"Tosaka-senpai, you nearly scared me to death," Kazuma said, clutching his chest, his eyes slightly watery. "As for what happened down there, I really don't know anything. It has nothing to do with me—I only just saw it myself."
He shook his head frantically. "I heard there were rumors about ghosts around the old school building, so I came here out of curiosity. I never expected to run into something so terrifying. Then you suddenly appeared behind me, senpai… that really frightened me."
Kazuma still looked shaken. "That was horrifying. A stray dog biting someone to death at school—won't this cause a huge social uproar?"
His tone and expression made him seem like nothing more than an innocent passerby.
The tall, beautiful senior observed the boy for a few seconds. Seemingly convinced, she nodded. "You know me?"
"You're very famous, senpai. Of course I know you."
Tosaka Fuyuka walked over to the window and looked down. Her beautiful face remained cool and composed, which quietly amazed Kazuma standing beside her.
Most girls would have screamed in terror at the sight of such a bloody scene. Even if they didn't panic, they would at least be tense and afraid. Yet Tosaka Fuyuka remained calm and collected. This senior truly was remarkable.
"Brutes."
Tosaka Fuyuka suddenly spoke.
Kazuma froze for a moment. He looked at his expressionless senior, then at the corpse below, and cautiously asked, "Senior Tosaka… who are you calling brutes?"
The beautiful girl with long, straight black hair turned her head and met Kazuma's gaze. Her large eyes were filled with confusion. "Of course, the stray dogs. Are there any other animals here? Attacking students and biting someone to death—how can such dangerous creatures exist on school grounds?"
Kazuma blinked, then nodded in solemn agreement. "You're right, senpai. But that person wasn't a teacher—he was a club coach. I knew Coach Tougou. He was responsible and kind. I never thought he'd die like this while protecting students. Really… why do good people always die young? Sigh."
"..."
At his words, Tosaka Fuyuka's expression subtly changed, as if something inside her had been struck. She pressed her lips together, her face complicated, before finally saying, "I'll go down and help."
Only then did Kazuma notice the wooden sword in her hand.
Does she practice kendo?
"That's too dangerous—"
Before Kazuma could finish his insincere warning, an exclamation mark appeared above Tosaka Fuyuka's head, followed immediately by the system's wish list. Just as he suspected, what he had seen that morning hadn't been an illusion—Tohsaka-senpai really was his target.
Unlike Akane Nanao's, this wish list displayed its contents directly, without any riddles.
After reading it, Kazuma fell completely silent.
[Wishlist (Tosaka Fuyuka): I long for death. Perhaps those vicious wild dogs can finally end my life.]
Kazuma: "???"
What is wrong with you girl?! Were there no normal people left at all? He knew Japan had a high suicide rate, but he'd only been here for two days!
So this was how they were meant to meet?
"Senior! Wait—wait a second!"
Logically speaking, he was supposed to fulfill her wish. But Kazuma still grabbed her arm, suddenly realizing how difficult it truly was to earn rewards—and that psychological counseling might be required as well.
"It's too dangerous. Um… let's go notify a teacher."
"That girl is in danger."
You're not rescuing anyone—you're clearly just trying to get yourself killed.
"Senior, the stray dogs didn't attack her. They already ran away."
As he watched the dogs flee in panic and vanish in the blink of an eye, a trace of disappointment flashed across Tosaka Fuyuka's face. That alone was enough to make Kazuma's heart tighten.
Wait. You sighed, didn't you? You definitely sighed!
"Is there something you needed from the old school building, Senior Tosaka?" Kazuma asked casually.
Tosaka Fuyuka didn't answer at first. After a long pause, the aloof girl finally spoke softly, "I just came to take a look."
That was a lie.
Kazuma didn't expose her lie, but he sensed the situation growing increasingly troublesome. He couldn't simply send her away, after all.
Tohsaka-senpai, you're really putting me in a difficult position.
Still, strong emotions had the power to change desire. Although Tosaka Fuyuka didn't seem especially emotional on the surface, Kazuma suspected she was merely more restrained. If she truly felt nothing, she wouldn't have contemplated ending her life.
So this isn't just about the system's mission—I'm also saving a girl who's lost her way.
"Akane, drink some water."
In the infirmary, Akane Nanao sat on the edge of the bed, her face pale, clearly still shaken. Kanna Hiiragi entered with a glass of water and let out a quiet sigh as she looked at her worn-out friend.
She still couldn't believe the phone call she'd received from Akane.
Akane Nanao hadn't gone to a teacher, nor had she told anyone else. The only person she contacted was Kanna Hiiragi.
"Tougou's body has been found. I heard students talking about it in the hallway. It was Tohsaka, a second-year student, who discovered it," Kanna Hiiragi said as she sat beside the bed. Earlier, she herself had been retching in the bathroom for a long time—but she felt not the slightest sympathy for that bastard.
What she felt instead was worry.
"Everyone's talking about it. All the teachers rushed over, and the police and reporters are there too. There are so many people," Kanna Hiiragi said quickly when she saw Akane fall silent. "It's okay. No one will connect this to you, Akane. And besides—you're the victim! That guy deserved to die!"
What Kanna Hiiragi didn't know was that, aside from Tosaka Fuyuka and Kazuma, there was still one other person who knew the truth.
Just as Akane Nanao managed to force a faint smile, it shattered under a sudden shout.
"Akane!!!"
Katase Shoya rushed over, his voice urgent. "What happened? Why is Coach Tougou dead in the old school building? Didn't you meet him there? Why—"
He froze mid-sentence after blurting out the news of Coach Tougou's death.
Akane Nanao didn't respond. She remained seated on the bed, looking at Katase with a complicated expression. His interrogative tone only made the bitterness in her mouth deepen, until her heart fell utterly silent.
Shoya-kun… the boy I once liked… no longer makes my heart race.
"Hey! Katase Shoya, what do you think you're implying?" Kanna Hiiragi snapped. "Are you suggesting Akane killed that scumbag? Don't forget—Akane is the victim! Do you have any idea she was nearly assaulted by that bastard Tougou? If this hadn't happened, would you still be questioning her? Are you even her boyfriend?!"
"What? Assaulted? Th-that kind of thing…"
Faced with his stunned expression, Akane Nanao spoke calmly. "Kanna, stop. Katase-kun didn't know anything about this. It has nothing to do with him. And besides… we were never dating."
"Akane?"
Katase Shoya stared at her blankly. This was the first time she had ever spoken to him with such cold detachment. It felt as though something precious was slipping away from him.
"Alright, Akane needs to rest," Kanna Hiiragi said firmly as she ushered Katase Shoya out. "If you have even a shred of conscience, don't bother her right now."
When she returned, she saw that Akane still looked dispirited, so she deliberately changed the subject.
"Still… it's hard to believe Tougou was actually bitten to death by a pack of wild dogs."
Akane Nanao's attention shifted. "Kanna… I feel the same. Back then…"
She didn't know how to explain it. It was simply a strong intuition—like someone had heard her prayers and granted her wish.
The feeling was overwhelming.
"Maybe… Tosaka-senpai knows the answer."
...
..
.
[image] Tosaka Fuyuka