I SLIPPED INTO MY casual clothes, which I hadn't worn in a while, and began to pour hot water into a cup. As I did so, I noticed light streaming in from the window and decided to open the curtain.
"It's piled up quite a bit..."
The rain that had been falling until dark had turned into snow and continued to fall throughout the night.
At the moment, the snowfall was sporadic and appeared to cease by the afternoon, but a snowstorm was forecasted to start this evening and continue onward.
The TV reported that the snowy days would persist for a while.
"No wonder it's gotten colder."
It was the season when hot coffee tasted the best—truly the real deal.
Standing in the kitchen, I held a cup of freshly brewed coffee in my right hand.
In my other hand, I held my cell phone, its screen displaying items and prices.
Until recently, I was unaware that Keyaki Mall had been running web advertisements for those living in ANHS. Today marked the end of the Christmas sales rush, and they were holding a major sale to commemorate the occasion.
I unexpectedly discovered this information last night.
The class group chat was abuzz with excitement as everyone shared their plans and experiences, and that's when I stumbled upon it.
The first ones to divert the topic in the group chat were Ike and Shinohara.
Even though they were both in the group chat, neither of them had read any messages since the chat started at around 9 p.m., and the conversation among the classmates was incredibly lively.
Was it a coincidence, or were they together?
Naturally, most people assumed the latter.
Some even tried calling them, half envious and half teasing, but since their phones were switched off, none of the calls connected.
However, no one believed that the switched-off phones were merely a coincidence, and the chat log continued to progress.
The chat continued to buzz with activity as the topics shifted, and I was amazed that the conversation never dwindled for hours on end.
Among the various subjects, what caught my attention was the big sale."Wow... even home appliances are this affordable?"
Being careful not to burn myself, I slowly sipped my coffee while scrolling through the screen with my finger.
From popular items for boys, like game consoles and games, to daily necessities like hair dryers and electric toothbrushes, as well as an extensive selection of kitchen gadgets, like mixers and slicers, were present.
Lately, I had been cooking more frequently, and several items piqued my interest.
For some reason, I found myself drawn to a yogurt maker, which was also listed as a limited-stock special offer in the online advertisement.
This felt like a sign that it was time to buy it. While it was best to minimize use of private points, I could justify the expense by using the yogurt maker in the future.
However, I wondered how many times I would eat yogurt during the remainder of my school life and whether it would be more cost-effective to simply buy it—no, that was a pointless thought.
I just wanted this yogurt maker.
And I wanted to try using it.
That was probably all there was to it.
If I only considered the cost-performance ratio, it was obvious that I wouldn't buy it. The more I thought about it, the less likely I was to purchase the yogurt maker.
So I stopped thinking about it.
They were offering it at a special discount, so I would buy it. That was all.
The only remaining factor to consider was the "limited stock" aspect.
Since Keyaki Mall's primary target audience was students, it was unlikely that they would have a large inventory.
There was a good chance that they only had a few units in stock.
Besides, this big sale was rumored to be popular among the students.
While I hadn't paid much attention to it the previous year, apparently, it had gained popularity and sold out without me realizing it (according to the class group chat).
"Shall I go and check it out...?"
Honestly, I had no experience with this kind of sale, so I didn't know how it worked.
Should I participate, or just observe?
As I pondered this, a message popped up on my phone.
[Good morning. Is it okay if I call you later? Will it bother you?]
It was from Ichinose, who I'd been with at the gym yesterday. Was she being cautious, considering the possibility that Kei might be around if she was feeling better?
No, that wasn't it. Ichinose already knew about the flu. She wouldn't assume it had been cured in just a day.
It was probably just a formality.
I decided to call her directly, implying that it was fine.
"Good morning. Are you free right now?"
"Yeah. What's up?"
"Um, do you have any plans for today, Ayanokōji-kun?"
"Plans? No, I haven't scheduled anything special."
"As I thought, Karuizawa-san hasn't recovered yet, right?"
"It's the flu, so it'll probably take a while longer."
"I see... I'd like to visit her, but the school issued a cautionary notice, didn't it?"
"It seems so. They advised against unnecessary contact."
The school sent emails to students and school staff advising them not to visit patients, or go out unnecessarily while the flu was rampant.
"I'm keeping an eye on the situation, just in case."
"Oh, that's good to know."
She seemed relieved, not just on the surface, but genuinely from the bottom of her heart.
"By the way, are you planning to go to Keyaki Mall today?"
"Well... I was thinking of going out later, but if there's something you want to talk about, we can set a time and meet at Keyaki Mall?"
"No, that's not necessary. It might sound like a lame excuse, but I wasn't asking if you had a date or appointment. I just wanted to know if you're going to
Keyaki Mall today."
"Should I just answer that I'll probably go then?"
"Yes, that's enough. Thank you."
After that, Ichinose added one more thing.
"If you ever need help, just let me know. I want to support you and
Karuizawa-san."
The phone call ended soon, and I never found out what Ichinose wanted.
Anyways, I checked the time and made up my mind."Alright..."
The time was 9:45 AM.
It was the perfect time to leave the dormitory, as it matched the time that Keyaki Mall opened.
Considering Ichinose's words, I decided to take a bold step and make a surprise visit.
I'll go straight to the mall, targeting the electronics retail store.
Then, I'll grab a yogurt maker, not looking at anything else. It will only make me a victim of the store's consumer strategy if I end up buying more than I require.
I left the empty coffee cup on the sink and headed for the door. It was time for "Mission Start."
1
The same day, at 9:55 AM, I arrived at Keyaki Mall.
At the entrance closest to the dormitory, it seemed that seven students were already waiting for the store to open. There were five girls and two boys in the group. Among the girls, there was one group of three, and one group of two, neither of which seemed to be focusing on the upcoming battle while engrossed in their conversations.
On the other hand, the boys were of different years. A first-year and a thirdyear student; neither seemed to be expecting someone to approach as they fiddled with their mobile phones. Apparently, they were acting independently.
While it was possible that they would head to the electronics store, it was hard to believe that they were aiming to purchase a yogurt maker.
The first-year boy was slightly overweight and wore glasses, holding his mobile phone horizontally with both hands. He was sliding and tapping his fingers restlessly, making it highly likely that he was playing a game on his phone.
In that case, he would likely belong to the group of people looking to buy gaming consoles or games.
However...
I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of discomfort.
Why aren't my classmates here?
I took out my mobile phone and looked at the group chat that had been so lively yesterday.
In the chat, many students, regardless of gender, stated they would go to the electronics store and purchase their desired items. Among them, Hondō's excited message about a long-desired item being advertised was also present.
That item was completely unrelated to me, but the competition for it seemed to be very tough.
Many voices around me were anxiously wondering if they'd be able to buy it even if they rushed in at the sale's opening, and some were even reminding themselves to be careful not to oversleep.
The time on my cell phone progressed to 9:56 a.m.
As the opening time was getting closer, I couldn't find Hondō's figure, let alone anyone from my year.
Considering the flow of the chat, it was strange that my classmates weren't showing up.
"...What's going on?"
A strange feeling overtook me as students who should've been here weren't present.
None of the seven people here seemed to be restless or uneasy.
Normally, they would be glued to the entrance, ready to fight every single second.
Can they really buy what they want while leisurely playing mobile games?
I felt a sense of unease and decided to muster up my courage and check the situation.
Fortunately, my kōhai was playing a game here.
"May I have a moment?"
"...Yes?"
The first-year student, who looked slightly annoyed, raised his head and was indeed playing.
The screen was paused. Perhaps he had pressed the pause button.
I could immediately sense the vibe that he didn't want to be talked to by his senpai, but I had to confirm something.
"What did you come to Keyaki Mall for?"
"Huh? What's going on? Is this like a TV show prank or something? I don't understand."
"...Hmm?"
I had intended to speak as naturally as possible so as not to make him wary of me, but it seemed that his defensiveness had been kicked up a notch three times.
However, since I didn't have much time to talk leisurely, I reluctantly brought up the main issue.
"I thought you came here today to see the sale at the electronics store. They say game consoles and stuff are cheap too."
I tried to emphasize the gaming part as much as possible so that the message would get through.
Then, he seemed to understand and showed a reaction as if thinking, 'Ah, I see.'
However—
"Well, even though game consoles are called the latest hardware, they are old LCD types and the controllers are prone to breaking. They have a bad reputation. Even at a big sale, it feels more like a clearance sale, and they're still not highly rated works, even if they're sold at a 20-30% discount from the list price. Besides, I prefer to buy the digital versions." —I see.
I could understand, but not fully grasp, the content of my kōhai's story.
One certainty was that he wasn't interested in the sale at all.
"Today's the release date for the manga I want, so I'm only going to the bookstore. Oh, are you curious why I buy paper books instead of e-books, even though I prefer to download games?"
"Uh, no..."
"Sure, e-books can be purchased as soon as the date changes, and it's attractive to be able to view them anytime on mobile or tablet. But I like the feeling of holding a book in my hand. I suppose I could say I want to forever own manga and novels in paper form. As I mentioned, though, this is limited to manga and novels only. I surprisingly don't have the same fondness for other e-books. For example, books that compile a year's worth of best-selling products, photo books, and so on. I'm tolerant of those. Well, I used to buy those in paper as well up until middle school, but since entering this school, I've had more chances to use phones and tablets, so I've transitioned. Oh, is it time to go now? I want to work hard on my game's events."
I thought I listened carefully, but about 20% of the information had already slipped out of my head.
Since his pronunciation was slightly unclear, I felt like my brain was refusing to contain the information.
After finishing talking at a tremendous speed about something I didn't even ask about, my kōhai resumed using his phone.
He wouldn't even look at me anymore.
It's now 9:58 a.m.
It should be the time when more familiar faces and students start showing up.
Could it be that it isn't attracting as much attention as I thought?
Perhaps it was just as my kōhai said—clearance disguised as a grand sale.
However, I heard that last year's event was a great success, and judging from my classmates' reactions, like Hondō, they seemed to be looking forward to it.
Could it be that I got the date wrong?
In the chat, they had said tomorrow, but I wondered if there was a possibility that it was a mistake.
Perhaps it was because the conversation took place just before the date changed that I began to think it might've been tomorrow.
I hurriedly took out my cell phone and accessed the online advertisement again.
"...It's today."
The misunderstanding disappeared in an instant.
As the opening of the store approached, the number of students gathered didn't grow at all.
What was going on…?
No, let's stop thinking about it.
As soon as the store opens, I'll head straight to the store and buy a yogurt maker.
That should be fine.
"By the way, Yuko sent me a picture earlier, and the line at the north exit is crazy. Look at this."
"Wow. I went there last year too. But there wasn't much in stock, so I couldn't buy what I wanted. Wait, why is it from the north exit?"
"Last year, remember there was a girl in Class B who got injured during the opening rush?"
"Ah, right. But everyone was in a hurry, so it seemed like no one paid attention to her."
"Exactly. So this year, they're gathering at the north exit, and the staff will guide them."
The reality I wanted to hear, yet didn't, reached my ears. As I learned the truth, Keyaki Mall mercilessly opened at 10 a.m.
2
The electronics store was bustling with many students and school staff.
I had been watching the store's situation from a step away.
The customers who had gathered for the 30-minute pre-opening lineup entered the store in advance and bought the featured products.
I wondered how many goods the general admission customers could buy.
But strangely, I wasn't worried.
I was wondering whether there were any students who wanted a yogurt maker.
No, there mustn't be.
That's why I shouldn't worry—was what I thought and entered the store late, but my hopes were shattered.
The yogurt maker mentioned in the announcement was already sold out.
I was confronted with the reality that someone had already bought it.
Seeing that, I was about to reach for the latest yogurt maker out of desperation, but the price was more than double that of the sale item, so I somehow managed to refrain from buying it and left the store.
Even now, students who successfully purchased their target items from the store were coming out with satisfied expressions.
"It's frustrating…"
Without any lies, I expressed my feelings at the moment.
It was my terrible mistake for not investigating the sales pattern during the sale.
Is this the end for a loser who failed to gather information?
On the way back, I went to the supermarket inside the mall. As if being guided, I was drawn into the store without grabbing a basket and went straight to the dairy products corner.
Numerous manufacturers sold milk and yogurt. Just moments ago, I would've been able to obtain the magical power that could turn this milk into yogurt.
I wanted to try it out. My desire was growing even stronger.
The distance between the milk carton and yogurt, which I always used to pick up casually, now seemed so far away.
But it wasn't just a matter of distance.
It was as if an invisible glass barrier was blocking me.
I couldn't help but wonder if this was how a young boy must have felt when he desired a trumpet placed on the other side of a showcase… but that was probably different.
As I stood there, other students continued to pick up milk and yogurt and make their purchases.
In my dorm room, I was just running out of yogurt.
But picking it up here would mean... admitting defeat, wouldn't it?
I tried to persuade myself to leave, but my feet wouldn't budge.
That was because—
The milk was unusually on sale today.
And the yogurt was also about 20 yen cheaper than usual.
If it weren't for the yogurt maker incident, I would've definitely bought some and taken it home.
As if under a spell, I was unable to move away from the dairy section.
"Eggs are also cheaper than they've been lately..."
Inflation and global affairs continued to increasingly drive up prices.
Although this school had its own unique rules, somewhat isolated from society, its essence didn't differ from the outside world.
Once I graduate, I'll be faced with confronting these prices and consulting with my wallet every day.
Even though that fate wouldn't come for me, I could still think this way since I was technically an ordinary person right now.
I shouldn't have even considered coming to check things out.
Regardless, I couldn't continue standing here forever.
I made up my mind to forcibly leave, dragging my heavy feet with great effort.
"What happened? I've never seen you make such a dejected face before,
Ayanokōji."
"...Kiryūin-senpai."
While I was getting ready to make my retreat, Kiryūin called out to me.
Strangely enough, the heaviness in my legs seemed to lighten, and I was able to effortlessly leave the spot.
After all, I had only come by to see the yogurt display, not with any other particular purpose in mind.
As I left the store empty-handed, Kiryūin followed behind me.
In the flow of the conversation, I explained the situation in detail to her.
I probably wanted someone to listen to me.
I wanted my regret of not being able to buy the yogurt maker to be understood.
Last night, I learned about the sale.
I rushed to the store when it opened, but I misunderstood the waiting line location.
As a result, others bought it before me, and I couldn't get it.
After hearing all these events, Kiryūin laughed as if it was amusing.
"You never cease to interest me, Ayanokōji. You're truly a special guy."
"Really? I just consider myself to be an ordinary high school student.""That's a unique joke. Well, actually, it's partly true."After denying it, she reaffirmed it.
"I laughed because you acted so much like a normal high school student. Insisting on a yogurt maker is unusual, but it wouldn't be odd if you replaced it with another desired product."
"I see..."
"But did you really want a yogurt maker that much? I think it would be much cheaper, tastier, and safer to buy yogurt from a store."
Saying that, she looked back at the supermarket that was fading off into the distance.
"There's a purpose in making it yourself and eating it. I lost that chance."
"You're passionate, even though you're expressionless."
"Do you not cook?"
When I asked, Kiryūin nodded confidently without hesitation.
"When I was little, I tried to please my parents, but I haven't done it since.""Were the results bad?"
"No? It was an indescribable result. Not particularly delicious, nor bad. My parents seemed happy with the intention though. Usually, you would want to see their happy faces again, and improve your cooking."
She didn't follow that standard path and abandoned cooking altogether.
"I usually just grab something from the convenience store or the school cafeteria. Even if I stop by the supermarket, I usually just buy ready-made dishes in the deli corner."
Contrary to what I had thought, she didn't cook at all.
Surprisingly, the idea of her not cooking seemed right upon closer inspection.
"What about you? How did you come to love cooking?"
"Since I started high school. It was my first time living alone, and with being in Class D, there were times when the class points were exhausted."
"You thought about saving money on food expenses by cooking, huh?"
"Even if free meals are available, it's a pain to eat them all year round. Plus, by cooking repeatedly, you can improve your skills and efficiency. I wanted to achieve the best cost-performance, and I recently started thinking about it."The yogurt maker held the potential for a new step up.
Not being able to get it made me feel regretful again.
"So? If you really wanted it, why not just buy it?"
"The price difference from the sale item was too high. It has various functions, but I only wanted to ferment milk, so I deemed it unnecessary."
That would be playing into the store's hands by impulsively purchasing a high-priced product.
"Have you tried searching online?"
"No, not yet."
"Before feeling down, try looking online. You might find it surprisingly cheap. I have some recommended websites."
Taking out her cell phone, Kiryūin began typing.
We made sure not to obstruct the flow of traffic and stood at the edge of the aisle to browse through the products. Then, we found a yogurt maker at nearly the same price as today's special discounts.
"That's surprising."
"It's not much of a sale. It's not just this school's electronics store that's struggling with inventory management of the same models. It's common knowledge for young people these days."
"I'm learning something new."
"Why not buy it online?"
"I realize that I can buy it at the same price but found something else, so I've decided to search for something simpler, and buy it after returning to my room."
Upon further examination, the yogurt maker on sale had more than enough functionality.
Moreover, an even more simplified version was available for a lower price."Anyway, do you need to buy anything, Kiryūin-senpai?"
"I just followed you because I was intrigued by your hunched-over back. I don't have any particular business at the supermarket."
It seemed that she didn't have any errands over there.
"That's unusual—to go out of your way to approach me just because I'm interesting."
Maybe she was really bored during the winter break.
"I know what you're thinking. But it's not because I'm bored that I'm sticking my nose into trivial matters."
"It's still suspicious."
When I conveyed my honest thoughts, she smiled bitterly and explained again.
"It's because it's you, Ayanokōji."
"I'm not someone worth evaluating."
"You know that it's pointless to be humble at this point. The scene of you confronting them on that uninhabited island is permanently engraved in my mind."The scene of the final showdown with Tsukishiro last summer on the beach. Kiryūin had been exchanging blows with Shiba, who appeared to be Tsukishiro's subordinate, in order to help me. It wasn't unreasonable for her to hold me in high regard due to the unusual circumstances and the physical aspect of the fight.
"That's why it's so disappointing."
"Disappointing?"
Like a girl confessing her hidden feelings, Kiryūin let out a deep sigh.
"I often thought about it around that summer, like, if there was a system to repeat a grade in this school."
"Repeating a grade?"
It was something that students who couldn't graduate from Class A might've considered in desperation, but would quickly give up on. After all, this school didn't recognize repeating a grade as an option in its rules.
"It's a ridiculous thought, right?"
"Without a doubt. Most students don't resist the established rules."
Breaking the rules was something anyone could do. To fight and overturn them, to persuade, and change them—that's what's difficult.
"Even so, I wanted to consider staying for another year. If that was possible,
I could've observed your journey closely for another year."
"Looks like there are some students who think about such things. It's quite unusual."
I thought about Kiryūin; it wouldn't be just a daydream in her head.
"Nothing's unattainable with private points. Based on that logic, I even tried seeking confirmation from teachers, but the answer was no."
"Let me ask you, what if someone prepared the total amount of 20 million points?"
If the school didn't acknowledge repeating years, the only thing that could overturn that would be paying an enormous price.
I was glad I asked, but it seemed like the answer could have already been seen in Kiryūin's expression.
"The largest purchase in this school is the right to move to any class. Unless you're a real oddball, you could get your dream position in your third year as long as you move to Class A just before graduating."
"True. There's probably no purchase greater than that."
Confirmation of getting to Class A was valued higher than the right to repeat a year would never change.
Who would willingly invest 20 million points in a high-risk repeat year?
"Why isn't a repeat year allowed even if someone prepared a huge amount of points? Isn't it strange? The rights to prevent expulsion, invalidate expulsion, or move classes are in the school's rulebook, but the repeat system is excluded from the start."
That was certainly true. The value of private points, where nothing was unattainable, wasn't an exaggeration. However, it was true that even within that, there were still things that couldn't be bought.
As mentioned earlier, deliberately repeating a year wasn't something students could judge as more valuable than moving to Class A.
However, since it wasn't permitted, there must be a reason.
"Students who wish to repeat a year will have been enrolled in this school for over a year, so they'll have a lot of knowledge about special exams and such.
From an information standpoint, it might be deemed unfair to other classes." Information, huh?
It was certainly a possible argument, but sharing information could happen even without repeating.
Senpais could leave as much information for kōhais as possible in everyday life, and the advantage wouldn't be significant.
Special exams would generally be different for students one grade ahead.
Even in written exams, the advantage might not prevail, and it was unlikely that it would have a significant impact overall.
"Perhaps it's because it could result in lowering the school's reputation?"
"Well? How so?"
"This school grants great privileges to those who graduate from Class A. Companies also accept and evaluate students who have graduated from that class, and deem them as outstanding. But wouldn't doubts arise about the school's value when a student who has repeated a year mixes in? For university admissions and job offers that can only be seen from the outside, they would see the fact that someone has graduated from Class A, but for some reason, repeated a year. You can even apply this to yourself. An oddball who has inefficiently failed to graduate from Class A and has repeated. While such a person has the ability, it becomes
blurred for the employer. Evaluations become very difficult."
The school would no longer want to send out such a student.
"So, not adopting the repeat system is to eliminate troublesome patterns?" "If you're looking for a reason that makes sense, it would be this." It was a plausible argument.
"If I were to interview myself, I might hold off on hiring."
It was self-deprecating humor that could only be said because of her confidence in her abilities.
"If you're thinking about repeating on a whim, transfer to Nagumo's class, please."
"I'm not interested in that."
"What if you had 20 million points saved up from your own abilities?"
"Even then, I don't care. I'm fine graduating in any class."
"For you, graduating in Class A or Class D doesn't make a big difference, but usually someone would think to make the best out of being able to graduate in Class A."
As long as no one was unhappy, it would be better to transfer to Class A.
"Besides, after graduation, there's a system that allows you to exchange private points for actual cash. That's what's important to me."
That amount, no matter how much, would be valuable funding for a student who has just graduated from high school.
Still, it couldn't be compared to the potential future benefits of graduating from Class A.
"Private points can grant most students' desires, but they can't grant everything. It could have that type of meaning as well."
"That's true. You can't use them to fire the teachers you don't like, for example."
With a sly grin, Kiryūin spoke dangerously.
"It's like you've tried it before."
"Heh, I'll keep that as a no-comment."
"So you really have no interest in Class A?"
"It's not that surprising. While it may be a curious situation, I don't think I'm the first. Besides, I thought you felt the same way, didn't you?"
Indeed, I wasn't very attached to graduating from Class A since I wouldn't receive the school's maximum support—their generous benefits upon graduation.
"True, you and I might not be that different. But even if there are other students like me who have no interest in Class A, there's still a huge difference with you, Kiryūin-senpai."
"And that difference is?"
"Contribution to the class. Normally, people will move for the sake of their friends, even when it's unnecessary for them. An able person like you could've helped Class B and stood up against former Student Council President Nagumo. Even with differing personalities and ideas, your classmates must have relied on you more than once or twice."
"Yeah..." Kiryūin affirmed as if it wasn't her concern.
"But for three years, up until now, you've only acted for yourself."
"Maybe I've been contributing in my own way in secret? I just might not have been able to compete with Nagumo."
"If you view yourself in your class—no, if you look at the entire third-year body, you'll understand. You only move for your own sake, but you don't hold others back. That's why both enemies and allies perceive you as a non-existence."Pretty much invisible to both enemies and allies.
It wasn't easy to become this way, regardless of one's abilities.
"Even those who had voiced their resentment about my lack of cooperation stopped talking to me eventually."
However, because her grades had been excellent, their disregard for her was unavoidable and forgiven.
She was highly rated by the school for both her academic and physical abilities, which meant she had been achieving solid results in written exams, athletic classes, and tournaments. She wasn't cutting corners in the visible areas like some of our classmates (me included).
"Can I ask you a question too?"
"Do you have something you want to ask?"
"That's a ridiculous question. I have countless things I want to ask. But even if I ask 10 or 20 questions, there's no guarantee that I'll only get the truth."
She was aware of her limits and pointed out such a premise before voicing the question.
"Is it safe to assume that you've resolved the various problems you've been carrying?"
It was a vague question, but I didn't need to think too deeply to understand what she was talking about.
"Thanks to you, I'm living a peaceful life now."
As I was doing now, I walked around this place as I always had.
"No matter how many times I look back, I can't forget your smooth movements from that day on the beach. It surpassed my expectations, imagination, and all conceivable human potential. Even if I told my ojii-sama, he wouldn't believe it."
"Your ojii-sama?"
"Sorry, was that difficult to understand? I'm talking about my own grandfather."
Kiryūin said, narrowing her eyes as if recalling her grandfather.
It was rare for someone to call their grandfather "ojii-sama," from my perspective.
"That's an unusual way to call him."
"Well, I come from a fairly privileged background. At home, I'm always addressed as ojou-sama."
"Oh, so that's what you meant? Well, no, I guess I can't completely disagree then."
I always sensed something refined about her upbringing.
On the other hand, there was also a wildness to her, so I never had any concrete evidence.
(TL Note:
"Ojii-sama" is a less common way of referring to someone's grandfather in comparison to "祖父 (sofu)" or "おじいさん (ojii-san)".
"Ojou-sama" is a formal Japanese word for young, high-class lady.
Both phrases are typically uncommon which is why Ayanokōji was confused.)
"I spent more time living with my grandfather when I was young than with my busy parents. To put it simply, I was a total grandpa's girl."
She smiled nostalgically, her eyes narrowing. It wasn't a face she could make if there were many unpleasant memories.
"When I found out I was going to this school, I was really down about not being able to see him for three years."
"So your grandfather really doted on you, huh?"
"He used to say that he'd be glad to have me back if I ever dropped out like it was his catchphrase."
That was a pretty cruel thing to say to a grandchild that was about to spread her wings.
It seemed like he wasn't an ordinary grandfather, just from that statement alone.
"But wouldn't he be shocked if you actually dropped out?"
"No, I'm sure he'd be genuinely happy. Besides, if I had decided to choose my own path, with just one word from my grandfather, I could've gone to most universities or companies."
In other words, even without graduating from Class A, she could receive the same—or even greater—support from her grandfather. It seemed she had both power and affection at her disposal.
There was a guy in our class with a similar situation, though his way of thinking was different.
"By any chance, do you know Kōenji?"
"Kōenji? Why would his name suddenly come up?"
"The reason? Well, you see, that's..."
I noticed Kōenji walking towards us and tried to ask her about their relationship because of the conversation we were having.
"I don't think I have any connection to someone as eccentric as him."
He was attracting the attention of the surrounding students, staring at him as if he was some strange creature.
He was carrying a large box with a famous brand's logo on it by himself. Judging by the unique shape of the cardboard box, I guessed that it was a large, flat-screen TV.
"Don't you know? Apparently, Kōenji is the son of a very famous businessman. Not only that, but his name has already been mentioned as the next president."
"Is that so? Maybe that's the root of his eccentricity. But unfortunately, I don't know much about that. If he's that famous though, it wouldn't be surprising if my grandfather had some connections… Well, either way, it has nothing to do with me."
It seemed Kiryūin didn't have much knowledge about the political or financial world. In that sense, I was grateful that she didn't find my somewhat unusual last name, 'Ayanokōji,' suspicious.
Even if she did recognize the name, it would be a stretch to link it directly to me. It wasn't easy to think that a rare name meant the same lineage.
"Could it be that the underlying reason you're not interested in Class A is because of that?"
"No way. I chose to dive into this school because I was sick of being born into such a wealthy family. I have no intention of relying on them after graduation.
The third years have already finished their class battles, so like everyone else in
Class B and below, we're focusing on studying and job hunting."
In other words, Kiryūin had a clear direction for her future.
And she apparently had no intention of receiving any favor from her family.
"Can I go ahead and ask what path you're planning to take, Kiryūin-senpai?"
"I'm going to enroll in college for now. If I can get in as a scholarship student, I can keep costs down. I'll work part-time to make up for the money I lack in daily life. It's not really anything worth mentioning."
"Setting aside the scholarship part, you seem like a pretty normal student."
"I want to be carefree, study hard, and become an adult all on my own. After that, maybe I'll work at a small or mid-sized company. It doesn't even have to be that big. I just want to live a life that has nothing to do with the Kiryūin name or status."
Living a life that didn't stand out, wasn't tied down, and was simply free.
That was the strong will I sensed in Kiryūin's words.
"Not bad, huh?"
"Right? I don't need anything special. At least that's what I think for now."In a way, it was similar to my thoughts when I first entered this school. Whether my class rank went up or down didn't matter. I would continue living for my own freedom.
There was someone who stuck to that idea for three years right beside me.
"But a peaceful and flat life isn't easy to get, even if it seems easy now. After graduation, the name Kiryūin will follow me whether I like it or not."
I didn't know anything about the Kiryūin family, but if it was a relatively famous one, then it was natural for them to have certain things set in place.
Even if someone like me could escape to this school out of rebelliousness, the end would still come when three years passed.
"Wouldn't your grandfather support your choices?"
"My grandfather isn't really the issue. If anything, it would be my parents. Unlike my grandfather, they don't have a sense of humor. If they find out I'm leading a normal life, I can easily imagine their reaction."
Listening to this, I felt like the situation was eerily similar to mine.
"I don't regret my actions the past three years… I've lived as I pleased."There was a slight hesitation in her voice as she declared her conviction.
"Nevertheless, I wanted to try to see myself choosing something other than just chasing freedom. That might be why I've been looking for ways to repeat a grade."
If Kiryūin-senpai had lived her life to the fullest for three years, there was no doubt that she'd have been a threat to Nagumo's Class A.
Living according to one's lineage may also be a difficult thing.
"The battle with Nagumo isn't over yet, right? What are you going to do about it?"
"I would like to resolve the matter as soon as possible, but right now, I don't have an answer."
Everything depended on what the school decided. Whether there would be room for Nagumo and my battle was all up to luck.
And besides—
There were situations that wouldn't be realized regardless of whether we wanted them or not.
"I can't imagine you being careless or arrogant, but be careful during the third term."
"Is that advice from my senpai?"
"It's not necessarily advice. Just the other day, I heard Nagumo talking on the phone with someone. He seems to be tirelessly gathering rumors about secondyear students."
Is Nagumo trying even harder than anyone else to make our battle a reality?
"The special exam you'll be taking next might be more troublesome than you think."
"The school won't indirectly leak information, but it seems easy to guess the difficulty of the special exams based on past statistics. So, what was the special exam in the first term of the second year like?"
If there was a high probability of the same trend continuing, Nagumo must've been making inferences from the special exam last year.
"Well, in our year, Nagumo took control of everything and had all the authority. I'm just a Class B student living my daily life. I don't remember everything in detail."
"I see."
Indeed, it was rare for Kiryūin to participate in special exams.
However, the fact that she didn't even remember some aspects made me a little suspicious.
"But during that special exam, one person did leave Class B."
"Did they leave the school? As in dropping out?"
"That's how I remember it. It was probably a necessary sacrifice, though it must be related to Nagumo's adjustments."
The ideal victories and rewards that Nagumo had in mind.
If expulsion was an inevitable part of the special exam, then there would be some casualties.
If Kiryūin's story was true, perhaps there would be a hard start in the third term as well.
"Usually, it seems like it would be Class D or Class C being cut, right?"
"In any case, I don't remember anything about the other classes."
She was probably less interested in other classes than in the TV news that was covered this morning.
Yet, for someone who claimed to remember nothing, some essential memories seemed to linger.
"I'm not saying it'll be the same as last year, though. There's no need to worry too much."
"Your alleged ignorance isn't really persuasive."
In this situation, I didn't press deep, and just let it slide.
"Sorry to hold you up. It's not often that I get to talk with you about such trivial matters. It was a good opportunity."
"No problem. I'm glad I got to talk to you too, Kiryūin-senpai."Kiryūin began to walk away, but quickly stopped and turned back.
"This is just my intuition, but I have a feeling that we'll meet again somewhere. Not at this school, but soon in the future."
"Do your intuitions usually turn out to be true?" "Usually, they have about 50% accuracy." That sounds like just a simple guess...
"But this time, I have more confidence. If forced to give a reason, it's because you're not just an ordinary high school student. If you don't disappear into society, you might catch my eye again."
"Wouldn't it be better if that didn't happen? You're supposed to want a normal life."
"Hmm? Hahaha, that may be true."
Kiryūin gently raised her hand and began walking out of the Keyaki Mall.
To meet again somewhere, huh?
That future would likely never come.
But if such a future existed— No, I'll discard that thought.
There was no significance in such far-fetched fantasies.
Now, I was free to live my life in this moment.
That alone was enough.
3
After parting with Kiryūin, I recalled the interaction between Ichinose and me this morning.
I had been wondering if she'd come to Keyaki Mall, but I didn't know her purpose for coming.
Under normal circumstances, I should've informed her by phone that I was inside the mall, but it seemed like she was rejecting that or avoiding it somehow.
Judging from that unique scenario, it could be assumed that by simply going to Keyaki Mall, it wouldn't be necessary to bother looking for Ichinose.
For the time being, I chose to go home without trying to find her.
If I couldn't meet her before I went outside, I could always turn back.
With that thought, I returned to the mall's entrance.
The large Christmas tree that was just set up yesterday attracted many friends and couples. They were taking photos and admiring it, but it would be removed the following day.
Kei, who had been bedridden, must have deeply regretted it, but there was nothing that could be done. Influenza was showing signs of spreading, and nearly 20 people in the school had already tested positive.
As I passed by the tree, I saw a lot of students gathered around.
No, at this moment, there might've been more students than yesterday.
In the crowd, I spotted Ichinose, who seemed to be enjoying a lively conversation, surrounded by three female first-year students.
I didn't have the courage to call out to her here, so I decided to watch her from a distance for a while.
By chance, Hoshinomiya-sensei and Chabashira-sensei, walking beside each other, noticed me while passing.
During long vacations, it was common to see teachers in casual clothes. Still, it was impossible not to feel a sense of incongruity about Chabashira-sensei, who loved wearing suits.
"Oh? Are you alone?"
The first one to approach me was Hoshinomiya-sensei, followed by Chabashira-sensei.
"Uh, yeah."
"I thought you'd be lovey-dovey with your girlfriend today and yesterday.
Did you get dumped?"
"Don't tease the students, Chie. Besides, Karuizawa has the flu."Chabashira-sensei explained that there was a reason.
"I know that."
"You knew and still teased?"
"Because it's annoying, isn't it? It's unacceptable for students a year younger to spend Christmas with their lover, or something like that!"
"You used to do that every year up until now. This year's just different."
"That's why I can't stand it. Maybe I can understand Sae-chan's feelings for the first time."
"Don't lump me in with you. I'm a person who doesn't mind being alone on
Christmas. It's a pity, Ayanokōji. You haven't met Karuizawa, right?"
"Can't be helped. Besides, I don't mind being alone on Christmas either."
As I answered, Chabashira-sensei gave a slight grin and Hoshinomiya-sensei seemed even unhappier.
Looking at the contrasting pair, I thought about Mashima-sensei.
If he sided with either of them, it would undoubtedly be very troublesome.
"Where are you teachers going now?"
"To karaoke! We teachers also have the right to have fun, you know?
Right?"
"Chie's the only one who wants to sing. I'm just being dragged along."
"Oh, really? Isn't Sae-chan excited too?"
"I'm not excited..."
It must be hard for the teachers too—with the constant tense atmosphere of the class competition.
The two of them, good friends or bad, traded barbs as they headed to karaoke.
While we were all talking, I noticed Ichinose was looking our way.
It seemed that the girls' conversation had finished, and she was waiting for me.
"What a coincidence, Ayanokōji-kun."
"Yeah, quite a coincidence. You seemed to be having a great time with your kōhais from the first year."
"They're from Class 1-B. Yagami-kun, a former member of the student council, suddenly dropped out, didn't he? They still seem to be affected by it, and they're somewhat confused. But they were trying to be positive about it."
Given the nature of why he got expelled from the school, I assumed that the class itself wasn't penalized, but they inevitably suffered damage from the lack of students. This difficult situation would continue for some time.
"How long have you been here?"
"Since around 10:30, I think."
Considering that it was almost 12 o'clock, she had been waiting for over an hour.
No, describing it as waiting might be incorrect.
Ultimately, Ichinose was acting based on her own principles today."Hey, Ayanokōji-kun, could you take a picture with me?"With that, Ichinose shyly took out her phone.
"To make some memories, I took pictures with various people here today."
To prove it was true, Ichinose opened her photo album and showed the section with today's date. As expected, she had taken several photos with various students in front of the Christmas tree.
Some of the shots included boys from her class.
In addition, there were also photographs with the first-year students from earlier.
Ichinose had mentioned that she was waiting here to make memories, but her real goal became apparent shortly after.
"However... I want to take a picture with you, Ayanokōji-kun. That's my main wish."
Ichinose didn't explain further, but it wasn't difficult to understand.
If there was a photo of just the two of us on her phone, Kei and her close friends might not respond well if they found out.
However, if she had photos with many others, both male and female, there would be no issue if someone happened to question her.
In fact, there weren't many, but I could see two shots with boys from other classes.
Those boys either looked pleased or awkwardly showed a peace sign from Ichinose calling them out.
Regardless of their year, there was no uniformity in the sort of boys.
It seemed like she was responding to the photo requests of all the students who had called out to her without discriminating.
"So... Would you mind taking a picture with me?"
"Of course. I have no reason to refuse."
"I'm glad."
She had put in a tremendous amount of effort just to take a picture with me.
"I actually didn't plan on taking photos with so many, but a lot of people started calling out to me after they heard about it. It was a bit difficult."
It seemed that the rumor that Ichinose wanted to take photos with people had started to spread.
"How many people have you taken photos with so far?"
"Um, let's see... I think the people from earlier were my 43rd."
That's quite a lot... It was evident that she was taking these photos at a high rate.
"I plan on continuing for a while. It wouldn't make much sense if I stopped now, right?"
According to Ichinose, this was so no trace was left even after the goal had been reached.
"Well, it's not that it doesn't look suspicious in a different way."
Ichinose smiled as she looked back on her actions—those that could objectively be viewed as bizarre.
If I had done the same thing, I would've undoubtedly been treated as a completely suspicious person.
However, the same actions look entirely different with Ichinose.
Ichinose pulled my arm and guided me to adjust the angle.
Then, she leaned in and held her cell phone with the front camera on.
"Now's the time—no one else is looking."
She seemed to be constantly observing the surroundings and decided it was the perfect timing.
Ichinose put her hand around my arm and took a picture.
Then, she took another with a little gap between us, without her hand on my arm.
"The first one won't be saved on my phone, so… It's okay, right?"
"Is this asking for a post-fact approval?"
"...Yeah. If you don't want it, I'll delete it now."
"No, you can keep it. I don't intend to blame anyone if someone else sees it.
It's my responsibility for allowing the photo to be taken, no matter how it's used."
"Are you sure? If I misuse it, it could cause a rift in your relationship with
Karuizawa-san..."
"It's strange to complain after conveniently taking a picture, right?"
If you were going to be photographed, you wouldn't permit it without being prepared.
Of course, it was different if you were forced.
We closed the distance between us in about 10 seconds, and before we knew it, we were back to our usual distance.
During that time, no one saw us being intimate.
"By the way, Ayanokōji-kun, you met with Chihiro-chan yesterday, right?"
Chihiro Shiranami. I recalled the image of her wearing headphones and listening to music.
"You know a lot."
"It's common for us to gather both on weekdays and holidays, so I felt like Chihiro-chan's behavior was a bit different yesterday. We didn't talk about anything specific, but she reacted to your name, so I thought maybe you had met and spoken with her."
Ichinose, who always cared about her classmates' mental state, may easily notice changes.
"By the way, what do you mean by her feeling a bit different? I hope it wasn't in a bad way."
"It's okay. I don't know what you talked about, but I felt like Chihiro-chan was laughing more than usual yesterday."
The risky bet worked, and urging her to be prepared seemed to have had a positive effect.
"I'm glad to hear that."
"But…"
Although I was delighted by Shiranami's growth, Ichinose wasn't finished.
"Right now, she cares about me more than anyone else, but you can't get too involved, okay? She's easily swayed."
A warning not to close the distance with Shiranami any further than it was.
"When you want to hang out with Chihiro-chan, I'd like you to call me too."
"I understand. I'll make sure to do that."
Whether it was for her responsibility as a protector for her class or for her own well-being, I would have to be cautious when meeting with Shiranami in the future.
"Ichinose-senpai! Ayanokōji-senpai! Hello!"
"Ah, it's Nanase-san."
Upon finding me and Ichinose, Nanase approached us with a slight jog."I heard you two were over here taking photos with people, so I came too."Apparently, the rumor had spread far enough to reach Nanase.
"Wouldn't it get out of hand at this rate? You might be taking pictures until midnight."
"Well, that's how it goes. Maybe I'll become a legendary girl who took a picture with every student in front of the Christmas tree."
Ichinose smiled as she responded to the jest with another jest.
"Are you joining as well, Ayanokōji-senpai?"
"No, I just heard the rumor and came to take photos with Ichinose. I won't get in your way."
Feeling it would be improper to join in, I decided to step back.
"I don't mind if you join us."
"No, I'll pass. Being tied up to this place like Ichinose is tough, and there aren't many people who'd want to take a photo with me anyway."
Nanase, sensing the situation, didn't force the issue and stood shoulder to shoulder with Ichinose. The two began adjusting their positions for the photo when Nanase seemed to notice something and stopped.
"Sorry, can you wait a moment?"
"Hm? Sure, but what's up?"
Apologizing to Ichinose, Nanase hurried over in a certain direction. It seemed that a student from her class, Hōsen, was there. He was walking alone with a scary expression, not even looking in our direction.
Nanase approached him like a puppy, called out to him, and pointed in our direction while talking to him.
"Could she be inviting Hōsen-kun?"
"It seems like it."
While it wasn't strange for her to invite a classmate, the particular classmate at hand was Hōsen. He didn't seem like the type to take photos with others.
However, after a brief conversation with Nanase, Hōsen changed direction and started walking towards us while keeping his scary expression.
"Looks like he's coming."
"It seems like it."
Hōsen's gaze captured not only Ichinose but also me standing beside her.
I had been enjoying a leisurely winter break, so I'd prefer to avoid any potential trouble.
"Um, would it be okay for Hōsen-kun to join the photo too?"
"I don't mind at all, but are you sure about that?"
Ichinose's words suggested her hesitance of Hōsen's desires. Hōsen remained silent, staring at me and Ichinose with a scary face.
"It's totally fine. Now, please, Hōsen-kun."
Saying that, Nanase pushed Hōsen's back, somewhat forcibly.
I thought he'd definitely resist, but surprisingly, Hōsen closed the distance with light steps.
"You've been staring at me. Is there something on my face?"
As soon as he said that, he glared at me and started to get in my face.
"Well, umm, it's just..."
It wasn't an expected behavior. I couldn't help but suspect that there was an ulterior motive behind it.
"Huh? If you have something to say, say it."
"Nothing really."
"Hmph."
As I backed off, Hōsen snorted and looked away.
He had an impressive presence for a first-year student. If I'm not careful, would I get stabbed with a knife again?
Although Hōsen and Nanase were finished taking photos with Ichinose, Hōsen still looked like he had something to say.
As he started to walk away with his hands in his pockets, I couldn't help but ask, "What was that about?"
As Nanase approached me, she whispered in a low voice, "Actually, Hōsenkun really likes Ichinose-senpai."
"...Seriously?"
I couldn't see it. Well, I did find it strange that he'd pose for a photo with Ichinose, but still, that was a surprising revelation.
"He came to check things out because he heard she was taking photos here." So it wasn't a coincidence that he happened to pass by.
"But, maybe it really was just a coincidence?"
"I don't think so. I was called out to Keyaki Mall by him. He probably couldn't approach Ichinose-san by himself, so he used me instead."
I wondered if he just wanted to take a photo with Ichinose based on some calculation.
At least based on what I saw, that didn't seem to be the case.
Hōsen had already disappeared, so there was no way to confirm it any further.
"Hey, Ichinose, let's take a picture together!"
Two third-year girls approached Ichinose, waving their hands.
If this continued, there might be more and more of them.
I decided to give a quick wave to my senpais as well and backed off.
"See you, Ayanokōji-kun!"
Ichinose waved her small hand and smoothly switched her attention to the senpais.
It seemed to have turned into a large-scale event, and I was one person out of the 46, including Nanase and Hōsen.