Of course, even if Shinomiya Kaguya did have a smartphone and was selected as a Player, her castle-like mansion was full of watchful eyes monitoring her movements. Being selected as a Player in such an environment would be a Hell-difficulty start.
As the students began to leave one by one, Shinomiya Kaguya was about to get up and leave when she noticed a male student standing next to the back door of the classroom.
He was holding a water cup that was wide open, with no lid on it.
The male student's actions were abnormal; he was just standing by the back door, seemingly waiting for someone to come out.
"I see..."
Shinomiya Kaguya glanced at Utsunomiya Asagiri, who had already picked up his satchel and was preparing to leave the classroom. She immediately understood that someone was planning to teach this arrogant Mix-in student a lesson.
To be honest, Shinomiya Kaguya didn't originally want to get involved in such matters, but...
Utsunomiya Asagiri was the person who had defeated her in the entrance exam.
Shinomiya Kaguya didn't want him to drop out due to bullying before the spring exams arrived. If that happened, she wouldn't have the chance to redeem herself, would she?
With that thought, Shinomiya Kaguya made a decision. She intended to preemptively step out to prevent Asagiri from being "accidentally" splashed with water.
What Shinomiya Kaguya didn't anticipate was that the moment she stood up, before she could even walk toward the back door, Asagiri suddenly quickened his pace, as if he were in a hurry to leave.
The boy standing by the back door saw Asagiri coming out. Timing his move perfectly, he also pretended to walk forward with his head down, waiting to bump into Asagiri and then, pretending it was an accident, splash all the water in the cup onto him.
"Bang."
A dull thud sounded, but the scenario Shinomiya Kaguya had envisioned did not happen.
When Asagiri collided with the male student, the student let out a cry of pain and was instantly knocked backward. Asagiri, looking surprised, made a move as if trying to reach out and steady him. Coincidentally, he grabbed the wrist of the hand holding the water cup, then redirected it, using the student's own hand to splash all the water in the cup onto the student himself.
Then, Asagiri immediately let go of the male student's wrist, watching him lose his balance and crash onto the floor, completely drenched from head to toe. Asagiri spoke with a tone of solemn guidance:
"Oh dear, my friend, you really must be more careful! Why aren't you looking where you're going? And you didn't even tighten the lid on your cup! Luckily, you only bumped into me. If you had bumped into someone else and spilled water on them, you'd have to apologize. Now you don't have to apologize. Why aren't you thanking me?"
Hearing this, even the emotionally reserved Shinomiya Kaguya almost couldn't hold back a laugh.
She had clearly seen that before leaving the classroom, Asagiri had deliberately adopted a low-crouched, ready-to-spring posture, like a sprinter at the starting line. It was obviously intentional. How else could he have knocked a grown boy straight onto the floor?
And the water in the cup was clearly meant to be spilled onto the student.
It seemed Asagiri had spotted the trap long ago and simply turned the tables on his opponent.
However... this wasn't something that could be done just by spotting it.
The agility and reflexes Asagiri displayed in that split second surprised even Shinomiya Kaguya.
To think there's such a formidable person in this freshman class...
"You... you..."
"Not even a 'thank you'?"
Seeing the male student gritting his teeth in fury and exasperation, Asagiri smiled. He took two steps closer and spoke softly.
"Truly lacking in manners."
"Utsunomiya-kun."
Just then, Ashikaga Miwa, the A Class homeroom teacher, walked over.
She first glanced at the student sitting on the floor—who was from another class—then looked at Asagiri. Her voice was devoid of any emotion, merely a flat statement.
"Come to the faculty office with me."
"Understood."
Asagiri nodded casually and followed Ashikaga Miwa toward the end of the corridor, leaving behind the students watching the spectacle and the embarrassed male student who had tried to catch a chicken but ended up losing the rice he'd brought to bait it.
"That despicable guy... next time, next time I'll definitely..."
"I advise you against such thoughts."
Hearing this, the male student, whose public humiliation had left him utterly furious, was about to raise his head to retort when he saw a pair of emotionless red eyes staring down at him.
"Shino... Shinomiya-san..."
"I don't care about your petty reasons, like your 'Pure-System student' pride, or whatever other nonsense. However, this is my classroom. Do not do anything that will affect me. Do you understand?"
"I... I understand."
Among all the students at Shuchiin Academy, Shinomiya Kaguya, as the eldest daughter of the Shinomiya family, was at the very pinnacle of the student hierarchy. Furthermore, the current Chairman of Shuchiin's board was Shinomiya Ōkō, the head of the Shinomiya Group.
"Good. It's good that you understand."
Shinomiya Kaguya smiled faintly, nodded, and then walked alone toward the end of the corridor.
She touched the smartphone in her pocket. A hint of complexity flickered in her beautiful red eyes, and she murmured in an almost inaudible voice:
"I don't have the time to deal with such boring matters right now..."
On the other side, as Asagiri followed Ashikaga Miwa, he bumped into Yūki Asuna, who had just come out of the B Class classroom looking for him.
Seeing him walking with a teacher, Yūki Asuna paused, asking tentatively.
"Utsunomiya-kun... um, is now a good time?"
"It's fine. Ashikaga-sensei wants to talk to me about something."
Asagiri first replied with a smile, then looked at Ashikaga Miwa.
"Ashikaga-sensei, this is someone I know. Is it okay for her to come to the office with us?"
Ashikaga Miwa said blandly, "Mhm. Do as you wish."
"Alright, Yūki-chan, come along with us then."
Yūki Asuna was somewhat bewildered. She just wanted to talk to Asagiri about the instance, yet suddenly, he was asking her to accompany him to the faculty office for what she presumed would be a reprimand?
And why a reprimand?
During the break, Yūki Asuna had already heard the gossip. Just in one morning, the entire Shuchiin Academy high school division, and even the junior high division, knew that there was a freshman in A Class who, despite being very handsome, was extremely aggressive and excelled at playing the kazoo.
Becoming famous on the very first day of school! Yūki Asuna was impressed, but she was more interested in the other piece of information.
Asagiri is a Mix-in student who entered today, just like her?
A Mix-in student getting into A Class... that truly was astonishing.
After following Ashikaga Miwa into the office, Yūki Asuna found that it wasn't the kind of office she had imagined—with many desks pushed together and shared by several teachers. Instead, it was a room furnished with black leather sofas and a solid wood desk, resembling the office of a CEO in a large company more than a faculty office.
It seems Ashikaga-sensei is also quite formidable... to have such a large office all to herself...
While Yūki Asuna was thinking this, Ashikaga Miwa had already settled behind the large desk and pointed to the spacious black leather sofa.
"Have a seat. Would you like something to drink? Black tea, coffee, or a soft drink?"
Asagiri waved his hand and sat down carelessly on the sofa, showing no formality toward Ashikaga Miwa.
"I don't need anything. I have things to do soon, so I hope we can be quick and not waste my time."