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

Her attacks were fierce, her moves were cunning, and it seemed as if she had everything under control.

however,

As the game progressed, Sakayanagi gradually noticed something amiss.

No matter how she attacked or how she set traps,

Sakamoto always manages to defuse situations subtly and effectively in a way that appears passive but is actually precise.

His playing style is as steady as a mountain, and every move seems to be precisely calculated.

Sakayanagi felt as if he were attacking a flawless fortress, and all his advantages seemed to remain on the surface, unable to be converted into a real victory.

What alarmed her even more was that she vaguely sensed the rhythm of the entire game.

It seemed that from the very beginning, the situation was in the hands of that quiet man on the other side.

at last,

Despite Sakayanagi's seemingly overwhelming advantage, Sakamoto made the decisive final move.

"General."

The sound was calm and even.

Arisu Sakayanagi was stunned.

She looked at the chessboard in disbelief.

Repeated deductions,

Ultimately, he had to admit that he was indeed checkmated.

Despite having an overwhelming advantage, they were defeated in a single, decisive blow.

This is incredible.

She quickly calmed down, her mind racing as she reviewed the previous game.

The more she thought about it, the more horrified she became.

It turns out that what I called my "advantages" were actually...

It was all a carefully constructed illusion by the other party from beginning to end.

He had completely fallen into the other party's rhythm and calculations.

"Wonderful…"

Sakayanagi raised his head, his eyes gleaming with intense interest.

"Sakamoto-kun's skill in Go far exceeds my expectations. Would you mind switching sides and playing another game?"

"of course can."

Sakamoto nodded slightly.

The second game,

Sakayanagi Arisu was on high alert, giving it her all and avoiding all the mistakes and potential traps from the previous game.

Her calculations were more cautious, and her plans were more meticulous.

However, the ending remains the same.

After an even longer and more arduous battle, she was defeated once again.

They lost convincingly.

Sakayanagi put down the chess piece and let out a long sigh of relief.

She looked at Sakamoto, who remained calm and composed across from her.

A relieved yet even more excited smile appeared on his face.

"Two games are enough to prove it. I lost, Sakamoto-kun. I lost completely."

She paused, then exclaimed with genuine admiration,

"My chess skills are far inferior to yours."

Sakamoto pushed up his glasses.

Humility in tone:

"Sakayanagi-san, you flatter me. I only have a superficial understanding of Go. Sakayanagi-san's Go skills are already top-notch, and I admire you."

Sakayanagi shook his head.

She knew this was far from "somewhat knowledgeable".

At this moment, her opinion of Sakamoto underwent a fundamental change.

She has always considered herself a genius.

She believed that no one in the school could truly rival her in the realm of intellect.

But Sakamoto's appearance repeatedly shattered her understanding.

Her previous extraordinary performances could be attributed to her being a "smart student" or possessing "special skills."

But these two games made her truly realize that

What Sakamoto possesses

Perhaps it was a true "absolute talent" that far exceeded her imagination.

or…

An even more startling thought flashed through her mind—

Is he from "that place"?

Sakayanagi did not ask further questions.

But her interest in Sakamoto,

It has become more profound.

In Class B,

Long Yuanxiang temporarily withdrew his claws.

He did not provoke Sakamoto again.

He is patiently waiting for a stage more suitable for competition within the rules.

Official events open to the school

That was the battlefield he had been longing for.

However, it was Shiina Hiyori,

Her relationship with Sakamoto became increasingly harmonious.

As book lovers, the two often exchange reading experiences and share interesting books.

A silent understanding flowed between the two.

Longyuan did not interfere in this matter.

In his view, this kind of purely cultural exchange is not of great importance for the time being.

Honami Ichinose from Class C

They quickly emerged from the shadow of the rumors.

They once again led Class C forward with renewed enthusiasm.

Although it's a bit embarrassing to talk about, she does indeed encounter some tricky problems.

She instinctively thought of asking Sakamoto for advice. Sakamoto never gave her a direct answer, but always guided and inspired her to find her own way to solve the problem.

The two then exchanged contact information.

And so, in a relatively peaceful atmosphere,

The first semester of first grade has come to an end. The final exams went smoothly.

The class point rankings for each class have also been updated for the last time in the first semester:

Class A: 1145 points

Class B: 982 points

Class C: 966 points

Class D: 268 points

Class A continues to lead with an absolute advantage.

The gap between Class B and Class C is extremely small, making the competition increasingly fierce.

Although Class D is still at the bottom, its score has improved significantly.

The end of the semester,

This means the summer vacation is coming.

All the competition, planning, cooperation and conflict,

All of this will come to a temporary end.

?

P.S.: Oh no! I keep thinking about catching up on the updates I missed, but I always get too lazy to write more after finishing just two pages. (Mainly because it's too late!)

I'll just submit two chapters today! I'll add the two missing chapters if I have the chance.

First Grade Summer Vacation: Chapter 092: Sakamoto's Summer Vacation

The summer sun shone brightly on the Advanced Education High School.

By early morning, Horikita Suzune had already gotten ready.

She wore a simple sun hat and stood alone in the shade cast by the huge sunshade next to the school swimming pool.

She frowned slightly, as if calculating the time, or perhaps thinking about the person who was about to arrive.

"Oh, Horikita, you're here too?"

A slightly light and lively female voice interrupted her thoughts.

Horikita turned his head upon hearing the sound.

Karuizawa Megumi was smiling and waving at her, her high golden ponytail standing out in the sunlight.

Standing beside her was Yosuke Hirata, the de facto core leader of Class D, who still wore that gentle smile.

"Hello, Karuizawa-san and Hirata-san."

Horikita nodded in acknowledgment, his tone cool but polite.

"I didn't expect to run into you here."

Karuizawa Kei looked at her curiously.

Horikita explained:

"The swimming pool is open on the last day of summer vacation, and it will be closed for maintenance afterward. Also, someone invited me."

"I see."

Hirata Yosuke took the words with a smile,

"Looks like you're not going to miss this last chance, just like us. Megumi and I will head out now, so as not to disturb you. Horikita-kun, have fun."

Karuizawa smiled and waved his hand:

Have fun, Horikita!

Horikita watched the two of them walk side by side toward the entrance of the swimming pool.

Karuizawa Megumi is the center of the girls' clique in Class D. She has a wide network of interpersonal relationships and her influence should not be underestimated.

Yosuke Hirata is the core of the class's cohesion; he is gentle and tolerant but also possesses strong organizational skills.