Ren wasn't bothered by Koenji's misinterpretation of his speech. In fact, he was targeting everyone in Class D equally; Koenji had simply volunteered to be the primary target. If the man wanted to take it personally, Ren was happy to let him. More hatred was always a good thing. As for any real-world consequences from the Koenji chaebol after he left school? He'd leave that problem to the almighty [Invincible Luck]. An "invincible" power ought to be able to handle a few enemies.
Seeing that no one else was going to interrupt, he continued his self-introduction. The "Koenji Rokusuke Template" was complete. Next up was the "Ike Kanji Template."
"Although I just said such unpleasant things," he began, his tone shifting to one of greasy confidence, "I don't actually hate all of you. I only hate boys who are more handsome than me and girls who don't like me. I know you want to say I'm handsome, and I agree. As for a girlfriend, my standards are very broad. Cute, cool, sexy, beautiful... I'm not picky. I'll take one of each."
First, he insulted the appearance of every boy in the room. Then came the narcissism. Finally, the scumbag declaration of wanting a harem. It was a more potent version of everything Ike had said earlier, and it was met with a fresh wave of intense hatred from both the boys and the girls.
With no further interruptions, Ren seamlessly transitioned into his final act: the "Yamauchi Haruki Template."
"As for my talents," he said, puffing out his chest, "the list of honors is long. In elementary school, I represented the UK in the Asian Middle School Swimming League held in Africa and won the American College Tennis Championship. In middle school, I won the All-Asia World Chess Championship to claim the highest honor in flying chess. I was forced to give up my promising football career due to an unfortunate brain injury. Otherwise, I would have become the great hope for the world's feline sports."
The speech was a masterpiece of nonsensical gibberish, an even more powerful version of Yamauchi's pathetic lies. It treated the audience as complete fools.
His self-introduction finally complete, Ren looked out at the venomous glares directed at him from every corner of the room and nodded with deep satisfaction. The effect was outstanding. He knew he was good at copying answers.
No one else noticed, but upon hearing Ren's subsequent rambling, Koenji seemed to understand something. "How boring," he whispered, losing all interest.
After the self-introduction, the last period of the day, a self-study class, dragged on. The moment the bell rang, Ren shot up from his seat, ready to leave. After a few steps, he remembered something and turned back, clapping Ayanokouji on the shoulder.
"Weren't you going to the club briefing with me? Why aren't you moving?"
Ayanokouji replied in his usual monotone. "Ishikawa-kun, please don't be like this. I'm afraid my classmates will misunderstand me. You should go by yourself today."
"Oh? You're scared?" Ren said arrogantly. "Afraid someone will stuff you in a sack if you're seen with me?"
"An ordinary person would be afraid of that, yes," Ayanokouji said, as if stating a simple fact.
Ren clicked his tongue. "Tsk. Boring." He was, however, secretly satisfied. Ayanokouji's emotionless pragmatism meant he was still a "safe" person to talk to.
He glanced over at Horikita, intending to tease her as well, but quickly decided against it. His plan had worked perfectly; he no longer needed her as a fake girlfriend or a shield. Provoking her now would only draw more unwanted attention to their "relationship," which served no purpose. He shook his head and turned to leave.
Horikita, who had been bracing herself for an insult, watched him go. What? she thought, a spark of indignation flaring within her. He talks to Ayanokouji, but he just looks at me and gives up? Does he think I'm less worthy of his attention than that useless person? Does he think I actually care if people misunderstand me?
She, Horikita Suzune, would not stand for this grievance.
Saying nothing, she immediately grabbed her schoolbag and stormed toward the classroom door.
Ren was surprised to see her approaching him rapidly from behind. "Why are you following me?" he asked, quickening his pace.
She said nothing, simply matching his speed.
"Why are you chasing me?" he asked, breaking into a near jog.
She remained silent, her expression fixed, and sped up again.
The two of them left the classroom in a bizarre, silent, high-speed procession. What was strange was that even though class had been over for several minutes, most of the students had remained in their seats, as if waiting for something. The moment Ren was gone, all eyes turned to Hirata and Koenji.
They had understood that something significant had just happened, but they had no idea what it was. They desperately needed one of the two to explain what Ren's bizarre speech, and Koenji's even stranger reaction, had actually meant. Getting it wrong could be disastrous.
How they should treat Ren Ishikawa was now the most important question facing Class D.
What if his bizarre self-introduction was just another act? What if, like before, he was secretly making a noble sacrifice, positioning himself as a villain to serve as a warning for the class? If they treated him with hostility and he turned out to be a hero, they'd look like fools. Worse, they might face retaliation from his supporters. In the cutthroat environment of this school, a single misstep could send you to the bottom of the social ladder, where you could be stepped on by anyone.
On the other hand, if Ren was confirmed to be a true enemy of the class, showing him any kindness would be social suicide. It was the kind of mistake that led to bullying, and the students of Class D, like most Japanese high schoolers, were allergic to the very concept.
Paralyzed by indecision, they turned to their only hope. "Hirata? Can you say something?"
They needed direction. More importantly, they needed someone to blame if things went wrong.
Hirata didn't respond immediately. Instead, he looked toward the back of the room. "Koenji-kun," he said, his voice calm. "Could you please explain what you meant earlier? Is there some misunderstanding between you and Ishikawa-kun?"
It was a strategic move. Firstly, it bought time for his silent partner, Ayanokouji, to feed him information. Secondly, it allowed him to gauge Koenji's attitude. The arrogant heir made Hirata deeply uneasy; he had the distinct feeling that Koenji had seen right through his performance that morning but had chosen not to expose him. Why? Hirata could only hope Koenji would continue to remain a neutral observer.
But now that Koenji had declared Ren his enemy, would he seize this opportunity to help bury him? Hirata gambled that Koenji was the type of person who preferred to defeat his rivals at their strongest, not weaken them with tricks.
Koenji didn't even look up from the hand mirror where he was admiring his own perfect face. "You needn't concern yourself with me, Hirata-boy," he said languidly. "Just proceed according to your own understanding. I'm looking forward to your performance. If it is beautiful enough, I may even offer you a reward. So please, do try to please me."
To most of the class, it sounded like a narcissistic mockery. But to Hirata and Ayanokouji, the message was clear. Koenji wasn't going to expose them. He was even, to a certain extent, willing to play along.
Hirata let out a silent sigh of relief. After a quick, subtle glance at his phone, he began, his voice now filled with a gentle confidence.
"Actually, I didn't fully understand what Ishikawa-kun meant either at first," he admitted. "But Koenji-kun's interruption gave me a crucial hint." He nodded toward Koenji, who simply hummed in response.
"Koenji-kun said that Ren-kun was targeting him. Why? Because Ren-kun's self-introduction imitated his. Think about it. They were both sitting, both smiling with that same... confidence. Now, let's compare the core of what they said."
Hirata took on the air of a brilliant professor. "Koenji-kun stated he is the heir to a chaebol and will one day shoulder the responsibility of Japanese society. In contrast, Ishikawa-kun said he is the successor of GCism and will inherit the glory of revolutionary predecessors."
He paused for effect. "The chaebol represents the pinnacle of capitalism. A powerful one can even control the country..."
At this, all eyes turned to Koenji, who looked immensely proud.
"And what does GCism—the final form of socialism—like to do most?" Hirata continued. "It likes to eradicate the big capitalists and chaebols who monopolize resources."
A wave of understanding washed over the classroom.
"Hahaha, a big chaebol? Like Koenji?" Ike Kanji snickered from his seat. The class collectively rolled their eyes at him.
"Let's compare other points," Hirata pressed on, ignoring Ike. "Koenji says he dislikes 'things that are not beautiful.' Ren says he curses at 'things he doesn't like.' Koenji says he will 'punish' those who annoy him. Ren says he will 'hit back' at those who attack him. Do you see? It all matches! Ren-kun felt Koenji's words were too harsh, so he responded with a speech that mirrored Koenji's in structure, but was diametrically opposed in content!"
He leaned forward. "Think about the first part of his speech. He was only targeting Koenji. The reason the rest sounded like he was targeting everyone is likely due to his poor Japanese. He didn't have time to carefully phrase every sentence. Therefore, I believe all his provocations were directed solely at Koenji and had nothing to do with the rest of us."
The "truth" was so elegant, so logical, that the class accepted it instantly. The hatred they had felt toward Ren just minutes ago vanished, replaced by relief.
Then, some students took the logic a step further.
They realized that until Ren had spoken, no one had dared to challenge the intimidating Koenji. They had all been hoping a hero would stand up for them, and Ren had been that hero. He had bravely stood up to the powerful, handsome, and terrifying heir for their sake.
He fought back against Koenji for us! they realized. I'm crying.
Soon, one student voiced this thought aloud. Others quickly followed, each wanting to be part of the new, correct opinion. In a matter of minutes, the narrative had shifted completely. Ren Ishikawa was no longer a villain; he was a hero, a champion of the weak who fought against injustice. Gazes of respect, admiration, and even affection were cast toward the empty seat where he had sat. The boys' admiration was just as fervent as the girls', though tinged with a sour jealousy that they hadn't been the hero themselves.
Hirata watched this spontaneous creation of a legend with stunned silence. He hadn't even thought of this angle himself.
When the children grow up, they can imagine things on their own, he thought, a pleased, maternal feeling welling up inside him. Mother Hirata is very relieved.
"Wonderful!" Koenji suddenly exclaimed from the back, laughing as he looked in his mirror.
The class fell silent for a few seconds.
"What's with him?"
"No idea."
"Is he sick?"
Just as the discussion was about to resume, another student raised their hand. It was Yamauchi. Jealous of Ren's new heroic status, he posed a challenging question.
"But I remember Ishikawa's speech wasn't just imitating Koenji! He said other annoying things, too! How do you explain those?"
Hirata was about to respond, but another student beat him to it.
"Seriously, Yamauchi? Don't you get it? Ren-san imitated more than just Koenji. He imitated you, too!"
____________________________________________________________________________