Ayanokoji Kiyone

Chapter 1

April. Day of the entrance ceremony. I was heading to school on a bus that shuddered unpleasantly on any bump in the road. And while I admired the changing landscape behind the glass, the number of passengers continued to increase.

Most of them wore school uniforms. There was also a lonely, not particularly successful office worker. Maybe he's a pervert, trying to snuggle up to someone on a crowded bus, as if by chance?

And right in front of me stood an elderly woman, swaying on unsteady legs, as if she was about to fall. Most likely, the poor old lady will have to stand like that until the stop.

And yet, in vain I went by bus. I managed to get a good seat, but the cold wind blew right in my face, and the bus was completely overcrowded.

The sight of a clear, clear sky is relaxing. It seems like I could fall asleep right away. But my peace and tranquility was suddenly destroyed...

“Don’t you think you should give up your seat?”

I suddenly opened my sleepy eyes.

A young, well-built blond man sat in the handicapped seat. Judging by the uniform, it was clearly a high school student. An elderly woman was standing right in front of him, but some office worker was scolding him.

“Hey, don’t you see how hard it is for her to stand?”

It looked like the girl wanted him to give up his seat to the older woman. Her voice sounded quite loud in the quiet bus, which attracted the attention of the other passengers.

“What strange question are you asking, lady?” - The guy could have said this with anger, insulted him boorishly, or stated it bluntly, but he simply smiled and crossed his legs, - Why should I give up my place to anyone? I think there is absolutely no need for me to get up.

“Isn’t it natural to give up a reserved seat to an elderly person?”

“I don’t understand, reserved seats are just reserved seats and there are no laws obliging me to give way.” To get up or not to get up, I decide as someone sitting in this place right now. Would you give me your seat because I'm a young man? Ha ha ha, admit it, this is just stupid.

He spoke in a tone you wouldn't expect from a high school student. His hair was bleached, and he didn't look like a high school student.

— I am a young healthy man. Of course, having to stand won't cause me much discomfort. But obviously, standing up, I will spend more energy than if I ride sitting. I don't want to deal with such nonsense. Or maybe you are suggesting that I be more active and energetic?

- What? Why did you decide that you are better than others?

- Better? This is obvious, because both you and your grandmother lived longer than me. There is no doubt about it. Moreover, “better” means “to surpass,” and this also applies to age. You may be older, but isn’t that rude and arrogant?

- What? You're only in high school, right?!Listen, damn it, what the elders tell you!

- Okay, okay.

The woman only became more incensed. The poor old woman did not want to complicate the situation, trying to calm her down with gestures, but she continued to find fault with the student and, judging by her appearance, was about to lose her temper.

“It seems that grandma has sharper hearing than yours.” Well, Japanese society is not completely rotten yet. I wish you to enjoy the rest of your life as your heart desires,” with another meaningless smile, he put on his headphones and turned on loud music. The woman literally ground her teeth in rage.