{Kaya Hikari's POV:}
Yup.
Somehow, somehow indeed, I ended up at this conference. First of all, I'm not even a part of a well-known noble family. Hell, I'm half-noble.
My mother is a noble and my father is an ordinary Streia. Marriages like these are shunned but not forbidden.
Secondly, I took my father's last name. Not my mother's. Everything is okay and things are fine but I just, for some reason, took his surname.
My mother's surname is Natsu.
"So, you also attended Altheria Academy?"
The girl in front of me asked.
To be honest, she looked beautiful. I have no idea who she is. She's so woman-like that I thought she was in her 20s.
The fact that she said, 'also,' means that she did attend Altheria. I haven't seen anyone like that in my year, otherwise, she would've been the talk of our whole year. Meaning, she's a year above me.
"Yes, senpai."
The girl winced.
"What's wrong?"
"Please, don't call me 'senpai,' gives me bad memories."
She said.
"Uh, okay... What's your name then, se--just what's your name?"
"My name is Hysaka Shirogane."
Hysaka... Shirogane...
I feel like I've heard of that name before.
I can't remember...
"Judging from your face, I'm guessing you're trying to find out why Shirogane sounds so familiar to you?"
"Y-yes..."
She's beautiful and perceptive.
"Shirogane is also the name of the company that made those black earphones that you're wearing."
Oh right, that one sunglasses guy told me.
I instinctively brought my hand to my ear and touched the earphone.
"So your family company made them?"
"Not just my family company. I'm the one who drafted the design and made it with my team and brought the official prototypes here."
"Hm? But, s-Shirogane-san, aren't you only a little older than me? I'm 16."
"I'm 17."
"And you were able to make this? What about the actual CEO of your family company?"
I asked.
I felt like I was asking her sensitive questions but she seemed fine when she answered.
"I made a bet with my Father and he gave me the company after I won it."
"Huh... I'm slightly afraid to ask what the bet was."
"The bet was for me to get the head of a high-ranked beast and I got the head of the beast: Fenrir."
God, why do I feel like the first-years and second-years are years apart?
There's no way anyone in our year can defeat a beast such as Fenrir... I don't even have much faith in our teachers.
"So, what's your name?"
"Ah, I'm Kaya Hikari."
"Kaya? You can call me Hysaka."
"Uh, okay, Hysaka-san..."
"Only Hysaka."
Right...
I've never met such a friendly person who's as beautiful as her. Usually, people with looks like hers are arrogant but she's...
I mean, look at her long white hair! It feels like there's nothing that can sully that colour. Her yellow eyes were captivating and reminded me of a cat. The yellow dress she wore highlighted everything.
"So beautiful..."
"Huh?"
Ah!
I'm fangirling over a senior that I've just met! This senpai and kouhai talk is going wrong! I should just return to normal! It'll be bad if I'm like this with every beautiful girl my age that I meet.
At this rate, I won't be able to pursue love and I may turn lesbian. Not anything wrong with it but... I've always wanted to get married to the opposite gender.
Okay, okay, calm down, Kaya, calm down. I just need to remain cool and collected.
"Kaya... Kaya-chan, do you have any particular dreams for the future?"
"Uh... Dreams? Well... I've always wanted to be a teacher, I guess?"
Hysaka-san grimaced.
"A teacher? You won't get very much from that."
"It's not about the money for me but what I'll be able to teach. That's why I'm a bit of a nerd."
I let out a nervous laugh.
I looked back up at Hysaka-san and she looked at me, confused.
"Maybe it's because my Father is a teacher that I want to be one. As for you, Hysaka... Your future is already set, isn't it?"
Hysaka-san blinked twice then she scoffed cutely.
I felt slightly embarrassed.
"My future set? Oh, because Shirogane Enterprises is under my control. Yeah..."
She looked slightly uncomfortable.
The girl looked left and right and then leaned over the table.
"I plan to give it to someone."
The girl whispered to me.
I was ready to shout out in surprise but Hysaka-san put her finger to my mouth the moment she saw my expression.
"Why?"
I whispered in the lowest possible voice.
She cleared her throat and sat back down.
"I'm not the type to want a boring future. I don't want to be a CEO so I'll probably be a... Magus? No, there's too much official work involved."
---
{Kei Sasaki's POV:}
"This place is crowded."
"Yeah, I don't like it either."
Kuroha replied, taking a croissant from the selections.
"I hate this place."
I kissed my tongue, looking over at the boys staring at me from a distance.
"Me neither. Shoya isn't here."
"That's not what I'm saying."
Kuroha seems to have been attached to Shoya ever since he got back.
But I'm more insecure about the nobles looking at me. Though, I'm with Kuro, so I should be fine.
Dad always did tell me to stay away from those spoiled fucks.
"Why are we here again?"
The black-haired girl asked me, mindlessly putting food on her plate.
"Uh... Dad said that we have to be here since it's a special event. He's running it."
"Then where is Old man Gedo?"
I shrugged.
Where is Dad?
I was expecting him to be escorting us. Being in the VIP area is so uncomfortable.
"Hey, you two."
A boy approached us.
His hair was gelled and blue, and he wore something that looked dumb. He looked like a kid in a suit. It was probably his puffy sleeves and shorts and his long white socks.
Looks like a fucking spoiled kid. Oh wait, he is.
I looked at him then looked at Kuroha. She glared at him and began to walk away with her.
"See ya."
She simply said.
This girl...
Kuroha just left me!
"Well, I wasn't interested in her, anyway."
The boy dismissed.
Nah, I have to give it to him, he's a good actor. Though, my Singularity tells me that he's slightly nervous.
"So, what family are you from?"
He said, inspecting his nails, slowly regaining his confidence.
"I'm not from one, you know."
"Please, try me?"
He said with a smile.
"Sasaki."
The boy looked at me confused. Then, almost instantly, his face twisted in anger. He couldn't figure out what family name that was.
"Guards! Someone snuck into the VIP section."
Well, here we go.