The one who deliberately came to provoke David and Gaius was a young man with blue mullet-styled hair. He wore the neatly pressed Arasaka Academy uniform, and as he walked over, he was flanked by two lackeys—one fat, one skinny. Just from his demeanor, he already carried the air of a corporate lackey.
Gaius' gaze lingered on the right side of the boy's cheek, where a noticeable seam marked the connection of his synthetic skin. Anyone who could afford synthetic skin implants could easily erase such marks. He wondered if this kid had intentionally left it visible.
Not noticing Gaius' scrutiny, the blue-haired boy—clearly here to stir trouble—focused entirely on David. He stepped in front of him, using his slightly taller height to look down at him.
"Well, well, David. I was expecting you to embarrass yourself in class today, but instead, you somehow managed to update your teaching software. Even your equipment is upgraded. That must've cost a pretty penny, huh?"
"It's none of your business, Shengnan."
David frowned. His tone made it clear that he and this so-called Shengnan didn't get along.
"I don't recall ever giving you permission to call my name so... intimately. But since you're just a pitiful little poor kid, lacking proper etiquette, I suppose I can be understanding."
The boy named Shengnan took a step closer, invading David's personal space.
"Relax, I don't look down on you for being poor. That's just a fact, not something that needs emphasis or mockery."
Shengnan locked eyes with David and continued:
"You probably think I target you because you're poor, but that's not it at all. I, for one, believe in charity. Being born poor isn't your fault, and no rule says the poor can't attend Arasaka Academy—just like there's no rule saying street thugs can't enter this school, as long as they can afford the tuition."
As he spoke, Shengnan shot a glance at Gaius before turning back to David.
"What really bothers me, David, is your attitude."
"I don't have time for your nonsense, Shengnan."
"That's it! That attitude!"
Shengnan scowled, visibly irritated by David's indifference.
"You always act like you don't care. You don't even study that much, yet every single time you score higher than me—over and over, again and again! Do you have any idea how I feel every time I see you ace an exam while acting like it was nothing?"
"Even if I knew, what does that have to do with me?"
David looked genuinely confused, unable to understand what Shengnan was so fixated on.
"You work hard, sure, and that must be tough, but that's your problem, not mine. And when I say I did badly, it's because I actually did badly. It's not like I'm pretending to be worse than I am."
"That's exactly it, David! Why do you always act like this is just the way things are supposed to be? Like it's natural?"
Shengnan extended a finger, pressing it against David's chest. "Every time I bust my ass studying, I see you, completely relaxed, effortlessly getting top scores. And then you sigh, pretending you didn't do well. Do you have any idea how nauseating that is? Just seeing you makes me sick. You're such an eyesore. Have you noticed how no one in class wants to be around you? You're a misfit. You should just drop out already."
His finger jabbed David's chest again and again. "No one in this class wants someone who outperforms them without trying. It's disgusting. You live an easy life yet act like you're struggling. Every time we see you, it makes all our hard work feel meaningless."
"That... has nothing to do with me, though."
David stared at Shengnan and his two lackeys, baffled by the way they looked at him like he had committed some unforgivable crime. "If my scores bother you so much, then just ignore them and focus on yourselves. Why do you care so much about me?"
"It's because you exist that we have to care!" Shengnan practically spat out his words. "Do you know how many kids in our class get scolded by their parents for not scoring as high as you? I've heard it all: 'We hired the best tutors, gave you the best education, and you still can't even beat some street rat from Santo Domingo?' Your very existence is an eyesore!"
Listening to their conversation, Gaius finally understood what was going on.
It was simple.
A bunch of corporate brats, raised with every educational advantage, still couldn't outperform a poor kid like David. And because of that, they were under immense pressure from their parents. That pressure turned into resentment, making David a target.
How... typical.
To Gaius, this was peak Arasaka Academy.
A school established by a Japanese megacorporation was bound to have this kind of deeply ingrained, almost cultural prejudice.
Excluding, oppressing, and breaking down those who didn't fit their mold.
This kind of twisted hierarchy had existed even back in his time, and now, in 2075, it hadn't changed one bit.
Classic Japanese school politics.
"That's your problem," David said firmly, lifting his gaze to meet Shengnan's eyes.
David didn't particularly like Arasaka Academy, but he was here because his mother wanted him to be. So he had to stay.
And now, with Gaius's help, he finally had a way to financially support his family.
Dropping out? Not a chance.
"Tch. Not like I expected you to quit just because I said so."
Shengnan was about to say something else when the chime of the school bell interrupted him.
Break time was over.
"You better not slip up, David," Shengnan sneered. "I hear you might be dabbling in braindance trafficking. You do know what happens if you get caught selling illegal BDs, right? Immediate expulsion."
With that final threat, Shengnan and his lackeys hurried back to class.
David watched them go, listening to the bell. He turned to say something to Gaius—
But Gaius was already walking away.
'Relax. Just sell the legal BDs. Ignore him. But if you're feeling scared, I'll take you out after school—show you a bit of the world. Might toughen you up.'
That was the message Gaius sent him.
As for why he didn't say it out loud?
Well—
Being exactly on time for class was already ingrained in his DNA.