Chapter 4: The Trolley Problem
Shizuka's departure left Yukino and Hayashida alone together.
Normally, for two people meeting for the first time, such a situation would only amplify the awkwardness and silence.
Fortunately, neither Hayashida nor Yukino were ordinary individuals.
As the president of the Service Club and the host of this classroom, Yukino was the first to speak. "At least take a seat, Hayashida-kun."
As she spoke, Yukino subtly glanced at Hayashida's left leg before rising from her seat and moving to the back of the classroom to fetch a chair, placing it about 2–3 meters away from her original position.
"Thanks." Hayashida didn't hesitate to accept the beautiful girl's kindness, sitting down without reservation.
Upon hearing Hayashida's gratitude, Yukino's mood inexplicably improved slightly. A faint smile appeared on her icy, doll-like face—beautiful as freshly fallen snow, just like her name.
"You're welcome. Would you like some black tea?"
Yukino loved black tea, especially while reading. The aroma of tea and a good book complemented each other perfectly, so she had brought some tea leaves, brewing equipment, and disposable paper cups from home to the Service Club, ready to serve any guests who might visit.
Hayashida was a prospective club member—and also a guest.
"That would be wonderful." Hayashida readily agreed. He also enjoyed tea, particularly white tea, with black tea being his second favorite.
"The doctor at the hospital actually suggested I could drink tea in moderation, saying the nutrients in tea leaves might aid recovery."
Of course, no doctor had actually said that. It was a self-prescribed remedy by Hayashida himself.
As for the reason…
Hayashida had sensed Yukino's emotional fluctuations, and his earlier suspicions were now all but confirmed.
So that black luxury car really did belong to the Yukinoshita family. Judging by the situation, his club president must have been in the car at the time—otherwise, there'd be no reason for her to feel guilty upon seeing him.
They hadn't even known each other before.
At first, Hayashida had only been suspicious, but after a series of subtle tests, he had finally confirmed his theory.
It made him sigh—Japan really was a small place.
"Here you go." Miss Yukinoshita, the unwitting perpetrator, handed him the tea, completely unaware that she had already been marked by the victim.
"Arigatou~" Hayashida accepted the cup with both hands, gently blowing on it before taking a small sip. The rich, distinctive aroma of black tea instantly filled his senses.
Setting the cup down, Hayashida decided it was time to stop testing the waters.
"Yukinoshita-san, have you heard of the trolley problem?"
Yukino blinked, seemingly caught off guard by Hayashida's sudden shift from tea to ethical philosophy.
Then, realization dawned on her—there was only one thought in her mind now: She'd been found out!
The girl closed the light novel she had just opened, straightened her posture, and was about to speak after organizing her thoughts when Hayashida continued:
"Pull the lever, divert the trolley, sacrifice one to save five. Don't pull it, and the trolley continues, killing all five. Yukinoshita-san, what would you choose?"
Yukino pursed her lips before answering.
"I wouldn't pull the lever."
"Very well, it seems Yukinoshita-san is a moralist. Next question: A car is driving normally on the road when suddenly a dog darts across. To save the dog, a person jumps out. At this moment, even if the driver hits the brakes, they will still hit both the person and the dog. But if they brake and turn the steering wheel, they'll only hit an innocent bystander. So, the question is..."
As Hayashida paused, Yukino's breath hitched, her heartbeat involuntarily quickened, and her fair little hands subconsciously clenched into fists.
"Yukinoshita-san, why should you feel guilty about this?"
"..."
"Huh?"
A belated, unbearably cute sound escaped Yukino's lips, her delicate face unable to conceal her astonishment.
Hayashida simply shrugged and continued, "The steering wheel was in the driver's hands, not yours, wasn't it?"
In a typical Japanese drama scenario, Hayashida might have said something like: Yukinoshita-san, you wouldn't want... But this was reality, and Hayashida currently had no intention of eating pork cutlet rice.
"But..." Yukino felt dizzy from Hayashida's words, opening and closing her mouth several times without managing to form a coherent sentence.
By this point, even if Yukino were slow, she could tell that Hayashida already knew she had been in the car at the time. Not only that, but he had also keenly picked up on her emotions and was trying to comfort her.
Suddenly, Yukino recalled their earlier conversation when they first met. She had used the art of language to evade Hayashida's question, "Have we met before?" Although she hadn't lied, the outcome was effectively the same as lying, which was why she had felt so irritated at the time.
In the end, she hadn't been able to hide it from him...
Not realizing it was one thing, but now that she did, Yukino felt an unprecedented level of embarrassment. The proud, emotionally sensitive girl couldn't bring herself to meet Hayashida's gaze, her ears turning red, her body tense, and her toes curling tightly inside her pure-white indoor shoes.
Wanting to find a crack to hide in would be the best description of Yukino's current state.
The embarrassment was so intense that, in Hayashida's eyes, the faint red hue symbolizing her awkwardness seemed to envelop the girl entirely.
"Every sin has its owner, every debt its debtor. Yukinoshita-san, you're not the type to take others' mistakes onto your own shoulders, are you? That kind of life would be exhausting," Hayashida said in a joking tone.
After taking a few deep breaths and regaining her composure, Yukino shook her head and answered seriously, "Even so, I still bear some responsibility."
"I'm sorry..."
This apology wasn't for the accident but for her earlier attempt to evade Hayashida's question when she first entered the room.
By now, Hayashida had gained a general understanding of this club president.
Upright and correct, extremely strict with herself, her inner beauty no less remarkable than her outward appearance—a rare combination of beauty and intelligence in this era.
Just based on the traits she had displayed so far, she more than deserved the title of the school's top beauty.
"If this makes you feel better, I accept your apology," Hayashida said, sitting up straight and responding with equal seriousness.
But after saying this, he suddenly relaxed, raising the disposable paper cup of black tea before him with the same gesture one would use to hold a wine glass, and gestured toward Yukino: "Well then, for the upcoming club activities, I'll be counting on your guidance, President. Cheers~"
"No one drinks tea like this." Even so, Yukino returned the gesture in the same manner.
It was as if they weren't holding teacups but wine glasses filled with red wine, and the location wasn't a high school clubroom but some grand banquet.
Perhaps finding the situation too ridiculous, Yukino burst into laughter, and Hayashida followed suit.
The colors in the classroom shifted from light red to orange-yellow.
Just then, the classroom door was suddenly slid open with a loud noise, abruptly cutting off the laughter.
"Yukinoshita, I'm coming in."
Shizuka took in the scene before her with an unreadable expression. "Huh? Seems like you two are getting along well. What's this... role-playing?"
Yukino, having composed herself, turned to Hayashida with a serious expression. "I think we should install a lock on the clubroom door for future activities."
"Seconded."