Manual Mute

"Kid, don't get ahead of yourself. I don't care what you do, but I don't want to be disturbed. Don't say that passive-aggressive nonsense to me."

Akimoto Yoichi lowered his head and continued memorizing English vocabulary, not even sparing the scheming heroine beside him a proper glance.

Akimoto Yoichi found people who acted as though the whole world should revolve around them deeply off-putting.

The elegant smile on Nishida Yuki's face stiffened.

Annoyed, she snatched Akimoto Yoichi's little vocabulary notebook and said, "Akimoto-kun, don't you think you're being rude? You won't even look at someone while they're talking, and I didn't mean it that way. I just wanted to be friends with everyone as a classmate..."

Before she could finish, Akimoto Yoichi pinched Nishida Yuki's cheek with one hand, cutting off her unfinished words.

"I told you, don't pull your childish, clumsy elementary-school antics in front of me. Don't disturb my studying."

Akimoto Yoichi took the little vocabulary notebook back from Nishida Yuki's hand and released her.

A red mark gradually appeared on Nishida Yuki's snow-white, flawless cheek.

"..." That move had turned Nishida Yuki into a statue.

At that moment, Nishida Yuki was completely stunned, staring wide-eyed at Akimoto Yoichi for doing something like that to her.

Not even her father had ever treated her that way.

This was also the first time Nishida Yuki had encountered someone who did not submit to her charm and was instead so crude.

"What happened, Akimoto-kun?"

"Akimoto-kun, what did you do? Why did you pinch Nishida?"

Fukayama Midori and Suzuran Ayano, who had been arguing just moments ago, both abandoned their quarrel and walked over to Akimoto Yoichi and Nishida Yuki.

They had seen Akimoto Yoichi manually mute Nishida Yuki.

Thinking the two of them had started arguing as well, they hurried over to ask. Fukayama Midori displayed the instinct to protect his owner like a pet dog. "No matter what happened, you can't treat Nishida like that..."

"Huh?" Akimoto Yoichi withdrew his hand and glared at Fukayama Midori, who had questioned him, frightening the other boy into shrinking back.

With blond hair and a height of 185 centimeters, Akimoto Yoichi carried an oppressive presence wherever he went.

That was Blondie's innate talent.

"I-I'm fine, Midori-kun. I was the one at fault just now. Please don't blame Akimoto-kun."

Nishida Yuki came back to her senses and apologized to Akimoto Yoichi.

Yet her body felt somewhat weak, her face was flushed, her voice trembled, and her long, beautiful legs wrapped in black stockings were shaking slightly.

She was maintaining the image she had established for herself.

"Midori-kun!?" Suzuran Ayano's pupils shook. She had caught some collateral damage.

Even as his childhood friend, she still called him Fukayama rather than Midori-kun, though that was partly because of her own tsundere nature.

Yet Nishida Yuki had called Fukayama Midori Midori-kun on their very first day of meeting.

She had known him first. Thinking that, Suzuran Ayano's gaze grew even dimmer. Then Akimoto Yoichi's deep voice sounded beside her.

"Good that you know you were wrong. Don't disturb me again, and don't touch my books. Not everyone will do as you wish," Akimoto Yoichi said coldly.

Suzuran Ayano might have been a tsundere, but she was far better than that queen, Nishida Yuki, who always liked standing on other people's necks. Her traits were more useful too.

Besides, she dared interrupt his studying? What was this nonsense about romance?

Wasn't that like a classmate born into wealth dragging you, whose parents were both wage workers, out to skip class?

"I-I understand. I apologize again, Akimoto-kun. I'm feeling a little unwell. Excuse me." Nishida Yuki ignored Fukayama Midori, who still wanted to say something comforting.

She turned and broke into a light run, hurrying off without anyone knowing where she was headed.

Only Akimoto Yoichi, Suzuran Ayano, and Fukayama Midori remained.

The three left the athletic field, returned to the school building, and headed toward the classrooms.

Still upset from arguing with Fukayama Midori, Suzuran Ayano walked to Akimoto Yoichi's left while Fukayama Midori was on his right.

What kind of formation was this? The tsundere heroine and the male lead had an argument, so they sandwiched Blondie between them?

The atmosphere between the three was somewhat awkward as they silently made their way toward the classroom.

Still, Fukayama Midori spoke first and apologized. "Sorry, Akimoto-kun. I misunderstood you just now. I thought you were bullying Nishida."

Before Akimoto Yoichi could answer, Suzuran Ayano spoke up for him first. "Bullying? Do you think Akimoto-kun is some kind of bad person?"

"Did you forget that Akimoto-kun helped us on the way to school?"

"And now you think Akimoto-kun would bully someone for no reason? What kind of idiot would even think that?"

That barrage left Fukayama Midori speechless.

Seeing Fukayama Midori looking so deflated, Suzuran Ayano began to wonder whether her tone had been too harsh.

Her tsundere trait was functioning as usual.

"I really don't like people disturbing me while I study."

Caught between them, Akimoto Yoichi couldn't stand the stifling air any longer and offered an explanation.

"I see. I'm really sorry, Akimoto-kun." Fukayama Midori let out a sigh of relief.

"Akimoto-kun, you like studying that much, so your grades must be great, right?" Suzuran Ayano was focused on something else.

Akimoto Yoichi shook his head. "My grades aren't good, but I have a goal I want to achieve now."

"What goal?" Suzuran Ayano pressed, while Fukayama Midori also looked curiously at Akimoto Yoichi.

"Todai." Akimoto Yoichi's tone was firm. "I'm going to get into Todai. I won't consider anywhere else."

Because he didn't know of any other particularly famous schools.

Hearing Akimoto Yoichi say that, Suzuran Ayano and Fukayama Midori, who were the same age as him, were greatly surprised.

They had only just started high school and had not thought at all about the future.

"I haven't even figured out what I want to do later. Todai? That's really difficult."

Suzuran Ayano looked at Akimoto Yoichi beside her with some admiration. He had already planned out his life so quickly.

And judging by Akimoto Yoichi's appearance, he looked completely unsuited to studying. No matter how one looked at him, he did not seem like the type who would say he wanted to get into Todai.

But since Akimoto Yoichi said it, Suzuran Ayano trusted him without the slightest doubt.

"I still don't know whether I should get a job or go to college after high school." As a shut-in otaku, Fukayama Midori's reaction was the normal one.

There were far too few people their age who set a goal so early.

Everyone else was still thinking about how to lose their virginity or keep up with anime.

For first-year high school students like them, college and the future still felt somewhat distant.

"It's fine. Everyone has their own life." Akimoto Yoichi couldn't be bothered to lecture them.

In this life, he had been reborn into an eroge he had created, becoming Blondie with a catastrophic start.

But Akimoto Yoichi could choose. Everyone chose their own life.

Fukayama Midori was making all sorts of choices right now, and Suzuran Ayano was as well.

When the three found their classrooms, they reached Class B first.

"Uh, I'll go in first, then. See you later, Akimoto-kun, Suzuran." At the classroom door, Fukayama Midori nervously said goodbye to Suzuran Ayano and Akimoto Yoichi.

At that moment, everyone in Class B looked over at the group.

After all, Akimoto Yoichi's blond hair was far too conspicuous, along with his 185-centimeter height and fierce aura.

"Hmph, don't get ahead of yourself. I wasn't walking this way for your sake." Suzuran Ayano was still sulking.

"Yeah, see you." Akimoto Yoichi nodded.

Fukayama Midori awkwardly glanced at Suzuran Ayano. He wanted to say something, but the words would not come out. Scratching his head, he turned and walked into the classroom.

Without hesitation, he headed for the last seat by the window and sat in the seat reserved for two-dimensional male leads.

In the seat in front of him was a friendly buzz-cut boy with the face of a supporting wingman.

To Fukayama Midori's right, however, the girl dressed like a gyaru caught Akimoto Yoichi's attention. By coincidence, her gaze met his.