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

He held the white-packaged juice can in his right hand, his fingertips lightly tapping the can.

The moment he stepped onto the curb, his center of gravity became as stable as a precision gyroscope. His toes touched the ground, his heels lifted, and he glided smoothly like someone gliding on ice.

With shoulders and back straight, the hem of her burgundy school uniform fluttered gently in the wind, creating a strange rhythm with the falling cherry blossoms.

That focused and composed demeanor was as if he were walking on a balance beam competition in the spotlight.

A few students on their way home were drawn to this strange sight, stopping to stare. Several girls covered their mouths and gasped softly.

Wow...so handsome...

"Like a gymnast!"

"How did he do that?"

Amazed gazes followed his elegant and steady figure, creating a striking scene amidst the twilight and cherry blossom rain.

Sakamoto seemed not to hear, his gaze calmly fixed on the distance.

In the middle of the road, a bench stands quietly under a cherry blossom tree.

On a bench, a silver-haired girl sat gracefully. She was slender, and a dark wooden cane leaned against the side of the bench, its tip gleaming warmly in the twilight.

Sakayanagi Arisu rested her chin on one hand, while the other hand rested casually on her knee, her fingertips rhythmically tapping the smooth tip of her cane.

His gaze was calm and serene, with a subtle, playful curve at the corner of his mouth, like a chess player who had already laid out his game and was waiting for his opponent to fall into his trap.

Sakamoto walked to the bench, stood firmly on the curb, and looked down at Sakayanagi.

A gentle evening breeze swept by, and cherry blossoms brushed against his serene profile.

"good evening."

Sakayanagi's soft and pleasant voice broke the silence first.

"Arisu Sakayanagi."

She nodded slightly, her silver hair gleaming faintly in the twilight.

"Nice to have our first formal conversation, Sakamoto-kun."

Sakamoto stood on high ground, bowing slightly, his movements fluid and elegant.

"I am Sakamoto. Nice to meet you, Sakayanagi-san."

The voice was clear and peaceful.

"What a delightful way to get home."

Sakayanagi lightly tapped the tip of her cane with her fingertips. Her gaze swept over the "artwork" he held in his hands and the can of juice, and her smile deepened.

"The 'magic' in convenience stores is just as amazing."

She tilted her head slightly, her gaze meeting Sakamoto's eyes behind his glasses:

"What a brilliant guiding technique. Leaving aside the little incident at the convenience store... about the S system, about points... the riddles that Sakamoto-kun left in class are truly unforgettable."

"The students in Class A were really itching to get their hands on it because of Sakamoto's words, 'Use it where it's truly worthwhile,' and that paper airplane that flew towards the upper grades."

She chuckled softly.

"Some people couldn't resist asking around among the older students. They discovered something interesting—'class points'."

She paused, observing Sakamoto's reaction. Sakamoto remained standing calmly on the curb, like a frozen sculpture, with only the evening breeze ruffling his hair.

“Each class in the upper grades has these ‘class points,’ as a symbol of some kind of collective honor? Or a benchmark for resource allocation? Unfortunately, the lower grades don’t. The upper-grade students are tight-lipped, and we couldn’t get any substantial information out of them. But someone remembered what Sakamoto-kun said—‘Points can buy anything.’”

A sly smile curved her lips:

"So, someone decided to buy information with points. Unexpectedly, someone was actually willing to sell—a second-year student. The price... was outrageously high."

She lightly tapped her cane with her fingertips.

"Interestingly, not long after, the seller contacted us and lowered the price. In the end, Class A successfully obtained core information about the operation mechanism of 'class points'—including its connection with the distribution of individual points, and... how it determines the promotion, demotion, and even the survival of a class."

Sakayanagi's gaze sharpened:

“Sakamoto-kun, you didn’t just tell us the answer directly, but guided us to explore, trade, and verify it ourselves. This ‘guidance technique’ is truly ingenious and breathtaking.”

She leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice.

"Sakamoto-kun...do you want to become the leader of Class A? In such an...elegant and mysterious way?"

A gentle evening breeze blew, and cherry blossoms fluttered down.

Sakamoto remained silent. He neither answered nor looked at Sakayanagi.

He cast his gaze toward the outline of the dormitory building in the twilight in the distance, and then made an unexpected move.

He lightly touched the curb with his toes and his body spun up as lightly as a feather!

With a fluid side spin, like a gymnast performing a difficult turn on a balance beam, he landed precisely and gracefully on the open space in front of the bench. The moment he landed, the "work of art" he was holding in his left hand and the juice can in his right hand remained perfectly still, his posture as composed as if he had simply stepped over a small ditch.

At this moment, he was no longer looking down at others, but at the same level as Sakayanagi on the bench, his gaze slightly lowered.

"guide?"

His voice remained steady, yet carried a subtle, indescribable meaning.

"What I did was merely follow the circumstances, offering a starting point. The truth is like these cherry blossoms,"

He raised his right hand, the can of white juice gleaming faintly in the twilight. He didn't drink it, but instead extended his left hand, his slender fingers deftly catching a falling cherry blossom petal in mid-air.

He gently placed the pinkish-white petal on the smooth top of the juice can.

The petals trembled slightly on the top of the jar, like a tiny graduation mark.

"Only by personally experiencing and feeling its trajectory can one truly understand the profound meaning of its withering and blooming. As for leaders..."

"I have no intention of leading anyone."

Sakayanagi's eyes flickered for a moment; she didn't seem surprised by the answer. She leaned back gently in her chair, her fingertips slowly tracing the tip of her cane.

"Speaking of which, there's something else interesting."

Her voice carried a hint of probing.

"Regarding Sakamoto-kun's 'lateness' today... I spent some points to buy some information from the upperclassmen."

Sakamoto's gaze remained calm, but his eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

"A second-year student said that this morning, he saw Sakamoto-kun loitering and observing in the upper-grade area of ​​the school building?"

Sakayanagi tilted her head slightly, her silver hair falling over her shoulders, her smile sweet, but her eyes were like the sharp edge of a quenched blade:

"Sakamoto-kun, you were one step ahead of all of us. Your lateness was not due to negligence, but rather... a meticulous observation operation?"

"However, everyone has two sides, Sakamoto-kun. Beneath your elegant and composed exterior, what kind of core lies hidden?"

She looked directly into Sakamoto's eyes, making no attempt to hide her scrutiny:

"Is he an all-knowing observer? Or... a player who intends to control the game? I look forward to... seeing your true face."

This is undoubtedly a declaration of war.

Sakayanagi Arisu, a potential A-class player, has come to regard Sakamoto as an opponent she must take seriously.

Sakamoto's reaction to the challenge was still unexpected.

He did not answer, nor did he look at Sakayanagi again.

He lightly touched the ground with his toes, his body as light as a feather as he spun and landed on the edge of the curb. His movements were smooth and elegant. The moment he landed, the "work of art" he was holding and the juice can remained completely still.

He strode forward, walking straight past the bench with steady, fluid steps.

The evening breeze brushed against the hem of my clothes, swirling cherry petals that fell onto my shoulders.

In the instant he brushed past Sakayanagi, that clear and peaceful voice, like a whisper of the evening breeze, reached Sakayanagi's ears:

"What appears to be an appearance is also just an appearance."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure blended into the twilight and the cherry blossom rain, leaving only a tall and mysterious silhouette, a faint scent of soap in the air, and... a cherry blossom petal that had been swept up by the wind and finally fallen to the ground in the open space in front of the Sakayanagi bench.

Sakayanagi Arisu sat upright on the bench, her fingertips resting on the tip of her cane, motionless for a long time. Her gaze was deep and unfathomable, closely following the figure that disappeared into the twilight.

The playful curve at the corner of his mouth remained, but now it carried a hint of seriousness and a stronger desire to investigate.

"Beyond appearances, there are only appearances..."

She chewed softly.

"I was really... underestimated."

The evening breeze blew, and cherry blossoms fell like rain. This first encounter on the cherry blossom path was silent, yet it had already drawn an invisible line.

PS: Some character designs for Kamuro have been modified from the previous chapter, and character illustrations have been added to the beginning of the text. You can refresh the chapter to view them.

Please feel free to raise any concerns.

First Year Enrollment: Chapter 009: Sakamoto Surrounded

The next day.

The second day of school.

The morning sunlight streamed through the clean windowpanes and fell on the brand-new desks of Class 1-A.

Compared to yesterday, the atmosphere in the classroom had a more restrained sense of order.

The students sat in their seats, their posture upright and their eyes focused. Their movements, whether turning pages or tidying up their stationery, were natural and orderly.

After yesterday's information sharing regarding "class points," the elites of Class A no longer had the initial nonchalance in their eyes, but rather a calm sharpness and understanding.

The link between individual points and collective honor and disgrace acts like an invisible ruler hanging overhead, allowing these privileged individuals to quickly assume the role of "elite."

The seat by the window in the classroom was still empty.

The bell for the start of class was drawing ever closer. The empty seats stood out conspicuously in the morning light.

Many people's eyes, carrying a hint of barely perceptible expectation and curiosity, occasionally swept over that spot.

How will Sakamoto, who arrived late on the first day of school, had an inexplicable seating bell, and revealed information about the S system, make his appearance today?

Time slipped by unnoticed. Katsuragi Kohei, sitting in the front row, remained as steadfast as a rock, his gaze sweeping between the podium and the empty seats.

Sakayanagi Arisu sat quietly against the wall, her fingertips lightly tapping the smooth tip of her cane. Her gaze beneath her silver hair was calm, and a faint smile played on her lips.

Just moments before the sharp, urgent "Ring—!" of the preparatory bell was about to tear through the air!

The classroom door was gently pushed open.

A tall figure appeared in the doorway, his silhouette momentarily blurred by the morning light streaming into the corridor. He stepped forward into the bright classroom light—black-rimmed glasses, a clearly visible dark brown beauty mark under his left eye, a handsome and serene face, and a perfectly pressed burgundy school uniform that accentuated his upright posture.

It's Sakamoto.

He adjusted his breathing slightly, his forehead seemingly damp with the fine sweat that might have seeped from running, but his breathing was steady and without any sign of panic. His gaze calmly swept over the entire class, his composed demeanor as if he were simply returning from a walk.

He strode forward, drawing the attention of the entire class.

His steps were steady and fluid, each step seemingly measured in distance; his arms swung with moderate amplitude, and his shoulders and back were straight as a pine tree. His goal was clearly the empty seat by the window.

As he walked through rows of seats, countless eyes were focused on him, but he seemed oblivious, his gaze fixed straight ahead.

Just as he reached the empty seat by the window, his left hand casually brushed the air above the back of the chair, his body naturally turned towards the seat, his center of gravity lowered, his posture relaxed, and his buttocks perfectly aligned with the seat—

"bell--!!!!!"

The preparatory bell, signaling the official start of class, rang out without warning, as if precisely calculated! The sound instantly filled the classroom, assaulting everyone's eardrums.

hum!

Time seemed to freeze for a moment. One instant was absolute silence and the last frame of Sakamoto taking his seat; the next, a deafening announcement. This sudden and dramatic contrast made almost every student's heart leap! Many instinctively tensed up.

Is it happening again...?

[Exactly the second...]

This guy... his control over time is terrifying...

A silent thought swept through many people's minds. The shocking scene from yesterday was being reenacted, bringing not just simple astonishment, but a complex mix of understanding, amazement, and even a touch of habituation.

Sakamoto's behavior pattern seems to be gradually being "adapted" to by Class A.

Only the boy who had just sat down by the window, amidst the sweeping waves of sound, simply adjusted his posture very naturally and calmly turned his gaze toward the doorway of the podium.

His movements were unhurried, as if the deafening noise was merely background noise for his precise sitting down.