Chapter 2 The Ultimate Leader.
Wangma Xiaoji—that's the name of the purple-haired boy in front of me who can instantly create a subtle atmosphere around him without even realizing it.
He was picked up from the roadside by Tsukino and Chiya about a year ago.
At that time, Tsukino and Chiya's runaway project had been underway for about two months. Chiya, who had no plans to return home, had to work hard late into the night to make ends meet.
However, Tsukino and Chiya didn't complain about it. Running away from home was his own choice, so it was only right that he put in some effort to live a decent life while away, right?
It was a night with a new moon in the sky. Looking up, there were only two or three stars scattered about.
The place where Tsukino and Chiya worked that night was relatively remote, and at this time of day, no one would be idly strolling around there. There weren't even any lights around, and moving around by moonlight alone would be quite difficult, but fortunately, Chiya had brought a flashlight.
Many people are afraid of the dark. This is because, in many situations, a dark environment signifies unfamiliarity, ambiguity, the unknown, and danger.
At that moment, however, the desire to go back to sleep took precedence over fear in Tsukino and Chiya's hearts. He yawned, covering his mouth slightly with one hand, and casually pointed the flashlight forward with the other.
Wait a minute, what's that...?
Although it may have been imperceptible, Tsukino and Chiya's pupils did indeed contract for a moment, and their previously sleepy minds instantly returned to full alertness.
Where the flashlight beam shines, what exists there is without a doubt—
"Hey—! Kazuo Kozuki!"
The memory was abruptly cut short by the sound, which was exceptionally clear due to the close proximity.
Tsukino and Chiya looked at the purple-haired boy who had somehow crossed over Akira and appeared in front of them.
The two of them were standing very close, seemingly crossing the line of normal social interaction. However, neither of them seemed to object… perhaps because the interaction was intentional? Or perhaps they simply didn't care? Who knows?
Even though they were so close that they could see their own reflection in each other's eyes, and no matter what they said, they could hear each other unless the other person spoke in a whisper, Wang Ma Xiaoji still deliberately put his hand close to his mouth and exaggeratedly made a gesture as if he was about to shout.
However, this purple-haired, baby-faced man's voice was indeed quite loud.
When Tsukino and Chiya's somewhat absent-minded gazes fell precisely on him again, Ohma Kokichi noticed it almost instantly.
The purple-haired, baby-faced boy suddenly smiled, his eyes crinkling into crescents, completely obscuring the "indignation" and "sadness" that had been on his face just minutes before.
"Oh~ you've finally snapped out of it. How dare you stand there in a daze in front of me for so long? Kozuki is really bold. If you were one of my subordinates, you'd have to commit seppuku before I'd even consider forgiving you."
Tsukino and Chiya: "..." After spending more than a year with this guy, their experience told them that it was best to remain silent at this point.
"I see. So you're trying to escape reality by remaining silent? That's a rather boring and uninspiring reaction. But even so, I can't forgive Kazuki Kozuki. After all, I'm the mastermind of evil. Hey—don't ignore me! That will only make your crime worse, you know?"
Unfortunately, whether I remain silent or speak, this person always finds a way to push their luck. Staying quiet might prevent me from being led by the nose by Wang Ma Xiaoji's rhetoric, although in terms of effectiveness, it doesn't seem to be particularly good.
But even a bad result is better than no effect at all. Long ago, Tsukino and Chiya learned the importance of knowing when to shut up when facing someone skilled in conversation.
They're not only eloquent, but also quick-witted. If you follow their lead, you might end up revealing the color of your underwear, which would be quite shocking.
However, it would be polite to remain silent now. While it's undeniable that ignoring such blatant exaggeration from Wang Ma Xiaoji wouldn't be out of the question, Tsukino and Chiya are just ordinary people, and unfortunately, he possesses a weakness common to all people…
Tsukino and Chiya: "Sorry."
Wang Ma Xiaoji's features were undeniably handsome, perfectly matching Qianye's aesthetic. And this wicked guy was clearly well aware of his good looks, coupled with his masterful acting skills, making his expressions of innocence seem remarkably natural… Faced with such a face, Qianye couldn't help but feel a desire to be more forgiving.
It's just human nature.
Wangma Xiaoji tilted his head slightly and placed a finger on his cheek: "Huh? Apologize now? But it's too late. The evil leader's time is very precious. It's too late to commit seppuku now. But after all, it's my favorite Kozuki no Kazuha, so it's not impossible to go easy on her a little..."
He pondered for a few seconds, then nodded vigorously: "Alright! It's decided! Let's change it to kneeling on a steel plate full of spikes and committing seppuku as an apology!"
Sitting on the sofa, Zhi couldn't help but complain, "In the end, it's still seppuku! Chiya is just a human, he'll die!"
Wangma Xiaoji asked in confusion, "Really? But even a normal monster would die at this level, just like Xiaozhi."
Zhi continued to complain: "Don't you know this perfectly well? And why did you use me as an example? It feels like you have ulterior motives!"
Tsukino and Chiya stroked their chins, their expressions unchanged, yet others could tell they were deep in thought: "There aren't any samurai swords here, but kitchen knives will do. It's just that a barbed metal plate won't be so easy to find..."
A few beads of cold sweat appeared on Jing's face: "Qianye... are you really seriously considering this?" Oh no, his unchanging expression makes it impossible for me to tell if he's serious or joking!
You city folks are terrifying! Yukio, who not long ago lived in a secluded mountain village, doesn't quite understand you Tokyoites.
Zhi casually tossed the game console aside: "You guys need to stop this, Akira's going to take it seriously. Seriously, it's been so long, and Ohma, you still haven't given up on this claim! The leader of an evil society with over ten thousand members sounds way too far-fetched!"
"Ah, this..." Wang Ma Xiaoji smiled, showing no sign of panic in the face of such questioning.
And there's no need to refute it now.
Because Akira had taken out her phone to check something shortly after the conversation started, she had already found what she was looking for: "But, Ori. It's unbelievable... but the 'evil boss' thing seems to be true!"
Zhi was taken aback, not understanding the meaning behind Jing's words: "Huh? What are you talking about? What do you mean, 'really'?"
"I just saw it on Hope's Peak Academy's official website!"
Just now, Jing, who had just looked up information about this year's "Ultimate High School" competition that was released not long ago, turned her phone over so that others could see what was on the screen.
"'Ultimate Leader' and stuff like that..."
There's no need to say anything more, since everyone's eyesight is fine and they can clearly see what's written on the phone screen.
"Hey, I'm not seeing things, am I?!" Zhi's eyes widened. "Ohma, are you serious?"
About half a year ago, Oori was brought back by the agency's owner, Kagami Kouyachi, and she also met Ohma Kokichi around the same time.
During those six months or so, although they didn't spend much time with Ouma Kokichi, who was human, it was enough for Ori to be teased by him... cough, to see just how wicked Ouma really was. Similarly, Ori also learned to always be skeptical of what Ouma said, especially lies like "leader of an evil secret society"—lies that sounded utterly ridiculous...
but!
"Huh? Why are you two so surprised?" Ohma Kokichi casually put his hands behind his head, looking utterly innocent. "Didn't you already hear about my acceptance into Hope Peak University before I came back?"
Zhi's lips twitched involuntarily: "You heard exactly what we were saying before! And what did you mean by 'vaguely'... No, but it's just unbelievable! Even if you really got into that Hope's Peak, I thought you would be some kind of 'Ultimate Liar Master'."
"Haha, thank you for the compliment!"
"I wasn't praising you at all!"
"Honestly~ Oori is just too impatient. If you were my subordinate, someone with this level of composure would only be sent to the front lines as a human shield. That won't do. Look at Tsukino Kazumi, he's much calmer!"
"It would be even stranger if Chiya lost his composure! He's had the same expression the whole time! ...But, Ohma."
"Wow, that's really loud! I can't pretend I didn't hear it now! So what happened?"
"Although I don't know why Hope's Peak chose you as the 'Ultimate Leader,' your previous claim of a 'wicked organization with over 10,000 members' was definitely a lie."
"Hehe, how could that be? I hate lying the most. Little Zhi, you must never become a liar in the future."
"..."
Isn't this just being completely absorbed in the fun of teasing children?
The topics of conversation among friends are such a terrible thing, as terrible as bending down to pick up an eraser that you accidentally dropped on the ground during math class, and when you come to your senses, you have no idea where things have suddenly progressed.
Especially since there was another person present who could handle the flow of the conversation with ease.
At this moment, Wangma Xiaoji's head had already turned towards the sofa—after all, he was having a pleasant one-sided conversation with Zhi. Midway through, Jing popped her head in to join the conversation, and then the scene became one where Wangma Xiaoji was easily toying with the two children.
Having witnessed how the whole process gradually turned into this delightful scene of teasing a child, Tsukino and Chiya were speechless. "..." It was definitely the right thing to do to stay silent.
Although more than a year of experience with Wangma Xiaoji has taught me that even if there is a period of silence, the topic will eventually return to me.
However, judging by the time, Kagami Kouyachi, the only reliable adult male in the agency, should be back from work in a little while, so there shouldn't be any major problems.
Tsukino and Chiya's calm gazes fell on Ohma Kokichi's neck... and the black and white checkered scarf below, as they picked up their previously interrupted thoughts again.
To be honest, it wasn't just Akira and Ori who found it unbelievable; Ouma Kokichi himself was also surprised that he had become the "Ultimate Leader."
He found Wangma Xiaoji about a year ago.
Before that, Tsukino and Chiya were complete strangers to this purple-haired boy. They chose to bring him back to their residence simply because Chiya was a kind person who wouldn't stand by and watch someone die.
So, despite the risk of being accused of staged an accident, he still carried the stranger, who appeared to be somewhat dead, back home.
He is such a good person.
Later, Ouma Kokichi recovered to the point where he was able to jump around and was keen on going out. Tsukino and Chiya didn't know what Ouma Kokichi was up to outside; he wasn't some kind of twisted control freak, and he didn't have such a terrifying desire to control.
Besides, if you're curious, why don't you just ask him directly?
Tsukino and Chiya were a little curious, so he asked.
To this, Wang Ma Xiaoji readily replied, "Well, I am, after all, the leader of an evil society, so of course I go out to do bad things."
Tsukino and Chiya stood at attention with utmost respect: "Um, excuse me."
Wang Ma Xiaoji nodded repeatedly: "It is indeed very inconvenient! After all, every minute and second of the evil leader is extremely precious! And don't expect me to have any thoughts like 'Oh, Kozuki no Kazuha is my savior, so there's nothing I can do but let it slide,' because the evil leader is most adept at repaying kindness with enmity~"
So it really was a lie. After all, the idea that this boy is the leader of an evil secret society with over ten thousand members seems a bit too unrealistic. And with a membership this large, yet no one has ever heard of him... Does he think he's the heir to the Nine-Headed Dragon Group?
The result was unexpected... Who could have predicted this!
This guy who wanders around outside every day has actually had his talent recognized by Hope's Peak Academy and will soon be enrolling as the "Ultimate Leader".
Thinking about it this way, it feels a bit scary... What exactly was Wang Ma Xiaoji doing every day for the past year or so?
Wang Ma Xiao Ji...
Tsukino and Chiya silently recited the name in their hearts.
He is indeed a person not to be underestimated.
"Kozuki is so cunning! Is she trying to escape seppuku like this?!"
As if by some subtle telepathic connection, while Tsukino and Chiya were thinking about Ohma, the one being thought of finally tried again to bring someone who had been silent for a long time into the conversation.
And just how obsessed was he with seppuku?
However, it's not a big problem.
"Wow, it's so lively here."
Those who interrupt others' train of thought will always be interrupted in return.
Perhaps today was destined to be exceptionally lively at the Inkami Agency. At this time, Inkami Kouyachi, the only reliable adult male in the agency, who should have been out alone handling some work unsuitable for children, returned early.
A note from the author:
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One day more than a year ago
Qianye: What is this? Person, pick it up.
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