Saturday Morning.
A cool breeze drifted through the campus as Sakayanagi Arisu sat primly on a bench, her slender fingers gliding across her phone screen.
Displayed was a chat log with "Sakayanagi Narumori"—her father, and the current chairman of Advanced Nurturing High School.
As the chairman's only daughter, Arisu had received a private talk with him the day before enrollment.
Her father had been blunt:
"I want you to identify a physically strong male student with no family history of genetic illness during your time here."
The reason behind this demand traced back to her parents.
Her father was healthy, but her mother had been frail from birth. Their union had produced Arisu—a child born with congenital heart disease.
Her childhood had been spent in hospitals, with chess as her only companion. Only later, after her condition stabilized, was she permitted to attend school.
Now, her father's wish was simple: their descendants must not inherit her weakness.
Arisu currently had no interest in romance, but she had acquiesced to her father's request—promising that any future partner would meet his criteria.
To her, it wasn't even a difficult decision.
Humans always crave what they lack—and what she lacked was physical strength.
The childhood bullying, the humiliation of having her crutch stolen—it had all cemented her resolve:
Her future partner must possess overwhelming physical prowess.
A weak man by her side was unacceptable—someone who couldn't even protect his own woman was worthless.
That said, compared to something as trivial as romance, she far preferred the thrill of outwitting geniuses.
Like her loss to Shimizu Akira on Monday—even after being stripped of all her points, she hadn't been angry.
If anything, it had intrigued her.
After all, opponents who could make her take things seriously were exceedingly rare.
Her fingertip tapped the screen, sending her father a message:
"Father, could you send me this year's entrance exam results and physical reports?"
A pause, then a follow-up:
"You did say I should find someone healthy. I'd hate to accidentally pick a sickly one."
Her phone vibrated instantly.
"Of course! Here you go, Arisu."
Attachments:
[First-Year Physical Exam Reports.xlsx]
[First-Year Entrance Exam Scores.xlsx]
Watching the files appear, Arisu let out a soft laugh, her slender legs swinging slightly. "Father is so easily manipulated..."
It was true—Narumori rarely refused his daughter anything.
As she skimmed his additional notes, her finger tapped the screen thoughtfully.
["Those with B+ or above in physical ability are viable, but I'd recommend targeting A-rank. These children don't just lack genetic disorders—some have never even taken medication."]
["P.S. That Kōenji Rokusuke from Class D has been spotted in the senior girls' dorm for three consecutive nights. Eliminate him immediately."]
"Is Father... screening marriage candidates for me?" She pinched the bridge of her nose, her pale cheeks puffing slightly.
Investigating to this degree was excessive.
The screen's glow reflected in her amethyst eyes, mixing amusement with exasperation.
His enthusiasm reminded her of matchmaking aunties scrambling to find suitors for their daughters.
Her fingers danced across the screen:
"Understood. I'm familiar with the Kōenji heir~ Reviewing files now."
Setting the phone aside, she opened the exam reports and scrolled straight to Shimizu Akira's file.
The moment the data loaded, her pupils contracted—
[Academic Ability: E-]
[Judgment: B]
[Intelligence: E-]
[Physical Ability: A]
[Teamwork: E-]
"..."
Impossible.
The boy who had outplayed her in psychological warfare carried the lowest possible intelligence rating?
And the cruelest irony? His only standout score was... combat prowess?
A muscle-brained E-rank had defeated her, an A-class genius?
Her gaze dropped to his medical report—and froze again.
—[Genetic Disorders: None.]
Beneath this bland notation lay startling data:
Platelet counts exceeding normal limits.
Red blood cell oxygen capacity surpassing most athletes.
Basal metabolic rate 30% above standard.
As someone intimately familiar with medical reports, she knew exactly what these numbers implied:
This wasn't a normal high schooler's physiology.
"Perfect. It's almost like..." Her teeth grazed her lower lip. "A genetically optimized specimen."
Her phone trembled slightly in her grip.
The composed strategist from their chess match concealed monstrous physical potential.
The raw power in that body could snap her fragile wrist—as easily as breaking a reed.
"The physical assessment can't be wrong... which means the interviewers underestimated him." A flicker of irritation crossed her porcelain features.
After all, if Shimizu—who had beaten her in a battle of wits—was rated E-rank, then her own A-grade became a joke.
["Father, I'm interested in Class D's Shimizu Akira. Could you share his entrance interview footage?"]
["Shimizu? Ah, his physical score is an A. Excellent choice. Sending now."]
When the video loaded, Arisu's poised demeanor faltered—the girl renowned for her intellect stood utterly still for five full seconds.
Every subject. Every single one.Failed.
["Oh? Has my daughter taken an interest? He is rather dull, but I don't object. My requirements for a son-in-law are simple: he must protect you and sire healthy grandchildren. After all, who could possibly rival your intellect?"]
Ignoring her father's teasing, Arisu's focus returned to the enigma before her.
"I see..." A soft laugh escaped her, eyes glinting with intrigue. "You've been planning since the entrance exams. Deliberately failing to lurk in Class D, biding your time... Shimizu-kun, what kind of game are you playing?"
Her screen lit up again.
A message from A-Class's bald strategist:
[Katsuragi Kōhei: The students violating school rules have been persuaded. No further infractions will occur this month.]
[Katsuragi Kōhei: Per your analysis, Class A will lose at most 56 class points.]
[Katsuragi Kōhei: Thus, we will remain in first place next month.]
Arisu's gaze lifted from the screen, her cane tapping lightly against the ground.
Class A's opening moves were set.
All that remained was to watch the board.
"Shimizu-kun... how has Class D prepared, I wonder? Do try not to disappoint me."