As the saying goes, "He who doesn't plan ahead will face immediate worries."
Since Hara Kei had no intention of helping Yukinoshita Yukino recruit members, he now had to consider the worst-case scenario: what if the club couldn't be formed and that classroom could no longer be used?
That meant he had to find a possible alternative spot.
Surprisingly, that wasn't too difficult. St. Eden Academy, though a combined middle and high school, had an enormous campus—its grounds rivaled some well-known universities. Surely, somewhere on such a spacious campus, there had to be a place for one person to hide.
…
Hara Kei had currently stationed himself in a stairwell on the very top floor of the main building, just a door away from the rooftop.
Unfortunately, the rooftop of the main building wasn't open to students. Or rather, it wasn't "freely" open. Like all public facilities on campus, the rooftop was strictly under the student council's control and inaccessible to ordinary students like him.
Perfect.
Because Hara Kei's target wasn't the rooftop—it was this stairwell.
Since the rooftop was off-limits, this top-floor stairwell became almost deserted during lunch breaks. The diligent cleaning staff polished the marble floors so thoroughly that Hara Kei could see his reflection in them; he suspected they might even wax the floors while cleaning.
On top of that, sunlight poured into the narrow space, providing more than enough light for him to read comfortably.
Other than the lack of desks, chairs, or power outlets, this stairwell was practically a perfect private retreat.
Hara Kei nodded in satisfaction, mentally adding the location to his internal notebook. If that classroom became unavailable, this would be an excellent fallback option.
However, just as he finished his survey and prepared to head down the stairs—
"Ah, Hara Kei?"
Below him, a pink-haired girl looked up with a startled expression, holding a silver key that gleamed in the sunlight.
Correction: besides lacking desks and outlets, this stairwell had one serious flaw—cornered at a turn, it was easy to run into someone coming up, which wasn't good for the heart.
A cute girl called his name and walked slowly toward him. Most people would feel their chest heat up at such a scene. Hara Kei, however, was not most people.
And besides, this girl, despite her outward charm, was an enemy in his eyes.
He had no interest in figuring out why Fujiwara Chika—the classroom's idol and center of attention—had appeared in this deserted stairwell. Hara Kei was not the curious type, nor was he a gossip who meddled in others' affairs.
If anything, there was probably no one in the world who respected others' privacy more than him.
He gave Fujiwara Chika a slight nod as a greeting and planned to slip away quietly.
His plan didn't work.
As they passed each other, Chika reached out and grabbed the hem of his school uniform jacket.
"Eh? There's still time before the next class, so stay a little longer."
Her gaze held a subtle vulnerability, but the grip on his jacket was surprisingly strong.
Truth be told, this was the first time Hara Kei had seen Chika wear such a fragile, porcelain-like expression. She didn't have her usual radiant, lively aura; instead, she looked more like a beautiful ghost bound to the stairwell after leaping to her death.
What was wrong with her? In the classroom earlier, she hadn't been like this…
Hara Kei sighed and sat down on the stairs. "Just so you know, we'll only talk until the next class starts."
"Mm!" Chika finally smiled, and the light returned to her previously dimmed eyes.
…
"Uh… since we've got some time, shall we chat a bit?" she said abruptly, still holding his jacket hem.
Her awkward words were unlike her usual polished, social self. She seemed desperate to say something but couldn't quite get it out, letting out just enough to test the waters.
Was she waiting for Hara Kei to encourage her or give her courage somehow?
Unfortunately, Hara Kei was not that gentle.
"Just say what you want to say. Don't waste time on meaningless tests," he said bluntly. "I can be your 'ear for secrets' for now, after all, you've looked after me before in our previous school life. Don't expect me to gossip or provide comfort—understood?"
"…You're still so perceptive, Hara Kei," Chika said after a brief pause. For some reason, she let out a soft laugh. "You keep everyone at arm's length, yet you can see right through people so easily… You're a strange one."
Mind your own business. Hara Kei crossed his arms, wearing an expression of indifferent superiority.
"Uh… where should I start?" Chika frowned in mild frustration. "Let's begin from the beginning."
"You know about my family, Hara Kei, right?" she asked cautiously. "Simply put… we're from a somewhat prominent family."
No, not "somewhat," Hara Kei thought silently. Definitely not "somewhat."
"Usually, families like mine have complicated internal relationships, but my family members get along really well."
"My dad is a high-ranking official, and my mom is the daughter of a wealthy household. They married for love, and their feelings have lasted until now—sometimes they even do things that make me blush."
"I have an older sister and a younger sister. We argue occasionally, but we've never fallen apart."
"Oh, and I have a large dog named Pace. Though its gaze looks fierce, it's actually very timid. If you like, I can introduce him to you sometime."
Hara Kei snorted softly in silent refusal. He didn't want human friends, let alone a dog companion.
"That's my background. Not long ago," Chika's expression darkened, her voice slightly hoarse, "my parents had their annual physical checkups."
"This is a routine yearly exam. As usual, all their numbers were normal. At dinner, Dad proudly showed us the report, boasting about their health, and that's when I noticed something interesting—their blood types were both AB."
"They've had this test before, but I never paid attention. This time, though, I remembered what we learned in biology class," Chika explained. "We recently studied Mendel's laws of inheritance, dominant and recessive genes, and the teacher used blood types as an example. That's why it caught my attention."
"But something was wrong." Chika's voice trembled with confusion and a hint of fear. "During our entrance exam physical, my blood type wasn't… AB."
"It was A."
The space fell silent. Voices from the lower floors could be heard with unusual clarity in that stillness.
"How strange, Hara Kei," Chika murmured, "two AB-type parents… so why did they have a daughter with type A blood?"