"...Tch, that Ishizaki bastard just wouldn't let it go. We barely made it on time."
The moment I arrived at the movie theater in Keyaki Mall, I let out a complaint.
The grumbling was over the rooftop matter we'd been discussing until just a moment ago. Ishizaki had stubbornly resisted Ryuuen's attempt to keep some distance, causing the discussion to run longer than scheduled.
As a result, I'd nearly been late for the movie I was looking forward to, and my irritation had surfaced clearly.
The current time was 9:27.
If we'd been even three minutes later, we wouldn't have made it for the entry.
"I wonder if we'll catch the previews in time."
I hurried toward my reserved seat.
I consider the previews shown before the movie starts as one of the joys of film viewing.
That moment when the theater lights slowly dim and the previews begin.
The time that tells you the movie is about to start is incredibly exciting.
Plus, it's useful for gathering information on future movies, so I don't want to miss it if possible.
Well, it's a kind of routine for me. Not seeing it is just a little inconvenient.
In the worst case, missing it doesn't mean I can't watch the main feature.
"...Seriously, cutting it way too close."
The lights were already darkened, and if I'd been even a few seconds later, I probably would've missed the previews.
I found my assigned seat and sat down.
To get into a comfortable position, I placed my elbow on the armrest.
However, the person next to me already had their elbow there, and we bumped.
I had no intention of apologizing, but reflexively glanced toward the neighboring seat.
"Geh."
The sound came out immediately.
After all, the person next to me was X—that is, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
The existence Ryuuen had been seeking, and the one who'd ended up getting thoroughly beaten. I owed this guy.
"Quite a coincidence, huh."
"...The worst kind of coincidence."
I thought about deciding to ignore him for a moment, but returned just one line.
"Sorry about yesterday. I used you one-sidedly."
"Sarcasm? That condescending tone really pisses me off."
"It was a pure apology. I went a bit too far with a girl. And I've already deleted that photo, so you can rest easy."
"...!!"
That photo was the one of me with my clothes undone.
This guy had used it to lure Kamukura in.
There were all sorts of complaints I wanted to voice, but right now we were in a movie theater. During the screening, please remain quiet.
"Whether you really deleted it or not, show me your phone later."
Frankly, I had no intention of forgiving him at all.
But I'd lost the match. Abusing a girl's authority from here would be lame, and moreover, if I did abuse it, the rooftop matter seemed likely to flare up again, so I couldn't say it.
In addition, that day, right after I regained consciousness, Sakayanagi Arisu had come with a sincere apology from the bottom of her heart.
The woman with an aggressive personality and the ability to make ruthless, cold judgments—the one even that Ryuuen had acknowledged as an enemy—had explained the entire incident from start to finish.
She was going to pay the compensation points without me even needing to ask, and had promised to take steps so the matter wouldn't become a rumor throughout the school. After all that, I couldn't bring myself to spread it around recklessly.
"Got it."
With that, we turned our eyes to the screen.
Due to the unexpected encounter, I couldn't concentrate on the movie right away, but for now, I'd forget about it.
Still, after this movie ends, I'd confirm various things and complain to him plenty.
That was sure to be good stress relief.
"I'm sorry. Due to equipment trouble, we are currently interrupting the movie screening temporarily.
We will resume screening as soon as recovery prospects are determined. However, if any customers decide on cancellation, we will handle refund procedures at the ticket counter."
Around one hour after the screening started, the screen suddenly blacked out, followed by the theater announcement.
The content was exactly as heard.
What terrible misfortune.
Other people also began voicing their dissatisfaction.
"Hey you, let me check your phone."
Taking advantage of the movie theater growing noisy with chatter, I ordered Ayanokouji in a low voice.
Ayanokouji quickly unlocked it and showed me the photo folder screen.
I scrolled through and confirmed the photos from December 22nd, but that photo was not there.
It seemed he had really deleted it.
"Here, take it back."
"Does this mean you believe me now?"
"Not one bit. A pervert like you probably saved it to a USB drive or something."
"...Just so you know, I have no such intention.
I took your photo to lure Kamukura out. I had your clothes disheveled to try to shake Kamukura's heart.
Let me state clearly that I never planned to use it for that kind of purpose."
Using me as bait to hook Kamukura was indeed infuriating.
He had used someone I could call a friend. It was a natural feeling.
Even so, my anger toward Ayanokouji was relatively mild.
Being stripped and photographed pissed me off, but it was something I'd factored in to some degree.
Since it was within the plan from our side too, lashing out at Ayanokouji over just this would be missing the point.
"Whatever. No matter what, it doesn't change the fact that you're a coward who won't fight head-on."
"Yeah. In a one-on-one, I probably can't win."
"...You admit it. How lame."
Ayanokouji's expression didn't change even when insulted.
During the fortune-telling, he would show signs of backing off a step when insulted, but now he wasn't intimidated at all.
Recalling that it had all been an act made anger well up again.
"Kamukura Izuru was that much of an opponent.
Even after shaking him up so much mentally and chipping away at his stamina, I couldn't land a single hit. And probably... even then, he still wasn't serious.
Hey, Ibuki. Just who the hell is that guy?"
"He's what you'd call a genius, right? If you can't accept it, go ask Kamukura yourself?"
"That's true, but I was curious how he looks from the perspective of you, his classmate. What kind of feeling is it?"
"...Do you seriously think I'm going to answer that? What kind of nerves do you have?"
"...Yeah, that's right. Sorry. Forget I asked."
There's no way I'd forget, you huge pervert.
I cursed him only in my heart.
After the conversation ended and a short silence passed, the theater announcement flowed again.
"Attention customers. We are now working on the recovery, but since prospects are unclear, we will move to the refund process.
We will repay the points at the ticket counter, so please bring your phones and tickets and stop by."
It seemed the equipment issue was quite bad.
The movie was canceled. I'd seen about half of it, but frankly it was a bad movie, and if I just looked up the ending online, I could get clean closure without any aftertaste.
I stood up and put my hands in my pockets.
Since I had nothing to do until the afternoon movie, I'd get some lunch first.
"...Hey, when are you going to stand up?"
"...My body's just a little sore. Don't worry about it."
Ayanokouji rolled his shoulders and rubbed his waist and stomach, behaving like an old man.
It seemed the damage from yesterday remained, even if he didn't show it on his face.
On top of that, he relaxed the strength from his whole body and hung his head down.
I smirked at that reality.
Serves you right.
The rooftop matter had apparently progressed exactly as this guy wanted, but this was the result.
Just this scene was enough to clear some of my personal resentment.
I took my eyes off Ayanokouji, who looked like a loser, and left the movie theater.
For a moment, when he looked down, it seemed like the corner of Ayanokouji's mouth was smiling, but it was probably just my imagination.
...
December 24th. Christmas Eve had arrived.
Today and tomorrow, couples would spend busy yet happy days together.
For most students it might be just another unrelated day, but I was curious how many were actually spending Christmas with someone of the opposite sex.
I was part of that majority myself. I had no girlfriend.
Still, today I had plans to meet a certain woman.
On top of that, the woman in question was coming to my room.
"…What a hassle."
Any ordinary person would have been overjoyed at the fact.
If it had been Ishizaki-kun, he would surely have been shouting "winner" nonstop.
But the other party was who she was.
The topic of conversation wouldn't be romance anyway—it would inevitably be about the rooftop incident and talents.
Talking about things that were already obvious was boring.
"…She's here, huh."
The doorbell rang, so I immediately headed to the entrance.
The current time was 10 a.m.
Even though it was a time slot when people would notice, she visited my house without the slightest concern.
"Good mornin——"
When I opened the door, there stood a single girl leaning on a cane.
Her white-based casual clothes suited her well, but her refined face was frozen in speechlessness, completely ruining her beauty.
She was Sakayanagi Arisu.
The leader of Class A.
"Please come in quickly. It's cold."
The midwinter wind slipped through the sleeves of my pajamas.
No matter how much talent I possessed for resisting heat and cold, cold was still cold.
At my words, Sakayanagi-san snapped back to reality, stepped inside at once, and neatly aligned the shoes she had taken off.
"…You cut your hair, I see. It really suits you."
"I do have the talent of a hairdresser, after all."
At that, her expression brightened noticeably.
As always, she really did love talents.
"Fufu, the talent of a hairdresser. Indeed, just looking at that hairstyle makes it obvious."
Ignoring her comment, I guided her deeper into the room.
Since this wasn't her first time coming to my room, she headed straight for the chair.
She placed her cane within reach, then sat with perfect posture and looked at me.
Compared to Kushida-san or Ryuuen-kun, her upbringing was overwhelmingly refined.
Every gesture and action carried elegance.
While she performed that series of movements, I brought over the black tea I had prepared for her.
"Thank you."
After expressing her gratitude, she immediately took a sip.
And then—like Komaeda… she showed an extremely delighted expression.
"Just one cup of black tea tasting this delicious… How wonderful."
"I also possess the talents of a butler and a housekeeper."
"As expected."
Sakayanagi-san took another satisfied sip.
From there the conversation drifted into small talk.
"Still, it's often said that a person's impression is decided by their hairstyle, and it really seems to be true.
Before, you had a mysterious atmosphere about you, but now I feel a sense of sincerity. I like both versions of you."
There was no lie in Sakayanagi-san's words as she spoke with a gentle expression. Any normal male student would probably have developed feelings for her.
Setting personality aside, she possessed many elements that made her popular with the opposite sex, so the prediction was accurate.
"If possible, I would have liked to see Izuru-kun in normal clothes rather than pajamas."
"I'm not leaving the house today. I've already finished shopping, and I have no shady plans."
"Fufu, I've heard there are rumors of some flirtatious activity. Something about spending time alone with Matsushita-san from Class D.
Also, perhaps deeper relationships with Ibuki-san and Shiina-san."
"Rumors are just rumors. I don't have a girlfriend, so I have no plans to hang out today or tomorrow."
It was extremely rare for classmates to invite me out.
Even the pool we went to during summer break—I hadn't wanted to go.
If Ryuuen-kun hadn't forcibly dragged me along, I probably wouldn't have gone to the pool at all.
"I see. Then today I'm in the position of Izuru-kun's girlfriend… is that what you're saying?"
"We're just friends who play chess."
I stated it clearly before she could get carried away.
Because letting her set the pace would be troublesome.
"…Today is Christmas Eve, you know?
On a day like this, a boy and a girl spending time alone together in a private room—isn't that close to a lover's relationship?"
"It's close, but we're just friends. I don't believe male-female friendship can truly exist, but with you I think the distance of friends is fine."
"…I see. That's a disappointing answer. But Izuru-kun, that's your current evaluation of me, right?"
I had indirectly told her not to close the distance any further, yet Sakayanagi-san showed no sign of backing off.
She didn't hold romantic feelings toward me—she held romantic feelings toward my talent—so no affection would ever be born.
It would probably turn into something terribly warped.
"I also don't believe male-female friendship can exist. Regardless of talent, humans are creatures that constantly seek warmth.
Even if it starts as friendship, little by little they seek warmth and it changes into love.
That is not something reason can suppress."
"You speak from experience?"
"Fufu, I'll leave that to your imagination."
"…You really are persistent. Why don't you just confess your feelings to your childhood friend already?"
She harbored faint emotions resembling love.
They were directed toward a single male student, and I clearly remembered how passionately she had spoken about him during the sports festival.
"My feelings for him? Let's see… I'll tell him someday.
But right now, I'd like to hear your evaluation of him."
To change the subject, she steered the conversation toward the main topic.
It was predictable and boring, but I owed her.
I would treat this conversation as the predetermined route.
"You called him a 'false' genius, didn't you?"
"Yes. He is a 'false' genius."
She declared it without hesitation.
The smile she had shown until a moment ago instantly vanished, replaced by a serious expression as she affirmed it.
"I don't know what you saw that made you call him that, but I sensed talent in him.
Especially his learning ability. I think it would be no exaggeration to call his learning ability Super High School Level."
I honestly revealed what I had felt during the rooftop incident.
That final strike—the thrust aimed at my throat—matched or even surpassed Mukuro Ikusaba's speed.
After observing my movements only twice, he had reproduced them at that level of completion.
If he continued to train, there was a possibility he could catch up to me.
That was worthy of praise.
But a question remained.
"He observed my movements, then reproduced them—albeit incompletely.
In other words, he possessed observational eyes rivaling the super analytical ability that you and I have, along with the processing power and imagination to instantly grasp the process and reproduce it, plus the physical ability and experience to actually carry it out."
"Fufu, the fact that he can earn that evaluation from you means he really is an amazing person."
"Yes, he can be called amazing. However, I wonder where he acquired these abilities."
At those words, Sakayanagi-san's eyes wavered slightly.
It seemed she had some idea.
"No matter how much observational power rivaling super analytical ability one possesses, whether they can reproduce it is another matter entirely.
Moving the body exactly as imagined. It sounds simple, but it requires a blessed physique, imagination, and overwhelming talent——"
Junko Enoshima, who possessed super analytical ability equal to mine, was inferior to Mukuro Ikusaba in physical ability.
Yet she possessed combat ability that allowed her to single-handedly defeat a former Super High School Level boxer, because she could reproduce any talent through super analytical ability.
Even so, if I told Junko Enoshima to do the same thing as Mukuro Ikusaba, she wouldn't be able to do it nearly as well.
Because Junko Enoshima, who lacked a superhuman body, could imitate techniques but could not reproduce raw physical strength.
"——An enormous amount of experience is necessary."
Ayanokouji-kun had nothing that could be called talent.
But he possessed a vessel capable of infinitely absorbing abilities.
What filled that vessel was an enormous amount of experience.
Using that experience, he had shown me an incomplete yet reproduced version of my movements.
So where had he obtained that experience? Where had he been able to practice using it?
Questions about his past were endless.
"Sakayanagi-san, you said you were something like his childhood friend, correct?"
"Yes, though one-sided. The word 'childhood friend' is appropriate for our relationship."
"Then, though it may be prying, there is one thing I want to ask."
"…I'll answer within the range I can."
I basically had no interest in other people's pasts.
But to resolve my doubts, there was something I wanted to ask just a little.
"——White Room. Does that term ring any bells?"
My question caused Sakayanagi-san to widen her eyes dramatically.
Her mouth remained open, unable to hide her stunned expression. Her face clearly conveyed that she had not expected those words to come from my mouth.
"You know about that facility!?"
A panicked tone leaked from her still-open mouth.
From the way she gripped the armrest of her chair, it was evident she wasn't lying.
It seemed the facility known as the White Room was the name of that place.
"No. I simply had the opportunity to hear that name once before."
"…I see."
Sakayanagi-san let out a long breath at my answer.
It wasn't a sigh, but an exhale to calm herself down.
"I'm sorry, but I cannot answer anything regarding the White Room. If you're curious about the details, please ask Ayanokouji-kun himself."
It seemed this term contained important information about his past.
The fact that even Sakayanagi-san had panicked in a manner fitting her age gave it some credibility.
"Understood."
Even though she held favorable feelings toward my talent, she didn't leak any secrets.
For someone with such an aggressive personality, she was surprisingly loyal—far more than one would imagine.
It appeared he held a very important position for her.
"…By the way, where did you hear that term?"
"A person who visited this school—most likely Ayanokouji-kun's father—spoke those words."
"…Ayanokouji-kun's father?"
Sakayanagi-san listened as if carefully weighing every single word.
Then, after a moment of thought, she replied.
"…I see. Then I'll need to ask Father about this later."
"Your father? You mean the chairman?"
"Yes. At the very least, inquiring about visitor records should be possible."
I remembered the names of the chairman and principal from the enrollment documents, so I asked on a hunch and was correct.
Sakayanagi Narumori. I also remembered his appearance since he gave the address at the entrance ceremony.
"…We've gone too far off topic. Since I've also heard your evaluation of Ayanokouji-kun, may I return the conversation to the rooftop incident?"
Sakayanagi-san straightened her posture in the chair and looked straight at me.
I could tell the main topic was about to begin.
"…Izuru-kun, aren't you going to denounce me?"
Sakayanagi-san spoke while keeping the heavy atmosphere.
She wore her usual composed expression, but she couldn't hide the agitation in her heart.
"You're referring to the matter with Ibuki-san, right?"
"…Yes."
There was only one thing that came to mind.
The way I treated Ibuki-san.
That plan was executed by Ayanokouji-kun to shake me, but Sakayanagi-san was also involved in it.
Her presence in the special building on December 22nd proved as much.
"It may sound like an excuse, but the one who came up with this plan wasn't me—it was Ayanokouji-kun. I participated after hearing the full details of the strategy."
"So you were aware that it involved doing something akin to rape to Ibuki-san."
"…Yes. Originally the plan included having Hashimoto-kun actually do it, but I made some modifications to the strategy to prevent Hashimoto-kun from being expelled."
"…I do feel a little bad for Ibuki-san as a fellow woman, but the plan was designed so that Ibuki-san would definitely be saved in the end. That's why I went along with his plan."
"Why did he use Hashimoto-kun?"
"Ayanokouji-kun and Hashimoto-kun had formed an alliance during the uninhabited island exam. It seems the connection was formed out of necessity. And during this search for X, Ayanokouji-kun feared that this connection might reveal his true identity, so he decided to use this opportunity to have him expelled."
I understood the full picture.
The only question I had was why Hashimoto-kun had become a victim in this incident, but the explanation cleared it up.
This time, Ayanokouji-kun had simultaneously worked on shaking me and dealing with Hashimoto-kun.
The key to the plan was Ibuki-san.
Most likely, any girl close to me would have sufficed.
He chose quite a ruthless method.
"I have already given Ibuki-san a sincere apology from the bottom of my heart."
"I see. Then the matter is already resolved, isn't it? There's no reason for me to denounce you."
"…But my favorability with you must have decreased."
"Yes, that's only natural."
Sakayanagi-san bit her lip.
It was rare for her to show her emotions so openly.
Especially when it came to regret, all the more so.
"Did you go along with this plan solely to help Hashimoto-kun?"
"No. I joined his plan on the condition that it would create a stage for me to fight Ayanokouji-kun."
"Then you got what you wanted. To obtain that, you sacrificed the goodwill from both me and Ibuki-san. One gain, one loss. That's all there is to it."
Sacrificing something to obtain something else.
Trying to save everything is arrogant.
Well, it's ironic for me to say that.
"I didn't want to lower your favorability toward me."
"Because you want to see my talent?"
"…Yes."
"Good grief, how boring. No matter how sincere the apology, once favorability drops, it doesn't come back easily."
"But I couldn't think of any better method."
"…I thought you were a much wiser person, but it seems I was wrong."
Although she is called a genius, while she is skilled at using people as pieces, she seems poor at human relationships.
In truth, while my favorability toward her had dropped, it was already starting to recover.
Her approach was the absolute worst, but originally she had no intention of having either Ibuki-san or Hashimoto-kun expelled.
At that point, she still possessed a certain level of ethics.
In that case, for someone like me who has completely discarded ethics, hating her would be unreasonable.
Besides, the only one who would show such dislike would be some despair-obsessed freak.
Which meant—
For this dejected genius girl, I would give her a little lesson on what I've learned at this school.
"Sakayanagi-san, if favorability has dropped, you simply need to raise it again. After a sincere apology, all you have to do is face the person honestly from then on."
I answered her feelings of remorse.
This could be called the talent of a Super High School Level Advisor.
"…That is true. However, I will likely repeat similar actions in the future. I show no mercy to my enemies. I will calmly do terrible things to them. Even if that enemy is you."
"I know. That your personality is far from good is something even I understand."
What part of a person whose special skill is manipulating others as chess pieces could possibly have a good personality?
"That's one thing. Since you've already apologized to Ibuki-san, I don't particularly mind."
"…Then, does that mean I can continue observing your talent up close as before?"
"I don't recall ever giving permission, but I don't mind. Do your best to raise my favorability."
At those words, her expression finally regained its brightness.
She usually left an impression with her thin smiles, but this bashful look also suited her and carried an age-appropriate youthfulness that felt natural.
"Then, Izuru-kun! May I use one of the Talent Points right away?"
"…Are you actually reflecting on this at all?"
The Komaeda-fication of Sakayanagi-san was progressing remarkably.
Like a child looking forward to receiving a present from Santa, she waited with sparkling eyes for the use of talent.
As expected, she was rather troublesome.
***
If you want to read up to 25 chapters ahead, don't hesitate to visit our patron: pat reon . com / XElenea (remove space)