Asahina Natsume took a deep breath, seemingly organizing her thoughts, and tentatively asked, "Sakamoto-kun... do you know 'Miyabi' from our second year? Ah, I mean..."
Before she could finish the name, Sakamoto calmly interjected, "You mean Vice President Nan Yun Miyabi from the second year Student Council, right?"
Asahina Natsume paused slightly, then smiled, "Ah, yes, yes! That's him! You knew immediately?"
She was surprised by Sakamoto's perceptiveness,
but thinking of their magical encounter and resolution just now, she felt it was somewhat understandable.
"While working at the cafe, I had the good fortune to see you and Vice President Nan Yun dining together there."
Sakamoto explained.
"I see, Sakamoto-kun is truly observant."
Asahina Natsume sighed, a complex emotion stirring within her.
This Sakamoto, not only were his movements elegant, but his observation and memory were also astonishing.
That Genesis-like moment of eye contact just now had made her heart flutter a little... What a pity, sigh. This "chance encounter" was actually a play she had orchestrated herself, hoping to use it as an opportunity to strike up a conversation.
She hadn't expected his reaction and actions to completely deviate from her script, even knowing the topic she wanted to introduce.
This left her both a little frustrated and irresistibly drawn to his control.
He's really cool... However, she quickly suppressed those rosy thoughts, her expression becoming more serious.
After all, she was here for something important this time.
"Since you know him, I'll keep it short."
Asahina Natsume's smile faded,
"I need to warn you, be careful of Nagumo Miyabi. He... he's trying to find a way to deal with you."
She stared intently at Sakamoto's face, trying to catch a hint of change.
But Sakamoto's expression remained calm,
as if the news that "the student council vice president wants to deal with him"
was merely a breeze rippling the water's surface.
Seeing no reaction from Sakamoto, Asahina Natsume became a little anxious and continued, "This isn't really snitching... well, although Nagumo and I are indeed very, very close, and have been since childhood..."
"But, some of the things he's been doing recently have made me very unhappy! And, I've heard a little rumor about the methods he plans to use against you, they might be very ruthless! Seriously!"
Her tone became a little agitated:
"So, I actually hope Sakamoto-kun, you can teach him a lesson! Make him rein it in a bit!"
This was the core reason she was voluntarily leaking information.
She and Nagumo Miyabi indeed had a deep, fated connection, attending the same schools from elementary to high school, inseparable and closer than ordinary couples.
However, Nagumo's biggest problem was his flirtatiousness and his unrestrained desire for control.
He had even started to take an interest in Ichinose Honami from Class 1-B, who was bright, cheerful, and loved by everyone, and had used his position as student council vice president to uncover her unknown secrets!
This filled Asahina with jealousy.
But this wasn't the most important thing, Nagumo's philandering wasn't new.
What bothered her even more was that Nagumo viewed Sakamoto as his "greatest future rival,"
and had diverted all the time and energy he could have used to "conquer" Ichinose into figuring out how to deal with Sakamoto!
This made her feel slighted.
She wanted Sakamoto to humble Nagumo a bit.
Sakamoto quietly listened to Asahina Natsume's emotional confession and request, tinged with personal feelings,
and after a few seconds of silence, seemingly processing the information in her words,
he nodded slightly:
"I see. Thank you for informing me, Senpai. I understand."
Hearing this, Asahina Natsume knew he had understood and taken it to heart.
Although she didn't know what he would do, her goal had been achieved.
She let out a sigh of relief, a bright smile returning to her face:
"That's good, then I'll be going now."
With that, she prepared to turn and leave.
Just as she turned, Sakamoto suddenly spoke:
"Senpai, please wait."
"Hmm?"
Asahina Natsume turned back, puzzled.
Sakamoto slowly raised his previously empty right hand.
In his palm, a sunflower-shaped hair clip lay quietly, glinting in the sunlight—
It was identical to the one in her hair!
"Just now, when we almost collided,"
Sakamoto's voice was gentle,
"your hair clip accidentally fell. Here, it is returned to its rightful owner."
Asahina Natsume then touched her hair in surprise,
and indeed found that the hair clip on her right temple was gone.
She hadn't noticed at all.
"Oh, it really fell. I didn't even notice, thank you, thank you so much, Sakamoto-kun."
Asahina Natsume, blushing, hastily took the hair clip, which still carried a trace of warmth from Sakamoto's palm.
She clutched the sunflower hair clip tightly,
watched Sakamoto nod slightly to her again, then turn,
and disappear with graceful steps at the other end of the tree-lined path.
The afternoon sun gilded his tall silhouette.
First Year Midterm Exam: Chapter 056: Sakamoto Receives the Exam Papers
The evening sunset streamed through the bright windows,
slanting into the Class 1-A classroom.
The echo of the dismissal bell had not yet completely faded, but the air inside the classroom had quickly cooled,
Unlike the casualness of Class D, most students in Class A left with hurried steps and clear goals—
Either heading to the library to study, attending club activities, or participating in group studies.
In this efficient atmosphere, one figure seemed a little out of place.
Yamamura Miki sat in a corner in the back row,
her soft blue long hair tied into a neat side ponytail, resting on her shoulder.
She kept her head down, her slender fingers unconsciously curling the corner of an open notebook page,
but her gaze occasionally darted towards the window.
Her presence was very faint, like a drop of water in the ocean.
No one particularly disliked her, but it seemed no one truly noticed her either.
She was always alone, arriving quietly, leaving quietly,
like a silent backdrop in the classroom.
This formed a subtle contrast with Sakamoto, who also often kept to himself.
Sakamoto's solitude was like the distinguished uniqueness of a lone peak,
an absolute presence that attracted all eyes even in silence.
Her solitude, however,
was a complete, almost transparent hiddenness.
Yet, in her heart, Sakamoto was not out of reach.
She remembered clearly, during a duty day at the beginning of the semester, she was responsible for wiping the high windows,
the stool was a bit wobbly, and she clumsily almost fell.
It was Sakamoto who happened to pass by, and instead of directly helping, he used a method she couldn't understand but was incredibly stylish—it seemed he just casually tapped a specific spot on the stool leg with his toe—
The wobbling stool instantly stabilized.
He didn't even look at her or say anything,
as if he had completed a trivial task, and then calmly left.
But that momentary sense of stability and that silent rescue were deeply imprinted in Yamamura Miki's heart.
For her, it was a moment of being "seen,"
even if it might just have been her own wishful thinking.
At this moment, she took a deep breath, as if to gather all her courage.
Her hand was tightly clutching a somewhat conspicuous roll of paper documents,
her fingertips slightly white from the force.
She couldn't hesitate any longer.
She had to tell him this.
She saw Sakamoto had already packed his bag and was standing up gracefully, ready to leave.
Now was the time.
Yamamura Miki suddenly stood up, the chair legs scraping against the floor with a slight sound,
but the sound was quickly drowned out by the footsteps of the last few students leaving.
She almost ran, head down, weaving between desks and chairs, blocking Sakamoto, who was about to walk towards the classroom door.
"Th-that! Sa-Sakamoto-kun!"
Her voice was as thin as a mosquito's, with a noticeable tremor,
her cheeks quickly flushed, even her earlobes turned pink.
She bowed deeply, offering the crumpled paper she held in both hands, not daring to look up at Sakamoto's expression.
"I'm so sorry to bother you, this! Please, you must take it!"
Sakamoto paused, looking down slightly,
his gaze falling on the blue-haired girl in front of him, who was almost curled into a ball,
and the suspicious roll of paper in her hands.
His expression was as calm as ever,
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