The smile on Ryouma's face remained unchanged as he replied with a slightly helpless expression.
"Koenji, I think it'd be better not to bring our families' disputes into school. After all, we're going to spend the next three years in the same class. Even if we can't get along, we should at least try not to interfere with each other. How does that sound?"
Hearing Ryouma's explanation, Chiaki and the others immediately understood.
'Oh, so it's a family dispute!'
If their conflict stemmed from their families, then everything suddenly made sense.
In fact, Koenji now appeared to be the unreasonable one who couldn't see the bigger picture.
Of course, given his extreme narcissism, Koenji probably wouldn't care about such things anyway.
And once Chiaki and the others had accepted what they believed was a reasonable explanation, any further arguments would sound weak and unconvincing.
Even if Koenji revealed Ryouma's past right here and now, he would only appear aggressive and overbearing.
He might even be accused of making false accusations.
Although Ryouma's words appeared conciliatory on the surface, they had actually left Koenji with no room to maneuver.
At this point, anything Koenji said would be wrong.
After all, Ryouma had already gathered a certain number of supporters around himself.
Koenji understood that perfectly well.
"Not interfere with each other? Amakawa Ryouma, your credibility with me is precisely zero."
He snorted coldly.
Whether it was explaining himself or seeking other people's approval, both were ugly behaviors.
And ugliness was not beautiful.
Although Koenji was well aware of Ryouma's capabilities, he had no intention of fearing him.
After saying that, Koenji didn't bother leaving the classroom.
Instead, he continued admiring his own magnificent reflection in the mirror he held.
'As long as he wasn't embarrassed, everyone else could be embarrassed in his place.'
Ryouma didn't bother responding either. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
After Koenji's interruption, the classroom fell silent once again.
Chiaki leaned forward slightly, looking up at Ryouma from below.
Her posture made her appear rather adorable.
Choosing the perfect moment to change the subject, she asked curiously,
"Koenji-kun is the heir to the Koenji conglomerate, right? Does that mean you're rich too, Amakawa-kun? Don't tell me you're actually the heir to the Amakawa conglomerate! Just kidding~"
As she spoke the last few words, Chiaki waved her hand downward, casually brushing off the question as a joke.
After all, the Amakawa family was simply too powerful.
Their conglomerate had influence across virtually every industry in Japan.
If Ryouma really was the heir to that family, he would practically be the perfect catch.
He would fit Chiaki's standards for an ideal romantic partner almost perfectly.
"Well..."
Ryouma looked a little embarrassed.
He raised his index finger to his lips.
"Make sure you keep it a secret from the other classes, okay?"
Of course, something like this couldn't actually be kept secret.
It was merely a social tactic.
Sharing a secret was an excellent way to quickly shorten the distance between himself and these girls.
"Seriously?!"
"The Amakawa conglomerate?! That's amazing!"
The girls who had already gathered around Ryouma moved even closer, practically pressing themselves against him.
The way they looked at him was almost like predators eyeing their prey.
The atmosphere in the classroom quickly improved once again.
Hirata instantly breathed a sigh of relief before turning his attention toward a boy with dyed red hair.
"Well then, our next—"
After saying that, the red-haired boy slung his schoolbag over his shoulder and marched straight out of the classroom.
Several students who had no interest in introducing themselves followed him out.
Ryouma remembered that this guy's name was probably Ken Sudo.
He was quite the hotheaded fellow.
"What's his problem?"
"No, it's not his fault. I'm the one who was wrong for asking everyone to introduce themselves without consulting them first."
In response to the classmates defending him, Hirata simply smiled and took all the blame upon himself.
"That's not true! You didn't do anything wrong, Hirata-kun! Just ignore someone like that. Let's continue, okay?"
"Yeah. In that case—!"
At his classmates' urging, Hirata turned his attention toward the next student.
However, just as he was about to speak, Ryouma interrupted him apologetically.
"Hirata, I've got something personal to take care of, so I'd like to leave early. Is that alright?"
"Of course! Personal matters are important too. If there's anything you need help with, feel free to discuss it with everyone. What do you guys think?"
"Of course! If you're ever in trouble, just let us know, Amakawa-kun!"
Hirata responded with a smile, and the girls in the classroom immediately voiced their agreement.
Ryouma smiled and nodded before turning around and walking out of the classroom.
However, perhaps due to the butterfly effect, Suzune Horikita, who should have already left by now, was still in the classroom.
Horikita tightened her grip on the compass in her hand.
The sharp metal needle gleamed with a chilling white light.
Staring at Ryouma's retreating back, Horikita immediately followed him out.
'I won't feel better until I stab him at least once!'