"Senpaku, I am Sakamoto. What brings you here?"

"It seems this pool of water is finally about to ripple a bit. Sakamoto..."

Nan Yunya downed the water in her glass in one gulp, the fighting spirit in her eyes spreading outwards in concentric circles like a pebble thrown into a lake.

"I hope you won't disappoint me."

Beneath the surface of a seemingly peaceful campus life, undercurrents are quietly surging among the apex predators.

First Year Enrollment: Chapter 011: Sakamoto's Meal

At noon, the No. 1 canteen was still bustling with noise.

The aroma of food, the laughter of students, and the clinking of tableware intertwined to create a vibrant background soundscape.

However, beneath this seemingly ordinary bustling scene, everyone's gaze, like invisible probes, was focused on the same figure—Sakamoto.

He carried a tray containing the most basic and affordable meal in the cafeteria: a bowl of white rice, a small dish of stir-fried vegetables, and a bowl of miso soup.

Just like his choice of items from the free section of the convenience store yesterday, this simple choice stands out under the spotlight of the elite students in Class A.

Sakamoto's gaze calmly swept across the slightly crowded dining area, searching for an empty seat.

His steps were steady and fluid, his posture composed, as if he were carrying not a cheap lunch, but a delicate tea and snacks.

In a corner of the cafeteria, Horikita Suzune sat alone at a small table.

A simple meal was laid out before her, her back straight as a ruler, her cool eyes lowered, as if separated from the surrounding noise by an invisible ice wall.

The current state of Class D suffocated her; a group of undisciplined and unmotivated students, a far cry from the pinnacle she envisioned her brother Horikita Manabu as the student council president.

Her gaze inadvertently swept across the crowd and happened to catch Sakamoto's figure.

Horikita's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly when he saw his cheap meal.

A student in Class A? So frugal? Thinking back to his inexplicable "umbrella-shaped seat" on the bus on the first day of school and his later behavior at the convenience store, a complex mix of emotions welled up inside her.

His behavior was eccentric, yet he exuded an indescribable sense of composure and control.

He's in Class A, the same class as his older brother.

He must have his reasons for doing this, right?

Horikita pursed her lips, a hint of confusion and barely perceptible self-doubt flashing across her cool face.

She looked away, forcing herself to focus on the food in front of her, but her thoughts were somewhat jumbled.

Not far away, at another table, Long Yuanxiang was irritably poking at the fried chicken pieces on his plate with his chopsticks.

On the second day of school, he had completely seen through the true nature of Class C—a disorganized mess, lacking any cohesion and a real leader.

Those so-called "elites" in the front row? They're nothing but bookworms with achievements but no guts.

Expecting them to lead Class C to survival or even advancement in this school? That's a joke!

His sinister gaze swept over the first-year students in the cafeteria, who were wearing brand-new burgundy school uniforms, and finally landed on Sakamoto.

That guy with the black-rimmed glasses and calm expression... Longyuan remembers him.

Yesterday, it was this Sakamoto who, like a peacock surveying its territory, stood outside the C class window observing, and the almost cold scrutiny in his eyes made him extremely uncomfortable.

I found out, they're in Class A? Hmph, so pretentious! Putting on this superior attitude from the very beginning of the semester, it's infuriating!

At that moment, Sakamoto was carrying a tray and heading straight for an empty table diagonally behind Ryuen.

A cold, sinister smile curled at the corner of Long Yuan's mouth.

The opportunity is here.

He put down his chopsticks, leaned back slightly, and casually placed his right hand on the back of the chair, but his fingertips subtly hooked the support leg behind his chair—which was exactly the inside of the front leg of the chair where Sakamoto was about to sit.

"Heh... let me show you what the floor tastes like."

Long Yuan sneered inwardly, a hint of violent pleasure flashing in his eyes.

He planned to suddenly hook the chair back just as Sakamoto's buttocks were about to touch the seat!

In such a completely unprepared situation, anyone could fall to the ground in a sorry state and embarrass themselves in public!

He wanted to see if this "elegant gentleman" from Class A could maintain his damn composure when he fell flat on his face in front of everyone!

From the best vantage point, Nagumo Masayuki's eyes, like precise radar, had already taken in every move Sakamoto made.

He naturally noticed the cheap set meal on Sakamoto's plate, and the subtle hook of Ryuen's finger and the malice that flashed in his eyes as he walked toward the empty seat.

"Ah……"

Nan Yunya chuckled softly, picked up her water glass, took a sip, and her eyes were full of amusement.

"He's up to his old tricks. Looks like his behavior has angered the troublemaker."

He didn't intend to stop it; on the contrary, he was quite interested.

He wanted to see how Sakamoto, whom he considered a potential rival, would respond to such a low but direct provocation.

Will it be a humiliating blunder, exposing the vulnerability of its "elegance"? Or... will it reveal a more hidden side?

Sakamoto walked to an empty table and gently placed the plate on it. His movements were fluid and natural, without the slightest pause.

He turned slightly to the side, preparing to sit down.

Just as his buttocks were about to hit the chair!

A fierce glint flashed in Long Yuan's eyes, and he suddenly pulled back with a sharp force, his fingers hooked around the chair leg!

"Whoosh—!"

The chair scraped against the ground, making a screeching sound, and was instantly pulled back half a foot!

Logically, Sakamoto should have fallen backward and slumped to the ground in a sorry state due to losing his balance, knocking over his plate and drawing laughter.

however--

Time seemed to freeze at that moment!

Sakamoto's body suddenly froze, his buttocks still several centimeters away from the seat where they should have been!

He didn't fall! He didn't stumble! He didn't even flinch!

His thigh muscles tensed instantly like the most precise springs, his knees bent at an extremely clever angle, and his ankles, with incredible stability and strength, firmly pressed against the ground!

In the blink of an eye, the center of gravity of the entire body was adjusted, controlled, and frozen into a suspended state!

He maintained the posture of "about to sit down," his buttocks suspended in the air, his upper body still straight as a pine tree, his hands hanging naturally at his sides, and his gaze behind his black-rimmed glasses calm and unwavering, as if he had just paused a perfectly natural action rather than having just walked through the gates of hell!

The entire cafeteria fell into a deathly silence instantly!

All the students who witnessed this scene were stunned, as if they had been frozen in place!

The chopsticks in his hand were suspended in mid-air, his mouth was open and he forgot to close it, and the laughter came to an abrupt halt!

Countless gazes, like spotlights, were fixed on the figure sitting suspended in mid-air!

Om-!

After a brief silence, there was an uproar like a volcanic eruption!

"Holy crap!!!"

"He...he stopped?!"

"Suspended in mid-air?! How is that possible?!"

"My God! How did he do that?!"

"A movie shoot?! Special effects?!"

"Anti-gravity?!"

Exclamations and incredulous chatter instantly swept through the entire cafeteria like a tidal wave!

Everyone was completely shocked by this illogical and unbelievable scene!

Horikita Suzune suddenly raised her head, her cool eyes widening instantly!

She had just noticed Ryuen's little actions, and even subconsciously tightened her grip on her chopsticks, her lips slightly parted, almost blurting out a reminder to Sakamoto!

However, before the warning could even be uttered, it was abruptly cut off by the shocking scene before their eyes!

As she looked at the figure hovering in mid-air, still composed and upright, her heart began to pound uncontrollably!

Embarrassing? No, what surged into her heart at that moment was an even stronger shock and a palpitation that she herself was unaware of!

He... he actually defused it in this way?! What terrifying physical control and reaction speed that requires?!

She pursed her lips tightly, her fingertips turning slightly white from the pressure, and her gaze towards Sakamoto was indescribably complex.

Long Yuan's sinister smile froze completely, then turned into disbelief and... rage at being fooled!

He stared wide-eyed at Sakamoto, who was suspended in mid-air as if sitting in a transparent chair, his mind completely blank!

What the hell is going on?!

This was actually resolved so easily by the other party in a way that was completely beyond his comprehension!

He could even feel the surprised and subtly mocking gazes directed at him from all around!

He stood up abruptly, the chair legs scraping against the ground with a piercing noise. His sinister eyes were fixed on Sakamoto, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white!

Nan Yunya's hand, holding the water glass, froze in mid-air. Her playful amusement was instantly replaced by intense astonishment and the subsequent, irrepressible excitement!

The smile on his face froze for a moment, then spread out like a stone thrown into a lake, turning into a delighted smile of having met his match!

"pretty!!"

He couldn't help but cheer softly, his voice tinged with barely suppressed excitement.

"It's so beautiful!!"

This is by no means a pathetic retreat, but the most powerful, elegant, and impactful counterattack!

With absolute strength and control, the opponent's malicious traps can be instantly transformed into a stage to showcase one's extraordinary abilities!

This composure under pressure, this extraordinary body control, this calm demeanor that turned a crisis into a personal showcase…

"Hahaha……"

Nan Yunya finally couldn't help but laugh out loud. He put down his water glass, leaned forward slightly, and stared intently at Sakamoto. The fighting spirit in his eyes burned fiercely like a ignited flame.

Sakamoto, at the eye of the storm, seemed oblivious to the gasps and discussions around him, Ryuen's rage, Nagumo's eagerness, and Horikita's complex emotions.

His suspended body, as if suspended by invisible threads, was so stable it was unsettling.

A few seconds later, as if he had simply adjusted his posture, his suspended buttocks sank down very naturally and smoothly, landing steadily on... the chair that Long Yuan had pulled out.

The moment he sat down, he even slightly adjusted the position of his plate, his movements as natural as if the astonishing scene of him suspending himself in mid-air had never happened.

Then, he picked up his chopsticks, took a small amount of stir-fried vegetables, calmly put them into his mouth, and began to enjoy his lunch.

It was as if the surrounding raging waves were nothing more than a gentle breeze brushing past one's ears.

The hustle and bustle of the cafeteria seemed to be paused the moment Sakamoto sat down to eat.

All that remained were the subtle sounds of him calmly chewing, and countless gazes still fixed on him, filled with awe and inquiry.

The chair that had been pulled out became the most ironic witness to this silent confrontation.

Long Yuan stood to the side, his face ashen, as if he had been nailed to a pillar of shame.

First Year Enrollment: Chapter 012: Ryuen and Sakamoto

"Tsk!"

Long Yuan clicked his tongue in extreme displeasure, his cold eyes glaring at the A-class figure who was calmly eating.

The humiliation gnawed at his nerves like a venomous snake.

Without saying a word, he turned and strode towards the cafeteria exit, his back view carrying an uncontrollable rage and a desperate urge to escape.

Just as he stepped out of the cafeteria, the afternoon sun shone brightly on him, and his shadow was about to disappear into the corridor's shadow—

A tall figure appeared like a ghost, silently and precisely a half-step away from him, blocking his path.

It's Sakamoto.