Kamio Tatsuya: Has My Identity as a Transmigrator Been Exposed?

"Is that so? I just wanted to see your face after you got stood up."

Besides, if it weren't for you, Ryuen wouldn't have set his sights on me. I don't think messing with you a little is unreasonable!

Hmph. I'm not just going to mess with you once—I'm going to do it again later!

Kamio Tatsuya strolled over to her and held out one of the yakisoba buns in his hand.

"Here. Have some lunch."

Looking at Kamio Tatsuya, Sakayanagi wanted to slap the bun right out of his hand. But when she thought about it, that would be far too unladylike, and the bun was innocent.

Besides, she'd wanted to try a yakisoba bun for ages. The Supermarket only ever stocked a few, and getting around was difficult for her, so she'd never managed to buy one.

As for asking Kamuro to get it for her... She had a feeling Kamuro would make fun of her.

"Are you planning to treat me to lunch right here?"

Even Sakayanagi was a little displeased now. This was a hallway, with people coming and going. He could at least have found somewhere to sit.

"Then how about the rooftop? The weather's nice today, and there are benches up there."

At that, Sakayanagi's irritation was somewhat soothed. She thought that, sometimes, he could be a little bit of a gentleman after all.

But that thought soon vanished without a trace.

"Then hurry up. I'll wait for you on the rooftop."

Watching Kamio Tatsuya's back disappear, Sakayanagi Arisu sank into deep self-doubt.

My looks... I'm pretty cute, right?

How can he do something so uncute to someone as cute as me?

What went wrong?

Chapter 68: Kamio Tatsuya: Has My Identity as a Transmigrator Been Exposed?

A few minutes later, Kamio Tatsuya and Sakayanagi Arisu sat at opposite ends of a bench on the Teaching Building's rooftop.

Sakayanagi's cane leaned at an angle against the bench. She held the yakisoba bun Kamio Tatsuya had bought her and took small bites.

It really did taste good. No wonder they sold out so quickly every time. It was just a little dry, though. It would be nice to have something to drink.

Just as she was thinking that, Kamio Tatsuya pulled out a carton of juice and slid it along the bench toward her. Her heart warmed. Well, maybe, possibly, I misjudged him?

But what brand was it?

Lime flavor. She'd never tried it. What if it tastes awful?

Sakayanagi Arisu glanced at Kamio Tatsuya and saw that he had the same kind of juice in his hand. She immediately relaxed.

So Sakayanagi thanked Kamio Tatsuya, took the straw off, stuck it into the carton, and took a big sip.

Sour!

The intense sourness made Sakayanagi Arisu's face scrunch up. The shock hit her so hard it left her dazed.

Then she heard a burst of laughter ringing in her ears.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!"

He'd tricked her again!

In her daze, two streams of tears ran down Sakayanagi Arisu's cheeks. She didn't know whether they came from humiliation or were simply a physical reaction to the sourness.

Seeing that, Kamio Tatsuya decided he might have gone a little too far.

So he took two tissues out of his pocket and offered them to her.

In his previous life, he'd been nearsighted, so he'd gotten into the habit of carrying tissues when he went out. They were useful for cleaning his glasses, wiping away sweat in summer, and handling emergencies.

He'd kept up the habit ever since. He hadn't expected it to come in handy now.

Seeing Kamio Tatsuya offer her the tissues, Sakayanagi Arisu refused to take them. She had a feeling they were another trap.

"Relax. I'm not messing with you this time."

If I believe you again, I'll be a dog!

Sakayanagi Arisu raised her head and glared at Kamio Tatsuya through tear-filled eyes. Then she took a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped her eyes.

"How long are you going to keep tormenting me?"

At that, Kamio Tatsuya just smiled faintly, not the least bit angry.

"You don't need to be so upset. I have my reasons for doing this."

"Fine, fine. Let's hear these reasons of yours."

"First of all, you came to me today because you wanted my help, right?"

"That's right."

"Then can I assume that you can't handle this on your own?" Kamio Tatsuya said with a smile. "Since you can't handle it, that means it's a troublesome matter.

"If it's troublesome for you, it'll definitely be the same for me. Otherwise, you would've told me first thing this morning when you got to school. Am I wrong?"

Sakayanagi Arisu said nothing, tacitly admitting he was right.

"But since you came to me, that means you think I'm likely to agree, at least in your own mind. You think there's room for negotiation."

By this point in the conversation, Sakayanagi Arisu was looking at Kamio Tatsuya with a complicated expression. He hadn't been wrong at all.

For Kamio Tatsuya, this was a task that was both easy and difficult.

"Since you want me to do something I might not have wanted to do, what's the harm in playing a little prank on you?

"If you're asking someone for a favor, you should act like it. If you can't even put up with this, you can go back now."

And I'll leave out the part about how you leaked my information to Ryuen.

Sakayanagi's body trembled at his words. Nonsense! It's all nonsense!

"I might be asking you to do something difficult, but I never said I wouldn't reward you. Don't you think it's a little much to play pranks on me like this?"

Kamio Tatsuya wagged his index finger from side to side.

"Don't get it wrong. There's nothing I can't do. There are only things I don't want to do.

"So if you're asking for my help, it must be something I don't want to do at first, but will end up doing anyway. You're forcing me to do something. Don't you think you're the one being unreasonable?"

There's nothing he can't do?

He really was arrogant.

"Then go build a perpetual motion machine."

What the hell? You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?

Do you even want me to help you or not?

Kamio Tatsuya gave her an annoyed look.

"I'll give you one more chance to rephrase that."

Sakayanagi took a deep breath. She felt like her heart condition was about to act up.

"Are you trying to trigger my heart condition?"

A heart condition?

Kamio Tatsuya looked at Sakayanagi Arisu in surprise.

"So you're not crippled—you have a heart condition?"

"If you can't speak properly, then shut up!"

And Kamio Tatsuya actually shut his mouth.

Damn it. If I don't want to get expelled, I can never be alone with this girl again. What if something happens? Who the hell would take responsibility? Damn!

This little devil could accuse me of anything and make it stick!

Who could afford to cross her?

Watching Kamio Tatsuya suddenly change his attitude, Sakayanagi Arisu found it hard to believe.

What's going on?

After taking a deep breath to calm herself, Sakayanagi Arisu finally remembered why she'd come today.

"Kamio-kun, who do you think is the most unusual student in Class D?"

The most unusual student?

Shit. She doesn't mean me, does she?

I mean, I'm a transmigrator!

Kamio Tatsuya pointed at himself uncertainly, which immediately made Sakayanagi laugh.

"I didn't expect you to be so full of yourself."

"Koenji's the one who's full of himself. I'm just confident. What the hell do you know?"

Once Sakayanagi seemed to have calmed down, she appeared to be getting used to the way Kamio Tatsuya spoke.

"Other than you, who do you think is the most unusual student in Class D?"

The most unusual student in Class D...

Kamio Tatsuya wasn't sure what to say. He thought there were quite a few unusual people in Class D.

Someone like Horikita, the Student Council President's younger sister, didn't even make the list.

Kushida Kikyo, a sweet angel on the outside but a two-faced person underneath...

Hirata Yosuke, usually gentle but surprisingly good at fighting...

Koenji Rokosuke, who seemed incredibly conceited but excelled at pretty much everything...

And Ayanokoji Kiyonaka, who clearly had considerable ability but kept making a clumsy effort to hide it...

"Don't tell me you've fallen for someone in Class D?"

"What if I have?"

"I'd advise you to give up. That sort of thing isn't for you."

"Oh? Why not?"

"With your build and your heart condition, you probably won't be able to have children."

Anyway, Kamio Tatsuya would never choose someone like Sakayanagi Arisu as his girlfriend. She couldn't do it, and she couldn't have children. It was a practical concern, wasn't it? But that was just how humans were.

Those words seemed to hit Sakayanagi Arisu where it hurt. She sat there for a long time without saying anything.

"I'm afraid this has nothing to do with romance."

"Is that so?" Kamio Tatsuya shrugged. "There are quite a few unusual people in Class D. I don't know what kind you're looking for. Why not just tell me?"

"Someone who... doesn't seem like a normal human being."

Someone who didn't seem like a normal human being...

That only left one person, didn't it?

"You mean... Ayanokoji Kiyonaka?"

Kamio Tatsuya asked uncertainly.

Sakayanagi glanced at Kamio Tatsuya and nodded, a smile appearing at the corner of her mouth. "You really are impressive."

So it was him. If the others' strange behavior still fell within the bounds of human behavior and could be explained, Ayanokoji was just too strange.

Trying too hard to blend in with ordinary people could make you stand out just as much.

And Chabashira-sensei had given him a hint, too.

Getting fifty points in every subject on the entrance exam—what kind of weirdo would do that? It's not like he was Saiki Kusuo!

No, Saiki Kusuo wouldn't do something that drew attention to himself either.

Besides, Kamio Tatsuya had always felt that guy was dangerous. If he could help it, Kamio Tatsuya didn't want to get involved with him.

So it really had been right to mess with Sakayanagi first and collect a little interest.

Kamio Tatsuya let out a rare sigh. "This really is a troublesome matter."