Volume 9, Chapter 6: Something Vague Part 9

Haruka excitedly greeted us as we returned to our own classroom.

Hey, hows Class B? It looks like a lot went down.

It went in an unexpected direction. Ichinose managed to repel Sakayanagi.

Akito gave a straightforward account of what had happened.

The truth behind the rumors about Ichinose and the details about the ban the school had placed on spreading rumors moving forward.

There should be an official warning during class this afternoon.

Shoplifting huh? Its surprising to say the least, but I guess I can accept that. If theres a past mistake floating around that you dont want to face, its only natural that you would take some time off school like she did.

Haruka, now fully informed on the specifics of the situation, spoke words of support for Ichinose.

In any case, the whole ordeal is over with this. We can put all these rumors aside and concentrate on the exam.

Isnt that great Kiyopon?

Well I guess.

And then, my cellphone rang.

Whos calling?

A number that I dont have registered.

I showed my screen to Haruka and the others. It was a different number from the one that had called me in the dead of night a little while ago.

I got up from my seat, took some distance from everyone else, and answered the call.

Hello?

Is this Ayanokji-kun?

I recognized the owner of the voice immediately. It was Sakayanagi.

How do you know my number? Well, its not too hard to figure out.

Yeah. As there are still about ten minutes left before lunch ends, would you mind coming out to meet me for a moment?

It wouldve been easy to decline, but it also wouldve been troublesome to make time to meet up with her later.

Where do you want me to go?

I walked out into the hallway.

Well, how about in front of the first-floor entryway?

Okay.

I ended the call and headed to the entryway.

I thought that Hashimoto and Kamuro might have come along with her, but Sakayanagi was alone when I arrived there.

Do rest assured, theres no one else with me right now. I must say, youve really outdone yourself this time, Ayanokji-kun.

What are you talking about?

It seems as though, without me noticing, youve gone and made your move behind the scenes. There are still a few unsolved mysteries left, but Im not interested in talking about what happened back there. That said, theres one thing that Ive been curious about. Why did you decide to protect Ichinose-san?

With that, Sakayanagi stared at me, waiting for my answer.

Wait. I dont understand what youre talking about.

Simply because you saved Ichinose-san, she became defiant no, she was able to stand back up on her own two feet again. I cant imagine any other reason for what happened. Perhaps its possible that this wasnt the first time shes confessed to everything. Perhaps she already told everything to someone beforehand?

And you think that someone is me?

Precisely.

It was a completely natural conclusion for her to arrive at.

Didnt you use Kamuro to force me to take action?

Use Kamuro-san?

Before Ichinoses past as a shoplifter was revealed, she told me everything.

That was something she did of her own accord.

No, thats not true.

What makes you so sure?

It seemed like, for some reason, she wanted to see what information I already had.

She presented me with a can of alcohol as proof of her shoplifting. But, she hadnt stolen it that day. Kamuro had stolen it when she first enrolled here.

And whats the basis for that?

The sell-by date. After I saw the sell-by date on the beer that Kamuro showed me, I went to the convenience store and compared it with the beer there. The sell-by date of the cans on sale in the convenience store and the can she gave me differed by more than four months. Its difficult to imagine that the can of beer she grabbed just so happened to be four months older than the rest of them. Kamuro said that you had received the can of beer she had stolen in the past, telling her that you would dispose of it. If thats true, she either gave me a can that the two of you had prepared for me ahead of time, or she got in touch with you after she left my room and got the can from you directly.

Back then, Kamuro getting in touch with me and speaking about Ichinoses past was all within my assumptions.

Why would I go about things in such an indirect manner?

To lure me out, right?

Fufufu. Perhaps an as expected of Ayanokji-kun is in order here.

In this case, it wouldve been easy for me to sit back and do nothing. Rather, thats what I had wanted to do in the beginning.

The one that prevented me from doing so was none other than Sakayanagi herself.

She had brought Ichinose down with her own hands, and then went and offered her a hand of support immediately after.

Of course, she had utilized a very roundabout means of doing so.

It was all for the sake of getting you involved, Ayanokji-kun.

Cane in hand, Sakayanagi slowly walked forward, shortening the distance between the two of us.

It didnt matter to me if Ichinose-san broke down along the way, but if there was even a slight chance that you may decide to intervene, I was hoping that you would seize the opportunity to do so. The odds were only about fifty-fifty, but I got the outcome that I was hoping for in the end.

In other words, for Sakayanagi, Ichinoses existence didnt matter at all.

Lets have a competition, Ayanokji-kun.

What if I say no?

While you may claim that it wouldnt cause much damage, Id expose you as the mastermind leading Class C from the shadows. You should be able to understand that if I did something like that, you wouldnt be able to resolve everything with a couple of rumors.

Even though the school had officially placed a restriction on spreading rumors, Sakayanagi would probably still spread that information without hesitation.

So how about it? Not willing to accept?

What would we compete over? Youre in Class A, Im in Class C. The difference between us is obvious.

I dont know anything about what the next exam may entail, but how about we compete over the rankings? Should you win, Ill promise not to divulge your past to anyone moving forward.

While that condition wasnt too bad, there was no guarantee that she would keep to her word. I didnt have any intention of signing an agreement or vocally recording my consent on the matter either.

You dont believe me, do you? But it doesnt seem like you have any other choice but to trust what Im saying. If you dont, your past will be exposed under broad daylight. It would become difficult for you to live an ordinary life.

Do whatever you want. Just know that if that happens, youll never be able to have your face off against me.

Fufu. Thats right, isnt it? Thats exactly what Id expect you to say.

Sakayanagi herself should know that I wouldnt easily agree to face off against her.

Which was why, so far, Sakayanagi had yet to talk to anybody about my past.

So what if I wager that I would drop out of school myself? Furthermore, you can have my father, the chairman of the school, act as a guarantor for our contest.

Sakayanagi gave off an air of absolute confidence.

Of course, even if you should lose to me, I wouldnt require for you to drop out as well. I dont intend to ask for anything special either. I would, however, announce to the school that youre the mastermind behind Class C. If I dont have you risk at least that much, you might just withdraw from the contest altogether.

She looked at me with an expecting expression.

If youre really alright with those conditions, Ill agree to it.

Thank you very much, Ayanokji-kun. With this, at last, my boring school life will come to an end.

With a content smile, Sakayanagi took her leave.

I decided to make a call to the central figure behind this entire incident.

Not Kei, not Horikita, and not her older brother either.

I was just thinking it was about time for you to get in contact with me. Good evening, Ayanokji-kun.

(Chapter 6 End)