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Before that adult female confronts Sakamoto, let's first look at the changes in other classes during the first week of school.
The classroom of Class 1-D still exuded a loose and noisy atmosphere.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka sat in the back row by the window, his gaze calmly sweeping across the classroom.
Students gathered in twos and threes, laughter rising and falling.
Cliques had already formed.
Hirata Yousuke was undoubtedly the most prominent presence among them.
He had a handsome face, a gentle personality, and always wore a sincere smile, moving between various small groups, patiently listening, actively mediating conflicts, and striving to play the role of a unifier.
His enthusiasm to unite the entire class was evident.
He even privately approached Ayanokoji, hoping he could help ease relations with Horikita Suzune,
But Horikita's cold, distant attitude made Ayanokoji's attempts fruitless.
Ayanokoji was not surprised by this.
Yamauchi Haruki, Ike Kanji, and Sudo Ken still gathered together; the nickname "idiot trio" had already become known in the class.
But Ayanokoji noticed that Yamauchi seemed to have reined himself in a bit more than at the beginning of school.
He no longer boasted and provoked girls as wantonly as before, and a hint of subtle discouragement occasionally flashed in his brows.
Ayanokoji was not sure what exactly happened, but this subtle change in Yamauchi might be a good thing for Class D.
The atmosphere in Class 1-C's classroom was entirely different.
Ryuuen Kakeru leaned by the window,
His sinister gaze, like that of a hawk, swept across the entire class.
A week's time was enough for him to initially consolidate the class with an iron fist.
He had also gathered a few useful subordinates.
Shiina Hiyori, the silver-haired, purple-eyed girl who always quietly read books, was meticulous and had keen observational skills.
Yamada Albert, a taciturn yet absolutely obedient burly giant.
Ibuki Mio, a short-haired girl with sharp eyes, usually kept to herself and was quiet, but Ryuuen knew she had practiced martial arts, was skilled, and her learning ability and athletic prowess were promising.
Ishizaki Daichi, a boy with a roguish look on his face, was a notorious delinquent in middle school; though simple-minded, his ruthlessness and execution, if guided slightly, would also be a useful blade.
However, Ryuuen's mood was not light.
For an entire week, he used different people to take turns observing Sakamoto from Class A, trying to find his weakness or flaw.
The results were frustrating.
Sakamoto-kun's life was as precise as a finely tuned instrument; he was focused in class, elegant in his demeanor, and always alone, with no interpersonal weaknesses that could be exploited.
The Class A students certainly gathered around him, showing awe and admiration, but no one seemed to be truly close to him.
Sakamoto-kun was like a solitary peak, standing in the clouds, looking down on everyone, impregnable.
Ryuuen had privately contacted Sakayanagi Arisu, but the only response he received was a cold retort:
"If I knew his weakness, would I still need you to find it?"
This made him even more agitated.
Sakamoto-kun's perpetually perfect posture was like an impenetrable armor.
However, Ryuuen was not without gains.
The person he sent to stake out the cafe reported a name—Kamuro Masumi.
That purple-haired girl from Class A appeared at the cafe where Sakamoto-kun worked almost every lunch break.
She sat in a corner, ordered a coffee, but her gaze always followed Sakamoto-kun's figure.
This frequency and focus far exceeded that of ordinary classmates or customers.
There seemed to be some special connection between her and Sakamoto-kun.
A glint flashed in Ryuuen's eyes.
Perhaps this Kamuro Masumi would be a breakthrough.
The atmosphere in Class 1-B, on the other hand, was bright and positive.
Ichinose Honami stood at the podium, her pink long hair falling over her shoulders, a warm smile on her face, organizing class activities.
Under her leadership, the Class 1-B students displayed a strong sense of collective honor and mutual assistance, and the class atmosphere was harmonious and congenial.
However, Hoshinomiya Chie, the homeroom teacher of Class 1-B, sitting in the teachers' office, had a hint of an imperceptible worry on her face.
She had soft, shoulder-length brown curly hair and a gentle demeanor.
Not long ago, during casual chats among teachers, she accidentally learned a piece of news: a student in Class A had already grasped the core information of the "s system" and had even "sold" the information to other classes.
This news made Hoshinomiya Chie's heart sink. The s system, class points... these core rules directly related to class rankings and resource allocation.
Now, at least two classes had mastered key information, while their Class 1-B was still in the dark.
Even with an excellent leader like Ichinose Honami and the efforts of all the classmates, with such a severe information asymmetry, it was almost a foregone conclusion that their class ranking would be surpassed next month.
How could she not be worried?
She recalled Ichinose Honami once inadvertently mentioning Sakamoto-kun from Class A, speaking with admiration about his excellent performance during the Student Council interview.
This made Hoshinomiya Chie's heart stir.
Could the student in Class A who mastered and sold the s system information be this Sakamoto-kun?
This thought flashed through her mind like lightning.
She thought of the excellent Ichinose, and her worry deepened.
Teachers cannot directly interfere with student affairs, nor can they disclose information from other classes to their own students... that's the rule.
But... Hoshinomiya Chie's fingertips unconsciously twirled a strand of her fallen brown curly hair.
Teachers cannot interfere with their own students, but going to see excellent students from other classes...
That should be allowed, right?
Understanding the situation of competitors is also a teacher's duty.
She remembered the rumored Sakamoto-kun who worked at the cafe.
The weekend sun was just right.
Hoshinomiya Chie changed into comfortable casual clothes, her soft brown curly hair casually draped over her shoulders, exuding a gentle and intellectual aura.
She pushed open the door of the shopping center's cafe.
The aroma of coffee wafted over.
There were quite a few customers inside, sitting in twos and threes, most of them appearing to be students.
Her gaze quickly swept across the room and soon locked onto the figure wearing a black Waiter's apron.
Sakamoto-kun was standing by a window table, his posture tall and straight, smoothly placing a cup of coffee in front of a customer.
His movements were precise and elegant.
Hoshinomiya Chie chose a single seat in a corner, sat down, and ordered a coffee.
Her gaze fell on Sakamoto-kun, observing every move of this legendary First Year.
Sakamoto-kun seemed to notice her gaze, slightly turned his head, and his eyes behind the black-rimmed glasses calmly swept over her, without any pause, as if she were just an ordinary customer among many.
A faint curve appeared at the corner of Hoshinomiya Chie's mouth.
Sakamoto-kun... let me see what's so special about you.