"Rather than being treated as air by others, I've always preferred to treat others as air."
"...The spirit of Ah Q?"
Mr. Lu Xun was quite famous in Japan, so it wasn't surprising that Sakurajima Mai, as a cultured member of the film and television industry, would know of him.
"Ho ho, do I need to learn from Ah Q?" Mori Shinra felt that she didn't know him well enough yet.
Hearing this, Mai thought for a moment and found that he really didn't seem to need it.
"If it's you, then indeed..."
"I feel like I've been offended in some way. Do you have any idea why, Mai-san?"
Mai turned her face to the side and asked, "Then do you think going to school is fun?"
"It is, it's great fun. It feels more relaxing than being at home. Everyone in the class is talented, and they speak so pleasantly. I love being at school," Shinra said, and he was being sincere.
Ever since he got Emotion Perception, he felt that going to school was like going to an opera to watch a play. There was a different show every day, and the key was that there was no script; it was all random. It was interesting just to watch.
"You're the first person I've met who says going to school is fun," Mai retorted. "You don't happen to just play around all day in class, do you?"
"Not really. I also space out occasionally and ponder the meaning of life," he replied.
"You'd rather space out than study? Are you averse to studying?" she asked. She didn't mention grades, but it felt like everything was about grades.
To this, Shinra asked with some trepidation, "If I were a low-scorer, would you look down on me, Senpai?"
She answered without a second thought, "Not really, but I would diligently supervise your studies."
"For example?"
"Holding study sessions for you every weekend?"
"At my place?"
"You can come to my place too."
"Mai-senpai, I'm last in the grade. Please tutor me."
"Last in the grade is too dumb. You'd better find someone more qualified."
So she won't teach me just because I'm last? She has no perseverance at all. What an idiot!
Forget it. May Mai be happy every day.
Looking at the unconcerned Mori Shinra, Mai sighed. "Judging by your performance, your grades probably aren't that bad."
"Grades are fine as long as they're good enough," he said, speaking from a position of privilege.
"Having good grades gives you more confidence wherever you go, doesn't it?" Sakurajima Mai placed great importance on academics, sounding more mature than a girl her age.
"True," Shinra nodded in agreement.
"So what's your rank at your school? To get into Sobu High, your academic ability can't be that bad. If your grades are poor, the only reason can be your attitude."
"I'm so-so, roughly first place."
"In the class?"
"In the grade."
Her small mouth opened slightly, seemingly a little surprised.
"That's quite unexpected."
"You don't doubt it?"
"Because you don't seem like the type to lie about something like this. Besides, even if you were lying, it would be easily exposed, wouldn't it?" She had her own way of telling if someone was lying.
Shinra sighed. "Sometimes, having grades that are too good is also a kind of trouble."
She asked curiously, "Is the pressure of maintaining first place in the grade that high?"
"Oh, not that. It's just that if I'm first in the grade, I won't be able to receive your private tutoring, right? I feel like I've lost out big time."
"You were looking forward to it?"
"Super looking forward to it!"
Faced with his direct and enthusiastic words, she said, as if she couldn't do anything about him, "If there's a chance in the future..."
"Alright!" Before she could finish her sentence, he immediately popped the champagne and sealed the deal.
"Don't worry, Mai-senpai. I'll go and finish all the third-year coursework right away. I guarantee I'll get you into the University of Tokyo," Shinra said, reversing their roles as usual.
"Eh?"
Mai was taken aback. So he was going to tutor her?
But the University of Tokyo was a bit too much of an exaggeration. She knew her own abilities. Getting into a T1 university like Chiba University or Yokohama National University was fine. With a little more effort, she might be able to get into Hokkaido University. But a T0 existence like the University of Tokyo was probably out of her reach.
Seeing his serious expression, she couldn't bring herself to discourage him. Instead, she said, "The University of Tokyo is too much of an exaggeration. My current goal is Yokohama National or Yokohama City."
After all, she still wanted to develop her career in the entertainment industry. Even if she managed to get into Todai, she wouldn't have enough energy to allocate. Instead of choosing between her studies and her career in the end, it was better to choose the more relaxed YNU or YCU.
"That's true."
After hearing her explanation, he expressed his agreement.
Then he asked, "So have you thought about how you're going to make your comeback?"
"I have," she said, as if she had expected this. She then took out her phone and handed it to him.
"Checking up on me?"
"Of course not. Don't go scrolling through it randomly."
"Then..."
Before he could finish, the phone's screen came into view.
It displayed an email.
The general content was an appointment to meet at Shichirigahama beach at five o'clock this afternoon.
The recipient column read 'Manager'.
In other words, this was an email she had written to her mother. And judging by the time it was sent, it was this past Thursday, the day she had told him she planned to return to the entertainment industry. It seemed she had sent it after they had their late-night snack and went back to their respective rooms.
The current time was four in the afternoon, less than an hour before the appointed time.
It's just this Shichirigahama beach...
"Shichirigahama beach is just nearby," she said, as if she had read his mind.
Although on the way here it seemed like they were walking side-by-side, in reality, the general direction was controlled by her. She had unknowingly guided him to the vicinity of the beach long ago.
What a terrifying woman...
"Are you going to see her?" he confirmed.
She pouted, revealing a reluctant and cute expression.
"I don't really want to see her."
"Then don't."
He stood firmly on her side. He knew about the photobook from her third year of middle school, which had caused a big fight between her and her mother and led to them cutting off contact. Now that she had decided to switch to another agency, there was really no need to talk to her mother in person.
"If it's a contract issue, I can help."
"That's not it. When I stopped my activities, my contract with that person's agency was terminated at the same time, so there's no problem."
"Then if you're looking for a reliable agency, I can help with that too," he said. He didn't know if his own family owned an agency, but if not, they could always open a new one or just acquire one.
At worst, he would just reveal a little more of his hand and raise his own value.
"You seem a bit more capable than I expected."
Hearing his words, Mai blinked.
"There are a lot of things I'm capable of."