Chapter 44: The Arrogant Coastal Folk

Chapter 44: The Arrogant Coastal Folk

1:35 PM, Trilan Junior High—Cafeteria Area.

“Hey, Chen Kong, we’re classmates, aren’t we? How come you won’t even buy a few bottles of DBM fruit juice for everyone? What, you think you’re too good for us?”

“Yeah, seriously! Dekora’s right—it’s just a few bottles of juice, man. It’s not like it’ll break your bank. Why be such a cheapskate?”

“Sigh~ looks like some people only pretend we’re classmates. Guess we never really mattered to him at all.”

Mocking voices filled the air, each laced with smug amusement. All around, curious gazes and sneering grins circled the lone boy.

Chen Kong, introverted and poor with words, knew what they said was wrong—but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t think of a way to fight back.

So, he just lowered his head, lips pressed tight, saying nothing.

Just this morning, he’d actually thought these classmates were… friendly.

They had greeted him warmly between classes, some even went out of their way to chat, saying they wanted to be friends.

To someone like Chen Kong—who had grown used to being ignored and excluded back at the Ember Base—that sudden kindness felt like sunlight after years of cold.

He hadn’t hesitated for a second before accepting their invitation. He thought, Finally… maybe I can fit in here.

But reality was never kind to dreamers.

Their so-called “friendship” turned out to be nothing more than them wanting a convenient errand boy.

At lunch, they’d already made him stand in line to buy food under the same kind of “friendly” excuses—and when the time came to pay, they simply laughed and told him to cover the bill.

He’d swallowed that humiliation, telling himself maybe… maybe this was just how people in the Coastal District bonded. Maybe they were helping him “adjust.”

But now, being forced to buy drinks for the entire class—that flimsy excuse finally crumbled apart.

There was no reason, no obligation, no friendship in the world that could justify him spending his own money just to please them.

Still, even though he clearly sensed the malice behind Dekora and the others’ smiles, Chen Kong couldn’t bring himself to snap back.

Some strange, quiet stubbornness held him still—he chose to endure it, in silence.

It was a patience that only made Dekora grin wider.

Because for someone like Dekora—a rich kid from one of the richest families in the entire Coastal District—nothing was more entertaining than watching a dirt-poor outsider squirm.

Moments like this filled him with a smug, intoxicating superiority.

After all, he was a Coastal-born, one of the privileged. It was his right to look down on the mud-dwellers from inland.

Of course, Dekora wasn’t stupid. He knew better than to mess with people above his station.

So this morning, before he figured out what kind of background this “exchange student” had, he’d still kept up the act—polite, charming, the image of a refined Coastal youth.

That act fell apart the moment he learned the truth.

Chen Kong hadn’t come here because of family wealth or political ties.

He’d earned his place purely on academic merit—a scholarship kid from the inland region.

As soon as Dekora realized that, the mask dropped completely.

So that’s it, huh? A backwater bumpkin actually dared to set foot in our prestigious Coastal school?

Watching Chen Kong struggle for words, shoulders trembling under the weight of humiliation, Dekora’s grin only widened.

And then, pretending to be generous—as if offering a favor instead of flaunting cruelty—he spoke again, voice dripping with arrogance.

“Sigh~ I really thought our transfer student, Kong-kun, was just like us—you know, getting tens of thousands in pocket money every month.” Dekora said in a mock-sympathetic tone, hand pressed dramatically over his chest. “That’s why I figured having you treat the class to a few drinks would be a good way to help you get along with everyone.”

He paused for effect, then gave an exaggerated shrug.

“But now it seems I misunderstood. My bad, Kong-kun. Tell you what—I’ll pay for the drinks this time! Let’s just say it’s my way of welcoming our new friend to Trilan!”

Before Chen Kong could even open his mouth, Dekora’s posse jumped right in like trained chorus members.

“Wow~! Dekora-sama, that’s so generous of you! Not like a certain someone who can’t even afford a few bottles of juice.”

“Right? I mean, you’re studying at Trilan Junior High, the most elite junior high school in the Coastal District, but you can’t even spare a few credits for drinks? What’s the deal—actually broke, or just pretending so you don’t have to treat us?”

Seeing how smoothly his lackeys played along, Dekora put on a sanctimonious smile and lifted a hand.

“Hey, hey, that’s not fair. Don’t talk like that. I’m sure Kong-kun isn’t stingy like you’re implying. He’s just… genuinely poor.”

“Ahaha! Yeah, yeah, you’re right, Dekora-sama!”

“Exactly! My bad, I shouldn’t call him stingy. He’s just plain broke!”

The cafeteria filled with the sound of cruel laughter—sharp, high, and hollow.

And at the center of it all, Chen Kong just stood there. Silent. Shoulders stiff. Eyes downcast.

From outside the dimensional screen, the viewers collectively lost it.

“Bro, seriously? You got bullied back in the Base, and now you’re still getting bullied out here? What was even the point of all that training then?!”

“Chen Kong: Kick me? Go ahead, it’s like kicking a pillow!”

“Main character? More like professional punching bag!”

As the chat exploded in frustration at his meekness, a familiar voice suddenly came from off-screen.

“Hey—hey, excuse me, miss? Is this the school cafeteria? You’re kinda spacing out there, hello?”

The camera instantly cut away from the cornered Chen Kong to the entrance of the cafeteria—where Tendou had just appeared.

He was standing there, one hand in his pocket, trademark black shades perched lazily on his face, staring in mild confusion at a girl clutching a bag of snacks and staring blankly at him like she’d just seen a celebrity.

To be fair, she kind of had.

Even in the standard blue-and-white Trilan school uniform, Tendou looked like he’d just stepped out of a luxury fashion shoot—the production team had clearly gone overboard with the rendering again.

Perfect hair physics. Ridiculously detailed lighting. A face so sharp and handsome it screamed “main character privileges.”

He didn’t match the art style of the world around him at all.

At this point, the production team’s bias toward their number one popularity magnet wasn’t even subtle anymore—they weren’t even pretending to hide it.

After being prompted several times, the dazed girl finally snapped out of her trance.

“Ah— y-yes! This is… the cafeteria! Our cafeteria!” she stammered, cheeks pink.

Tendou’s lips curved into that easy, radiant grin the audience loved so much.

“Nice! Guess I’m not lost, then. Thanks a lot, Cindy.”

And with that, he walked right in, hands in pockets, as the girl stood frozen—her face turning bright red before she bolted back toward her classroom, probably to spread the news that she just talked to Tendou himself.

Inside, Tendou’s arrival couldn’t have been timed better—or worse, depending on how you looked at it.

Because the first thing he saw was Chen Kong—surrounded, silent, and cornered by Dekora and his gang.

Without missing a beat, Tendou ignored the heavy, awkward atmosphere, stepped right up to the group, and said cheerfully—

“Yo, not bad, Kongguuu~! You’ve already gotten along with your new classmates this fast?”

The moment Tendou appeared, Chen Kong’s eyes lit up like a drowning man spotting a rescue buoy.

The tension that had locked his shoulders for minutes finally loosened—hope flickering across his face.

Meanwhile, Dekora—who had been basking in his own smugness—froze.

His acne-splotched face stiffened into something halfway between wariness and hostility.

He didn’t know who this new guy was. Never seen him before.

But everything about the newcomer—his composed expression, the relaxed gait, the quiet confidence radiating off him—screamed danger.

Just from his looks alone, Dekora could feel that this new guy is absolutely not someone to mess with.

Still, this was Trilan Junior High. His turf.

So even if he couldn’t quite figure out the newcomer’s background, that didn’t mean he’d let someone walk in and steal his spotlight.

Besides—there was something about that flawless, movie-star face that instantly pissed him off.

Why does this guy look like he was born with a built-in spotlight?!

Tendou, of course, caught that flicker of hostility right away.

His lips curved upward into an invisible smirk.

Oh? Hooked already?

Perfect.

All the frustration the viewers felt watching this “bully-the-transfer-student” nonsense—I’ll just… collect it all back with interest.

And no, it wasn’t about stealing the scene or padding his popularity stats (not entirely, anyway).

He just really, truly couldn’t stand regional snobs.

What, Coastal District kids think they’re better than everyone else?

Tendou chuckled inwardly.

He couldn’t help but mentally applaud the Stellaris Network’s casting algorithms.

Their sense of drama was impeccable.

Because every single time his screen presence started to dip, or the audience interest wavered even a little—Chen Kong, the supposed main protagonist, would somehow end up in yet another pitiful situation.

And every single time, Tendou would swoop in like clockwork, flipping the script, the audience engagement, and the entire energy of the show in one go.

Seriously, Chen Kong is the best main character a side character could ever ask for.

If you want to see more chapter of this story and don't mind spending $5 monthly to see till the latest chapter, please go to my Patreon:

Latest Chapter in Patreon: Chapter 100: Obtaining “Overclocked Computation”

Link to the latest chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/146986674?collection=1761063

https://www.patreon.com/collection/1761063?view=expanded