I Don't Want An Ordinary Life

Chapter 14: The Most Important Thing in Life Is Prestige

Thud!

In the hallway, Ryuju Momo cornered Ronan against the wall, her hand slamming against the surface right beside his ear.

At this moment, he was effectively pinned in place by a kabedon.

"…Miss Ryuju, dragging me away from the president like that—is that really okay?"

"Don't call me that at school."

"Then what should I call you? Ryuju-senpai?"

"Whatever. Just call me Momo if you want," Ryuju Momo replied. "It's been four years, and you didn't even bother to tell me you were coming to this school?"

"I only found out this morning that you were here."

"Don't joke with me. You knew I was a student in Shuchiin's middle school four years ago. Don't tell me you forgot?"

"Who remembers stuff like that?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't glare at me. I kind of remember, but I wasn't sure what class you were in, so I couldn't just show up and look for you." Ronan shrugged. "That's all, Momo-senpai. So, can you let me go now?"

"No way. Where the hell did you disappear to four years ago without a word?" Momo showed no intention of letting Ronan go.

"Afghanistan. You probably heard about the fight I had with the Shinomiya family that year… though I guess they made sure to bury the news."

"You actually picked a fight with the Shinomiya family?"

Momo's voice rose a few decibels.

"Yeah. There were some long-standing grudges, so I just went for it."

"…You're still as reckless as ever."

"If you don't have some guts, how are you supposed to take over an organization or manage your family's business? Don't forget, I was only twelve when I first tried to take over operations in Japan."

"I suppose that's true… Because of my status, most kids our age were terrified of me. You were the only one who acted carefree, daring to talk to me like it was nothing," Momo said with a chuckle.

Even now, as the daughter of a major crime syndicate, she still had an overwhelming presence.

"But speaking of which…"

Momo's eyes narrowed slightly.

"You went to school today, and the first person you sought out wasn't me—it was Shirogane."

"I want to join the student council, of course I had to find Shirogane Miyuki, the president."

"You actually have an interest in that boring place?"

"Whether it's boring or not isn't the point. The key factor is…"

Ronan locked eyes with Momo, his expression completely serious.

"Prestige."

"Huh?"

"Prestige is a necessity. Even if I wasn't particularly interested in coming to Shuchiin Academy, now that I'm here, I might as well make a name for myself. The student council is a good stepping stone for that."

"I really don't get you."

"So, can I go now, Momo-senpai? President Shirogane and I still have some matters to handle."

"I'll let you off for now."

Momo finally lowered the hand she had pressed against the wall.

"Much appreciated."

"Wait."

Just as Ronan was about to turn and leave, Momo called out to him. The moment he turned back, she slapped a piece of paper against his chest.

"Huh?"

"Fill this out and hand it to me before the end of the day."

After delivering this command in a tone that brooked no refusal, she turned and walked away.

"…"

Ronan picked up the paper Momo had given him and glanced at it—only to realize it was an Astronomy Club membership application.

...

When Ronan was dragged away by Momo, Miyuki remained standing in place, waiting. It wasn't long before Ronan returned on his own.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, President."

"N-No… What did Momo say to you?"

"She gave me an Astronomy Club membership application—feels like she wants to keep me here after school every day," Ronan said.

"You knew her before?"

"Yeah, four years ago, I did some business with her family. After a few dealings back and forth, we got acquainted."

The time Ronan and Momo had gotten to know each other was during the six months before Ronan made his move against the Shinomiya family.

"I see…"

"Anyway, from now on, I'll be coming with you whenever you deal with the Student Club Joint Meeting. Don't worry, if anyone even dares to think about sending you to Cambodia, I'll make sure they end up in Africa instead."

"…"

"So, back to my original question—can I join the student council?"

"You seriously want to join?"

"I'm completely sincere."

"Alright then. From now on, you're officially a member of the student council. Your position will be Treasurer."

Seeing that Ronan was serious and not just messing around, Miyuki eventually agreed.

"Good. That settles it."

"Since you're joining the student council, there's something I need to remind you about," Miyuki suddenly said.

"Go ahead, I'm listening."

"I don't know exactly what grudge you have against the Shinomiya family, but… she's also the vice president of the student council now. I need you to promise me that you won't direct too much hostility toward her."

"No problem. My issues are with the Shinomiya family as a whole, not her personally. Now that I'm in the student council, I won't go looking for trouble."

"Glad to hear that."

Miyuki smiled, then turned around and led Ronan toward the student council office.

"As the Treasurer, let me go over your responsibilities, and I'll introduce you to the rest of the student council members."

...

The student council office door wasn't locked. When Miyuki brought Ronan back inside, they found that aside from Kaguya, who was calmly sipping tea on the couch, there was now another person in the room.

A cute girl with striking pink hair.

When she saw Ronan standing beside Miyuki, her bright, curious eyes sparkled with interest.

"President, who's this?"

"Fujiwara, you're here. Perfect timing for an introduction."

Miyuki pulled Ronan closer and introduced him.

"This is Ronan, a first-year exchange student. He'll be joining the student council as our new Treasurer."

"Oh! A newbie!"

She stepped in front of Ronan, carefully examining his face with an innocent and cheerful smile.

"My name is Fujiwara Chika, the student council secretary!"

"Secretary Fujiwara, nice to meet you. I look forward to working with you."

Ronan greeted the bubbly girl politely.

"Oh my, Ronan-kun,"

Kaguya, who had been quietly watching from the couch, suddenly smiled.

"Looks like we'll be working together from now on."

"…Yeah."

"As Treasurer, you must listen to the Vice President, okay~?"

"Ronan, remember what I told you earlier?"

Just as Ronan was about to curse, Miyuki leaned in and whispered in his ear.

"…President Shirogane, can I ask you something?"

"Huh? What is it?"

"Do you care a lot about Shinomiya Kaguya?"

"!?"

It was a simple question, yet for some reason, Miyuki's expression changed instantly.

Miyuki turned his head away, stammering slightly. "O-Of course! But it's not about Shinomiya specifically. As a member of the student council, it's only natural that we should support each other. There's nothing more to it."

Ronan raised an eyebrow. "…I know there's nothing more to it, but you seem a little too flustered."

"This is just my normal reaction."

Kaguya, watching Miyuki's reaction, suddenly chuckled.

"Why would the president emphasize that there's nothing more to it? It's almost as if he's trying to hide something."

"Ugh…"

"Could it be that the reason President cares about me isn't just for the sake of student council unity?"

Ronan glanced at Kaguya, then back at Miyuki, whose expression was starting to look off. He tilted his head in surprise. "Wait… don't tell me you have feelings for this woman? Like, love or someth—"

"Nope. Treasurer Ronan, I have no idea what you're talking about."

Miyuki's face abruptly returned to normal, as if he had swiftly regained control of his breathing.

"This is simply the care and concern a president has for his student council members. After all, if we're not united, our work will suffer."

"As expected of the president—so rational and composed," Ronan praised.

"Well, of course."

Seeing that Ronan had bought his explanation, Miyuki let out a quiet sigh of relief. Meanwhile, Kaguya simply smiled and continued sipping her tea.

"I almost thought some reckless warrior actually dared to fall for a Shinomiya woman. Nearly scared me half to death."

Kaguya's teacup trembled slightly in her hands.

"Well… Shinomiya is a very outstanding person. You just haven't realized it yet, Treasurer Ronan," Miyuki quickly defended her.

"Whether she's outstanding or not, I'll judge that over time. But speaking of romance—there's something important I need to warn you about, President."

"Hmm? What is it?"

Ronan placed a firm hand on Miyuki's shoulder, his expression unusually serious.

"As someone who has experienced heartbreak firsthand, I must warn you—never confess first."

Pfft!

Kaguya immediately spat out her tea.

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