CH 2

Chapter 2: Don't Be Passive! Be Aggressive In Your Circle Recruiting!

TL: Akabane

***

What you need for your college debut? First, appearance. I think the first thing any guy would think of is going to a hair salon. It is not a mistake. But if you are a guy, you should choose a barber properly. I jumped into a fashionable barbershop in Shibuya.

"Please make me look cool with a face shave!"

"Oh, yes. Leave it to me."

And there I get my hair cut and my facial hair shaved clean until it's smooth. This is surprisingly important. A man's face has not only a thick beard, but also baby hair. A good barbershop in the center of the city will shave the hair off your face as well. This makes the complexion look much better! This is an advantage that beauty does not have.

"Hey brother, I think you look good with a beard, so next time you come back, let me suggest a beard shape or something."

The nice thing about barbershops is that they can give you a cool beard. Well, most of the time beards are just for self-satisfaction, but I hear that some women still like them, so it's a great option.

"Yes, that's right! I'll be looking forward to it!"

As soon as I left the store, I headed for "Urahara" at the end of Takeshita-dori in Harajuku. Here, where select stores line the streets, I bought some clothes. The trick is to get one set of clothes, even shoes, from one store. I bought five sets. It was a lot of money, but it was a good investment. 3 sets would have been fine, but it was better to have a buffer. Then I went home and spread my notebook out on my desk.

"The key to having shining youth in college. It's "circles"...!"

What do you think of college? Those who answer "research" here are serious and desirable. However, many people would probably answer, "Circles."

"Circles are the epitome of human society, or an imitation of a military-type organization. There is always a "hierarchical caste."

There are probably many people who were tormented by the school caste in junior high and high school. There are many low caste people who study hard with a faint dream that they will be liberated from it if they go to college. I am one of them. But in reality, it is different. In fact, caste consciousness accelerates even more brutally in college!

"Here's some future knowledge. I have knowledge of the relationships of each circle member. I'm going to use it."

I've been asked by my professor to negotiate with each circle every year during my first week. So I've had a good eyeful of each member's relationships and caste, and I've been able to connect my PC to the Internet and open up the social networking sites of Event, Tennis, Drinking Circle, and the inter-college playgroups. They opened social networking sites such as Event, Tennis, drinking clubs, and social clubs for fun, and copied the relationships that I remembered in my notebook. Then, I put the data into the logical thinking framework software on my PC, and the "key people" emerge.

"I see. These are the key people. We've found them, the targets!"

I download the mug shots from each social networking site, print them out, and stick them in my notebook. And the "College Relationship Correlation Notebook" is complete!

"Now we just need to put it into action at tomorrow's entrance ceremony! Kukuku!"

I smile high. Preparation is everything in war, they say. Then victory is almost assured! I'm looking forward to tomorrow!

The entrance ceremony for my university, National Imperial Capital University, is held in the Budokan. It was very crowded with new students, clubs, and other groups. Since our university has the highest deviation score in Japan, the mass media was also there. I was watching the scene through binoculars from the roof of a nearby building. I saw a group of dressed-down, flirtatious, less-than-hot-looking seniors boldly handing out flyers to new students in kimono and hakama.

"Oh, the cute girls are swarming with the event club. The good-looking seniors are going to eat them up anyway. A pity. Oops, I found them!"

I spotted my "target" senior, whom I had set yesterday, walking away from the circle group by himself. He was walking away from the front of the Budokan toward the convenience store. Right on target! I leave the roof of the building and head for the convenience store where he was headed. I walk up to the convenience store and ask him inside. I see my target, an older student, filling his basket with as much chu-hi as he can. College students always want to drink. I guessed they were going to have a party at a nearby park afterwards. I casually bumped into him just as he walked out of the park with a bag full of drinks.

[TL: Chūhai, an abbreviation of "shōchū highball", is an alcoholic drink originating from Japan. ]

"Whoa!"

"Whoa!"

Senpai stumbled and not a few cans of chuhai fell out of the bag onto the ground. I quickly picked them up and handed them to him.

"Sorry! I was so nervous that I bumped into you!"

I bowed neatly to my senpai. Senpai cheerfully.

"Oh, you're a new student. No, it's fine, it's fine! I had a little too much chu-hi in my drink! I guess we're even!"

"Thank you! But isn't that heavy? I'll hold one of them for you."

With that, I quickly snatched the bag full of chu-hi and snacks from my senpai's left hand. But Senpai was impressed.

"You're so kind! You're so nice! That's nice! That kind of respect for others is so cool! Then I'll ask for it!"

Then me and my senpai walk together to where the circle is.

"That navy three-piece suit is cool. You know how all freshmen wear black recruiting suits? I don't know about that one."

"My mother bought this for me! She said I had to look nice for the entrance ceremony! She told me to wear it and take selfies with the seniors and cute girls! Hahaha!"

I lied. My mother doesn't have good taste to buy me a suit like this. She doesn't want selfies. She only takes selfies because of my trickery.

"Seriously! Haha! You have a great mom!"

"What do you think? How about a selfie, senpai?"

"Yeah! Yeah!"

"Yeah!"

Me and my senpai, holding our convenience store bags, shoulder to shoulder, taking pictures with our phones.

"Give me that picture too!"

"Okay!"

Here I casually exchange accounts and send the current photo to my senpai. Then, while talking to my senpai, I reach the place where the circle is set up.

"This is our circle! Hey guys! There's someone I want to introduce to you!"

My senpai calls the circle members together. This is what I'm after. I feel my mouth relax. This senior is the number three of this university's most kingly incarceration team. He is a man who is meticulous, caring, and well organized, trusted by the circle representatives, and a behind-the-scenes force to be reckoned with by the circle members. The position of a ・・・・・・・ new student who is introduced directly to the members by such a person. That's what I'm after.

"Oh, hi! I'm a new student, Tokiwa Kanahisa! Kanahisa is written Kanade and Hisahisashi, so please feel free to call me Kanade!"

The seniors in the circle giggle. But it was a very friendly one.

"Your guidance and encouragement is so stiff! Haha! Relax! Kanade casually helped me out earlier when I was carrying a heavy load! He's a good guy! Say hi to him!"

"He's a nice guy!"

"I didn't have that kind of a good feeling when I was a freshman!"

"He's got a really cool face, too."

"But does he have that Hollywood look that guys like more than girls?"

"What is that...? Is it an evolution of the saucy face?"

Everyone was talking about me. All of them were good reactions. I think it's safe to say I was accepted.

"Oops! Sorry I caught you! Here's a flyer! I'm definitely coming to your new school! If you need any help with orientation or classes or anything, just call me! I'll pay you back! Hahaha!"

He was a nice guy. After a brief reception, I was easily released. Our faces connected. My first step toward brightening my youth was thus successful.

As we approached the Budokan, I heard the cold, piercing voices of girls in the corner. Not only me, but everyone around me had noticed it.

"What are you wearing? I told you, didn't I? You told us to defend the honor of our high school! Why are you wearing plain clothes to the entrance ceremony?"

"What? Look at me. It's a formal affair! I mean, you're free to wear whatever you want to the college entrance ceremony! Are you idiots?"

Three girls in suits surrounded one girl in a slightly out-of-place fashion. She had bright blonde hair that was pulled up two-sided with a ribbon of ruffles. She was wearing a blouse with pink sleeves and collar and a black tie. Knee-length black skirt, thick-soled shoes. Knee-highs. She is definitely a minefield type. She even had blue contacts in her eyes. The same goes for her makeup. Her face is very beautiful, but she's done up in a way that gives her a menhaden look. It's very gaudy.

"Screw it! Our high school is a prestigious school! What's with that outfit! What kind of delinquent school do you think our school is! It's so annoying."

"Huh? What's a little bit of this? Sixty students come to this school every year, so why can't one of them be like me?"

"Go change your clothes already! Or just go home like this!"

"No, I don't want to. I don't want to go out, but I don't want to go home either. Can I go now?"

That's when I saw one of the girls in suits lifting her hand. And in an angry voice.

"You really are! You've been cocky since high school!"

That was not good. Maybe she was preparing for the poke to the other's chest that girls sometimes do. I involuntarily moved my body.

"Ugh!"

"What?!"

I stood in front of the mine girl and caught the thrust with my stomach. It hurt there. I unintentionally covered up. An action not part of the plan. But if you're going to have a sparkling youth, you have to be able to do this. That's what I thought.