IT WAS PAST 11 p.m., after the lights-out time.
In the shared room, it seemed that everyone was still awake, spending time talking quietly or looking at their phones. At the beginning of the camp, the unfamiliar members made the atmosphere uncomfortable, but now I didn't care what that atmosphere had turned into.
While occasionally participating in conversations with Hashimoto, Oda, and kōhais, nodding in agreement now and then, my phone vibrated as I was watching a patchwork video.
[Are you still awake?]
A message from Hiyori was displayed at the top of the screen.
[I'm awake. All the boys are still awake, so don't worry.]
I told Hiyori to make it easier for her to continue sending messages.
[Thank you. Actually, I just noticed that Yamamura-san is missing.]
Yamamura is missing? It was basically forbidden to leave the room after lights-out.
[You mean outside the room? What about her phone?]
[It seems to be left in the room. I was contemplating whether to go and look for her now... I was wondering if I could ask for your help, Ayanokōji-kun.]
Hiyori probably wasn't good at this kind of thing, to say the least. Especially if she couldn't act stealthily, a patrolling teacher would easily spot her.
It could be said that it was the right decision to ask for help here.
The camp was almost over, but it seemed better not to leave Yamamura alone.
She had a particularly gloomy expression during yesterday's card game.
A possible reason why came to mind. I should go and look for her right away.
[I understand. I'll go and check on her, so Hiyori, please wait in your room.
We need a way to confirm if Yamamura comes back.]
When I told her that it would be more useful for her to stay in the room without leaving, a reply came back with a cute animal stamp saying 'Thank you.'
"I'm going out for a bit."
"Eh? Hey, it's past lights-out, you know? If they find you, you'll get in trouble."
"I'm going looking for something. I'll try to come back without being noticed, if possible. If something happens, you guys can get mad at me."When I gave my answer, Hashimoto and the others didn't try hard to make me stay. Instead, they seemed quite happy and saw me off cheerfully.
The corridor was, of course, dark and silent since the lights were off.
Now... where should I start looking?
Wandering aimlessly wouldn't be efficient.
There were two possible reasons why Yamamura, who wasn't the type to break basic rules, left the shared room: either she was called out by someone, or she left the room voluntarily. However, in this case, the possibility of the former was quite low since she left her phone behind.
I proceeded with the assumption that she left voluntarily.
The next thing to consider was why it had to be after they turned the lights off.
In contrast to the night's silent environment, countless distracting thoughts flooded my mind.
There might've been times when you'd want to run away from the surroundings after all that
But at that time, it wouldn't be strange to subconsciously seek a place where you could feel at ease.
The conclusion reached by the line of thought belonging to a student named
Miki Yamamura—if I were to derive that…
I quietly showed my face in the lobby.
Immediately after, I felt someone's presence and hid in the shadows.
It seemed that a patrolling teacher was walking around with a flashlight.
The visibility was poor, but it was easy to see where the light was shining.
He thoroughly illuminated the surroundings, but he didn't seem to be actively seeking a rule-breaking student who had left the shared room.
He was just doing it as part of his job as if he was doing it out of obligation.
Therefore, it was very easy to get past him, and his presence disappeared from the lobby as soon as I waited a little. It seemed he went to check the dining hall.
Considering the route he took, he must've gone to either the shared rooms or the experiential classrooms afterward.
There was a brief pause. I headed straight to the vending machine without hesitation.
I had a hunch that the odds were high, and I was able to confirm my guess immediately.
There wasn't a girl sitting alone, instead, she was leaning against the vending machine, looking down.
The hallway was chilly, so she might've been trying to keep warm, but that might be reading too much into it. I thought she would've noticed me eventually, but she didn't seem to be aware of my presence at all.
There was no change in expression, no sighs, as if nothing triggered a memory.
She just stared at a single point on the floor, not moving at all.
"The teachers probably don't even think there's a student here."I couldn't just keep watching her, so I decided to call out to her.
"Ah… Eh!?"
Yamamura, startled, turned her face towards me.
Her eyes were filled with fear, but as soon as she realized it was me, that fear dissipated.
"Wh-wh-wh-why are you here...?"
"They'll get mad if they find you. I came to take you back before that happens."
"I was confident that… I wouldn't be found… but if you found me, I can't use that excuse, can I…?"
Yamamura could certainly avoid the teachers' surveillance and even return to the shared room.
"...How did you… notice I was gone?"
"There's no special reason. Hiyori just noticed you were gone, and she told me about it. She was worried."
"I'm sorry… I just really wanted to be alone..."
"You can't be alone in a shared room unless you lock yourself in the bathroom."
She nodded slightly, indicating that I understood.
"Can I… stay here a little longer...?"
"Do you have to be next to the vending machine?"
"Yes. When I listen to the sound of the vending machine, the unnecessary voices in my mind disappear..."
This behavior seemed to be a standard way for Yamamura to protect herself.
"Then I guess this is the only place. So? Did the unnecessary voices disappear?"
"Wh-why are you asking that...?"
"If they don't disappear and I take you back, you might run away again.
Besides, I hate to say it, but it didn't look like it was working."
"Usually, they stop immediately and it's resolved… usually..."
In other words, it was different now. From Yamamura's downcast expression, I could tell something serious was going on.
"If you have something bothering you, you should try expressing it."
"...No. I'm fine."
"Really? I've been watching you here for about five minutes, and I didn't get that impression at all."
"F-five minutes!? Really...!?"
"Sorry, I lied. It was about 30 seconds."
The fact that she didn't doubt even an arbitrary number of minutes suggested that she wasn't aware of her surroundings.
"Do you not like talking about your troubles with others?"
"It's not about liking or disliking, I just… don't have that kind of experience..."
Even without discussing it much, it wasn't hard to imagine Yamamura's life.
She probably spent a lot of time alone from a young age and spent more time with her mouth shut rather than open.
Even though our circumstances and situations were very different, I could tell that we had similar experiences.
"I'm not good at talking either. If there's a small problem, I tend to keep it to myself or try to solve it on my own. So I rarely have the opportunity to consult with someone about my troubles."
"You too, Ayanokōji-kun? But to me… you seem normal. You seem to have a lot of friends. And Shiina-san too. She's bright and cute… I'm jealous..."
If you only look at the present, it probably wasn't unreasonable to feel that way.
However, everyone has had a less mature side in their past, different from who they are now.
"Can you picture how I was during the earlier part of last year?"
She probably wasn't helping Sakayanagi at the time, so she wouldn't know.
"...Now that you mention it… I don't know anything."
"Right? So you could only be sure that I wasn't a student who left an impression on many people. Fortunately, I was pulled along by my lively classmates and was able to build some relationships, but that wasn't something I arranged myself."
"But why have you become like this now?"
"I wasn't close with those around me, but at least in these last two years, I've started to try to close the distance, little by little. I think that's had an impact. I've started being able to express what I've wanted to say around that time."Yamamura still couldn't understand it.
"I'm… probably scared. Of voicing my thoughts. And of those thoughts spreading unintentionally. I'm scared of being known..."
Yamamura's style until now had been the opposite.
Picking up other people's thoughts in secret and passing them on to a third party.
It wasn't unreasonable to feel a strong resistance when transitioning from being the one who knows to being the one known.
"I won't force you. You should judge for yourself."
Without making her too conscious, I slowly sat down in front of the vending machine, leaving some distance.
I could feel the slight vibration of the vending machine and the sound of the fan through my back.
Yamamura wasn't the only one who feared loneliness.
Whether it was Yōsuke, Kei, Ryūen, Sakayanagi, or any other student, human nature was the same.
Unable to bear loneliness, they couldn't live alone.
That was why those who stood by you without asking anything in return were important.
Even though I didn't feel it applied to me, I understood that it was an answer.
The contradiction it contained.
No, that fact doesn't matter now.
The Yamamura in front of me wasn't foolish.
She wasn't seeking loneliness, nor did she think loneliness was right.
If there was someone who could offer a proper helping hand, she wouldn't make a mistake.
"...Can I talk to you?"
Yamamura, who sensed no hostility, began to voice what she had been holding back.
"Since the last special exam ended, I've had one question in my mind..."
It was about the details of what happened in Class A during the survival and elimination special exam.
In a situation where defeat was certain and a dropout had to be chosen, Sakayanagi chose to draw lots. No matter how she decided, there would be pros and cons.
Since everyone didn't have the same abilities, there would always be those who were dissatisfied, whether you directly named them or played rock-paperscissors.
To Sakayanagi, who saw all students other than herself, as equals, the lottery was probably the most equitable decision.
However, she must've realized that it was a mistake.
Even if she was disliked by those around her, she should've kept the person that was most convenient for her.
If Kamuro had stayed, Sakayanagi's weakness wouldn't have been exposed.
But Sakayanagi wasn't the only one who was hurt.
Yamamura was standing on a side of the scales that separated the final two choices in the lottery, life and death.
"When I hesitated to draw a lot, Sakayanagi-san said she would stop the lottery. If you didn't have the courage to draw a lot, it was the same as abstaining..."
If she refused to draw for a long time, it was certainly a choice she could make.
But Yamamura felt that it was too quick a judgment to call it a careful consideration.
"Did Sakayanagi value Kamuro and try to cut you off?"
Yamamura quietly nodded. It wasn't just a guess, but Yamamura's conviction.
"I strongly felt that Sakayanagi-san wanted me to withdraw at that moment."And she continued.
"I understand that it can't be helped. At least, when comparing me and Kamuro-san, the value was clear. I didn't wish to have special treatment. I didn't even want to be greedy and wish to be considered a friend. But... I was shocked to know that my existence was something that could be discarded in an instant... even though she used me, saying I was a valuable person..."
Sakayanagi had found Yamamura, who had always been alone, and highly valued her ability. However, when she weighed her against Kamuro, she realized that the difference between the two was so great that it wasn't even a contest.
In the end, she knew Kamuro would be chosen, but she thought she would hesitate.
Yamamura's small wish, one that she belittled herself for, was mercilessly denied.
"Sakayanagi may have indeed seen a difference between you and Kamuro, but whether she thinks you're irrelevant or not, isn't that a separate issue?""...I want to believe that, but..."
She probably hadn't had any contact with Sakayanagi since that day.
So she must've been questioning herself this whole time.
"I've been thinking about talking to Sakayanagi-san during this camp, but I couldn't muster the courage. I couldn't call out to her..."
Although she had spotted her several times, it seemed she had never managed to speak to her. It must've been a considerable hurdle for Yamamura, who usually waited to be spoken to.
"More people were clinging to her than I thought. In the middle of it all, Tokitō-kun got into trouble... It looked like a difficult time."
Yamamura expressed her thoughts, revealing Tokitō's attempt to extend a helping hand to a dispirited Sakayanagi.
However, being witnessed led him to be summoned to an experiential classroom and interrogated.
"As a result, Tokitō-kun was... forcibly restrained and threatened by Ryūenkun and his group."
It was probably an appropriate decision on Ryūen's side, who was tense in preparation for the end-of-year exams.
If the opponent they were going to fight in the future was unexpectedly weak, they would either leave them alone or weaken them further. Although some parts were too radical to ignore.
He seems to have established a strong sense of alertness, intending to approach the next end-of-grade exam thoroughly prepared.
For Ryūen, who was confirmed to compete with Sakayanagi in the end-ofyear exam, it was natural to think that he didn't want to stimulate and revive her.
He seemed desperate to take advantage of the situation where she'd been tripped up by an unexpected defeat.
In other words, it was proof that Sakayanagi was an opponent who couldn't be underestimated and lacked weaknesses.
Tokitō's purge in the flow of things was expected to come to a fast end. However, Tokitō's groupmates, Hōsen and Utomiya, joined in, and there was a risk of a brawl. It seemed that the situation was resolved when the number of students who heard the commotion suddenly increased all at once, and they dispersed.
"But I'm impressed. You watched the whole thing and no one noticed?""That's all I'm able to do..."
Yamamura was perfectly suited to gather information, utilizing her lack of presence.
Sakayanagi's skill in promptly recognizing and utilizing that ability was once again impressive.
This time, Yamamura was able to witness the scene because she herself was concerned about Sakayanagi.
Indeed, Sakayanagi was now on a downward slope.
"What do you want to do?"
"Huh...?"
"As a classmate and as someone who's likely to be abandoned by Sakayanagi, what do you want me to do?"
"I, um..."
"I want to hear your feelings."
"I have... two wishes. One is... I want to know what she thought of me then, and what she thinks of me now. "
"And the other one?"
"... I think... Sakayanagi-san doesn't suit losing... I don't want to see her struggle in the end-of-year exam... I hope she wins."
There were no personal calculations, no wanting her to win just because she was a Class A student, just a genuine concern for a student.
"Is that so…? I see."
Sakayanagi might need a little push. And soon.
"Why don't you try telling her? No one has the right to condemn your actions."
"What if... what if... she doesn't even want to listen to me...?"
"In that case, let's say, I'll get stuck in between some vending machines and talk it over."
When I told her that, Yamamura looked at the vending machine a little shyly and nodded.
1
It was just before 1 a.m. on the fourth day of the training camp.
Long past lights-out, Nagumo was quietly walking down the hallway alone.
He knew he'd get a little warning if he was found, but there was no clear penalty.
Of course, this wasn't the case if he resisted, such as not returning to his room after being found.
Considering the risks, it had already been demonstrated using other students the day before.
Above all, he'd investigated that the teachers' patrols would end at midnight.
Therefore, Nagumo was hardly worried about being found.
The lights in the lobby were kept to a minimum, and only the sound of the compressors of the lined-up vending machines annoyingly reached his ears at such a time.
He passed through the lobby and moved on to the cafeteria area, where no one was supposed to be.
He couldn't feel anyone's presence, but his intuition was working.
She's right in front of me, he thought.
"You came as promised."
From the back of the darkened cafeteria, such a cute voice reached him.
"I've never refused a woman's call before," he spoke into the darkness.
"Yawn, what a cheesy line. Honestly, I hate your type."
"Relax. I'm not into women like you either."
Nagumo, who snorted in amusement, stepped into the cafeteria with his hands still in his pockets.
"So, there was no need to threaten me. That might've been an unnecessary move."
As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, a female student emerged.
"Amasawa, did you really want to be alone with me that much?"
"Opportunities to be alone with a former student council president don't come around often, do they?"
"I want to confirm something. What would you have done if I hadn't come?"
"I would've beaten up your precious Asahina-senpai, Nagumo-senpai."
Many would've laughed off Amasawa's response as a joke, seeing her smiling face.
And Nagumo did the same, but his eyes weren't laughing. He was convinced that the first-year student in front of him would've carried out her threat.
"Did you show your skills in archery with Ayanokōji to make your threats more effective?"
"Well, yeah. If I don't show that I'm capable, people might dismiss a woman's threats."
"Okay, let's get to the point. So, why did you threaten me to call me out?"
"There's a problem that only you can solve, Nagumo-senpai. That's what I want to talk about."
"You had plenty of chances to talk during the exchange meeting."While responding, Nagumo internally braced himself.
He sensed that the girl in front of him was not just any girl—her presence was faint.
A student with a strange presence, similar to Ayanokōji.
And the owner of unusual abilities, one that he had glimpsed during the archery match.
That was more than enough to put him on guard.
"By the way, I'm thinking of seriously injuring you, Nagumo-senpai."
"Seriously injuring me? That's quite sudden."
Amasawa, who was trying to enjoy Nagumo's surprise at the unexpected proposal, laughed in disbelief.
"Is it too unrealistic? Or do you think you can't lose to a girl?"
"I wonder. Maybe it's both."
"Will you run away?"
In this situation, Amasawa used her words to corner Nagumo, to make sure he wouldn't escape.
A measure to prevent the former student council president from running away like a scared rabbit.
But Nagumo's demeanor was confident, showing no signs of worry.
"Can I at least hear the reason?"
"The reason? Hmm, let's just say it's a personal vendetta."
"Personal vendetta, huh?"
"Yes, a personal vendetta. Now, if we take too long, the teachers might find us, and it would be embarrassing if the fact that you were beaten by a girl got out, so can we start?"
"Just to confirm, do you really think you can beat me?"
"Haha, I've been waiting for you to say that. Let's give it a try."
"It's easy to say, but there's nothing in it for me. It would be a problem if I retaliated against a girl who came at me out of personal vendetta."
"It's pointless to resist anyway, you can just let me beat you up. That way, you'll lose your pride, but you won't get penalized by the school. I recommend it.""Aren't you afraid of being expelled?"
"Of course not. If I get expelled, I have nothing to lose."
"So, persuasion is impossible?"
"Yes, I have no 'value.' In other words, I'm invincible."Nagumo slowly pulled his hands out of his pockets.
If he had been holding his phone, Amasawa would've immediately jumped on him to prevent him from calling for help.
"I didn't bring my phone."
"Oh..."
Amasawa had slightly licked her own lips.
"Did you get cautious because of the recording? Go ahead and answer without holding back. State the reasons behind this so-called personal vendetta."
"You teamed up with Ayanokōji-senpai and expelled Yagami Takuya, right?
It's payback."
Nagumo had been considering various things, but he was completely surprised by the unexpected.
"Yagami? Don't tell me, you were Yagami's girlfriend?"
"That's not it, but we were like siblings who had surpassed that kind of relationship."
"Then aren't you targeting the wrong person? I wasn't the one who led that."
"I know that. I told you, this is just a personal vendetta. Unfortunately, even if I stand on my head, I can't beat Ayanokōji-senpai, and I thought about beating up
Karuizawa-senpai and expelling her, but that's a bit scary."
"Scary? Of getting revenge from Ayanokōji? I don't think he cares about what happens to Karuizawa."
"Ayanokōji-senpai has his own goals. I don't want to interfere with that."By expelling Karuizawa, it would interfere with Ayanokōji's plan.
As someone who knew the circumstances, Amasawa thought she couldn't do such a thing.
"People like Nagumo-senpai are well-suited for stories where the character ultimately faces their downfall at the conclusion."
"It suits me, huh?"
Usually, Nagumo would've been displeased and angry if such words were said to him.
But now, emptiness welled up before such emotions.
Thinking it was a waste to spend any more time, Amasawa stepped forward.
"Last year and the year before, the one always causing a stir at this school was Horikita Manabu."
But something unexpected began, and she stopped.
"This year it's Ayanokōji. I'm sure it'll be the same next year after I'm gone. I was indeed enrolled at this school for three years. I also served as student council president. Even if I attracted attention within my year, it didn't resonate at all with
the upper or lower years. There's nothing more empty than that."That was why he desperately continued fighting.
"I realized it just before graduation. It's not Horikita-senpai or Ayanokōji that's to blame. It's me who couldn't reach that realm."
That was why he couldn't get angry when told that downfall suited him.
If only Nagumo was more capable.
The names Horikita, Nagumo, and Ayanokōji would've been treated as equals.
Realizing this, there would be no need to seek clarity in challenges or establish a hierarchy; they would've been on par.
"But… that's not the case. I wouldn't have been satisfied with that situation either."
If the three of them were lined up, he'd still want to rank them and be number one.
"That's why I won't quit this game. Next year I'll do it again with Horikitasenpai. And someday I'll have a real match with Ayanokōji and settle it."
A part of him could be honest because he was talking to Amasawa, who had nothing to do with him.
Although he didn't vocalize it, Nagumo was grateful for this situation.
"Before you put anything into action, I have a gift for you."
Amasawa, who wasn't at all interested before, was intrigued by Nagumo laying everything bare.
So she stopped and listened to the end.
"A gift? I'm the type to throw away presents from men I'm not interested in without opening them."
"I see. Then it might end with you throwing it away without opening it.
After all, it's just a message from Ayanokōji."
"...Ayanokōji-senpai...?"
Her body stiffened involuntarily at the sound of his name.
"If it's a lie to save yourself, it will only widen the wound."
"Believe my words or not, it's up to you. The message from Ayanokōji is
'You still have value. Don't waste it.' "
The reason Amasawa approached Nagumo at the exchange meeting was all for this moment of vengeance.
Ayanokōji noticed something suspicious about Amasawa from the first day.
Pretending not to know the rules of the exchange event, despite having obtained all the information in advance from Tsukishiro. The emergence of a contradiction due to the lie, fabricated to prevent Nagumo from realizing the true reason for approaching him.
The moment she heard that message, Amasawa completely lost her will to fight.
"Is this just a coincidence? The message seems to have foreseen even the fact that you would despairingly declare yourself someone without 'value.'"
The fact that Amasawa was targeting Nagumo and that she would take drastic actions because she had nothing to lose.
What he'd been told at the time of their parting actually happened right in front of Nagumo.
He's a guy I don't like. Nagumo cursed in his heart.
Yet, Nagumo felt a slight sense of satisfaction.
Now, it would be a waste to seriously fight Ayanokōji.
"I'm tired, so I'm going back first. You should return to your room before you catch a cold."
Nagumo left the dining hall, leaving Amasawa standing still.