instantly understood that Sakamoto had bought the job with points for his "field investigation".

Seeing Sakamoto's resigned attitude of not saying anything more and seeing her off, Kamuro Masumi could only suppress the turmoil in her heart, whispered "thank you," and then turned around and walked back to her seat with some disappointment.

Soon, two cups of coffee were brought over by an ordinary waiter.

A cup of deep, rich black coffee is placed in front of Hiyori Shiina, and a cup of latte with creamy milk foam is placed in front of Masumi Kamuro.

Sakamoto remained standing behind the cashier, his posture upright, his gaze calmly sweeping across the coffee shop.

After he changed into the cashier's uniform, his professional yet understated elegance seemed to attract a lot of new attention.

The coffee shop's popularity seems to have quietly increased a bit because of his presence.

Hiyori Shiina picked up the cup of black coffee, brought it to her lips, and took a small sip.

It's bittersweet.

The pure, unadulterated bitterness, mixed with the sweetness of cane sugar, instantly spread across the tip of the tongue.

Her purple eyes were lowered as she looked at the bottomless black liquid in the glass.

Sakamoto's words echoed in her mind—

"The truth is like the bitter base of black coffee; its true flavor is revealed when it is left unadorned."

This cup of black coffee with sugar seemed to be the best footnote to Sakamoto's words.

Masumi Kamuro also picked up her latte, the sweetness of the milk foam temporarily masking the bitterness of the coffee.

She sipped the warm liquid, which slid down her throat, bringing a touch of warmth, but it couldn't dispel the chill and confusion in her heart.

What exactly is Sakamoto planning?

She subconsciously looked up and saw Shiina Hiyori quietly sipping her black coffee across from her.

Shiina Hiyori seemed to notice her gaze, and slightly raised her eyes, her expression calm and still, like a deep pool.

Their eyes met briefly in the air.

No words.

Only the aroma of coffee filled the air.

What began as an unexpected incident involving the pursuit of Sakamoto has now evolved into a bizarre scene of two girls from different classes, each harboring their own thoughts, silently confronting each other amidst the aroma of coffee.

Their target was now standing in the glow of the cashier's counter, like an elegant riddle, radiating a breathtaking light.

First-Year Enrollment: Chapter 028: Shop Clerk Sakamoto

Long Yuanxiang sat back in his seat at the back of Class C classroom. The afternoon sunlight slanted in through the window, casting half-light and half-shadow on his face.

Even outside of class time, Class C still exuded that lazy atmosphere, which Longyuan was very unhappy about, but there was nothing he could do about it.

His fingertips tapped the table unconsciously, producing a dull, rhythmic sound, like the heartbeat of a lurking beast.

Even though Class C had prior knowledge of the class points and could gain an advantage within the first month, the overall quality of their students was far from satisfactory, with very few truly capable individuals in the class.

A class led by only a few outstanding students is not enough; Longyuan also needs to find ways to improve the overall ability of the class.

It seems the road to defeating Class A is still long.

My phone vibrated slightly in my pocket.

Long Yuan paused, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

He calmly took out his phone, the screen lit up, and a new message jumped into his eyes.

Sender: Hiyori Shiina.

The content is concise and clear:

Sakamoto works part-time at a cafe in a shopping mall. During his lunch break. The job was purchased using personal points.

Long Yuan's lips parted silently, revealing his gleaming white teeth.

Sakamoto, working at a coffee shop?

This information seems simple, but Ryuen has already devised a plan to scheme against Sakamoto.

Using points to buy positions is a truly ingenious tactic.

While Advanced Nurturing High School outwardly prohibits students from working, the unspoken rule that "points can buy everything" is like a sharp dagger hidden beneath a splendid robe, which Sakamoto precisely drew out and openly brandished in public.

What would those unsuspecting students think if they saw Sakamoto wearing a waiter's apron and openly "working" in a school where part-time jobs are prohibited?

Shock? Confusion? And then awe?

Do you think he has powerful connections and can even disregard school rules?

This undoubtedly elevates Sakamoto's image, adding a layer of mystery to his "elegant and composed" exterior.

tough enough.

Sakamoto, he really is a master at manipulating people's hearts.

Long Yuan sneered inwardly.

Creating a positive image to elevate one's status is a good idea.

But this also reveals your whereabouts!

He is usually elusive and his whereabouts are hard to pinpoint.

Now it's all good: lunch break, coffee shop. A fixed location, a regular time slot.

Sakamoto, you've put an invisible rope around your neck.

Long Yuan put away his phone, leaned forward slightly, and placed his hands on the table with his arms crossed.

He stopped paying attention to the students playing around him and fell into thought.

The primary goal at present is to leverage Sakamoto's interpersonal relationships.

This guy may seem like a loner, but he's definitely not an isolated island.

What exactly is the relationship between the people in Class A who surround him?

Are they simply admirers, or potential allies? And what is Sakamoto's attitude towards them?

Since we can't budge Sakamoto, and we can't find his weaknesses, then we should target the people around him, the people he might care about.

Only in this way can a plan be devised to target Sakamoto.

After lunch break, in the classroom of Class A, Grade 1.

On the podium, the history teacher was passionately recounting the alliances and counter-alliances of the Warring States period, his voice rising and falling with emotion.

Kamuro Masumi sat in the back row, her purple hair falling over her shoulders.

Her gaze seemed to be fixed on the open textbook, but her focus had already become unfocused.

The teacher's voice on the podium became a buzzing background noise, and her thoughts, like a wild horse, raced uncontrollably back to the coffee shop during lunch break.

Sakamoto's image was clearly imprinted in her mind.

The incredible skill with which he spun the tray to catch the cup, the composure with which he gently smoothed the coffee with his palm, the calm and undisturbed demeanor when faced with Haruki Yamauchi's chatter... and finally, the words he spoke to her from behind the counter, wearing his cashier uniform and with a deep gaze.

She subconsciously looked up, her gaze passing over the shoulders of the students in front of her, and landing on the familiar figure by the window.

Sakamoto sat upright with his shoulders and back straight, and his burgundy school uniform was pressed without a single wrinkle.

He tilted his head slightly, seemingly listening attentively to the teacher's lecture. His black-rimmed glasses reflected the light from the window, obscuring his eyes.

That focus and composure overlapped wonderfully with the elegant and composed figure in the coffee shop who seemed to be in complete control.

Kamuro Masumi's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.

The "magic" of convenience stores, the "secret techniques" of coffee shops... Sakamoto's abilities have repeatedly refreshed her understanding.

The web of conspiracy laid by Arisu Sakayanagi and Sho Ryuen seems... somewhat laughable in the face of Sakamoto's almost inhuman composure and ability.

He seemed to possess the power to easily shatter any conspiracy.

A strange sense of relief, mixed with a deeper sense of confusion, quietly began to grow.

If Sakamoto is really that powerful, then wouldn't Sakayanagi and Ryuen's schemes have been in vain?

Did my previous worries and hesitations seem a bit unnecessary?

But as soon as this thought arose, it was suppressed by another, stronger thought.

No matter how strong Sakamoto is, he is still human, and humans have weaknesses.

Masumi Kamuro frowned slightly.