Chapter: 20. Let the Dating War Begin
Freshman Dinner.
This is a grand event specially organized by the academy to welcome new students, build connections, and create a sense of belonging to the campus—a solemn and ceremonial welcome for newcomers.
However, in the eyes of the upperclassmen, this day is more akin to a rare and justified carnival.
Although generally upperclassmen can only participate as organizers, volunteers, or staff for the dinner,
in reality, every year there’s always a group of senior students who are single and still hold a passion for youth, willingly sweating it out while setting up the venue, adjusting the sound system, and assigning seats—all for a simple yet grand dream—
to get closer to the cute or handsome underclassmen.
According to the rules, partners for the freshman dinner should be prepared in advance.
Whether it’s a close friend who came together or a long-desired crush, most freshmen will secure their partners before the formal entrance to avoid last-minute panic.
But—
there are always some unexpected surprises.
Some freshmen who haven’t had the chance to find a partner will hesitate at the entrance of the banquet;
Some naive underclassmen will be dazzled by the smiles and sweet words of upperclassmen;
And those single upperclassmen, dressed in their most formal attire, will linger near the entrance of the dinner, waiting to find those adorable newcomers left alone—attempting to “snatch up” a bit of fate on a night that belongs to freshmen.
Yet tonight’s freshman dinner is destined to be extraordinary.
Some students have already caught wind that the S-class esper from the Moon Academy will attend the freshman dinner as a guest.
For these esper students, an S-class esper is an exalted and unattainable being. Even if he is not the S-class of their own academy, he remains a role model, goal, and aspiration in the minds of every esper.
If they can take this opportunity to meet the S-class—almost every student holds such a thought.
Especially within the hearts of some girls, although the S-class attends as a guest, there might be a chance to dance with him or even leave a good impression in his heart, developing into a beautiful and romantic love story…
Just imagining such a future brings many girls’ smiles to their faces.
…
…
The private jet heading to Star Academy had just penetrated a thick layer of clouds, the fuselage trembling slightly for a moment, and then the entire view opened up.
Outside the window, a vast blue was gradually unfurling.
The boundless sea surface was coated in a warm golden hue by the setting sun, the horizon resembling a glowing ribbon, slantingly leading towards the man-made island floating on the sea—Star Academy.
Inside the cabin, the lights automatically dimmed, maintaining a gentle, non-blinding glow.
The deep gray wool carpet, silver-patterned wooden finishes, cream-colored leather seats—every inch of the details was understated yet luxurious, combining comfort and privacy.
“You’re quite popular, Mr. Tsukimi, or should I say S-class—King of Black Flames?”
A man wearing gold-rimmed glasses was half-reclining on a comfortable sofa, leisurely swirling a glass of light golden liquid.
In his other hand, he held a device resembling a tablet, leisurely browsing the internal forum of Star Academy while chuckling softly.
“The news of your attendance at the freshman dinner just leaked, and now the entire freshman section has exploded; the posting speed is about to crash Star Academy’s servers.”
He said, turning the screen towards the other side.
Various headlines were scrolling on it—
【[Urgent] The S-class of Moon Academy—King of Black Flames is also coming to the freshman dinner!?】
【A post debunking rumors about S-class attending the freshman dinner (now closed).】
【Insider news confirmed that King of Black Flames will attend the dinner.】
【A comprehensive guide on the S-class of Moon Academy’s preferences.】
…
However, Kanade, who was sitting by the window, merely glanced at it, showing no visible reaction on his face, and then returned his gaze to the tactical briefing on his device.
Since this private jet took off from Moon Academy, he had been continuously handling several urgent reports involving Special Circumstances SEMA and Moon Academy.
Kanade, appearing diligent and tireless in his work, inadvertently reminded the man in glasses of the previous S-class esper, creating a sense of familiarity.
“Ah.” The man in glasses retracted the device in his hand, took a sip of wine, and sighed, “Such youth.”
Just then.
The cabin broadcast issued a gentle reminder: “We are about to enter the landing zone; please fasten your seatbelts.”
Kanade closed the terminal, finally lifting his gaze from the data to look outside the window.
The last rays of the setting sun were dyeing the sea and the island a hazy gold-red.
At the edge of his vision, he could faintly see a few small jets orderly landing along the designated airway outside the island.
—It seemed that today’s Star Academy was not just hosting their group.
—————–
Stardust Pavilion.
This is the designated resting place arranged for Kanade and others, located on the east side of the main island of Star Academy, near a stretch of white sandy beach, isolated and tranquil.
The corridors within the pavilion were tall and silent, the walls embedded with frosted silver and deep blue wood grain, chandeliers hanging low, emitting a gentle and non-blinding glow.
A light and refreshing scent mingled with the salty wetness brought by the sea breeze outside.
Footsteps echoed in the hall.
“Are you ready to meet your dance partner tonight?” Kanade and the man in glasses walked one behind the other, guided by a student who worked at the pavilion to their respective assigned doors.
The two students in white uniforms blushed as they stole glances at Kanade’s profile while carefully and quietly leaving this floor, seemingly worried that their presence would disturb the two—or perhaps they were eager to rush out the latest intel they had just acquired.
For instance—news has already leaked that the S-class esper, King of Black Flames, not only will attend the freshman dinner but has also decided on his dance partner for tonight.
Which lucky lady will capture the favor of this S-class?
Or perhaps it isn’t a lady at all, but a certain cute or handsome guy?
After all, it is common knowledge, even among the students of Star Academy, that King of Black Flames is not one to approach the opposite sex.
No one has ever seen him interact closely with any beautiful and powerful female esper, and he seems to have closer ties with male espers… and so on.
“It seems there will soon be a huge stir among these kids~” The man in glasses spoke with his usual light-heartedness and cheer, seemingly satisfied with Kanade being surrounded by the students of Star Academy.
Kanade cast him a faint glance.
He had no interest in the so-called freshman dinner or in partners. If it weren’t for his team members mentioning that the professor on the other end was very insistent, Kanade would have long intended to refuse.
On the other hand.
After arriving at the artificial island of Star Academy, he had not felt that familiar and nostalgic magical response.
Yoko Mana was currently not at Star Academy.
Kanade suddenly lost his target for tonight’s actions, and the meeting regarding Star Academy and Special Circumstances SEMA would not take place until tomorrow morning.
Perhaps, as this man said, the best arrangement for him tonight would be to attend the freshman dinner as a guest, greet everyone, and subtly investigate one of the influential figures at Star Academy through his assigned dance partner.
After bidding farewell to the man in glasses,
Kanade walked into his assigned room and pulled out his phone from his pocket.
His fingers slid across the screen, opening the document he had received earlier from his deputy, Jirō.
The document contained various materials about Professor Amagi Shinkou and information about the dance partner he would be introduced to.
Kanade felt a bit anxious as he opened the document.
In the various artworks he had previously seen, social events like this, aimed at getting closer, often ended poorly.
“Could it be that she’s really the professor’s daughter…” If the counterpart really turned out to be a woman in her forties or fifties, regardless of how much he wanted to gain the support of Star Academy and become the true protagonist, this request—would still have to be accepted.
Because this wasn’t for himself, but for that black-haired girl.
As long as he could “revive” her and bring her smile back to this world, Kanade was prepared to sacrifice anything, no matter the cost—
Kanade’s phone wallpaper was not a photo of himself with that black-haired girl, even though the two had taken countless photos together during their escape from Special Circumstances SEMA and the three major academies. Kanade wanted to keep all information about that girl hidden away.
Until this world forgot that there was a girl named “Hoshimiya Nagi,” and did not remember that there was a protagonist called “Hoshimiya Nagi.” Only then, when she was “revived,” could she live the peaceful, warm, and happy life she wished for.
However.
When Kanade opened the information file,
in a daze,
he seemed to see that most important girl in his life again—
A sensation of something breaking transmitted from his hand, viscous and warm, his vision was being eroded by a blackness, and the crackling sound of flames burning something reached his ears—
Kanade suddenly came to himself, the golden light bursting from his eyes dimming gradually, and the sensation he had just felt vanished in an instant.
He still stood in the room of Stardust Pavilion, his gaze falling upon the extremely simplistic layout and decor—silver metallic desk, smart adjustable reading lamp, a soft bed equipped with an automatic temperature control system,
and a large floor-to-ceiling window facing the coast.
Outside, the golden sea was about to swallow the sun below the horizon,
the sound of the waves gently hitting the reef, as if the world was whispering softly.
“…Have I really been too tired lately?” Kanade seemed to “accept” the sudden thought that arose in his heart and returned his gaze to the phone screen.
This time, he did not see any illusions, nor did he hear any auditory hallucinations.
Nevertheless, the girl in the screen made Kanade’s long-dormant heart tremble once more.
In the photo, the girl wore the uniform of Star Academy, with hair as dark as night and skin as white as snow, her exquisitely perfect features leaving one with a sense of unreality, radiating a purity and nobility seemingly innate, her demeanor as quiet as a flower blooming under the moonlight.
Moreover, under the outline of the white uniform, her impressive figure made it impossible for one to forget; one instinctively could not look away.
He finally understood why, when the members of his special action team discussed this matter, everyone appeared as excited as if they had won a prize.
—Just a mere photo had made it clear why they were so out of sorts.
But the moment Kanade comprehended this, a sudden wave of self-loathing surged within him.
Though reason told him that so-called love is merely a hormonal reaction in the brain, no matter how deeply you believe you love someone, willing to cherish all your feelings for her a lifetime, you would surely encounter another person who could reignite your heart.
The river of time sweeps away your obsessions and allows you to let go of the past—
Kanade had thought he would not be like this, that his feelings for that girl were not so superficial—no, that was a cunning statement; he was merely avoiding the truth, as he feared discovering that he was indeed such a person.
—Does she really mean only this much to me?
—No, absolutely not.
Kanade clenched his teeth, thoroughly denying the thoughts that had just emerged in his heart.
In this lifetime, he would only love one person, whether in the past, present, or future.
Kanade calmed his restless emotions and switched into work mode—
He would approach and please this girl to better get close to Professor Amagi Shinkou, in order to achieve his goal of becoming the true protagonist, nothing more.
However, a girl with such an appearance would surely never lack pursuers in daily life, and she must be quite adept at handling various advances and strategies.
If he rashly approached her, it might backfire.
—He needed to prepare some strategies.
Kanade thought.
The right things should be left to the right people to do.
This was the truth Kanade recognized after becoming an esper.
Thus he picked up his phone again and called his deputy—Jirō.
As far as Kanade knew, Jirō was a master at matters of the heart, with a girlfriend that changes like the seasons, claiming there was no girl he couldn’t handle. Although Kanade couldn’t understand his views on love, he respected everyone’s way of life, as long as it didn’t intentionally hurt others.
The call connected.
A somewhat carefree voice came through the headset on the other end.
“Yo, Captain! Why are you suddenly calling me? Did you meet the professor’s old lady daughter? Or is she a delicate and enticing young lady?”
“Stop pretending, you all knew what the dance partner arranged by Professor Amagi looked like, right?” Kanade cut straight to the point.
“Well, well~ Captain, can’t you at least understand our jealousy a bit? To be the partner of such a cute beauty—Honestly, even I have never seen a girl so outstanding in appearance.”
Kanade could almost feel Jirō shrugging through the phone.
But he wasn’t in the mood to continue chatting with Jirō and went straight to the matter at hand.
“Let’s set those aside. If I’m to approach this girl to get closer to the professor—”
“—It’ll be quite challenging, right? After all, a beauty like her is sure to have a considerable immunity to boys. Even if Captain, your charm is remarkable, it might not work in front of her.” After a pause, Jirō added, “And to be blunt, she might actually be a master at playing with men’s feelings, so winning her over isn’t a simple task.”
“Yes, yes, yes. Is it really necessary to boast about your experience to this extent?” Kanade interrupted, slightly speechless.
“Don’t worry, Captain! As long as I have my love experience, along with the romantic guidance of the entire team behind me—we will definitely help the Captain win this date! Victory is within our grasp!”
“So next, just put on an invisible earpiece and turn on the camera on your headset. We’ll provide you with the most suitable suggestions based on the actual situation! We’re confident that even the daughter of that old man Amagi can be conquered!!!”
“…So why are you so excited, and why do you like me dating women in their forties or fifties so much?”
