The Person in the Game (1)

What do you mean "it's you"?

We've only met once, haven't we?

And I was even mistaken for a subordinate of Sakayanagi.

Oreki thought to himself.

"Do you need something?"

"Hmph... nothing."

Katsuragi hoisted his luggage with a look of dissatisfaction.

If he had chosen to get off the bus back then, just like Oreki and Sakayanagi, he wouldn't have wasted so much time.

I thought that woman was plotting something, but it turns out this guy noticed something was wrong ahead of time.

Katsuragi grew increasingly wary of Oreki.

Having someone like this in an enemy faction...

It certainly wasn't good news.

"It was the work of the Class D bus driver, wasn't it?"

"!"

Katsuragi was instantly startled.

He looked at Oreki with a hint of suspicion.

"How did you know?"

"I guessed."

"..."

Katsuragi didn't believe him for a second.

Either Oreki already had the information, or...

He had deduced it.

If it were the former, that would be manageable.

But if it were the latter.

"Then let me ask you."

"Hm?"

"Do you know the motive for the crime?"

"Jealousy, I suppose..."

"...That's right."

Katsuragi remembered it very clearly.

It was indeed another driver who was jealous of the man.

It seemed a certain noblewoman had taken a liking to that man's driving skills.

He had landed a job as a private chauffeur because of it.

And as it happened, today was his last day driving the bus.

But that was just the official story.

The truth...

It didn't matter.

Driving is driving, after all.

Having Sakayanagi is trouble enough, and now there's him.

Katsuragi felt a sudden sense of difficulty.

However, if he could win this guy over...

Wait?

It seemed he...

Hadn't actually confirmed that the other party was Sakayanagi's subordinate yet, had he?

"What do you think of Sakayanagi Arisu?"

Katsuragi stepped into the elevator and pressed the button.

"What do you mean, what do I think?"

Oreki said, lacking the energy to care.

"She intends to thoroughly weed out the unqualified students."

"That really is a disaster."

"You think so too, right? Overly radical ideas are ill-advised."

"And what about you?"

"Me? I just want everyone to be able to play to their strengths."

"In other words, not weeding anyone out."

"Reducing the number as little as possible..."

"That's nice."

Oreki nodded.

But in truth, he had left half the sentence unsaid.

That was...

A nice fantasy.

"Ding-dong--"

The elevator doors slid open in response.

Oreki walked out first.

He didn't say goodbye to Katsuragi and headed straight for his room.

But no sooner had he lain down...

--She's asking about you.

It was a message from Kei.

The content was a bit strange.

Oreki frowned.

His right hand quickly typed a reply.

--Kiyoko?

--Yeah. I don't know why, but she suddenly started asking me about you...

--Don't panic.

Oreki thought for a moment, then continued typing.

--As long as you don't act out of the ordinary, she won't find out about the relationship between us.

--Then... how should I answer her?

--No matter what she asks, just say you don't know.

--Just like that?

--Just like that.

The messages ended there.

Oreki sat up from the bed.

His intuition told him that a mistake must have occurred somewhere in the chain of events.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have caught Kiyoko's attention so quickly.

They say geniuses are drawn to one another.

But that requires a catalyst.

How could two people who hadn't even met suddenly become connected?

"Looks like tomorrow afternoon won't be too boring."

Oreki sighed.

He sent one last message to Kei.

--Get Kiyoko to join the tennis club.

It was time to set a trap and gauge the other party's strength.

Remaining passive forever wasn't an option.

Soon, Oreki closed his eyes and fell asleep.

When he woke up, it was already five in the afternoon.

Some of the students who had gone to clubs were returning to the dorms.

But most had gone to the recreational facilities.

They were probably still reveling in the "wonders" of this school.

After all...

Everyone received one hundred thousand yen every month.

Although the information was fake, realizing that wasn't simple.

"Ring—"

His phone suddenly vibrated.

Someone was calling.

Oreki opened it and saw it was Sakayanagi.

After a moment of hesitation.

He chose to answer.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Average."

"Then you should have time now, right?"

"...Yes."

"Come over and do something for me."

"What if I refuse?"

"Oh? You have time to be with a girl from Class D, but no time to help me?"

"...I suppose I couldn't hide it from you after all."

Oreki shook his head helplessly.

That was true.

How could such a simple plan possibly be hidden from Sakayanagi?

She had likely anticipated he would do this all along.

Dealing with a genius was always a hassle.

Everything had to be seamless.

Otherwise, there was a high chance of being played right in the palm of her hand.

Half an hour later.

Outside the department store.

"You really are slow."

Sakayanagi, who had been waiting on a bench, stood up.

She looked at Oreki with a smile.

"Take a guess, why am I here?"

Oreki really wanted to say he'd rather not guess.

But he decided against it.

"...Waiting for someone? No, to be precise... you're stalking someone."

"Correct."

Sakayanagi nodded in appreciation.

She was here for one reason and one reason only.

To recruit someone she had her eye on.

"Here they come."

Following Sakayanagi's gaze, Oreki saw a girl with a side ponytail.

Her eyes were quite sharp.

Cold, perhaps?

In any case, she didn't look like the type to be easily swayed.

About a few minutes passed.

The girl came back out of the department store.

Only now, her handbag looked a bit fuller.

"Let's go."

"..."

Oreki followed silently behind Sakayanagi.

The two soon arrived in front of the girl.

From a distance, Oreki hadn't recognized her.

But now...

--Kamuro Masumi?

Oreki seemed to understand something.

It appeared Sakayanagi had taken a liking to her.

"May I ask if you need something?"

Kamuro Masumi stared at Sakayanagi with a look of wariness.

Although this was her first time meeting Sakayanagi alone, it was far from the first time she had heard about her.

Unscrupulous, doing whatever she pleased.

It was as if everyone were merely a pawn in her game.

"Could you let me see your shoulder bag?"

"Why?"

"Because it seems to contain contraband."

"Ha... are you joking?"

Kamuro Masumi refused Sakayanagi's request.

She stepped back cautiously, searching for an opportunity to slip away.

"Give it up."

Sakayanagi stepped forward, leaning on her cane.

She said with confidence:

"No matter how you run, you won't be able to outrun him."

The "him" here undoubtedly referred to Oreki.

After all, there was no one else around.

Oreki sighed.

He felt that Sakayanagi knew everything.

If the other party weren't a girl, she would have been labeled a stalker long ago.

Sakayanagi's ability to gather intelligence was simply too formidable.

It was something Oreki could not compare to by a long shot.

"Hmph, don't think you can scare me like this."

"Scare? No..."

Sakayanagi walked up to Kamuro Masumi and pulled open her shoulder bag.

Inside, there was...

--To be continue