After that, the secret meetings continued, and the time came for the day after the final exams.
This time, I was alone in Sakayanagi's room, without Horikita and the others.
"Are we really going through with this plan? To be honest, it feels impossible. I don't see how Tsugumi wouldn't notice."
The plan proposed by Sakayanagi was about to be executed, but I expressed my doubts because I couldn't see how it would succeed.
"Tsugumi-kun is surprisingly foolish, so it will be fine. You saw how he was when Horikita-san was attacked, didn't you?"
"That's true, but..."
"Then there's no need to worry. Go all out."
Sakayanagi laughed happily and urged me on. Honestly, considering what we were about to do, her demeanor seemed anything but sane.
As if she had read my thoughts, Sakayanagi spoke more calmly and seriously.
"You don't need to be so stressed, Ayanokouji-kun. After all, Tsugumi-kun is the one at fault, so let's just think of this as a response to his actions."
"...Right."
The plan we were about to carry out was something that could only be proposed by Sakayanagi, who was confident in her importance to Tsugumi. It was something I could never pull off, not after what happened with Horikita.
However, there was no more effective way to learn the "something" that Tsugumi was hiding.
"You seem to be having fun, Sakayanagi."
"Of course. With this, I'll finally find out what I've been wanting to know all along."
Apparently, a smile can be an aggressive expression.
Tsugumi once told me that this was especially true for Sakayanagi, and it seemed he was right.
---------
And now, we return to the present.
Saitou regained consciousness about 15 minutes after being knocked out.
"Ugh..."
"You're awake."
"That voice... Kiyotaka-kun?"
He tried to lift his still-throbbing head to see me, but the blindfold made it impossible.
"You did this? ...What's the meaning of this, Kiyotaka-kun?"
As he realized what had happened, Saitou noticed that both of his hands were tied behind his back. The feel of the rope made it easy to tell that it was tied extremely tightly.
And the image of Ayanokouji he had seen just before he collapsed. That alone was enough for Saitou to conclude that Ayanokouji was at the center of this incident.
"What's the meaning of this? That's my line."
"Huh?"
To Saitou, who was still unable to move but was straining to question me, I replied in an emotionless voice. He let out a blank-sounding noise, unable to comprehend the meaning of my words.
I calmly continued to explain.
"I already know you've been in contact with my father. I set this up because I wanted to be clear about your true intentions."
"Your... father?"
Yes. Saitou had no idea what I was talking about. From what he had heard from Sakayanagi and me, he could imagine what kind of person my father was, but he was not someone Saitou would ever cooperate with.
"So you're going to play innocent... In that case, I have a plan. Stand up, Sakayanagi."
"What's the point of this, why are you-"
"Stop making a fuss, just hurry up."
"Wha-!?"
Then, Sakayanagi's voice entered Saitou's ears.
Come to think of it, of course she was here. Saitou had come all this way after seeing a photo of a captured Sakayanagi. There was no way I, as the one who set this up, would just let her go.
In fact, for me, this was where the real show began.
"From now on, you will answer my questions."
"Questions...?"
However, given that he was restrained, it was a bad idea to resist. Saitou decided to calm his voice and answer the questions.
"First, when did you start trying to get me expelled?"
"...I don't understand. What evidence do you have to think I'm trying to expel you?"
"I see."
The moment I muttered my disappointment, a sickening thud was followed by the sound of Sakayanagi choking.
"Ugh!? Ugh..."
Sakayanagi cried out in pain and collapsed onto the ground. I had kicked the restrained Sakayanagi in the stomach.
"...Huh?"
Saitou let out a blank voice, completely taken aback by my vicious act.
"If you try to deceive me or lie, I'll punish Sakayanagi with one hit each time. I already have all the proof. The only choice you have left is to calmly tell me everything about your plan."
"Why...! Why are you doing this!? Do you seriously believe that I would... try to get you expelled!?"
"I didn't want to believe it either. That's why I want to hear it from you."
"...Don't mess with me. How can I answer for something I didn't do!"
Ayanokouji was convinced that Saitou was cooperating with his father, while Saitou had no memory of it at all. Just as it seemed the conversation would go nowhere, Ayanokouji suddenly said something.
"You might not know this, but my father contacted me just the other day. In this school, where contact with the outside world is forbidden until graduation. Do you know what that means?"
In reality, no such conversation had taken place, but there was no way for Saitou to confirm that. Ayanokouji continued to speak. It was rare for his usually flat voice to waver.
"He told me, 'Tsugumi Saitou is my collaborator.' Did you have fun? Watching me be happy about having a friend? It must have been quite a spectacle for you."
"That's not it! That's... I'm serious about being your friend!"
Saitou shouted, but in his mind, he was trying to figure out why Ayanokouji had resorted to such a vicious act.
From Saitou's perspective, this was a misunderstanding on Ayanokouji's part. He had never been in contact with his father, and even if he were offered a reward to get Ayanokouji expelled, he would never accept it. That's how important Ayanokouji was to Saitou as a friend.
However, given the circumstances surrounding Ayanokouji, he couldn't dismiss it as just a simple misunderstanding.
(From Kiyotaka-kun's demeanor, for some reason, he's convinced that I've been working to get him expelled. ...Damn it, I don't get it. Did Chabashira-sensei put something in his head?)
However, Saitou's thoughts were stopped by Ayanokouji.
"Gah!? ...AAAHHHHHH!?"
Along with a dry snap, Sakayanagi's pained scream was heard again.
It was a voice Saitou had never heard from Sakayanagi before, and the fact that the cause was Ayanokouji, his supposed best friend, completely shattered Saitou's usually sharp mind.
"Wh-why... Why are you doing this!?"
"That's twice now. Next, I'll break the bone in her ring finger."
Saitou understood what the unpleasant sound had been and tried to get up to lunge at Ayanokouji. But with his hands tied, he couldn't.
"You bastard! I'll kill you! Kiyotaka!!"
"..."
Driven by rage, Saitou dragged his arms, cursing and swearing. The unpleasant sound of the metal pipe shaking echoed in the cold, concrete room.
Ayanokouji watched him silently, not saying a word.
---In Saitou's mind, he saw an image of Sakayanagi, whom he had watched over since childhood.
She was an intelligent child who always tried to act more mature than she was, but in the end, her age always showed. Saitou had always made an effort to treat her with kindness, and sometimes with strictness. It was no exaggeration to say that she was a member of his family.
He had supported her with her weak body, and sometimes she had supported him, as he lived his second life. ...Though, Saitou felt he had always been the one who was supported more.
"Tsugumi, kun---"
And now, that same Sakayanagi was calling his name in a pained voice.
That voice, which he had heard countless times and was so familiar with, was now being distorted in pain because of the man in front of him.
"---Help... me."
The moment he heard that voice, Saitou's mind went blank.
---------
"AAAHHHHHHAAAAAAA!!!"
Saitou let out a guttural scream and lunged forward. ...The force was terrifying. Sakayanagi, standing next to me, also looked surprised. This must be the moment when Tsugumi, for the first time, was truly enraged.
It was a good thing we had him tied up. I wasn't confident I could hold him back if he went wild.
But then, with a cracking sound, the metal pipe that was tying Saitou's hands started to break loose.
"Hey, hey... You've gotta be kidding me."
I used bolts to attach it directly to the concrete, you know... Is Tsugumi some kind of gorilla?
This was completely unexpected. I looked at Sakayanagi for instructions, and she mouthed something. "Good luck..."?
"Hey."
I couldn't help but call out to her, but Sakayanagi ignored me and pretended to be asleep... Hey! Is that what you meant by "good luck"!?
While we were doing that, Tsugumi, having broken free from his restraints, took off his blindfold and threw it on the ground.
"...Tsugumi."
"..."
He was completely enraged. What should I do?
I need to get out of here, so I'll move Sakayanagi behind me.
I approached the pretending-to-be-asleep Sakayanagi... What!?
"Don't touch me."
I felt a chill and ducked my head. Something flew past me at an incredible speed. It hit the wall behind me, and with a sound of breaking metal, it fell to the ground.
Upon closer inspection, it was a metal bracket that had been holding the pipe. If it had hit me, it would have surely fractured my skull.
"Are you trying to kill me?"
In response to my question, Tsugumi remained silent and raised his fists.
He had entered full-on combat mode. He must have realized that he couldn't escape without defeating me.
"Just so you know, I'm strong."
"!"
As Tsugumi closed the distance and threw a relentless punch, I was thinking about his incomprehensible strength.
Sakayanagi had said that although Tsugumi had played various sports, he had never practiced any martial arts. She said it would have been impossible for him to practice without her knowing.
If that was the case, there was no explanation for what was happening in front of me.
"…Gasp!"
The moment I closed the distance to attack, a right hook came sharply towards my cheek, as if he had anticipated it. I barely managed to dodge, but in that moment, Tsugumi had put some distance between us.
Then I noticed something. Sakayanagi was behind him, where she should have been behind me.
"Hey, where did you learn that?"
At the White Room, we trained in various martial arts. Even there, I was strong enough to single-handedly defeat several armed instructors. These were instructors who were considered masters in their respective fields.
From that experience, I knew that Tsugumi's fighting ability was not something he had learned on his own. It was a level that could not be achieved overnight. The technique that was not inferior to mine, and the ability to calmly guide me to a position where he could protect Sakayanagi without my noticing. All of it showed that the man in front of me was a formidable opponent.
"What good will it do me to tell you?"
...It seems he really hates me now. I hope he doesn't hold a grudge after I reveal everything... If he does, I'll make Sakayanagi take responsibility.
The conversation ended there, and I closed the distance again and threw a kick. I thought I had caught him off guard, but he deflected it to the right with minimal force.
As Tsugumi stepped into my range, I tried to counter with an elbow strike, but he stopped it with his left palm before I could accelerate.
He was a difficult opponent to fight. The balance between his physique and technique was odd, making it hard to predict his movements.
The punches he threw from his impressive physique were those of a weak person. It was a style that women and children would usually learn.
I was slightly pushed back by his unexpected movements, but that changed with time.
"!? ...Gah!"
After several exchanges, my fist landed squarely on Tsugumi's solar plexus.
Tsugumi quickly tried to put some distance between us but couldn't withstand the impact and fell to his knees.
"Give up. You can't win in this state, especially not when you're all beaten up."
He must have strained all the muscles in his body when he broke free from the restraints. He probably didn't feel the pain at first due to the adrenaline, but now that it was subsiding, his movements were becoming sluggish.
"...Cough, cough... If I give up, will you let me go?"
"That's an impossible request."
When I said that, Tsugumi slowly stood up, with his hands on his knees.
"Yeah, I guess so! ...Gah!?"
Tsugumi shouted encouragement and rushed towards me, but now his body wouldn't move, and he lost his balance and fell.
"...It's over."
If he moved any more, he could be left with a permanent disability. He had moved that much with a body that was already cold. To be honest, I wanted to take him to the hospital immediately, but...
As I was thinking that, Tsugumi grabbed my ankle and lifted his face from the ground.
"I don't know what you're thinking, but...! Hah, hah... If you hurt Arisu-chan again, I swear, I'll make you regret it."
His face was covered in dirt and tears, and his words were strained, yet his resolve was clear as he looked at me. The strength in his grip was weak, and his hand was trembling slightly.
...He's fine now. He doesn't have the energy to run away.
"...It's over. Stop playing and explain everything, Sakayanagi."
"...Huh?"
I raised both my hands to show that I had no intention of fighting anymore and spoke to Sakayanagi, who was listening behind me. I was surprised at how exhausted my voice sounded.
"---Sigh, for a moment, I didn't know what would happen. I'm glad I had combat training in the White Room."
"Why... Why is Arisu-chan...?"
"I had something I wanted to ask Tsugumi-kun. I had Ayanokouji-kun move on my instructions."
"Something you wanted to ask... No, I wouldn't lie to Arisu-chan..."
"Yes. You've only lied to me about matters concerning women, haven't you?"
Sakayanagi cut off Tsugumi's words. Although her tone was the same as usual, I could sense the passion she was hiding beneath it.
"Why would such a kind Tsugumi-kun try to do something in secret from us? ...Couldn't you have imagined how I felt when I heard you were going to drop out?"
"Ha, haha... I see. So that's what this is about."
As if he finally understood the situation, Tsugumi let out a dry laugh and slowly leaned against the wall.
"...So, what do you want to know? After all this trouble for a prank. Just so you know, I'm not going to give up on dropping out."
"Yes. I know very well that you're a stubborn person who doesn't easily change your mind."
Sakayanagi placed her left hand behind her, and with her cane in her right hand, she crouched down skillfully to match Tsugumi's eye level.
"Therefore, what I want to ask is the reason you've come to this decision... In other words, your past."
"...That's a tough joke, Arisu-chan. You know my past better than anyone. Did you really go to all this trouble, pretending to be hurt just to get me angry?"
Tsugumi replied after a brief pause. His voice was a bit rough.
"Oh? When did I say I was unharmed? It seems Tsugumi-kun has misunderstood something. Isn't that right, Ayanokouji-kun?"
"...Please, don't drag me into this."
"Haha, my apologies."
With that, Sakayanagi waved the left hand she had been hiding in front of Tsugumi.
The moment he saw her hand, the expression on Tsugumi's face twisted in a way that was almost comical.
"!? ...Why! How..."
Tsugumi's gaze was fixed on Sakayanagi's little finger, which was unnaturally bent and looked bruised.
"It hurt, you know? After all, it's the first time in my life I've had a bone broken."
Yes. Everything that happened while Tsugumi was blindfolded was real.
And this was all at Sakayanagi's own instruction.
To a despairing Tsugumi, Sakayanagi's gentle expression vanished as she spoke to him.
"Tsugumi-kun? ---I'm serious. You should make up your mind soon."
For Tsugumi, who cared about Sakayanagi more than anyone, her getting hurt was unforgivable. And the cause of her getting hurt was none other than his own secret. He must have been crushed by guilt.
Sakayanagi was using herself as a hostage to get Tsugumi to talk. It was a feat that could only be done with an immense amount of resolve.
"Ah... So this is what it comes to... I'm always..."
Tsugumi mumbled something that sounded like resignation.
And a few seconds of silence passed.
"You want to know about my past, right? Do you really think there's anything you don't know?"
"At the very least, judging by your reaction, I can tell there's something. ...Is it really something you don't want to talk about? Am I not a person worthy of knowing?"
"Fine. It doesn't look like you're going to let me go without saying anything, and I know I can't fool you guys."
He emphasized the word "but" and glanced at me and Sakayanagi before continuing.
"No matter how unbelievable this story is, I'm not lying about a single thing. So please, believe me."
"...Understood."
After hearing me respond, Tsugumi began to speak.
A story of a past so gruesome it could only be called a curse.
"---I have memories of a past life. What I'm about to tell you is a story of that life... a life of an utter scumbag."
============
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