I (30), Who Works for a Black Company and Died While Regretting My Gloomy Life, Started Over From High School! - Chapter 26

26 A handsome man who thinks he’s a prince is trying to mess with me.

I walked slowly through the school, where the atmosphere of excitement had vanished after the cultural festival ended.

Although my muscles were aching the day after all the hard work I had put in to avoid trouble at the takoyaki cafe, the pain was gone in less than two days thanks to the resilience of my youthful body.

(It’s over, … it was more fun than I had expected, but it was also very exhausting. The position appointed by Kazamihara’s friend was called the advisor of the cultural festival committee, but in reality it was mostly supervision of everyone in the class.)

I fell asleep in the classroom the night after the festival after-party was over, mainly due to my accumulated fatigue.

The next day I learned that Shijoin-san had stayed behind with me in the classroom while everyone else left to let me rest a little longer.

That kindness was one of the reasons why I fell for her, but at the same time I felt bad for making Shijoin-san wait while I was sleeping soundly.

(Come to think of it, I was still half asleep because I didn’t get enough sleep when Shijoin-san woke me up, so my memory at that time was a little vague. I’m pretty sure I had some kind of weird dream, and for some reason I felt very warm and happy while I was sleeping. …)

Later on, I thanked Shijoin-san and for some reason she closed her mouth and suddenly turned red when I asked why I slept so well. It seemed like there was something soft against my head, even though I was lying on the floor. …it was really mysterious.

At any rate, the festival was over and the school was in a studying mood as the final exams were around the corner.

And it was at that time, when a man with a different worldview suddenly approached me.

“You should know your place.”

“What?”

It was during lunch break.

A male student suddenly approached me and started spouting off nonsense while I was standing in the hallway.

(Who is this guy? He’s quite handsome…)

The first impression I had of him was that he was an egotistical handsome guy that you would normally see in a shoujo manga.

He’s tall and arrogant, with a gaze that naturally looks down on others.

The entire atmosphere is ornate and unpredictable.

“What’s with that reaction? You’re Nihama, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, but… who are you?”

“What? You don’t know who I am? This is why I’m sick of small fry like you. There’s a limit to how ignorant you can be.”

Haaaaahhh?

Who cares about the name of a guy from another class who isn’t even my friend? Are you stupid?

“I’m Hayato Mitsurugi, a second year student. If I say that I am the eldest son of the Mitsurugi family, you would know what I mean.”

(Mitsurugi …? Could it be that Mitsurugi family?)

It’s a well-known and influential family in this area, and they are the main owners of the famous Mitsurugi Group, which has many subsidiaries and affiliated companies.

It seems that this guy is the young master of their family.

(Back in my previous life, I heard about a rich kid going to this school but I’ve never met him even once, and I had no idea that he had such an annoying personality.)

I remembered Ginji and the others talking about him in my present life.

He’s not only wealthy, but he’s also a perfect superhuman who can study, and play sports. He is also popular with the girls.

(But the content of his personality reveals that he is a complete a**h*le… and he’s at the top of the school caste.)

In addition to being tall and handsome, his family owns a group of companies that operate locally, and he excels in both the arts and sciences. You can say that he is the best student within this school.

“So what? What do you mean by what you said earlier?”

“Obviously it’s about Haruka.”

What? …! Hey you!

What did you just call her, you b*st*rd! ……!

“Stay away from her. She’s not the kind of girl you should be getting close with.”

“What? Why do I need to hear that from you?”

“Don’t you understand? It’s a sin for someone like you to be with Haruka.”

Mitsurugi said it as if he was teaching common sense to a stupid child.

“Look. People like you who have poor faces, no brains, and no money are ‘bottom-feeders’. People like me and Haruka, who have it all, are the ‘top’. If a bug was flying around a beautiful flower, who wouldn’t want to get rid of it?”

I already knew that he was an egotist, but what he just said was beyond arrogant.

He is like a villainous aristocrat who discriminates against the commoner protagonist in a fantasy novel.

“So, why should I stay away from Shijoin-san? You’re not even her boyfriend, what is your right to say that?”

“Hmmp, … Haruka will eventually become my woman.”

“I see… so you were trying to get her attention… and now you are frustrated because she didn’t care about you at all.”

“… You!!”

After I muttered inaudibly, Mitsurugi glared at me with a bitter look on his face.

Apparently, I was completely right.

My sister called it the “creepy rule,” the law set by the boys around Shijoin-san, that anyone who confesses will be interrupted. However those who’re at the top of the school caste that the others can’t go against can get close to her.

And this guy, who belongs to the top of the caste, probably tried to woo Shijoin-san, but he was treated as a joke and got frustrated.

“Anyway, the answer to your request is no.”

“What? What are you talking about? How can a small fry like you turn down my request?”

No, no, no, no, no, ‘What are you talking about’ is my line.

What kind of logic circuit does this guy have?

He’s no longer just a dangerous guy.

(Oh, ……, I’ve seen this sort of guy from time to time when I was still a company slave. For example, a man who works as a director just because he is the son of the president, or a man who is highly educated and has walked the path of the elite. )

It’s rare to find a person with such a sense of privilege, but even in my social experience, there have been people who are egotistical to the point of being unreasonably self-centered and always looked down on others.

Yes, for example–

『My father is an executive! Just because I’m a newcomer doesn’t mean I have to be told what to do by a section chief!　You’re supposed to treat me like my father!』

『You a bottom-feeder Japanese who are employed by me, a rich and high-ranking Japanese, should be aware that you’re slaves! The men are my soldiers and the women are like my concubines who I keep around!』

『Do you understand? I’m a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, and I’m ranked differently than the likes of you, no matter how uneducated you are.』

…… and well, that’s how it was.

They are convinced that they are superior beings – aristocrats, if you will, and that the people around them are inferior plebs.

In addition to having a good appearance and being popular with girls, they can also study and play sports, so no one can complain about them at the academic level. That’s why he’s so conceited.

It’s not unusual for someone who grew up in an environment where there were no setbacks or reprimands to become arrogant.

However, it’s rare for someone to be so arrogant and impudent.

He is no longer just a nobleman, he seems to think of himself as a prince or something.

“I don’t care. You may think you’re great, but I don’t think so at all. So I won’t listen to you. That’s all.”

“You ……! How dare you speak to me like that when you’re just a small fry!”

Because of the mechanics of the school caste, most of the students would have gone along with it like peasants under the glare of a nobleman.

But I am not fazed by such things.

Back in my previous high school life, I used to be afraid of guys with handsome faces and excellent athletic abilities, as if they were God’s chosen stars, but when I stepped out into society, I’ve learned that those things don’t hold much importance, and I’m used to dealing with rude guys like him.

“You small fry with no manners…! I heard that you and Haruka were together at the festival and I just came to warn you so that you wouldn’t get the wrong idea. …. I never thought you’d be this stupid!”

Oh, I see.

I wondered why he suddenly came to me, but I guess it was triggered by me and Shijoin-san being together at the cultural festival.

In game terms, spending the festival with Shijoin-san triggered a flag, and this guy who I hadn’t had any contact with in my previous life appeared in front of me.

“You …… play a game against me.”

“What …?”

“Anything will do, but since …… we have a final exam coming up, I think we’ll go with that. It’s fairer than sports, right?”

“What’s that? …… Why do I have to do that?”

I was expecting him to get riled up and beat me up, but it turned out to be a competition.

I don’t understand how an overly self-conscious person’s thought process works.

“You’re too stupid. You have no idea that you are trash and that there is a ‘superior’ being like me.”

He kept looking at me as if he was looking at a pest.

“Someone like you, who doesn’t understand the rules of the world, needs to be defeated in a visible way so that you can understand your position. I’m telling you, I will personally educate the foolish small fry.”

It seems that he is serious about every word he says.

Oh, … I see.

I think I can see the reason why he asked for a match.

So he wants to beat me in some kind of game and make me feel defeated so that I’ll give up.

“And the …… bet is Haruka.”

“What ……?”

“The loser must never approach her again. …… That’s the condition.”

“Haaaaaaah!

It was a bomb-like penalty that he announced with a broad grin.

This guy! He’ s trying to “educate” me and get rid of an obstacle at the same time!

“No thanks! Who will accept that kind of game?”

“Shut up. I’m not asking for your consent.”

What …?

What the f*ck is he talking about?

“You don’t have the right to refuse. ……! You can’t run away when I’ve decided to fight you!　You’ll have to compete with me in the final exam, and according to the rules of losers, you’ll never be able to get close to Haruka again! This has been already decided!”

“What the hell are you talking about? You can’t have a game or a bet without a mutual agreement!”

“I don’t need your agreement! There’s nothing better than my decision!”

Without any hesitation, Mitsurugi says, as if he really believes it.

His words were more than just messed up.

He believes that he is always in the right, and is incapable of understanding a word from what others say.

“Well, do your best to put up a futile resistance. It’s not like I’m going to lose.”

He smiled thinly and walked off down the corridor with a big stride, as if the conversation was over.

I can only stare in amazement at how things have turned out.

“… what the hell is that guy …?”

Even in my previous life, when I was a company slave, It’s not uncommon for someone to say, “I’ve made my decision, just follow it!” but I’ve never seen anyone unilaterally decide on a promise or contract that requires mutual agreement.

Well, there were people who faked promises, saying, ‘I left that document to you because Nihama said he’d finish it by the deadline!’

(Now, …. How should I deal with him …?)

Naturally, all second-year students have to take the final exam, so Mitsurugi and I are obliged to get a mark.

But I didn’t exactly agree with his game, so even if I lose to him, I don’t have to abide by his rules about never approaching Shijoin-san again.

So, it’s fine to ignore the promise. ……

(Well, …… if that guy wins, he will probably make a fuss, and he will try to get rid of me from Shijoin-san’s side by pretending to make promises I didn’t actually agree to.)

“It’s not like there’s any penalty for losing anyway, but it’s annoying. …… So should I try to win?”

Even if he wins, I don’t think it will satisfy him, but if he loses it will at least eliminate the reason for him to make a fuss.

(And …… honestly, that guy pisses me off.)

The confidence on Mitsurugi’s face as he smiled thinly while leaving the scene was overwhelming.

It’s the face of someone who doesn’t think that they will ever lose.

(F**king rude and insanely arrogant. …… That was the type of person I hated the most.)

I was a loser in my previous life.

Since I was a little kid, I’ve never beaten anyone in studies, sports, or love.

So I got into the habit of thinking that challenging someone meant losing, and that became my norm.

That’s why I’ve always avoided the idea of competition.

But now I have the desire to make him bark….

“Okay, …… I’ve decided. I got a no-risk challenge. I will not accept the challenge, but I will still participate in the fight.”

I, a loser who has always been losing, will challenge a winner who has always been winning.

“And if I’m going to fight, there’s no other choice but to win.”

My oath of victory echoed softly in the empty hallway.