"Secretary Tachibana, there's no need to say anything if it isn't necessary."
"Yes..." Student Council President Horikita cut Secretary Tachibana off. She looked as though she was secretly hurt, but she couldn't hide the astonishment in her eyes.
"You're giving me far too much credit. I only recently enrolled at this school and learned a little about its rules. I'm already so busy with ordinary matters that I can barely keep up, and I don't have the time. Besides, I've never taken part in anything like this before, so I don't have the experience to handle the work."
"This one turned me down, too! What's wrong with people these days..."
"I see. What a shame. Ichinose, who's in the same class as you, has similar ideas. Do you have no thoughts of your own on the matter?" Unlike Secretary Tachibana, who looked incredulous, Student Council President Horikita seemed unconcerned.
"No matter how I look at it, this sort of thing doesn't suit me. Ichinose would be much better suited to the position."
"Doesn't that bother you?"
"What do you mean? Why would something like that bother me? Isn't Ichinose joining the Student Council something the whole class should be happy about?"
"Is that your opinion? How interesting."
"I don't see what there is to find amusing..."
After getting his answer, Student Council President Horikita left with Secretary Tachibana without looking back.
I watched them walk away. The fiery sunset scorched my pupils, revealing their original charred blackness, and I remembered my greedy fantasies about hell from before the conversation began.
How ridiculous my earlier thoughts had been.
A peaceful yet never boring school life. Even now, I couldn't help laughing from the bottom of my heart at the very existence of that phrase.
Tired of a life spent collecting, analyzing, designing, and evaluating?
Hahaha—
When had I ever stopped doing those things? Wasn't I still doing them even now?
From the very beginning, there was no way the greed of hell could exist within me. I knew I would never stop thinking.
As for pursuing desire, ever since that day, all I had left was a goal.
So I knew I had no flaws. All that remained was the fear people felt toward me.
A Disaster One Step Too Late
"I ran into Student Council President Horikita downstairs. Is the hearing over?"
I wanted to drop my shoulder bag with a sigh of relief, but the fragile items inside wouldn't let me. I could only swallow my frustration and carefully set down the heavy load.
"Mm, Raku, you finished dealing with everything so quickly? I was thinking of going over to help."
"There was a lot, but thankfully it was all on the same floor, and taking it apart was easier than setting it up. It didn't take too long... So, how did the hearing go?"
"There were a few twists and turns, but I suppose it ended perfectly. The people in Class C withdrew their complaint."
"They withdrew it? But didn't you say the plan had failed? If it failed, shouldn't the matter have been settled through debate, no matter what?"
"I know it might be a little hard to believe, but that's what happened."
"...If Ichinose says so, then I suppose that's what happened. But you don't look like you've won. Did you end up paying some sort of price after all?"
I took a careful look at everyone's expressions.
Every single one of them, including the aloof gentleman Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, looked grim.
"No. Class C is responsible for all the compensation after the complaint was withdrawn, so we didn't lose anything... Well, that's not quite right. We did seem to lose something..."
Now you see it, now you don't. What kind of cryptic nonsense was that?
While I was still trying to make sense of Ichinose's inexplicable words, Ayanokoji suddenly asked me a question.
"Did Ichinose ask Raku to come help?"
"Yeah. I was almost at the dormitory—only about fifty meters away—when Ichinose suddenly called and said something had gone wrong with the plan."
"Haha, sorry. I was in a bit of a panic at the time."
"I didn't mind." I shook my head. "But what was unfair was that I was called over just to collect the equipment. If I'd known it was going to be such a pain in the neck, I wouldn't have come."
I gave Kanzaki a reproachful look, but he turned his head away as if he didn't care. In the end, Ichinose was the one who apologized.
"I've packed all the surveillance cameras and circuit boards into this bag."
After that little interruption, I handed over the items Class D had borrowed using our points. At Horikita's gesture, Ayanokoji reached out to take them. But the moment he grabbed the straps, he froze, then let go and put the bag back in my hands. I stumbled from the sudden weight, and Ayanokoji casually said something before hurrying out.
"Wait, is something wrong?" Ichinose called after him, startled by how quickly he'd bolted, but he didn't answer. She hurried after him.
"...I remember Ichinose saying she wasn't very athletic."
"Mm. Is there a problem?"
"Doesn't she seem pretty fast right now?"
"Are you seriously jealous of that kind of speed?"
"No, no, I'm not. I'm just stating the facts." I put on a serious expression to hide my surprise, then quickly changed the subject. "Horikita, can I ask if you had something else planned for Ayanokoji?"
"...He just forgot to take his medicine."
That excuse was so obviously fake it was almost insulting.
"I see. Can I hand these over to you, then?" I tentatively held the bag out to the formidable girl, and she took it without hesitation.
"We'll gradually pay back the points we owe Class B. If you're worried, I can sign a written agreement with you."
"No need to go to all that trouble. Just pay us back before graduation." Kanzaki waved a hand, answering on our behalf without discussing it with Ichinose first. But even if she'd been there, she probably would have said the same thing.
"You trust Class D that much?"
"At the very least, we don't think you'll break your promise. Besides, aren't we working together?"
"Working together..." Horikita thought about the phrase for a moment, then shook her head indifferently. "Anyway, thanks for your help. As for that recording, I hope you won't go around telling people about it."
"I'll talk to Ichinose about it."
"I understand. This matter is settled. I still have other things to take care of, so I'll be going."
"Mm." Kanzaki nodded in farewell. I was about to do the same, but she instinctively ignored my presence.
I really was insignificant, wasn't I?
"What was the real reason Class C withdrew their complaint? And what did you mean by that recording?" As soon as Horikita was gone, I asked Kanzaki about the things in their conversation that had puzzled me.
I met his deliberately serious gaze.
What a creepy look.
"I can answer your questions, but first, open your student account on your phone."
"My student account? You mean 'Student Data.' What does my account have to do with this incident?" I frowned at his request.
"What if I said I just wanted to compare our data?"
"Are you a demon?! You're already trying to make yourself feel superior to me."
"I'm joking... Though I don't think it's possible, I still want to check."
"...You need my student account?"
I could tell Kanzaki wasn't joking this time. I took out my phone, logged into my account, and handed it to him. He quickly tapped through a series of screens. After checking something, he looked like his suspicions had been confirmed.
"Am I imagining it, or are you insulting me in your head right now?"
"You're imagining it. I just confirmed what I suspected."
"What did you suspect?"
"You'll understand once I've explained the whole thing. Still, you barely use your points. Your account gets three hundred thousand points every month. Don't you want anything?"
"I'm already satisfied if I have enough to get by. As for entertainment, Okamoto has all that stuff, so I don't need to buy any."
"..."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Let's go."
"Wait, you still haven't told me what happened. You're not planning to keep me in suspense, are you?"
"Is something wrong with my head? Keep you in suspense? It's obviously too hot to talk here. Let's go to the school cafeteria. We can talk on the way."
With that, Kanzaki handed my phone back. I took it, reassured, and followed him.
(Ayanokoji Kiyotaka)
"What happened, Ayanokoji?"
I hadn't expected Ichinose to catch up with me, even though she was two or three seconds behind.
"Sorry, I'm in a hurry. It might already be too late."
"Do you need my help?"
"Maybe, if you can keep up."
"No problem. I'm confident in my speed and stamina."
I didn't explain further. The unexpected turn in the hearing plan had already cost me too much time. At the same time, I took out my phone and used the browser's location service to find Sakura.
The coordinates had stopped moving, just as I'd expected.
Once I'd confirmed her location, I rushed out of the Special Building without hesitation.
After school today, Sakura had seemed to have something important to tell me. She'd also said she was going to do something very important.
But I hadn't seen the look of someone who'd truly steeled herself.
The choice she was making now might have been a terrible one.
I raced around the final corner and abruptly stopped when I saw what was there.
"Ayanokoji?" Ichinose, right behind me, asked in confusion when I stopped.
I steadied my ragged breathing and calmly looked at the vehicles surrounding us.
"It looks like we're already too late... Or, more accurately, there's no need to go any farther."
"What are you talking about?"
Was it a coincidence, or had that person planned this too?
If that person had planned it, then there was a good chance the target was among the students in Class D.
"P-patrol cars?!"
I led Ichinose past the patrol cars and slowly made my way toward the back of the loading entrance to the electronics megastore.
Sakura was sitting on the ground, crying, while a security guard crouched beside her, trying to comfort her. Two other guards had pinned a middle-aged man against a concrete wall.
"I didn't do anything strange to her! I was just teaching her photography! L-let me go!"
"What on earth is going on..."
No matter How Things Went, I'd Gotten Used to It
The doorbell gave a faint, intermittent chime.
It wasn't the first time I'd heard that sound, but I still hadn't gotten used to it. I still wasn't familiar with its presence.
That wasn't true. I just didn't feel like answering it right now.
After a shower, who could resist the comfort of sinking into a soft sofa?
I checked the time on the wall clock.
It had started.
Shiratori and the others' private get-together had already begun, but I'd turned down Okabe's invitation to a gaming party, so there was no way it could be them. As for Kanzaki, he'd never come over uninvited...
It could only be Ichinose.
Was this what it felt like when a landlord showed up to demand the rent? It was surprisingly irritating.
After a fierce internal struggle, I dragged my lazy body to the door. I casually turned the handle, and Ichinose's familiar figure appeared before me.
"I've already had dinner—with Kanzaki."
Before you continue