"Eh?"
"Is Senpai... concerned about me?"
Nanase Tsubasa was momentarily stunned.
Telling her that Ayanokouji's background was massive was definitely because he didn't want her to get hurt for the sake of a small profit.
They had only just met for the first time.
She had only come to fish for information so she could more objectively recognize Ayanokouji's character before deciding what measures to take. Yet she had encountered such a kind senior.
Nanase Tsubasa couldn't help but feel a bit apologetic.
If her childhood friend hadn't been driven to death because of Ayanokouji, she really wouldn't want to use such kind people.
Unfortunately, it couldn't be helped.
Kind people should be able to provide more fair evaluations.
Staring at Hachiman, Nanase Tsubasa's gaze grew firm.
If Ayanokouji was a bad person, she would definitely make him pay the price he deserved!
Sensing that heavy gaze, Hachiman suddenly felt a bit awkward. Always trying to understand the other person or interfering with their judgment was bound to be off-putting.
This old habit... he really couldn't get rid of it.
"No," Hachiman said, trying to cover his embarrassment. "It was just a small reminder. Don't take it to heart."
"Mhm."
Nanase Tsubasa shook her head.
She had already known that Ayanokouji had a powerful background, so that didn't mean much.
However...
"Then, does Senpai think..."
Nanase Tsubasa's tone grew somewhat stern. "...that as long as one's background is powerful, it doesn't matter what bad things they do? Based on what Senpai just said, Ayanokouji-senpai is at least a very selfish type, right?"
"Hmm?"
Hachiman's gaze grew slightly serious.
He felt that the girl in front of him had a strange obsession with Ayanokouji.
"You really do know Ayanokouji, don't you?"
"No..."
Nanase Tsubasa froze for a second, then quickly shook her head.
Clearly, she didn't want to say more on that subject.
"Well..."
Hachiman didn't want to dig deeper either, and merely said helplessly:
"Doing bad things is obviously not okay. But unfortunately, this world is neither kind nor correct. Even if that guy did something bad, there's no good way to punish him, is there?"
It wasn't that he was being pessimistic.
Those big shots could crush them as easily as ants.
Even just a casual word to certain corporations could drive an average citizen to the brink.
They might not even leave behind any evidence.
Trying to retaliate was basically impossible.
Unless they could find a backer on the same level, but they didn't have any matching value to offer.
"Even so, at least..."
Nanase Tsubasa's voice rose a few notches, her tone unquestionable:
"At least they should be made to apologize, shouldn't they?"
"Oh, uh..."
Hachiman was a bit taken aback.
He felt like this girl had gone down a rabbit hole. She must have been specifically recruited by Tsukishiro to get Ayanokouji expelled.
"Um... I'm sorry."
Nanase Tsubasa also felt her emotions were a bit out of check.
Since learning her childhood friend had been driven to death, she had been alone. This was the first time she had met someone who kindly cared about her.
She had inevitably said a bit too much.
"I got a bit excited without meaning to."
"It's nothing," Hachiman shook his head dismissively. "Though I don't know what happened to you, are you really satisfied with just an apology?"
Something that could be settled with just an apology.
Usually, that wouldn't be considered a big deal.
However, Nanase Tsubasa's persistence was almost frightening.
Perhaps it was because of her inner kindness that she only requested an apology to end it.
"Eh?"
Nanase Tsubasa was stunned.
For a moment, she didn't know what to say.
Making those people apologize to her deceased childhood friend.
Would she be satisfied with just that?
That was impossible.
They had driven a living human being to death—an upright, kind, and promising person who was the senior Nanase admired most.
How could a mere apology suffice?
However... that was all she could manage.
"I... I don't know."
Nanase Tsubasa's eyes grew dim as she spoke.
Getting Ayanokouji expelled and then making those people apologize was the limit of what she could do.
"Sigh."
Hachiman gave a helpless sigh.
He could more or less guess.
Everything Nanase Tsubasa was doing was just to find peace within herself. Something truly hard to accept must have happened.
Without knowing the full story, it was hard to pass judgment.
Seeing the lost look in Nanase Tsubasa's eyes, Hachiman hesitated before saying:
"Well, anyway, how should I put it... this school might not be great, but its guarantees for the future are decent. You should think carefully before taking action."
"Also."
Hachiman thought for a moment and said, "Using a 'deal' to make someone apologize... even if they do apologize, it will certainly be a hollow, insincere formality. Such an apology is meaningless."
Without knowing the details, this was the most Hachiman could say.
As for whether the other party would actually keep their promise to apologize...
He felt they probably would.
After all, apology culture was a tradition in Japan; bowing and saying "Moushiwake gozaimasen" was as common as a meal for a politician.
But did that kind of apology have any meaning?
Hachiman didn't think so, though he didn't know what Nanase Tsubasa thought.
At the very least, he knew one thing: getting involved with someone with a huge background like Ayanokouji had zero benefit for commoners like them.
If Nanase Tsubasa was just seizing an opportunity to climb the ladder, that was one thing.
In the end, everything depended on Nanase Tsubasa's own thoughts.
"Meaningless..."
Nanase Tsubasa bit her lip.
Indeed. If it wasn't a sincere apology from the heart, what meaning did it have?
"If there's nothing else, I'll head off."
Hachiman glanced at her and turned to leave.
Although he was a bit worried about Nanase Tsubasa's state of mind...
Since the other party didn't want to talk, he wouldn't ask further. At most, he was just providing a bit of advice as a senior for her to consider.
"Um..."
Nanase Tsubasa couldn't help but speak up. "Could we exchange contact information? I might have something to discuss with you later."
"Oh, uh..."
Looking at Nanase Tsubasa's pitiful eyes, which reminded him of a puppy, Hachiman nodded helplessly.
"If it's just to discuss something, that should be fine."
The two exchanged contact info.
Watching Hachiman's receding back, Nanase Tsubasa stood rooted to the spot, watching him walk away.
She had already made up her mind.
Yet now she realized just how naive her thoughts were.
Before she had even started her plan, a few words from a kind senior who didn't even know the situation had shaken her resolve.
Was an insincere apology really what she wanted? Would that satisfy her?
Nanase Tsubasa wasn't sure.
She really needed to think more seriously about whether to take action against Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, and what to do if he actually turned out to be a good person.
And, most importantly.
What exactly did she herself want to do?
Seeking revenge for her childhood friend didn't quite seem to fit. Disliking Ayanokouji for comfortably living on the "corpses" of others... that didn't feel right either.
Why did she want to do this?
Hachiman's back could no longer be seen in the hallway, yet Nanase Tsubasa's eyes grew even more lost.