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

Staring blankly at the orderly figure under the parasol—Sakamoto.

Ryuen Sho, along with Ishizaki Daichi and Yamada Albert, had already disappeared into the distance.

What remained was a storm of emotions churning within Kamuro's heart, and utter bewilderment.

Was she saved by Sakamoto?

Ryuen's malicious blockade and insulting probing were instantly dismantled the moment Sakamoto appeared and the crowd gathered.

Ryuen's target seems to have always been Sakamoto.

She, Kamuro Masumi,

However, she was merely a "bait" carefully selected by Ryuen to lure Sakamoto into a trap.

A subtle sense of guilt enveloped her.

It seems she's the one who caused trouble for Sakamoto.

If it weren't for Sakamoto...

If he hadn't appeared in such an unbelievable way, attracting so many onlookers,

Will Longyuan let her off easily?

she does not know.

Kamuro's gaze swept over the not-so-short line.

The students wore expressions of satisfaction or curiosity, as if it were just an ordinary weekend activity.

How exactly did Sakamoto manage to do that?

In such a short period of time, how could so many coffees "conjure up" out of thin air at the entrance of the dormitory area, and still attract so many people to queue up?

After the shock and confusion, a more pointed question pierced her mind:

How did Sakamoto know she was here?

She was completely isolated and helpless when she was cornered in the alley by Longyuan.

She didn't even have a chance to take out her phone to call for help.

Sakamoto... how could he possibly know she was in "danger"?

Could it be that he's been keeping an eye on her all along?

The thought made her heart race inexplicably, but she quickly suppressed it with reason.

Impossible. Sakamoto didn't seem to show any particular interest in her.

In the coffee shop, he always maintained the same calm and composed demeanor, his gaze occasionally sweeping over her as if passing through thin air.

How did he manage to appear here so precisely and escape in this way?

She was eager to know the answer.

But looking at Sakamoto focused on selling coffee, it was as if the confrontation had never happened.

She hesitated again.

Should we just rush up and question them like Long Yuan did?

No, that would be too rude.

Moreover, there were students queuing in front of Sakamoto who hadn't been able to buy coffee.

Kamuro took a deep breath, suppressing his anxiety and doubts.

She decided to wait in line.

Anyway, it's the weekend, and the dorm is right next door, so she doesn't mind spending a little more time.

Perhaps, when it's her turn, she can find an opportunity to ask.

She silently walked to the end of the line.

The line was quite long, with several people ahead of them.

She lowered her head, trying to sort out her chaotic thoughts.

However, a subtle feeling returned.

Kamuro subconsciously raised her head, her gaze precisely catching the eyes of the girl in front of her in line.

She was a girl with long, blonde hair tied in a high ponytail, the ends swaying gently with her movements. She wore a stylish short skirt and jacket, a typical "hot girl" style, and looked to be a freshman as well.

At this moment, she was tilting her head slightly, her eyes filled with undisguised curiosity.

She was secretly observing the shrine.

That look made Kamuro feel uncomfortable.

Did she witness what happened at the alley entrance just now?

A surge of irritation welled up inside Kamuro. She hated the feeling of being observed.

Kamuro raised his purple eyes slightly, his icy gaze meeting the blonde girl's eyes directly.

The blonde girl seemed startled by the sudden, cold gaze; a flicker of panic crossed her face.

He turned his head away quickly, like a startled rabbit, not daring to look at her again.

Kamuro snorted inwardly, ignoring the other party and turning his gaze back to the front of the group, patiently waiting.

The line moved forward slowly.

Finally, it was Kamuroku's turn.

She walked up to the simple folding table.

The coffee cups that were originally piled on the table are now almost all gone, leaving only one lonely cup sitting there quietly.

He heard footsteps, and his gaze, behind his black-rimmed glasses, calmly fell on Kamuro's face:

"Excuse me, what would you like to order?"

His tone was as natural as if he were greeting any ordinary customer in a coffee shop, as if he didn't recognize the purple-haired girl in front of him who had just experienced a terrifying ordeal.

Kamuro glanced at the last cup of coffee on the table, then at Sakamoto's calm, expressionless face.

The urge to ask resurfaced, but was suppressed by a strange hesitation.

She pointed to the lonely cup of coffee:

"That's it."

Sakamoto nodded slightly and smoothly picked up the cup of coffee.

Instead of handing it over directly like he would to other students, he picked up a paper cup holder from the side, gracefully placed the coffee cup inside, and then presented it to the shrine with both hands.

"Please enjoy your coffee."

His posture was impeccable.

Kamuro took the warm cup of coffee, his fingertips feeling the slight coolness of the paper cup holder.

Looking at Sakamoto's flawless professional demeanor, the question in her mind almost slipped out.

However, Sakamoto did not give her a chance to speak.

He turned around and, addressing the few remaining students queuing behind Kamuro, raised his voice slightly:

"Dear students, we apologize. All coffee is sold out for today. If you would like to purchase coffee, please go to the coffee shop in the shopping center."

His voice carried clearly.

The remaining students looked disappointed, but they didn't linger and turned to leave.

The crowd completely dispersed, and the alley returned to its usual tranquility, leaving only Kamuro Masumi and Sakamoto, who was packing up some belongings.

Kamuro, holding the warm cup of coffee, stood there watching Sakamoto calmly fold up the parasol and table.

She opened her mouth, having already thought of what to say:

"Sakamoto-san, why are you selling coffee here?"

Sakamoto tidied up the last item and carried it in his hand.

He turned around and faced the shrine:

"An urgent matter arose today, so I had to end my work at the café early. However, today's sales did not meet my expectations. Therefore, I asked the manager to allow me to temporarily sell some items here to make up the difference. I never expected to run into Kamuro here."

Masumi Kamuro found it somewhat absurd.

The reasoning sounds so reasonable. So reasonable that it's impossible to refute.

But was this really a coincidence? Was it really a chance encounter?

She was just cornered by Longyuan in an alley a few steps away.

She looked at Sakamoto's calm and expressionless face, trying to find a flaw in his eyes, a trace of a lie.

However, there was nothing.

Sakamoto bowed slightly:

"Kamuro-kun, if there's nothing else, I need to return these items to the shop. Excuse me, farewell."

After saying that, he didn't linger. He picked up the folded parasol and table, turned around, and started walking towards the shopping center.

Kamuro Masumi stood there, watching Sakamoto's retreating figure, the warm cup of coffee in her hand seeming to lose its warmth.

She looked down at the dark brown liquid in the glass, her thoughts a jumbled mess.

She didn't notice the blonde girl with a ponytail—Karuizawa Megumi—behind a lush cherry blossom tree by the path.

She peeked out halfway, her gaze complex as she watched Masumi Kamuro's dejected figure, then glanced in the direction Sakamoto had disappeared, a thoughtful expression on her face.

First-Year Enrollment: Chapter 036: Sakamoto Enters the Game

Beyond the bustling crowds of the shopping mall, at the corner of a relatively quiet pedestrian street,

Long Yuanxiang leaned against the shutter of a closed shop, his gaze fixed on the direction of the dormitory entrance in the distance.

Ishizaki Daichi and Yamada Albert stood like two silent iron towers behind him.

The plan is half successful.

Sakamoto appeared.

Although the method was unexpected—that guy actually set up a coffee stall outside the dormitory and attracted a group of students to line up—

But the target eventually arrived.

Sakamoto's appearance itself proves that Ryuen made the right first move.

Bait, Masumi Kamuro,

worked.

A cold smile appeared on Long Yuan's lips.

He recalled that two days earlier, when he had initially integrated Class C and begun to work on improving the "quality" of this class,

One thing he did was confiscate all the students' cell phones.

Ostensibly, it's to check point usage and prevent malicious spending.

In reality, it's for a deeper purpose: to understand each person's social networks, spending habits, and even potential contacts.

Hiyori Shiina's cell phone was one of the secondary items to be checked.

This meticulous girl is currently his most valued "brain trust".

Her phone usage history was very clean, and her points spending was extremely reasonable, with nothing suspicious about it.

However, just as Long Yuan was about to put down her phone, his gaze froze on a certain name in her contacts.

Sakamoto.

Sakamoto.

Which other Sakamoto could it be?