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On the morning of the third day of school, in the Class 1-C classroom.
Shiina Hiyori sat quietly in the window-side corner, like an isolated island amidst a noisy tide.
She was slightly bowed, her silver hair falling like moonlight, a few strands covering half of her fair cheek.
Her violet eyes were downcast, her gaze intently fixed on a thick mystery novel open on her desk, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the edge of the pages, seemingly more engrossed than in the reality before her.
On the podium, Ryuuen Kakeru's deep and oppressive voice, like a stone dropped into a deep pond, broke the silence of the classroom and forcibly pulled her thoughts back from the mists of Los Angeles.
"...class points... daily behavior assessment... ranking determines resources..."
Ryuuen announced the core rules of the "class points" system, and his decision to become the sole leader of Class 1-C.
His voice carried an undeniable sense of control, his ominous gaze sweeping across the room like a cold searchlight.
Shiina Hiyori's gaze remained on the pages of her book, but Ryuuen's words, like a precise voice recorder, were etched into her mind, word for word.
Daily behavior would be assessed as points? The difference in class points would determine class ranking and resource allocation?
A faint hint of understanding flashed in the depths of her violet eyes.
This "merit-based" academy indeed had a unique set of rules that closely tied individual behavior to collective honor and disgrace.
But she had no interest in inter-class struggles.
Whether it was Class A or Class D, in her eyes, they were merely different states under the operating rules of this special school.
Student Ryuuen—the guy standing on the podium, exuding a violent aura, seemingly believing only in fists. Could he actually think of using points to buy information about these rules?
This point, surprisingly, brought a slight unexpected feeling to Shiina Hiyori.
She subtly raised her eyes, her violet gaze peeking through the gaps in her silver hair, glancing at the tall figure on the podium.
He was announcing his dominion over Class 1-C with an almost tyrannical posture, as if he intended to crush any dissenters.
Violence and strategy, in this person, seemed to coexist in a peculiar way.
Shiina Hiyori's thoughts subtly turned.
Since he chose strategy, then next, if he wanted to implement more complex plans, he would inevitably need help.
Among this group in Class 1-C, those who could be considered to have some brains—
Her gaze subconsciously swept around—a few thugs who only knew how to yell and fight, a few eccentric girls with vacant eyes... Finally, her vision returned to her open mystery novel.
—It was probably just herself.
Student Ryuuen would probably come looking for her, wouldn't he?
As this thought just surfaced in her mind—
Heavy footsteps approached, carrying an undeniable sense of pressure, and stopped at her desk.
The light was completely blocked by a tall figure.
Shadows enveloped her, swallowing both her and the book in front of her.
Shiina Hiyori slowly looked up.
Ryuuen Kakeru stood at her desk, looking down at her.
Shiina Hiyori's expression did not change in the slightest.
She closed the novel in her hands, her movements gentle and fluid, as if merely closing an ordinary notebook.
Her violet eyes calmly met Ryuuen's scrutinizing gaze.
"Student Ryuuen,"
her voice was soft and ethereal, like a feather brushing by,
"Is something wrong?"
Ryuuen stared at her calm violet eyes, as if trying to penetrate that serene surface and see her true thoughts within.
"Hey, Hiyori."
"What do you know about Sakamoto of Class A?"
Shiina Hiyori's heart, upon hearing the name "Sakamoto," almost imperceptibly skipped a beat.
Sakamoto?
Sakamoto of Class A?
The black-haired boy in the library who, with an incredibly elegant posture, took down "Farewell, My Lovely," and discussed the loneliness and persistence of Philip Marlowe with her, his eyes as calm as if he saw through everything?
What did Student Ryuuen want with him?
An extremely subtle emotion, one she hadn't even anticipated herself, rippled across the calm surface of her heart.
Was it an instinctive desire to protect?
Or perhaps, a partiality towards that first "book friend" who seemed to understand her world of mysteries?
Deep within her violet eyes, the ripple swiftly subsided, as if it had never appeared.
Shiina Hiyori tilted her head slightly, her silver hair falling over her shoulders, a perfectly appropriate, gentle expression of slight confusion on her face:
"Sakamoto-kun?"
Her voice remained soft, with a subtle hint of bewilderment.
"Class 1-A's Sakamoto-kun? I apologize, Student Ryuuen, I'm not very familiar with him."
She paused, gazing calmly at Ryuuen.
"Student Ryuuen, is there something you need him for?"
Ryuuen stared intently at Shiina Hiyori's face, as if trying to catch a flaw in every subtle change of her expression.
That calmness, that bewilderment, that perfectly appropriate confusion. It seemed flawless.
But Ryuuen Kakeru never trusted appearances.
"Student Ryuuen seems quite interested in this Sakamoto-kun?"
Ryuuen watched her for a few seconds, the sharpness in his eyes not diminishing in the slightest, but eventually, he straightened up, withdrew his hands from the desk, and put them back in his pockets.
"Interested?"
He scoffed, his tone carrying a hint of deliberate disdain.
"Just a pretentious Class 1-A bookworm."
He changed the subject, his voice becoming low and commanding once more.
"However, if we are to lead Class C to climb higher and surpass Class 1-A, then understanding the elites of Class 1-A, especially those who seem a bit special, is very necessary."
He deliberately emphasized "surpass Class 1-A," framing his goal as a collective benefit.
"Hiyori,"
Ryuuen called her by her first name again, with an undeniable sense of control.
"You seem quite intelligent, and your observational skills should be good too."
He tilted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over the novel on her desk.
"Starting today, I'm giving you a task."
Shiina Hiyori's violet eyes lifted slightly, and she watched him quietly, waiting for him to continue.
"Observe that Sakamoto-kun."
Ryuuen's voice carried a commanding tone.
"Observe his every move, his habits, his weaknesses, his interactions with other Class 1-A students. Especially, if he has any unknown secrets or any compromising information."
He paused, then added:
"Of course, this is for our Class C. Know yourself and your enemy, and you will never be defeated. Understanding Class 1-A's strongest 'pawn' will allow us to better formulate strategies and surpass them. Understand?"
Shiina Hiyori was silent for a few seconds.
Observe Sakamoto-kun, find his weaknesses and compromising information? For the sake of "surpassing Class 1-A"?
She nodded slightly, her movement gentle, her voice still calm and unwavering:
"Understood, Student Ryuuen."
She did not refuse, nor did she show any resistance, as if she had simply accepted an ordinary class assignment.
"Very good."
Ryuuen nodded with satisfaction, the oppressive feeling in his eyes receding slightly but remaining sharp.
"Report any findings to me at any time."
With that, he did not linger, turning and walking towards the podium. His heavy footsteps echoed in the silent classroom, like drumbeats on everyone's hearts.
Shiina Hiyori watched Ryuuen's retreating figure until he stood on the podium again, his gaze sweeping across the class like a beast surveying its territory.
She slowly lowered her head, reopened the novel, and her fingertips gently brushed over Philip Marlowe's monologue on the page.
Deep within her violet eyes, beneath that calm icy surface, an extremely complex emotion quietly surged.
Observe Sakamoto-kun... find weaknesses and compromising information... for the sake of surpassing Class 1-A?
She closed the book, her gaze drifting out the window to the garden trees bathed in golden sunlight.
In the library, the black-haired boy's elegant and composed demeanor, his serene and profound eyes, reappeared in her mind.
Student Ryuuen, is your goal really just to "surpass Class 1-A"?
Shiina Hiyori took a soft breath, her fingertips unconsciously curling.
Sakamoto-kun... it seems our relationship might be more than just "book friends."