A/N: Well, this has been long overdue! I sincerely apologize for the long hiatus. I temporarily lost my love for the story, but don't worry! I regained it! The reason was that I briefly went out of the DR fandom, and it was only recently that I came back.

But you've been waiting long enough! On with the chapter!

After chilling in my room for a while, I wondered if anyone felt like hanging out. I walked upstairs to the second floor where I found Ishimaru examining a nearby wall.

"Uh…" I began. "What're you-?"

"We don't have time for idle chit-chat, Naegi! We have to find a way out of here!" He exclaimed once he saw me.

"W-Well, don't you think you should take a break?" I asked sheepishly.

"Hmm…" Ishimaru went before laughing happily. "I suppose you're right! Let's partake in some of my delicious tea!"

We went to the dining hall, and like Ishimaru said, his tea was pretty good! Because of that, we grew a little closer today.

"Now onto more serious matters!" Ishimaru proclaimed after drinking the last of his tea. "Would you like to study with me, Naegi? Just the two of us? Come to my room! If there's anything you don't understand, I'm a very attentive teacher!"

"Um…" I began nervously. "I don't think I need you to be all that attentive. But sure, you don't mind if I stop by?"

"Of course, not!" He said as he stood up from his seat. "Okay, let's do it!"

And so, with Ishimaru leading the way, we headed to his room.

Ishimaru's room was a lot different than mine. Charts lined the walls, and there were a few inspirational posters here and there. In all honesty, it looked impressive; almost like it was made for him!

"Welcome, Naegi!" He greeted. "You're the first guest I've invited to my room! Now that we're here, let me pose you to a question."

"A question…?" I repeated in confusion.

"Don't worry, no studying required!" Ishimaru reassured. "This is the most basic of basic questions. Very straightforward! Hahaha! This should be no challenge to you! Very easy, I assure you!"

'Stop saying how easy it's gonna be. That just puts even more pressure on me…' I thought.

"Okay, here wo go. What country first established "Zero" as a numerical concept?" He asked.

Hmm… Zero as a number, right? I'm pretty sure that came from…

"It was India, wasn't it?" I replied. Ishimaru laughed happily.

"Correct! Good job, Naegi!" He praised. "I had faith in you, and you came through for me! Seeing you get excited is getting me excited! Let's stack our effort on top of the other and show those self-centered genius jerks what for!"

"Hey, um… Ishimaru?" I began.

"Yeah?" He said as he quirked an eyebrow.

"Well, I've just noticed… You seem to really hate the idea of geniuses."

Ishimaru sighed. "Hmm… I guess I feel like they're just… My sworn enemy, you know?"

"Huh…?"

"But you hit the nail on the head. You're pretty sharp!" He complimented.

"But… Why?" I asked.

Ishimaru sighed again. "There's someone… Someone I respect, someone I hate. Someone I have to surpass…" He began. "Because he was a genius."

"What…?" I gasped. Who on Earth could it be?

"Toranosuke Kiyotaka." He confessed. "Do you recognize that name? …He was my grandfather. He was once… Prime Minister of Japan."

"He was your grandpa!?" I gasped.

"He went from Minister of Foreign Affairs to Chief Cabinet Secretary, and finally… Prime Minister." Ishimaru continued. "And all without any support network, and only a high school degree…! He was, simply, a genius. Everything he did, he did without any effort."

"He sounds like an amazing person." I said. Amazed. "And he was your grandfather?"

Ishimaru nodded. "He was a genius. He'd never known failure. His success was unimaginable to a normal person. But because of that…"

He began tearing up. "He allowed himself to be controlled by naïve emotions, and got roped into a corruption scandal." He continued. "He had no idea what the world of geniuses was really like. At least, that's how I see it. At that point, he fell just as fast as he had risen. And it wasn't just in politics. The business world had no use for him anymore, and he plummeted. The debt he left behind torments my family to this day. He died a few years ago. By the end, he wasn't speaking to anyone. Despite his fame and legacy, the only people who came to his funeral were family members."

"That's hard to imagine…" I sighed to myself.

"Some consider genius fate's blessing. But I see it as a tragedy more than anything." Ishimaru went on. "The tragedy of finding success without understanding the importance of effort. There's nothing worse than a genius who trips and falls. Just like my grandfather…"

"And that's why you hate the word "Genius"?" I asked. Moved by his story.

Ishimaru nodded. "My grandfather serves as an important lesson why you must never be deceived by words like "Genius"."

He then stood up and became stern. "Relying on my own effort, I will reach greater accomplishments than anything my grandfather ever did! So we have to work hard to build a society where those who put in the most effort are properly rewarded!"

"I-I see…" Was all I could say. I can agree with him, but Ishimaru and I aren't the same. I can't reach for those kinds of big dreams…

"But you know, Naegi… I'm really happy!" He said all of a sudden. "I figured this school would be full of geniuses. I mean, I thought everyone would be my enemy. I never imagined I'd meet someone here who I could share my story with…"

He then shook my hand and laughed. "I'm so lucky to have met you here! This kind of thing only happens in a lifetime! I hope we can stay close and combine our efforts to shape things the way we want!"

"Yeah, definitely…" I said. Unsure, but happy that Ishimaru was looking on the bright side of things even after the three deaths.

I feel like I've come to understand Ishimaru a lot better. In fact, I think we've finally become friends in the truest sense of the word!

A/N: Well, at long last, I have returned to writing this story! Once again, I am truly sorry for the unexpected and long hiatus, but hey! At least we're back in business!

I'll see you all in the next chapter!