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

"Really..."

Sakayanagi Arisu lowered her voice, as if she had discovered a treasure.

"Have I found your weakness, Sakamoto-kun? You are not truly without worries; you also have concerns and desires."

Despite Sakamoto's almost provocative probing and sharp questioning, his expression remained unchanged.

He neither admitted nor denied it, nor did he utter a single word in response.

He simply turned his body slightly, making an extremely smooth and unexpected movement—

His arm rose seemingly casually, his fingertips tracing an elegant and precise arc in the air.

It gently brushed against the brim of the decorative beret worn by Arisu Sakayanagi.

It was just a very slight adjustment, so quick that it was almost an illusion.

That beret, which originally reflected its owner's meticulousness,

The brim of the hat tilted less than a millimeter due to Sakayanagi's forward lean.

At this moment, Sakamoto's fingers gently and accurately straightened it, restoring it to an absolutely symmetrical and upright posture.

The entire movement was fluid and graceful, carrying an indescribable air of elegance and composure.

It was as if he wasn't making a slightly offensive gesture, but rather creating a work of art.

"Secret Technique—"

"Not at all".

He ignored Sakayanagi Arisu's momentary stunned expression, his gaze calmly passing over her and looking further out the classroom window.

He didn't linger, not even giving Sakayanagi Arisu any time to respond.

She picked up her schoolbag and walked calmly out of the classroom, leaving Sakayanagi Arisu standing there in a daze.

Sakayanagi Arisu was indeed stunned.

She subconsciously raised her hand, her fingertips touching the beret that Sakamoto had "corrected".

The brim of her hat was perfectly straight, as if silently mocking her earlier smugness at "discovering a weakness."

This is not a threat.

This is more like a...

A condescending reminder and warning.

First Year Midterm Exam: Chapter 052: Sakamoto Gets a Talks

The school's indoor swimming pool echoed with the boisterous sounds unique to youth.

Water splashed everywhere, and laughter rose and fell.

The students in Class D seemed to have temporarily put the devastating blow from the beginning of the month behind them.

Release your stress in the cool pool water.

Water splashed everywhere in the pool.

During free time, the students naturally formed several groups.

Most people were playing and splashing around in the pool, a few swimming champions were practicing their strokes seriously, and a small number of people chose to stay on the shore.

However, not everyone was caught up in the jubilation.

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji sat alone by the pond, his feet immersed in the cool water.

He calmly watched the crowd frolicking in the water.

His face, unchanged for years, revealed no emotion.

He just sighed softly.

Making friends... is still really difficult.

Joining in this pure, aimless frolicking still seems to be a difficult thing for him.

"Why should a person worry?"

A cool, clear voice sounded from the side.

Ayanokouji turned around and saw Horikita Suzune standing there at some point.

She was wearing her school swimsuit, which accentuated her slender yet graceful figure. Her long black hair cascaded down her cheeks and neck, making her fair skin appear even more striking.

His expression, however, remained as serious as ever.

"I'm just caught up in my own internal struggles."

Ayanokouji withdrew his gaze and casually made up an excuse.

Horikita Suzune didn't ask any further questions, but simply walked over and sat down in the empty seat next to him.

Her gaze also fell upon the pool, watching the figures frolicking around.

"After something like that happened, our class is really taking it easy."

"Maybe he just wants to clear his head."

Ayanokoji Intersection.

Laughter drifted from the other side of the pool, making the corner where the two of them stood seem even more quiet and isolated.

"They were having so much fun, just like elementary school kids."

Horikita's gaze swept over the laughing faces.

"But I don't think the current situation is as bad as it gets."

She didn't say anything more sarcastic than usual, but the words themselves were heavy enough.

According to the S system, they are the worst defective products.

"You're one of them too, aren't you?"

Ayanokouji replied casually, without any sarcasm.

Horikita Suzune simply hummed in response, offering no rebuttal or further reaction.

This unusual silence only made the atmosphere more subtle.

Both seemed to recall the morning of May 1st, when the S system was announced and the class fell into dead silence and chaos.

At that time, Horikita Suzune did not show extreme shock and out-of-control anger like most of her classmates.

It was more of a confirmed understanding.

After a month of school, she was able to notice the stark difference between other classes, especially Class A and Class B, and Class D in terms of overall atmosphere and student performance.

That orderly atmosphere and subtle sense of competition stood in stark contrast to the lax and undisciplined atmosphere of Class D.

The announcement of System S simply turned her doubts into a cold reality.

After that, she took the initiative to go to her homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae.

She needs an answer.

An answer regarding her self-positioning.

She believed she performed normally in the entrance exam and achieved excellent results.

His behavior was not out of line, so why was he assigned to Class D?

There must be some judging criteria behind this that she is unaware of.

However, that conversation in the counseling room...

Ayanokouji also remembered that day.

He was called by name over the classroom loudspeaker and asked to go to the counseling room.

On the way there, we encountered an unexpected "trouble".

Hoshinomiya Chie is the homeroom teacher of Class B.

This woman, with her brown curly hair and gentle demeanor, resembled more of a senior student than a teacher.

For some reason, I seem to have developed an interest in him.

She stopped him with a smile and asked him all sorts of questions.

Just as Ayanokouji was pondering how to escape, a familiar figure appeared just in time to save him.

It is Ichinose Honami, who has long pink hair.

She smiled and pulled Hoshinomiya-sensei away, giving Ayanokouji a slightly apologetic but friendly smile before leaving.

Ayanokouji knew that this girl, whom he had only met once, was the current leader of Class B.

I learned about it casually while doing some research on Sakamoto.

Having escaped from Hoshinomiya-sensei, Ayanokouji arrived at the counseling room.

The atmosphere inside was cold and oppressive.

Chabashira sat there expressionless. Horikita Suzune stood opposite her, her eyes stubbornly pursuing the same question:

Why was I assigned to Class D?

Chabashi's answer was cold and cruel:

"It's not our mistake to put you in Class D. You're just a student of this caliber, so you were bound to be put in Class D."

She added:

"As I said, the class ranking will fluctuate based on performance, and there is still a chance to be promoted to Class A before graduation."

This statement, while seemingly offering hope, is actually more of a mockery.

Horikita Suzune pursed her lips and didn't say anything more.

Then, Chabashira's gaze turned to Ayanokouji, who had just entered.

She took out a report card.

The document clearly displays Kiyotaka Ayanokoji's scores for all subjects in his entrance exam and subsequent quizzes—all scores of 50.

"This cannot possibly be just a coincidence."

Chazhu looked at him meaningfully at that moment.

Although it wasn't said directly...

But his words implied that he was deliberately hiding his strength.

The conversation ended in an eerie silence.

Chabashira didn't provide any further information, and Horikita didn't get the answer she wanted.

Ayanokouji, on the other hand, continued to maintain his mediocre facade of "I was just lucky".

Let my thoughts return to the present.

The pool remained noisy as always.

Ayanokouji looked at the silent Horikita Suzune beside him and suddenly asked:

Are you seriously planning to aim for Class A?

"of course."

Horikita Suzune answered without hesitation, her gaze firm.

"Based on the information available, in order to obtain as many class points as possible, we need to correct everyone's attitude towards life. Getting high scores in the upcoming midterm exam is the first step."

Her attitude towards Ayanokouji did indeed undergo some subtle changes.

The conversation in the counseling room before made her aware of Ayanokouji's incredibly strange ability to control his scores.

This could not possibly be a coincidence.

This seemingly ordinary boy is definitely hiding something.

He might... be able to help her achieve her goals.