The Other Ayanokoji

Chapter 116

Hana approached me with a determined gaze.

Uh oh.

"Ryo," Hana began, her tone firm and resolute, "I want you to use your emotional manipulation power to change my personality."

"Hana, changing someone's personality is not always the best solution. It's a complex process, and there are always unforeseen consequences." 

Though Renji's was a punishment and Onii-chan's was an accident... (Well, I didn't change Onii-chan's...)

Hana shook her head, her determination unwavering. "I don't care about the risks," she insisted, her voice laced with desperation. "I want to be stronger, more confident. I want to be someone I can be proud of."

"Hana, I won't force you to change yourself. But I also won't help you change yourself through artificial means. True strength and confidence come from within, not from external manipulation."

Hana's eyes flashed with anger. "You're just making excuses!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with frustration. "You don't want to help me because you think I'm weak and pathetic!"

"That's not true, I won't make you stronger by manipulating your emotions. That's not the kind of teacher I am, and I won't teach people who want to go the cheap way."

Hana stood there, her chest heaving, her eyes filled with a mixture of anger, disappointment, and defiance.

I turned and walked away, leaving Hana standing alone.

~Time skip~

Reiji, her usual playful demeanor replaced with an air of seriousness, raised an eyebrow. "Where's Hana?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity.

I paused, her gaze shifting from Reiji to the space beside her. "She's not training today," she responded curtly, her voice dismissive.

Reiji's lips curled into a mischievous grin. "Oh, really?" she teased, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "And why is that I wonder?"

I sighed. "Reiji, this isn't the time for games," she said, her tone sharp. "We need to focus on our training."

Reiji chuckled, her teasing tone unwavering. "But isn't it a bit strange that Hana's not here, especially considering how much she loves to train with us?" she persisted, her voice dripping with feigned innocence.

"Reiji, please drop it," I said, my voice laced with annoyance. "I'm not in the mood for your games."

Reiji's smile widened, her amusement growing. "Oh, but I'm just getting started," she countered, her voice filled with playful defiance. "I'm sure Hana has her reasons for not being here, but I'm curious to know what they are."

"Fine," I said, my voice cold and firm. "If you must know, Hana is not training today because I have decided to stop teaching her."

Reiji's eyes widened in surprise, her playful demeanor dropping away. "What?" she exclaimed, her voice filled with disbelief. "Why?"

"Hana has a lot to learn, not just about her psychic abilities but also about herself. She needs to find her own path, and I can't be the one to guide her every step of the way."

"I see," Reiji finally responded.

"Indeed," I agreed.

Reiji smiled, a hint of her usual playfulness returning to her eyes. "Well, I guess we'll just have to continue to train without Hana," she said, her voice filled with determination. "And maybe one day, she'll find her way back to us."

"Maybe so," I agreed.

~Time skip~

I had barely participated in the Survival and Dropout Exam. Ryuen got first and Sakayanagi got last. That's all to it.

Oh, well. I might have instilled some fear into the school, and they don't want to know what happens when they expel me.

I sighed, looking at the snowy landscape.

I wasn't the only one.

"Well, well, well," I began, my voice laced with amusement, "if it isn't the infamous Sakayanagi Arisu, the Class A leader who just suffered a humiliating defeat."

Sakayanagi's eyes narrowed her expression hardening. "What do you want, Ayanokouji?"

"Oh, nothing much," I said innocently. "Just wanted to congratulate you on your spectacular downfall."

"You know, it's quite amusing to see the look of despair on your face," I continued. "After all, you were always so confident in your abilities, so sure that you were destined for greatness."

"Shut up, Ayanokouji!" she shouted.

"Oh, but I'm just getting started," I teleported closer to Sakayanagi. "Did you know that I saw all of this coming? I had a dream, you see, a dream that showed me your inevitable downfall."

Sakayanagi's eyes widened in disbelief. "A dream?" she scoffed, her voice laced with skepticism. But her thoughts betrayed what she said. 

It's possible. 

"Yes, a dream, and in this dream, I saw Hashimoto betray you, Kamuro get expelled, and you, the great Sakayanagi Arisu, finish dead last in the Survival and Dropout exam."

"How could you know?" Sakayanagi whispered, her voice barely audible.

I snapped my fingers and my sketchbook appeared. It flipped to the page with Sakayanagi looking miserable.

"But that's not the important thing." I made the sketchbook disappear. "The important thing is that you learn from your mistakes and become a better person."

Sakayanagi stared at me, her eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and curiosity. "Why are you helping me? I'm you and your brother's enemy."

I paused. "I'm helping you because I need you for later. Then I'll toss you away like useless trash."

"Thank you, Ryo," Sakayanagi murmured, her voice trembling. 

Weak people can be weird

I started walking away. "I have to go now."