Enrollment Day

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

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 yawned, looking at the passing vehicles with utter boredom.

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

Suddenly, a woman's voice caught his attention:

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

The voice came from the front of the bus, and her target was a blond boy sitting directly across from her. Ordinarily, being sternly reprimanded by a stranger in front of everyone would make nine out of ten high schoolers nod in compliance.

However...

Katsuya Shinjo shifted his gaze to the boy she had singled out, his eyebrows 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, Katsuya knew the boy.

But since everyone else's attention was also drawn to the scene, no one paid any mind to his self-talk.

After boarding, the tall boy in the priority seat had either been taking out a comb to groom his hair or quietly closing his eyes to rest.

He slowly opened his eyes, glanced briefly at the old woman's position, then closed them again, lifting his chin as he spoke:

"That's a crazya question, lady~"

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

The boy's response caught everyone off guard; not only did he have no intention of yielding his seat, but he was also brazenly stating his reasons.

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

The woman seemed very intent on making the boy give up his seat for the old woman.

"I really don't understand. Even if it is a priority seat, the law doesn't state that one must give it up, right? Whether or not to yield 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 strenuous than sitting, and I don't intend to do such a meaningless thing. Or are you planning to tip me?"

The boy's arrogant tone caused the woman, dressed in office attire, to flare up:

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

Facing the pressure from an adult, the boy didn't shrink back in the slightest; instead, he sneered:

"Elders... 'Elders' refers 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 composure, and after holding back for a long moment, she could only retort:

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

Seeing that neither side was willing to back down, the old woman finally couldn't bear it any longer and intervened:

"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 the more sensible one."

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

Katsuya Shinjo clearly had no intention of meddling, if only because he was a selfish person himself.

Although he had to admit that the guy was prone to sophistry, that was just how society on Sakura Island was; if one doesn't look out for oneself, heaven and earth will destroy them.

Just as 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, and her uniform proved her identity—like the boy across from her, she was a freshman about to enroll.

"Oh? A pretty girl this time? It seems my luck with the opposite sex is quite good today~"

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

"This grandma 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 the elderly 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 carriage, I may be in a priority seat, but what about those who turn a blind eye? 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 it wasn't logical. However, even though she couldn't get through to the boy in front of her, the girl didn't give up.

She gathered her courage and said to the passengers in the carriage who had seats:

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

Katsuya Shinjo narrowed his eyes. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he really couldn't imagine 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 already, right?

As Katsuya Shinjo looked over the others, he also noticed that someone seemed to be observing him.

He hurriedly shifted his gaze, and in an instant, their eyes met.

The other person was a stoic boy with a pompadour hairstyle. Their eyes locked, yet neither backed down; slowly, the casual glance turned into a stare.

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

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

This guy... he doesn't have some weird hobby, does he...

Even Katsuya, who had seen his fair share of the world, couldn't help but get goosebumps at his own conjecture.

Not long after, a lady stood up on her own initiative. Sitting near the elderly woman, she probably couldn't stand it anymore, which was why she gave up her seat.

"Thank you!"

Seeing this, the young girl nodded with a beaming smile to express her gratitude, then led the elderly woman toward the empty seat. The latter kept thanking her repeatedly while slowly sitting down.

This matter finally came to an end.