“I’m sorry, Sakayanagi-san,” Kamiki said quickly, adjusting his tone.
“There was a persistent follower behind me.
I honestly didn’t see you.” His eyes flicked down to her slender legs.
She was gripping her cane tightly, clearly struggling to maintain her footing.
A fleeting shadow of shock crossed her face.
“Are you alright?” Kamiki asked, letting a hint of concern lace his voice.
“Should I take you to the nurse’s office?” Sakayanagi Arisu didn’t answer right away.
The arrogant smile on her lips froze for a fraction of a second, and a wave of profound surprise rippled through her eyes.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the handle of her cane.
She scrutinized Kamiki’s face, his eyes, and his posture with intense focus.
“The nurse’s office?” Arisu murmured.
Her voice retained its melodic quality, but she couldn’t entirely hide her bewilderment.
“That won’t be necessary, Kamiki-kun.” But that wasn’t what had truly caught her attention.
Tilting her head up slightly, she locked her deep blue eyes onto his.
“The real question is,” Arisu said, “how do you know my name?” “How do I know your name?” Kamiki countered.
“I could ask you the exact same thing, Sakayanagi-san.” Pointing a finger at himself, he continued, “You just used my name too.
You called me ‘Kamiki-kun.’ School has barely started, yet you knew exactly who I was.” Sakayanagi let out a soft giggle, bringing her left hand to her mouth.
Her momentary shock vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
“Ah, that is true,” she admitted.
“A fair point.” “Well?” Kamiki pressed.
“What’s your answer?” Sakayanagi Arisu curled her lips into her signature haughty yet mesmerizing smile, her gaze never wavering from his.
“How you know me can remain a secret for now,” Arisu said, her voice smooth as silk.
“But I suspect someone like you has already figured out how I know *you*, Kamiki-kun.” Kamiki gave a slight nod.
*Of course,* he thought to himself.
*Just like in the original story, her father took her to visit him.
She must have seen me when she visited the White Room from behind that glass.* “Let’s drop it for now,” Kamiki said, closing the subject.
“We shouldn’t be late for class on our very first day.” Arisu leaned a bit heavier on her cane, her eyes narrowing as she continued to analyze him.
Acting as if he knew nothing, Kamiki asked, “What class are you in, Sakayanagi-san?” Without waiting for her answer, he added, “I’m in Class A.” The smile on Sakayanagi’s lips deepened, her eyes suddenly sparkling.
“How exciting,” she said, her voice practically singing.
“I am in Class A as well.” “Splendid,” Kamiki said.
“Then our partnership of fate begins early.” Noticing that the young girl was still struggling to stand firmly, Kamiki extended his hand toward her, a gentlemanly expression on his face.
“Let’s not be late for class then,” Kamiki said.
“You can lean on me.” Sakayanagi Arisu looked down at the extended hand, then brought her gaze back up to meet his.
A rare flash of hesitation crossed her features—a luxury she seldom experienced.
She was caught on a fine line between her pride and her physical limitations.
Kamiki saw her hesitation, but he had no intention of backing down.
His lips tugged upward into a smirk as he leaned in slightly.
“If you don’t take my hand,” Kamiki whispered, lowering his voice so only the two of them could hear, “I’ll carry you.
In my arms.
All the way to the classroom.” Arisu’s eyes widened in brief astonishment.
Yet, she wasn’t frightened.
On the contrary, her familiar, defiant attitude immediately rushed back.
She leaned back slightly.
“Fufu…” Arisu laughed.
Her distinct, elegant, and mocking giggle echoed through the hallway.
“Kamiki-kun…
threatening a young, defenseless girl like this is hardly proper behavior.” “I’m just being a helpful classmate,” Kamiki replied with a shrug.
“Oh?” Arisu gently stroked the handle of her cane, a dangerous glint appearing in her blue eyes.
“Tell me…
do you truly have the courage to do such a thing on the very first day, right in front of everyone?” Kamiki met her challenging gaze for a mere half-second.
He didn’t say a word.
With a sudden but incredibly fluid motion, he stepped forward and bent down.
Snaking one arm behind Arisu’s knees and the other around her back, he lifted her into the air in a single, seamless motion, as if she weighed no more than a feather.
He held her securely against his chest in a textbook princess carry.
Arisu was caught completely off guard.
Jolted by the sudden loss of control, her reflexes kicked in; she gripped her cane tightly with one hand while quickly wrapping her free arm around Kamiki’s neck to keep her balance.
For the first time, her unshakeable, ice-cold mask completely cracked.
A faint blush crept onto her cheeks, and her eyes went wide.
“Ka-Kamiki-kun!” Arisu gasped, her voice losing its usual monotonous drone, rising in sheer shock.
“You…
you really are insane!” Ignoring her outburst, Kamiki turned and marched straight toward Class A.
He looked entirely at ease carrying the young girl in his arms as he walked down the corridor.
“I warned you, Sakayanagi,” Kamiki said, his voice flat and brimming with confidence.
“This…
is truly ungentlemanly,” Arisu said, trying to compose herself.
She pulled her head back slightly to glare at him.
“Doing this without a lady’s consent is barbaric.” Kamiki chuckled softly, keeping his stride steady.
The eyes of the other students entering the building from the courtyard were already turning toward them.
Whispers began to rise.
“If I were a gentleman,” Kamiki said, tilting his head down to look into Arisu’s eyes, “I wouldn’t be able to hold a beautiful girl like this on day one.” Hearing the word “beautiful,” Arisu paused for a moment and bit her lip.
“You cannot justify your actions with smooth talk.” “I’m not trying to justify anything,” Kamiki said.
“Everyone is staring at us,” Arisu whispered, glancing at the students in the hallway.
“Rumors are going to start about two Class A students on the very first day of school.” “Let them,” Kamiki said nonchalantly.
“It doesn’t bother me.
Does it bother you?” “Bother me?” Arisu tried to chuckle.
“Fufu…
Do not worry on my account.” At that moment, Kamiki arrived at the door of Class A.
The whispers in the hallway had reached a crescendo by now.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Kamiki shifted his weight, keeping Arisu securely locked in his left arm.
He freed his right hand, reached for the doorknob, and pushed it open.
The door to Class A swung open with a heavy thud, and Kamiki stepped inside with Sakayanagi Arisu in his arms.
The atmosphere in the room instantly shifted.
The students, who had been chatting excitedly among themselves, froze mid-sentence.
The entire classroom plunged into a deep, icy silence.
Every single head snapped toward the door, eyes wide with shock.
Arisu tightened her grip on his neck slightly.
The smile was back on her lips, but the faint blush on her cheeks remained.
“We’re here,” Kamiki said, keeping his voice at a normal volume that carried across the quiet room.
Those two words shattered the stunned silence.
After a few seconds of pure shock, the room erupted into a wave of noise far louder than before, practically reaching a boiling point.
“What?!” a boy shouted from the back.
“What is going on?!” “On the first day?” a girl in the next row whispered.
“Are they dating?” “Unbelievable,” someone else chimed in.
“Who is that guy carrying that cute girl?” “Talk about an entrance!” voices echoed.
Utterly indifferent to the commotion, Kamiki took a few steps into the center of the room and approached an empty desk.
Carefully and gently, he lowered Arisu into the seat, making sure not to hurt her.
Once she was settled, Kamiki took a deep breath, still feeling the heavy weight of dozens of eyes on him.
Suddenly, a large, completely bald boy sitting near the front stood up.
He marched toward them with heavy, rigid steps, his thick brows furrowed in intense seriousness.
Katsuragi Kouhei stopped right in front of them and crossed his arms over his chest.
“What is the meaning of this?” Katsuragi thundered, his voice temporarily cutting through the classroom noise.
Kamiki didn’t bat an eye.
He looked Katsuragi straight in the face.
“This is an educational institution,” Katsuragi continued, gesturing broadly to the room.
“Such indiscipline in the opening moments of the school year is entirely unacceptable.” Arisu giggled softly as she settled into her seat.
“Fufu…” Katsuragi glanced back and forth between the two of them.
“Even if you are in a relationship,” Katsuragi said, his tone growing even harsher, “you cannot act like this in the middle of the classroom.
This place demands a certain level of decorum.” Sakayanagi Arisu completely ignored his words, acting as if Katsuragi weren’t even there.
She placed her bag on the desk, hung her cane on the side of the seat, and leaned back comfortably.
Kamiki, on the other hand, shoved his hands into his pockets.
He stared at Katsuragi’s gleaming bald head, an amused smirk playing on his lips.
“Saitama-kun,” Kamiki said, his voice loud enough for the whole class to hear.
Katsuragi’s frown deepened.
“Saitama?
My name is Katsuragi Kouhei.” “Whatever,” Kamiki said dismissively.
“Thanks for the relationship comparison, though.
It was a nice compliment.” A few students in the classroom began to whisper and chuckle.
“However,” Kamiki added, taking a step forward, “none of this is any of your business.” A sudden burst of snickering erupted from the back rows.
“Did he just call him Saitama?” one boy whispered to the person next to him.
“Yeah, perfect comparison,” the other replied.
Katsuragi completely ignored the snickers and whispers rising from behind him, keeping his glare locked onto Kamiki.
“Whether you make fools of yourselves is none of my concern,” Katsuragi said, his voice remaining firm.
“But please refrain from disrupting the order of the classroom.
This is a shared social space.” Kamiki had no interest in listening to any more of his rigid, boring lectures.
There was no point in dragging out the argument, so he simply shrugged.
“Whatever you say, Saitama-kun,” Kamiki said casually.
He brushed past Katsuragi and walked toward the back of the room, scanning the rows for an empty desk.
He glanced toward the window—the famous, ultimate “main character” seat at the very back.
Unfortunately, it was already taken.
Another student had already claimed it and was staring out the window.
*Just my luck,* Kamiki thought to himself.
“Sensei!
Over here!” A monotone yet clear voice rang out across the classroom.
Kamiki turned toward the sound.
From the back rows, a hand was waving in the air.
Morishita Ai was signaling to him.
The last remaining empty desk happened to be right in front of her.
Once again, the entire class stared in bewilderment.
The whispers flared up anew.
First, he enters carrying Sakayanagi, and now one of the strangest girls in the class is calling him “sensei.” “Her again?” Katsuragi muttered from a distance, watching them.
Kamiki smiled faintly and walked over to Morishita’s row.
He dropped his bag onto the desk, pulled out the chair, and sat down.
A moment later, he turned around to face the girl behind him.
“My dear student,” Kamiki said, adopting a half-serious, half-mocking tone.
“It seems you’ve already surpassed me.” Morishita looked at him, her eyes wide and shining.
“In what regard, sensei?” “In speed,” Kamiki said.
“You made it to the classroom way before me.
I thought I lost you in the opposite hallway.” “Espionage Lesson One,” Morishita whispered, dropping her voice to a conspiratorial hush.
“Find shortcuts.
I got here through secret tunnels.” “Are there secret tunnels in this school?” Kamiki asked, raising an eyebrow.
“No,” Morishita replied flatly.
“But it sounds much cooler when you put it that way.” Kamiki laughed softly.
He noticed that from the front row, Sakayanagi Arisu had turned her head slightly to watch them, a curious gleam in her eyes as she analyzed this new development.
“Anyway,” Kamiki said, turning back around.
“Thanks for saving the seat.” Taking a deep breath, Kamiki concluded that his first day in Class A was turning out to be far more eventful than he had anticipated.
A few minutes later, the classroom door swung open forcefully.
A broad-shouldered man in a sharp suit walked in, his expression deadpan and serious.
His steps were heavy and authoritative.
The moment he crossed the threshold, the chatter in the room cut off instantly like a flipped switch.
The man walked straight to the podium, picked up a piece of chalk, turned to the blackboard, and wrote his name in large block letters: MASHIMA TOMOYA.
Setting the chalk down, he turned back to the class.
His sharp gaze swept across the students one by one, pausing for a fraction of a second on Kamiki, Sakayanagi, and Morishita, who was sitting upright at the very back.
“I am your homeroom teacher, Mashima Tomoya,” the man announced, his voice deep and smooth.
“First of all, congratulations on making it into this school.” The classroom remained dead silent; everyone straightened up in their seats.
A suppressed, barely audible rustle passed through the room.
A look of justified pride washed over many of the students’ faces.
It was understandable, after all.
For these young students, having their abilities validated by others was undoubtedly a joyful and proud moment.
Mashima Tomoya ignored the reaction entirely and continued, “However, that does not mean you can relax.
While this school boasts a 100% employment and college entry rate, that is not an absolute guarantee…
For the foreseeable future, until you graduate, I will be your homeroom teacher.” “To better evaluate student capabilities, the school has specially developed the S-System, which has been pre-installed on your digital terminals.” “This school operates fundamentally differently from others.
Here, all your daily needs will be met using ‘points.’ Everything within the campus—from meals in the cafeteria to entertainment equipment in the dorms, and even any personal items you might need—can be purchased using points.
One point is equivalent to one yen.” He paused, picked up a piece of chalk, and wrote a figure on the blackboard.
“…one hundred thousand points.” “One hundred thousand?!” “A full one hundred thousand yen!
Are we getting this every month?” “Awesome!
This school is paradise!” “I knew I made the right choice coming here.” “Now, turn on your school terminals, enter your student ID and password, and check your points.
This month’s 100,000 points have already been distributed.
This is a reward given by the school based on your merit,” Mashima-sensei said.
Everyone opened their screens, and the points Mashima Tomoya spoke of appeared on their displays.
The students’ faces lit up with pure excitement; a hundred thousand yen a month was an astronomical sum for a high school student.
Meanwhile, Sakayanagi Arisu watched the “human drama” unfolding before her with a faint smile, looking as if she were enjoying an entertaining play.
The wave of enthusiasm in the room hit the ceiling.
Students stared at each other’s screens, already loudly discussing their shopping plans.
Everyone was instantly intoxicated by this sudden windfall of wealth.
“Are you all seriously idiots?” A cold, mocking voice cut through the cheerful buzz like a knife, coming from the back row.
Kamiki was leaning back comfortably in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest as he looked down at the crowd in front of him.
The classroom fell instantly silent.
Several students turned around, glaring in annoyance.
“What did you say?” a boy near the front snapped.
“Why are we idiots?
The money is right there in front of us!” Kamiki laughed softly, shaking his head.
“The fact that you even feel the need to ask that proves you really are an idiot,” Kamiki said, making no effort to hide the condescension in his voice.
The boy in the front row turned bright red with rage.
He opened his mouth to shout back, but Kamiki completely ignored him, shifting his gaze directly to the man standing at the podium.
“Mashima-sensei,” Kamiki said, his posture and tone radiating absolute confidence.
“Does the school truly expect us to believe they are spending half a billion yen a year on us just because we’re sitting in these seats?
Does that make any logical sense to you?” The whispers died down instantly.
The eyes that had been glued to the money just moments ago were now locked onto Kamiki, stunned by his bold calculation.
“Fufu…” That elegant, mocking, and melodic chuckle echoed from the front rows.
Sakayanagi Arisu slowly turned her head around from her desk.
“As expected of you, Kamiki-kun,” Arisu said, her voice smooth as silk yet clear enough for everyone to hear.
“You noticed the fine print behind the system immediately.
Dissecting the reality these poor souls fail to see so effortlessly…
It truly is fascinating.” The students grew incredibly tense, stung both by Kamiki’s harsh words and Sakayanagi’s blatant condescension.
Yet, no one could muster the courage to stand up to either of them.
On the very first day, the entire atmosphere of Class A had completely shifted.
Mashima Tomoya stood motionless behind the podium.
His fingers tightened slightly around the chalk he was holding.
He locked his eyes onto Kamiki, his stern, expressionless mask remaining firmly in place, but a wave of deep appreciation and intrigue flashed in his gaze.
“The points have been credited to your accounts,” Mashima said, keeping his voice level.
“How you choose to use them is entirely up to you, Shirogane-kun.” “Mashima-sensei,” Kamiki said, locking eyes with the teacher.
“It’s blindingly obvious you’re hiding something from us.” A sudden hush fell over the room.
The recent excitement over the points was entirely forgotten as everyone held their breath.
Mashima Tomoya didn’t answer.
He simply leaned against the podium, observing Kamiki with sharp, piercing eyes, refusing to utter a single word.
Kamiki’s lips curved into a slight smirk.
He tapped the screen of his tablet on the desk.
“Fine then, sensei,” Kamiki said, his voice completely relaxed.
“Since that’s how it is…” He paused.
Every eye in the room was fixed on him.
“I would like to buy whatever it is you’re hiding,” Kamiki said flatly.
Mashima’s eyes widened instantly.
His hand froze in mid-air, still holding the chalk.
His unshakeable, rock-solid composure completely crumbled for the first time as he stared at Kamiki in absolute shock.
“What?” Katsuragi muttered, unable to believe his ears.
“Buy it?
Buy what?” Not only Mashima, but even Sakayanagi Arisu in the front row was visibly stunned.
The confident smile vanished from her lips, her blue eyes widening in surprise as she turned all the way around to study the nonchalant yet brilliant expression on Kamiki’s face.
*He truly is a masterpiece…* Arisu thought to herself, her heart racing for the first time.
*To radically test the boundaries of the rules within the very first minutes…
Remarkable.* Mashima Tomoya took a deep breath, forcing himself to regain his composure as he stood up straight behind the podium.
“Do you even realize what you’re saying, Shirogane?” Mashima asked, his voice dropping to a low register.
“You cannot buy school rules.” “And why not?” Kamiki asked, shrugging his shoulders.
“You said it yourself just a moment ago.
‘In this school, you can buy anything with points.’ If everything has a point value, then the school rules and hidden information must have a price tag too.” “This is madness!” a boy near the front shouted.
“Is something like that even possible?!” “Shut up,” Kamiki said, without even sparing the boy a glance.
Mashima Tomoya tapped his fingers against the podium.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
The tension in the classroom had reached its absolute peak.
Mashima Tomoya continued to tap his fingers against the podium.
His gaze hardened.
He scanned the room before looking directly into Kamiki’s eyes.
“One million points,” Mashima stated.
The entire classroom held its collective breath.
“If you can transfer one million points to me right now,” Mashima continued, his voice dropping to an ice-cold register, “I will tell you every single hidden rule of this school.” “One million?!” a boy shouted.
“That’s impossible!” “We only have a hundred thousand!” a girl chimed in.
Katsuragi Kouhei stepped forward, his mind racing at high speed.
His eyes lit up as he turned to face the rest of the classroom.
“Wait,” Katsuragi said, his voice carrying an authoritative weight.
“This could be an opportunity.
Think about it logically.” The class turned their attention to him.
“There are forty of us in this room,” Katsuragi explained.
“If everyone contributes twenty-five thousand points, we can clear the amount.
That makes a million in total.
We can pool our resources and buy the information together.” “Hey, that actually makes sense!” someone called out from the back.
“Yeah, twenty-five thousand points is a sacrifice worth making!” another agreed.
Kamiki let out a soft chuckle.
Shoving his hands into his pockets, he leaned back in his chair.
“There’s absolutely no need for that, Saitama-kun,” Kamiki said, his voice laced with mockery.
Katsuragi furrowed his brows and slowly turned around.
“What do you mean by that?” Katsuragi demanded.
“I’m trying to act in the best interest of this class’s future.
What’s wrong with my plan?” Kamiki didn’t bother answering him directly.
Instead, he shifted his gaze to the front row.
“Sakayanagi-san,” Kamiki said, narrowing his eyes slightly.
“Would you care to explain to Saitama-kun exactly what just happened?” Sakayanagi Arisu’s elegant, mocking giggle echoed through the classroom.
She gracefully brought her left hand to her mouth and turned completely around, her blue eyes sparkling with amusement.
“Fufu…” Arisu cooed.
“Of course, Kamiki-kun.
It would be my pleasure.” Katsuragi blinked in confusion, staring at Arisu.
The classroom fell dead silent.
“Katsuragi-kun,” Arisu said, her voice smooth as silk.
“Kamiki-kun was merely baiting Mashima-sensei just now.” “Baiting him?” Katsuragi muttered.
“Yes,” Arisu replied, her fingers gently stroking the handle of her cane.
“What do you think would have happened if Kamiki-kun had simply asked, ‘Are there secrets you’re keeping from us?’ Mashima-sensei would have undoubtedly refused to answer and brushed the question aside.” Arisu shifted her gaze to Mashima.
The teacher’s jaw was visibly tense.
“However,” Arisu continued, her smile deepening, “Kamiki-kun bypassed that by offering to buy the information directly.
He backed him into a corner.
And Mashima-sensei was forced to respond by setting a price.” Katsuragi’s eyes went wide.
The pieces of the puzzle were finally falling into place.
“Which means,” Arisu said, locking her gaze back onto Katsuragi, “there truly are massive secrets behind this system that Mashima-sensei hasn’t told us.
Secrets that possess a value recognized by the school.” Kamiki chimed in, his voice entirely flat.
“In short, the existence of those secrets is now a absolute certainty,” Kamiki said.
“We heard it straight from the source.” “Precisely,” Arisu agreed, giving a firm nod.
“Now that we know this truth for an absolute fact…
there is no reason for us to hand over a single point to the school, Katsuragi-kun.” Katsuragi stood completely frozen, his mouth open but unable to form words.
He was utterly speechless in the face of the psychological trap Kamiki had laid.
Without spending a single cent, they had extracted the most critical confirmation from their teacher.
The rest of the students were slowly beginning to process the situation, and shock rippled through the room.
“Unbelievable…” a girl in the next row whispered.
From behind him, Morishita Ai leaned forward, her eyes gleaming.
“Harem-kun really is amazing,” Morishita whispered.
Mashima Tomoya crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze darting between Kamiki and Sakayanagi.
He forced himself to maintain his rigid, disciplined expression, but the intense respect in his eyes was impossible to mask.
For a fleeting second, a shadow of a smile touched his lips, as if he were genuinely proud of them.
It was a display of intellect truly fitting for the school’s most elite class.
Katsuragi Kouhei, however, was still not entirely convinced.
He clenched his fists and took another step forward.
“But still,” Katsuragi argued, raising his voice.
“We could still pay the points and learn everything.
It’s a risk worth taking.
It would secure a guarantee for the class.” “There’s no need for that, Saitama-kun,” Kamiki repeated, his tone perfectly steady.
Katsuragi snapped, “Why?” Kamiki leaned forward slightly in his seat, his eyes narrowing.
“What did Mashima-sensei just say?” Kamiki asked, addressing the entire room.
“He said, ‘For *this month*, the school has paid your allowances in advance.’ He specifically emphasized the phrase ‘this month.'” The students began exchanging uncertain glances.
“So?” a boy near the front asked.
“So that means the amount can change in the coming months,” Kamiki explained.
“The school isn’t going to hand us free money out of the goodness of their hearts.
They will likely adjust it based on our grades.
Or our behavior in class.
Points will fluctuate up and down.” A heavy silence descended upon the classroom once more.
The logic was flawless.
Kamiki didn’t stop there.
He pulled his right hand from his pocket and pointed his index finger upward, aiming it toward the ceiling.
“For instance,” Kamiki said, gesturing toward the corner.
“Take a look at that thing up there.” Every student in the room followed his finger.
“And the one in that corner,” Kamiki added, shifting his finger to the opposite side.
“There’s one in all four corners, actually.” The students focused on the corners of the smooth ceiling.
There, almost perfectly camouflaged against the wall color, were small black lenses that were practically impossible to notice unless one was actively searching for them.
“Hidden cameras,” Kamiki stated flatly.
He turned his gaze back to the podium, locking eyes with Mashima Tomoya.
A challenging smirk spread across his face.
“Those are for tracking our behavior, aren’t they, sensei?” Kamiki questioned.
“You’re watching us.
Every single second.” The classroom froze instantly.
The air in the room grew ice-cold.
No one dared to move.
The initial shock on the students’ faces had transformed into absolute awe.
“Incredible…” Katsuragi murmured.
This time, his voice held no anger—only pure astonishment.
He stumbled back half a step.
Sakayanagi Arisu’s eyes practically glowed with delight.
She lightly tapped her cane against her desk.
*Tap.* “Fufu…” Arisu chuckled.
“Kamiki-kun…
you truly are a dangerous individual.
Nothing escapes your notice.” Mashima Tomoya stood rigidly in front of the blackboard, staring at Kamiki.
A long, drawn-out silence filled the room.
This level of observational skill far exceeded the boundaries of a mere high school student.
“Kamiki,” Mashima finally spoke, his voice echoing clearly.
“You…
truly exceed all expectations.” Mashima Tomoya took one last look at the blackboard, set the piece of chalk down in its tray, and pulled himself together.
“If there are no further questions,” Mashima said, his voice returning to its usual stern professionalism, “I will be leaving.” Not a sound came from the class; everyone was still reeling from the shock Kamiki had delivered.
Mashima marched toward the exit, opened the door, and left without looking back.
The door clicked shut.
The very next second, the classroom erupted.
The students burst into frantic chatter, their whispers instantly escalating into loud, chaotic debates.
“Did you hear what he said?!” a boy shouted.
“Are those cameras really watching us?” a girl asked, staring anxiously at the ceiling.
“Kamiki…
that guy is a genius!” another muttered.
The room had devolved into absolute chaos, a cacophony of voices clashing as the fear of having their points wiped out next month began to set in.
Suddenly, Katsuragi Kouhei stood up, his large frame immediately commanding attention.
Standing tall in front of his desk, he cleared his throat loudly to make himself heard.
“Everyone, listen to me!” Katsuragi bellowed.
The noise gradually died down as all eyes turned to him.
“We need to stop panicking and pointing fingers,” Katsuragi said seriously.
“We are Class A.
We must maintain order.
To begin with, I suggest we introduce ourselves.
Starting from the front row, I want everyone to come up to the podium, state their name, their previous school, and any special talents they possess.” The students looked around at one another, a few nodding in reluctant agreement.
Katsuragi placed a hand over his chest.
“I am Katsuragi Kouhei.
I will do everything in my power to lead this class and ensure we all graduate from Class A.” He was about to expand on his introduction, intending to go into more detail about himself, when— “Fufu…” That familiar, melodic, and ice-cold chuckle echoed from the front row.
Sakayanagi Arisu tapped her cane gently against the side of her desk.
*Tap.* Tilting her head slightly, she locked her blue eyes onto Katsuragi.
The smile on her lips was more mocking than ever.
“What a quaint suggestion,” Arisu said, her voice smooth as silk.
“Katsuragi-kun…” Katsuragi frowned.
“What are you implying, Sakayanagi?” Arisu gracefully brought her left hand to her mouth, continuing to giggle.
“Are you a child?” Arisu asked flatly.
The classroom froze once more.
“Introducing ourselves?” Arisu continued.
“This is not a kindergarten.
We did not come here to forge sweet bonds of friendship.
This school is a battlefield.” Katsuragi’s face flushed a deep crimson.
“We need unity!
We must know each other if we are going to protect our class points!” “If these so-called ‘special talents’ are not unique trump cards capable of deciding victory or defeat, what is the point of mentioning them?
And if they are merely irrelevant hobbies, why waste everyone’s precious time?” Arisu turned her head back, searching for Kamiki with her eyes.
The mocking smile remained firmly in place; she was highly curious to see how he would respond to this situation.
Kamiki was leaning back comfortably, his hands resting in his pockets as he observed Katsuragi’s infuriated expression and Arisu’s challenging gaze.
He simply shrugged.
“Don’t look at me like that, Sakayanagi,” Kamiki said, his voice perfectly calm.
Arisu raised an eyebrow.
“Fufu…
Don’t tell me you disagree with me?” Kamiki shifted his gaze back to Katsuragi, that same amused, cynical smirk playing on his lips.
“On the contrary,” Kamiki said.
“I actually agree with Johnny-kun.” A sudden burst of laughter erupted from a group of boys near the back of the room, a few of them slamming their desks in amusement.
“Johnny?!” someone snickered.
“First Saitama, now he’s Johnny!” another choked out.
The girls in the class looked at the boys in utter bewilderment, trying to comprehend where the name had come from.
They knit their brows, watching the boys’ senseless amusement with evident annoyance.
Katsuragi turned completely red, his eyes narrowing to slits.
“My name is Katsuragi!” Kamiki ignored him entirely, turning back to Arisu.
“Think of it like learning to play chess, Sakayanagi,” Kamiki said, his voice even and precise.
A sudden spark ignited in Arisu’s blue eyes.
“Chess?” “Yes,” Kamiki said, leaning forward slightly.
“I need to know what the chess pieces can actually do.” A wave of grumbling suddenly rose from the classroom, the previous laughter cutting off instantly.
The students were visibly offended by the comparison.
“Pieces?” a girl near the front snapped.
“Are you treating us like objects?” “We aren’t your pawns!” a boy shouted from the back.
The atmosphere in the room instantly grew thick with indignation.
Kamiki paid absolutely no attention to the backlash.
He gestured broadly toward the classroom.
“You can’t start a match without knowing how each piece moves,” Kamiki continued, his voice completely unbothered.
“How far can a given pawn advance?
Which one can be sacrificed?
Where do the knights come into play?
I need to know these things.” “This guy is unbelievably arrogant,” a girl whispered sharply to the classmate sitting next to her.
Katsuragi absolutely loathed the analogy.
He clenched his fists, but he didn’t want to disrupt the momentum of his plan.
He let out a frustrated sigh.
Arisu slowly tightened her grip on the handle of her cane.
Her smile deepened significantly; the anger of the classroom only served to entertain her.
“Fufu…” Arisu purred.
“Is that so, Kamiki-kun?
Setting up a board for yourself, are you?” Anxious to prevent the room from growing any more hostile, Katsuragi immediately intervened.
He cleared his throat, his voice booming across the space.
“Fine!” Katsuragi barked, turning back to the class.
“We are starting with the first row.
Everyone, take your turns at the front.” The students continued to shoot furious glares at Kamiki.
However, spurred on by Katsuragi’s authoritative command, they reluctantly began to move.
The first boy grumbled under his breath as he rose and walked toward the blackboard.