Of course, Ryouma actually agreed with some of Chiaki's ideas.
He also wanted to reach Class A without expending too much effort.
After all, he intended to devote most of his energy to discovering and recruiting talented individuals.
For that reason, he had already decided on the image he wanted to establish for himself.
A straightforward personality, first-rate academic and physical abilities, and just enough presence to avoid attracting excessive attention.
'What kind of boss personally steps onto the battlefield to handle everything?'
Publicly listed companies were nothing more than prey for those who controlled capital.
The true winners were the hidden masterminds manipulating everything from the shadows.
That was one of the Amakawa family's teachings.
And Ryouma wholeheartedly agreed with it.
'Everything ordinary people are allowed to see is merely an illusion carefully constructed by someone else!'
Their conversation continued.
Chiaki grew increasingly curious about the handsome young man before her, who seemed capable of keeping up with absolutely any topic.
From time to time, she revealed a delighted smile.
She even learned quite a few things from Ryouma during their conversation.
Meanwhile, more students gradually began arriving in Class D.
Hearing Chiaki's occasional soft laughter, some of the newcomers became even more uncomfortable.
It almost seemed as though the classroom had already become her personal territory.
Taking advantage of her established position, Chiaki began approaching several girls she found agreeable, gradually forming her own little social circle.
Ryouma likewise invited several boys to join their conversation, making sure to exchange at least a few words with each of them.
Every new class assignment was practically a battle in itself.
The relationships established during these first encounters would largely determine everyone's future position within the classroom.
And in a school that upheld absolute meritocracy, this was even more important.
Therefore, maintaining a certain degree of social interaction was naturally necessary.
Of course, Ryouma didn't believe he was necessarily the strongest person in this world.
If someone claimed that there were people more capable than him, he would readily believe it.
After all, there would always be individuals who possessed unparalleled talent in a particular field.
However, when it came to overall ability...
He was confident that he surpassed even Kiyotaka Ayanokoji.
Just as everyone was chatting excitedly, delighted at the prospect of making new friends, two students entered the classroom.
One was a beautiful girl.
After briefly looking around, she walked toward the seat directly behind Ryouma.
Smoothing down her skirt with both hands, she quietly sat down.
Then, without a word, she took out a copy of 'Crime and Punishment'.
She clearly had no intention of establishing friendly relationships with the other students.
Her demeanor gave off a cold, unapproachable impression.
It was none other than Suzune Horikita.
Her silky black hair reached her waist.
A ribbon bow adorned the left side of her hair, with a thin braid extending from beneath it.
The other student had a pair of lifeless, dead-fish eyes that made his emotions almost impossible to read.
He walked over to a seat in the corner of the classroom and sat down.
It was Kiyotaka Ayanokoji.
Suzune opened her book and began flipping through its pages before speaking indifferently.
"What an unpleasant coincidence."
"Don't say that. Maybe this means we're connected by fate somehow."
Kiyotaka's voice was equally devoid of emotion.
Ryouma also turned around to look at the two of them.
"I'm Amakawa Ryouma. Nice to meet you."
Ryouma introduced himself with a smile.
"You two seem pretty close. Were you friends at your previous school?"
'Looks like Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, Suzune Horikita, Kikyo Kushida, and that annoying Rokusuke Koenji already had their little incident on the bus.'
The two people before him had clearly already become acquainted.
Suzune raised her head and glanced at Ryouma before slowly lowering her gaze back to the book in her hands.
Only then did she speak indifferently.
"Making a judgment based on a single sentence? I can only describe such reasoning as extremely superficial. If you can look at me and this socially inept person beside me and still come to the conclusion that we're 'friends,' I'd personally recommend visiting the infirmary to have your eyes examined."
'That's way too harsh...'
Kiyotaka couldn't help turning toward Horikita.
'Wait, that socially inept person... She wasn't talking about me, was she?'
'Well, it's true, but still! Wasn't that a little too much?'
The smile on Ryouma's face remained unchanged.
Her response hadn't surprised him in the slightest.
Suzune Horikita.
The younger sister of Manabu Horikita, the third-year student council president.
This beautiful girl possessed excellent academic results and outstanding abilities in both literary and martial pursuits.
However, she was also an extreme brother complex case.
As a result, despite her extraordinary talents, her perspective on the world was remarkably narrow.
She lacked empathy when dealing with others and had almost no sense of teamwork.
Believing herself superior to everyone her age, she had completely misunderstood her brother's solitary nature.
She enjoyed arbitrarily deciding that other people were nothing more than obstacles before kicking them aside without hesitation.