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(After school)
"Ah, almost 5 PM."
I had been resting in my bed, reflecting on the events that had occurred a few hours prior. It is reasonable to consider such as a challenge, given that this was my inaugural experience with an unfamiliar situation. Moreover, this is a combat zone which implies I couldn't put myself to sleep yet.
I remained motionless on the bed. The events of the afternoon required a post-mortem analysis, though calling it a "challenge" would be an overstatement. It was simply an unfamiliar data point. This school operates as a controlled environment—a "ruthless world" where winning is the only metric of value. To survive here, one must treat every interaction as a potential transaction or a threat.
My mind was flooded with numerous inquiries, including those pertaining to the system itself. Was the scarcity of information truly intended to safeguard it from being revealed by others? I am uncertain. However, one aspect can be confirmed, which is that this school serves its purpose of providing a relatively lenient environment for study, despite the strict laws that govern it.
I considered the school's structure. It is a paradox: a lenient sanctuary on the surface, governed by strict, underlying laws. For a moment, I entertained the thought that this could be the "fairytale" of freedom I had sought—to be a "white bird, flying free". But "freedom" is a subjective concept. In reality, this school is likely just another piece of equipment designed to achieve a specific, concrete aim. Regardless, I had intended to spend the evening in a state of idle observation.
That plan was interrupted by the vibration of the phone. The device uses a proprietary "M" OS, a piece of technology marketed for its novelty, yet its security is only as good as the user's discretion. I have not shared my contact information with anyone. This was an anomaly.
I accepted the call. To mitigate the risk of voice recognition, I adopted a persona—a "mask" of high-pitched, feigned energy that I had calculated would be the most effective way to appear as an uninteresting, socially awkward teenager.
"Alright, let's do this." I muttered to myself.
"Hai~! Moshi-moshi?" It appears the previous remark I made was not well received.
Subsequently, a brief interval of silence ensued, which was subsequently followed by the utterance of a female voice. The one I was hardly familiar with, let alone have heard of.
"Ayanokouji-kun~"
Hers could only be described as the one that was alluring and suggestively seductive in a way.
And just when I was about to ask her whereabout so I could approach her and perhaps put her under some pressure by launching some malicious threats, she ended up hanging up the phone.
Before I could initiate a counter-interrogation or exert pressure through a subtle threat, she terminated the connection. She left her number.
An amateur would see this as a mistake in information security
No.
This is by no means a mistake.
It is unlikely a student capable of obtaining my unlisted number would commit such a basic error in information security. This is a calculated baiting maneuver.
She didn't just find a number; she identified the person behind it.
It is possible that her actions were designed to gain my trust. Which means she might have set me up if she was clever enough. What she did was a bait to engrave me, as she mentioned my name as if she already was familiar with me in the first place.
I had deliberately greeted her with an emotionally charged voice, which I have never been comfortable with, in order to distract the perpetrator from recognizing my voice just in-case as it would have caught them off the guard, considering that might have been indicative of a dangerous situation that threatened my life.
In any case, the perpetrator must have planned meticulously and is unlikely to be an ordinary student. It is probable that she considered her actions in advance when requesting my phone number from someone, potentially from the viable service provided by this school.
However, such a question remains whether I should contact her.
I am unsure whether doing so would be beneficial, as I am uncertain as to whether she is capable of deceiving me or whether I am the one who has been deceived and has been overthinking the situation.
Screw all of these, let's message her to know what she really wanted from me.
I looked at the screen.
I briefly considered sending a provocative or playful response—something like:
Fufufu~ Do you need something, hm? Hehehe~
Fufufu~ Do you need something,
Fufufu~ Do you need
Fufu
___|
Okay no, that sounded rather unnatural.
I immediately discarded the idea. Such a reaction would be unnatural for the "ordinary student" persona I am maintaining. It would also signal that I am playing her game.
Sent at 17:09
Who are you and what do you want?
Now that sounded rather apt.
I was then waiting for the reply, only to receive the most unexpected one.
Received at 17:10
It has been a while, Middle-kun. Or... should I say, 五十-kun?
Upon reading this reply, I was compelled to contact her again, this time with a certain degree of an unknown variable.
Fifty.
The reference is precise. To an outsider, a score of 50 is the definition of average.
To someone with access to my entrance exam records, a 50 in every subject is a mathematical impossibility unless the student was intentionally manipulating the outcome. My attempt to remain unremarkable has been compromised by a breach in the school's administrative data.
My "peaceful life" has encountered a significant variable
I called her back.
*Beep*
"I don't know what you are talking about."
"Oh, you surely do, Ayanokouji-kun. Please refrain from changing the topic."
"In any case, I have it recorded... that adorable voice of yours."
She was referring to the tactical mask I had used moments ago. It was a minor miscalculation on my part. I had intended the voice to be a distraction; instead, she had converted it into leverage. While she likely viewed this as blackmail material, I viewed it as a confirmation of her intent. She is not an ordinary student.
"My, how endearing. I could listen to it for hours, hehehe."
"Do you not wish to listen to it? You may be questioning my sincerity, thinking I was bluffing."
"No need to play the recording," I said, my voice returning to its natural, flat equilibrium.
"I won't doubt you."
"Anyway, have you considered answering any of my questions?"
"Those can be delayed for later," she replied, her tone shifting to one of command.
"Listen. First of all, have you memorized the speech delivered by your homeroom teacher? If yes, was there anything odd in particular? What about your classmates' introductions? Please bear these points in mind. Thank you."
The line went dead.
*Beep...*
I placed the phone down. The caller had hinted at the "introductions" determining everyone's standing in the class. She is testing my ability to perceive the underlying structure of this school. It is possible she has an informant, or perhaps she is simply more observant than the average tool in this class.
I began to sift through my memory, reconstructing the homeroom teacher's words and the students' behaviors with clinical precision.
I must understand the rules of the game being played.
At any rate, I would have to be cautious had I ever encountered her in any manner.
The girl's access to my unlisted number and my exam scores suggests a breach of information security, likely involving an informant with administrative access. While I initially considered this a "far-fetched" theory, in this school, the simplest explanation is rarely the correct one. If she were merely an "ordinary student," she would have no reason to focus on the number 50—a figure that is mathematically unremarkable to anyone without the context of my intent. I will not dismiss the possibility of a conspiracy; I will simply categorize it as a high-priority unknown until more data is available.
But I went to overthink again, didn't I? All of these shouldn't have been my issue and I might have been dwelling too much into ascertaining conspiracy theories. Which means I should not have been those, as It was probably just my imagination that she had information.
Another viable possibility would be that she merely had asked the other teachers or students, which appears to be the easiest way of gaining information. As for the informant theory, it might be a bit too far-fetched and it's rather that she had a friend instead of a specific one to dwell on these information.
Alternatively, she may simply be an ordinary student, although this remains uncertain.
Where am I now? Oh, right.
The continuation of the homeroom teacher's speech and the introduction of classmates. I began to piece puzzles of memory inside my head. I commenced the process of recollection, attempting to construct a comprehensive and detailed narrative in my mind. I endeavoured to ensure it was as intricate and nuanced as possible. And in order to avoid any potential inaccuracies, I began to recall them in a methodical manner, ensuring that I did not overlook any crucial elements.