Chapter 22

"I'll leave the Special Exam to you." Yuan Yuyuan froze solid. So all that emotional speech he'd just given had been for nothing. He'd always been the one handling this sort of thing, but even he wanted to take it easy now and then. They couldn't expect him to put out every fire whenever something went wrong. But picking a fight with Ichinose clearly wasn't wise, so Yuan Yuyuan could only nod and agree. "All right, but when I'm not around, Honami needs to be a little more forceful too. Otherwise, our classmates might start crying." After that, the study session went unusually smoothly. During it, Yuan Yuyuan once again set his sights on the talent he'd noticed at the start of the semester: Himeno Yuki. Her grades weren't as good as Ichinose's or his own, but she was every bit as capable as Kanzaki. And though she seemed to be trying hard to fit in with Class B, she still looked a little out of place. She was competent, didn't have many friends, and was easy on the eyes (not that it matters)—the perfect choice for a go-to fixer. Once the study session ended, Yuan Yuyuan called out to Himeno Yuki. "Himeno, might I have the pleasure of sharing a meal with you?" "Me? Is there something you want?" Himeno Yuki was a little surprised. She hadn't expected Yuan Yuyuan, one of the class leaders, to approach her out of the blue. Had he caught her phoning it in during the study session? He was almost too perceptive! "Don't be nervous. It's about the class. It's definitely not because you weren't taking the tutoring seriously just now, Himeno." ...Himeno Yuki frowned. That was a threat, wasn't it? It had to be. She'd worked hard to get on good terms with some of the students, and she didn't want Yuan Yuyuan to ruin that for her. "I don't know what you're talking about, but if you're treating me, then let's go." "My pleasure. After you, Himeno." Yuan Yuyuan took Himeno Yuki to a Western-style restaurant popular with girls. It was expensive enough that they wouldn't have to worry about being bothered by random people. "What would you like? Don't hold back—order whatever you want." Yuan Yuyuan handed her the menu and watched her with a smile. "Thanks. Then I'll take you up on that." This guy was ridiculously rich. He'd picked a place like this to treat her, so Himeno Yuki didn't bother pretending to be modest. She ordered a steak set and a variety of desserts. First Semester: Chapter 22 The Twenty-First Chapter: Everyone Is a Good Kid Who's Willing to Help Others Selflessly "You really like sweet things, don't you, Himeno? You're always sucking on a lollipop, too." "That's right. Sweet things bring me a little happiness. It's one of the few hobbies I have in my otherwise unchanging life." Yuan Yuyuan didn't pursue the topic, choosing instead to end the pointless small talk. "Come to think of it, this is the first time we've talked. Actually, I've always admired you, Himeno." Himeno Yuki frowned. What was this? Was he about to confess to her? If he knew this was their first conversation, he should at least act like he had some sense! What was with telling her he admired her right off the bat, and calling her "Himeno-san" without asking? What a presumptuous creep. "Admire me? I can't think of anything I've done to earn your admiration." Himeno Yuki clearly wasn't picking up what he was putting down, but Yuan Yuyuan kept smiling his trademark smile. "Quite the opposite. I've been watching you since the first day. I can tell that you're a girl who doesn't like being in the spotlight, but doesn't mind doing her part for the class. That's a rare quality. Though it would be even better if you took the tutoring sessions more seriously." "What exactly do you want to talk about? Let me make one thing clear: just because I don't mind helping the class doesn't mean I'll do whatever you say." Himeno Yuki vowed that if Yuan Yuyuan dared ask her to date him, she'd throw her steak in his face. Yuan Yuyuan paid no heed to her blunt words and started talking as if to himself. "It must be exhausting, Himeno. You don't really get along with your classmates, yet you keep trying to hide your rough edges. Do you need friends, or are you afraid of being left out?" Himeno Yuki took his words as a threat. This time, she made no effort to soften her response. "What do you want from me? You know the saying: judge people by what they do, not what they think. Who cares whether I'm sincere?" "Don't get worked up. I don't mean anything by it. On the contrary, I came here hoping to help you, and I'm sincere about that." "By 'sincere,' do you mean this meal? I'm not that cheap. We can split the bill later if you want." "I guess it really is hard for you to think of me as a good person, Himeno. But my sincerity goes beyond that. What if you never had to pretend to get along with your classmates again? Would that count as a good-faith offer?" "Are you serious? What's in it for you?" Seeing that Himeno Yuki had figured out what he was after, Yuan Yuyuan was even more impressed by this usually inconspicuous girl. "Looks like you know what I'm planning. But you don't need to be so wary of me all the time. I want a break now and then, too. That's not too much to ask, is it? Besides, look at me. I've never gone out of my way to please anyone else. Do I look like I've been isolated? They're the ones who have to listen to me. Isn't that better?" Seeing this side of Yuan Yuyuan, so different from the one he usually showed, Himeno Yuki wasn't surprised. The moment he said she wouldn't have to keep pretending, she realized that he'd fooled everyone. The persona he showed the class was entirely an act. Other people might have felt they'd been taken for a ride, but she...well, she wasn't exactly one to judge. "I thought you'd want to keep all the power in your own hands." "That would make my hands sore. It'd be even better if you could lead them into Class A, Himeno." Himeno Yuki fell into thought. Yuan Yuyuan had nothing to gain by lying to her. Besides, lately she'd grown tired of playing the good-friends game with everyone else. If this opportunity hadn't come along, she probably would've had to keep it up indefinitely. The idea of Yuan Yuyuan actually handing over power was tempting. If anyone asked, she could always say Yuan Yuyuan had changed her personality. Those people never bothered to look into anything too deeply anyway. "All right, I'll do it. What do you need me to do?" "For example, a situation like the one just now. Honami's too soft, and the people in Class C don't care about her at all. That's when you step in. I don't care whether you use my name or give her a nudge from behind the scenes. I only care about the result. Understand?" "I understand. So you're not planning to come to the study sessions anymore?" Yuan Yuyuan shrugged helplessly and said with heartfelt compassion, "You're thinking too small. There are so many people in the world waiting for my help. How can I confine myself to just one Class B? With great power comes great responsibility. Sigh." "You're just trying to slack off, aren't you? You capitalists always come up with all kinds of high-minded excuses. You really think everyone else is an idiot." "Hey, aren't we getting a little too familiar? I'm your boss. Watch it, or I'll dock your pay." "You mean I'm getting paid? I guess you see me as someone you hired to deal with your problems. But this benefits me too, so you can keep the pay." Yuan Yuyuan was more and more pleased with Himeno Yuki, but he knew that a relationship based on mutual benefit was the strongest kind. If Himeno Yuki ever decided to slack off and stop caring what happened to the class, at least there'd still be something to keep her motivated. Otherwise, he'd have to work himself to death again. "How could I do that? It's one thing that this benefits you, but you're important to me too. If you feel you haven't earned it, I can buy you some sweets and bring them over."