Chapter 149: Chapter 144: Koenji
Perhaps due to the weight of my words even the self absorbed Koenji was stunned. He looked at me as if I was mentally deranged.
"Jokes have a limit, Yamamoto Tatsuya. Make sure such nonsense never enters my ears ever again."
"Why?"
"As the heir of the Koenji group, it's my duty to ensure its honor remains intact in my presence."
Not because I want to kill your father?
Interesting.
"The reason you came to this school was to escape this duty, no?"
"You may leave." Koenji waved his hand and dismissed me, as if I was an annoying pest.
Too bad, I wasn't Ayanokoji.
"What if I made the Koenji group disappear? Would you still be so confident?"
Koenji sighed, before looking at me with a hint of intrigue, "And how will you do so?"
He very clearly did not take my words seriously and that is how it should be, if he did I'd be the one weirded out.
"By killing everyone of course."
"You seem to have a screw loose, what is the point in this meaningless conversation? Let me enjoy my precious time."
"My bad, I just wanted to give you a parting gift." I smiled and decided to test him. "I will attack you. Please defend yourself."
Perhaps because it was so sudden Koenji seemed to be confused but I could tell, all the muscles on his body began to harden as soon as heard the word 'attack'.
His eyes narrowed with a dangerous gleam.
Without waiting for a response, I closed the distance between us in a blur of motion, a step that erased the seven meters between us like it was nothing.
Koenji's instincts screamed for him to react, but by the time his mind caught up, my hand was already at his throat.
His body froze, muscles locked in place as if he were a statue. His breath hitched, but he didn't struggle.
He couldn't.
I felt his pulse under my fingers, strong but rapidly escalating with fear. Koenji knew, as surely as I did, that one wrong move—one shift, one twitch—and I would snap his neck.
Koenji's gaze was wide, disbelief flashing across his face. He couldn't comprehend how quickly the situation had escalated.
I held him there for a moment longer, savoring the stillness. Koenji's body was taut with the fight-or-flight instinct, but he was too intelligent to make a move.
Though I wondered…
Why was I even doing this?
I sighed before letting go of his neck.
Koenji rubbed his neck before looking at me gravely.
"What are you?"
Perhaps because he considered himself to be a peak human he understood how odd my existence was. Unlike Ayanokoji, he was straightforward in expressing his confusion.
"You don't have to worry, I'm… nothing but an anomaly that will be gone soon."
The upper deck didn't have many people to begin with and even if a few saw what happened it didn't matter.
Or rather, it wouldn't matter soon.
…
Soon the cruise slowed down around the island and an announcement to look at the scenery was given.
Only a few students understood the true meaning behind those words.
Horikita stood beside me and listened to the announcement with a sharp look in her eyes. "It's suspicious."
"Is it now?" I handed her a glass of orange juice.
There was no hesitation in her movements as she accepted the glass. Our relationship as friends had grown beautifully.
A few more forceful pushes and perhaps I'll have her accepting my advances.
"Surely you of all people noticed." Her beautiful crimson ruby-like eyes peered into me. I matched her gaze for a brief moment before shrugging.
"Of course, I did. However, when are you going to notice…?"
Horikita looked baffled.
"What?"
"My love for you."
"..."
Horikita sighed and ignored me. Constant teasing had made her resistant. At first she was against it but slowly she had come to enjoy it, though secretly. The care and concern I showed for her were genuine. For someone like Horikita who was fixated on superiority it surely satisfied her vanity that someone like me was after her.
Perhaps the biggest factor was the tragic backstory I had spun to throw her off.
In essence, her mind craved companionship after years of loneliness but she refused to confide in anyone less capable than her brother.
"What will you do after reaching Class A?"
"Attend University." Horikita answered before taking another sip.
"After University?"
"I don't know, live my life maybe." Horikita answered once again but I remained silent and a brief moment later she continued, "I was obsessed with reaching Class A before for certain reasons. Fortunately, everything's resolved and while I'm interested in Class A I'm no longer obsessed…" she glanced at me.
"Why not go out with me then? Why not experience what you missed out on while chasing a misunderstanding? I'm asking you seriously this time."
Horikita was stumped.
Her heart was a bundle of contradictions. That was all I could tell. She took her sweet time while gazing towards the approaching Island.
"If we come first place in the Island Exam… prove your superiority and give me a reason to believe in you."
To a normal person these words were very offensive.
The immediate thought would be-
Why should I prove myself to you?
But socially inept people like Horikita, especially for someone who was full of arrogance, these words were no more than self justification.
Horikita would never come forward and say that she liked me, that she could keep her pride down and express her affection for me.
It was impossible for someone who hadn't been conscious of the opposite sex all the while growing up. I was in fact her first experience in getting consistent male attention.
What Horikita was essentially saying was 'I like you too but please do something I know you're capable of so that I can convince myself to date you.'
"We'll officially be dating after the Island exam then huh?" I showed her a smile full of happiness and Horikita was flustered.
She turned away and snorted, "You're getting too full of yourself. The exam could go either way, don't get too happy already."
I'm sorry Horikita, but this beautiful future you're envisioning will most probably not translate to reality.
What happens to the frozen worlds after I die?
I couldn't help but ask.
[The world would return to its original track. To the time before you appeared.]
"How sad…"
"What is?" Horikita asked and I shook my head before smiling again.
"That you think I'll lose. I'll do whatever it takes to win now."
Making a cheesy statement I continued to talk all the while we reached the island.
It was time to begin.
I didn't have any intricate plan for what to do on the Island.
I was simply going to act without any reservations.
"It's time to enjoy this vacation to the fullest…" I spoke to the empty space besides me as everyone started getting off the cruise.
"I'm excited!"
A sweet melodious voice sounded from the empty space.
___________________
Read 20 Chapters Ahead of Webnovel!
Patreon.com/AlmightySkyDxddy