Kiyotaka POV
April 19
"If you can't imprint your legacy into the school itself, then imprint it into the students. Make it so when they look back on these 3 years, they will say "the existence known as Ayanokouji Kiyotaka is truly great.""
"..."
"Even if you were to be involved in a number of incidents where you face expulsion countless times, I think that your school life would be considered a success."
These words from the elder Horikita played back inside my heart once again. It had already been a little while since his departure, and the younger Horikita and I have already went our separate ways after chatting for a bit.
"... What a terrible parting gift."
I hadn't really thought of seeing things this way before. The thing I could do to remain in the student's memory would have been to assist other students and help them grow. Not just the people in my class, but even others like Ryuuen or Ichinose who are seeking growth.
I've always found this to be interesting, and I have even been doing this involuntarily as I analyzed the strengths of other classes, but I also found myself asking if I would be satisfied with just that. Putting aside the chances of expulsion, I still had 2 years left of a highschool life, and this would be enough time for me to be able to slowly carve my name into the school, much like the older Horikita.
The original plan I had was to live a normal and peaceful school life, but starting a relationship with Arisu had already sealed my fate. If someone were to discover our relationship, my existence would immidiently become widely known to the students, after all, she was the leader of class A. I also had the option of ending our relationship before things got out of hand, but as I remembered all the events during this break, I thought against it.
Now, not only did I see a place where I could still grow, but I have also acquired a tool to do that in Arisu. I wasn't sure whether or not she could keep her promise to solve my curiosity, but I knew one thing; simply letting this opportunity slip would be a mistake.
Taking all this into consideration, my choice was clear. Starting next year, my life would change within this school, I will slowly begin carving my name into its history.
My thoughts once again returned to the man who opened this horizon for me, as I stared at the entrance of the school. Horikita Manabu, a man truly worthy of respect.