Chapter 7

"Well... if anyone else said that, I'd think he was pretty narcissistic." I'd heard this guy was brilliant, athletic, and highly intelligent. So far, it seemed that aside from his warped values, he was pretty much fine. His logic was clear, too, even if it was somewhat twisted. "You're perfectly free to think that. I don't care what other people think of me or how they judge me. Of course, that includes you." "Mm-hmm. If I really thought that, Koenji, would you get mad?" "Not in the slightest. Getting angry over something so trivial would be a waste of my time. My excellence is beyond dispute. Your opinions won't change that." "Hahahaha! You really do live life to the fullest, Koenji... Have you never compromised on anything?" I pressed him, then followed up with a rather devious question. "Never have, never will. You can rest assured." Koenji proudly raised his voice, completely disregarding the dirty looks from the people nearby who were waiting for the bus. "You're certainly confident, Koenji... Compared to you, I feel like an old man." Well, there was nothing wrong with thinking things through. "Naturally. Anything else wouldn't be beautiful." After that, Koenji swaggered onto the bus first. He had such an imposing air that no one dared to fight him for a spot. My wicked side suddenly wanted to see what he'd look like after society gave him a good beating, but that would probably be hard to pull off. I'd add it to my list of things to do on campus! I filed the wish away in my heart. Hahaha! I really was a terrible little minder. Still, surely I had a few other wishes for my three years of boarding-school life in high school? I ignored Koenji up ahead, sitting with his legs crossed and shamelessly hogging the spacious priority seat, and started planning out the rest of my school life. I didn't care about getting a guaranteed placement after graduation, but I didn't want to get expelled, either. So graduating with good grades was a must. Until I found something I was passionate about, I'd probably just go home and inherit the family business, so I also needed to maintain a good relationship with Koenji, the son of a big shot from the Koenji Conglomerate. And then there was finding a decent girl to date. I secretly glanced at the pretty girl who'd just boarded. She wore the Advanced Nurturing High School uniform with impeccable composure, and her well-endowed chest swayed with the bus, making for quite a sight. To be honest, I was a bit of a pervert... I'd gone to an elite boys' school in middle school, where I'd spent my days putting up with all sorts of bored heirs to wealthy families. I had no interest in the kind of marriage my father talked about, where you married someone of equal status. But now that I'd made it into one of the best high schools in Japan, it'd be great if I could trick an outstanding girl into working for our family for free for the rest of her life... Wait... Why was I thinking about tricking her? Our family ran an honest business! Though, to be fair, girls these days were clever. Who knew which of us would end up tricking the other? I actually preferred girls who were a little more innocent and airheaded... And it'd be even better if she had a more refined look. I glanced again at the sweet-looking girl from before... Huh? Why was she talking to Koenji? No way. The young master's flirting skills were so good that she was gone after I'd barely looked at her twice? I snapped out of my daydream and listened more closely. It turned out to be nothing like that. They were arguing about giving up a seat for an elderly woman. "Contributing to society? I see. That's a rather interesting opinion. Giving up one's seat to an older person should indeed count as a form of social contribution. Unfortunately, I have no interest in contributing to society. I believe it's enough to satisfy myself. There's something else, too. In such a crowded bus, I've become everyone's target simply because I'm sitting in the priority seat. But is it right to ignore all the others who are sitting there, minding their own business, saying nothing, and refusing to give up their seats? If they truly care about respecting the elderly, then whether the seat is designated as a priority seat is a trivial matter." Hahaha! That was Koenji for you. He could practically shamelessly drag every passenger on the bus into the argument with one long-winded speech. But no one could match his refusal to give an inch, without even bothering to save face. Most people would've taken the easy way out just to avoid making a fuss, right? As expected, unlike me, someone who deliberately kept his distance from others and thought carefully before acting, Koenji was utterly clueless about socializing. Still, I had no intention of stepping in to settle things. Distance made the heart grow fonder, and it wouldn't be good to reveal this early that I knew Koenji, let alone defend him in front of a crowd. Yes, he'd surely understand that his "strategist" had his best interests at heart. My staying undercover today was all for the sake of our future victory. Besides, even if I stopped this little incident, it wouldn't make a damn bit of difference. Koenji's reputation on campus would probably collapse within a week or two anyway. Rather than go against the tide and annoy him, I'd let him do as he pleased. That was my first instinct. After confirming my course of action, I almost laughed, but I held it in after the sharp-looking girl beside me shot me a fierce glare. "Everyone, please listen for a moment. Would anyone be willing to give this elderly woman a seat? Anyone at all, please!" The girl in front of Koenji still hadn't given up. Good thing I hadn't laughed out loud, or the poor girl would've looked even more pitiful. Someone who gave up their seat now would surely make a good impression on her, right? But I had a reason I couldn't step in today... Besides, the short-haired girl beside me gave me a scornful look, then turned to stare out the window. Clearly, if she'd been sitting in my aisle seat, she'd most likely have given the old woman her seat. My inaction had cost me points. Oh well. If I lost points, I lost points. As the saying went, brothers were like hands and feet, while women were like clothes. For the sake of secretly protecting Koenji, my future brother, I'd accept the loss. Mm, the gloomy guy across the aisle seemed to think the same way. He awkwardly hid behind his seat, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible, while taking the opportunity to openly stare at the pretty girl next to him! What a pervert! I was much more refined. When I snuck a look at girls, I kept my eyes straight ahead and used my peripheral vision. Fortunately, a kind woman soon resolved the problem for everyone on the bus by giving up her seat, and I finally felt some of the tension ease. I got off the bus almost as if fleeing from the temporary seatmate beside me. I had no intention of greeting Koenji and went straight onto campus, heading for my classroom. While crouching to tie my shoelaces, I secretly glanced back at Koenji out of the corner of my eye. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly, as if he understood what I meant. Distance made the heart grow fonder. He should approve of such a "beautiful" plan, especially since he'd said he didn't like having a babysitter follow him around. If I remembered correctly, I was in Class C and he was in Class D, so we weren't in the same class. That also showed that the school's chairwoman, Sakayanagi, was quite something—she could completely disregard the potential influence of the Koenji Conglomerate. Fortunately, Koenji's refusal to give an inch didn't come from his parents. Otherwise, our enrollment would've caused a huge uproar. But being born into the right family was a skill, too.