June 1st, the beginning of a new month.
Class C classroom.
The homeroom teacher, Hoshinomiya Chie, was sprawled on the podium in a very undignified posture, her cheek pressed against the cool desk, her ample chest squeezed into an alluring curve.
However, the air was not filled with ambiguity, but with the smell of stale alcohol.
The students below seemed to be used to this, chatting in low voices.
Suddenly, Hoshinomiya-sensei sprang up from the podium as if electrocuted!
She shook her still-dizzy head, struggling to focus her vision, and pointed at the numbers above the blackboard.
"Students! Look! This month's class points ranking is out!"
Her voice was hoarse from a hangover, but her excitement was palpable.
"Class 1-A, 1082 points! Class 1-B, 956 points! And our Class C—we have 902 points! Everyone worked hard! We've broken the 900-point mark! We're not far from returning to Class 1-B!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly covered her mouth, her stomach churning as if she was about to throw up any second, and she quickly stumbled back onto the podium.
A lively discussion erupted in the classroom.
"902 points?! That's a huge improvement!"
"It's because everyone did so well on the midterms, right!"
"Exactly! Thanks to Ichinose-san! She led us in reviewing!"
All eyes, filled with gratitude and admiration, instantly focused on Ichinose Honami.
Ichinose-san was a little flustered by the sudden praise, and she waved her hands, her cheeks slightly flushed:
"No! This is the result of everyone's collective effort! It's the result of every single person studying diligently!"
Before she finished speaking, a petite figure rushed into her embrace.
Shiraha Chihiro, with short brown hair and white stockings, hugged her tightly, her upturned face filled with pure admiration and joy:
"Ichinose! I love you the most! I love you the most, most!"
Immediately after, several other girls laughed and gathered around, expressing similar closeness and gratitude.
"It's so great to be in the same class as Ichinose-san!"
Shiraha Chihiro buried her face in Ichinose-san's arms, her voice muffled but full of happiness.
Ichinose-san paused slightly, then smiled gently, stroking Shiranami's head.
Yes, it really was great to be in this class.
Although the homeroom teacher was not very reliable, and they had lost their Class 1-B position in the first month due to an upset, everyone here... was truly warm.
She looked up, her gaze sweeping across every face in the classroom, full of fighting spirit and smiles.
She hoped that she could reach Class 1-A with everyone!
—
Meanwhile, in Class 1-A.
The homeroom teacher, Mashima Tomoya, announced the unsurprising rankings with his usual serious demeanor.
Class 1-A, 1082 points, firmly in first place.
The atmosphere in the classroom was calm and confident.
Everyone knew in their hearts that the greatest contributor was undoubtedly the figure by the window, calmly pushing up his glasses—Sakamoto.
However, Class 1-A now had more than just Sakamoto as its pillar.
Beneath Sakamoto's dazzling, even transcendent aura, two other leaders were quietly playing their roles.
Katsuragi Kohei and Sakayanagi Arisu.
They each, in their own ways and with their influence, gathered a portion of their classmates, vaguely forming what was called the "Katsuragi Faction" and the "Sakayanagi Faction."
Katsuragi was pragmatic, focusing on rules and collective action; Sakayanagi was more adept at strategy and information control.
But they both knew that any internal friction at this moment would be meaningless.
Their goals were highly consistent: to maintain and expand Class 1-A's advantage.
Therefore, a delicate balance and understanding were maintained between the two factions, with no actual conflict.
Sakamoto seemed unconcerned with this internal class dynamic.
He remained unconventional, immersed in his own world.
For him, the school was like a vast stage, where everyone had the right and opportunity to shine in their own way, without his excessive interference.
—
In the afternoon, the dismissal bell rang.
Sakamoto quickly and elegantly packed his schoolbag, preparing to quietly leave as usual.
The appearance of an unexpected visitor,
It instantly silenced the entire Class A.
A girl with long pink hair and a bright smile tinged with a hint of nervousness appeared at the entrance of Class A, her gaze precisely locking onto Sakamoto.
"Um... Sakamoto-kun? Excuse me for interrupting..."
The newcomer was none other than Ichinose Honami from Class C.
In an instant, almost all eyes in the class focused on this uninvited guest.
Hashimoto Masayoshi stroked his chin, a speculative glint in his eyes.
Ichinose from Class C? She's looking for Sakamoto? What's their relationship?
Katsuragi Kohei also recognized her:
He had met her once in the Student Council. What did she want with Sakamoto?
Morishita Ai muttered to herself:
Is she that direct? Next time, I should try inviting him directly too!
Kamuro Masumi unconsciously frowned, a subtle sense of unease passing through her heart.
Sakayanagi Arisu, meanwhile, showed a meaningful smile.
Interesting. A girl from another class actively seeking Sakamoto is a first.
Ichinose was instantly surrounded by the "kind" yet scrutinizing gazes of the Class A elites, and her cheeks couldn't help but flush even redder.
She had never set foot in Class A before, and at this moment, she felt the atmosphere was exceptionally heavy, completely different from the relaxed environment of Class C.
She was truly desperate today, having a very urgent, tricky, and private matter that required the help of a boy from another class.
In her haste, she thought of Sakamoto, whom she had only met a few times but who had left a deep impression on her.
She didn't have Sakamoto's contact information, so she could only bite the bullet and come directly to his classroom to find him.
"Sakamoto-kun, could... could I trouble you to come out for a moment? There's something I'd like to ask of you..."
Ichinose's voice carried a plea.
Sakamoto stopped, his gaze calmly falling on the slightly embarrassed Ichinose, and he nodded slightly.
"No problem."
He stepped towards the door, and under the varied gazes of his Class A classmates, he left the classroom with Ichinose.
Ichinose almost fled, walking quickly ahead until they were far from the Class A classroom, then she let out a long sigh of relief.
She led Sakamoto to a relatively secluded alley.
"I'm so sorry, Sakamoto-kun! For coming to find you so abruptly..."
Ichinose bowed in apology, her face full of remorse and embarrassment.
"No need to worry."
Sakamoto's tone was calm, "Ichinose-san, what is it you wish to entrust me with?"
Ichinose took a deep breath, as if making a great decision, then spoke with difficulty:
"Actually, it's a girl from our class. She seems to have... a kind of affection for me that goes beyond friendship..."
Her voice grew softer and softer, her cheeks crimson.
"This afternoon, she slipped me a letter... asking me to meet her here after school. I, I have absolutely no experience with this kind of thing, and the person is a girl. I truly don't know how to refuse without hurting her. So, so I thought..."
She spoke more and more incoherently, then, steeling herself, she closed her eyes and said:
"So I wanted to ask Sakamoto-kun, if you could... if you could temporarily pretend to be my boyfriend? Just to make her back off! Please!"
After speaking, she bowed deeply, not daring to look up.
Sakamoto, hearing this, fell into a brief silence, seemingly processing the sudden request.
Just then, a faint, hesitant sound of footsteps came from the alley entrance.
They both turned to look, only to see Shiraha Chihiro standing there, her hands nervously clasped in front of her, her face flushed with shyness and anticipation, her eyes reflecting Ichinose's figure.
However, when she saw the tall, distinguished-looking boy beside Ichinose, the blush on her face instantly faded, replaced by pallor and bewilderment.
"Ichinose...-san? Who is this...?"
Her voice trembled slightly.
Ichinose immediately panicked, her mind blank, her original plan completely forgotten: "Ah! Chihiro! Um... he is..."
Ichinose's heart instantly leaped into her throat.
Oh no! Chihiro's here!
She looked at Sakamoto in a panic, seeking help with her eyes.
Just at this critical moment—
Sakamoto moved.
He did not play any "boyfriend" role as Ichinose wished, nor did he even look at Shiraha Chihiro.
His gaze passed over Shiraha Chihiro, focusing on the ground further down the alley entrance.
The next moment, he made a move that left both girls dumbfounded.
He leaned forward slightly, his right index and middle fingers together, and with lightning speed, precisely jabbed at a certain spot on the ground!
The movement was so fast it left only an afterimage!
"Tap."
A very faint, yet exceptionally clear, crisp sound.
As if something tiny had been instantly struck away.
Immediately after, a tiny, inconspicuous screw, which had been lying in the corner of the alley entrance, was sent flying by Sakamoto's incredibly precise jab.
It arced in a subtle curve, and with a "ding," it precisely hit what appeared to be a loose connection at the base of an old lamppost outside the alley.
As if activating some delicate mechanism, the lamppost's bulb, which had been flickering due to a poor connection, suddenly, with a soft "poof," lit up steadily.
Soft and bright light instantly poured down, perfectly enveloping Shiraha Chihiro, who stood at the alley entrance, looking bewildered.
It also illuminated the clear confusion and helplessness on her face.
This sudden scene, this completely incomprehensible behavior, left Shiraha Chihiro utterly stunned.
She instinctively looked up at the suddenly brightened lamppost, then down at the letter in her hand, her mind full of questions.
What on earth was this classmate doing?
And Sakamoto, after doing all this, slowly straightened up.
Only then did he calmly turn his gaze to Shiraha Chihiro, who was somewhat dazed by the light, and spoke in a gentle tone:
"Light, at times, can illuminate the true heart more clearly."
"Shiranami-san, the 'feelings' you cherish are perhaps like this lamp; they need to be placed under the right light to see their true form and where they are headed."
"Rather than being hastily delivered to a specific person."
His words seemed to possess a certain magic, and combined with this wondrous scene and the soft light, they quietly defused the awkward atmosphere.
Shiraha Chihiro stood rooted to the spot, dazed.
In the light, she looked at Ichinose, who had an awkward and uneasy expression, in the alley ahead.
Sakamoto's words seemed to strike directly at her heart.
Yes... this feeling of mine,
Have I really thought it through completely?
This sudden light and words seemed to cool her impulsively heated mind a little.
She looked at Sakamoto, who had a gentle expression under the light,
And then she looked at Ichinose next to her, who was clearly relieved but still looking at her with concern... If I were to confess so rashly,
And if it really troubled Ichinose-san... wouldn't that be... Her cheeks were still red,
But the impulsiveness in her eyes quietly faded, replaced by a hint of introspection and hesitation.
Seeing this, Sakamoto said no more, only nodded slightly to Ichinose, then turned and walked calmly out of the alley.
Leaving the space and time to the two girls who needed to sort out their feelings alone.