Manabu Horikita's voice continued, steady and persuasive: "These achievements did not come from nowhere.
"They are the glory and capital accumulated bit by bit through the unremitting efforts, strength, and sweat of our school's past graduates and every student currently enrolled. They are also the very foundation on which our school stands."
"I hope every new student here can understand the weight of this honor, and have the determination and ability to carry it forward—and even make it greater."
He paused again. The gaze behind his glasses seemed to sharpen as he slowly uttered the words etched into the very cornerstone of the school's philosophy:
"Because what this school upholds is absolute—"
"Meritocracy."
The words were like a stone thrown into a still lake, stirring a faint, uncertain commotion among the new students.
Some looked thoughtful, some were visibly excited, and others seemed a little confused.
Lin Mu merely raised an eyebrow. Meritocracy? It sounded like a harsh, unforgiving system of competition.
Still, whatever this "merit" referred to—academics, physical fitness, social skills, or something else—it didn't seem like a real challenge to him.
After all, his "strength" was on an entirely different level from that of ordinary people.
Thinking of that, he relaxed even more, and began idly pushing his lollipop to his left cheek with the tip of his tongue, puffing it out slightly.
(You really do like doing this when eating a lollipop—and sometimes you need to bite down on the stick, too.)
What followed were speeches from several school administrators, one after another. They went on and on about school rules, well wishes, and hopes for the future—long and tedious.
Lin Mu's eyelids grew heavier and heavier as he listened. He barely managed to stay awake.
Kikyo Kushida, beside him, listened very attentively. At some point, she had even taken out a cute, palm-sized notebook and occasionally lowered her head to jot down a few key points. Her profile looked focused and well-behaved.
The D-class students around them were in a much more relatable state: yawns became noticeably more frequent, their posture grew more relaxed, and their whispered conversations grew a little louder.
By contrast, although a few students in Classes A, B, and C had also let their attention wander, the groups as a whole maintained a relatively proper posture and remained attentive. The "character" of Class D stood out even more by comparison.
At long last, the administrators finished their speeches. The host announced the official end of the opening ceremony, and the new students in each class began filing out in order, heading to their respective classrooms.
The crowd surged like floodwaters released from a gate.
Kikyo Kushida immediately put away her notebook, her bright smile returning to her face. Her eyes swept nimbly over the people nearby, quickly settling on several girls who seemed to be from Class D as well.
She hurried over and smoothly joined their conversation, introducing herself with a sweet smile. "Hi! I'm Kikyo Kushida, and I'm in Class D too. I was standing right behind you just now! I hope we can get along!"
With her exceptional warmth and just the right amount of enthusiasm, she was soon chatting away with the girls.
Laughter rang out as they exchanged contact information. She no longer seemed to be constantly at Lin Mu's side, as if relying on him to show her the way.
Lin Mu didn't mind at all. If anything, he felt relieved.
He hoped Kushida would spread her social energy among more people. That way, he could blend into the background and slack off more easily.
As far as he was concerned, no matter which class he was in, or whether he graduated smoothly and earned the so-called "school points," his supernatural abilities were more than enough to let him live comfortably. He had no need to rely on the school's prestige or resources.
Apart from the modified admission letter, the only reason he had chosen this place was that it was a closed campus, had a good reputation, and seemed like somewhere he could peacefully "stay in" without too much interference.
Make friends? Maintain relationships? There was no need for that either. His experiences at the orphanage had long since taught him the truth. With his mind-reading ability,
it was easy for him to please others and quickly form superficial friendships. But the easier a relationship was to obtain, the more fragile and shallow it often was.
Besides, if he could "hear" what people truly thought of him at every moment—good or bad—then the social game of wearing a mask seemed even more ridiculous and exhausting.
Rather than that, he would keep his distance from the start and minimize the energy he spent socializing.
Peace and quiet on his own—that was the true essence of a slacker's life.
As the crowd slowly made its way toward the Class 1-D classroom, Lin Mu deliberately slowed down, trailing behind to avoid the noisy clusters of people.
By the time he reached Class 1-D on the second floor of the academic building, about two-thirds of the students were already seated, and the room buzzed with conversation.
The classroom was spacious and bright, with brand-new desks and chairs in a pale wood finish.
Lin Mu calmly surveyed the room and headed straight for the back.
He picked an empty seat toward the back of the middle row, neither by the window—where sunlight and outside distractions might bother him—nor by the door, where foot traffic and hallway noise would be a nuisance. He pulled out the chair and sat down.
(This really is the perfect seat. The door is noisy, and it's easy for the teacher to notice you. If the sun gets too strong by the window, you can cosplay as Tiga.)
The seat was practically a "golden spot for slacking off"—quiet, with a good view of the whole class, yet unlikely to draw attention.
As soon as he had settled in and stuffed his bag into the desk, he keenly sensed two different kinds of gazes coming from either side of him.
He turned to the right first.
The girl beside him had soft, pink hair that fell to her waist, the ends curling inward slightly.
Her skin was so pale it was almost translucent, and her delicate features made her look like a doll.
At that moment, she had her head slightly bowed, her hands resting nervously on her knees, pressed together.
When she noticed Lin Mu turn to look at her, she jolted like a startled little animal. Her pale cheeks rapidly flushed red, the color spreading to her ears and down her neck.
She hurriedly looked away, her fingers unconsciously twisting together. She gave off an intense air of shyness, as though she wanted to disappear into a crack in the floor.
She was the extremely shy, timid-around-strangers type.
Lin Mu could almost imagine the frantic messages flooding her mind: "What do I do? He's looking over here," "This is so embarrassing," and "Don't look at me, don't look at me."
(Quick question: Is that you?)
Lin Mu's expression remained unchanged, though he found it a little amusing.
A girl this shy would probably have a hard time in an environment that emphasized competition.
Then he turned to the left.
The girl on his left had neat, shoulder-length black hair, straight as a ruler.
She sat very properly, her back straight, her features cool and aloof, her lips pressed together. An air of distant coldness surrounded her, as if she lowered the temperature of the room just by being there.
When she noticed Lin Mu's gaze, she immediately looked back at him.
Unlike the girl on his right, who had shyly looked away, this girl's gaze was sharp and openly appraising. After holding it on Lin Mu's face for more than a second,
she furrowed her brow almost imperceptibly, then coldly looked away. Her eyes clearly said, "Rude," "Creep," and "Don't bother me," as if Lin Mu had offended her just by looking at her.
(She's a master of the icy glare, much like Shimume Yanagi. The author hasn't played the game—just came across clips while scrolling through videos.)
Lin Mu: "..."
He more or less understood.
With his face, and the fact that he had looked directly at her—though only because he was politely taking in his surroundings—this cool, aloof girl had probably mistaken him for some lecher trying to hit on her.
After all, he had run into similar misunderstandings plenty of times growing up. People always assumed that when a handsome guy looked at a girl, he had ulterior motives.
Someone else might have rushed to explain or felt embarrassed.
Lin Mu merely raised an eyebrow, unconcerned. He even found it a little funny.
Explaining would be too much trouble, and there was no telling whether she'd believe him. He might only make things worse.
Why go out of his way to please someone who'd give him the cold shoulder, wasting his breath and energy?
One of the principles of his slacker lifestyle was not to go looking for trouble. But if a misunderstanding caused trouble, and it didn't actually affect him, he couldn't be bothered to waste energy clearing things up.
He shrugged, naturally withdrew his gaze, and leaned back in his chair. With the tip of his tongue, he nudged the milk-flavored lollipop, now half its original size, to the other side of his mouth.
His cheek puffed out slightly.
Then he closed his eyes, perfectly at ease, and began to rest.
As long as he wasn't embarrassed, the other person was the one who'd feel awkward.
For now, the best thing to do was stay quiet and wait for the homeroom teacher, who hadn't shown up yet, to make the necessary arrangements.
The shy pink-haired girl on his right and the aloof black-haired girl on his left were just classmates he'd be with for the next three years.
Keeping his distance and minding his own business was his ideal way of getting along with them.
The noise in the classroom seemed to slowly fade away, leaving only the faint sweetness in his mouth and the deliberately maintained quiet and laziness that belonged to him alone.
(Event dates: May 1 to May 5)
Before you continue