(PS: The picture is Ichinose Honami)
"Nice to meet you. I'm Tenyo Yuyuki from First Year D Class."
"I'm Ichinose Honami from Year 1 B Class. It's nice to meet you!"
The two introduced themselves on the steps. Faced with the sudden approach, Ichinose showed no displeasure. On the contrary, she smiled warmly, giving off an easy, natural friendliness.
After the entrance exams ended, someone had visited the Tenyo family and spoken with him.
In the end, they had assigned Tenyo Yuyuki to D Class.
Having read the Original Work, Tenyo Yuyuki knew perfectly well that D Class's students were all "defective goods."
But he didn't care. He could live his life however he chose; why should he need anyone else's judgment?
The Tenyo family's influence was strong enough to affect national policy to some extent. Tenyo Yuyuki cared even less about the opinion of a school.
Hearing Ichinose introduce herself, Tenyo Yuyuki felt a little disappointed. "I didn't expect my first friend to be from another class. What a shame."
"How could that be? Whether we're in the same class or not, it doesn't change what kind of friends we are. Don't you think so, Tenyo?" Despite his rude remark, Ichinose still responded with a smile.
"Of course. I'm happy to be friends with someone like you, Ichinose!"
They walked side by side with their schoolbags, admiring the campus scenery and chatting and laughing like a couple.
Tenyo Yuyuki's somewhat "overly familiar" and "self-centered" words didn't bother Ichinose.
If he'd said that to someone else he'd just met, they would surely have thought, "We just met. Who says we're friends?" or "What a load of rubbish. Who do you think you are? I'm the one who should be disappointed!"
But kind and tolerant Little Angel Ichinose wouldn't think that way. At the same time, she would remember that they were the first friends each other had made at this school.
However, overly familiar people were often labeled "shallow," and that didn't fit with his intentions.
Tenyo Yuyuki was constantly shaping the impression others had of him.
Whether he could shake off the shallow label depended on what he said next.
"By the way, Ichinose, what were you looking at by the school gate just now? Was it something interesting?"
The abrupt change of subject caught Ichinose off guard for a moment, but she quickly understood what Tenyo Yuyuki meant.
"Oh, that."
Ichinose smiled apologetically. "I was just a little curious. I didn't think maids still existed these days. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Tenyo."
Tenyo Yuyuki seemed relieved. "Not at all. It's just that, because of my family circumstances, I've only ever studied at home. This is my first time going to school. I thought maybe there was something wrong with me. The maid is part of my family circumstances, too, so you don't need to worry about it."
"Are you from high society?"
Ichinose looked surprised, tilting her head in a way that seemed rather cute.
She also thought she understood why Tenyo Yuyuki had approached her. She had simply been chosen by chance; she looked like someone who would be easy to talk to.
"Something like that."
Tenyo Yuyuki nodded with a smile, then turned to look at Ichinose. "By the way, why did you choose to come to this school?"
"Well, a lot happened when I was in middle school. Now feels like the right time to start over."
Ichinose clenched her little fists as if trying to encourage herself, looking like a lively, energetic girl. Before Tenyo Yuyuki could say anything, she turned to him again with a smile. "What about you, Tenyo? Why did you come to this school?"
Impressive... Tenyo Yuyuki appraised Ichinose silently.
Ichinose clearly didn't want to say much about it, yet she changed the subject in a way that didn't make the other person uncomfortable. That took excellent social skills.
It might also have had something to do with her own open-mindedness and looks.
But having read the Original Work, Tenyo Yuyuki knew a great deal about Ichinose's past.
She had grown up in a single-parent household, raised by her mother, with a younger sister who was two years below her. But Ichinose had never thought of herself as unfortunate. She had simply studied harder, hoping to ease the family's financial burden with a scholarship.
However...
One day, her young sister had begged for a birthday present for the first time. It was a hair clip that had been popular the year before. Their mother had worked overtime to grant her daughter's birthday wish and had fallen ill from exhaustion.
To get her ten-year-old sister a birthday present, Ichinose had chosen to steal a hair clip.
Her mother had handled things properly, taking the young Ichinose to apologize by prostrating herself. Only then had they been forgiven, and Ichinose had avoided being taken away by the police.
But kind Ichinose had also come to understand the gravity of her crime. She had always thought of herself as a criminal and had never believed herself to be a good person.
Tenyo Yuyuki understood this perfectly.
Even if he wanted to learn more, Ichinose—who was wary of no one—would hesitate for a moment before answering honestly.
He could use that to discover Ichinose's weakness and control her, but that would be a last resort.
Chatting with a confident, kindhearted girl like Ichinose felt very comfortable. Tenyo Yuyuki also wanted to leave her with a pleasant impression of him.
However...
If his lies were exposed, she would think him dishonest and untrustworthy.
With Ichinose's information running through his mind, Tenyo Yuyuki smiled faintly and said:
"I heard this school is dedicated to cultivating well-rounded talent for Sakurajima's future. I'd like to help my family, too, by recruiting some outstanding people."
"Help your family?"
Ichinose looked surprised. "That's amazing, Tenyo!"
A family with a maid must have a very deep foundation.
Ichinose had also guessed Tenyo Yuyuki's background. After all, the Tenmyouin Zaibatsu was extremely famous in Sakurajima. But it wasn't appropriate to pry too deeply into someone's private life when they had just met.
With that kind of family background...
And yet Tenyo Yuyuki was still working so hard, thinking about his family's future at such a young age.
Ichinose also felt a little ashamed of how straightforward Tenyo Yuyuki was.
He had been so frank with her. If she kept hiding things, wouldn't she seem a little hypocritical?
But Ichinose couldn't bring herself to reveal the scars of her past.
Few people could face their own misdeeds willingly. Even kind Little Angel Ichinose couldn't do it. That was also why she had the highest grades in the year but had been assigned to B Class.
They chatted and laughed as they arrived at school. Ichinose waved goodbye with a bright smile. "I'm really glad I ran into you today, Tenyo! I never expected to make a friend like you on the very first day. Well, I'd better get going!"
"Sure. If you have any questions, feel free to come find me, Ichinose. See you next time!"
Tenyo Yuyuki smiled back.
Given their conversation...
Even a polite remark could leave a Deep Impression on Ichinose at the right moment.
Since they'd been told not to bring any personal belongings when they enrolled, the two hadn't exchanged contact information yet.
Tenyo Yuyuki turned and headed for D Class...
Before you continue