Suzune Ichihara did not stay long in the Student Council room. She left after taking care of some relatively urgent work.
Mayumi Saegusa sat in her seat, the terminal in front of her displaying surveillance footage of the school gate. When she saw Yunyi laughing and joking with his classmates as he walked through the gates of First High School, her hands involuntarily clenched.
Suddenly, Yunyi looked toward the surveillance equipment and smiled gently at the camera! The sight sent an involuntary shiver through Mayumi Saegusa as she watched the footage.
Yunyi had been alone before reaching First High School. Just as he was about to enter, however, the sound of hurried footsteps behind him caught his attention.
Erika Chiba had seen Yunyi walking alone ahead of her and had only wanted to say hello. But just as she reached out and was about to tap him on the shoulder, Yunyi suddenly turned around, dodging her outstretched hand.
Erika lost her balance and pitched forward.
Oh no, Yunyi thought, instinctively reaching out to catch Erika Chiba. To his surprise, Erika managed to right herself and regain her balance.
"Hey, why did you dodge?" Erika Chiba demanded, annoyed.
But when she saw Yunyi's outstretched arm, her tone softened a little.
"Sorry, sorry. I thought I was in someone's way and tried to move aside." Yunyi scratched his head, putting on an embarrassed look.
In truth, he had dodged Erika Chiba's attempt to tap his shoulder because he had put a layer of defense around himself. If he had really let her touch him, she would probably have been sent flying by now!
"Forget it, forget it. I don't blame you." Erika Chiba gave a little huff but dropped the matter.
The others accompanying her caught up a moment later.
"Good morning, Liu Yunyi," Leonhart greeted him warmly.
"Morning, Leo. And you too, Tatsuya, Shiba," Yunyi replied.
"Weren't you absent yesterday? School just started," Leo asked in puzzlement.
Yunyi shrugged helplessly. "I enrolled at First High School as soon as I got back to the country. There was still a lot of stuff I hadn't gotten ready at home."
"Really? That can't have been easy," Erika Chiba said.
"Do you live alone?" Leonhart asked.
"Yes, over in the XXX district. It's close to First High School, so getting to school is easy," Yunyi said.
"Whoa, you live there? Then were you caught up in the terrorist attack on the commercial building yesterday?" Erika Chiba asked in surprise.
"Yes, I was really unlucky," Yunyi said with a bitter smile. "I was shopping right where it happened yesterday. It was really chaotic."
As Yunyi said this, he and the others happened to be walking through the gates of First High School. He had a faint feeling he was being watched, so he looked toward the nearby surveillance equipment.
"Yunyi, what's wrong?"
Tatsuya Shiba noticed Yunyi's movement and asked casually.
Yunyi shook his head, indicating that nothing was wrong.
The group parted ways in front of the school building. Miyuki Shiba headed to Class A, while the others went to the Class E classroom.
As before, when the bell rang for class, Yunyi immediately slumped over his desk. Tatsuya Shiba and the others looked at him with some exasperation. They really didn't know what to say about him.
But when the morning classes ended and Yunyi was preparing to slip away for lunch, Tatsuya Shiba called out to him.
"Yunyi, President Saegusa wants to invite you to the Student Council room."
"Hm? Why does she want to see me again?" Yunyi scratched his head, looking reluctant.
Tatsuya Shiba didn't know why President Saegusa was doing this either. He simply held out his terminal so Yunyi could see the message she had sent.
Yunyi scratched his head helplessly. He really didn't want to have too much contact with Mayumi Saegusa right now. After all, the girl already knew a little too much, and he couldn't reveal any more.
Just as he was thinking about how to turn down the invitation, his own terminal suddenly chimed. Yunyi glanced at it, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"Sorry, Tatsuya, go on ahead. I have something to take care of. I'll be there later." Yunyi raised a hand and gestured to Tatsuya Shiba.
Tatsuya Shiba didn't think much of it. He nodded, acknowledged him, and left the classroom. At this point, only a few students besides Yunyi remained in the classroom. Yunyi answered the call and casually asked, "What happened? Why are you contacting me now?"
"You went too far. Those people are still useful alive!"
His old man's voice came through the earpiece, making Yunyi's brows knit even tighter.
"Old man, I went too far? Then what about what they did? Wasn't that going too far?!" Anger filled Yunyi's voice. He hadn't expected the old man to still be blaming him even now!
"You little brat! Do you even understand what it means to see the big picture? You have to put the big picture first! Do you know what the big picture is?!" The old man was furious too. His grandson had been attacked; how could he not be angry? But that was how the situation worked: one move could affect everything, and a single mistake could cost them the whole game!
"I don't care about the big picture! Those people and I have always been irreconcilable enemies. It's not like you don't know how many times they've pulled strings behind the scenes, and now they've even come after me over these matters. Old man, you've really disappointed me! Let me make this clear: I won't tolerate them jumping around in front of me anymore! If they dare pull anything, I'll tear them out by the roots!"
With that, Yunyi hung up without waiting for the old man to reply.
He stood at the end of the corridor, looking through the window at the crowd milling below, feeling somewhat helpless.
Ever since he could remember, words like "the big picture" and "having no choice" had often occupied his thoughts. He also knew that, when necessary, choosing to endure was the best solution. But over the past ten-odd years, he had tolerated those people too many times. Now, he no longer wanted to endure it.
"Before changing the world, do we first have to change ourselves from within?"
"What a fucking shitty world!"
Yunyi cursed under his breath, then turned and headed for the Student Council room.
By the time he arrived, the others had already started eating. At the sight of him, Mayumi Saegusa, seated at the head of the table, grew a little nervous.
Tatsuya Shiba and Suzune Ichihara, seated on either side of her, both caught the change in her demeanor. But before either could ask about it, Yunyi spoke first.
"Huh? Why do you get so nervous the moment you see me, Mayumi? Could it be..."