While I was trying to wrap my head around the rapid development of the situation so far, I noticed that we had arrived at the front gate of "Ousei Gakuen". A splendid thing, that seems to be in a western castle that you can never think of as a school gate, jumped into my eyes. Not only that but on the other side of the gate, there were school buildings and vast grounds that were so large that they could only be seen as a palace.
No, well, um… It's big.
"Welcome to the "Ousei Gakuen"!"
Houjou-san told that to the dumbfounded me, with a smile. And as I was in a somewhat dreamy state of mind, she led me through the school gate. It seems we arrived when homeroom is about to start since I can't see any students walking in the corridor except us.
"U-um… Are you alright?" I said.
"What is it?"
"Well… There doesn't seem to be any students around, it seems the homeroom has already started…"
As a coward, I was too afraid to be late, so I wondered if it would be okay if she was late. But rather, on the contrary, Houjou-san laughed elegantly.
"Fufufu. It's okay. As I said before coming here, the board chairman of this school is my father. And also I've notified the school beforehand that I would be late today, so it will be fine."
"I see…"
It seems like it was only my needless anxiety. It was good then. If she gets scolded because of me, I'd be truly sorry.
Nevertheless, the board chairman of such a big school, huh… I thought that Houjou-san's behavior was elegant, but as I thought, she's really a rich person. Elegance? I guess that was indeed something she had. As for me, I'm overflowing with the poor man's aura. Oh, come to think of it… I have to stop by the supermarket on my way home since there's an egg special sale today.
When I was following Houjou-san while thinking about such a commoners thought, we arrived in front of the door written as the Chairman's Office before I knew it. Houjou-san knocked on the door, then I heard an elegant man's voice from the inside.
"Come in."
"Excuse me."
"E-excuse me!"
I answered with all of the strength in my body and entered the room following Houjou-san.
Inside, there was a leather sofa, a suited light-brown table, a desk to do the duty, which everyone could see them as good quality, and then a cool middle-aged man sitting in the back of the desk. That man must be Houjou-san's father. When I look at him closely, I can feel they look alike somehow. The man looked surprised for a moment when he saw me as I entered the room, but he immediately greeted me with a gentle look.
"I'm glad you came. I'm Tsukasa Houjou the chairman of this "Ousei Gakuen". Tenjou Yuuya-kun… I've heard about you from my daughter, Kaori. Thank you for saving my daughter."
After the polite greeting, he bowed his head, I was flustered and quickly told him to raise it.
"P-please raise your head! I wasn't that big of a help…"
"No, no matter what you think, you had certainly taken action at the time. That's something to be proud of."
"That's right, Yuuya-san. Once again, thank you very much."
When they told me that, it left me a shameful impression.
"I-I understand."
"… Thank you."
They raised their head since I've accepted their gratitude. And I asked them something that was bothering me.
"Come to think of it, why was Houjou-san alone at that time? Don't she have an escort or…"
"Yuuya-san, you don't need to be so formal to call me Houjou-san like that, please just call me Kaori, honorific or title of honor is unnecessary, you know?"
"Eh!? But…"
"My daughter says she's good with it, and since you're in the same age, you don't need to be so respectful, do you?"
"Well, I guess you're right…"
I answered so while thinking that it was awesome, Houjou-san… No, Kaori smiled.
"Now Yuuya-kun, about your question earlier, I want Kaori to live a normal life, and she hasn't had an escort since she was young."
"That's what I wanted personally. I won't be able to be independent if there is always an escort with me, and I don't need them to find a job too, right? But because of that one case before, I need to bring her with me now." Kaori said while looking at the woman in butler's appearance.
"I was feeling sorry too, but she's still my daughter. She's important to me."
"I see…"
Rich people have their own troubles too. Especially, a poor man like me is unlikely to be kidnapped because there won't be a ransom or shit, but if you're rich, you're at risk. No, I think kidnapping is really dangerous. It was a seducer at that time, but still, they're also in the same bad team as Araki and others belong to, and the security around there can't be said as good, too.
After talking like that, we finally entered the main subject.
"Well now, I've had Yuuya-kun to come this way, but you've heard the reason, haven't you?"
"Y-yes, I was asked to transfer to this "Ousei Gakuen"."
The chairman nodded when I answered that.
"That's right. For me, I'd like you to enroll in this "Ousei Gakuen"… How about it? Of course, this is also my expression of gratitude for saving my daughter, so you don't have to worry about the tuition."
"That's! Even so, you didn't have to go that far…"
"I already told you, didn't I? She's my important daughter. This much is cheap."
The chairman says that while laughing, Kaori's cheeks turned red shyly hearing that. They're a good father and daughter. It's really a big difference from my house.
"So… what would you do?"
"I… is it okay for me to go to the same school as the geniuses?"
"Ousei Gakuen" is a school that's so famous that no one doesn't know about this school in Japan. That's why most of the people who play an active part in Japan and the world are from this school. In other words, a small part of the chosen existence… A school where the only genius can attend. But, I don't have any special skills to be in such a school.
The chairman spoke in a gentle tone, asked me who looks down.
"Yuuya-kun. What kind of person do you think 'genius' refers to?"
"Eh? …Someone that can do anything?"
"That's right. And I think genius is someone who works on things and finds the right answer and the right effort in a shorter time than others. ─ On the other hand, you are with other people. If you make an effort, you're going to get closer to the truth."
"….."
"Of course, apart from genius, there will be different talents. But it's not something you can decide from a young age like you. Try a lot of things, have fun… it's still not too late to try. And this school was built because I want those young people to have a lot of experience. So you don't have to despise yourself. From now on, you just need to face yourself slowly."
The chairman's words have soaked into my heart. Nobody ever told me like that except grandfather. No matter what I did, I was compared to Youta and Sora, and whatever I did, I was labeled incompetent, and after my grandfather died, I could only accept it. That's why I was shaken because there's still someone who told me like that…
The chairman suggested one thing when various feelings swirled up in me and made me confused.
"Well, you must be troubled when being told various things so suddenly. So how about experiencing it, attending this school for just one day today?"
"Eh?"
Suddenly a dumb voice came out of me, but the chairman kept smiling without concern.
"If you want to experience this school today and decided to enter the school, I'll officially welcome you again at the time."
I was dumbfounded by such a proposal and suddenly heard a knock on the door.
"It looks like she's here… Comes in."
"Thanks."
It was a woman to have appeared while saying so. She was a woman wearing a lab coat with a languid impression, and she was wearing a worn-out shirt under the coat.
Moreover, since the shirt is plain and it was slipping to her shoulder, the chest is… Is she properly wearing something under that!? I can't see the straps of her bra!? No, it would trouble me if I can see the strap!
The chairman smiled bitterly when I was surprised to see the overall lax impression of the woman.
"You're just the same as ever… Yuuya-kun, I want you to have experience classes in this woman's class."
"I see. Well, don't be so nervous. Sensei will teach you properly."
"U-umm…"
I-I wonder if it's okay. I couldn't say anything, but when I clogged with the words, the chairman spoke up in an amazing state.
"… Well, you may have a lot to say, but even though she looks like this and she has the mindset of a scientist. Her classes are also easy to understand and are popular with students. That's why take it easy, don't be nervous."
"That's right. Sensei is amazing."
"… It's good if you can feel at ease."
This makes me even worried, you know!
Despite all the worries about the atmosphere of the chairman and the woman in the lab coat, I was going to experience studying in "Ousei Gakuen" today for a day.