The gap in the blinds closed completely, and the last trace of noise and light from the pool downstairs was shut out.
The room returned to a state of almost absolute darkness, with only the faint hum of the air conditioning system audible in the background.
Horikita Manabu stood by the window, his figure appearing like a cold sculpture in the extremely faint light.
Tachibana Akane, the secretary standing by, held her breath slightly; it was an important event for the Student Council President to personally summon First Year students.
She took a few steps from the center of the room, trying to discern the reactions of the two new students in the darkness.
"Introduce yourselves."
Finally, Horikita Manabu's authoritative voice broke the silence.
He raised a hand and adjusted his glasses with slender fingers, the lenses flashing an almost imperceptible glint in the nearly lightless environment.
Almost simultaneously, a subtle and fluid movement sound came from the darkness on the other side of the room.
Sakamoto, with a synchronized yet more elegant posture, gently adjusted the position of his black-rimmed glasses with his fingertips.
The two men's actions of adjusting their glasses formed a subtle echo in the darkness.
"I am Horikita Manabu, from Third Year Class A, the current Student Council President."
"Congratulations to you two. In the first monthly assessment that just concluded, the classes you lead—Class A and Class C—ranked first and second in the year, respectively, with scores of 1000 points and 910 points."
He paused slightly, as if giving these numbers their due weight.
"One achieved a perfect score, setting a school record, and the other a high score far exceeding conventional expectations. For First Year new students, this 'report card' is truly stunning."
Although the words were complimentary, Horikita's tone conveyed no hint of praise.
Just then:
"Secret Skill — 'Bright World'."
Sakamoto suddenly spoke softly, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears.
He casually stepped half a pace to the side, his elbow seemingly inadvertently brushing against an inconspicuous area on the wall.
With a soft "click."
In the corner of the room, a wall lamp that had been off suddenly lit up softly, casting a small halo of light sufficient to dispel the darkness, precisely illuminating the central area of the room, making the figures of the four people appear as hazy silhouettes in the darkness.
This sudden change in light made Tachibana Akane let out a soft "Ah," slightly surprised.
Horikita Manabu's gaze sharply swept over the lamp, then returned to Sakamoto's calm, unperturbed face, his eyes deep, showing no emotion.
There was a light here?
Horikita Manabu didn't even know.
Under the light, Student Ryuuen smiled, his sinister eyes glinting in the illumination.
He didn't care that Sakamoto had turned on the light; he enjoyed the mention from the Student Council President—the "pinnacle" of this school—even if the tone was cold, it was an acknowledgment in itself, fuel for his ambition.
He was indeed somewhat surprised by this meeting, but seeing Sakamoto also here, he immediately realized this was by no means a simple commendation.
In front of the Student Council President, he temporarily reined in his direct hostility towards Sakamoto, but the instinct to provoke was difficult to completely suppress.
Sakamoto, meanwhile, stood calmly in place, his gaze behind the black-rimmed glasses appearing even more serene under the light.
His posture was elegant, as if he were receiving a normal greeting.
"However,"
Horikita Manabu's tone suddenly shifted,
"Overly conspicuous achievements always attract unnecessary scrutiny. Especially when the way these achievements were obtained contains… perplexing aspects."
His gaze precisely locked onto them.
"Class C… no, it should be Class B now. Ryuuen Kakeru."
He called out the name first,
"Your class, at the beginning of the school year, gave all teachers and observers an impression far from 'high quality' and 'high discipline.' How did you achieve such a transformative change within a month?"
Horikita Manabu had long since reviewed Ryuuen Kakeru's record, which was filled with instances of fighting and violating school rules.
For such a student to lead his class to 910 points in the first month, there must be something fishy.
Ryuuen let out a light laugh, his arrogance undisguised:
"President, isn't the result the best proof? Does the process matter? I have my own methods to make those good-for-nothings learn manners. As long as the goal is achieved, why should the methods be explained to others?"
As he spoke, his eyes intentionally or unintentionally glanced at Sakamoto beside him.
Ryuuen's answer everywhere displayed his contempt for rules and confidence in his own methods.
Horikita Manabu was silent for a moment, making no comment on Ryuuen's arrogance.
His gaze then turned to the other figure.
"Class A, Sakamoto."
"Your class achieved a perfect score. But to my knowledge, in the early stages of the school year, you were the first to discern the correlation between 'class points' and daily behavioral norms."
Horikita Manabu recalled Sakamoto's calm and even subtly dominant statements during the Student Council interview; at the time, he had concluded that this person was no ordinary new student, and must have known some deeper information, but he hadn't expected him to directly make history.
This was not a question, but a statement.
"And the abnormal leap in Class C's performance happened precisely during your active period. Are you aware of Student Ryuuen's so-called 'methods'?"
This question was even sharper, almost questioning whether there was some connection between Sakamoto and Class C's anomaly.
Sakamoto slightly raised his eyes, facing Horikita Manabu:
"The manifestation of rules has its own discernible traces. Observation and understanding are the duty of every student. As for Class C's progress,"
He paused slightly, as if choosing his words carefully,
"Student Ryuuen displayed his unique leadership talent, and his class's progress is the result of his and all Class C students' collective efforts. I have no special understanding."
Tachibana Akane quickly recorded, her pen scratching urgently on the paper.
She found these two First Year students completely different; one was arrogant and outspoken, the other elegant and evasive, yet both were equally elusive, causing her, the secretary, a touch of pressure.
The President's questions were defused by them in their own ways.
Horikita Manabu fell into a brief silence again.
"Unique talent… collective efforts…"
He repeated Sakamoto's words, his tone betraying neither approval nor sarcasm.
"Very good."
A moment later, he spoke again,
"Since both of you are confident in your class's achievements and are unwilling to share 'successful experiences' too much."
"Then, I expect you to maintain this 'lead' in the upcoming monthly assessments."
"The Student Council will continue to monitor the dynamics of the First Year. High competition is beneficial for raising the overall standard, but the premise is that all competition must be within the framework allowed by the rules."
His voice suddenly became extremely oppressive: "Any attempt to distort rules or disrupt a fair competitive environment will, once proven, face severe sanctions from the Student Council. There will be no exceptions."
This was a clear warning, seemingly aimed at Student Ryuuen, but also encompassing everyone present.
"Today's discussion ends here. You may leave."
Horikita Manabu issued the dismissal, turning back towards the window, no longer looking at them.
Tachibana Akane stepped forward at the opportune moment, softly gesturing to Sakamoto and Student Ryuuen: "Classmates, please follow me."
Student Ryuuen snorted, turned without hesitation, and followed Tachibana Akane towards the door.
Sakamoto, however, bowed slightly towards Horikita Manabu's back, performing an impeccable farewell, then calmly followed suit and left.
The room door gently closed.
Sakamoto and Student Ryuuen walked side-by-side down the corridor.
The two were silent, appearing very harmonious, until they reached a fork in the road.
Just then, Student Ryuuen suddenly stopped, turned around, a look of undisguised mockery on his face, and looked at Sakamoto.
"Hey, Sakamoto."
His voice was provocative, "How does it feel to have your Class A sold out and still helping count the money? There was a traitor in your class who leaked information to our Class C, which is how we got 910 points. Did you know about it early, or do you simply not care? Or perhaps you actually can't control anything and are just putting on a brave face?"
Student Ryuuen directly revealed the entire reason why his class was able to achieve such a high score to Sakamoto.
He was essentially throwing caution to the wind, as it now seemed that the cooperation between Sakayanagi and him had completely broken down, and the information about the s system had also been made public.
Most importantly, why was Sakamoto still so calm?
He had fallen for his scheme last month, and this month, their class points were almost caught up.
Student Ryuuen wanted to see Sakamoto lose his composure.
He stared intently at Sakamoto, trying to find a crack in that unruffled face.
He was extremely annoyed by Sakamoto's perpetually composed demeanor.
Sakamoto stopped, turned to face Student Ryuuen, his gaze from behind his black-rimmed glasses calmly meeting his, unmoved by Student Ryuuen's almost blatant accusation and provocation.
"Student Ryuuen seems quite concerned about the internal affairs of our class."
Sakamoto's voice remained clear and steady, "There are many ways to acquire class points. That Class C achieved excellent results is naturally due to Student Ryuuen's capable leadership; there's no need to attribute it to baseless speculation."
He gently adjusted his glasses and continued: "As for the upcoming exams, it remains to be seen. If Student Ryuuen is interested, we can each rely on our own abilities."
Student Ryuuen watched Sakamoto's back disappear down the corridor, then spat.
"What a pretentious guy..."
He cursed under his breath, but a hint of doubt flickered across his face.
Sakamoto's reaction was too calm, making him somewhat unable to fathom him.
Was that traitor in Class A, Sakayanagi Arisu, part of his plan after all?
Or did Sakamoto really have some backup plan?
He snorted coldly and turned to walk in the other direction.
Regardless, he would show no mercy in this month's competition.
From the Class A students he had already interacted with, Kamuro Masumi and Sakayanagi Arisu did not seem like difficult opponents.
No matter how formidable Sakamoto was, he was still just one person.
Class A was nothing special.