Mari's voice brought Akihiko back to the moment.
"You're just like him," she said, her tone as crual as before. "Arrogant, overconfident, thinking you can manipulate people to get what you want."
Akihiko raised an eyebrow. "You don't even know me, yet you've already decided I'm the villain of this story. I have to say, your bias is impressive."
Mari stepped closer, her piercing gaze meeting his. "Don't mistake this for bias, Mochizuki Akihiko. I've seen enough men like you to know exactly what you are. You're all the same, selfish, deceitful, and completely unnecessary."
"Harsh," Akihiko said with a low whistle. "And here I thought this was going to be a friendly conversation."
Mari's lip curled in disdain. "The only reason you're here, the only reason I'm tolerating your presence, is because my father insists on it. But don't think for a second that I'll let you meddle in my life."
Akihiko's smirk faded slightly, his expression growing more serious. "Trust me, President, meddling in your life is the last thing I want. But if this arrangement is going to stick, we might as well make the best of it."
"There's nothing to make the best of," Mari said sharply. "You're nothing to me. Not a partner, not a friend, and certainly not a fiancé. Just a man. "
Akihiko leaned in slightly, a teasing glint returning to his eyes. "Not yet, anyway."
Mari's eyes flared with anger, and she turned on her heel. "This conversation is over," she said, her voice cold.
"Whatever you say, fiancee," Akihiko called after her, his voice laced with amusement.
Mari didn't respond, but the sharp slam of the door as she left said more than enough.
She had resolved to treat this so-called fiancé with the same disdain she reserved for every other man. And now, here he was, standing before her with an air of insolence that only deepened her scorn.
He seemed unfazed by her hostility. His calm demeanor and the faint smirk playing on his lips only fueled her anger. She didn't know what infuriated her more ; the audacity of his nonchalance ? Or the fact that he didn't appear to be like the simpering fools she had encountered before ?
She doesn't know, but for now she just want to kill her dad.
----
Back in the cafeteria, the boys erupted in whispers the moment Akihiko returned, their curiosity almost palpable.
"What happened?" Gakuto demanded, leaning across the table.
"Nothing much," Akihiko replied casually, grabbing his tray and sitting down. "Just a chat with the President."
"A chat?" Shingo echoed incredulously. "That didn't look like a chat. What did she want?"
"Nothing important," Akihiko said with a shrug, his tone deliberately vague.
As the boys continued to press him for details, Akihiko couldn't help but glance back toward the group of girls in the center of the cafeteria. Mari had returned to her seat, her expression unreadable. Meiko and Hana were leaning toward her, clearly asking questions of their own.
Akihiko smirked to himself. This whole engagement thing is weird even for him, his grandfather just told him to get along with her. But given his behavior, how can he get along with a woman who hates men?
He doesn't know whether to laugh or cry, having a fiancee right now is just awkward for him, no matter how beautiful she is. He'll take care of calling off the engagement when he can.
------
The day went by quickly, Akihiko slept the whole afternoon. Classes were clearly not something he liked, in fact it was a pain in the ass. Currently, he was in the same room as his fellow boys who had a rather daring plan.
"Mochizuki-dono! Would you care to join us in our plan? I assure you that the beauty our eyes will behold shall be unforgettable!" Said Gakuto with the same energy of a child that got his toy for the first time.
Ah, they wanted to take him to spy on girls in bathrooms. What kind of crazy stuff did he hear? This is total voyeurism and sexual harassment, he didn't want to end up in jail before he accomplished his life goals. These guys don't realize the seriousness of the plan.
"Yeah, senpai. Are you sure to not come with us ? You're missing something great." Remarked Shingo with a tooth baring, lecherous grin.
"Pu-pussy! Their pussy!" Uttered Andre with passionate tears running down his tiny eyes as he imagined the very thing he spoke of.
"All of it…" mumbled Joe loud enough for them all to hear before breaking out into a coughing fit with small spurts of blood coming out with each one.
Andre quickly ran his hand over Joe's back as he remarked that it was just canker sores and that Joe was fine, as he continued on as if he hadn't just coughed blood.
"Tits, ass and that place… the holy trinity…" He said with an almost religious reverence, his mind, as well as the others, trailing off briefly as they imagined the kinds of things they would be able to see in the bathhouse.
Hearing these people who were supposed to be his colleagues, he couldn't help but sigh. He wouldn't participate in this plan under any circumstances, even if he was a man himself.
He's definitely not someone who can break the law without a valid reason. Between Andre coughing up blood, and the fanatical gaze of the others, he couldn't help but imagine that he was in a pervert's asylum. They are more perverted than he thought, he didn't want to be associated with this kind of people.
The tension in the dorm room was palpable. Akihiko sat at the edge of his bed, his expression unreadable as the other boys whispered excitedly among themselves. Their plan, though poorly thought out, was brewing with the kind of reckless abandon he had grown used to observing in people desperate for fleeting thrills.
"You can't be serious," Akihiko said finally, breaking his silence as he observed Gakuto and Shingo gearing up with far more enthusiasm than the situation deserved.
"Of course we're serious!" Gakuto exclaimed, his grin wide as he held up a small contraption that Akihiko suspected was crafted for sneaking around. "We're not here to waste time, Mochizuki-dono. Adventure awaits!"
"Adventure?" Akihiko's eyebrow arched skeptically. "That's what you're calling this now?"
"Come on, Akihiko-senpai," Shingo chimed in, his tone coaxing. "We're just having a little fun. No harm, no foul."
Akihiko's gaze hardened, his usual smirk replaced with a sharp edge. "You mean no harm until you're caught. And when you are, what's your plan? Smile and hope they'll let you off easy?"
Shingo hesitated, but Gakuto wasn't so easily dissuaded. "We're not going to get caught. We've planned this down to the last detail. And besides, you should loosen up a bit. You've been acting like you're too good for all of us since day one."
"That's because I am," Akihiko replied smoothly, leaning back on his hands. "And unlike you, I'm not interested in ruining my reputation for the sake of your idiocy."
He wasn't joking about it, it's completely against his principles to do that. He who respects women, can't lower himself to something as childish as that.
The room went quiet for a moment, save for the sound of Gakuto rummaging through his supplies. "So you're just going to sit there? While we make history?"
"History?" Akihiko snorted. "You're sneaking around like children who've never seen a challenge before. It's embarrassing."
Kiyoshi, who had been watching the exchange quietly, finally spoke up. "He's right, you know. This is a bad idea." He felt a little uncomfortable even though he wasn't completely against it, he's even one of the most curious of the group about the opposite sex.
"You're really siding with him?" Shingo asked, incredulous. "You saw the President today. Do you really think Akihiko is some kind of role model?"
Akihiko chuckled darkly, his gaze flicking to Shingo. "Don't drag her into this, I have no buisness with her. Her disdain for me has nothing to do with your lack of common sense."
Shingo flushed but didn't back down. "And what would you do, huh? Sit there and act like you're better than us?"
Akihiko stood, his presence commanding as he stepped closer. "I don't need to act like anything. I'm already better than you. But if you're determined to prove me wrong, by all means, continue. Just don't expect me to help clean up the mess you make."
He showed arrogance but these guys really pissed him off. How can a man be so perverted? Don't they have any value or anything? It's just a shame to be like this. He looked at them with pity.
The boys hesitated, their resolve faltering under Akihiko's sharp tone. Even Gakuto, who was usually the most confident, seemed to shrink slightly under his gaze.
"You're all fools," Akihiko said finally, turning back toward his bed. "And I don't have time to babysit you. Do whatever you want, but don't come crying to me when it backfires. I'm your elder but even I can't do anything for you if you get caught.."
As the others exchanged uncertain glances, Akihiko lay back, hands behind his head, a faint smirk playing at his lips. This engagement was already a headache but he also have to deal with theses guys.
"Let's go," Gakuto said finally, his voice less enthusiastic than before. The group filed out of the room, leaving Akihiko behind.
Once they were gone, Akihiko allowed himself a quiet laugh. Children playing at being men, they will see the consequences of their acts.