I Don't Want An Ordinary Life

Chapter 16: All for the Sake of Order

Lunch break.

After finishing their meals, students were generally free to do as they pleased.

Some would engage in post-lunch exercise, while others took the opportunity to nap and recharge for the afternoon classes. And, of course, among them were…

Couples indulging in public displays of affection.

Although Shuchiin Academy was a prestigious institution, it couldn't completely prevent students from dating.

Even with the school rules in place, there were always those who chose to ignore them.

In the gardens or on the lawns, it was common to see young couples interacting intimately.

"Tch, these kids have no sense of crisis. Wasting their youth like this… I see no future in these useless fools."

Ronan muttered while observing the campus through binoculars, taking a bite of his red bean bun as his lunch.

"What's with you all of a sudden? You're radiating pure resentment toward youth."

Ishigami, eating his bento at his desk, looked at Ronan, who was leaning by the window, muttering under his breath.

"I wish these clueless brats could spend some time in Lebanon, learning how to hold a gun."

"Whoa, okay, that's going too far. They're just dating; they didn't do anything to you."

"If they had, they'd be picking out their gravestones by now."

Ronan put down his binoculars, quickly swallowed the rest of his bread, and sat back down.

"…Didn't you go report to the student council earlier? How did that go?"

"Mission accomplished. I'm officially the student council's accountant."

"Oh! You actually joined? Congrats," Ishigami said with a smile.

"Too bad the student council can't do anything about these lawbreaking couples."

"Disciplinary matters aren't handled by the student council; that's the job of the Public Morals Committee."

"Shuchiin has a 'separation of powers' system now?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Ishigami sighed. "Each position just has its own responsibilities, that's all."

"By the way, why do you hate couples so much?"

"It pisses me off seeing these people so blissfully enjoying the present without giving a single thought to their future."

Ronan scoffed, clearly unimpressed.

"At the end of the day, high school romance is just 'love that disappears after graduation.' I can't wait for them to break up."

"That's way too cynical!"

"I can't take it anymore. I need to report this to the Public Morals Committee right now."

With that, Ronan left the classroom without another word.

"..."

...

At the door of the Public Morals Committee office, Ronan knocked. After hearing a response from inside—"Come in."—he opened the door and stepped inside.

Shuchiin Academy's Public Morals Committee seemed to consist of only two members. One was Iino Miko, and the other was Kobachi Osaragi, a rather unassuming girl with thick glasses.

Because of the thick glasses covering most of her face, Kobachi Osaragi's presence was almost too subtle, to the point that Ronan had never even realized that the girl in front of him was actually in the same class as him.

"…Huh? Ronan?"

Iino Miko, who was eating lunch in the Public Morals Committee office, looked up in surprise. She hadn't expected Ronan to voluntarily come here.

Ronan briefly glanced at the extra-large bento box in Miko's hands, his expression showing slight surprise. However, he didn't dwell on it. Instead, he walked straight up to Miko, then suddenly slammed his hand onto the desk.

BAM!

"Wh-what's going on?"

Ronan's aggressive entrance had clearly startled her.

"Cop..."

"It's Public Morals Committee!"

"Public Morals Committee member, I have serious concerns about the state of school discipline," Ronan said, his tone grave.

"School discipline issues? You think I'm being too strict too?" Miko frowned.

She was well aware that her rigid personality had earned her plenty of enemies among her classmates. But everything she did was for what she believed to be right...

BAM!

Ronan slammed the desk again.

"I think your management is way too lenient!"

"…Huh?"

Not only was Miko confused, but even Kobachi Osaragi was looking at Ronan as if he had completely lost his mind.

"During my observations at lunch break, I noticed far too many couples on campus! Their shameless behavior is a serious violation of school discipline. It must be eradicated!"

"I knew it! You think so too?!"

Hearing Ronan's words, Miko shot up from her seat, visibly excited.

She had always believed she was fighting alone—with only Kobachi vaguely supporting her—but now, this first-year student shared her ideals!

"Exactly! The school has already banned inappropriate relationships, yet these people dare to engage in such behavior on this sacred campus. It's a blatant disregard for the school rules!"

"You're absolutely right! This must be stopped!"

"So then," Ronan said as he pulled up a chair and sat down, "what's the Public Morals Committee's stance on this?"

"First of all, I propose that the minimum distance between male and female students should be no less than 50cm."

BAM!

Ronan slammed the desk again.

"Uh… Is that too strict?"

Miko seemed to wilt slightly under Ronan's imposing aura.

"50cm? Make it at least 150cm!"

Miko: "…Isn't that a bit extreme?"

Kobachi: "This is straight-up tyranny. The school only bans indecent relationships—proper relationships can be overlooked."

"If the rules are too lenient, they'll just keep pushing the boundaries. Set the bar high from the start."

"…Honestly, Miko and I have already caused enough dissatisfaction among the students. If we tighten the rules any further, I'm worried there'll be backlash," Kobachi Osaragi adjusted her glasses, the lenses reflecting a faint glint.

"Anyone who complains can be reported directly to the student council. Find a way to get them expelled, or better yet, send them to Africa for team-building exercises."

"…That's way too extreme."

"Exactly!" Ronan declared. "A Public Morals Committee member needs to be firm! We need to strike fear into the hearts of rule-breakers! No mercy for those degenerates!"

Even Miko, who prided herself on being uncompromisingly righteous, was shocked by Ronan's sheer intensity.

But beyond the shock, she also felt a hint of joy—finally, someone in this school understood her struggles.

"Earlier during lunch, I joined the student council. I have some say there now. I want to join the Public Morals Committee as well. That way, we can work together to restore discipline in this school."

"That's… amazing."

Miko looked at Ronan with genuine gratitude. A student who cared this much about school discipline was rare in Shuchiin.

"No need to thank me."

Ronan smiled.

"This is all for the sake of school order."

—A complete lie.

This man had gone through a heartbreak, followed by a soul-crushing reality check from Chika. Now, whenever he saw couples flirting in school, something in his psyche snapped.

If he couldn't have love, no one else should either.

And with the school rules as his shield, Ronan infiltrated the Public Morals Committee, driven by this ugly and petty ideology.

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