Chapter 3: College Is A Free World, Or So The Pretense Goes


TL: Akabane


***


The girls in suits are staring at me suspiciously when I suddenly barge in.


"Hey, are you okay?"


The girls in mine fashion looked into my face with concern. I met her blue eyes. It was such a beautiful glimmer. But I couldn't keep staring at them.


"Oh, it's okay. More than that..."


I turn my attention back to the suit girls. Trying to look as stern as possible.


"I don't think you should be messing with her, no matter how much you want to. Is that kind of thing okay at the high school you guys are from?"


"Ugh. But it's that girl's fault! It's our tradition that all the girls wear suits! She broke it!"


It's a common girls' back rule. The girls' airs and minds decide, apart from the school rules, that navy blue socks can only be worn from the second grade and above. I've never seen a case where that was still in effect after graduation. It must be a prestigious school with a long history that sends dozens of students to the Imperial University every year. I'm not from such a school, so I don't know much about it, but I heard that such schools have a network of academic cliques even after graduation, so I guess it is what it is.


"That's ridiculous. You're still a well-wisher after graduation..."


The mine girl behind me muttered. It's a terrible analogy, but I agree with her.


"What the hell are you doing! Why are you protecting that girl? Who do you think you are? You think you're a knight! You're so lame!"


"You guys are a hundred times dumber than me. You guys are a hundred times worse than me. You're just upset because of the way I'm dressed. Look around you! All the girls are dressed up! A recruit suit like yours is going to look out of place!"


Well, girls in mine-type fashion are even more out of place. I'm not going to say that.


"I mean, it's impossible! Why are you defending such a creepy guy? It's impossible! You're really creepy, helping out a delinquent girl who was always the odd out at school!"


It's so annoying when the girl in the suit comes on to me. The other two giggle.


"I see. You guys are still dragging around your high school caste! Okay, fine!"


Bully who can bully = creepy guy. Who helps creeps = creeps. Therefore, in the eyes of the girls in suits, I'm a lower-class guy. I feel like an idiot. That's the idea that works in middle school and high school, where the classroom is a cage to isolate you from freedom and a fence to protect you from the outside world. College is much more serious. Let me tell you that. I put my hands on mine girl's waist and pull her closer.


"Kya! What's going on?"


I whisper into her ear.


"You want me to make them squeal, don't you? Then just surrender yourself to me. Okay?"


"...Oh...you're confident...okay. Let me see how you do it."


"Well, when I give you the signal..."


I instruct the mine girl. Mine girl smiled and nodded at me.


"What are you sneaking up on me for! That's what's creepy about you!"


"I'm not creepy and neither is this girl. I mean, that's what you guys are doing, right? You're jealous of her, right?"


"Of course not! Screw you!"


The girls in suits are furious and their faces are turning red. I was right on target. This mine girl, if only she were beautiful, would be at the top of the caste, but she's probably an oddball, so she floats. They took advantage of that and targeted this girl. No doubt, the motive is jealousy. A face that is too beautiful makes those who see it feel inferior. That's why they attacked her and desperately tried to get rid of her. They want her to wear a suit because they want to hide her beauty as much as possible by wearing plain clothes. But that is the weapon. I trace her back a little with the fingers of the hand I had around mine girl's waist.


"Mmmm. That tickles..."


She wriggles a little, but soon she begins to do what I tell her to do.


"Ugh! Gsssshhhh! Ueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"


The mine girl made a crying face and hugged me to her chest. She's properly shedding tears. I mean, I didn't tell her to go that far, but...oh well. I was rather more dominant. After all, she's still so beautiful, even when she's crying!


"You guys suck! You guys are so bad! You guys get together and lash out at one person!"


I yelled loudly so that everyone around me could hear, and I gently patted the mine girl's head.


"Huh? She is crying? So what? We're women too. How can a woman's tears be heard by women? It's so uke!"


You don't understand that. A woman's tears are a weapon. This is the proof.


"What is it? A fight?"


"Some cute girl is crying."


"Is that her boyfriend? Isn't it cool that he's protecting her?"


"Is she being bullied? I'm so sorry."


"That blonde girl is really pretty. I'm sure she's just an ugly backstabbing girl. Oh, but she's really pretty. But she's already in the hands of a handsome guy. But she's so cute."


We began to hear whispering voices around us. And more and more people start to gather around us. They were all friendly toward us, while the girls in suits looked at us with contempt or hostility. The girls in suits were puzzled by the sudden change in atmosphere.


"You guys thought this place was still an extension of high school. If it were your almamater, this girl would remain a bully forever. If it were your almamater, she'd be a bully forever, and the boys would follow your lead, just because you strong-minded girls are so bossy. But this is a university. In college, bare lookism is the righteousness. Her face is so beautiful. That's why everyone will love her. You guys don't. You'll have to remain unrefined and sober and live in the corner of the university."


The girls in suits are turning blue in the face. They are not stupid because they can get into our university. They must have already understood the rules of the college. At college, pretty girls are always in the running. Even if they have a bad character or no intelligence, they are needed just because they have a good face. This is different from high school and middle school, where even beautiful girls are bullied if they have character or behavior problems. In the women's society at university, appearance is everything. I have my opinions, but that's the rule.


"Get out of our sight now. This is a warning. If everyone here remembers your faces, you'll be in trouble. You'll be banned from new clubs, and none of them will let you in. So get out of here before everyone remembers your faces. If you still have any smarts left, go away."


""""Hieek..."""


The suit girls quickly disappeared from our sight. They will probably go home without attending the entrance ceremony. That's good. There's probably nothing good that will happen if they stay here. And I left the place with the minefield girls in my arms.







Away from the crowd, me and mine girl were taking a break in the shade of a tree.


"You're good. You surprised me. Thank you, that was so much fun! Hmmm."


The mine girl smiles cheerfully. It's nice to be appreciated. But my heart was beeping with alarm.


"I see. Well, I'll leave you now."


After saying that and bailing, I tried to leave her. But she immediately grabbed me by the sleeve of my suit.


"Hey! Why are you trying to leave? Isn't this the kind of situation where you try to take my contact information, force me to go on a date with you, or take me to a love hotel while pushing me to owe you for saving my life? You'll never meet a beautiful girl like me again, will you?"


If you were a normal girl, I would have at least tried to get a date. But this girl is a weird one, no matter how you look at it. I've decided to live to have a sparkling youth and a happy marriage. She was having a lot of fun earlier, too. I don't want to be this kind of bad-looking woman who reeks of menshera. She may be as good as my wife on the outside, but I don't want to be with a woman who has no clue what she's really like on the inside. I don't want to get involved.


"You're a college student, so stop calling yourself a beautiful girl. You're an adult now, not a little girl."


"What? I'm still a virgin."


"What kind of mishearing is that? I didn't say that and I didn't want hear you say that!


"I didn't say that! You're helping me because you have ulterior motives, right? I know it from manga and novels that men have ulterior motives."


"You're studying the wrong material! That's not how you learn about the male heart! What you just said was just a reflexive body movement."


"Oh, really? So you're not interested in me. That means you're a gay. I'm sorry. I can't satisfy your desires...I pity on you."


"I'm not gay. You're a weirdo!"


It's amazing how self-serving she is all the way through. She deserves to be bullied, don't you think? Was I wrong to help her?


"Hey, Gay-senpai. The ceremony is about to start, let's go together."


"No, I'm fine on my own."


'You saved me, but you don't want to take care of me until the end? If you leave me here alone now, I'll say, "You made me cry earlier, you poor thing! I'll listen to you and the next thing I knew, I was in a love hotel.... I can't believe I just walked into college and a guy walked in on me!""


"Haha! You have too much imagination. And your sex talk is so bad!"


"If you're on the side of justice, you should take care of women until the end! Come on! Escort me to the entrance ceremony! And tell me something funny next to me because I get bored when the big guys are giving speeches! I hate boredom!"


"What if I say no?"


"If you refuse, I'll cry as hard as I can and shred you with the blade of justice."


"Girls are so unfair! Okay, I'll go to the entrance ceremony with you."


"Yes! Nice to meet you, I'm Ayashiro Himena. If you want to feel a subtle sense of distance, call me Ayashiro, and if you want to be flirtatious and take a chance, call me Hime-chan."


Is it my imagination or does it look like she teasing me with her eyes? Well, I guess I won't be calling her by first name. It's just for today anyway.


"That's definitely not a one-chance deal. I'll call you Ayashiro. I'm Kanahisa Tokiwa. Please call me whatever you like."


"Okay, the impotent Kana-chan."


"Hey, f*ck you! I'm not impotent! And Kana-chan? Stop it!"


I really don't want to be impotent. I became impotent during my first round because my wife cheated on me. That was really painful. The pain of having to take erectile drugs is beyond description. I'm seriously glad I got cured when I got younger in this world in the second chance.


"Come on, let's go, Tokiwa. We'd better not be late! Hmmm."


Ayashiro walked away from my protests, smiling a happy smile.


"What a pain in the ass."


I walked next to Ayashiro and we entered the entrance ceremony hall.



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