Dummies have the advantages of dummies, while geniuses have the troubles of geniuses.
Once a straightforward person like Eriri Spencer Sawamura truly listens to what others say, she will charge forward without looking back. With her family to back her up, Eriri isn't afraid of trial and error. If she makes a mistake, she just goes home to find her mother and lets her help solve the problem.
Utaha Kasumigaoka, who came from an ordinary family and had experienced more of life, wouldn't act that way. She would analyze in her heart whether Katsuragi Ren's words were correct, and she would wonder if Ren was intentionally trying to lead her astray. She would also weigh who she should choose between Ren and Tomoya Aki.
She didn't have the capital for trial and error. Every major decision in her life represented a shift in the path of her future. If she believed Ren's words, she would undoubtedly part ways with Tomoya Aki. If she denied them, she wouldn't lose much—at most, she would simply have no further interaction with Ren. After all, Ren was just a "stranger" she had only met a few times.
Choosing Tomoya Aki, whom she had been with for a year, or choosing Katsuragi Ren, with whom she had only exchanged a few sentences... the answer should have been very simple.
A cool breeze blew from somewhere, as if trying to bring a hint of comfort to the two, or perhaps to help Utaha's confused brain slowly clear up.
"Kohai-kun?"
Feeling the palm resting on her cheek, Utaha reached out her right hand on impulse, wanting to touch Ren's sharp-featured face. She wanted to touch Ren to make sure everything happening now was real.
Ren wouldn't grant her wish. He directly changed the touch to a pinch, giving Utaha a harsh wake-up call. Pain was much more effective than a touch at making someone feel reality.
Unlike Eriri, who would cry out in pain the moment she was pinched, Utaha's outstretched hand paused and then she pulled it back. Ren had rejected her touch.
"Senpai, what exactly are you hesitating about?"
Ren pulled back the hand that was pinching Utaha's cheek and asked with confusion.
"Your favor was paid back long ago, yet you're still thinking about this."
"You said it yourself just now: for many things, as long as Tomoya Aki begs you with a dogeza, you agree to it."
"Your favors really are cheap, Senpai."
"With just a single request and a cheap dogeza, he can get your help."
After talking about Utaha as a person and her novel, Metronome in Love, Ren began to attack the concept of Utaha's "favor."
It was actually quite easy to understand. It was like those things on the internet about someone giving you five hundred bucks just to kowtow to them. As long as you had no shame, you could make a fortune. It was easy to find shameless people, but hard to find someone willing to give the money.
The shameless Tomoya Aki, through his status as her "benefactor," had found Utaha, the one who "gave the money." Trading a dogeza for the help of a genius like Utaha was never a losing deal. Such a dogeza, which required no price other than losing a bit of face, could offset a favor.
"A dogeza isn't cheap."
"Oh, then it's not cheap. Senpai, go ahead and keep being subjected to Tomoya Aki's dogeza requests then."
Seeing Utaha use such a thing to refute him, Ren withdrew his hand, stood up, and left directly. He didn't even give a glance at the stunned Utaha behind him.
The conversation between Ren and Utaha was not equal. Ren was "enlightening" Utaha out of the goodness of his heart; he didn't have to succeed.
Eriri dared to refute Ren because Sayuri Sawamura existed. Out of respect for the mother, Ren would try his best to pull Eriri back. Utaha was different; she had no relationship with Ren at all. As the beneficiary of this discussion, Utaha was inherently in a weak position. Ren didn't need to care about her feelings; if he was unhappy, he could just leave.
"Don't... don't go..." Grabbing Ren's wrist, Utaha spoke weakly.
Most geniuses have a common ailment: they have very few true friends. Utaha, who shared the same sharp tongue as Yukino Yukinoshita, also shared the same problem. The only ones she could truly call friends in this school were Eriri and Tomoya Aki. Perhaps now, in the girl's heart, Katsuragi Ren had been added to that list?
In Eriri's current state, it was impossible for her to be of any help to a muddled Utaha. And as for Tomoya Aki... Utaha refuted Ren with her words, but in her heart, she agreed with him. Now that Ren, the only one she could truly talk to, was leaving, Utaha naturally wouldn't let him go.
"If you want me to stay, that's fine. Senpai, give me a dogeza to apologize."
Without breaking free from Utaha, Ren spoke coldly.
"No... no..."
Utaha could be humble and she could beg, but a dogeza was something she still couldn't accept. The last bit of dignity in her heart stopped Utaha from performing such an act that trampled on her self-esteem.
"Senpai, even though you're already in this state, it's still difficult for you to do a dogeza."
"But what about Tomoya Aki? Is a dogeza difficult for him?"
"Many things depend on the person. Something you consider extremely important might be worthless in someone else's eyes."
"And vice versa."
Squatting down, Ren looked up at the bowed head of Utaha and tucked her stray black hair behind her ear.
"Senpai, you shouldn't be in this state."
Utaha remained silent. Her bowed head lifted slightly, and she stared blankly at Ren. She seemed to have figured something out.
She had thought that Tomoya Aki's dogeza was a sign that he was truly willing to lose face just to ask for her help. So that's how it was... Tomoya Aki just felt that using a cheap dogeza to get her help was such a bargain.
The favors she gave to Tomoya Aki also seemed to have become exceptionally cheap because of her own actions.
Taking the initiative to pull Ren's palm to her cheek, Utaha craved a bit of warmth from his hand. While Tomoya Aki—who had done her a favor that she had been repaying—was ruthlessly using her as a tool to be consumed, Ren, who had nothing to do with her, was guiding her back to the proud and confident person she used to be.
The difference... was so vast.
Utaha finally understood why Eriri had accepted the content Ren "brainwashed" her with so quickly. It was because the content Ren gave Eriri lacked any selfish intent; it was entirely for her sake. It was to make her better.
Utaha woke up and realized the gap between Katsuragi Ren and Tomoya Aki.
"Senpai, want a candy?"
Seeing that Utaha had understood, Ren took out a candy and held it before the Utaha took the candy from Ren's palm without any hesitation.
"I do."