Birthday Present
Where will it be located?
At the beginning of the school year, Horikita Suzune took this very seriously.
Not only did he wholeheartedly accept the challenge of investigating the Pseudo-human and lose face as a result, but he also found his first and only 'friend' under someone's guidance.
With the same goal in mind, they embarked on an effort to find out each other's identities.
They explored the contents of the diary, writing down and summarizing the clues it provided.
While facing Special Exam, she also tried to understand the person behind the diary.
It feels good to have a goal.
But exactly when did it begin?
Perhaps it was because of a clear awareness of one's own powerlessness, or perhaps it was because the long period without success had made the brain rigid.
They mechanically completed the brief analysis of the diary entries, writing and recording them as if they were completing a Chinese reading course, without developing any further thought, taking their inability to think of, their lack of understanding, and their ignorance for granted.
And so, the question, 'Who is he?' quietly fell silent.
She didn't ask any more questions.
She didn't think about it anymore.
And Kushida Kikyo... seems uninterested.
Is she really not interested?
Horikita Suzune didn't intend to delve into this issue.
But today, she revisited that very question from the very beginning.
Who is he?
There is clearly only one answer that can be obtained.
The one who is least secretive about himself.
His name is Asakusa Toru.
The Voice Recorder he wrote about, the gym graduate he wrote about, the person he wrote about...
One's own agent.
'I act on my own behalf.'
It was a simple and brutal method, without any attempt at concealment, yet it completely deceived the user.
After connecting the two figures, Horikita Suzune suddenly realized that everything was so obvious.
He didn't hide it.
But I only realized this now.
They, Ichinose Honami and Sakayanagi Arisu, already knew the answer.
Gap.
Then.
... Back to the main topic.
Now that they know the opponent is Asakusa Toru, and now that they know Sakayanagi Arisu conceded defeat.
The possibilities that can be expanded upon from this are simply endless.
The outcome is decided, but when and why?
But, more than any of these, Horikita Suzune discovered that what she cared about most was...
That's the name.
Asakusa Toru, Asakusa Toru.
The sweet popsicle I ate back then still seems to linger in my memory for a moment.
Those words, spoken without the slightest hesitation, those words that left her stunned for a long time as she pieced together her brother's... profanities from the Voice Recorder.
Fragments of memory are merging together as the two images intertwine.
Then, emotions that I hadn't even considered came to mind.
It began to sprout and germinate.
With a crisp beep, the call connected smoothly. Skipping over unimportant pleasantries and greetings, the girl spoke softly.
He's been suspended.
"Yes, he's suspended."
The father spoke in a very calm voice about facts that should have been unacceptable to him, and hearing his father's tone Sakayanagi Arisu felt a sense of unease.
"...I already said there's no need to do that." She pursed her lips and said.
On the other end of the phone, Sakayanagi Narimori's voice paused for a moment, then a sound that seemed to be laughing quickly came through:
"It wasn't for you."
"That Special Exam was part of the school's planned schedule; the exam rules were all meticulously calculated."
"What we didn't anticipate was simply the students' immense control over the entire grade level."
Sakayanagi Narimori's voice was as relaxed as he said, without much heaviness on the surface or in his heart.
"Manipulating the exam and allowing students to cheat on their scores are just excuses," said Sakayanagi Narimori. "Any reason is fine to get me suspended and investigated; it just so happens that this Special Exam happened."
Don't worry too much, I'll be back soon.
"Compared to this," he said.
Have you found the self you've been searching for?
Only at this moment did Sakayanagi Narimori's words carry a hint of caution.
As he said, the suspension for investigation was a very insignificant matter. Given the power of the Sakayanagi Family and their control over Advanced Nurturing, the only thing others could influence was a temporary suspension for investigation.
Let alone more, even multiple suspensions or even one more time wouldn't be possible.
The position of chairman, which has been passed down through multiple generations, is not so easily shaken.
So, he cared more about his daughter's situation than that.
After a moment of silence, Sakayanagi Arisu smiled and said, "Ah, of course."
"It's not something that's hard to find."
Anyone can be found if you put aside your pride.
If only I could really let go.
"Now that Dad is alright, I'm relieved," she said.
Sakayanagi Arisu was about to end the call.
"Goodbye."
Then.
With a light touch of her thumb, the girl pressed the end-of-call button and whispered into the now-closed call:
"Sorry."
Apologize.
Chapter 288 Birthday Gift
The Mixed Training Camp ended, and after returning from the Forest School, Asakusa Toru returned to his peaceful daily life.
My daily routine consists of dating, indulging in sex, and writing in my diary.
Especially... regular.
The entries in my diary these days have been quite boring. They're boring on ordinary days, Special Exam.
Even with such uninteresting diary entries, a number of decent props were produced.
First and foremost, it is the most targeted approach.
[Name: Arisu Sakayanagi's Heart Medicine]
[Category: Items]
[Effect: Cures 'Sakayanagi Arisu's' congenital heart disease]
[Note: "It may not be what you want, but it's definitely what you need."]
A very ordinary cardboard box, a very ordinary plastic blister pack, and a single pill.
Pure white, without words, without a trace.
There's nothing particularly special about it, so it's not suitable for grinding into powder for reverse engineering.
As can be seen from the name and effect of the item, this medicine has a very specific target.
Naturally, this medicine can only be used by Sakayanagi Arisu.
What's intriguing, however, is that if other patients with congenital heart disease decide to change their names to 'Sakayanagi Arisu', will the pill still be effective?
Asakusa Toru didn't know.
He didn't intend to try it.
This medicine could only Sakayanagi Arisu.
However, whether she will obediently take it depends on when and how it is given to her.
These are all problems.
"Just feed her directly."
Hugging him from behind, pressing her soft flesh against his back, Ichinose Honami whispered in his ear:
"Or... does Tetsu feel the need for a bit of ritual?"
It's hard to feel completely at ease without going through some heart-to-heart event as is customary, and one feels insecure without a ceremony to formalize a contract.
If it were just this simple matter, there wouldn't be any issues of peace of mind or security.
Sakayanagi Arisu won't run away.
This is Advanced Nurturing, the most deeply entrenched power center of the Sakayanagi Family.
Even if she recovers her health, there is no need for her to run away.
Besides, she can't escape.
"Perhaps," Asakusa Toru noncommittally.
Sometimes, what people need is precisely this sense of ritual, even if it has no real meaning.
Sakayanagi Arisu yielded quickly, and surrendered even faster.
He had assumed she would just coast through until the final Special Exam, like she was enjoying an idle game, but to his surprise, she participated in the Mixed Training Camp —which she could have avoided—with remarkable decisiveness, arrived at the Forest School, found Ichinose Honami, and surrendered.
Instead...
This made him feel a little uneasy.
But.
Isn't that good too?
Putting his thoughts aside, Asakusa Toru continued to examine several miscellaneous items.
Unlike medicine, these are things that might have been useful in the first place, but obviously won't be used after this.
A simple, unadorned metal ring.
[Name: Pain Ring]
[Category: Items]
[Effect: Reduces your attack damage, amplifies the pain felt by the target]