Dusk settled over the campus, the lingering purple-red of the sky bleeding into the clouds like ink on silk. On the tree-lined path leading toward the dormitories, the cherry blossoms were in full, heavy bloom. Pink and white petals fluttered down in the evening breeze, carpeting the sidewalk in a soft, shifting mosaic.
Sakamoto appeared at the end of the path.
True to his nature, he did not take the center of the walkway. Instead, he balanced atop the narrow concrete curb. His left palm remained a steady pedestal for his "treasures"—the white soap, the plastic toothbrush, and the unscented shampoo. In his right hand, he held the white can of juice, his fingertips tapping a rhythmic, silent beat against the aluminum.
As he moved, his center of gravity remained as locked as a gyroscope. His toes touched the narrow edge, his heels lifting in a motion that made him appear to be gliding on ice rather than walking on stone. His burgundy blazer fluttered, the movement perfectly synchronized with the falling petals. It was a display of focused, gymnastic composure that drew the eyes of every passing student.
Hushed whispers followed him: "Is he... a gymnast?" "How can he be so elegant just carrying soap?"
Sakamoto seemed oblivious to the audience, his gaze fixed on the horizon.
Halfway down the path, a single bench sat beneath the reaching branches of an ancient cherry tree. There, bathed in the twilight, sat Arisu Sakayanagi. Her silver hair shimmered with a faint, lunar luster, and her dark wooden cane rested against her knee, its silver head glowing in the dying light.
She rested her chin on one hand, her fingertips tapping the cane with the deliberate rhythm of a clock. As Sakamoto approached, still balanced on the curb, her lips curved into a faint, predatory smile—the look of a grandmaster watching an opponent finally step onto her board.
"Good evening," she said, her voice soft and melodic. "Sakayanagi Arisu. Our first formal introduction, Sakamoto-kun."
Sakamoto stopped. Standing on the elevated curb, he looked down at her and offered a shallow, fluid bow. "I am Sakamoto. A pleasure to meet you, Sakayanagi-san."
"A delightful way to return home," she noted, her eyes sweeping over the toiletries in his hand. Her smile deepened. "The 'magic' you performed in the convenience store was equally splendid. You have a truly brilliant guiding technique."
She tilted her head, her gaze piercing through the reflection of his spectacles. "Leaving aside your little interlude with Kamuro... the puzzle you left in the classroom was quite thought-provoking. After you spoke of 'worthiness' and sent that paper plane toward the seniors, the curiosity in Class A reached a fever pitch."
She chuckled—a light, chilling sound. "Someone couldn't help themselves. They went to the upperclassmen to investigate. They discovered the existence of 'Class Points.' It seems the seniors were reluctant to speak at first, but when points were offered as payment, the floodgates opened. Someone even lowered their price just to ensure the information reached us."
Sakayanagi's gaze sharpened into a blade. "You didn't give us the answer. You forced us to explore, to trade, and to verify the truth with our own hands. A masterful bit of manipulation. Tell me, Sakamoto-kun... do you intend to lead Class A? In this... elegant, mysterious way of yours?"
The wind gusted, sending a flurry of petals between them. Sakamoto remained a statue. He didn't look at her; his eyes were fixed on the distant dormitory lights.
Then, he moved.
His toes pushed off the curb, and his body spun through the air as light as a feather. It was a perfect side-spin—a gymnast's maneuver performed with a beverage in one hand and soap in the other. He landed silently on the pavement directly in front of her, the items in his hands unmoved, his posture instantly returning to a state of serene poise.
He was now at eye level with her.
"Guidance?" he repeated, his voice carrying an indescribable depth. "I have merely followed the natural flow of the situation. To throw a brick to attract jade. The truth is like these blossoms."
He raised his hand. With a movement so precise it seemed practiced for a lifetime, his slender fingers plucked a single falling petal from the air. He placed it gently atop the white juice can. The petal trembled there, a tiny, fragile marker.
"Only by personally touching the trajectory can one comprehend the meaning of the bloom. As for leadership..." He adjusted his glasses. "I have no intention of leading anyone."
Sakayanagi's eyes flickered. She didn't seem disappointed. She leaned back, her fingers tracing the silver head of her cane. "There is one more thing. I spent a few points of my own to learn that you were seen in the upperclassmen's wing this morning... lingering. Observing."
She leaned forward, her sweet smile clashing with the coldness of her eyes. "You were one step ahead of us all. Your 'lateness' was a calculated reconnaissance. Everyone has two sides, Sakamoto-kun. What core is hidden beneath that flawless exterior? Are you a mere observer? Or the player holding the pieces? I look forward to seeing your true face."
It was an open declaration of war.
Sakamoto did not blink. He neither confirmed nor denied her suspicions. He simply tapped the ground with his toe and spun back onto the curb with the same effortless grace. He took a step, walking past her bench with a steady, measured gait.
As he brushed past her, his voice entered her ear like the whispering wind. "Beneath the surface, there is only more surface."
He didn't linger. His figure merged into the twilight and the falling petals, leaving behind only the faint, clean scent of unscented soap.
Arisu Sakayanagi sat in the silence, her fingertips frozen on her cane. Her gaze followed the spot where he had vanished for a long time. The playful curve on her lips remained, but it was now joined by a spark of genuine, burning inquiry.
"Beneath the surface... is more surface," she murmured to the empty path. "I have been... underestimated."
The cherry blossoms continued to fall, burying the invisible line that had just been drawn between the two titans of Class A.