SCIAW: Chapter 385/386

Chapter 385: The World Is Very Small

"Ordinary?"

Yukiji widened her eyes and scrutinized the boy standing in front of her.

His slightly curly bangs covered the upper half of his face, thick glasses hid the middle, and only the lower half was visible. It was difficult to tell what he really looked like.

His height was around 170 centimeters—neither tall nor short. Compared to other good-looking boys his age, he was middle of the pack at best.

His clothing looked plain. Nothing high-end. From what she could see, the total cost of his outfit—including outerwear and shoes—probably didn't exceed 10,000 to 20,000 yen.

He looked completely ordinary.

His demeanor wasn't particularly striking either. Even just standing there, he didn't seem to draw much attention.

By both appearance and presence, he didn't stand out.

Even Yukiji's sixth sense told her this boy was just a regular guy.

And yet, it was because of that intuition that she felt something was off.

"Teacher Yukiji Katsura, do I seem extraordinary to you?"

There was no sarcasm in Ren's voice. Not even a hint of mockery. But that calmness only made Yukiji feel more unsettled.

"No, you feel normal. But that's what's so weird."

Ren inwardly admired Yukiji's intuition, though outwardly he wore only a mildly surprised expression.

"But if I'm really that ordinary, how can you still find me strange? Your statement contradicts itself."

"My normality shouldn't feel abnormal."

Yukiji locked eyes with him.

Her instincts and logic both told her the boy in front of her was just a regular person. But the more she thought that, the more her mind screamed that something about him was off.

"Strangeness…"

The deeper she thought about it, the more confused she became. Everything pointed to him being ordinary—and yet, the feeling that he wasn't wouldn't go away.

It was strange.

Hinagiku felt the same.

And not just Hinagiku. All five student council members present shared that exact sensation.

They could all objectively confirm he seemed like an average person—but for some reason, that conclusion didn't sit right with them.

Ren didn't elaborate. He just smiled faintly and shook his head.

"There's nothing strange about it. You're just wondering how someone like me ended up surrounded by a bunch of elite young ladies. So you think I must be an extra, right?"

An extra?

The six girls exchanged confused glances.

"I mean, I don't belong to this world of high society. But my girlfriend does. So, I got pulled into it along with her."

Ren's explanation froze the girls' thoughts for a second. But after a moment of reflection, it actually made sense.

If Ren's girlfriend was one of the wealthy daughters, then it stood to reason he'd end up attending the same parties.

It was a simple and plausible explanation.

Just when the others seemed satisfied with that logic, Kasumi Aika's mind suddenly froze.

Wait. Something's not right.

Thinking back to how excited Sakuya had been earlier… how she had clearly wanted to talk to her privately about something important… it all clicked.

If this guy really were ordinary, Sakuya wouldn't have reacted that strongly over something like a watch.

Seeing that the others—including Hinagiku—seemed to have accepted the explanation, Aika felt even more alert.

She looked at the boy in front of her with surprise.

She didn't fully understand the situation yet, but it was obvious to her that the shift in perception among the others was because of him.

Still, she stayed silent.

She wasn't sure what had happened exactly, but Sakuya's attitude was the biggest clue.

That alone proved this boy wasn't ordinary—he was beyond ordinary.

Aika looked away.

In other words, the reason Hinagiku and the others felt the way they did was because they hadn't realized their perceptions had been altered.

Was it suggestion? Hypnosis?

Kasumi Aika was curious. She also vaguely realized that Sakuya had something important to share with her later.

Click.

The sound of the door opening behind them broke the strange atmosphere.

The six girls turned to see five unfamiliar faces walk in.

"Ah!"

The only one who recognized someone was Hanabishi Miki.

Her eyes locked onto Fujiwara Chika.

"Chika?! What are you doing here?!"

"Hmm? Miki?"

Fujiwara Chika blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected to run into a familiar face here.

"You're here too? Oh, so you were invited to the birthday party as well."

She hadn't expected to see someone she knew.

Hanabishi Miki was equally puzzled.

"Aren't you from Shuchiin… did you transfer schools?"

"Yeah, two months ago. I found out Kaguya transferred, so I decided to go to the same school as her."

Chika spoke casually, then reached over to hold Kaguya's hand.

Hanabishi Miki stared at her for a moment, then eventually sighed.

"That really is something you'd do."

Knowing her well, Miki wasn't even surprised anymore. Fujiwara Chika's thoughts often made no sense—but once you knew her, you got used to it.

Her best friend transferred schools, so she transferred to follow her.

It sounded absurd, but coming from Chika, it somehow felt... normal.

"Didn't your mom and dad object?"

Given what Miki knew, Chika's parents were pretty strict.

"They did. But Grandpa and Granddad were fine with it."

Chika beamed.

That answer left Miki speechless.

Honestly, that probably was how things worked in Chika's family.

The Fujiwara family was deeply embedded in politics. Most members were part of the system, and the family's ties ran far deeper than hers. The elders had far more authority than the parents.

So, if Chika said her grandfathers approved, that was probably all it took.

Miki also knew that the three Fujiwara sisters were all especially favored by the elders. Given their wealth and independence, the Fujiwara family didn't rely on arranged marriages for status. Their daughters had the freedom to live how they pleased.

For someone like Chika, transferring schools for a friend wasn't much of a problem.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 386: Who Likes Who Is Easy to See

"Suzuki Sonoko, Mouri Ran, Shinomiya Kaguya, Hayasaka Ai, and Fujiwara Chika."

After a quick round of introductions, those names were no longer unfamiliar.

As the second daughter of the Suzuki conglomerate, Sonoko was already known by some in this group of mostly second-generation elites. Besides, the Suzuki Zaibatsu was currently celebrating its 60th anniversary. There were few among the wealthy who hadn't at least heard of them.

This was especially true for Kaguya and Hayasaka.

Anyone from the upper-class circles would naturally be aware of the major changes happening within the Shinomiya conglomerate. It had even become a common topic of dinner conversation among business families.

And of course, in the Fujiwara family, where generations had been involved in politics, such matters were discussed with even more nuance. Politics, after all, was inseparable from business.

By contrast, ordinary people like Mouri Ran and Ren stood out at this banquet as outliers.

Ren glanced at the time on his phone.

"It's about time. Nagi, come with me. Miss Saginomiya should be waking up soon."

"Oh!"

Upon hearing that Isumi was about to wake up, Nagi immediately leapt up from her seat.

The two quietly exited through the side hall.

The ones who remained exchanged looks of confusion.

"Miss Sakuya, this Saginomiya that Ren mentioned… is she ill?"

Kasumi Aika couldn't help but ask curiously.

"Ah, Isumi? She caught a cold yesterday. Took some medicine and has been sleeping all day, so I need to go wake her."

Aizawa Sakuya replied casually, but Aika could immediately detect the overly rehearsed tone in her response.

Clearly, there was something unusual about Miss Isumi.

Kasumi Aika recalled some past interactions with Saginomiya Isumi and held back her curiosity. Even then, she'd noticed Isumi had some strange traits—though now it seemed there was another mysterious layer to her.

Click.

Not long after the door closed, it opened again. This time, Maria, Tachibana Wataru, and Kijima Saki entered.

"Oh? Wataru, long time no see. You finally crawled out of that video store of yours?"

Sakuya grinned teasingly, but Wataru wasn't offended. After all, they had known each other for a long time—and today was her birthday.

"The video store is under renovation. Thanks to that art-loving explosives maniac who set off a bomb across the street, half the store was damaged."

Tachibana sighed. The already modest family business had taken a big hit.

This renovation wasn't just cosmetic. It required replacing most of the old equipment, meaning the cost was more than just shattered windows.

After that incident, Wataru had decided to install the thickest, most durable, super-hard, bulletproof glass available.

Most stores wouldn't go that far. But considering what had happened once, who could guarantee it wouldn't happen again?

If something like that occurred a second time, he wouldn't be able to afford to repair everything again—he wasn't rich.

And for a humble video store, his family background was anything but wealthy.

After venting, Wataru glanced around the side hall, spotting some familiar faces—and a few he didn't recognize. But the one he most wanted to see wasn't among them.

"No need to stare. Isumi is still resting in her room. She's not here."

Aizawa Sakuya directly exposed Wataru's intentions without mercy.

"Wha—what?! You think I'm here to see Isumi? No way! I'm here to see Nagi!"

Tachibana's face flushed as he scrambled to deny it.

"Young master, didn't you just watch Miss Nagi walk out with that boy from the store?"

Kijima Saki's deadpan statement only made Wataru's face go even redder.

Sakuya, who had been watching the drama unfold, burst out laughing.

"See? You can't even come up with a convincing excuse. Every time you show up at Nagi's place, isn't it always because you want to see Isumi?"

Too bad for him, Saginomiya Isumi had never seen him as a member of the opposite sex. Sakuya honestly felt a bit sorry for Wataru, who was clearly wasting his time.

Isumi was easy to read. If she liked a boy, she'd show it. Despite being shy, she was emotionally transparent.

Sakuya had known Isumi for a long time. That's why she had long realized that Wataru's affection would never be reciprocated.

And she also had a good idea why Isumi never saw Wataru that way.

Young. Hot-tempered. Impulsive. A typical immature boy.

While Sakuya didn't know exactly what kind of guy Isumi did like, she knew for sure it wasn't someone like Wataru.

"Eh? He likes Isumi?"

The love-obsessed gossip detective, Fujiwara Chika, immediately perked up and pulled out a detective cap from… somewhere.

"Yup."

Sakuya, catching Wataru's beet-red face, smirked and confirmed it.

"He's liked Isumi for a long time. It's not anything new."

"Ehhh~?"

Chika's eyes sparkled with the thrill of a romantic plot.

"What about Isumi?"

"Isumi…"

Sakuya murmured, then shook her head.

"She's never reacted to Wataru in any special way."

That single sentence hit Tachibana like a rock.

It confirmed his one-sided feelings.

"Isumi's a very traditional girl. She doesn't even like wearing skirts—because she thinks they're too flimsy and distracting for physical training."

"She has a great personality, and she's very shy. But because of that, if she likes someone, it's incredibly easy to tell."

Yeah... that's true. Wataru, disheartened, also realized what Sakuya said made sense.

If Isumi liked someone, it'd be obvious.

"Yeah. Isumi really is like that."

Chika nodded, recalling how Isumi acted in battle—shy, gentle, soft-spoken.

Very classical. Very reserved and introverted.

When a girl like that falls for someone, it's easy to notice.

Almost unconsciously, Fujiwara Chika's gaze drifted to Shinomiya Kaguya.

Just like Kaguya.

(To be continued.)