Volume 3 Chapter 1

Volume 3 + Chapter 1: Opening Ceremony

In the blink of an eye, summer vacation came to an end, and September had arrived. Today marked the first day of school at Sakura Academy. The campus was filled with many new faces, fresh first-year high school students who had just enrolled.

“Hurry up! Stop staring at the pretty upperclassmen, or we’ll miss the opening ceremony!” A few freshmen shouted as they pushed one another and ran toward the auditorium.

By now, the auditorium was already packed with first- and second-year students. Third-year students, burdened with heavy academic pressure, were exempt from attending the opening ceremony.

“Welcome, new students, to Sakura International School…” Once everyone had gathered, the principal began his address to the incoming class.

As with most formal speeches, it soon became dull and tedious. After just over ten minutes, the students’ attention began to drift.

“Hey, have you heard?” a few freshmen whispered among themselves in the formation.

“Heard what?”

“I heard that this year’s second-years, our immediate seniors, are said to be the strongest class since Sakura Academy was founded!”

“The strongest ever? Isn’t that a bit exaggerated?”

“That’s what my sister told me, she’s a third-year student now. She said that last year, this second-year class completely crushed all the other top high schools in Xijiang City in the regional joint exams. Even their club performances dominated the entire region. Some of their clubs even ranked among the very best nationwide!”

“Seriously? That sounds like a stretch…” others nearby asked, half-believing, half-doubting.

“I think it’s true. A senior from my middle school is now in Xijiang City’s No. 1 High School, that’s a top-tier school with elite classes, and yet their average scores still can’t compare to even the lowest-ranked students at Sakura Academy.”

“What about their clubs? Are they really as incredible as the rumors say?”

“That, I’m not sure.”

“But I’ve heard there’s even an active idol among the second-years.”

“No way!?”

“It’s Ning Caiwei.”

“What? Her? She’s already pretty well-known among students, my little sister is a fan of hers! And she studies here too?”

“It looks like our seniors are all monsters…” The freshmen couldn’t help but cast awed gazes toward the second-year formation.

“Even just the top scholars, national champions, and a current idol are already terrifying enough, but above all these ‘monsters’ stand two people. They are the true pinnacle of Sakura Academy, the real rulers of this school.”

“You mean those two? The ones who set multiple school records in their very first year…” At the mention of Sakura Academy’s peak, the freshmen seemed to understand immediately, they had all heard rumors about them.

“Exactly. I don’t even need to say their names, do I…?”

At that moment, all eyes shifted toward the stage, just as the principal finished his speech.

“Next, we will have an outstanding student representative deliver a speech to the freshmen! First, please welcome the student council president.”

As soon as the faculty advisor finished speaking, the previously drowsy students snapped to attention, their eyes fixed intently on the stage.

“Hey! That legendary senior is about to appear!”

“Yeah, the one who consistently ranks first with near-perfect scores, excels in all sports, and even became student council president in his first year!”

“They say he single-handedly defeated the entire previous student council. And most importantly, he’s the son of the head of the Bai family, the family that effectively controls Xijiang City!”

“Look, he’s here!”

All eyes converged on a black-haired boy with a small ponytail, his features striking and refined. His porcelain-like skin contrasted with his deep, jet-black eyes, which gleamed with sharp intensity.

Hearing the murmurs below, Bai Yuxuan frowned slightly and swept his gaze across the freshmen. Those who met his eyes felt an almost suffocating pressure, and the entire hall instantly fell silent.

(Can such an overwhelming presence really come from someone only a year older than us? No wonder he became student council president as a freshman…) many freshmen marveled inwardly.

“Wow… so that’s Senior Bai Yuxuan? After seeing him, I don’t even feel like looking at those Korean or Japanese idol groups anymore.”

“Yeah… that cold yet domineering aura is so captivating!” some girls whispered dreamily as she began her speech.

“Damn it… he’s perfect in every way, and even his looks are incredible. Do we even stand a chance?” some first-year boys muttered gloomily, watching the girls around them swoon.

“I’d advise you not to set your sights on Senior Yuxuan,” a girl wearing a pink headband sneered.

“What do you mean?” the other girls asked, slightly annoyed.

“Senior Yuxuan is famously cold. In his first semester alone, he received countless confessions, but he rejected every single one. And he was brutally direct about it. I heard that for an entire month, there were girls crying outside his classroom. After that, no one dared to confess to him anymore.”

“I-is that so…” the other girls said, beads of cold sweat forming on their faces.

“Not only does he come from a prestigious family, but he’s also extremely disciplined. You can imagine how high his standards are for a partner. So before you even think about getting close to him, you’d better weigh your own worth.”

After she said this, most of the girls looked disappointed, though a few still seemed unwilling to give up, their expressions filled with determination.

“That’s all I have to say. I hope that after coming to Sakura, you will never forget your identity as elites. In this society, only the strong will hold power, and Sakura Academy is no exception!”

After finishing her speech, Bai Yuxuan cast another commanding glance across the crowd, then bowed and stepped down from the stage to a round of applause.

“Next, we invite our second outstanding student representative to address the freshmen.”

As the advisor spoke, a buzz of excitement once again spread through the audience.

“This next one stands on equal footing with Bai Yuxuan, another figure at the very top of Sakura Academy!”

“Yeah, and her reputation might be even more incredible. On her very first day after transferring here, she swept through all of Sakura Academy’s performance clubs. Within a month, she filled the long-vacant position of school beauty, which had been empty for two years. Her academic performance rivals Bai Yuxuan’s, she even tied with him for first place once!”

“She’s that strong?”

“If you think that’s all, you’re underestimating her. You know why even the active idol ranks below her? Because Ning Caiwei once competed with her in a talent contest, and guess what? The idol was completely defeated!”

“No way!”

“Why do you think Sakura Academy’s club achievements are so outstanding? Last year, three clubs made it to national competitions solely because of her. She even became the first person in Sakura Academy’s history to serve as president of three clubs at once. And above all, what people praise most… is her beauty, like that of a celestial being.”

At that moment, a blonde girl stepped onto the stage. The instant her face was revealed, the entire hall fell into stunned silence.

[https://ko-fi.com/golden_dragon]