I HAD A RENEWED realization in the snowy landscape that humans were indeed interesting creatures.
"Never could I have imagined verbalizing it."
Being swayed by uncontrollable emotions. The surprise of discovering such a part of myself.
Falling in love with the opposite sex.
In my life experiences so far, I thought that was something that would come much further later.
The reason was simple. I understood that I couldn't be attracted to an existence inferior to me.
In short, I couldn't feel attraction in 99% of the world.
At the same time, I began to think.
Did I then admit that Ayanokōji-kun was superior to me?
"No—is what I would like to say, but I must recognize his abilities."
However, this didn't mean that I had admitted defeat on the same grounds.
He was different. Neither a genius nor an ordinary person. He was a third existence that couldn't be classified into just two categories.
For now, I decided to reach such a conclusion.
The reason for my conclusion was simple—because I realized that I was in love with him.
I didn't harbor fondness for 99% of humans.
However, I don't think I'd harbor fondness for even the 1% who were superior to me.
Although I had not met anyone like that yet, towards that 1% of geniuses, I would probably hold jealousy, a sense of rivalry towards them, rather than romantic feelings.
Because it was easy to imagine myself like this, this emotion held meaning.
As always, he asked with his unfathomable, dark gaze.
"Can you turn that emotion from a weakness into a strength?"
Don't worry. Right now, more than anything else, I passionately wish to fight against you.
While being grateful to have met you as an adversary, I will now face the battles ahead without hesitation.
To defeat neither a genius nor an ordinary person, but a created third existence.
Even in my long life to come, I would rarely come across such an interesting battle like this one.
I will defeat Ayanokōji-kun and prove my own talent.
And on top of that, I want to know how I will feel about Ayanokōji-kun.
Will I lose all my interest, or will I realize that this feeling is genuine?
Or will I harbor a new, entirely different feeling that I cannot yet understand?
It was fun to be at the mercy of uncontrollable emotions.
Surely Ayanokōji-kun too was indulging in the same feelings through his current pseudo-romance.
In the snowy dark night, as I held the heat welled up within me to my chest, I smiled all by myself.
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Translated by Royal MTL