The Chairman's Office of Advanced Nurturing High School was situated on the top floor of the administration building, far removed from the hustle and bustle of student life. The room was draped in silence, carrying the scent of aged mahogany and expensive herbal tea.
Behind his massive desk, Chairman Sakayanagi—father of Sakayanagi Arisu—rubbed his temples. Spread out before him were four thick dossiers containing the data of the first-year students.
"This year..." he muttered softly, his voice echoing gently off the room's walls. "It's truly beyond reason."
As the Chairman, he had seen thousands of students come and go. Usually, their patterns were entirely predictable. Class A dominated, Class B trailed closely behind, Class C caused trouble, and Class D crumbled in their first month due to their ignorance of the S-System.
But the May report that had just arrived on his tablet shattered every historical precedent of the school.
Three classes with over 900 points. Only one class had fallen.
Chairman Sakayanagi's hand reached for the first dossier. A photograph of a beautiful girl with long black hair (in an older photo) stared back at him coldly.
[Name: Horikita Suzune] [Previous Middle School: Yabu Middle School] [Counseling Notes: Academically and physically perfect. Traits: Antisocial, refuses teamwork, highly arrogant. Potential Evaluation: D (Defective).]
"This report states she is incapable of leading," Chairman Sakayanagi murmured. He tapped his tablet's screen, playing back the CCTV footage of Class 1-D (now 1-C) from the past month.
On the screen, he saw the exact same girl—now sporting short hair—calmly discussing matters with her classmates. She wasn't isolating herself. She was directing. She was negotiating. She was uniting a class filled with ticking time bombs like Sudou Ken and Kouenji Rokusuke.
"Is her middle school information outdated? Or did she evolve in just one month?"
Chairman Sakayanagi's eyes shifted to another file.
[Name: Ichinose Honami] [Notes: Former Middle School Student Council President. High charisma. Academics: A. Clean disciplinary record.]
She should have been placed in Class A from the very beginning, he thought. A score of 985 points. That's a terrifying number. It means there were practically zero infractions. What kind of leadership is this girl exercising?
However, what troubled Chairman Sakayanagi's mind the most wasn't Suzune or Ichinose. It was a single, thin file tucked away amidst the pile.
[Name: Koroizumi Seiji] [Notes: Orphan. Frequently skipped class during middle school (40% attendance rate). Entrance Exam Score: 100 in all subjects. Psychological Test: Inconclusive.]
Chairman Sakayanagi pulled up a specific CCTV recording. The 1st-floor hallway camera.
On the screen, Koroizumi Seiji was seen taking a leisurely stroll. Suddenly, the young man stopped. He looked up, staring dead straight into the lens of the hidden CCTV camera in the corner of the ceiling.
Then, he smiled.
And waved his hand.
Chairman Sakayanagi's blood ran cold. It wasn't a coincidence. The boy knew he was being watched. He knew there was someone behind that lens.
"He's greeting me," Chairman Sakayanagi whispered in disbelief. "A new student, greeting the Chairman through a surveillance camera?"
Just who is this kid?
He reviewed the roster of this year's "monster generation." Sakayanagi Arisu, the natural-born genius and his own biological daughter. Ichinose Honami, the flawless charismatic leader. Ryuen Kakeru, a tyrant who wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty. Horikita Suzune, the awakened younger sister of the Student Council President. Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, the hidden masterpiece of the White Room. And Koroizumi Seiji, a mysterious entity who seemed to be playing a game with this very school.
Chairman Sakayanagi leaned back in his leather chair, a faint smile etching itself onto his middle-aged face.
"Boring? No," he corrected his initial thoughts upon welcoming this batch. "This school is going to become very, very lively."
.............
That afternoon, the school's PA system chimed with a distinct tune—a melody rarely heard unless for emergency announcements or special summons.
"Calling for the representatives of Class 1-A, Class 1-B, and Class 1-C. Please report to the Student Council Room immediately. Repeating, representatives of Class 1-A, 1-B, and 1-C."
In three different classrooms, three (or four) leaders stood up.
In Class 1-A (formerly B), Ichinose Honami smiled at her classmates. "I'll be going for a bit." In Class 1-B (formerly A), Sakayanagi Arisu chuckled softly, gesturing for Katsuragi to walk with her. In Class 1-C (formerly D), Horikita Suzune closed her book. She exchanged a brief glance with Seiji. Seiji simply gave a slow nod.
"Go. Your brother is waiting," Seiji whispered.
Suzune nodded firmly, then stepped out.
The hallway leading to the Student Council Room felt longer than usual. The polished floor reflected the silhouettes of the chosen students.
In front of the massive teak wood doors carved with the school crest, they met.
"My, what a coincidence," Sakayanagi Arisu greeted. Wearing her trademark beret, she smiled—sweetly yet sharply. Beside her, Katsuragi Kohei stood tall with a grave expression. "Congratulations on the promotion, Ichinose-san. And to you as well... Horikita-san."
"Thank you, Sakayanagi-san," Ichinose replied amicably, though her aura was no less dominant. "You all maintained a high score as well."
Suzune merely gave a curt nod. "Save the pleasantries. We weren't summoned here to drink tea."
"So cold," Sakayanagi commented. "Very well, let us meet 'The Student Council President'."
Katsuragi knocked on the door.
"Enter."
The voice from within the room sounded absolute.
They opened the door and stepped into the legendary Student Council Room. The room was spacious, dominated by towering bookshelves and a massive mahogany desk at the far end.
Behind that desk sat Horikita Manabu.
The Student Council President wasn't working. He sat upright, his hands clasped on the desk, his eyes glaring sharply at the newcomers. Beside him stood Tachibana Akane, the Student Council Secretary, holding a tablet with a slightly nervous expression.
"Welcome," Manabu said. His voice was calm, yet carried a weight that made the air in the room feel heavy.
Three classes. Four representatives. Ichinose Honami (Class A - 985 Points). Sakayanagi Arisu & Katsuragi Kohei (Class B - 946 Points). Horikita Suzune (Class C - 910 Points).
Manabu let the silence hang for ten seconds, allowing the pressure to sink in.
"I summoned you all here for one reason," Manabu finally spoke. "Throughout the history of Advanced Nurturing High School, there has never been an instance where three first-year classes maintained over 900 points after the first month's evaluation."
Manabu's eyes glinted behind his glasses.
"Usually, May is a month of slaughter. Classes plummet, points vanish in smoke, and despair sets in. But your cohort..." Manabu cast a fleeting glance at his sister before turning to the rest. "...you held your ground. You defied the current."
"That's high praise coming from the Student Council President," Sakayanagi remarked with a smile. "But were we summoned merely to be congratulated?"
"No," Manabu replied. "I want to ask. How deeply do you all understand the S-System?"
It was an oral exam.
Ichinose politely raised her hand. "The S-System is a reflection of a meritocratic society. This school doesn't just grade academics, but also social skills, crisis management, and group cohesion. We in Class A (formerly B) focused on creating collective value. We believe that trust is the most stable currency."
Manabu gave a slight nod. "Idealistic. But effective, for now."
He shifted to the Class B delegation.
"Stability and defense," Katsuragi answered rigidly. "We minimized risks."
"And a bit of entertainment," Sakayanagi added. "We know the system is flawed, so we play within its loopholes. But we let our guard down a little last month. It won't happen again."
Finally, Manabu's gaze fell upon Suzune.
"And you, Horikita?" Manabu asked. He didn't call her 'Suzune'. In this room, they were the Student Council President and a Class Representative.
Suzune took a deep breath. She wasn't trembling. She looked her brother straight in the eye.
"The S-System is a jungle," Suzune answered firmly. "The strong survive, the weak are devoured. Our class started off as 'defective products'. We realized that in order to survive, we couldn't play completely clean. We had to adapt, be frugal, and occasionally... use our enemies' fears as weapons."
Manabu stared at his sister for a long moment. That answer... that wasn't the answer of the Suzune he used to know. The old Suzune would have only babbled about "individual effort" and "academic value." This answer about adaptation and pragmatism... this was new.
"A jungle," Manabu repeated quietly. "An apt analogy."
Manabu stood up.
"Maintain your positions. Starting next month, the school will no longer be lenient. The special exams will commence. If you think 900 points is safe, you are dead wrong."
He waved a hand dismissively. "You are dismissed. Except for Horikita from Class C."
The meeting was over.
Katsuragi and Sakayanagi walked out first. Sakayanagi managed to shoot Suzune a meaningful glance before the door closed.
Ichinose Honami was still standing in the doorway. She looked at Suzune, who remained silent in front of her brother's desk.
"Horikita-san," Ichinose called out.
Suzune turned her head. "Yes, Ichinose-san?"
Ichinose smiled. Her smile was friendly, but her blue eyes betrayed a deep curiosity.
"I just wanted to ask one thing," Ichinose said. "How is Koroizumi-kun doing?"
Suzune's body tensed instantly.
It was an unexpected question. Suzune knew Seiji was her class's secret asset. Why would the leader of Class A—her biggest rival—ask about an "ordinary," inconspicuous student?
"Koroizumi?" Suzune repeated, putting on a poker face. "He's just an ordinary classmate. Why do you ask?"
Ichinose chuckled softly. "Ah, is that so? An 'ordinary classmate'. Alright, send him my regards. Tell him that... I still remember his 'business scheme' quite fondly."
After leaving that cryptic message, Ichinose waved and exited the room, leaving Suzune filled with questions and wariness.
Ichinose knows Koroizumi? A business scheme? What is their relationship? Suzune thought to herself. Koroizumi... just how many secrets are you keeping?
The door clicked shut. Tachibana, an observant secretary, had also quietly excused herself through a side door, leaving the siblings alone in a suffocating silence.
Horikita Manabu walked around his desk and leaned against the edge of it. The distance between them was only a few meters, but it felt like a chasm that had just been bridged.
"Your hair," Manabu noted. It was the first personal sentence he had spoken to her at this school.
Suzune reflexively touched the tips of her bob cut. "Does it look... weird?"
"No," Manabu replied. "It's more practical."
That brief response made Suzune's heart leap. Coming from Manabu, "more practical" was the highest form of praise. It meant "better."
"You made it into Class C," Manabu said. "Rising from Class D in just one month. That is a feat no one has ever achieved. Not even me."
Suzune looked up in surprise. "Not even Nii-san?"
"I was placed in Class A from the very beginning. I have never experienced the struggle of crawling up from the bottom," Manabu admitted honestly. "What you did... it proves something."
Manabu stared into his sister's eyes. He searched for traces of fear, the remnants of the dependency that used to always linger there. But he found nothing. All that remained was the quiet fire of determination.
"Suzune," Manabu called out.
"Yes, Nii-san."
"What is your goal now?"
Suzune clenched her fists beside her skirt.
"Before," Suzune said, her voice trembling slightly with emotion but remaining strong, "my goal was to become like you. To chase after you. To become your shadow."
She took one step forward.
"But not anymore. I am not here to become 'the second Horikita Manabu'. I am here to be Horikita Suzune. I will lead my class, in my own way, alongside my friends."
She glared fiercely at her brother.
"I will reach Class A. And when I get there... I won't be standing behind your back. I will stand before you. As an equal opponent."
Silence.
The room was so quiet that the ticking of the wall clock sounded like a sledgehammer.
Slowly, very slowly, the expression on Manabu's face shifted. The corners of his lips quirked upward. It wasn't a cynical smirk. It wasn't a condescending sneer.
It was a proud smile.
"An equal opponent," Manabu repeated. He adjusted his glasses to hide the flash of emotion in his eyes. "Big words."
He returned to his office chair, picking up a new document.
"Prove it," Manabu challenged, slipping back into his cold, professional tone, though Suzune could feel the warmth behind his words. "Nagumo Miyabi is making his move in the second year. This school will turn into a battlefield more ruthless than ever before. If you let your guard down for even a second, you will be crushed."
"I won't be crushed," Suzune replied. "Because I am not alone."
The figures of Seiji, Kushida, Hirata, Kei, and even Sudou flashed through her mind.
"Go," Manabu ordered. "Do not disappoint me."
"Understood, Student Council President."
Suzune bowed respectfully, then turned and walked toward the door. Her steps were light. The burden that had crushed her chest for years—the burden of wanting her brother's acknowledgment—had lifted, replaced by a much healthier motivation.
As the door shut, Horikita Manabu let out a long sigh. He stared up at the ceiling.
"She grew up," he whispered to the empty room. "Finally... she grew up."
Suzune walked out of the administration building. The sky was already starting to darken.
In the distance, she spotted a figure waiting for her beneath a cherry blossom tree that had already shed its petals.
Seiji Koroizumi was leaning against the tree trunk, reading a pocket paperback while munching on melon bread.
"Took you long enough," Seiji remarked as he saw Suzune approaching. "Get chewed out again?"
"No," Suzune answered. A faint smile graced her face—a truly genuine one. "Just... data synchronization."
Seiji snapped his book shut. He noticed the shift in Suzune's aura. Lighter. Sharper.
"That's good," Seiji said. "Because we need to talk."
"About what?"
"About Ichinose Honami," Suzune said sharply, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "She sent her regards. And she mentioned a 'business scheme'. Explain yourself, Koroizumi. Since when do you know the leader of our enemy?"
Seiji laughed awkwardly, scratching his cheek. "Ah... that's an old story. A tale of my embarrassing past."
"I have all night," Suzune pressed. "Tell me. I despise having unknown variables in my strategy."
"Alright, alright, Miss Leader," Seiji surrendered, raising both hands in defeat. "Can we talk while walking back? I'm starving."
The two of them walked side-by-side toward the dormitories under the newly lit streetlamps.
Behind them, the shadow of the school building loomed tall like a sleeping giant. Inside, Chairman Sakayanagi was plotting his moves, Horikita Manabu was preparing his legacy, and Nagumo Miyabi was sharpening his fangs.
The first act—the orientation month—had concluded in a resounding victory. But the second act—the true inter-class war—was only just beginning.
End of Arc 1: Ranking Coup
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