"What job did you get, Suzuki?" Shizuku asked curiously.
"Yes, what is it?" Kaori also joined in.
"Merchant."
While Suzuki felt Kaori was a little too close, he answered the truth.
"Merchant?!" 2x
The two were dumbfounded, but when they thought about his personality, they felt... it fit him unexpectedly.
"Ah, you are a Merchant, Tanaka-kun?"
Out of everyone, Kouki, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation, sighed in relief as he heard Suzuki's job. "Your job must have made you unable to fight on the frontline, but don't worry! I will protect you and bring you home with everyone!"
Merchant.
As everyone had heard of about Suzuki's job, strangely enough, they felt like they were better than him somehow, especially those guys, like Hayama and his group, whose future was already set to work on the convience stores at midnight time, gaining a minimal wage, or those who would end up as NEET, thinking that they were better than Suzuki, whose university and career, were already set up in the reality.
Suzuki, who they thought of as someone high, someone on a different level than them, fell to the same level or even below them, giving them a thrill that made them happy, somehow.
Yet, the happiest among all was definitely Kouki.
The fact that his childhood friend dated Suzuki made him uncomfortable. Yes, he liked Kaori, yet even so, like any other boy of his age, his ego was hit when Shizuku decided to be with Suzuki despite how he had always thought Shizuku would stay by his side.
No, Kouki had thought of Shizuku's existence as someone that he took for granted, so when he thought of how Shizuku's face lit up as she stayed with Suzuki, it hit him the hardest.
So, when he saw how Suzuki had fallen, having a non-combatant job instead of an amazing job like him, the Hero, it boosted his confidence, and it made him able to feel like he was the best of all!
Yes, in Japan, his feat might be nothing, as Kouki was just a normal, popular boy, whose future wasn't even guaranteed, and he could only look up at Suzuki, who was like a superhuman, yet in this world?
Kouki was beyond Suzuki.
He was destined to be the best—the Hero!
Still, what Kouki wished to say with all of this, what he wished, was to see Suzuki's defeated expression, breaking away from his stoic face, as Suzuki's fate in this world wouldn't be the protagonist!
This was a clash at the top of the class.
One was the sun, which drew everyone toward its gravity, and the other was the inevitable force that made everyone succumb to their own destiny.
Yet, as Kouki became the Hero, and Suzuki became the Merchant, the balance between them was broken.
Kouki was no longer a childish boy, but the savior who would save this world and everyone in it.
However—
"Thank you, Amanogawa-kun." Suzuki's handsome face flashed a gentle, kind smile. "I will rely on you, Hero. Please do your best, since I know my role can't fight on the front line, I will do my best to support you from behind."
"..." Everyone.
The answer... they didn't know what to say.
If Suzuki had answered with hatred or even shown an uncomfortable expression, everyone would have snickered and felt satisfied, yet... he just smiled, showing gratitude as he sincerely thanked Kouki.
Naturally, Kouki wasn't a bad guy; he was just a delinquent guy, so when he faced another kindness, his mind went blank for a moment, as he was unable to exert his dominance. "Ah, um, yes! Leave it to me! I will leave my back to you, Tanaka-kun!"
"Leave it to me, Amanogawa-kun."
Kouki knew this was the best, yet he didn't feel satisfied. He could only leave as the captain while the other knights prepared for their training, so that everyone could be on the battlefield as soon as possible.
"How childish," Shizuku snorted.
"Are you okay, Suzuki-kun?" Kaori asked worriedly.
Suzuki put away his plate without letting anyone see his skills. "Yeah, don't worry. I feel like I like the support more than being based in the spotlight."
"Suzuki-kun..." Kaori looked at Suzuki, who truthfully said those words, then looked at her job, the Priest, who also worked by supporting others. "Thank you, Suzuki-kun! I will do my best to support everyone, too."
"Yes, but don't force yourselves. Everyone has their own role in this world, so when there is a mistake, you shouldn't blame yourselves."
Suzuki thought of Kaori's nature, who was too empathetic, and he knew that if the other messed up, she would likely blame herself.
"Don't worry. In the case of anything happening, I will protect you."
Shizuku got the Swordman as a job, so, obviously, she believed she could protect Suzuki, as he had always taken care of her in Japan.
"That sounds reliable, Shizuku."
"Sensei, too! Suzuki-kun, let's do our best at the non-combatant job! OOOOH!"
Aiko, who heard that Suzuki was the Merchant, couldn't help but try to cheer him up.
"What about you, Sensei?"
"Eh? I am a Farmer! Look."
Aiko showed her status plate and her Farmer job, which gave her various skills that could spark a worldwide agricultural revolution.
"That's a great job, Sensei."
Suzuki's heart skipped a beat as he thought about how he could use Aiko.
"R-Really?!" Aiko, herself, wasn't even sure when she heard her job as a "Farmer," especially when she knew that she couldn't protect others, and could only stay outside.
"Yes." Suzuki nodded, then looked at Captain Meld. "Captain, Aiko-sensei has a Farmer job!"
"What?! That's a legendary job that I have only heard about in legend! Hurry up and call the church immediately!"
"Eh? Eh? Eh?!"
While Aiko was confused, as she had never expected her job would be legendary, Suzuki took this chance to say, "By the way, Captain Meld, my job is the Merchant. I need to survey the capital's market prices, map the guild's supply lines, and secure bulk-discount rates for everyone's potions, so instead of staying here swinging a wooden stick, when I won't even get stronger, shall I ensure everyone can fight in comfort by securing the logistics?"
"I..."
"By the way, can you give me some money, so I can smoothly investigate the market?"
Meld hesitated, but when he saw Suzuki's job as a merchant and a smooth, logical explanation, he nodded and then shouted, "Anyone, bring me some money for him!"
Yet, at this moment, when the two non-combatants were on their own, as Aiko was taken to the church, and Suzuki was preparing for his investigation on the market to secure the logistics for everyone, Nagumo, who also happened to have a non-combat job, wasn't sure what to do.
"...what should a Synergist do?"
---
Who made the right guess?
Yes, it's a Merchant.