Chapter 328: Strategy

"Um… Ms. Takamine."

"Yes?"

"Your son… what kind of person is he?"

Now that she knew the beautiful woman before her was Rinji's mother, Hayasaka was visibly tense.

Normally, she was skilled at keeping composure no matter the situation. But this time, the nervousness was real.

Still, she didn't reveal that she personally knew Rinji.

"My son? You mean Rinji?"

The woman raised a slender finger to her chin in thought.

"He's a very adorable child. At home, he's well-behaved and obedient. Very sweet."

"I… see…"

That description clearly didn't match Rinji at all.

In her view, Rinji was lawless and unstoppable—no one could stop him once he set his mind to something. Calling him inherently violent wouldn't be a stretch.

"Come to think of it, if we hadn't sent him to this school, he'd probably still be on the battlefield."

"Uh…"

Hayasaka hadn't expected the woman to say something like that so casually. She looked like she genuinely believed it was normal for her son to have been on a battlefield.

"Did you send him to Shuchiin… to give him a peaceful life?" Hayasaka asked.

She wanted to know more about Rinji.

"In part, yes—we did want him to enjoy some peace. But we never intended for him to live peacefully forever."

"Huh?"

The woman's words caught Hayasaka off guard.

Didn't she want Rinji to stay in a peaceful society?

"We just wanted to give him more choices," she said. "Whether he chooses a peaceful school life or a battlefield drenched in blood, that decision is his alone. We can't interfere."

"..."

"His father once said that he never had any choice in life—he had to walk a single path to the end. Even after peace came, he still couldn't adjust. So he didn't want his son to be trapped in the same swamp."

A hint of nostalgia appeared on her face.

"What we think is good may not suit him. That's why we gave him the right to choose. I believe that after experiencing both peace and war, he'll make his own decision."

Not everyone fits into the same environment. What's comfortable for one may not be for another.

Rinji's parents sent him to Shuchiin not to tie him to peace, but to give him options.

If Rinji ultimately chose to return to the battlefield, they wouldn't stop him.

"But…"

She tilted her head slightly.

"I heard he recently got a girlfriend."

"..."

That line sent a chill down Hayasaka's spine.

Rinji having a girlfriend was probably one of the things she least wanted to hear.

"We thought maybe that meant he chose a peaceful life. But then we found out the girl seems to be from a family of professional assassins," the woman said. "So I guess he's chosen the battlefield after all."

From the type of girlfriend Rinji picked, his mother could guess where his heart truly lay.

By choosing Karura, Rinji was essentially ensuring he wouldn't be bound by anything—returning to the life of combat.

"No, it's just that Karura confessed first!" Hayasaka blurted out.

Then immediately covered her mouth.

"Hmm?"

The woman turned to her.

"You know Rinji?"

"...Sort of. He's pretty famous at school."

That wasn't a lie. Rinji was indeed infamous at Shuchiin for his chaotic behavior, to the point where all students and staff knew the wild first-year.

"Famous? Seems like he's not behaving himself at school."

The woman looked a bit troubled.

"After coming back from the battlefield, he has no clue how to live peacefully. He probably causes a lot of problems for teachers and classmates. It's a miracle a kid like that has a girlfriend…"

"That's not true!"

Hayasaka suddenly shouted.

"Hmm?"

"It's not true… Rinji is incredibly talented. Even if he seems out of sync with everyone else, that doesn't hide how kind he really is. And… no matter what side of him you see, it's admirable. He's not as terrible as you're making him sound…"

She looked up after speaking and saw the woman smiling warmly at her, making her blush deeply and lower her head.

"Sorry, Ms. Takamine, I didn't mean to—"

"On the contrary, hearing you speak of him like that puts me at ease."

The woman smiled gently, reaching out to pat Hayasaka's head, making her duck it even lower.

"I believe he's remarkable too. He's just like his father, and that's why I think he's special. But most people wouldn't fall for that side of him. Hearing you say this makes me really happy."

She looked down at Hayasaka with a soft smile.

"Do you like him?"

"Uhh…"

Being asked so directly by Rinji's mother, Hayasaka blushed all the way to her ears.

How was she supposed to answer that? Say "I like your son" when he already had a girlfriend!?

But in the end, she nodded shyly.

"Just like his father… very popular with women, but completely unaware of it," the woman smiled. "I can't interfere with his choices, but I'll tell you one thing."

"What is it?"

"Just like his father, he's the kind of man who willingly lets the one he loves restrain him."

"Huh?"

"Come on, let's go to the gym. It's been a while since I saw him."

"...Alright."

Hayasaka didn't quite understand what that last line meant, but she couldn't think about it now. She led the woman toward the gym.

Inside the stadium, the match was underway, and the stands were packed, making it hard to find Rinji in the crowd.

But then they spotted him—holding a remote in the air while Kaguya puffed her cheeks and tried to jump up and grab it.

Without a word, Rinji's mother walked over and calmly grabbed the hand he was raising.

"Rinji, what are you doing?"

"...Mom."