The Human Named Ayanokoji Kiyotaka

"We'll be heading off now."

Kamuro gave a brief greeting before leaving with Sakayanagi, looking as if she had some urgent business to attend to.

"Do you have anything to do later, Makoto?"

Kei was already eager to start studying.

"We just finished eating, so let's wait a little while."

Makoto tapped Kei lightly on the head.

"Your blood is all concentrated around your stomach right now, so don't be in such a rush. Besides, I have something else to take care of."

As he spoke, Makoto turned his head toward Kushida.

The implication was obvious: why are you still hanging around?

Kushida's smile faltered. Was she really that annoying? Was he already trying to chase her away?

"How about I join you and help tutor Kei tonight?"

Honami noticed that Kushida's expression seemed a bit off, so she stepped in with an invitation.

"That would be great! Helping classmates has always been my wish!"

Kushida agreed decisively, giving herself a legitimate reason to stay.

Now it was Kei's turn to lose her composure. How was she supposed to get any time with Makoto like this?

She already had two people with excellent academic records teaching her, one of whom was even the top scorer on the entrance exam.

Of course, Kei didn't know that; she was just feeling pessimistic about her prospects for the evening.

"By the way, where is Ayanokoji's dorm room?"

Makoto asked Kushida. When it came to Class D matters, asking Kushida was never a mistake—she even knew about the other classes.

"401. Are you going to see him now?"

Kushida asked, though she wasn't particularly curious. She couldn't help but think that if all secrets were as easy to understand as this, life would be much simpler.

But then again, if they were that simple, they wouldn't be worth collecting.

"Yeah."

Makoto gave a short reply.

Looking toward the horizon, the sun had already set, leaving the sky filled with a red glow that bathed them in light.

"Feel free to use my room."

Leaving those words behind, Makoto walked toward the stairs.

401, right above 301. Surprisingly close.

He knocked on the door lightly, but it didn't open as he had expected.

Makoto frowned slightly and, refusing to give up, knocked again.

The door finally opened, and Ayanokoji stood behind it with an "as I thought" expression.

"Coming over this early, are you in such a hurry?"

He still wore that unmoved, deadpan face, staring straight at Makoto.

"Actually, I have things to do tonight, so it would be best if I could get this settled as soon as possible."

"I see... please, come in."

Ayanokoji stepped aside with an expressionless face, though it was impossible to tell if he believed Makoto's excuse.

Makoto chose to assume he did; after all, he was telling the absolute truth.

Ayanokoji closed the door after Makoto entered.

"Would you like something to drink? Though, I only have black tea."

"No thanks, I just finished eating. To be honest, I'm quite full."

Politely declining Ayanokoji's hospitality, Makoto got straight to the point.

"What do you want me to do?"

"That is a question you should be thinking about."

Ayanokoji threw the question back at Makoto, as he himself couldn't come up with any brilliant ideas.

As long as he was caught in the vortex of Class D, he couldn't stay out of it.

He was absolutely certain of that.

"Then let me tell you one thing first."

Makoto smiled. This was likely the information the other party wanted most right now.

"The homeroom teacher's authority isn't as great as you might imagine."

"Are you sure about that?"

Ayanokoji maintained his baseline level of suspicion.

"Homeroom teachers from other classes are different from Class D; they don't have such nasty hobbies," Makoto explained patiently. "I assume Chabashira-sensei threatened you with 'expulsion' to force you into action, right?"

Ayanokoji didn't speak, but Makoto saw his gaze flicker for a split second.

"I'll take that as a yes, but it's a complete lie. There's no such thing."

"I've seen your sincerity, but how do you intend to make me keep trusting you from here on out?"

Makoto's expression turned helpless:

"Then, do you want to sign a contract with me?"

"A contract?" Ayanokoji repeated the word, which felt both familiar and foreign. "Does this school even have such things?"

"Why else would the outside world say this school is so unique? So, how about it? Will you sign a contract with me?"

That said, Makoto didn't really want to sign anything of the sort.

Especially when the person in question was named Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

"Judging by your expression, it seems you don't really want to sign."

Ayanokoji noticed this and stated it bluntly, which surprised even himself.

Is he really the kind of person who would say that?

"Do you know who your father is?"

Faced with Ayanokoji's sharpness, Makoto asked this instead. Without waiting for an answer, he continued as if talking to himself:

"Ayanokoji Atsuomi. He has considerable influence in the political world. Do you really think he can't reach into this place?"

"Are you trying to say...?"

"So-called agreements are just toys for adults. What I want is something called trust. What do you think?"

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, do you even possess such a thing?

Makoto thought to himself.

Lacking emotions as he does, would he really choose this option, which is equivalent to a desperate gamble?

"Then let me ask you: do you think today's society is equal?"

Instead of the expected reply, Ayanokoji chose a third option beyond "accept" or "reject"—

A counter-question.

"When you asked that question, you must have already had the answer in your heart. Why bother asking me?"

Makoto laughed in spite of himself.

"Do you feel like you've experienced equality?"

"You really are... peculiar."

Ayanokoji's mouth twitched slightly, but he had already obtained one of the answers he wanted.

"Then, what do you think true ability is?"

"Are we not continuing with the topic of equality?"

"That doesn't matter. If you think about it for a second, you'll realize it's impossible."

Ayanokoji shoved his hands into his pockets, his expression relaxing for a rare moment.

"So, what is your answer?"

"I've never thought about that question." Makoto shook his head. "That is an answer you have to seek for yourself."

"Is that so?"

Although Ayanokoji was slightly disappointed, he didn't force Makoto to answer.

"If I had to say, it would be 'salvation'—saving those who are trapped in suffering."

It would be best if they were beautiful girls, too.

Makoto added silently in his heart.

"I see. I understand. Is this your own answer?"

Ayanokoji, lost in thought, looked up slightly at the man in front of him.

"The deal you mentioned earlier, I agree to it."

I felt something was off while writing, so I quickly pulled it back.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka enrolled in Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School to investigate what "equality" and "ability" truly are. At the same time, he wants to experience what "emotions" are—the very things he lacks.