Below Hara Kei's apartment building stood two trees. One was a plane tree. And the other… was also a plane tree.
Of course, that wasn't literally true.
In typical Sakura-jima style, ginkgo trees or paulownia trees were planted along roadsides, maples marked intersections, and cherry trees lined riversides or scenic routes. The trees beneath Kei's window, however, were common French plane trees, looking well-established and aged. Thick, pale trunks stretched upward from the ground, reaching past the second-floor window of Kei's room.
It was autumn, though, and the lush green leaves had begun to dry and fall. Each morning on his way to school, Kei would step over a carpet of yellowed leaves, their brittle rustling strangely satisfying.
That night, Kei was in his room, headphones on, listening to the performance recording sent by Touma Yoko. His finely tuned musical sense disassembled every note and phrase, converting them into countless black tadpole-like symbols dancing freely in his mind.
Above his head, the [+1] icons appeared intermittently—visible only to him.
Outside, the wind howled, and even with headphones, Kei could hear the branches of the street trees groaning under its force.
Then—
"Thump.""Thump."
A few muffled sounds hit the glass. At first, Kei assumed a stone had been carried by the wind.
But soon—
"Thump.""Thump-thump.""Thump-thump-thump."
The sounds grew more frequent. Now he realized—it wasn't the wind. Someone was hitting his window.
What kind of idiot is this? Who's bored enough to do this?
Frowning with irritation, he pulled back the curtain to see which little rascal was causing trouble—and came face-to-face with a familiar figure.
It was Yukinoshita Yukino.
Her black hair and dark eyes blended into the night, but Kei recognized her instantly. She appeared to have climbed up from the plane tree outside.
"Can I come in?" Yukino's voice carried a faint exhaustion; climbing a tree clearly hadn't been easy for her.
Kei's nerves were strong enough to overcome his shock. Without hesitation, he opened the window and took her hand, helping her into his room.
Only then did he notice she wasn't wearing her usual school uniform, but a practical athletic outfit—scratched and torn from the branches she'd climbed. Her long hair was tangled with tiny leaves and twigs, and her hands bore multiple scrapes.
Kei's initial surprise faded. He didn't scold her or question her sanity. There were more pressing matters.
He walked to the edge of his room, retrieved a small white box from the cabinet. A red cross on the lid glinted under the light.
"Hand."
Returning to Yukino, he said simply. She obediently extended her right hand, scratches still visible on her pale skin.
Kei brought out a cotton ball soaked in disinfectant.
"Eek~" Yukino hissed, wincing from the sting.
"Feeling pain now?" Kei said, half-amused. "Forgot when you were climbing? What are you, a child?"
He set that hand aside and picked up a fresh cotton ball.
"Give me the other hand too."
"Okay." Yukino complied, seeming to understand that Kei was in a brief scolding mood. There was no arguing.
"Roll up your sleeves. Let me see your elbows."
Her athletic outfit was thick; her elbows were mostly fine. Kei checked her knees as well, carefully treating the minor injuries.
After finishing, he finally relaxed. He placed the first-aid kit aside and looked at Yukino, sitting quietly on the floor. Sighing, he asked, "Now, tell me—what's so urgent that you had to climb a tree at this hour?"
"It's about Teacher Mio's assignment…" Yukino began.
"Just that? Why not say it over 'e'?"
"Fujiwara said you're not very fond of replying to messages. Also, it's a bit complicated. I thought it'd be clearer to explain in person."
"Then why climb a tree instead of using the front door?"
"The circuits there are broken. The motion-sensor lights won't turn on, and the doorbell doesn't work."
"…Ah."
Kei's apartment was old, with aging wiring—a common problem. When he first rented this room, his Securities Trading skill hadn't been upgraded, and he wasn't yet wealthy enough to avoid inconveniences. After earning enough in the stock market, he never moved, simply to avoid the hassle.
He ran a hand through his hair. Yukino's method of reaching him was completely unexpected. He never thought the second Miss Yukinoshita would do something so reckless.
"So, you came here in such a rush. That means there's been major progress on the assignment, right? You've figured out that the 300,000 yen isn't the String Club's funds, nor the Wind Instrument Club's, and certainly not the Choir Club's?"
"Eh?" Yukino's eyes widened. "But wasn't that 300,000 yen activity funds? Then… where did it come from?"
…She hasn't checked even that yet? Kei muttered silently but didn't scold her. That kind of thing was far outside a high schooler's daily life; it was normal not to know.
"It's a little complicated whether it's technically activity funds," Kei said thoughtfully. "It used to be club activity funds, but it's already been spent."
"??? Spent?" Yukino looked confused. "But it's in Teacher Mio's hands! If it's already spent, why does the club advisor still have it?"
"That's a long story," Kei said, sitting across from her, a playful tone in his voice. "Yukinoshita, do you know why there's a rule that a teacher can only be an advisor for one club?"