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The heavy oak door of the Student Council office gently closed behind them, sealing off the thrilling confrontation within.
In the corridor, the golden glow of the setting sun slanted through the high windows, stretching their shadows long.
A subtle silence hung in the air, broken only by the soft echo of footsteps in the empty corridor.
Katsuragi Kohei walked in front, his burly frame held rigidly straight, his brow slightly furrowed. Horikita Manabu's stern "no new plans" was like a cold verdict, declaring that his hopes of joining the Student Council were temporarily dashed.
But at this moment, what churned within him was not just disappointment, but more so the impact of the confrontation in the Student Council office—Sakamoto-kun's composed response to Horikita Manabu's sharp questioning, and that unbelievable pen-tapping of the cup... These images replayed repeatedly in his mind, unsettling him far more than his desire to join the Student Council.
Ichinose Honami walked in the middle, her pink hair glowing softly in the setting sun.
Her face carried a lingering shock and intense curiosity. Horikita Manabu's refusal had brought some disappointment, but this disappointment was quickly overshadowed by Sakamoto-kun's performance in the Student Council.
The things he said about "rules" and that miraculously skillful pen move at the end. Everything felt novel and perplexing to her.
She couldn't help but secretly glance at Sakamoto-kun, who was walking at the back.
Sakamoto-kun's steps were light and fluid, as if he were walking on an invisible rhythm.
His gaze behind the black-rimmed glasses was calm and unruffled, as if the thrilling confrontation that had just occurred, enough to alarm others, was merely an ordinary conversation.
He tilted his head slightly, his gaze seemingly fixed on the garden trees outside the window, dyed golden by the setting sun, or perhaps it penetrated the walls, pondering something even deeper.
The silence lasted for a moment.
"Sakamoto-kun…"
Ichinose-san finally couldn't resist speaking, her voice clear and pleasant, breaking the silence of the corridor.
She turned around, facing Sakamoto-kun, her pale purple eyes sparkling with undisguised admiration and curiosity,
"Just now, that was truly amazing! Both your answer to President Horikita and that final move with the pen to stop the teacup! It was like magic! Sakamoto-kun, you truly live up to your reputation!"
Her tone was sincere, carrying genuine praise.
Sakamoto-kun paused slightly, his gaze returning from the window, calmly looking at Ichinose-san. He nodded slightly, his posture elegant:
"Ichinose-san, you flatter me. It was merely a coincidence, and I did my small part."
"A coincidence?"
Ichinose-san blinked, clearly still vague about the meaning of that phrase. She then looked at Katsuragi-kun, asking with curiosity:
"Katsuragi-kun, is Sakamoto-kun always like this in Class A? I mean… always so… elegant and impressive?"
Katsuragi-kun stopped, turning around.
He glanced at Sakamoto-kun's calm, unruffled face, then at Ichinose-san's curious eyes, and replied in a low voice:
"Sakamoto-kun. He is indeed unique."
He didn't elaborate much, but the complex emotions in his tone were hard to conceal. Sakamoto-kun's existence, for Class A, was both a mystery and a variable.
"Oh…"
Ichinose-san nodded thoughtfully, as if she still wanted to ask something.
Her gaze shifted between Katsuragi-kun and Sakamoto-kun, she hesitated for a moment, but ultimately couldn't suppress the doubts in her heart, and spoke:
"Um, Katsuragi-kun, Sakamoto-kun,"
Her voice was light, with a hint of innocent inquiry,
"What Sakamoto-kun said earlier in the Student Council about 'rules' sounded so profound! Is it possible... that Class A already knows some special rules of this school?"
She asked naturally, as if out of pure curiosity.
She didn't know the grade gap between each class, thinking it was just a normal class division.
In her opinion, if Sakamoto could say such profound things in the Student Council, and Katsuragi seemed to have no objection to Sakamoto's behavior, perhaps Class A as a whole had already figured out some of the school's ins and outs?
Moreover, she herself did vaguely feel that the school's rules were a bit strange, such as the mysterious points system, but she couldn't articulate why.
The confrontational exchange between Sakamoto and Horikita Manabu just now made her feel an even more unusual atmosphere.
However, no sooner had she finished speaking—
Katsuragi Kohei's gaze instantly sharpened, the muscles on his face tightened almost imperceptibly, and his originally steady demeanor suddenly became rigid.
He didn't lose his composure by raising his voice or showing obvious hostility, but in the depths of his eyes, strong vigilance and caution churned.
"Ichinose-san,"
Katsuragi's voice was low and steady,
"Your question seems to go beyond the scope of peer interaction."
He deliberately slowed his speech:
"Class A's internal affairs are not convenient to disclose externally."
Although he didn't directly reprimand her, his aloof posture and the implied warning in his words were unmistakably clear.
Regarding the class points system, Class A did indeed know some special rules, and this was key to their lead.
This girl from Class B, whether intentionally or unintentionally, had touched upon a red line that absolutely could not be crossed.
Ichinose was startled by Katsuragi's sudden cold words!
She instinctively took half a step back, her pale purple eyes filled with shock and confusion:
"Katsuragi-kun? I... I just asked casually."
Looking at Katsuragi's distant demeanor, she explained with a hint of grievance,
"Because what Sakamoto-kun said just now sounded really profound, and it felt like he knew a lot, so I thought, maybe Class A has already discovered something. I didn't mean anything else."
She was indeed just curious and intuitive, completely unaware that she had touched upon core secrets of class competition.
Katsuragi stared at Ichinose, trying to discern the truth from her clear eyes.
The shock and grievance didn't seem feigned. His tense nerves relaxed slightly, but his vigilance remained undiminished.
He took a deep breath, his voice still cold:
"No comment."
He said decisively, his gaze as sharp as an eagle's,
"Please focus on Class B's affairs."
He emphasized "Class A" and "Class B" again, drawing a clear distinction.
Ichinose's smile faded a bit, replaced by obvious disappointment. She pursed her lips, lowered her head, and her voice dropped:
"...I'm sorry, I spoke out of turn."
The atmosphere in the corridor instantly became awkward and heavy.
Just then, Sakamoto, who had been silent, slowly turned his gaze back.
He didn't look at Katsuragi, nor at the disappointed Ichinose.
He slightly raised his right hand, and the silver fountain pen that had steadily tapped the teacup in the Student Council reappeared between his slender fingertips.
The golden glow of the setting sun happened to fall on the pen at his fingertips, reflecting a dazzling stream of silver light.
Sakamoto's wrist turned with extreme naturalness, and the fountain pen spun lightly between his fingers, as if endowed with life, drawing smooth and perfect silver arcs, weaving a silent rhythm in the air.
His movements were elegant and unhurried, with a strange focus and beauty, instantly attracting the gazes of Katsuragi and Ichinose.
The spinning pen abruptly stopped at his fingertips, resting steadily between his thumb and forefinger.
Sakamoto's gaze calmly fell on the pen tip, his voice clear and peaceful, as if stating an objective fact:
"Rules are like rivers, and classes are like riverbeds."
He paused slightly, his gaze seemingly piercing through the two people in front of him, looking towards the golden sunlight spilling at the end of the corridor,
"Water flows in its own direction, and riverbeds each have their own boundaries. To go with the flow is to go far."
After speaking, he said no more.
He lightly tossed the pen from his fingertips, a flash of silver, and it once again accurately landed in the pocket of his school uniform on his chest.
He turned slightly, facing Katsuragi and Ichinose, and bowed his head with extreme elegance, his movements fluid and perfect.
"Excuse me, both students."
As his words fell, he didn't linger, taking steps and walking straight towards the front of the corridor.
His steps remained steady and smooth, each one as if measured.
When he reached the stairwell at the end of the corridor, his steps paused slightly.
Katsuragi and Ichinose subconsciously followed a few steps behind him.
Sakamoto did not look back, only slightly turned his head, his black-rimmed glasses reflecting a fleeting glimmer in the afterglow of the setting sun.
He looked down the stairs, as if silently bidding farewell.
Immediately, he turned and stepped onto the stairs leading downstairs alone, his figure quickly disappearing around the corner of the staircase.
The golden glow of the setting sun gilded his departing figure with a dazzling outline, his tall posture appearing exceptionally mysterious in the light and shadow.
Katsuragi Kohei stood still, watching Sakamoto disappear into the stairwell, then looked at the disappointed Ichinose beside him, his brows tightly furrowed, his eyes complex.
Ichinose Honami gazed at the stairwell where Sakamoto had disappeared.
Sakamoto-kun, what exactly does he know?