On the bus to Advanced Nurturing High School.
The bus was already full. The quiet cabin held only the low hum of the engine, and nearly all the passengers were students wearing red uniforms.
Onizuka Tsukasa sat at the back of the bus, gazing at the scenery rushing past the window. He couldn't help letting out a soft sigh.
Onizuka Tsukasa was an ordinary student, born and raised here-or so he thought. Ever since elementary school, he had shown exceptional talent.
Whether it was academics, extracurricular activities, sports, or even seemingly complex musical instruments and board games,
there was hardly anything he couldn't master if he set his mind to it. Rather than being extraordinarily gifted, he had an enviable ability to learn.
But his life hadn't gone smoothly because of it.
The Onizuka Family-the place where he was born-was an extremely old-fashioned family that believed only in bloodlines.
One of Neon's leading conglomerates, it had been passed down since the Sengoku period, and its rules were ancient and harsh.
Bloodline came first, legitimate heirs reigned supreme, and illegitimate children were merely on the fringes of the family, destined to live in the shadows as tools who obeyed the main family's orders.
And Onizuka Tsukasa was one such illegitimate child. Though he had exceptional talent, his intelligence and abilities were not only useless to the main family, but a thorn in their side.
The main family had no need for a clever illegitimate child.
His intelligence only made them uneasy. Illegitimate children were better off knowing their place, keeping their heads down, obeying orders, and wagging their tails like loyal little dogs.
For that very reason, young Onizuka Tsukasa became a target for everyone.
His talents displeased the legitimate heirs of the main family, and so his family was driven away to live on a remote island.
That year, Onizuka Tsukasa was only five years old.
There was no warmth or companionship in life on the island.
The cold wind stung their faces, and sea fog lingered all year round.
His parents even believed that it was his existence that had caused them to be driven out of the family they had once been so proud of and regarded as their honor.
That resentment lay buried deep in their hearts, gradually turning into coldness toward him and misplaced anger.
They didn't see him as their son, but as the source of all their misfortune. They never cared for him of their own accord. Even when he needed support most, all they gave him was a cold stare and silent reproach.
Onizuka Tsukasa understood at an early age that his parents had never expected to care for him. They wanted to erase him from their lives as soon as possible, so they could rid themselves of this invisible "shame."
For nearly ten years, Onizuka Tsukasa had done almost anything he could, surviving to this day through his own intelligence and tenacious will alone.
There, he learned how to live better and longer than others in a cruel environment.
Fortunately, he had received an invitation to enroll at Advanced Nurturing High School, a letter that could let him temporarily escape the gloom of his family and the household.
As its name suggested, the school cultivated the elite of Neon's future society. With a 100 percent rate of high-quality advancement to higher education and employment, it was the best school in all of Neon, bar none.
In the eyes of nearly everyone, getting into Advanced Nurturing High School meant success.
The bus swayed gently, and the scenery outside the window swept past. Onizuka came back to himself.
The bus had become very crowded. At the front stood an elderly woman, swaying as if she might fall over at any moment.
Perhaps some kindhearted person would think to lend him a hand?
There was never a shortage of such people among the naive and kind students-or perhaps the slightly foolish ones.
But that person would never be him. Onizuka turned his head back to the window. Let him enjoy the scenery a little longer.
Before long, he heard people arguing on the bus.
"Look how pitiful this old woman is. Don't you think you should give up your seat?"
What a familiar tone.
There had once been someone who nagged him just like this, always wanting Onizuka to give away the things he had worked hard to get, saying things like, "Don't be so greedy."
What an irritating voice.
Fortunately, later on she was finally unable to make a racket in Onizuka's ear anymore.
All he had to do was look into her father, take a few days off to follow him around, then snap a few "interesting" photos.
That family obediently packed up and moved away.
Fortunately, her target wasn't Onizuka. It was a blond man sitting in a priority seat.
He was extremely muscular, clearly had trained systematically, and was quite handsome.
But it was obvious his handsome face hadn't earned him much favoritism. At least, that girl didn't go easy on him.
"Don't you feel ashamed sitting in a priority seat? Can't you see someone who needs it standing right next to you?"
A girl in an office-lady uniform said to him.
Her voice sounded especially grating on such a quiet bus, and almost everyone turned to look at them.
"This is boring, girl. Why should I give my seat to someone else?"
Composed! Onizuka Tsukasa couldn't see any sign of embarrassment in the blond man. That sort of attitude was very out of place for a young man his age.
He should either stand up and apologize or fly into a rage and lash out. Those were the reactions Onizuka would expect from a teenager.
"Priority seat! Of course it's for people who have difficulty standing! Why does someone as healthy as you need to sit here?"
"Unbelievable! It's not my fault I'm in good health, with all my limbs intact and a strong physique. Why should I have to give up my seat to someone who got on after me?"
A brilliant retort! But it was sophistry.
Neither side would back down.
Just then, another girl in a school uniform joined the fray! After her efforts to persuade him failed again, that student-or so he assumed-turned her gaze toward everyone seated on the bus.
"Could someone give up a seat for this old woman?"
As soon as she spoke, the atmosphere on the bus grew peculiar.
Most people suddenly seemed to have urgent business. They lowered their heads, stared at their phone screens, and pretended they hadn't heard a thing.
The cabin instantly fell into an uncomfortable silence, as if everyone were trying to avoid having anything to do with those words.
However, two people were clearly different. They were sitting not far from me, and didn't seem inclined to pretend they hadn't noticed.
The boy seemed to be observing the others, perhaps a little concerned about their reactions? But he had no intention of standing up himself. Caring about what others thought and remaining unaffected were contradictory.
As for the girl sitting beside him, she was as cold as ice, as if nothing around her had anything to do with her.
She didn't move a muscle, her face set in a determination that seemed far too deliberate, like a child imitating an adult's strength.
That "childish maturity" was particularly obvious in her expression.
The silence lasted only a moment. The awkward atmosphere soon became unbearable.
Before long, one student, apparently unable to stand the heavy silence, finally got up and gave the old woman their seat.
The matter was quickly settled, and the cabin returned to peace, as if nothing had happened.
The disturbance was over. Before long, the bus reached its destination. Onizuka got off with the crowd and walked through the gates of Advanced Nurturing High School.