"To judge a person's character, you basically need to meet two conditions: listen to their words and observe their actions."
Goko crossed her arms, emphasizing the impressive curves beneath her uniform.
"On the day Hara Kei enrolled—or rather, slightly before that, when the principal handed me the list of this year's scholarship candidates for special admissions so I could review them—I first noticed him."
"Love at first sight?" Keqing raised an eyebrow, surprised. As Goko's friend, she had known that for the past two months, Goko had been unusually attentive to a new student named Hara Kei. But Goko had never gone into details, and Keqing had tactfully not pressed her.
Today, though, Goko seemed genuinely happy to finally put her plan into action, so she didn't hesitate to share her feelings.
Keqing, a young girl in her own bloom of adolescence, was naturally curious about romance and matters of the heart. She was more than willing to listen to Goko's "love history."
If it could even be called that.
"'Love at first sight,'" Goko mused over the words, then shook her head. "No. At least at the time, I didn't feel any kind of… emotion."
"Instead, my intuition told me that his presence was special. If he were involved, anything could be done twice as efficiently. That feeling was incredibly strong—even stronger than when I first met you." She spoke plainly, without mincing words.
Keqing had been with her since the first day of school and was her closest friend, so there was no need to hide anything.
"Oh." Keqing nodded slightly, acknowledging her meaning. "So you observed him afterward to see what kind of character he had?"
Goko nodded. "Consider it both observation and verification. I wanted to see what made him remarkable and, more importantly, whether his character was worth recruiting."
"But in the first month, I was surprised to find that progress was painfully slow." Goko sounded like she found plain verbal explanation too dull. She picked up a remote from her desk.
On the wall across from Keqing, a screen curtain slowly drew back. The projector illuminated a series of photos and video clips, all revolving around Hara Kei.
"These are all from security footage," Goko said.
St. Eden Academy's surveillance system was highly advanced. Except for bathrooms and changing rooms—places involving privacy—almost every area was monitored. The system wasn't just for student safety; it served a critical purpose: accountability.
With thousands of students living and studying here, conflicts and arguments were inevitable. Occasionally, these escalated to physical altercations. In such cases, the surveillance system provided invaluable evidence to determine responsibility.
Of course, occasionally, it could be used for other purposes. Like now.
"In his first month at St. Eden, Hara Kei was… how should I put it? Dull? Or unique?" Goko considered her words carefully. "If the crowd were air, Hara Kei would be an inert gas. He existed among the students but didn't react to anyone."
"So… he's just a loner?" Keqing asked.
"No, not quite," Goko shook her head. "A loner cannot communicate with others. Hara Kei can—he simply doesn't want to."
Goko pressed a few buttons on the remote, and several clips played for Keqing. "Because of his appearance, some boys tried to pick on him multiple times during that month. But his responses were mature and effective. Within two weeks, those incidents almost vanished." She shook her head. "That's not something a gloomy, antisocial boy could manage."
"Heart unmoved, intent hidden, actions concealed," Keqing murmured, propping her cheek in fascination. "No wonder you said earlier that analyzing him would take at least a full semester." She turned to Goko. "And then? You mentioned the name Yukinoshita Yukino before, right? Did she change him?"
"Change is too strong a word," Goko said, shaking her head. "She just set him in motion."
"Yukinoshita Yukino is also from out of town and faced significant discrimination, so her time here wasn't easy. I'm not sure if it was pity or empathy that prompted him, but Hara Kei decided to help her." Goko pressed a few keys, and the screen now showed a high school girl with long black hair.
"At that moment, he also got news about Fuyuma Kasa, which seemed to give him an idea. He decided to help Yukino become friends with Fuyuma. That way, both girls' issues could be resolved."
"His plan succeeded. Both girls became very close friends, just as he intended. But when he tried to step back, something unexpected happened." Goko's voice carried a hint of amusement. "Fuyuma Kasa showed him far more affection than he anticipated."
"…!" Keqing was momentarily speechless. She hadn't expected the turning point to come here.
"I don't know where Hara Kei came from—his files contain no information. But judging from his actions, he seems naturally oblivious to others' kindness, so much so that he considered his own actions insignificant. Thus, when Fuyuma's genuine affection emerged, he was momentarily at a loss."
"That's how I discovered Hara Kei's weak point," Goko's eyes sparkled. "He excels at handling malice and difficult challenges, but he struggles with sincere kindness."
"This is my observation. If I were to give him a score, he would get full marks from me."
"I see," Keqing nodded, understanding Goko's actions. "So… what will you do next?"
Goko tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Next, I'll go meet Yukinoshita Yukino, who helped us immensely. I need to properly thank her."