Heart

"There should be very few people in this school who can see through your tricks—I might even go so far as to say none exist. I consider myself confident in my own abilities—"

"Yet facing you, Seishiki Otonashi, I've lost completely."

Senior Kiryuin called me by my name for the first time, Seishiki thought to himself.

Looking closely, Senior Kiryuin was also a standard beauty type. It was just that her eye shape was too sharp, making her look somewhat fierce. As for her figure, the sharp-eyed Seishiki judged it to be on par with Tamiya's; purely in terms of build, she was his type.

Seishiki suddenly fell into doubt and contemplation—how did she unleash power that defied conservation, disproportionate to her muscle mass?

"Then let me watch over you. I hope the victory you speak of is not a lie."

"The junior who beat me cannot lose to anyone else. That's the condition—"

Fuka Kiryuin looked at Seishiki with an appreciative smile, genuinely acknowledging his ability from the bottom of her heart.

Seishiki reverted to his usual soft, timid demeanor.

"Ehehe~, then Senior, please fill out this club application form. Once it's approved, you're all set."

After signing her name, Fuka Kiryuin left the [Board Game Club] activity room with a brisk stride.

"Then I'll look forward to your performance, junior."

"Phew~"

Seishiki let out a breath, slowly calming and controlling his breathing. Without any physical protection, his heart was completely unsettled.

Throughout the entire [Gambling Game], Seishiki's biggest fear was the other side resorting to [violence].

Inside the pocket of his coat, Seishiki carried a bottle of [Concentrated Chili Spray] he had made with Kaneda Satoru.

Kaneda had used points to bribe the chemistry teacher, and the two chose a Sunday afternoon to spend in the chemistry lab, using equipment to concentrate and extract [capsaicin] from [chili peppers].

The purification progress of [Concentrated Chili Liquid] was slow; an entire afternoon couldn't even fill a test tube. So the two were forced to resort to the ancient method of heat concentration to make Chili Water.

They poured pepper powder, mustard powder, ground chili, and essential balm into a beaker, added a certain amount of ethanol. After heating to dissolve and boil, they waited a moment, then poured it through filter paper to remove impurities—a simple, quick procedure to produce [Chili Water].

(Dangerous behavior, do not imitate. The above knowledge comes from chemistry textbooks. Please conduct experiments under parental supervision!)

After injecting the Chili Water into a spray can, Seishiki used some clever little tricks to pressurize the can.

(Not convenient to explain, hehe. Everyone be good kids. Or go look up that toxic radio wave book for answers.)

The [Spray Can] could spray about five meters downwind; after three seconds, the range would start to decay, limited by the can's pressure tolerance. Still, it should be more than enough to handle two or three people.

Too bad the chemistry teacher absolutely refused to sell the wonderful [little stock] stored in the [chemistry lab], no matter how many points they offered.

Otherwise, the two of them could have skyrocketed to a terrifying level of combat power. What a shame, what a shame. When will the action faction stand up! Shivering in anger and cold.

(A certain rabbit, Sakayanagi Usagi: The purity is still too low.)

If Fuka Kiryuin really used violence... Seishiki would have no choice but to use this method for self-protection. The ultra-small [Concentrated Chili Spray] might exceed the skin's tolerance; spraying it in someone's eyes could even risk blinding them.

Seishiki didn't need a [powerful spray can], but he needed a compact, easy-to-carry hidden weapon, so he chose this.

A one-use life-saving trump card—as long as it sprayed into the opponent's eyes, it was a complete victory. But if the opponent caught on to his intention, it was all over...

Moreover, the Board Game Club's activity room did have surveillance. Kaneda Satoru had actually been watching the entire gamble remotely. If violence broke out, he would need to bring people to intervene.

After all, a [Cheat Gambler] had to play both sides of the table—above and below. What if the opponent caught you cheating? What if the opponent flipped the table? How would you respond?

"Otonashi-kun, that really was a brilliant performance. Even I, your senior, didn't know humans had the ability to echolocate."

"It's nothing, really."

Seishiki scratched his cheek, blushing as he looked at Senior Asahina.

Asahina Nazuna couldn't perceive the shift in Seishiki's aura. She didn't have the sharp observational skills of Fuka Kiryuin. So her impression of Seishiki was something like "a clever, adaptable, and cute junior."

"Otonashi-kun, can you teach me that skill of using tongue clicks for [echolocation]!?"

"Well... I actually just learned it by watching tutorials online somehow... hahaha."

Seishiki scratched his head, showing a pure, innocent smile like a white lotus.

"The internet... the internet really is amazing."

Asahina Nazuna didn't press Seishiki, murmuring to herself. Then she picked up her shoulder bag and waved at Seishiki.

"Otonashi-kun, if anything comes up, don't hesitate to bother your senior, okay?"

"Sure~"

Seishiki waved back, bidding farewell to Senior Asahina.

The empty activity room now held only Seishiki. He looked up at the camera.

His hollow purple pupils, across a distance and a screen, transmitted the message of [successful completion] to Kaneda Satoru.

Whether by luck or misfortune, the plan Seishiki had envisioned was smoothly moving forward.

"Next up is the marketing strategy."

Nagumo Miyabi would use the second-years to spread the word, promoting the [Gambling House] to the first-years.

"Let's see how the points are distributed next month."

Seishiki sincerely hoped the other classes wouldn't have too many points.

(In the dormitory bathroom)

Gazing at himself in the mirror—

Purple strands plastered against his scalp, water droplets sliding down a face as soft and warm as spilled milk.

Since when had he stopped growing? That surgery?

Insufficient blood supply to the heart had stunted his height, and across the center of his chest ran a shocking, horrifying suture scar.

Had he gotten used to it? That aging heart?

The brain's own question and answer.

A young heart in an old body, an old heart in a youthful self.

Did he regret it?

Sinking into self-denial.

Did someone like him truly have a reason to exist?

Gently stroking the wound of the figure in the mirror, the only reply was the cold glass surface.

If he hadn't done this, he couldn't have stood here.

That suppressed resentment—

Star Color's smile, twisted, hideous, evil—

Uniquely belonging to [Nothingness]—

The [Nihilism] that devours all—

The reflection in the mirror blurred, taking on an inhuman form—

That high-dimensional figure lurking in the depths of the mind—

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[??????Y????e?????a????n????d?????C????o????l????o????r?????N????a????m????e???????]???????—

(Feeling a bit like writing some poisonous brainwaves)