As I walked through the school, exchanging greetings with people, there was one man who was drawing a rather unusual amount of attention.
He wore a red scarf that had to be longer than he was tall.
If you walk through the halls letting it flutter gently so it never touches the ground, there’s no way people won’t do a double-take.
And if you add a beautiful, silver-haired maid walking diagonally behind you, it’s as if you’re practically begging everyone to look at you.
However, the gazes fixed on him weren’t friendly, and the whispers surrounding him were far from cheers of joy.
“Why is he even at school?”
“If he doesn’t want to study, he shouldn’t even bother coming.”
I could hear these insults murmured all around me.
As far as I could tell, the main source of these voices seemed to be the LLL—Ludi’s Imperial Fan Knights, the Love Love Ludivine-sama club.
People are quite simple.
When rumors spread, they tend to view things through a biased lens.
In this case, rumors labeling him an “underachiever,” a “delinquent,” and a “playboy” had been circulating about Takioto, so those filters were firmly in place.
And when viewed through that filter, the “underachiever” aspect gets heavily emphasized.
Unfortunately, there’s no avoiding it.
From an objective standpoint, Takioto is a bad student with poor attendance who dresses like a frivolous playboy.
And those who hear these rumors end up believing them.
Even if the truth is different, it effectively becomes the truth if the majority of people think that way.
In other words, to the school, Takioto is an “underachiever.”
This was especially true for the LLL, who formed the core of the hostility toward him.
They simply couldn’t forgive a lowly underachiever for getting so close to Ludi.
A few members of the LLL argued, “We should respect Ludi-sama’s wishes,” but they were a very small minority.
The guy currently blocking his path was probably a member of the LLL.
“Should I just tell him to his face?” he muttered, furrowing his brows, while his two lackeys nodded along with the eager faces of perfectly well-behaved sycophants.
I didn’t know who they were, but I could infer that the one speaking so arrogantly was likely a noble from some foreign country.
The academy’s rules dictated that all students were equal, regardless of nationality or social status.
Therefore, even nobles and royalty weren’t supposed to flaunt their power.
In public, at least.
But that wasn’t always how things worked behind closed doors.
If they were nobles from the same country and knew each other, a hierarchical relationship was established from the start.
They inevitably looked at the Saint and the Princesses through a lens of reverence, viewing them as beings above the clouds.
The Three Committees were the sole exception to this.
There weren’t many of them at this school, but depending on the person, nobles often had massive egos.
They tried to force things to go their way, and if they didn’t, they would get angry and, in some cases, harass the other party.
That perfectly described their current reaction to Takioto.
It was evident in their glares and their words.
It seemed that people had started directly confronting Takioto, telling him to stay away from Ludi.
Just like the guy who had just walked up to him to say his piece.
Honestly, I wouldn’t have minded if they just settled it with a duel, but the ban on duels for first-year students was still strictly in effect.
Besides, it was obvious Takioto would win overwhelmingly if they fought, which would probably just provoke them even more.
However, no matter what the people around him thought, Takioto was still Takioto.
I knew the truth.
I knew he was a trustworthy and sincere person.
The more I got to know him, the more drawn to him I became.
As Takioto was saying something to Nanami with a slightly exasperated expression, the aforementioned noble approached him.
Takioto glanced at them but continued talking to Nanami without paying them any mind.
Then the noble called out to him.
I was ready to step in if things got ugly, but it turned out to be completely unnecessary.
Takioto silenced Nanami with a look and addressed the nobles with his usual carefree smile.
The nobles were furious at first, but eventually, they calmed down and walked away from Takioto and Nanami, muttering curses under their breath.
And then, as if nothing had happened, Takioto started bickering with Nanami.
Just like always, the two of them had launched into their comedic banter.
“So what are we doing about fried eggs?
“Soy sauce is certainly hard to abandon, but the absolute best for daily use is the ‘Nanami Special’.”
“What the heck is the Nanami Special?
This Nanami Special!”
“You don’t know about the Nanami Special!?”
“I dooooon’t know!
Let me be perfectly clear, I don’t even know the first thing about it!”
As I walked up to them, Takioto and Nanami turned to me and smiled.
“Oh, Senpai?”
“Good morning, Yukine-sama.”
As she said that, Nanami pulled out something that looked like a small whiteboard, keeping it hidden from Takioto’s view.
Written on it was an explanation of the Nanami Special, along with a plea for my cooperation.
I knew exactly what Nanami was trying to do.
I felt a little bad for Takioto, but I decided to help her out.
“If I remember correctly, the Nanami Special is a secret extract aged overnight with a blend of special spices,” I said smoothly.
“Why do you know that, Senpai!?”
I laughed at his reaction.
Obviously, I had no idea what it was either.
“Wait, what is this Nanami extract?
Is it related to clam extract!?”
“You don’t have to sound so flustered about it…”
“Why are you getting shy about something like this…?”
What on earth was this Nanami extract?
No, it was better not to ask.
We didn’t need to confuse Takioto any more than he already was.
“Well, putting that aside.
Good morning, Takioto.
Good morning to you too, Nanami.”
Perhaps because I was a member of the Public Morals Committee, my presence drew even more stares.
I urged the two of them to keep moving and started walking alongside them.
“What happened with that guy just now?”
When I asked, Takioto shrugged, acting like it was no big deal.
“He came to tell me to my face that I’m a bad influence on Ludi.”
He shrugged his shoulders as he said it.
It was exactly what I had expected.
According to him, that guy had rattled off a whole list of complaints: his attitude toward classes was terrible, he never attended afternoon lectures, he acted far too freely on campus like he owned the place, and he was a nuisance to the students who were studying seriously.
“What did you think when you heard all that?”
“I certainly thought some of it was true.
I do skip morning and afternoon classes.
But that doesn’t mean I’m doing anything that causes trouble for other people.”
“Frankly, their paranoia is just awful,” Nanami chimed in.
Exactly as she said.
“But it all depends on Ludi,” Takioto continued.
“Of course, I wouldn’t go near her if she truly hated it.
But just as I trust Ludi, I feel like she trusts me too, you know?”
Did Ludi trust Takioto?
That was obvious.
“I can guarantee that,” I said.
“And that goes for you too, Senpai, you know?”
“Trust, huh…
Takioto, you do get a little out of control sometimes.
Takioto smiled bitterly as I teased him.
“Of course, I’m just joking.
Even taking that into account, I trust you.”
When I said that, Takioto grinned, showing his teeth in a happy smile.
He looked incredibly endearing.
Takioto usually gave off the impression of a playboy.
That applied to his clothes, but also to his generally frivolous, joking demeanor.
However, when it really mattered, his expression turned serious, and above all, he became incredibly reliable.
“Ah, Senpai.”
Takioto smiled as he said that, looking right at me.
“I’m making my preparations.
From now on, I’m going to pull off something that will surprise you to your very core.”
Pull off something that would surprise me?
“To be honest, it’s going to be incredibly difficult.
I might even fail—that just shows how hard it is.
But it’s absolutely necessary.
It’s something I have to do.
I think that’s why I’m in this situation right now.
So please, watch me.”
Saying that, he thumped his own chest.
“Watch the me from now on.
The me who is going to become the strongest in the world.”
He laughed as he said it.
I had no idea what he was planning.
Even if I asked, I felt like he would just dodge the question.
And he had said he might fail.
But why did he think that?
I couldn’t see a single future where he would fail.
He was supported by Director Hanamura Marino and Hanamura Hatsumi-sensei, who were his family.
He also had Ludi, Nanami, and Claris-dono.
Seeing him blessed with such an incredible environment, fully aware of his own talents, and working so honestly and tirelessly, I could only see a future of success for him.
It seemed dazzling and bright.
He and Nanami walked off in a different direction from the school building.
Watching them go, a sudden thought struck me.
They looked the same as always, but for some reason, I felt like the distance between the two of them had shrunk.
What had happened between Nanami and Takioto?
I could sense an invisible bond of trust between them.
“The strongest in the world, huh.”
As I continued to watch them walk away, my sister suddenly popped into my mind.
“I’m not a genius.
If you want to make me out to be one that badly, just admit it.
Yukine, you’re a genius too.”
Was it because I had been talking to Takioto?
Lately, I had been remembering my sister quite a bit.
“You can be stronger than anyone else.
Believe in yourself.
Believe that you can be the very best in this world.
And then aim for it.”
“In my place…
huh.”