163
making false accusations. They took her to a deserted spot and started
hounding her for answers. They were on the verge of using violence," Hirata
said.
"Yeah. That's all true. I saw it myself. Yukimura saw it, too."
"I see."
Hirata looked momentarily lost in thought and closed his eyes. I
wondered what he'd do. Would he call Manabe and her friends out and
reprimand them? Or would he report them to the school?
"If Manabe-san and her friends got violent with you, we definitely need
to take action. I absolutely cannot allow violence," he continued.
When Karuizawa heard Hirata's just words, she momentarily broke
into a smile. But when she saw me looking at her, her expression changed
back to anger.
"Karuizawa-san, they were so cruel that you were completely
overwhelmed, and couldn't stand it. Right?" I asked.
"No."
Karuizawa tried to answer, but seemingly couldn't. She just glared at
me without saying anything more. I couldn't lie, so I just told Hirata what I'd
seen. Apparently, Karuizawa and some girl named Rika had some trouble in
the past. Manabe and her friends wanted to make Karuizawa apologize. But
then they'd almost gotten violent with Karuizawa. Hirata, after hearing the
whole story, nodded as if I'd filled in some gaps.
"I see. So that's why you told me," he said.
"Told you what?" I asked.
"Karuizawa-san asked me to take revenge on Manabe-san and her
friends."
I hadn't expected such unsettling words. Then again, from the
perspective of someone who'd been physically threatened, it must've looked
like a kill-or-be-killed situation. After Hirata spoke, Karuizawa finally broke
her silence.
"Why did you tell him?" she asked.
"Because this isn't like you, Karuizawa-san. You aren't a violent
164
person," Hirata answered.
"But your girlfriend's suffering, right? You should want to help me."
"Yes, I do. But I don't believe in an eye for an eye. You know that,
don't you?"
Their core differences were starting to clash.
"Let's think this through. If possible, let's find a way to get along with
Manabe-san and her friends," he said.
"That's impossible, isn't it? I mean, they absolutely hate me for
practically no reason. Please, you have to understand!" she begged.
"No reason? Didn't this start because you had an issue with Morofuji-
san, Karuizawa?"
Hirata said Morofuji, but he probably meant Rika. That must've been
her last name. It was amazing how much information he had.
"But that's... I didn't have any choice! Shinohara and the others were
there, and—"
"So because Shinohara was there, you had no choice? What does that
mean?" I asked.
"You shut your mouth!" she screamed. Her voice carried all the way
down the hallway.
"Please, I'm begging you. Help me. Hirata-kun. You said you'd protect
me, didn't you?"
"Of course I'll protect you. But I can't just hurt Manabe-san and her
friends for no real reason. Let's try to find a way to resolve things peacefully,
through discussion."
"I'm telling you, it's not possible! If I could do that, I wouldn't need
your help!"
What she said might have sounded absurd, but I understood how she
felt. Karuizawa's position was more dangerous than I expected. Things might
very well end violently. For example, students here weren't allowed to
smoke, much like many other schools around the world. But there were many
students worldwide who smoked and got away with it. Not everything could
be bound by law or governed by rules, and bullying was one of those things.
165
Hirata did seem to be worried about Karuizawa, but he was also
worried about Manabe and her friends. Hirata wanted to think of a way to
resolve things peacefully for all parties. He wasn't treating Karuizawa like his
treasured girlfriend, but as another friend.
"It doesn't matter what the reason is. I can't do what you want. You're
one of my classmates, Karuizawa-san. If you're in trouble, I'll help you,
protect you. But I can't hurt someone else to do that, even if they're from
Class C," he said.
"You liar! You said you'd protect me!" she shouted.
"'Liar'? You've known this was my stance since the beginning." He
stood up. The next words out of his mouth would've taken all the Class D
students by surprise. "I've told you from the start that we aren't really
boyfriend and girlfriend. I don't mind pretending to go out with you, but I
definitely won't fight a war for you."
Apparently, their relationship was a huge lie.
"What?! Wh-why are you saying all of this now?!" Karuizawa was
horrified by what she'd just heard.
I understood Hirata's intentions. He was using Karuizawa to extract
information as a tribute to Horikita. That was what it looked like, anyway.
"Because we need a new option now. I want to help you," he said.
He wasn't abandoning Karuizawa at all. He was seriously trying to
help her, in his own way. He approached Karuizawa, who now looked really
upset, but didn't even try to touch her slender, delicate shoulder. I would've
expected him to do that much.
"So are you saying...it's better for me to get violent with them?" she
asked.
"That's not what I'm saying. I'll do what I can to help you. When
morning comes, I intend to speak with Manabe-san and her friends. I'll tell
them to stop harassing you, Karuizawa-san. You probably won't like this, but
I'll tell them that you'll apologize."
"I don't want to!" Karuizawa had come to Hirata in order to take
revenge on Manabe and her friends, and that spoke to her true personality—
her real self. More than anything else, Karuizawa was afraid.
166
"If that's the case, then I can't help you. I'm sorry."
Hirata was calm. Even now, he was composed. But he was also
extremely reliable, and for someone like Karuizawa who needed that
reliability, losing it was basically a death sentence.
"Ayanokouji-kun, do you have any ideas?" asked Hirata. It seemed like
he was trying to make me take a more active role in this.
"Whatever! If you're not going to listen to me, then I don't need you!"
Karuizawa threw the can of juice she was holding down the hall. The
contents spilled all over the place, and the sound echoed down the hall.
"Our relationship is over. It's over!" she shouted.
With that, Karuizawa abandoned us and fled. Hirata seemed annoyed
not because the truth of their sham relationship had been revealed, but
because he couldn't help her. He showed no signs of running after her. She
wasn't his priority.
"Ayanokouji-kun. I have my limits. I can't do everything. Please
understand that," he said.
I'd planned to use Hirata to extract information about Karuizawa.
However, it appeared that Hirata had used me instead, and used this
opportunity to task me with saving Karuizawa from her troubles.
"You said that you wanted to be a bridge to connect people, but that's a
lie, isn't it? You're everyone's ally."
"Yes. I'm Karuizawa-san's ally, and I'm your ally as well,
Ayanokouji-kun. However, my priorities might change depending on the
situation. You're far more capable than everyone thinks," Hirata observed.
"You think way too highly of me."
"Really? I'm good at reading other people. That's why I understand."
I wanted to ask more about this supposed skill but decided that we
should resolve this problem first. "Your relationship with Karuizawa sounds
like it was all for show. Is that really true?" I asked.
"When you put it that way, it sounds like you already suspected as
much."
"You and Karuizawa have been dating for almost four months, but
167
your relationship with her hadn't progressed much. Of course, I considered
the possibility that you were maintaining a pure and platonic kind of
relationship, but even then, you've always kept yourself distant from her.
You still call each other by your last names."
Even if they hadn't gotten closer physically, they should've grown
nearer emotionally. But Hirata and Karuizawa's relationship had showed
absolutely no signs of change, for better or for worse. In a romantic
relationship, such stagnation was exceptionally odd.
"You're exactly right. We weren't really dating. We were going out
because we both felt that it was necessary. I suppose you consider that
contradictory," he answered.
In other words, theirs had been a mutually beneficial relationship. In
that case, which one of them had proposed the idea, and which had agreed to
it? Well, I suppose that was obvious. Karuizawa had asked Hirata to pretend
to go out with her, and Hirata had simply honored her request. With that in
mind, her actions made more and more sense.
"The rumors started roughly three weeks after school began. From that
point onward, Karuizawa's popularity soared by leaps and bounds," I
observed.
A similar phenomenon had occurred in Rabbit Group. By attaching
herself to Machida, Karuizawa could assert herself more aggressively than
normal, and her level of influence had increased. To Karuizawa, Hirata was
basically a host, and she was his parasite. He'd been a tool to enhance her
social standing.
"You played the part of Karuizawa's boyfriend so that her social
standing would improve."
I'd arrived at the truth. In response, Hirata simply smiled. I'd thought
that was the entire truth, but then I realized that it didn't explain everything.
Besides, Hirata hadn't admitted that I was right. Karuizawa had used Hirata
and Machida to place herself at the top of the school's caste system? No, that
alone wasn't enough.
After all, why would Hirata have accepted her request so easily? That
was a tall order for him. Karuizawa's aggressive attitude was getting more
and more out of hand every day. She was behaving more like a bully.
168
Why would Hirata approve of this and not criticize her at all? Besides,
did Karuizawa really just want to use Hirata and the others to get to the top? I
was doubtful. I couldn't say she'd used Machida just to increase her
influence. If anything, she showed no interest in the group. More often than
not, she just sat in silence. Maybe she hadn't planned to use Machida at first.
In that case, what had triggered her to establish contact with Machida?
I felt like I was starting to discover Karuizawa Kei's true self.
"It's to protect herself?" I asked. That was the only remaining answer.
There was no mistaking it.
"So, you understand. Honestly, when I heard you say it, I got
goosebumps," Hirata said.
"I heard about it from Horikita; that's all. She said Karuizawa had her
reasons for clinging to you and to others."
But Hirata wasn't simple enough to fall for my deception.
"Ayanokouji-kun. I have to be very honest, but... Well, this is going to sound
very rude, but I honestly find you a little weird. You kind of creep me out.
I'm sorry if that offends you."
"Creep you out? Why do you think that?"
"I've been watching you since school started. The Ayanokouji-kun
back then and the Ayanokouji-kun now are like two different people. Your
presence, the words you use... It's like you have two different personalities."
Hirata was frighteningly observant. It was only natural that he would
think something was off.
"I've already told you, it's all because of Horikita's advice. I already
gave her a detailed report about my group. I'm only following her orders. It's
just like back on the island. Horikita made the right calls and led Class D to
victory. She's why we got so many points. I mean, that's good for me, too.
She's just so awful at communicating with others that she's afraid to try, you
know? She told me to talk to you and report back."
I spent a lot of time with Horikita. Because of that, Hirata probably
wouldn't doubt my words.
"Well. I suppose Horikita-san must've determined that saving
Karuizawa-san will give our class a lead," he reasoned.
169
"Yeah."
"But I do think you're amazing, Ayanokouji-kun. You're different
from Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun."
"I'm worse than them."
"Even if you're just following Horikita-san's orders, you're still the
one talking to me right now, Ayanokouji-kun. It isn't as though Horikita gave
you a list of prepared responses. I think that you show clear, well-reasoned
logic. That's not something you can pretend to have."
Hirata was smarter than I'd imagined. Although I had some concerns
about his desire to constantly save everyone, he had extraordinary abilities.
"You've already said as much, but I agreed to act like Karuizawa-san's
boyfriend so she could protect herself. That's what she wanted. She said she
wanted me to save her. It might be a little difficult for you to imagine, but
throughout her elementary and junior high years, she was viciously bullied."
"Is that really the truth?" I asked.
So Karuizawa's hyperventilation had been triggered by memories of
her past. If she had suffered such deep trauma, it explained why she couldn't
shake off the earlier encounter.
"Of course, I only met Karuizawa-san after she started school here. But
I understood. People who are bullied give off a unique vibe. That's why I
agreed to go out with her. That way, Karuizawa-san would free herself from
her past by using her position as my girlfriend. I don't think that Karuizawa-
san has been showing us her real personality. I think she's just desperately
trying to act tough."
That was why she couldn't control her emotions very well. Many
people who've been bullied tended to have very meek and timid
personalities, like Sakura. On the other hand, people who were confident,
aggressive, and selfish—those who acted like Karuizawa—were typically the
ones doing the bullying.
So Karuizawa's personality was a façade. A front. That's why she
needed people like Hirata and Machida. With them, she was able to get that
assertive personality.
"Wait a minute. What was in it for you?" I asked. High school is one of
170
the prime romantic times of a student's life. Hirata was popular with girls. If
he pretended to go out with Karuizawa, he couldn't pursue a relationship with
anyone else.
"What was in it for me? Karuizawa-san wasn't being bullied. That's all
I needed."
It wasn't hypocrisy or love. He didn't have any selfish impulses.
"I know you're not convinced, but that's the reason I did it," he
continued.
"I believe you. But is there some deeper reason as well?" I asked.
Hirata wouldn't hesitate to save a friend, but he considered Manabe and the
others friends, too. His concern for others was downright pathological.
Since he'd told me this much, Hirata probably felt like he had to see
the story through. He bought a couple of drinks from the vending machine
and handed one to me, which I gratefully accepted.
"Until my second year of junior high I was, for lack of a better word, a
nobody. I didn't stand out at all."
"You, Hirata? I have a hard time imagining that."
"Well, I wouldn't say that I was completely invisible. I did have
friends. I had this one friend ever since I was little, a guy named Sugimura-
kun. We were in the same class together for six years, throughout elementary
school. We were neighbors, too. We walked to and from school together
every day." Hirata spoke like he was recalling some fleeting memory.
"When we started junior high, we were put into separate classes for the
first time. At first, we kept going to school together just like we always had.
Gradually, we walked together less and less. I started to only hang out with
other guys from my new class. That story probably sounds normal enough, I
suppose."
It was perfectly normal to make new friends in a new environment.
Nothing odd about that.
"But you see, while I had my new friends, Sugimura-kun was getting
bullied." Hirata squeezed the can he was holding. I understood where this
was going. "Sugimura-kun sent me SOSs over and over. He'd show up with
cuts on his face, or with bruises. But I cared more about hanging out with my
171
friends, and never took him seriously. Sugimura-kun was always headstrong,
quick to get into fights. I didn't think too deeply about what was happening.
But when we entered our second year, we reunited. By then, Sugimura-kun's
spirit had shattered. His bright, cheerful personality was gone. That was only
natural after being beaten down so much. He'd been punched and kicked so
many times. They hounded him so much that he couldn't even go the
bathroom; he ended up having accidents during class."
"So you saw that, and..."
"Yeah. I didn't do anything. I couldn't. I was afraid I'd become their
next target. I was afraid that my new, fun life would be destroyed. So I
pretended not to see Sugimura-kun, my oldest friend. I came up with
convenient excuses for myself. I thought someday the bullies would just stop.
Maybe once Sugimura-kun stopped going to school, they'd leave him alone.
Or maybe someone else would step in to help him."
"So, what happened to Sugimura?"
"That day's burned into my memory, even now. After morning soccer
practice, I returned to the classroom. When I got near the room, I saw that
Sugimura-kun was already there, his face swollen. I decided to wait a bit
before going in. To be honest, I felt uncomfortable. We'd been friends who
played together ever since we were little, but right then, it felt like were
complete strangers. I thought, 'If I get involved with him, I'll get bullied,
too.' Perhaps Sugimura-kun saw how ugly my heart was. He didn't say a
word, but it was almost like he was sending out a plea for help. That day, he
jumped out of the classroom window," said Hirata.
"He jumped? Did he die?"
"He was declared brain dead. But even now, Sugimura-kun's parents
believe he'll recover. They're waiting for him. That day was so surreal, I still
wonder if it was a hallucination. I couldn't believe it. When Sugimura-kun
jumped, I realized something. By selfishly focusing so much on my own
desires, I helped drive a treasured friend to his death."
That incident had given birth to the man named Hirata Yousuke.
"I don't think Sugimura-kun can be saved, but I wanted to atone. I
figure the only way for me to do that is to save others," Hirata said.
"I understand what you're feeling, but the world isn't that simple,
172
right? At this very moment, there's someone being bullied somewhere. And
they might try to take their own life, just like Sugimura-kun. You can't stop
them."
"Of course I know that. I'm not a hero or anything. But I want to save
the people close to me, at the very least. I must help them. That's my penance
for the sin I committed," he said.
"So what are you going to do, then? You want to save both Karuizawa
and Manabe, but that's not possible."
"I understand that. It's probably why you're here with me right now,"
he answered.
Apparently, Hirata knew that he was abnormal himself. At any rate, he
was a man on a mission.
"I never thought I'd ever tell this story to anyone. Nobody here knows
the truth. That's why I chose this school," said Hirata. He tossed his empty
juice can into the trash. "Will you and Horikita-san keep this confidential?"
he asked.
"If you promise not to get yourself involved, I'm sure Horikita will
stay silent," I answered.
"Then I'll believe in you two. Our philosophies are similar."
Hirata had pledged not to involve himself in the Karuizawa issue. From
this point onward, Hirata would probably come to me for help whenever he
was in trouble. I had successfully gained Hirata's cooperation, a power I'd
always wanted. I'm sure he felt he'd gained something as well.
"Hirata. Since you have a large social network, I have a favor to ask." I
handed Hirata a piece of paper. He read it and accepted my request without
so much as a displeased look.
"Oh, Ayanokouji-kun. There is one more thing I've been hiding from
you. I know the identity of the last VIP from Class D."
173
4.5
The next day, I decided to make a move, but rather unexpectedly,
Sakura called for me. I decided to go talk to her.
"Looks like the test is over for the Cow group," I said.
"Yeah..." she replied.
I checked the email that Sakura, along with the other students, had
received from the school.
"The test has now ended for the Cow group. Those in the Cow group
are no longer required to participate any further. Please be careful not to
disturb the other students."
It was exactly the same kind of email we got after the Monkey group
finished. It was a brief message, devoid of context. Sakura looked at me with
unease in her eyes.
"Have I done something wrong?" she asked.
"No, you haven't. This just means that someone in the Cow group
reported to the school who they think the VIP is."
Leaving aside the time Kouenji got carried away and ended the test for
his group, right now it seemed that people were betraying each other for two
very different reasons. They were either betraying with certainty, or betraying
because they felt impatient.
"Sakura, were you the VIP? Or was it someone else?"
Sakura quickly shook her head. "No, I'm not the VIP. But I'm not sure
about Sudou-kun or, um, the others," she answered. She didn't seem to have
any idea whatsoever.
"Don't overthink it. I don't know the identity of the VIP in my group,
either."
"Okay. Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun. I'm happy you told me that."
"How are things with Class A? I heard rumors that none of them are
participating in the discussions."
174
"Yeah, it's just like what the others have been saying. None of them
have talked at all," said Sakura.
Katsuragi had been rather thorough in carrying out his plan. If that was
true, then Class C had to have been the ones to trigger this new turn of
events. But I was still left with doubts. Ryuuen claimed he understood the
school's rules, and I had my own ideas. However, it was still impossible to
know whether I was correct or not.
If I accidentally misread the rules, the class would self-destruct and
take massive damage as a result. So far, the test hadn't ended for anyone
other than the Cow group—proof that Ryuuen still didn't have a sure answer
either. As we neared the end of this mysterious exam, many students were
probably feeling perplexed.
"If there's anything else, please let me know. You can talk to me
anytime," I told Sakura.
"Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun. See you later."
I bid farewell to Sakura, who waved her hands adorably. Then I headed
toward the ship's lower levels. I proceeded down to the lowest level, where
people didn't generally go. Although we were prohibited from going there,
the area wasn't locked. The crew was probably using it. Although people
could enter areas like the switchboard room if it was necessary, generally
speaking, no one went in there.
There was no one to come if you called, no matter how loud you
shouted. Including the regular entrance, there were only two ways in or out of
the room. The other way was a door that led to the emergency staircase, but
the workers didn't appear to use that. Judging from the dust, I knew that it
hadn't been used in a long time. If I just kept an eye on the regular entrance, I
could monitor the situation completely.
Another convenient thing was that phones had almost no reception
here. Though you could occasionally get a little signal, sending emails or
chatting was a pain in the neck, and it was next to impossible to make a call.
"All the pieces are in place," I muttered.
All I had to do was make sure everything happened in the proper order.
First, I would contact Hirata, and then he would call Karuizawa. Since I
wanted to postpone things a little bit, I'd probably need to have him call
175
Karuizawa an hour or so earlier. I returned to the upper decks to make the
call.
After our conversation last night, I thought Hirata might be especially
on his guard. But I knew if Hirata called Karuizawa and said he wanted to
speak with her alone, she'd respond. Karuizawa had said she was breaking up
with Hirata, but she'd be the one to suffer if that happened. With Manabe and
her friends on the attack, Karuizawa absolutely needed Hirata to protect her
at school.
I got a message from Hirata. I've promised to meet Karuizawa-san at
4:00 p.m. I'll send you Manabe-san's info.
As expected, Hirata had fulfilled his role admirably. As a bonus, he
even had Manabe's contact information, never mind that she was from
another class. If he hadn't known it, I would've had to risk asking Kushida.
That saved me an extraordinary amount of trouble.
He sent me another message. I have to tell you, I don't want to make
Karuizawa-san sad.
"You don't want to make her sad, huh?" If he knew what I was about
to do, Hirata would've been furious. But that wasn't my problem. Even if she
were to break here, I'd be fine so long as he didn't find out. This is a rather
extreme example, but even if you committed murder, you couldn't be
convicted without proof.
I quickly typed a message and hit send.
Hey, you got a minute?
The message was short and sweet, completely harmless. As a rule, chat
apps are one account per phone. However, there was a way around that. By
creating another primary SNS account, your device could hold another. Of
course, not many students split their account into a main and a sub. The
benefits of switching between accounts were marginal at best. However, by
creating a new account, I was able to contact a third party without revealing
my identity.
I needed to proceed delicately. If I didn't mess up, everything should
be fine. Despite the fact that Manabe had received an anonymous message,
she immediately responded.
176
Who is this?
Only natural she'd ask that question.
Is there anyone with you right now?
I'm alone, but who are you?
Don't show this to anyone. For your own sake.
Look, who are you?
Let's just say that I hate the same person you do.
Although I saw that she'd read my message, Manabe took some time to
respond. Do you have the wrong number?
This isn't a mistake, Manabe-san. I want to talk about Karuizawa-san,
the person you hate. I thought I might be able to talk to you about it.
I don't know what you're talking about. Please stop sending me
messages.
She seemed wary, as if she imagined I might be an enemy. That was
natural. First, I needed to win her trust.
I'm a classmate of hers, and it's been difficult dealing with her for a
long time now. I want to get revenge on her, so I thought we could work
together. Since I'm in Class D with her, I can't go after Karuizawa-san
directly. That's why I want your help.
I don't know what you're talking about. I'm going to ignore you.
Even though she was suspicious, she still hadn't cut off contact. That
proved how much Karuizawa made her blood boil. That was why she wanted
revenge on behalf of her friend, Rika. From the way Manabe had dragged
Karuizawa into the emergency stairwell, her hatred was clear.
Rika-chan is still scared of Karuizawa-san, even now. Don't you want
to help her? Your desire for revenge is written all over your face. But you
couldn't do it even if you wanted to, right? Karuizawa-san is really cautious
after what happened yesterday. I'm sure she won't leave Hirata-kun's or
Machida-kun's side for a while. And she'll always be with other girls, so she
won't be alone.
I don't need your help. I just need Karuizawa-san to talk to Rika. Then
we'll know the truth.
177
I wonder if it'll be that simple, though? I can't imagine she'll admit
that she lied. On the contrary, it would probably just hurt Rika-chan if
Karuizawa-san says something awful. Oh, and that's not all. If Karuizawa-
san's holding a grudge, she might bully Rika further.
What should I do? Are you saying there's a way?
Manabe's intense desire to settle things was evident.
If you and I work together, we can safely get our revenge.
What guarantee do I have? It feels like you're trying to lure me into a
trap, and then you'll tattle to the school. This smells like a sub account.
If you think I'm trying to sell you out, Manabe-san, then go ahead and
show this chat log to the teachers. You can only register accounts on school
phones. I'm risking being identified by saying I want revenge on Karuizawa-
san. I'm the one risking my neck here. Am I wrong?
I'm sure Manabe understood. Even a sub account wasn't perfectly safe.
If I were exposed, I would obviously receive the harshest punishment.
So if I show this chat log to the school, what then? It'll be all over for
you.
I don't think you're the kind of person to do that, Manabe-san. You
have to show trust to be trusted.
I understand. I'll hear you out, at least.
After that, I repeated some familiar-sounding stories. Stuff about how
much I hated Karuizawa. How I wanted to do something about it but
couldn't. How I'd heard about Manabe's confrontation with Karuizawa by
chance, and that I'd tried to make contact. I played the victim thoroughly.
Once we returned to land, it would be difficult for me to contact
Karuizawa directly. The school buildings and dorms were equipped with
security cameras. Even if you tried to bring her into a private area, it was still
highly likely that someone would spot you. This ship gave Manabe the
perfect opportunity. I made her understand that revenge was only possible
while they were here. I slowly but surely roused her anger.
So, what should I do?
Now that Manabe understood, I finally started to reveal my plan. I'll
178
call Karuizawa-san. Then, you take your time talking with her, and settle
things.
After I sent that message, I followed it up by sending a map of the
ship's lowest level.
Since you can't get any reception down there, she can't call for help.
No one comes down there.
I see, I see. So since you're her classmate, you can call Karuizawa-
san?
I'd like you to tell me right now if you're going along with my plan.
After I call Karuizawa-san, you can decide whether you'll take your revenge.
There won't be any problems that way, right?
She took a long time to respond, the longest for any response thus far.
Finally, I saw her response, and was sure that my plan would succeed. If my
attempts to convince her via chat had failed, I had another plan prepared, just
in case.
It would have been dangerous, but I would've made direct contact with
Manabe in person. I had taken pictures when she was threatening Karuizawa
in the emergency stairwell; I could've blackmailed her with those. However,
the risks were great. I wanted to avoid drawing attention to myself as much as
humanly possible.
"Now. Let's see what Manabe and her friends are capable of."
179
4.6
Sometimes a deep, heavy noise echoed throughout the dark level.
Perhaps it was the sound of the ship changing course, or maybe it was
because the ship had bumped into something. I wasn't entirely sure. But a
lone girl came here, a place where all you could hear was the sound of
machines.
"What's going on? I can't connect to... There's no signal."
There were still over ten minutes left before her arranged meeting with
Hirata. Maybe she'd arrived a little early to calm herself down. After she
realized that she couldn't use her phone, she put it back in her pocket and
leaned against the wall, apparently bored. She closed her eyes and opened her
mouth slightly, muttering something to herself.
With how quietly she was muttering, I couldn't hear her at all. What
was she talking about? Unfortunately, Hirata wasn't going to hear it. Once
four o'clock rolled around, the door opened. I heard the dull sound of it.
Three girls from Class C stepped through—Manabe and her friends. Wait...
there was one other person with them.
She seemed meek, rather like Sakura. This was probably Rika. "It's all
right," said Manabe. Then she saw Karuizawa. Naturally, Karuizawa noticed
them, too.
"Wh-what are you doing here?!" she asked, trembling.
The passageways inside the ship were narrow, so there weren't many
escape routes. Running away would be difficult.
"I just happened to see you come in here, that's all. Well, I suppose this
is the perfect opportunity. Let me introduce you. This is Rika. Do you
remember her, Karuizawa-san?" asked Manabe.
Manabe grabbed Rika, who was hiding behind her, and pulled her
forward. She and Karuizawa were now facing each other. Karuizawa averted
her eyes, pretending like she didn't know her, but judging from her behavior
it was obvious she remembered.
"Hey, Rika. Karuizawa-san was the one who shoved you, right?" asked
180
Manabe.
"Yeah, she's the one," said Rika.
After hearing such a clear answer, Manabe smiled, looking happy as
could be. Karuizawa, on the other hand, appeared increasingly anxious and
confused. All I could do now was stay quiet and observe the miserable events
that were about to unfold. Even if Karuizawa were subjected to an even more
wretched ordeal than I could imagine, I had no intention of saving her.
"Apologize to Rika," demanded Manabe.
"H-huh? Who's apologizing? I haven't done anything wrong," said
Karuizawa.
"Still acting tough. You're a real piece of work, aren't you? But I think
I understand now, more or less," snapped Manabe.
"Understand what?" asked Karuizawa.
"Your behavior. You're unusually fearful. Karuizawa-san, you were
bullied, weren't you?"
"Wha—?!"
She had been trying to hide the truth, but her past had caught up with
her.
"I hit the nail on the head, didn't I? I knew it. I could feel it right from
the start," Manabe continued.
"No, you're wrong!" Karuizawa denied it, but her words were weak.
Even if she'd been an excellent actress, there wasn't any point. It wasn't as
though Manabe was highly perceptive or anything. She knew because I'd told
her everything beforehand. I'd told her that Karuizawa had been cruelly
bullied ever since childhood. That she harbored deep trauma.
"If you get down on your knees and beg right now, I might forgive you.
How about it? I mean, you're good at groveling, right? Being on your
knees?" Manabe mocked Karuizawa.
"N-no, I won't! I've never done that kind of thing before!" Karuizawa
shouted.
Karuizawa tried to slip past Manabe, but Manabe snatched her long
hair and pulled her back, slamming her into the wall. Manabe was assured
181
that the stage had been set for her revenge, so I couldn't control her here. I'd
only promised that she would "meet" with Karuizawa, after all.
She should have agonized over whether to use violence. However,
when she finally had the chance to be alone with Karuizawa, she let go of all
other concerns. Because her friends were expecting her to get back at
Karuizawa, I couldn't imagine that this would end until Manabe had dished
out a great deal of punishment. That's what I'd been aiming for, anyway.
It was like the Milgram experiment, a psychological study conducted in
the 1960s. The test, also referred to as the Eichmann experiment, had been
conducted by two groups of people in an isolated facility. Members of these
two groups played the role of either the teacher or the student. First, the
person playing the role of teacher—the subject of the experiment—would
administer a low electric shock to the student so that they would remember
the pain and fear associated with it. The student would be separated from the
teacher and placed on the other side of the glass. Then a device was installed
on the student's side, one that would transmit the electric shock, while the
switch to administer the shock was entrusted to the teacher.
At that point, the proctor overseeing the experiment instructed the
teacher to give the student a series of problems. If the student made a
mistake, the teacher was instructed to turn on the electric current. The teacher
was told to increase the voltage every time the student answered incorrectly.
The switch could administer shocks exceeding 450 volts, powerful enough to
prove fatal. On the other hand, though, the shock administered for the first
wrong question was only forty-five volts, which amounted to mild itching.
The subject could hear the student's voice, which meant every time a
shock was administered, the teacher could hear the student's agonizing
screams. However, unknown to the subject, the electric shock device installed
on the student's side was a fake. The student only pretended to be
electrocuted. The teacher could hear the student's suffering, though. At first,
there wasn't much of a reaction. As the voltage increased, the agonizing
screams of the student grew louder. Eventually, the student fell silent.
The subject, the teacher, wasn't threatened. They were only told they'd
be rewarded and were free to do as they liked. In other words, even if the
teacher asked to quit the test, they would be fine. Despite that, nearly 66% of
subjects increased the voltage until they administered electric shocks
182
powerful enough to kill someone. The experiment demonstrated that,
depending on the circumstances, anyone was capable of incredible cruelty
and brutality.
"Ow, ow! It hurts! Let me go!" screamed Karuizawa.
Karuizawa wept at having her hair pulled, and pleaded, but Manabe
only laughed like she was enjoying it. Right now, they were on the lowest
level of the ship, a closed environment. Manabe was the subject, and
Karuizawa the student. I'd successfully set the stage for a situation like the
Milgram experiment. Even though you could say the conditions weren't
exactly the same, considering the relationship these two had cultivated, the
situation was rather like the original experiment. Seeing Karuizawa suffer,
especially after her proud behavior, probably felt great to them.
"Agh!" Karuizawa shouted.
"Whoa, Shiho. Don't you think you're hitting her a little too much?
Wow, you're harsh."
Manabe continued to drive her knee into Karuizawa's stomach. Of
course, Manabe wasn't used to hitting someone like that, so her movements
were sluggish. It shouldn't have hurt much. But Karuizawa's pain was
Manabe's greatest reward.
Seemingly in a great mood, she invited Rika to join in. Rika had been
standing some distance away, watching anxiously.
"Come on Rika. You give it a try, too," urged Manabe.
"N-no. I'm okay," answered Rika.
"We're doing this for your sake, right? Come on, there's no one
around," replied Manabe.
Rika wanted to refuse taking revenge, but that wasn't allowed right
now. If your friend coaxed and cajoled you to join in the fun, it'd be difficult
to keep refusing. Rika knew that if Manabe's anger were redirected at her,
she could become the next victim.
"O-okay. I'll try."
There was the sound of a pathetically light slap. Pap.
"L-Like that?" asked Rika.
183
"No, no, that's no good at all. You need to put more force into it, like
this."
Whap! The sound echoed through the room. Karuizawa looked like she
was in pain after that hit. Rika slapped Karuizawa again and again, just as she
was instructed. Her slaps gradually grew more forceful.
"S-s-s-stop it!" pleaded Karuizawa.
"Ha ha. This is fun! Ha ha!"
Well, maybe it was more appropriate to think of Rika as the subject of
the Milgram experiment.
"Please, forgive me!" Karuizawa pleaded.
Seeing her like that must have felt euphoric for Manabe and the others.
Rika started to punch and kick rather strongly, to the point where I couldn't
believe she'd ever been scared. Also, even though she left some marks on
easy-to-spot places like Karuizawa's cheeks, Rika focused on hitting places
you wouldn't be able to see normally, like under her uniform or beneath her
hair.
Karuizawa collapsed in fear, tears streaming down her face. I moved
without making a sound. I quietly opened the door, taking care that Manabe
and her friends wouldn't see. They would all continue to take out their
frustrations on Karuizawa a little longer. I didn't particularly mind.
After all, if something has been thoroughly destroyed, it saves me time
and effort when I need to build it back up. I quietly closed the door and was
no longer able to hear Karuizawa's screams.
184
4.7
After I confirmed that Manabe and her friends were gone, I entered
the room. Karuizawa should've heard the door open, but she continued to
cower and cry on the ground. Perhaps she didn't notice me coming in
because she was so overcome by fear. So this was how the leader of the girls,
so arrogant and headstrong, really was?
Perhaps thanks to the advice I'd given to Manabe and her friends,
Karuizawa's uniform and the parts of her body that you could normally see
appeared undamaged. If her uniform had been ripped, or if they'd cut her
hair, it would've been difficult for the Class C girls to go unpunished. While
bullying is common, our school's unique setup made bullying much more
difficult to get away with.
If anything might have been a cause for concern, it was her cheeks,
reddened from being slapped over and over. The marks would fade by
tomorrow, though.
"Karuizawa."
When I called her, she finally noticed me. She lifted her head. "Wh-
why are..." she stammered.
I wasn't supposed to be here. She panicked at being seen like that, but
couldn't just stop crying and act as though nothing had happened.
She would eventually stop crying. She would eventually calm down. If
I left right now, what I wanted to happen wouldn't take place. I continued to
wait quietly, without trying to talk to her. After some time passed, Karuizawa
gradually stopped bawling, and she started to calm down.
If two people were alone together in a dark, closed room, a sort of
natural intimacy occurred. Even if the people normally hated each other, the
psychological distance between them would lessen.
"Have you calmed down a bit?"
"A little."
Karuizawa still didn't stand. She wiped the tears away with her
uniform sleeve. I reached out to help her up, but she didn't move to take my
185
hand.
"Where's Hirata-kun?" she asked.
"Sounds like he was supposed to meet you here. I would guess that a
teacher called him away. I just happened to be with him when he mentioned
you, so I came here in his place."
That explanation should have been enough to satisfy her and save me
the trouble of further questions. There wasn't any need to tell her the truth
right now. First, I needed to get her to relax, and then fill in the cracks of her
heart.
"Why were you crying?" I asked.
"Manabe and her friends... I absolutely will not let them get away with
that."
Karuizawa started trembling as she recalled what they'd done to her.
Even if she didn't want to reveal this pathetic side of herself, the trauma was
buried so deep that her pain wasn't easily hidden.
"You have to keep this a secret. If anyone finds out, I'll never forgive
you," she warned me.
Karuizawa's weakness was that she couldn't stand being seen as a
victim by the rest of the school. If people found out that Manabe and her
friends had used violence, then the school would inevitably expose the details
of what had happened and why. To protect her social standing, Karuizawa
couldn't afford to let that happen. That was why she'd planned to use Hirata
to stop Manabe and her friends.
"You know, you could get back at Manabe and the others. Since
they're girls, even someone like you could win," she suggested to me.
"That's an insane request," I answered flatly.
"What, are you scared of getting even with Manabe and her friends?
And you're supposed to be a guy," she chided.
"If you attack them, it'll all be over. You should know from what
happened with Sudou that this isn't a simple matter. Don't you get it? An eye
for an eye won't solve anything. Things will only get further out of hand. The
school will carry out an investigation and conduct interviews. You don't want
that, right, Karuizawa?"
186
"So you'll just lie down and take it?" she asked.
I knew how to respond, but decided to stay silent.
"But they would... They'll continue to do awful things to me,"
muttered Karuizawa.
She started shaking again. In truth, there was no guarantee that Manabe
and her friends would stop. Karuizawa could find many ways to escape back
at school, but she couldn't continue playing hide-and-seek with Manabe
forever. Her classmates would eventually notice a change in Karuizawa's
behavior.
Karuizawa desperately wanted to fix this situation. I'd been waiting for
that desperation.
"It would be terrible if things went back to how they were back in the
old days. I understand that you want to prevent it," I told her.
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
Karuizawa should be putting things together by now. Even if it was
clear how I knew that Manabe and her friends had bullied her, she should
wonder how I knew about her past.
"I meant exactly what I said. You've managed to escape by getting into
this prestigious school and rising through the ranks to reign supreme at the
head of Class D. But in the end, you haven't really changed at all. You're still
that bullied little girl."
"Wh-who are you talking about?!" she shouted.
"You, Karuizawa."
I grabbed her arm and forced her up.
"H-hey, what are you doing?!"
I pinned her up against the wall and forced her to look me in the eye.
"Manabe tormented you just now, yes? She and her friends pulled your hair
and slapped your face. They kicked you in the chest, in your stomach, didn't
they? That's why you ended up like this: miserable, pathetic, crying on the
ground."
187
188
"Wha—"
Our eyes met. We stared as if we were being sucked into one another.
Of course, there wasn't any hint of love there. Only darkness.
"You were bullied ever since you were little. You were a victim
throughout elementary school and junior high. You wanted to act tough so
you could stop being bullied. Am I right?"
"D-did you hear this...from Hirata-kun?"
"Hirata is everyone's ally, for better or worse. He'll help you, like he'll
help anyone. Even if you got your position in Class D by pretending to be
Hirata's girlfriend, he won't be of any use to you in situations like this. He
isn't a good enough host for a parasite like you."
Karuizawa was much smarter than other people thought. She had taken
care not to overdo it in the Rabbit group precisely because she understood
Hirata's neutral stance. That was probably why she was so reserved at first.
However, as a display of her status, she'd started trouble with Rika, which
led to this current predicament.
"What are you... Why are you doing this, huh?!"
"Why? It's obvious, isn't it? You need to understand your situation.
Don't you know who's standing in front of you right now? It's not Hirata; it's
me. I know everything. I know about your past. I know about your fake
relationship with Hirata. I even know that Manabe and her friends tortured
you to the point where you started bawling."
I knew everything that Karuizawa Kei wanted to hide.
I had her heart in my hands. Right now, I would decide whether she
lived or died.
"If you don't do as I say, I can expose you," I added.
Karuizawa understood better than anyone how terrifying that was. "D-
don't screw with me! Who the hell do you think you are?!" she shouted.
"Someone who knows the truth. Nothing more, nothing less."
I moved in so close to her that our faces almost touched. When she
turned her face away and tried to avert her eyes, I grabbed her chin and
forced her to look at me. She wanted to look away, but with a man's strength
189
bearing down on her, she couldn't move. She closed her eyes, as if trying to
escape my gaze.
"What, what do you want with me?! You're just after my body, aren't
you?" she screamed.
"Your body, huh? You know, that doesn't sound too bad."
I ran my fingertips across Karuizawa's thighs. She felt so incredibly
soft that I couldn't even imagine that she was a person like me. Her skin was
silky smooth. The feel of it was incredibly different from my own.
"Eek!"
She tried to escape my touch. I held her tighter and forced her to look
straight at me. "Don't run. If you try it again, I'll tell everyone at school what
I know about you."
Those words were like a magic spell. She stiffened.
"You... Grr..." She sputtered.
Rage, panic, fear, despair: How many negative feelings had Karuizawa
been carrying? She now realized that I was completely different from the
meek person she knew from school. She probably found it terrifying.
"Spread your legs," I commanded.
Karuizawa slowly opened her legs, tears streaming down her face as
she did so. Even if she knew that she was about to be violated, she still
wanted to protect her position. The pain she felt from her years of being
bullied had won out. I placed my hand on my belt buckle and pretended to
rattle it. Even so, Karuizawa didn't run. She was trying to accept this. She
looked at me with empty eyes.
There was no doubt about it. Karuizawa Kei had become a perfect tool
for me. I didn't actually care about her body; I just needed to threaten her to
see how far she was willing to go, how much she would do. She probably
understood that.
Revealing my true self to her was a big risk. If Karuizawa reported me
to the school, I'd be in enormous trouble. However, she feared her past and
losing her current social status more than anything else. That was why she'd
go so far as to offer up her body if someone requested it, if it would protect
her secret.
190
"I'll never bow to you. I won't be bullied by the likes of you. You just
want to mess with me! You think you can do whatever you want, you
pervert?!" she shouted.
Karuizawa roared with anger, as if it was welling up from deep within
her heart.
"Well, whatever. It's not like this is the first time someone's used force
against me. So. Did you know about that, too? How do you think I should act
in an impossible situation?" she asked. Still trembling, she gave a thin smile
and looked at me with an intense darkness in her eyes.
"After a while, I gave up trying to resist. That's right; I was everyone's
victim. I became cold, robotic. I could cry, scream, or thrash around, but it
didn't matter. I couldn't do anything. All I could do was take it."
Karuizawa, as if accepting it all, lifted her skirt and touched her
panties. I grabbed her slender arm and pushed her up against the wall.
"What happened to you?" I asked.
"What happened? All sorts of things. Everything and anything. They'd
put tacks in my shoes or stuff my desk full of roadkill. When I went to the
bathroom, I'd get splashed with dirty water. They wrote words like 'whore'
on my uniform. They pulled my hair and punched and kicked me. Anything
you could imagine, basically. I was bullied in every way. Countless times.
What I've just told you was just a fraction of what I've experienced. Those
were the 'gentler' ways I've been bullied, too. It makes me want to laugh. So,
why aren't you laughing? Why don't you laugh at the pitiful loser who's been
bullied all her life?"
Even after everything she'd suffered, she still got back up. She seemed
ready to fight again. Her resilience had motivated her to enroll in this school.
Still...the experiences she'd recounted weren't enough to explain everything.
"What else have you suffered?" I asked.
"Huh?"
"Have you told me the whole truth?"
I believed that something critical had shattered her spirit before this.
There had to be some other reason behind her abnormal fearfulness,
something that Karuizawa wanted to hide so much that it was worth giving
191
up her body.
"What are you hiding?"
"Wh-what?"
Karuizawa turned her head from me and lowered her eyes to look down
at her left side. I noticed that, of course. I reached over and touched that part
of her body, over her uniform.
"S-stop!" she shouted.
Her shouts echoed within the enclosed walls of the room. I grabbed her
uniform and pulled it up. There, on her beautiful skin, was an ugly scar. A
deep scar, one that had been created by a sharp blade.
"This is it? This is your darkness?"
"U-ugh!"
This wasn't the result of simple bullying. A serious scar like this had
come from a life-threatening attack. Even though she was burdened with that
horrible past, she remained tough. She got back on her feet.
Over the past few days, I'd keenly observed Karuizawa Kei. To protect
herself, she forced people to become her allies. She protected her status, even
if that meant being disliked.
"Despair comes in many forms. And you've experienced despair.
Haven't you?" I asked.
Karuizawa's dark eyes met with mine. People who carry darkness
within are attracted to one another. Slowly, they erode each other. Those who
conceal a deep darkness will readily embrace the darkness of others.
"Wh-what are you...you..." she stammered.
If her past held her captive, then I had to forcefully free her from her
shackles. Even if we weren't close, I could feel the darkness from her,
through her skin. Yes.
There were profoundly dark things left in this world that even
Karuizawa didn't yet know about.
"I promise you one thing. From now on, I will protect you from
bullying. I will be much more reliable than Hirata or Machida," I told her.
192
"Wait. You meant that you can stop Manabe and her friends?" she
asked.
"Right now, you should understand what I'm saying. If the wind blows,
a tiny flame goes out. However, a larger flame only grows bigger. It becomes
so strong that it won't go out, not even in the face of wild winds or pouring
rain. You will help me, and I will help you. Kindness has nothing to do with
it. Do you have any problems with this arrangement?"
"First things first. I'll get rid of your anxieties for you," I added.
I pulled out my phone.
"I have a way to stop Manabe and her friends."
I showed her phone. On the screen was a photo of Karuizawa being
bullied in the emergency stairway.
"That's—" she began.
"If I send this picture to them, they won't get carried away anymore. If
they still decide to harass you, perhaps by spreading rumors, then I will step
in and put a stop to it. With this."
As far as Manabe and her friends were concerned, this incident should
have been enough to satisfy them. If they got carried away and tried to hurt
Karuizawa further, they would end up causing trouble for Ryuuen. Then they
would be in jeopardy themselves. I let go of Karuizawa's chin, and spoke in a
flat, emotionless tone.
"All I want is for people to cooperate with me. I want you to assist me
in the future, doing whatever I need."
"What? Assist? What do you want me to do?"
"If things continue as they are, Class D will never overtake Class A.
While the individual students within Class D certainly aren't incapable, we
lack a sense of unity. Our class is scattered. However, if you control the girls
for me, the situation will gradually improve."
Her social pull made her an even more valuable ally than Horikita.
"What are you trying to..."
Up until now, she'd only ever seen as me as a lowly, unobtrusive guy.
Seeing my true self must've terrified her. But I was done explaining. Besides,
193
the less I talked, the more terrifying I would appear. The less she would
resist.
"Now, the first thing I need. We must guide our group to victory in this
exam."
"How am I supposed to help lead them to—"
"You can, because you're... Right?"
Though I didn't articulate the key word in that sentence, Karuizawa
seemed to know what it was. She looked me in the eyes. The truth resonated
deep within her, in her heart.
She tried to look puzzled, but that was just an act. After all, a parasite
couldn't live without a host. By finding a new host, Karuizawa only had one
way to go on living: with me.
194
195
Chapter 5:
Each and Every
Difference
We had reached the final day of the test. Unlike on the island, time
passed quickly aboard this ship, surrounded by luxury. While Ryuuen
focused on his united frontal assault, and Katsuragi continued ahead with his
iron fortress strategy, Ichinose Honami from Class B had not come up with a
countermeasure.
"Gah! I drew it again! Am I seriously this awful at Old Maid?"
Ichinose spread out her remaining cards and collapsed into a heap before my
eyes.
Even though this was our fifth discussion period, Ichinose had
suggested playing cards once again. I would have questioned this approach,
but no one in Class A entered into the conversation, so no one stopped her. A
small group of people had simply determined that it was better to spend their
time playing cards than doing nothing.
I was a little concerned that Manabe and her friends would try to
confront Karuizawa, but it seemed like the picture I'd sent them had had the
desired effect. They were being obedient. Karuizawa was acting normal, too.
If I were to look at things from Manabe's perspective, she had to be
thinking that the person who sent her those mysterious messages via chat
must have been either me or Yukimura, someone who was there during the
incident in the emergency stairwell. Of course, when I sent her the picture, I
added that I had received it from a classmate. She could imagine that
someone had sent the picture to someone else, and it had circulated.
In the end, Manabe couldn't conclude with absolute certainty that it
was me. That meant she and her friends wouldn't be able to make a move
against me. There was no point in looking for whoever took those pictures.
"Is it okay to just sit here like this?" Yukimura sighed. He sat next to
me, sounding disappointed and melancholy.
"You're being a downer today, Yukimura-kun. You ought to play with
196
us and shake off that gloom and doom. Come on, let's have a rematch!"
urged Ichinose.
"No thanks. I don't really feel like it. Really, is this okay, Ichinose-san?
I mean, just doing this until the test ends. I thought you were the one leading
the group here."
Ichinose stopped in the middle of shuffling the cards. "Isn't that excuse
too convenient, Yukimura-kun? If you seriously want to win this thing, don't
you think you should rely on yourself, rather than someone else?"
"Yeah. Good point," he answered.
Yukimura understood full well that he couldn't cope with having that
responsibility thrust upon him. Despite that, he still wanted a way to change
all this. If this test were measured solely on academic ability, then Yukimura
would have been at the top of any group. However, being gifted academically
didn't make you a natural leader. It didn't mean you could come up with
novel ideas, either. Some things couldn't be solved by memorizing words and
formulae.
In the two tests we'd had over the summer vacation, everyone had
experienced the bitter sense of their own powerlessness, even Horikita. I
wondered if Ichinose and Machida felt irritated about being locked into a
stalemate. However, that frustration can become your strength if it doesn't
break your spirit.
197
5.1
"Well, the test will be over after our next meeting. How do things
look on your end, Ayanokouji-kun?"
I was having my last meeting with Horikita. The world outside was
already cloaked in darkness. Carrying a conversation through chat would
leave a traceable record. To avoid that, we'd met in person.
"There haven't been any significant changes. At this rate, it looks like
the VIP is going to get away. How about you?"
I didn't think I could expect anything from Horikita, but then...
"I'll win," she replied flatly.
"You sure you haven't made a mistake?" I asked.
"I'm not sure who might be listening to us right now, so I won't go into
detail. I'll just ask that you believe in me. Everything will be fine."
I'd already heard from Hirata that Kushida was the Dragon group's
VIP. Of course, I imagined that Ryuuen and Kanzaki had done everything in
their power to figure that out, but it appeared Horikita had overcome the
odds. If she was this confident, there probably wasn't anything to worry
about. Nothing left to do but wait for the 500,000 points to pour in later. You
could call this a solid victory for us.
"Did you want to consult with me?" she asked.
"No need. Make whatever moves you like." Even if she told me about
the Dragon group, I couldn't do much to assist her.
"So what did you want to talk about? I thought we both agreed to avoid
unnecessary contact."
Perhaps she was...concerned about Ryuuen, who pursued her
frantically? "You can't keep being scared of Ryuuen forever, you know," I
said.
"Judging from how you phrased that, I'm guessing you can do
something about it?"
It didn't seem like she expected much from me, since she appeared
198
surprised when I nodded. "I've brought Hirata over to our side. I think we'll
see a lot of cooperation from him."
"I don't particularly want that," she said.
"Well, that's fine. Besides, I'm not saying you have to get involved
with Hirata. I'll handle him and maintain things. All you need to do is keep
up."
"I don't really like how freely you're operating in the shadows," she
answered.
I'd thought she'd say something like that. "In that case, show your face
when we discuss things. Even if you don't talk, you can follow along, right?"
"Well, I suppose so," she sighed. She sounded dissatisfied, but if I gave
Horikita the option to participate, she wouldn't be able to argue with me.
Besides, Hirata had a huge amount of pull in our class. After seeing his
leadership skills in action, Horikita would likely come to understand.
"I'd like to introduce you to someone else later. Hirata, too. Make sure
to keep some time open before they announce the results," I said.
"Okay, I really don't like this. I don't want you to just go ahead and
recruit people as you see fit," she snapped.
"Think of it as compensation for putting yourself on the front lines.
Anyway, this person will be useful to us."
"I have a general idea of what you're thinking, but... Well, fine. At any
rate, let's meet back here after the test is over."
With that, I looked at the time. There was half an hour until the final
discussion.
"I wonder how many traitors will come forward in this test," said
Horikita.
"Who knows? I was surprised the test ended so suddenly for the Cow
group, but I can't imagine we'll see a repeat of that. In the end, the likeliest
outcome will be that the VIPs escape, and time will run out."
"Yes, I think so, too." Horikita briefly averted her eyes, the sort of
unconscious gesture people made when they were worried about something.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
199
"Nothing. It's just, well... Something about this test doesn't make
sense. But there shouldn't be any mistakes. I definitely shouldn't lose," she
replied.
Some of Horikita's anxiety was finally leaking out. Even if I offered
her kind words, she'd tell me they weren't necessary, so I just kept quiet.
200
5.2
The Rabbit group was about to enter our sixth and final discussion
period, still without any hope of making a breakthrough. I'd wanted to
quietly and carefully gather my thoughts, so when Hirata and the others left
our room, I headed to the meeting alone. Since there was still about half an
hour until the discussion started, I assumed no one would be there yet.
However, my expectations were dashed by someone's presence.
"She must have gotten here early, huh?" I asked out loud.
Ichinose slept soundly on the floor. Why should the mere sight of her
tickle a man's heart in such a way? Ah, this was dangerous; it was really bad.
Since she was lying on her side, I could see her plump thighs more clearly
than usual.
Even though I knew I shouldn't, I couldn't help but look at her thighs,
then her legs, then her face, and then her breasts. Then back to her thighs.
While my adolescent desires got the best of me, something near the back of
her head grabbed my attention. It was Ichinose's cell phone. She must've
been using it just before she fell asleep.
Our assigned phones held quite a bit of information. Not only did they
play a vital role in this test, but they also allowed you to confirm details, like
how many points someone had. Of course, in order to confirm this, you
needed an individual's ID and password. But in order to avoid the hassle of
having to log in each and every time, some students just saved their
information. In other words, if I snuck a peek at Ichinose's phone right now,
it might be possible to find out all kinds of information. Like Ichinose's
living situation, or the number of points she had. And I had confirmed earlier
that Ichinose saved her ID and password on her device.
I approached cautiously and carefully, one step at a time.
"Ooh...ah..."
As I closed the distance between us, Ichinose stirred slightly, perhaps
sensing some change in the air. But she fell asleep again, and her breathing
relaxed. It seemed I hadn't woken her. I tried to get closer again.
"Mmm..."
201
202
What in the world was I doing? Even if this was an effective way for
me to gather information, if anyone saw me, they'd think I was a pervert.
What if Ichinose woke up? There'd be a huge misunderstanding. Even
though it was okay for me to enter the room half an hour early, it was weird
for me to wait around so openly while a girl slept.
Well, I didn't have anything to feel guilty about. Therefore, I would
remain calm. Step by step, I drew closer to Ichinose.
"Ooh...um..." She muttered something unintelligible.
This wasn't good. Every time I moved, Ichinose began to wake up. As
a test, I tried moving my foot back and forth on the same spot, without
moving forward. If Ichinose showed any response, I'd assume she was an
exceptionally light sleeper. They say many light sleepers are highly strung...
Creak, creak. I put my right foot forward, and then moved it back to its
original position.
God, I'm pathetic.
Why did I have to sneak around like this? I'd definitely be branded a
pervert if someone saw me right now. Realizing my actions were completely
stupid, I gave up trying to sneak a peek at her phone, and instead moved
away. I sat down on the other side of the room. From here, I couldn't glimpse
the hidden place beyond her thighs. I didn't think I'd accidentally wake her,
either.
Most importantly, it was still early. Why in the world is she here? I
wondered.
About twenty minutes before the discussion period was supposed to
begin, some cute-sounding music played throughout the room. It came from
Ichinose's phone.
"Mmm..." she mumbled.
Ichinose, eyes still closed, grabbed her phone. She unlocked the screen
and stopped the music, which apparently was her phone's alarm. Ichinose,
still looking rather sleepy, started to sit up. Almost immediately, she noticed
me.
I'd wondered if she would be disgusted by my presence, but she wasn't
concerned in the slightest.
203