Star Color's Selfish Theory

After filling his stomach, Seishiki Otonashi lay on his side on the floor, letting out a contented purr.

Tamiya Emi was washing dishes in the kitchen. He'd told her he could handle it himself, but she insisted on doing it—what a good girl she was. If all the girls in society had a personality like Tamiya's, maybe Japan's birth rate would skyrocket.

Chewing gum and flipping through manga after a meal—this kind of life was truly pleasant. Even though summer had already arrived, he still had the bad habit of spring drowsiness. Otonashi yawned. Adults often said it was fine to be sleepy in spring, but if you were still drowsy in summer, you'd get scolded.

After finishing the dishes, Tamiya Emi's eyes shimmered with affection as she sat down beside Otonashi. Watching him lazily curled up on the floor, with that catlike, languid aura—it was quite rare to see.

Tamiya Emi's hand unconsciously reached out and touched Otonashi's head. His purple hair was as smooth and glossy as silk—even the texture would make a lot of girls jealous. He really didn't seem like a boy at all.

Although Otonashi showed some resistance at first, it lasted less than two seconds. He obediently leaned his head closer to Tamiya Emi, even rubbing against her like a little animal.

Tamiya Emi couldn't help but recall the women's clothes she'd seen in Otonashi's wardrobe, and a sudden urge welled up in her to see him wear them.

"Mmm... I'm a bit sleepy."

"Then get some rest early."

Tamiya Emi reluctantly pulled back her hand, which could still clearly feel Otonashi's warmth, and said with a hint of regret.

"I'll head back now. See you tomorrow, Otonashi-kun."

"Okay~ See you tomorrow, Tamiya Emi-san."

Only after Tamiya left and the room fell silent did Otonashi slowly sit up.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he toyed with the golden die in his hand.

"Happiness... so this is what it feels like?"

Hope once said, "Burying yourself in others—whether to lend a hand or to obstruct, whether out of love or hate—is ultimately just a means of escaping from yourself."

Tamiya Emi, is your existence happiness or unhappiness? Let me look forward to it a little.

In the early morning, the school building was empty except for Otonashi. He really had come too early! A man-made scene devoid of human presence gave off an uncanny sense of unreality and dissonance, instinctively triggering fear in one's senses.

"Like a ghost, huh."

Wandering on the edge of the human world—this feeling of being an invisible person wasn't bad.

Sliding open the classroom door, Otonashi thought he'd have the room to himself. But someone had already beaten him to it, enjoying the empty classroom even earlier than he had.

A strange feeling crept into Otonashi's mind, like the illusion of a childhood crush being snatched away by a stranger before he could make a move. Well, the classroom didn't belong to anyone—Otonashi accepted reality. He still preferred solitude and quiet.

"Good morning, Hashimoto."

At least they were classmates; greetings were basic social etiquette.

"Good morning, Otonashi."

What a frivolous guy. With that blond hair tied into a neat ponytail, he looked like the type who was good at charming girls. Otonashi envied guys with that kind of personality—they were great at fitting into groups and interacting with girls effortlessly.

Otonashi placed his bag on the desk—it was specially used to store snacks and manga.

He pulled out the manga he hadn't finished yesterday.

Hashimoto Masayoshi noticed that Otonashi's seat was absurdly placed—right between Kohei Katsuragi and Arisu Sakayanagi. It was practically a boundary line of hell. Looked like he'd have a rough time ahead.

Hashimoto slowly closed the distance between them. Though he maintained the optimal social distance, Otonashi felt like this blond guy was up to no good, trying to drag him into some troublesome affair.

"Otonashi, have you ever thought about the class's future?"

"Huh? The class's future? What do you mean?"

Otonashi keenly noticed that Hashimoto was observing his reaction. This guy and Morishita were both no pushovers. Weren't they all just high schoolers? Why was the gap so huge! A student's duty was to study hard.

"Well, Otonashi, who do you think should be the class leader?"

"Leader? What position is that? Like a class representative?"

Otonashi's bright purple eyes held only a clear, innocent light.

"..."

A wave of guilt suddenly welled up inside Hashimoto. He felt like he was doing something terrible. The guy in front of him was a boy, but his build was even smaller and more delicate than many girls. Sakayanagi Arisu had her confident, composed aura to prop herself up, but this one was as pure as an elementary schooler. What was he doing... tricking a kid?

"You could put it that way. Anyway, the class needs a commander. Otonashi, who do you think has the most potential?"

"Huh? Me? Um... let me think."

"Hashimoto, have you ever considered becoming the class leader yourself?"

Otonashi chuckled lightly.

"Me? No way, no way. Someone like me can't be a leader."

Hashimoto Masayoshi shook his head. He knew his place—a small role that could only cling to the strong and assist them. A background character like that would be kicked aside the moment he lost his usefulness. So he couldn't truly trust anyone—not his parents, not his elders, not even friends. Tangible benefits were more reliable. Betraying others before being betrayed—that cunning way of profiting was his way of life.

Sometimes he couldn't even be sure if his path was right. Hashimoto Masayoshi had been lost too...

"Oh... is that so? What a shame."

"Do you think someone who acts purely out of self-interest can be a class leader?"

Hashimoto blurted out the words unconsciously. When he realized he'd said something irreversible, he tried to smooth it over—

"Why not? Self-interest and altruism are both life principles people choose for themselves. No one can judge anyone else."

Seishiki Otonashi tilted his head and smiled at Masayoshi Hashimoto, and somewhere deep inside Hashimoto's heart, something seemed to stir.

"Humanity created an unequal world, and people survive within the natural order of human society from which there is no escape. From birth, there is the torment of parents, the torment of teachers, the torment of classmates, the torment of society—torment everywhere. Torment grinds down everyone's thoughts, leaving them only as reeds that think. The weak are trampled by the strong, life is treated as a commodity, and human warmth gradually grows cold. Isn't all of this simply the direction of our evolution?"

"So selfishness is not a mistake either. Everyone only has one chance to live. There is nothing wrong with filthy desires or lofty ideals. Rather, live selfishly for yourself. Whether you are a villain or a good person, or sink into mediocrity. Do not wallow in happiness... nor despair at the world... Live for yourself. Life itself is a meaningless thing, so people! Go seek the meaning of life, and selfishly affirm yourself!"

"Do not deny your own wrong side—accept it! Just be yourself, and don't be afraid to be different."

Otonashi spread his arms, closed his eyes, and squeezed a trace of air from his lungs. A faint breath rushed from his throat, as light and gentle as a feather, yet it exploded in Hashimoto's mind. A man who could never sincerely trust others, who could only live by cunning and deceit, was being affirmed. The calm, peaceful words seemed to be right beside him—not scorching, but warm.

Only a god who knows neither right nor wrong would support such an embrace of humanity's filth and evil. If the believer wishes to act, the god will grant them a path. A self that loathes its own name—even if it is not 'justice' in the eyes of others, so what? Then there is only one answer. Hashimoto would carry through his conviction, his 'justice of the self.'

From beginning to end, Masayoshi Hashimoto firmly believed that noble men and wicked men were not so different. He could not truly trust anyone from the bottom of his heart; trusting someone would make him break out in an allergic reaction. But the [Seishiki Otonashi] who affirmed 'selfish betrayalism' had taken root and sprouted within his heart.

"So, Classmate Hashimoto, I'd like to ask you—who do you think can become the class leader?"

"That's hard to say, but I think Sakayanagi Arisu has a pretty good chance of winning."

"Oh~ Classmate Sakayanagi, huh. Well, I hope everyone can have a nice high school life."

"I don't think that's very likely, because this school isn't as simple as we imagine."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"I don't really know how to put it... Otonashi..."

"What's wrong?"

"How about joining Sakayanagi's side?"

"Huh?... What do you mean by that?"

"Right now, the class leader looks like Kohei Katsuragi, who's actively leading everyone, but there's only one person with true leadership ability, and that's Sakayanagi Arisu. Plus, she has a unique advantage. Her father is the chairman of this school."

(Original Hashimoto: Kids, I want to laugh. The legendary pressure-tank king. Your boy Hashimoto is Class A's true savior.)

"Eh? Really?"

Otonashi's expression showed surprise, his small mouth slightly open.

Yesterday, Masayoshi Hashimoto had seen Sakayanagi Arisu defeat all the senior students in the chess club. If she later demonstrated abilities surpassing Kohei Katsuragi, he planned to stake [himself as a bargaining chip] on Sakayanagi Arisu. As long as he could stay in Class A and graduate smoothly from Class A, betraying anyone was fine, destroying anyone was fine. Filth and unscrupulous means were merely the foundation of success.

And Otonashi also caught the madness within Hashimoto's heart—the scent of a gambler, a presence so familiar it couldn't be more so. Though not to the level of a fanatical gambler, devouring it would surely bring pleasure...

A flicker of emotion that no one could detect appeared in Otonashi's pupils—a pure evil from the abyss.

"I'll pass on that. I'm just a mediocre person who'll go with the flow. Anyway, my theory of happiness is to live lazily in this world and enjoy the present."