Enrollment Day

April flowers were in bloom, marking the day for new students to enroll at Sakurajima.

The upperclassmen had finished their short and pleasant spring break, their faces still carrying a lingering sense of reluctance.

As for the freshmen, they were filled with both anticipation and anxiety regarding their new environment, new peers, and new challenges—emotions that were even more palpable on this bus.

In a window seat in the back, a handsome boy with a smile on his face was yawning, bored as he watched the passing vehicles.

As expected, riding the bus is always so boring...

Suddenly, a woman's voice caught his attention:

"You sitting over there, can't you see that this elderly woman is struggling?"

The source of the voice was at the front of the bus, and her target was a blonde boy sitting directly across from her. Logically speaking, when being sternly criticized by a stranger in full view of everyone, nine out of ten high school students would likely just nod in agreement.

However...

Shintō Katsuya shifted his gaze to the target she had chosen, his brows arching before he shook his head and muttered to himself:

"You really know how to pick them... But is he planning to spend three years playing around at this school too? I hope my peaceful days aren't about to be shattered before they've even begun..."

Clearly, Shintō Katsuya knew the boy.

But since everyone else's attention had been drawn to the scene, no one noticed him talking to himself.

The tall boy in the priority seat had spent the ride either taking out a comb to groom his hair or quietly closing his eyes to rest.

He slowly opened his eyes, cast a brief glance at the old woman's position, then closed them again, lifted his chin, and spoke:

"That's a crazy question, lady."

"Why should I give up my seat to this old woman?"

The boy's answer exceeded everyone's expectations. Not only did he have no intention of giving up his seat, but he was also brazenly stating his reasons.

"The seat you're sitting in is a priority seat; of course you should give it up to the elderly!"

The woman looked like she really wanted the boy to give up his seat for the old woman.

"I truly don't understand. Even if it is a priority seat, the law doesn't state that one must give it up, does it? Whether or not to give up a seat at a time like this should be decided by the current owner of the seat—which is me!"

"Heh, I am a healthy young man, but obviously, standing is more exhausting than sitting. I have no intention of doing such a meaningless thing. Or are you planning to give me a tip?"

The boy's arrogant tone made the woman, who was dressed in office attire, flare up instantly:

"Is... is that the tone you use to speak to your elders?!"

Facing the pressure from an adult, the boy didn't show the slightest sign of backing down; instead, he scoffed:

"Elders... so-called elders refer to those with ability and experience. It is obvious that you and this old woman have lived longer than I have. But as an elder, aren't you just putting on a high-and-mighty attitude?"

The boy's statement clearly broke through her defenses, and after holding back for a long moment, she could only manage to say:

"What did you say?! You—you're a high school student, right? You should listen obediently when an adult is speaking to you!"

Seeing that neither side was willing to yield, the old woman finally couldn't bear it anymore and spoke up to mediate:

"Um, it's alright. Thank you for speaking up for me, but it's fine if I stand for a little while."

"Haha, it seems this old woman is more sensible after all."

The boy laughed twice, then put on his headphones and started listening to music on his own, which infuriated the office worker.

Shintō Katsuya clearly had no intention of meddling, simply because he was a selfish person himself.

Although he had to admit that the guy was prone to sophistry, that was just how Sakurajima society was these days: if you don't look out for yourself, heaven and earth will destroy you.

Just when everyone thought the matter had settled, a sweet female voice interrupted the calm:

"Actually... I think the big sister is right."

The owner of the voice was a girl with an extremely cute appearance. Her uniform proved her identity; like the boy opposite her, she was a freshman about to enroll.

"Oh? A pretty girl this time? It seems my luck with the opposite sex today is really not bad~"

The girl spoke with a tone that was seventy percent pleading and thirty percent pitiful:

"This grandmother really looks like she's in pain. Could I ask you to give up your seat? Perhaps I'm meddling, but I believe this could be considered a contribution to society."

Snap!

The boy snapped his fingers.

"Contribution to society? I see. Giving up a seat to an elderly person does indeed count as a contribution to society. However, unfortunately, I am not interested in contributing to society. I believe that as long as I am satisfied, that is enough. Besides, in such a crowded bus, I may be sitting in a priority seat, but what about those who act as if it's none of their business? If they had a heart that cared for the elderly, they could have given up their seats even if they weren't in priority seats, right?"

His theory sounded arrogant, but no one could deny that it wasn't without logic. However, although she couldn't deal with the boy in front of her, the girl didn't give up.

She gathered her courage and said to the passengers with seats on the bus:

"Everyone, is there anyone willing to give up a seat for this grandmother? Anyone at all, please!"

Shintō Katsuya narrowed his eyes. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would have found it hard to believe that there were still fools in this world who would treat the happiness of others as their own.

However, reality is often cruel.

If anyone had truly wanted to give up their seat, they probably would have stood up on their own long ago, right?

As Shintō Katsuya sized up the others, he also noticed that someone seemed to be observing him.

He hurriedly shifted his gaze away, and in an instant, the two of them locked eyes.

The other person was an expressionless boy with a pompadour hairstyle; though they had made eye contact, neither backed down, and slowly, the observation turned into a stare.

Shintō Katsuya did not know why, but this person opposite him seemed somewhat strange—he couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he was definitely strange.

Finally, the other party ended the stare by nodding in acknowledgment, then immediately turned around.

This guy... he wouldn't happen to have some kind of peculiar hobby, would he...

Even someone as experienced as Shintō couldn't help but get goosebumps at his own conjecture.

Not long after, a lady took the initiative to stand up; sitting near the old woman, she probably couldn't stand it anymore and gave up her seat.

"Thank you!"

Seeing this, the young girl nodded in thanks with a face full of smiles, pulling the old woman toward the empty seat. The latter kept thanking her repeatedly while slowly sitting down.

This matter finally came to an end.