The aftermath of the Student Council hearing had yet to fully die down. Daily life at Advanced Nurturing High School seemed to be returning to normal, but the first-years still felt that taut thread inside them, never quite able to relax. Class D had barely escaped the Sudo Incident, and though the class atmosphere had eased somewhat, unstable elements still lingered. Class C had suffered a crushing loss of face after the ruling went against them. Ryuen Kakeru appeared to swallow his anger, but the gloom in his eyes grew heavier by the day. Class A continued to watch from its lofty position with cool detachment, and Sakayanagi Arisu's gaze always seemed to drift, almost imperceptibly, toward Class B.
Yoshikage Kira's life remained as precise as clockwork. He attended class, recorded the key points, and followed a set route between the cafeteria and his dorm. He took no part in idle chatter, joined no cliques, and offered no opinion on the turmoil in any class. He kept his presence to a minimum, as if the earlier fight, hearing, and ruling had been nothing more than an insignificant gust of wind.
Only he knew that a faint trace of irritation had taken root inside him.
It wasn't sympathy for Class D, concern for Sudo, or hostility toward Ryuen Kakeru.
It was simply that the endless conflicts, plots, false accusations, and commotions were all needless chaos.
They disrupted the campus's natural rhythm, made unnecessary noise, stirred up agitation, and drew unwanted attention.
For Kira, who wanted nothing more than to live a quiet life, that was the most direct source of trouble.
The final exams ended without a hitch, and summer break arrived as scheduled. The campus was no longer filled with a packed timetable, and many facilities had switched to temporary summer hours. At last, the air carried a lighter feel. The first-years, who had been under strain all semester, finally had a chance to breathe.
Kira's routine remained unchanged: early to bed, early to rise, the same routes, and an appreciation for peace. Then, one afternoon, a call through the school's internal network disrupted his plans.
The caller was Honami Ichinose.
"Sorry to bother you, Kira. The school pool is open for the summer, and there aren't many people around. It's really quiet. Would you like to come over and clear your head? Staying in your dorm all the time can get pretty stifling."
Her invitation was gentle and considerate, with no overbearing enthusiasm or hint of pressure. It fell precisely within the distance Kira could accept.
Kira was silent for a moment.
The pool was spacious, quiet, and sparsely attended, meeting his requirements for a "peaceful place." And Honami Ichinose was sensible; she wouldn't cause unnecessary trouble. Accepting the invitation wouldn't go against his principles, and it would spare him the hassle of repeated invitations later.
"Understood. I'll come over now."
He gave a brief reply, ended the call, changed into his swimwear, and headed to the pool at his usual pace. To him, it was no more than a minor adjustment to his daily schedule.
The pool area was quieter than he had expected.
Sunlight fell across the water, its ripples gentle, with almost no noise. Honami Ichinose was already waiting near the entrance. When she saw Kira, she immediately smiled in relief.
"Kira, over here. There really aren't many people today. We should be able to relax in peace."
Kira gave a slight nod and habitually swept his gaze across the area, checking for signs of danger, commotion, or anything else that might cause trouble.
His steps paused almost imperceptibly as his eyes passed over a corner of the pool.
Several furtive figures were hiding behind a storage rack, craning their necks toward the women's changing room. They looked uneasy, their eyes darting about, and they spoke in deliberately hushed voices. Their body language clearly betrayed a hidden agenda.
They were Kanji Ike, Haruki Yamauchi, and the others from Class D.
Kira recognized them at a glance.
Irritation rose in him again without warning.
Voyeurism.
And they were planning to use a remote-controlled car to film the women's changing room.
Summer, quiet, the pool, a chance to relax... Every condition that could have taken him away from the noise was about to be ruined by these people's base behavior.
[Unnecessary invasion of privacy.
Pointless trouble.
Peace disrupted.]
Kira's expression didn't change, but he had already reached a decision.
He would never allow such a filthy plan to succeed right in front of him.
Honami Ichinose noticed where his gaze had lingered and asked softly, puzzled, "Kira, what's wrong? Is something going on over there?"
Kira looked away. His voice was calm and devoid of emotion as he stated the facts:
"Those people from Class D are acting strangely. Their target is probably the women's changing room. I think I saw a camera."
Honami Ichinose's face went pale, and her pupils narrowed slightly.
"V-voyeurism? How could they... in a place like this?"
"They've hidden something," Kira continued calmly. "It won't be an ordinary camera. It's small and remotely controlled. The ventilation duct is the likeliest place."
He needed no evidence or probing. He had reached the most reasonable conclusion from their behavior alone.
Though startled, Honami Ichinose remained composed. She knew Kira never made claims without being sure, and he had no reason to accuse anyone without cause.
"I... I'll go check the changing room right now!"
Kira nodded slightly. "Don't alert anyone. Don't confront them. Once you're inside, pretend you're straightening your clothes. Check the vents for a mobile camera. Don't make it look like you're searching."
He paused, then added a remark in keeping with his usual stance:
"I won't go near the changing room. You should handle it. That'll look more natural, and it's safer."
"Understood!" Honami Ichinose took a deep breath to steady herself, then nodded firmly.
She turned and strode toward the women's changing room, her steps resolute and without hesitation.
Kira remained where he was, his gaze resting on the water in the distance, as if he were simply enjoying the peacefulness of summer.
From beginning to end, he didn't approach the Class D students, meet their eyes, or show the slightest hint of wariness or anger.
It was as though he knew nothing about the sleazy business about to unfold.
At the same time, in the shadows on the other side of the pool,
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji stood quietly. He seemed to be watching casually, but in truth, he had already figured out the entirety of Kanji Ike and the others' plan.
He hadn't stopped them or exposed them. Instead, he had accepted their invitation and pretended to join the plan, letting them lower their guard.
While Kanji Ike and the others were busy testing the remote-controlled car and checking its route, Ayanokoji had quietly put his own arrangements in place.
He contacted Suzune Horikita.
And gave her the information he had confirmed:
"Someone is planning to film the women's changing room. They're preparing to send in a remote-controlled camera car."
Suzune Horikita immediately grasped how serious the situation was. She asked no questions and set off at once.
Ayanokoji's goal was clear.
Using Horikita to stop the voyeurism, protect the girls in the class, and gain complete control over the unstable elements within Class D.
He stayed behind the scenes, setting everything in motion without leaving a trace.
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