Chapter 14: The Trash Scion Acts Like Trash
The day of the Meika Academy High School founding anniversary party had finally arrived.
The venue for the party was the International Hotel in front of the station. The Grand Ballroom was rented out entirely for the event.
Students in uniform and their parents were lined up at the reception desk in the lobby outside the venue.
Many of them were prominent figures in the financial world, naturally wearing what appeared to be expensive clothes and brand-name accessories with ease.
As I finished checking in and was about to enter the venue, footsteps approached.
It was Kaede. Chairman Hoshimiya was walking over as well, being escorted by her.
"Eitarou-sama, so you were here," she said.
"I just arrived. Chairman Hoshimiya... I mean, long time no see, Gramps," I replied.
Chairman Hoshimiya gave a light wave to Kaede in thanks and turned back to me.
"I'm getting up there in years, you see. Akiji-kun was kind enough to guide me."
There was a large crowd around us.
To prevent anyone from discovering the body double secret, Chairman Hoshimiya and I moved to a corner of the lobby and spoke in hushed voices.
"I'm looking forward to the Freshman Representative Keynote. It's a good thing you're filling in for Eitarou, Kei-kun. If we had him give a speech, he might spout nonsense about a harem or something in front of everyone."
"Please look forward to it. Have Touka-san's parents arrived yet?"
"I haven't seen them yet, but they should be on their way."
"Will it be all right? If they see me during the speech, I'm worried that when they meet the real Eitarou-san later, they might realize I'm a body double."
"You and Eitarou look remarkably alike. From a distance, they won't be able to tell the difference. However, please be careful not to interact with Touka-san's parents directly. If you speak to them up close, they'll inevitably realize you're someone else."
"I understand. After the speech, I'll retreat to the waiting room."
"I'm counting on you. I've already explained to her parents that Eitarou is busy behind the scenes at the party and won't be able to meet them today."
With our secret conversation concluded, Chairman Hoshimiya was escorted by Kaede once more toward the venue.
As she left, Kaede looked back and cast an anxious glance my way.
She must have been worried about me as I was about to wrap up my role as the body double.
I'll be fine.
I gave her a small nod to convey that sentiment.
Even though the party hadn't started yet, the venue was already packed with people.
Counters set up around the perimeter of the hall were stocked with buffet-style dishes, and the chefs were serving freshly prepared food.
People were already gathering around the scattered round tables well before the opening ceremony.
At the adults' tables, people were chatting in a relaxed atmosphere, while at the students-only tables, they were excitedly digging into heaps of food, swept up in the party's extraordinary vibe.
At the edge of the venue, I caught sight of Touka dressed in a strikingly beautiful party gown.
Perhaps she was nervous, but her expression was stiff, and even the way she wore the dress seemed somewhat awkward.
"Touka, so you were here. It's a special party, you shouldn't just stand in the corner."
"I'm not used to wearing this dress. Everyone else is in uniform, so I feel like I'll stand out."
Normally, I would have told her it suited her, and she genuinely looked beautiful right now.
But somehow, perhaps because of her somewhat subdued mood, it was hard to say out loud.
"Are your parents here yet, Touka?"
"They should be arriving soon. Do you want to go say hello?"
"I'll pass. Chairman Hoshimiya also told me to avoid seeing them."
"What a strange fiancé, hiding on his big day," Touka said.
Touka's expression finally brightened a little.
"You've been practicing your speech constantly for today, right? I'll listen from up close."
"Thanks. That'll motivate me."
It would be troublesome if Touka's parents showed up. I ended the conversation early and stepped away from her.
When I approached a table where my classmates were gathered, everyone turned around.
"Hoshimiya! Don't mess up your speech!"
"Don't go embarrassing the class, man!"
Even as the boys threw friendly insults my way, their voices carried a sense of camaraderie.
"Hoshimiya-kun! Do your best!"
Cheers also flew in from the girls.
There was no longer a single student who saw me as just a frivolous flirt.
Hoshimiya Eitarou. The scion of Hoshimiya Central, perfectly matched with Rindou Touka, the daughter of a major corporation and one of the most beautiful girls in the school.
That was what everyone believed.
Mao came over to my side and called out to me.
"Hoshimiya-kun. Are you ready?"
"I'm all set. How about you, Mao?"
"I'm good to go too. Now we just have to wait for the real thing."
We nodded to each other, and I headed toward the waiting room at the back of the venue.
On my way there, I ran into Uine.
When she saw my face, a slightly troubled expression crossed hers.
"...Are you truly sure about this?"
"Of course. I'm going to make my heartfelt speech echo throughout the entire venue."
Uine let out a soft sigh.
"I have no idea what you're thinking. I simply cannot understand the mind of a Harem King."
"Uine. I'm counting on you."
"I know, I know."
I parted ways with Uine and entered the waiting room alone.
I had already told Mao and Uine what was going to happen. Now all that was left was the main event.
From the venue, I heard the female head of the executive committee announcing the start of the party.
☆
While I was waiting in the room behind the party venue, a male student on the executive committee called for me.
"Hoshimiya, it's almost your turn."
I followed him out of the waiting room and entered the venue.
The party hall was packed with people. About two-thirds were students from the school, and the rest were invited business leaders and parents.
At the front of the venue was a stage with a podium set up for speeches.
"Er, therefore, the youth who will carry the future of our society on their shoulders—"
Right now, the principal was on stage, giving the opening remarks to the attendees.
I stood by the side of the stage, waiting for my turn.
Taking deep breaths to ease my nerves, I saw Touka walking toward the front of the stage. She looked around, and when our eyes met, she gave a little wave.
The principal's speech ended, and the voice of a female student acting as the MC echoed from the speakers.
"We will now proceed with the commemorative speeches by the students. First, please listen to the Freshman Representative Keynote by Hoshimiya Eitarou-kun."
The attendees, who seemed bored by the principal's long speech, suddenly perked up.
"Hoshimiya! We've been waiting!"
Half-teasing cheers flew in from the students.
"Is he the scion of the Hoshimiya family...?"
The business leaders cast curious glances.
With the appearance of the famous, rumor-laden scion, the audience's interest had surged all at once.
I stood in the center of the stage and looked out over the venue.
At a round table near the back, I could see Chairman Hoshimiya and Kaede.
The man and woman sharing the table with them seemed to be Touka's parents.
Touka had stepped away from her parents and was looking up at me from right in front of the stage.
I placed my hands on the podium and opened my mouth to speak.
"Good afternoon, everyone gathered here today. I am Hoshimiya Eitarou, a new student who enrolled in Meika Academy High School this year. I am honored to be given the opportunity to speak today."
Once I started, my nerves faded, and my delivery grew smoother. It was a solid start.
I continued my speech. The content was safe—my impressions of the school as a freshman and anecdotes about my bewilderment with unfamiliar high school life.
Eventually, I spoke about being appointed as a Class Representative and my involvement in preparing for this founding anniversary party. My model-student demeanor left the adults nodding in satisfaction, while the students looked bored.
Judging the timing to be right, I started to deviate from the script.
"My ability to engage in these activities at school is not solely due to my own efforts. Today, as a token of my gratitude, I'd like to introduce two people I am particularly close with!"
The two girls who had been on standby by the side of the stage stepped up and walked over to me.
It was Mao and Uine. The sudden appearance of these beautiful guests drew the attention of the previously bored students back to the stage.
Touka, watching from directly in front of me, looked a bit bewildered.
Mao and Uine stood side by side on either side of me, facing forward.
"Don't you all think it's wonderful!? There are so many incredibly cute girls in this school!?"
The sudden shift in the tone of my speech caused a murmur to ripple through the venue.
Everyone looked at each other in confusion, wondering what I was going to say next.
"Thanks to becoming a Class Representative, I got to know all kinds of girls, and I can hit on them all I want!"
My words grew increasingly heated.
On both sides of me, Mao and Uine looked at me with expressions of dismay.
"Come on, you two, don't make those faces."
I stretched my arms out wide, pulled both of their shoulders tightly against mine, and shouted.
"Look! This is my harem!!"
A dead silence fell over the entire venue.
The students—both boys and girls—had frozen expressions on their faces.
"H...Harem...?"
The adults looked at me with eyes that couldn't comprehend what was happening.
"Hold on! Hoshimiya-kun, you never said anything about this!"
With a panicked voice, Mao frantically pulled her arm away from my grasp.
Uine similarly distanced herself from me and complained.
"Honestly! I only cooperated because you begged me to greet everyone with you!"
"W-Wait a second, don't get mad, you two. After all, my dream is to become the Harem King."
Heavy footsteps approached, stomping firmly onto the stage.
Touka, who had been watching, had come up onto the stage and was standing right in front of us.
Tears welling in the corners of her eyes, she glared at me.
She clenched both her hands tightly into fists, her lips trembling furiously.
Her shout echoed into every corner of the silent venue.
"You're the worst!! You're trash!!"
Leaving only those words behind, she turned her back on me, stepped down from the stage, and walked away.
The students, who had been watching with bated breath, began to let out stifled laughter.
"...What the heck was that? Hoshimiya totally got dumped."
"I heard he turned over a new leaf, but he's still just the same trash, isn't he."
The female head of the executive committee came stomping over angrily and grabbed my arm.
"Hoshimiya-kun! What on earth are you doing!! Get over here right now!"
I was practically dragged off the stage and escorted away.
When I glanced at Chairman Hoshimiya's table, I saw him with his hand on his forehead, looking completely devastated, as if to say, "Oh boy..."
Touka's parents had tense expressions and were completely frozen.
☆
After being dragged back to the waiting room, I received a severe scolding from the executive committee head.
Standing nearby, Mao tried to calm her down.
"It looks like Hoshimiya-kun has reflected on his actions, and I'll make sure to give him a stern talking-to as well."
The committee head gave me one last glare before leaving the waiting room.
Once it was just the two of us, I turned to Mao.
"Mao, I'm sorry for ruining the speech we went through the trouble of preparing."
"Well, I took over after you got escorted off, so it wasn't a total waste, but..."
She had continued the speech in my place, bringing the atmosphere back to normal.
The door opened, and Uine walked in.
"Thank you for cooperating as well, Uine."
"Even if you thank me..."
Both Mao and Uine looked troubled.
"I helped because you begged me to, but was it really necessary to go out of your way to show everyone what trash Eitarou-kun is?"
I had made my decision after leaving Touka's house on Sunday.
Touka was suppressing her own desires for the sake of her family. I wanted to put an end to an engagement like that.
That was why I bowed my head to Mao and Uine and begged for their help.
Of course, they didn't know I was a body double. So, without going into detail, I explained that I needed to spread the word about how much of a scumbag I was, but...
"It was necessary for me. Please, just pretend that I tricked both of you today. I won't cause either of you any more trouble."
The two girls exchanged bewildered glances.
Regardless, my plan was now complete. All that was left was to wait for the results.
The day after the founding anniversary party was a school holiday.
As I was spending time at home, around evening, I got a phone call from Chairman Hoshimiya.
Fearful that he was angry about what had happened yesterday, I hesitantly answered the phone.
"It's me. Kei-kun, good work at the party yesterday."
Chairman Hoshimiya's tone was the same as always.
"About the formal meeting between Eitarou and Touka-san, I'm afraid it's been called off. Today, Touka-san's parents contacted us to say they wanted to cancel the whole thing."
"Is that so..."
I responded as if it were someone else's problem, but Chairman Hoshimiya surely knew that my behavior at the party was the reason for the cancellation.
"Don't let it bother you. Even the real Eitarou would have given a speech like that... I was getting a bit carried away with the sudden proposal myself. Come to think of it, Eitarou is far too immature to be engaged. It would be terrible if he were to act like trash while dating Touka-san, and we would lose the Rindou family's trust. Did you foresee that, Kei-kun?"
Chairman Hoshimiya didn't seem angry at all; rather, he sounded calm, as if he had come to his senses.
"...I'm sorry."
"No need for that, it's fine. I'll need you to continue your duties as the body double, Kei-kun. Oh, and Akiji-kun was worried about you."
"...I'll apologize to her."
"Indeed. Well then, until next time."
I hung up the phone and let out a sigh.
I didn't know if my actions were right. I had probably overstepped my duties as a body double.
But if I hadn't acted as a Class Representative, or spent time with Touka, there wouldn't have been any talk of an engagement for her to begin with.
I just reset everything that had happened as a result of my own actions.
At school, I'd revert to being the frivolous, womanizing trash scion. That was fine.
I am a body double. I must hide my true nature and live like a shadow.
Because that is the mission I was given.
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