Just as Expected

"Ah, I talked with Secretary Tachibana about a lot of Student Council matters. Did you and the president discuss anything, Makoto?"

"Do you want to know, Honami?"

"Um... if you don't want to tell me, then you don't have to."

"Actually, it wasn't much. Just some second-year stuff."

"Second-year stuff... I see. Before I knew it, you'd already taken on so much responsibility, Makoto."

"Isn't that why I have you, Honami?"

"Even I get embarrassed hearing you say that."

After leaving President Horikita's office, Miyano Makoto ran into Ichinose Honami in the hallway.

"Are you going back to class, Honami?"

"Yeah. Getting along with my classmates is important, too."

"Then I'll see you tonight."

"Are you going somewhere again, Makoto?"

"...I'm starting to find your need to keep tabs on me a little scary, Honami."

"Eh! Is that how it is? Then I won't ask anymore."

Ichinose Honami looked plainly troubled as she tried to change her behavior.

"The Class B homeroom teacher needs to talk to me. That's all."

"Okay. I won't ask you things like that anymore. I trust you, Makoto."

"Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever asked you much about yourself, Honami. You're always the one asking me questions."

"That's because you're so busy, Makoto. My life is pretty simple."

"That's a relief. I was worried you might think I didn't care about you."

"How could I? I've always trusted you, Makoto."

Ichinose Honami lightly brushed her lips against Miyano Makoto's cheek.

"Then I think we're fine, right?"

"Yeah. See you tonight, Honami."

"See you tonight, Makoto."

Ichinose Honami left, and Miyano Makoto watched her retreating figure in a daze. Had she really already left so many traces on his journey through life?

He shook his head and headed for the school sports field. He was going to take a chance.

Luck was part of one's strength, too.

As it turned out, Miyano Makoto was lucky. He found the person he wanted to approach.

White hair and violet eyes... She was easy to recognize. She was also exceptionally tall, standing out among the girls and holding her own even among the boys.

Kiryuin Fuka—the beautiful counterpart to the "Beautiful Brother" from his previous life, representing the extreme of her sex.

Both were extremely self-confident.

"Hey."

Miyano Makoto walked over to greet her. There were no other girls around her, so she had clearly been ostracized.

"You're... a first-year?"

"That's right. Let me introduce myself. My name is Miyano Makoto, and I came here to challenge you to a match."

"Miyano Makoto... So you're that Miyano Makoto."

Kiryuin Fuka nodded as if it had just dawned on her.

"Are you sure you're not embarrassed to have a boy like you challenge a girl like me?"

"Whether someone's a boy or a girl doesn't matter to you, does it?"

"But if my opponent is you, I think it's worth mentioning."

Kiryuin Fuka wasn't so easily provoked by Miyano Makoto.

Among the upperclassmen, her reputation was practically legendary.

Miyano Makoto smiled helplessly. It seemed he'd have to work a little harder.

"Then what would you like, Kiryuin-senpai?"

"Just tell me. What do you want? I don't believe you came all this way just to spar with me."

"Shall we go somewhere else?"

Miyano Makoto tilted his head, gesturing toward a place where they wouldn't be interrupted.

The upperclassmen around them were already staring.

"I can more or less guess what you want from me, but... what can you offer me?"

Kiryuin Fuka smiled boldly, not caring in the slightest about the strange looks from those around her.

"Even watching someone who used to be in Class A get overtaken by newcomers isn't enough to motivate you?"

"If that were all it took, I'd have acted a long time ago."

"I thought so. That's just the kind of person you are, Kiryuin-senpai."

Miyano Makoto sighed.

"But aren't you dissatisfied with letting people walk all over you like this?"

"What's wrong with survival of the fittest? I'd welcome that kind of change."

"But if you took the lead, Kiryuin-senpai, I'm sure you'd do a much better job."

"I like the sound of that, but no."

"Why?"

Miyano Makoto asked curiously. Was there some dormant masochistic streak in her?

"Because it's a pain."

Kiryuin Fuka gave an unexpected answer, making Miyano Makoto's mouth twitch.

"A pain... Yeah, honestly, I think it sounds like a pain, too."

"So, do you have anything else to say?"

Kiryuin Fuka was ready to send him on his way.

"In that case, would you be willing to help me, senpai?"

Miyano Makoto gave up on trying to get Kiryuin Fuka to take center stage. She was just as impossible to sway as that Koenji guy.

"...What do you mean?"

Kiryuin Fuka narrowed her eyes. She hadn't expected him to say that.

"I mean I'd like to make use of the influence you have behind you. When you get right down to it, Class A is just a resource."

"I doubt the influence you have is any less than the resources the school gives Class A."

At that, Kiryuin Fuka laughed.

"You really see things clearly. You're not like that guy, who got just a little power from the scraps that fell through the cracks and then strutted around, pleased with himself."

"All right, I agree. But I have one condition."

"Go ahead, senpai."

Miyano Makoto knew that from this moment on, Miyabi Nagumo's plan had already failed. He could no longer realize his initial vision of unifying the second-years.

Time was on Miyano Makoto's side.

"For the next two years, you'll guide me in all kinds of things."

"...Isn't that condition a little... broad?"

Miyano Makoto felt he was getting the worse end of the deal.

"That's more than fair. You didn't think I'd let you use my influence whenever you wanted, did you?"

Kiryuin Fuka watched Miyano Makoto with an amused smile. She liked having the upper hand in a conversation.

"Fine, I agree. But in return, you'll have to put in a little more effort, too."

Miyano Makoto reluctantly accepted Kiryuin Fuka's demand. He'd been too presumptuous.

How nice it was to be born into a wealthy family, damn it! He wanted to be a rich kid, too!

Kiryuin Makoto? That actually didn't sound bad...

No, best not to think about it.

"Now that things have come to this, I can't just sit back and do nothing. That's what you wanted, isn't it?"

Kiryuin Fuka rolled her eyes at Miyano Makoto. She thought he was acting like he'd gotten a good deal and still wanted more.

"Let's see what you can really do."

"What do you mean?"

"It's PE, so why don't you race me?"

Under the watchful eyes of the Class 2-B students and their PE teacher, the two of them ran 50 meters, 400 meters, and 1,000 meters...

"Are you a monster or something?"

Even Kiryuin Fuka was panting by then, but Miyano Makoto's breathing remained steady and deep.

"I consider myself a genius on the level of a Demon King."

Miyano Makoto praised himself. Ichinose Honami was a little greedy, wanting to keep him all to herself.

"This is just running. There are plenty of other events. But if the rumors are true..."

"Are you good at everything?"

Kiryuin Fuka asked skeptically. She was talking about the day Miyano Makoto had crushed all the school clubs.

"I wouldn't say I'm good at everything, but I can learn."

Miyano Makoto backed down a little. He couldn't overstate things—he didn't have a system, after all.

"That's good enough. Come work for me after you graduate."