Sakurajima, Advanced Nurturing High School.
Accompanied by the gentle breeze of April, pink cherry blossoms drifted down like rain. A luxurious black sedan was parked in front of the school gates.
After the car came to a stop and the rear door opened, a girl dressed in a maid's uniform stepped out, carrying a schoolbag. She stood respectfully to the side, waiting.
Next, a boy with jet-black tousled hair and strikingly handsome features stepped out of the car. His clothes were neat and immaculate, a bright smile on his face.
"So, today is the day I start school here."
The smile at the corner of Amamiya Yuki's lips grew even brighter.
The sixteen-year-old boy named Amamiya Yuki did not originally belong to this world—he was a reincarnator.
The surname Amamiya represented one of Sakurajima's six great financial conglomerates. The Amamiya family secretly controlled nearly thirty percent of Sakurajima's economy and also wielded considerable influence overseas. One could easily imagine the depth of the family's foundation.
Having displayed unparalleled talent from the moment he was born—possessing near-photographic memory and astonishing comprehension—Amamiya Yuki received the very best education the family could offer. He was groomed as one of the next generation's potential heirs.
But things were not that simple.
The great families of Sakurajima were far less glamorous than they appeared on the surface. Simply put, those standing at the top of Sakurajima were all "gentlemen" in name only. Including collateral branches, their descendants easily numbered over a hundred.
As a result, the Amamiya family devised many methods to select an heir, and enrolling in Advanced Nurturing High School was one of them.
This school, established under national leadership, was one of the relatively fair venues for major financial groups to select successors. Here, aside from Sakurajima's laws, school regulations were supreme.
Even if certain conglomerates used their influence to replace the school's chairman, they still had to operate within the school's rules. Not even the chairman was an exception. The rules were extremely detailed, applying to everyone from the chairman down to the students.
Advanced Nurturing High School was also completely different from ordinary schools. It adhered to an absolute meritocracy, admitting only 160 students per year through special selection methods.
Each cohort was divided into four classes—A, B, C, and D—with forty students in each. Only those who graduated from Class A would receive the school's promise:
The freedom to choose any career they desired.
Those who wanted to become professional athletes could directly enter the national team.Those who wished to pursue further education could enroll in Sakurajima's top university without exams.Those who aspired to politics could choose a preferred department and start from the bottom.
Thus, over the course of three years, the four classes would continuously compete with one another, striving for the chance to graduate from Class A and realize their dreams.
The competition was fierce.
It could be said to be one of the best places for major conglomerates to select their heirs.
Naturally, the selection criteria could never be as simple as merely graduating from Class A. After all, dozens of students graduated from Class A every year. For families that controlled vast wealth, that would be far too trivial—almost childish.
Therefore—
Graduating from Class A was only the most basic requirement.
Three years later,
The family would test how many students who graduated from Class A were willing to abandon their own dreams and still choose to follow behind Amamiya Yuki.
What was being tested was the ability to control hearts and minds, and to command subordinates.
This was the true ability required of the helmsman of a great family. Personal strength was secondary.
"Young Master, I'll be taking my leave now."
The maid handed over the schoolbag and bowed slightly. After receiving Amamiya Yuki's permission, she got back into the car.
Only then did Amamiya Yuki take the time to observe the school before him. Since he had arrived early, only a handful of young men and women in red uniforms were scattered near the gates.
The luxury sedan speeding away attracted their attention, and several of them turned to glance at the departing car.
At the same time, a beautiful figure standing on the steps caught Amamiya Yuki's eye.
A graceful young girl, wearing a bright smile, was looking in this direction.
She had waist-length pink hair and sapphire-blue eyes that gleamed like precious gems. Beneath her bangs, her delicate features were exquisitely refined, and paired with her radiant smile, she gave off an irresistible sense of warmth and approachability.
Most striking of all was the way her burgundy school uniform was stretched taut by her ample curves, along with her slender, willow-like waist and long, straight legs.
Ichinose Honami!
Having read the novel, Amamiya Yuki recognized her instantly.
The future leader of Class B.
Her combat ability was not weak, her academic performance was openly ranked first in the entire grade, and she was willing to treat everyone with gentleness and tolerance. She possessed a strong sense of justice, along with an overwhelming level of compassion—so powerful it could suppress even the darker sides of human nature.
In an instant,
All information about Ichinose Honami surfaced in Amamiya Yuki's mind.
Everything came from the novel.
His greatest advantage was not his status, talent, or strength, but his knowledge of the plot.
With that thought, Amamiya Yuki flashed a bright smile toward Ichinose Honami. She responded with a gentle nod, smiling back.