“…!!”
After hearing Setsuna’s answer, Yuugo opened his eyes a little wide.
Setsuna smiled, happy that it seemed he understood what she meant, and that his head was spinning fast, but Claire asked a question.
“H-hum, what do you mean by giving a position in the academy? I have no idea what…”
“Ahh… I’m sorry to respond to a question with a question, but why am I obligated to answer your question?”
“Eh…?”
The bite in Setsuna’s answer left Claire with her eyes wide open in surprise.
Setsuna sighed again, and continued talking without facing her.
“I don’t like doing pointless things. I explained my intentions to Melt Epee because I recognize her strength and achievements, meaning she has more than enough to be my romantic rival. But… Claire Rouge, you are different. You are not even part of Yuugo’s group, so why should I answer your questions?”
“S-Setsuna, that’s too far. You don’t have to put it that…!”
“…No, Miss Kogarashi is correct. If we really think about it, it’s strange… For me to insert myself into your conversation.”
Raiha tried to stop Setsuna, who spoke plainly, but Claire stopped Raiha.
And as Claire bowed with a sad expression, this time, it was Melt who spoke.
“So what do you mean? You’ll answer if it comes from your romantic rival, right? So what do you mean you can give Yuugo a position?”
“…Ahh, fine then. If my future friend and rival asks it, I must explain. Thank this kind girl, Claire Rouge.”
“…”
Setsuna finally looked at Claire, but spoke with a somewhat snide tone.
She sat on Yuugo’s bed, and looked at everyone present before she began.
“You all know Yuugo is seen by many here as the biggest scum in this academy, right? He is still insulted and despised as someone who caused students here a lot of grief… But don’t you find that odd?”
“Of course it’s odd! Yuugo isn’t scum!”
“Yes, exactly. From what I can see, Yuugo has high communication skills and does nothing to harm others. He built a friendly relationship with the exchange student Ryuuga Renjou in a short amount of time, and treats his little brother with love. And he has the track record of having contributed to solving all those incidents… So why is he called scum and criticized so much?”
“Because… The previous bad behavior made everyone mad?”
“You could say that. But then let me ask something. Marcos Bolg… Tell us, who do you remember being criticized more, the old Yuugo, or this one?”
“…This one. Without a doubt, Yuugo is suffering a lot of verbal abuse from students now.”
Marcos was the only one present who knew the circumstances surrounding Yuugo prior to his memory loss.
Setsuna sniffed, satisfied with that answer, and continued with a subtle smile.
“Now how can that be? Yuugo’s personality has become so much better that you could say he was reborn, and his behavior is nothing like it was… But he is criticized more than when he actually did those bad things.
His personality is better and he is stronger. So how come many people call him scum and despise him…? The answer lies in…”
Setsuna withdrew her smile, and looked straight at Yuugo.
She looked into his eyes with a serious expression, and answered the question she posed.
“The fact that Yuugo lost his position as the eldest son of a noted noble family.”
That was when the most perceptive knew what she was saying.
After she was done, Marcos and Angel spoke.
“Yuugo used to have the strong position of eldest son of the Clay family. He had strength and that position, so no one could oppose him… But he lost a duel to Zenon, was disowned, and lost his prized sword, the symbol of his strength, so he lost that position…”
“Without his backer, people could say whatever they wanted to him. All the bad behavior built up, and since he was now the biggest scum in school, who was thrown out by his family, people could talk all the crap they wanted.”
“Yes. And…”
“The ones called hero prospects hate him, adding fuel to that sense that it’s okay to bash him. Everyone follows the hero prospects that have a bright future ahead of them, right?”
“Thank you for the perfect answer. No wonder you are Yuugo’s friends.”
Setsuna clapped as she praised them.
She then got up and continued.
“I looked into all the good deeds Yuugo performed after losing his memory, and yet, only a few students changed their views about him… The bad behavior in the past was further fanned by the hero prospects, making it hard to clear away those biases. You thought you could take that hatred as a sort of atonement, but… You began to think differently after Phi was injured, right?”
“Haha, you really saw through everything, it’s crazy…”
Yuugo laughed at himself, as Setsuna knew exactly what he was thinking about before she arrived.
He decided to live as Yuugo Clay, and was ready to accept the hatred that came with it because of his past sins, but… The incident a week prior was quite a shock.
“Your dear brother was gravely injured because of you. As long as so many people call you scum, it might happen again. And next time, it might not just be your brother, but your friends as well. And it might go further than just injuries. All because of you. That is why you must do something about people calling you scum as soon as possible. Otherwise, more people dear to you might be hurt… Is what you were thinking, correct?”
“…You got me. You’re absolutely right. Am I that transparent?”
“No, you’re just honest, for better or worse, and a nice person. But that is what drew me to you. And what makes you a good husband. I think this is underhanded and not exactly the right way to go about it, but… I will use my position to its fullest to make you mine.”
She said as she walked towards him and took his hand.
Setsuna held Yuugo’s hand with both her hands, as she looked directly at him.
“Be my fiance, Yuugo. If you are, you will be the future husband of the heir to the Kogarashi family, which is a noted family in Yamato. That position can protect you and the people you care about.”
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She’s technically wrong… but on the information she and even Yuugo have, her conclusion as to his reputation is the most reasonable and logical explanation.
That is certainly a tough choice isn’t it. IMO Yuugo isn’t the type who is happy to borrow someone else’s status to benefit himself, but at the same time she is right that his bad reputation is putting Phi and his friends at risk of collateral damages if those fake heroes try to do something again.
I hear an very loud “objection” coming in the future
Setsuna truly is the most formidable of the three Miko. She might not be the leader of the group, but she’s able to read between the lines. I can’t believe she laid a trap for Yuugo like this