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

With the change in his attitude and the improvement of his role in the class, especially after his efforts in organizing study sessions and guiding Sudo and others were effective,

Her relationship with the two class organizers has also improved.

Hirata clearly demonstrated his recognition and emphasis on his efforts in promoting the progress of Class D.

This is naturally the only way for her to integrate into the class management system.

Horikita's thoughts were still unsettled.

Another group of familiar figures came into view.

Leading the way was Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, who still sported his ever-present indifferent expression.

Horikita's gaze lingered on his face for a moment.

This guy…

In her own mind, he was definitely the most deeply hidden person in Class D.

However, as the person who interacts with her most frequently in Class D, and in some ways could even be described as having the "best relationship" with her,

She still couldn't detect any obvious emotional fluctuations on his face, nor could she see through his true thoughts.

It's like a perfect "surface".

Following closely behind is Sakura Airi.

She seems to have changed somewhat since the start of the school year.

Although his eyes still instinctively darted away when they met Horikita's gaze,

But at least she was no longer cowering like a frightened bird. Horikita noticed that she was actively trying to communicate with the other students in the class.

This is a positive change and deserves recognition.

Walking at the very back was Kikyo Kushida.

Her face wore a sweet smile that seemed to be welded on perfectly.

"Good morning, Horikita-kun!"

She greeted him warmly.

"Have you been waiting for a long time?"

"Soon, Kushida-kun."

Horikita responded in a similarly friendly manner.

She no longer finds Kushida's obsession with making friends with everyone as repulsive as she did at the beginning of the semester.

She even felt that as an important member of the class, maintaining a good relationship with this "social butterfly" would benefit the overall atmosphere of the class.

But... that feeling in my heart has never truly been let go.

The mysteriously sourced midterm exam "test paper," and Ayanokouji's earlier subtle hints about her role in the rumor incident...

All of this made her maintain a certain distance from Kushida at all times.

Kushida glanced at the group and asked with a hint of doubt:

"Huh? Where are Yamauchi-kun, Ike-kun, and Sudo-kun? Aren't they with you?"

Ayanokouji's voice rang out: "They...are coming."

Like a precise announcement,

As soon as Ayanokouji finished speaking, the voices of the three idiots came from the direction of the pool.

"Hey—wait for us!"

"Don't run so fast!"

Haruki Yamauchi, Kanji Ike, and Ken Sudo came running over, pushing and shoving each other and shouting. Kanji Ike, panting, complained:

"I overslept! I almost missed it!"

Sakura Airi blinked and asked softly:

"But...didn't you oversleep? Why did you come from the swimming pool area?"

She was pointing in the direction the three of them had come from.

The expressions on the three people's faces froze for a moment, and then they waved their hands at the same time like cats whose tails had been stepped on.

"Uh, well..."

"Haha, it's nothing, it's nothing!"

"Yes, yes! Let's go, stop asking so many questions! It's time to get into the pool!"

They abruptly changed the subject.

They were pushing and shoving each other, trying to rush forward.

Horikita was too lazy to delve into their foolish behavior.

"Alright, now that everyone's here, let's go over there."

Horikita naturally took on the role of organizer.

She was just about to take a step.

"Horikita-san! Ayanokoji-san! And everyone in Class D! Good morning!"

A bright and energetic voice came from another direction.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a group of Class C students being led by Honami Ichinose towards them.

Ichinose's face was beaming with a radiant smile, her long pink hair swaying gently in the breeze.

There was no trace of the recent saga of being mired in rumors.

Her eyes remained clear and upright, as if they could dispel all gloom.

"Hello, Ichinose-san."

Horikita responded, but his mind was racing.

Class C...this class, led by the pink-haired girl, has an amazing sense of cohesion.

The class's points have climbed to 966, just one step away from Class B's 982 points.

Honami Ichinose's leadership charisma is indeed extraordinary.

This is a dynamic and formidable opponent.

"Are you also here to enjoy the water before the museum closes? What a coincidence!"

Ichinose asked with a smile.

Kushida immediately picked up the conversation:

"Of course! With such great weather and this being the last chance, how could we miss it!"

Horikita looked at Ichinose, but another name involuntarily flashed through her mind.

A name that looms over the entire first grade, like a mountain.

One that made her stand out in comparison

Even a name that evokes thoughts of "not as good as..." when faced with an excellent opponent like Ichinose.

The moment that name appeared—

Everyone's gaze seemed to be pulled by an invisible force.

They all simultaneously threw their objects onto a flat, open concrete patch on the other side.

A black figure was seen rushing towards them in an inexplicable way.

That wasn't running, nor was it walking.

Even more strangely, it seemed as if his feet were not fully touching the ground.

The man's legs moved in a high-frequency, alternating motion, far exceeding human limits, almost turning him into a blurry, indistinct shadow.

Every time the ball of the foot touches the ground,

All of these produced only an extremely faint, yet unusually dense, "tap-tap-tap" sound.

It was as if countless light steel balls were being rapidly struck against the glass.

It was precisely this unimaginable frequency that prevented his heavy footsteps from causing any noticeable tremors in the ground.

Instead, the moment his figure swept past, it stirred up a thin layer of dust from the ground, which was then swept up like mist.

It forms a faint, almost imperceptible trail, as if it were treading on waves of dust.

His body maintained almost absolute stability and balance.

His upper body remained upright like a pine tree, ignoring the lightning-fast movements of his legs below.

And his face…

Those signature black-rimmed glasses reflected a sharp light in the morning light, like sparkles cut from a mirror.

The person who arrived was none other than Sakamoto!

As if teleported, one second they were still far away in sight,

The next second, he stopped precisely in front of the students from Class D and Class C who had just stepped out of the sunshade.

With an elegant and composed demeanor, the "dust waves" beneath her feet quietly subsided.

Sunlight streamed in, and Sakamoto bowed slightly.

The movements were fluid and precise, and the voices were clear and steady as they proceeded in sequence:

Good morning, Horikita, Ayanokouji, Sakura, Kushida, Ike, Yamauchi, and Sudo.

His gaze then turned to the group in Class C:

"Good morning. Ichinose-san, Kanzaki-san, Shiranami-san..."

Absolutely accurate.

Every single one of their surnames is perfectly correct.

"Would you all like to enjoy the leisure of summer vacation and the coolness of the water? What a wonderful choice."

His words were like the opening remarks of some special ceremony.

The sun was shining brightly at the entrance to the swimming pool.

The atmosphere became particularly subtle and full of anticipation because of Sakamoto's arrival.

First Year Summer Vacation: Chapter 093: Sakamoto, Embracing Youth

Inside the swimming pool,

The summer sun shone brightly on the huge outdoor swimming pool.

The air is filled with the unique scent of a summer swimming pool.

Youthful bodies frolic and play in the azure water, their laughter mingling with the splashing sounds.

After changing, the students arrived at the poolside one after another.

Kikyo Kushida was wearing a well-fitting swimsuit.

It accentuated her already stunning figure, making her curves even more exquisite and amazing.

It instantly attracted many envious or admiring glances from those around it.

As soon as she appeared,

It naturally became one of the focal points of the event.

Honami Ichinose's choice was more refreshing and lively.

The swimsuits are stylish yet cute.

It complements her sunny and cheerful personality.

Equally noteworthy.