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

He had left his seat without anyone noticing, his movements so fast that they went unnoticed.

He stood tall and straight, his burgundy school uniform looking exceptionally neat in the sunlight, his gaze behind his black-rimmed glasses calm and unwavering, as if the thrilling conflict that had just occurred had never happened.

Long Yuan suddenly stopped in his tracks, his pupils contracting sharply!

What is this guy trying to do?!

His muscles tensed instantly, his fists clenched silently at his sides, his knuckles making a slight clicking sound, like a ferocious beast that had been provoked, staring intently at Sakamoto.

Sakamoto seemed completely oblivious to the dangerous aura emanating from him.

He nodded slightly, his movements fluid and natural. Then, under Long Yuan's wary and hostile gaze, he slowly raised his right hand.

Long Yuan instinctively adopted a defensive stance.

However, Sakamoto had no weapon in his hand and made no provocative gesture.

In his outstretched palm lay a white smartphone.

The screen reflected a faint light in the sunlight.

"classmate,"

Sakamoto's voice was clear and calm, as if in a casual conversation.

"This phone fell to the ground in the chaos. Is it yours?"

He handed the phone to Long Yuan with unhurried movements and a composed demeanor.

Long Yuan was stunned.

He instinctively reached into his pocket—and sure enough, the phone that had been tucked into the edge of his pocket was gone!

I was so excited when I got up from my seat that I didn't even realize it!

This mobile phone is not only a communication tool, but also a core carrier of high school student identity and points!

He stared at the phone Sakamoto handed him with a complicated expression, then looked up at Sakamoto's calm, almost indifferent face.

This guy... chased after me all this way just to return a phone?

What on earth was he thinking?

Is it mockery? Is it charity? Or... is it really just a simple return of something to its rightful owner?

Sakamoto seemed to see through his doubts, his gaze behind his black-rimmed glasses calmly meeting his scrutinizing eyes, without smugness or pity.

That pure and utter tranquility, on the contrary, made the anger and shame churning in Long Yuan's heart cool down and settle down as if doused with a bucket of cold water.

"Humph."

Long Yuan finally snorted coldly, grabbed his phone roughly, his movements revealing lingering displeasure.

He didn't thank him, but stared intently at Sakamoto, trying to find even the slightest trace of pretense on his face.

Sakamoto didn't care about his attitude at all, withdrew his hand, and remained calm.

"Class C is currently in disarray,"

He suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching Long Yuan's ears, his tone as calm as if stating an objective fact.

"But there may be gold beneath the loose sand. If you want to climb up, someone has to step forward and knead the sand into a fist."

After saying that, Sakamoto nodded slightly again, then turned and left without looking at Ryuen's reaction.

His steps remained steady and smooth, as if he had only accomplished a trivial task. He quickly rejoined the bustling crowd in the cafeteria, his back as upright as a pine tree.

Long Yuan stood there, clutching her recovered phone tightly in her hand.

Sakamoto's last words were like a pebble thrown into a lake, creating ripples in the water.

"Beneath the scattered sands, there may still be gold..."

"Squeeze sand into a fist..."

These two simple sentences, without any condescending guidance or insincere encouragement, are more like a calm observation and statement.

A kind of tacit acceptance of his ambition.

The shame and rage in Long Yuan's heart receded quickly like a tide, replaced by a cold, more solid fighting spirit.

A complex and indescribable emotion welled up inside me.

But... that's definitely not being recognized! Long Yuan abruptly shook his head, his eyes becoming sharp and fierce again.

He has already understood:

That Sakamoto didn't care at all about winning or losing these petty squabbles in the cafeteria.

What he cares about is a truly united Class C that might stand opposite him in the future!

"Ah……"

Long Yuan's lips slowly curved into a cold, excited smile, tinged with the smell of blood.

The anger and humiliation I felt earlier completely vanished, replaced by a purer, more fervent fighting spirit.

"Sakamoto...you wait."

He didn't linger and strode away.

The afternoon sun was a bit dazzling, but Longyuan's gaze was even sharper than the sunlight.

Class C? A disorganized mess? No, that won't happen.

He will use the fastest speed and the most direct and effective means—whether it is violence or intimidation—to mold the entire Class C into a whole, a whole that can challenge Class A, where Sakamoto is!

He wanted to show Sakamoto what true power was!

Sakamoto gave him a way out, but also ignited a fire of "conquest" in his heart.

Long Yuanxiang, stepping onto these steps "given" by his rivals, has a clearer goal than ever before: to integrate Class C and reach the top!

His figure, bathed in sunlight, carried a resolute determination and a rekindled, even more vigorous ambition as he disappeared along the path leading to the teaching building.

From the best vantage point, Nagumo Masayuki witnessed the entire scene of Sakamoto chasing after him to return the phone. He picked up his water glass but didn't drink, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes.

"Truly...absolutely brilliant."

He muttered to himself, a genuine smile playing on his lips.

"From defusing the crisis to returning the item to its rightful owner... every step was perfectly executed. This skill... is simply like that of a natural-born chess player."

He put down his water glass, leaned back slightly, tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, and looked deep in thought.

"but……"

He pondered for a moment, the burning fighting spirit in his eyes gradually subsiding and transforming into a more composed scrutiny.

"It's not the right time yet. It's only the second day of school, and what he's shown is already amazing enough. But just how big is this iceberg, how deep is the hidden power... we still need time to observe. Let him adapt, let him grow, let him truly spread his wings in this 'merit-based' academy..."

He turned to look at Asahina Nazuna opposite him, his smile returning to its usual cynical tone:

"Qi, do you think I'm being too 'considerate'? Giving potential rivals plenty of room to grow?"

Asahina Nazuna picked up her juice glass, took a small sip, glanced at him, and a mischievous smile curved her lips:

"Considerate? I think you're being too 'good,' Ya. But..."

She put down her cup, and the sunflower hair clip glittered in the sunlight.

"This patience to 'cast a long line to catch a big fish' is quite in line with your usual 'calculation.' It seems you've exceeded expectations by having lunch 'incidentally' today?"

Nan Yunya laughed heartily and raised her water glass to gesture to her:

"Then let's... wait and see."

His gaze returned to the direction where Sakamoto had disappeared, and deep in his eyes was the patience and anticipation of a chess player waiting for his opponent to make a move.

First Year Enrollment: Chapter 013: Sakamoto in the Library

afternoon.

Sunlight casts shadows between the tall bookshelves of the library at Gaoyuyucheng High School.

The air is filled with the unique scent of old paper, ink, and wood. This is a sanctuary of knowledge, and a rare haven from the bustling campus.

Hiyori Shiina walks alone among the towering forest of bookshelves.

She had rare, flowing silver hair, loosely tied in two knots at the back of her head, with a few strands falling beside her fair cheeks. Her clear violet eyes were now scanning the densely packed spines of the books on the bookshelf with a hint of imperceptible focus.

She was wearing a standard burgundy school uniform, with her slender legs encased in gray over-the-knee socks peeking out from under the skirt. Her footsteps were so light they were almost silent, and she exuded a light, soft aura, as if she might blend into the tranquil atmosphere at any moment.

She is a huge fan of mystery novels.

On the second day of school, she couldn't wait to go to the library, partly to familiarize herself with this place where she might be a regular for the next three years, and partly to find a book—Raymond Chandler's "Goodbye, My Love".

She loves the book very much and wants to reread it in her new environment.

His fingertips traced the spines of the books, and his purple eyes quickly scanned the titles.

Finally, on a higher shelf in the "Western detective novels" section, she saw the familiar black cover and gold-embossed title.

She stood on tiptoe, stretching her arms as far as she could. However, the bookshelf was too high, and the book was a bit too difficult for her to reach.

There were still a few centimeters between my fingertips and the target spine of the book.

She furrowed her delicate brows slightly and tried to jump lightly, but dared not make too big a movement, for fear of disturbing the tranquility.

Her toes were taut, encased in gray over-the-knee socks, and her silver hair swayed slightly with her movements, like a clumsy yet earnest little animal trying to reach for berries high up.

I tried several times, but it was all in vain.

She sighed softly, a hint of disappointment flashing in her purple eyes, and was about to give up and go to the administrator for help.

Just then, a figure appeared silently beside the bookshelf next to her, as if blending into the light and shadow.

Hiyori Shiina paused slightly, then subconsciously turned her head to the side.

He is a boy with black hair.

He had arrived here at some point, and his gaze, calmly sweeping across the bookshelf behind his black-rimmed glasses, finally landed on the copy of "Goodbye, My Love" that Shiina Hiyori had been trying so hard to obtain.

He wore a neatly pressed burgundy school uniform, his posture upright, and he blended strangely into the quiet atmosphere of the library.

Shiina Hiyori withdrew her hand, stood up straight, and looked calmly at Sakamoto with her purple eyes. There was no expression of help or embarrassment on her face, only an almost transparent indifference.

She nodded slightly, a silent greeting, and then prepared to turn and leave.

However, Sakamoto did not simply pass by as she had expected.

He turned slightly to the side, his gaze falling on the book on the high shelf, and then made an extremely smooth movement.

He didn't tiptoe to reach it like most people would, nor did he move the ladder next to him. Instead, he stretched out his right hand, and his slender index and middle fingers precisely wedged into the narrow gap between the two wooden planks at the top of the bookshelf, his movements as light and effortless as inserting a keyhole.

Then, with an extremely slight touch of his toes to the ground, his body rose up a few inches as if weightless, while his left hand shot out with lightning speed, his index and middle fingers precisely gripping the spine of the book "Goodbye, My Love" like tweezers!

The entire process was smooth and swift, without making a sound.

His movements were as elegant as if he were performing a meticulously crafted mime, or as if he were performing some ancient, highly ritualistic retrieving ceremony.

By the time Shiina Hiyori realized what was happening, Sakamoto had already landed steadily, holding the book that she had just been unable to reach.

He didn't hand it to her immediately. Instead, he used the fingertips of his other hand to gently brush away any dust that might have settled on the spine of the book, his movements soft and focused, as if he were handling a precious work of art.

Having done all this, he turned around and handed the book to Shiina Hiyori, his gaze behind his black-rimmed glasses calm and gentle.

"Excuse me, is this the book?"

Hiyori Shiina's violet eyes widened slightly for a moment.

She looked at the book Sakamoto handed her, then glanced at his calm, expressionless face, and at the incredible way he had taken the book... It was a precision and elegance that no ordinary person could achieve.

She paused for two seconds before reaching out and carefully taking the book, "Goodbye, My Love."

Her fingertips touched the cool pages of the book cover, and she nodded gently, her voice as soft and fleeting as a feather:

"...Thank you. This is the one."

Sakamoto nodded slightly, said nothing more, and seemed to be preparing to turn and leave.

"you……"

Shiina Hiyori, unusually, spoke first. Holding her book, she looked up at Sakamoto with her purple eyes.