088 – Hypocrite

Aomine Sanshoin.

An individual that is not very comparable to people that are connected to known people in different industries. He is not a child of the richest man in Orio, nor was he taught with a mindset and principles that will only have gain for his benefits.

For this time… he is a normal person through and through.

He was born in an ordinary household in Sector 392 with her parents being Tobihiro and Ikebana Sanshoin, along with a younger sister.

His parents were originally employed in a subsidiary office of the largest company in Orio, but they were recruited by the wife of the owner of the company, who started her own venture anew separate from her husband. But the history of their small affiliation originated back when Ikebana was a classmate and a very good friend of Marianne Vantos in high school, who gave Ikebana the nickname "Hana".

At that point, the latter still has no objectives of becoming a businessperson, and their school life was far less hectic as the world was not complicated compared to present. Many years followed, but the two were able to maintain consistent contact with each other even after graduating from high school and college.

Eventually, Ikebana got employed to a subgroup of the Kagurazaka Conglomerate whose founder was nearly the same age as her. There, she met Tobihiro who she then wedded to.

But for undisclosed reasons, Marianne Vantos-Kagurazaka separated from the conglomerate and once again started a new company in which her first employees were the Sanshoin couple even before the company was officially established. The idea clicked to the boss—she decided to name her company "Carnation" with her friend's name in mind. Being married to a Japanese, she later realized the meaning of "Ikebana" which was the art of flower arrangement in the North, while "Hana" meant flower, thus specifically, Carnation.

Coincidences happened where Marianne and Ikebana bore a child at the same year, and the latter later knew that the reason why Marianne separated was to avoid the integration of Takezo's mentality to her second child.

Then, the two children were born.

…

The one thing however that slightly sets Aomine apart to the total normalcy were his certain abilities that surfaced in the developing ages after infancy where his intelligence probed to be beyond his age. But with the state of the country dating back to 2007, his differential is far from being considered as abnormal.

He was, from a very green age, considered a prodigy of intellect. On his first grade in elementary, he memorized the entire periodic table of elements and learned how to interpret its chemical classifications; on his fourth grade, he began studying trigonometry, calculus, and physics; while on his sixth grade, he learned robotics. To boot, he was always a top student—the highest in all of the rankings.

He was indeed someone that can be on par with great scientists with the IQ he had developed a few more years of accumulation.

He enjoyed the praises of others, and studied more to make them happy with his intelligence. Aomine accepted many favors and entered hundreds of academic competitions in just a year, and needless to say, he stepped out of all the competition halls gaining a medal or trophy for first place.

Children have whimsical naivety, so everything that makes the adults smile also makes him and the others happy, in his perspective. He then became an obvious prodigy. More people have acknowledged his abilities to the point where the greatest entrepreneur woman of the country supported his incline and his family. The uplifting words of Marianne Vantos-Kagurazaka were deeply etched on his mind. He was encouraged ultimately, and he then gained people's expectations exponentially.

Expectations.

Standards.

Little did the twelve year-old Aomine Sanshoin knew that it was what had corrupted his mind.

He unconsciously learned to look down on people. He spoke with arrogance to those that could not even hold a candle to his abilities, and even criticized his teachers who can't satisfy his never-ending inquisitions. A child like him treated those who are below him as just stepping stones to take grasp of his gains.

A hazard line is present so that it ought not to be crossed.

But he did. He has floated—high enough that his feet are now so far away from the ground. A pompous and boorish child dared to talk highly to his mother, as if he was better than her in all ways.

That child took a slap on his rather plump cheeks, and dazedly looked at the angered gaze of his father, the fearful eyes of her sister, and the endless weeping of her mother.

For so many years, his doings made people happy and astonished. But this was the first instance where someone looked at him in an utter rue. No, he was not looked at, but all he did was watch the sorrowful visage of the one that gave birth to her avoiding him in extreme fear.

Everything finally clicked.

His feet that had risen from the ground did not slowly land back down, but was pulled by an immense gravity greater than that of Earth's. Figuratively, his lower limbs broke, unable to move.

His swollen cheeks for some reason healed slowly, as he lived his days after the incident in silence. What broke the deafeningly meek days was the visitation of persons he knew. They were educators from different institutions. They gave him words of encouragement, not knowing his family's current circumstances.

In the end, they said that they looked forward to what he will show the world next, and that the world will not accept a lukewarm act from a child who was shown the utter greatness of his aptitude.

Fear.

At that very moment, he asked himself why he felt frightened. His whole body shivered, his heart palpitated and his eyes teared up without his consciousness.

It was the beginning—the inception of his heart and mind finally converging. His mind was whispering to him that it can still go on a few thousand miles. But his heart took over his body that has given up on meeting everyone's expectations.

▪ ▪ ▪

June 2015.

Aomine has started studying in junior high school with a mind that has changed. He realized that it was her own family that he had hurt because of the intelligence that he once called a blessing; that he considered as something that will bring him close to success.

And now he calls it a curse.

He refused any competition and events inside and outside of the school. He decided to live a low-profile life as a student. He killed off the concept of ranking in his mind, and he wanted to be separated from any hierarchy.

He started from deliberately trying to lower his performance in academic outputs and examinations… but he was not able to; or rather, he did not know how to as his concept of trying his best meant only to aim for perfection.

Regardless, he preached to his friends how he now hated his skills, the rankings, and the way high-horse people looks down on the lacking. But his results say otherwise. He always topped the exams and gained praises from the teachers for consistently maintaining a constant high rank.

A certain word that he learned from when he was younger then resurfaced back up on to his mind.

"Hypocrite."

The things he wanted to happen did not match with his actions. For the rest of his time in junior high school, he was being extremely contradictory, as if fooling himself without him even knowing.

But later in his fourth year, he found out Blue Ink High School. He learned about the nonexistence of the ranking system and the academic distinctions. The school apparently valued the development of one's levelheaded character and personality more than aptitude. And it was stressed that all students are equal inside the institution.

He felt like he woke up anew even while he is awake. He immediately approached his parents that are now in good terms with him again after expressing his regrets. He skimmed through the various departments available in the school, but he found out that he already had a wide knowledge in all of them, apart from the two art courses—Visual Arts and Culinary Arts. He discovered that he was incredibly lacking in visual arts, which made him blissful rather than sad, on the contrary. Finally, he has found that there is at least one thing where he can see a tall wall. Without a second thought, the family decided to admit him to Blue Ink for his senior high school.

He felt like he can be able to breathe a fresh and clean air away from the "pollution". He thought that it may well be the place where he can be free from the shackles of his "curse" and…

He thought that his wish could be granted now:

A wish to become a simpleton.

…

And so, he was able to set foot on the school premises. No one recognized the prodigy Aomine Sanshoin that appeared many times in magazines and articles. He was a normal person inside Blue Ink High School. He easily made friends, and he was able to disregard his hypocrisy.

While he is experiencing monotony in the major department he chose, he was able to interpret again what is the definition of enjoying himself in doing art. It was a very pleasant sensation, at the very least for him, to be able to feel how it is to make utter errors and failures. Indeed, his friends found it extremely weird that Aomine was laughing generously at his own mistakes.

He was finally able to find the happiness that he didn't know he sought for.

▪ ▪ ▪

"Principal Juushiro? May I come in?"

From inside the office, the father and son heard a not so familiar voice of a girl, upon several knocks from the door.

"You may."

The door promptly opened and then closed, revealing a first year senior high school student with a voluminous shoulder length hair that waves and curls inwards on its ends.

"Hm? Yo, Anna," Akira abruptly stopped on his work and leaned his head back slightly with a slight wave on his hand. A smile and a gaze then directed to her.

"Ah- H-Hello, Yuka Akira…"

If anything, Anna is the most sociable in the children of the Sakato family. But in such a rare case, she returned a greeting timidly, perhaps because of the presence of the director of the school.

"It's not everyday that Ms. Anna visits here."

"I have something to consult with you, actually."

"And that is?"

"Nii sometimes tells me how the current administration of Blue Ink functions towards its students, and one instance of it is knowing about Mori Inari's past prior.

I have caught a hint of someone with a history and I am asking for an inquiry with you, Sir Tenth."

"Hmm, I see. Please continue."

"Then, umm… Are you by any chance aware of Aomine Sanshoin from S1BM?"

Realizing that she has been standing for a while, she hurriedly approached the couch with little steps.

"Yes, I know about him," a clear response came out of Tenth.

"Is he… Is he somehow Nii or Yuka Ginji's coincidence?"

The eyes of the two officials widened in surprise as they looked at each other. Shortly after, the principal spoke up.

"If anything, this will be the first time I'm hearing about that, so I don't think that that is the case, Ms. Anna.

How did you come to that assumption, by the way?"

"I have a presumption that he and Sora Kagurazaka may well be polar opposites. I heard a heavy argument in their class from when they were preparing for Open Event a few weeks ago, and it felt like Aomine was rejecting every ideal of Sora.

I thought that he might also be a 'coincidence' knowing how my brother and Yuka G somewhat disliked the old system and were delighted of the one you established."

"Gin, your influence really is influencing every one near you…"

"I commend you for your perceptive deductions, Ms. Anna. But I would strongly suggest that you should set aside this concern. You see, Mr. Sanshoin has a tendency of getting furious when he heard anything about high expectations and hierarchy. Frankly, he may go out of control with the outburst of his emotions at any given time.

So please act with caution."

She then stood with a refreshed looked and approached the main desk with her dropping off something on top of it.

"Thank you very much for hearing me out," she bowed and made her exit.

…

"What was that, Dad?"

"Uhh. Even I don't know why she…"

On Tenth's desk, two pieces of candy were suddenly found.

"Candy…?

…

Can I have the other one, Dad?"

"Sure."

"Hmm."

"How was it?"

"Uh… tangy?"

▪ ▪ ▪

It was still very evident that Aomine is still unable to lower down his grades, as every attempt he does is being outright rejected by his mind as though it was trying to grab an ingot of gold that is covered within defecation. But he could not care less anymore, nonetheless. No one talks about his astonishing academic performance, and he was treated very well by other students.

Then one day, he found someone that he can call a 'comrade'.

"Say, Yuka Ginji… Do we have the same reason as to why we came to this school?"

A conversation started between him and Ginji while eating their lunch in front of well-cultivated flowers that are tended by the Art Club on the new building's rooftop.

"Yeah. When I was a fourth year, I also heard about this school. I was ecstatic when I heard about Sir Ten- Sir Juushiro's system that was applied here. I told my parents, 'I'm sick of the academic mindset in Mykes, so I want to change schools and study like a normal student in Blue Ink,' and the rest is history.

From what I was told by my other friends, the school has drastically changed even after just a year of new beginnings. Less people are unruly, students are showing virtues, and frankly… another Akaji Mashido will never be here again."

Unbeknownst to Ginji himself, what he said can be interpreted in two ways. Akaji Mashido, the class representative of the ill Class 4A, was a man with a sense of righteousness and courtesy. He was one of the greatest inspirations for the revitalization of the school, and served as an example for anyone. There will be never be another Akaji Mashido, as no one can replace a life that is already gone.

Following that, it can also be said that Akaji Mashido's case will be made sure not to be repeated again in this school, which what Ginji meant.

"Ah. I guess you haven't heard of him. I didn't even meet him once, but his existence endlessly resounds in this place."

"N-No. I've actually heard of him already and what happened…

…

What I am right now is due to the big mistakes I made when I was kid… now I can't even describe how I despise my abilities and the system. I heard the reason why M. R. did it…

I don't even know if I can control my anger… If there is someone that might go against what I think… Am I going to be like-"

Ginji's right hand blurred out in an approach of grabbing Aomine's wrist, tightly at that.

"Y-Yuka Ginji…?!"

"I will never allow you to finish that sentence. You don't know how much of a sin is dirtying your hands. So as early as now, I'm already stopping you."

A lightning of thought quickly struck Aomine's head, and a terrifying cogitation made his flesh tremble.

"Yuka…"

"I know what you're thinking right now. One advice that I can tell you is that it's fine to throw away your intellect, but never abandon that commendable perception.

The world is not what you think it is. But I will tell that I have never done that, Aomine."

"But you talk like…"

"It's up to you if you'll believe me, but I have memories of that even when I have literally never did it. I know the feeling, the anxiety, the trauma… and the extreme fear that I can never forget."

"…"

"But what I think is that you have developed a phobia. That's only my opinion, though, so take that with a grain of salt. If you need to straighten out your thoughts, I'll do my best to help you. If I'm not around, you can approach my classmate named Gin Sakato or the principal himself."

"Why your classmate…?"

"He's a man who healed his mind and body with sheer willpower… and weirdly enough, it was love that helped him through."

"…

Uhh, Yuka?"

"Something more you want to ask?"

"My… My hand is getting pale…"

"Wha-?! Woah, sorry about that…!"

▪ ▪ ▪

He thought that everything is going to be fine.

Before even the month of September ended, his newly found happiness has. What her ears clearly picked up is an unreasonable reprimand that began to make his veins quake. If it was just a mere vocal reproach, he would let the thing slide. But what happened is a very different story, right before his eyes, he saw the hard work of his classmates being torn apart literally in front of their despairing eyes.

A reproach.

Hearing the word "standard" made the pail overflow.

He was ready to return a louder scream towards the critical girl, but he remembered Ginji and the degree of action that he may do because of his hate and fear.

For the first time after waking up to his distress, he encountered someone that opposed his philosophy, and he realized that he was nowhere near brimming with kindness.

He found a "threat" to his life that is finally in peace. He knew so well how intellect can either become a power to help or be a power to trample. He had decided to turn his knowledge to something that is one for all, but now, he has encountered someone who uses one's knowledge as all for one.

He reached out to the one who currently runs the school to seek for help, as per the advice of his seniority. He followed Principal Juushiro's words and tried to avoid the esteemed girl with all his endeavor.

But the planet of his imagination that he created to be a peaceful and neutral world now slowly started to be corrupted to a dystopia.

Until it was now in the brink of breaking.

At age twelve, Aomine despaired after the realization of his mistakes. But he was able to find hope after sacrificing what he can, and found relief after reaping what he sow.

At the age of seventeen, Aomine despaired even after throwing away everything that had corrupted him. He has no idea where he can find another light of hope anymore.

Present.

"I threw everything because what I thought that was right was actually wrong… I gave up all the prestige and all the luxury because it was the one that broke me… I finally found the life where I can finally smile without a mask embedded on my face…

But you came to my peaceful life and destroyed my life again! Of course, the only thing you wealthy people do is look down, trample, and destroy the lives of those below you mighty elites…!"

Even if Sora wanted to say at least a word, she was not able to. Her complexion paled, and an indescribable expression surfaced on her.

"Now what nonsense of a face are you making right now… I thought you only look with spiteful eyes, so what is that face right now?! Don't tell me that you pity me?!

Hahahahaha… You know, Sora… I actually heard from your mother herself why you are in this school that you want to hate so much…"

"…! H-How did you know her…"

"You are just being used by your father as a tool for his monopoly… You thought that you are using others as a stepping stone to your own success, but what you don't know is that you are also just a stepping stone for your father's success."

"No… stop!! My father considers me as family… he loves his family…!"

"That might be it… But did you really think that he will send you here if he loved you?! Do you really call this the obligation of a father to protect his family?! Well, think again…!!"

Aomine Sanshoin has lost control of himself.

His consciousness has been buried deep in his mind, without an awareness of what has been uttered by his mouth. He was now trapped on the tainted part of his existence.

"All the people that stand above the hierarchy are selfish people that only think about th-"

"BANG…!!!"

It was not a sound of a gun, but a deafening scream that shot down to Aomine's ears at point-blank, somehow making him unconscious.

Ginji, gasping, stood between the two after running at full speed. Catching his breath, he mumbled to himself.

"This could have happened after my entrance exam, you know… Geez, you picked a wrong time to go berserk.

But I never actually thought that that will knock him out… Was it because his mind is too agitated and the impact of the sound caused more disturbances…? No, I don't even know if that's really scientific! This is fiction, after all.

But wait… Maybe what I did was potentially really dangerous. Thankfully he's fine."

Ginji was wearing a neutral look until he carried the unconscious student. Then silently, he turned his gaze to the also agitated girl with an unwelcoming look.

"Sora Kagurazaka. If this is not enough for you two to reflect about, then I don't know what I'm supposed to do anymore. Not one student cares about the reputation of the school, and they only want to be a student of Blue Ink as it is.

The two of you are not destroying this school's image nor yours. What you are ruining is your humanity."

With that, Ginji ran anew with a weight on his back.

…

One of the ways the society works is like this: An employee would not dare talk back, badmouth, or attempt to destroy the reputation of his employer because he will not gain anything, but more pain instead. There is no benefit, but only detriment. It was in the very same sense digging your own grave.

Sora was very observant on the conglomerate as she has the capacity to do so and manage. Not one time did the company's subordinates dare to raise a hand on them, because they knew that the only one that wields the absolute power in the company is the owner. Thus, she has never seen such an instance happening to her father.

But it happened to her. It was not a matter of who has higher intellect anymore. It was a situation where an inferior dared to talk back on someone that has power, but her defenses were easily penetrated for some reason.

She always thought that she was raised perfectly, and that her family is without fault to anything. Even if one does appear, she knew that her father can without effort defend it and make it so that the accuser is the one in the wrong.

But Sora was not able to do the same thing. Her emotions depraved her of the ability to prove that Aomine was wrong, and she was left at a standstill as the earlier words endlessly echoed in her mind.

It was her fault, she thought.

There begins an inception—doubtful thoughts have begun to plague her mind. She does not know any more if the ideals that she followed her whole life are what are true or not.

And more than anything, her overloading mind pondered how she was the reason of the superlative occurrence of destroying someone's life. Her great intellect was put to waste as at the end of it all, her vocabulary tumbled in the frightening concept of a ruined life.

Chapter Message:

Mmm, candy.

Thank you for reading!

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089: North and north, south and south.