"This year felt faster than I expected."
I sat down on the chair in my room and prepared the sketchbook and colored pencils I had bought to kill time.
Looking at my phone, the current time pointed to 8 AM.
When I opened the balcony, a cold wind was blowing, but my cold-weather preparations were complete, so I could draw the scenery visible from there without any stress.
It had been about nine months since I arrived at this school in April.
Through various speculations, I understood that this world was one constructed by Hajime Hinata, but contact from the man himself had only come once.
If I considered that this world was proceeding that smoothly because of it, there were also cases where he had made contact with Kikyou Kushida.
There was no doubt he was active in places unknown to me, but it was about time I wanted to learn at least one of his objectives.
"...January 1st."
Today was January 1st.
The start of the new year, New Year's Day.
And this day was Hajime Hinata's birthday—in other words, my birthday as well, since I could be called the same person.
"Birthday, is it?"
While moving the colored pencils, I became lost in thought.
One week ago, Ishizaki-kun had contacted me asking me to keep my schedule open starting from 10:30 AM on January 1st.
The content was an invitation to hang out together at the beginning of the new year.
Even though one would want to take it easy at the start of the new year, he had invited me desperately.
There was no need to guess the reason. He probably wanted to celebrate my birthday as a surprise.
I had participated in birthday parties twice before this.
It would be more difficult not to notice.
"...Do they understand the meaning of celebrating my birth?"
The day Izuru Kamukura was born was the day the hope of the world was born.
On that day, leading scientists and figures of power from around the world had gathered to applaud and welcome it.
On that day, I was given the name Izuru Kamukura by the founder of Hope's Peak Academy.
From that day onward, I had lived being revered by them.
I have not forgotten that day.
I have not forgotten the beginning of those days where everything turned out exactly as predicted.
"Well, I'll just hold onto some faint expectations."
Ten minutes after I started drawing the landscape painting.
Without any touch-ups to the completed piece, I closed the sketchbook.
Before I knew it, there weren't many pages left in the sketchbook.
Hoping that today's scenery would remain here, I began to get ready.
...
When it reached 10 AM, the doorbell rang.
I opened the front door.
"Happy New Y-!?"
Ishizaki-kun tried to greet me energetically right from the start but froze in the middle.
Behind him, Ibuki-san was also standing there with her mouth agape.
"Happy New Year, Ishizaki-kun, Ibuki-san."
Ishizaki-kun and Ibuki-san exchanged glances.
The two weren't particularly close, but their coordination was extremely quick.
Once they realized they were looking at the same scene, the two finally returned to conversation.
"Ah, Happy New Year. Kamukura-san... that hairstyle?"
"It's an image change. You remember the rooftop incident where my hair got ripped out, don't you?"
It seemed they remembered, as they nodded in understanding.
"Leaving it like that would have been too strange, so I cut it."
"I-I see..."
"It's not as if I wasn't aware that my hairstyle was weird even before now."
"Ah, so it was...!? N-no, it suited you!"
It was easy to guess the inner thoughts of him, who had stumbled over his words.
Even affirming it now was too late.
"...Happy New Year."
Taking over from Ishizaki-kun, who was trying to laugh it off with a silly grin, Ibuki-san announced it curtly.
It was rare for her to even say this kind of greeting.
"Happy New Year. It's unusual, Ibuki-san. For you to participate in this kind of activity."
"...Well, because Shiina's participating too."
"Her as well? I thought she would be completely absorbed in reading during the New Year, but this is unexpected as well."
I implicitly pointed out that there was something special about today's outing and observed the two's reactions.
"C-come on, let's head out to play right away, Kamukura-san! I picked a store that's open from New Year's morning! Let's go eat osechi!"
"You're full of energy from the morning, aren't you. Were you always this fond of events?"
When I emphasized the word 'event' even more, his body twitched unnaturally.
From his panicked response, it was completely obvious that he had a guilty conscience about something.
"I-it's not that I particularly like events or anything, b-but I like osechi! L-look, it's smart, right? Uhh, ehomaki!"
"Do you mean datemaki?"
"Ah... Y-yeah!! Well, anyway! Let's hurry and go eat!!"
He flashed a forced smile and urged us to move.
Behind him, Ibuki-san had her face covered with her hand.
Without noticing that at all, Ishizaki-kun headed off alone toward the elevator.
"Why did you choose him as the guide?"
Choosing Ishizaki-kun, whose emotions show so easily on his face, as the guide was clearly a mistake in personnel selection.
"He insisted on it."
Ibuki-san told me with an exasperated look.
It seemed there had been some back and forth over this matter.
I could easily imagine that discussion.
"In fact, you noticed during the contact stage, didn't you?"
"Yeah. And that attitude confirmed it for me."
"...I see. Well, just as expected."
Since the elevator had arrived, we put our casual chat on hold for the time being and moved.
Because it was New Year's morning, there was no one passing by in the student dormitories.
The students were probably all taking their time relaxing.
Once we left the dorm, we finally began to encounter people.
Here and there, I could see people heading to Keyaki Mall from the morning just like us.
Among them were some healthy individuals returning from training despite it being New Year's.
Chatting as we went, we made our way through those paths.
And at last, we arrived in front of the intended store in Keyaki Mall.
"This is the place! I've made a reservation and secured seats, so let's head in right away!"
The store's ambiance was like a restaurant you'd find in a hotel.
It had a slightly high-class feel, but the interior itself was fairly standard.
What caught my attention was what was written on the promotional flags set up in front of the store.
Just as Ishizaki-kun said, they were offering osechi in buffet style, but I wondered if running such a campaign in this enclosed space wasn't putting them in the red.
"Ishizaki-kun, how much is it?"
"No, no, I've already paid! Kamukura-san, don't worry about stuff like that and just enjoy yourself today."
At this point, he probably wasn't even trying to hide it anymore.
I followed behind him like that.
Since it had just opened, the interior was practically empty. At this rate, even if we were a bit noisy, it wouldn't bother the other customers.
"Oh, they're here!"
As we advanced to the back of the restaurant, a table and seats for eight had been prepared, and Sonoda-kun, sitting near the front, waved at us while seated.
The other seats were occupied by classmates—students who had some connection to me—waiting.
Sonoda-kun, Shiina-san, Yajima-san, Kaneda-kun, and Albert.
Adding my seat and the two who had accompanied me made it a perfect fit.
It seemed Ryuuen-kun wasn't present.
It had been over a week since the rooftop incident concluded, yet there was still no word from him.
He had probably recovered, but what was he doing now?
"Kamukura-sa-!?"
Sonoda-kun tried to greet me but froze midway.
That reaction spread, and everyone became stunned.
Yes, déjà vu.
"Everyone, Happy New Year."
"...Ah, Happy New Year."
While everyone was frozen, Shiina-san somehow managed to return the greeting.
Starting with that, the others followed.
Somehow, it had turned into nothing more than empty social formalities.
"K-Kamukura-kun, what happened to your hair? Don't tell me... heartbreak?"
To the romance-obsessed Yajima-san, I should make it crystal clear.
Otherwise, unnecessary rumors might start spreading again.
"It's an image change. Does it look strange?"
"I-it doesn't look strange. But it's so completely different from before that I was shocked."
Yajima-san shook her head vigorously, putting on an exaggerated reaction.
After everyone agreed with her opinion, they shared their impressions.
"You really went bold~. But it looks super cool!"
"Yes, I think it suits you very well."
Kaneda-kun and Albert nodded in agreement with that opinion as well.
Overall, it was well-received.
If that was their shared perception, then it had probably become easier for them to approach me.
"Now, let's end the comments about me there. The buffet has a time limit too, doesn't it?"
To advance the conversation, I changed the subject.
The buffet time was two hours.
There was plenty of time, but it was best to wrap up the schedule early.
"Right~. Then let's grab some food first! We'll do the toast after that!"
The emcee was Sonoda-kun.
After declaring so, he took the initiative and headed to the buffet.
Everyone followed suit.
As they selected their food, the atmosphere gradually became lively.
Other customers started arriving as well, transforming the restaurant into a vibrant place, and in that same atmosphere, everyone took their seats.
Incidentally, Ishizaki-kun and Ibuki-san sat next to me, and Shiina-san sat across from me.
"Here, Ishizaki"
Sonoda-kun, serving as the organizer, urged Ishizaki-kun to deliver the toast.
Entrusted with the baton, Ishizaki-kun held the cup filled with juice, his nerves on full display.
Everyone followed suit, waiting for his words.
"Uh… Happy New Year."
His stiff opening, so unlike the usual Ishizaki-kun, sparked laughter that rippled through the room.
Ishizaki-kun looked embarrassed but quickly pulled himself together and pressed on.
"Thanks for gathering on the first day of the new year, everyone! Let's enjoy the hell out of today!!"
Simple words, yet plenty to fire everyone up.
The energy surged, centered on Sonoda-kun and Yajima-san.
"Kamukura-san! Could you put this on for us?"
At last, my name was called.
Everyone flashed smiles as if they'd been waiting for this moment all along.
He produced a white sash he'd prepared beforehand and handed it over.
I took it and unfolded the thing.
"This is…"
The text read 'Today's Protagonist.'
Tacky as hell.
But it was clear the show wouldn't go on without me wearing it, so I reluctantly slipped it on.
The second I did—
"Happy Birthday!!"
Ishizaki-kun's shout triggered a massive wave of applause that swallowed me up.
The perfectly timed claps hit my ears in crisp harmony.
It was a formulaic routine and an obvious welcome—pretty lame as a surprise—but their raw desire to celebrate me came through crystal clear.
Blessings must spread like wildfire, because before I knew it, the restaurant staff had joined the clapping frenzy.
No, it looked like they'd been tipped off in advance.
Two of the employees were filming us with school-issued phones.
They'd gone all out more than I'd given them credit for.
Even so…
"…Just as expected."
"Right~?"
As soon as I said it, Sonoda-kun laughed and confirmed it immediately.
Everyone except Ishizaki-kun looked thoroughly satisfied with my reaction.
"Well, fooling Kamukura-san from the start is damn near impossible anyway, so it can't be helped."
"That's true~"
Kaneda-kun and Shiina-san agreed, and the rest piled on.
The atmosphere loosened up even more.
"How about it, Kamukura-san!? Did it make you happy!?"
Only Ishizaki-kun was squirming anxiously, desperate for my answer.
It seemed he couldn't tell if I was enjoying myself.
A completely predictable reaction.
The epitome of ordinary fool behavior.
"... It's a boring… little spectacle. But I suppose we should be grateful."
I stated it honestly.
Even experiencing my birthday being celebrated for the first time, no dramatic shift stirred in my heart.
Still, I had to at least acknowledge the effort they put into today's preparations.
"Ugh, uuu, thank you so much!"
Tears streamed down Ishizaki-kun's face.
Total overkill for emotional tears.
But that clumsy, everyday charm is probably his best asset.
"…Alright, cheers!!"
Having recovered, Ishizaki-kun gave the signal for the toast.
Cups clinked sharply, unleashing a wave of cheers.
From there, the predictable routine kicked in once more.
Everyone fawned over me like I was some worshipped god.
Whatever dish I wanted was rushed over. Photos were snapped with me, and everything was recorded.
It was truly the same royal treatment as always.
Yet it's surprisingly entertaining how pure goodwill alone can flip everything this hard.
After that, I spent the rest of the day with them as 'Today's Protagonist.'
…
That day, I hung around Keyaki Mall until around 6 PM.
I racked up a mountain of presents, and in the afternoon I tried karaoke, bowling, and other trivial fun.
All too easy and dull, but decent enough for a mood reset now and then.
In the end, I split from my classmates at the dorm's shared lounge and returned to my room with a paper bag stuffed full of presents.
"…This is…"
Two boxes were stacked in front of my room door.
One was a fairly large cardboard box.
The other was wrapped in blue paper.
The blue box had 'Happy Birthday' written on it, so I judged it was for me and hauled it inside.
After dumping all the presents on my desk, the first thing I did was take a shower.
I'd been out forever and needed to scrub off the grime.
I finished fast and moved on to dinner prep.
Since it was my birthday, I kept it simple.
Salad and chicken would do.
"…A doorbell at this hour?"
The second dinner was ready, the entrance chime rang.
I answered right away.
"Yo. Let me in."
"…Happy New Year, Ryuuen-kun."
"Yeah."
The visitor was Ryuuen Kakeru.
The dark, depressed vibe was gone; the usual Ryuuen-kun was back in full force.
We hadn't spoken since the rooftop incident, but he looked pumped.
The convenience store bag in his hand said he'd been out shopping.
"Finally graduated from loner life, huh?"
Once let in, he barged forward like he owned the place, spotted the presents, and remarked.
He grabbed a cushion, tossed it on the floor, and plopped down.
Rude as always.
"…So, what brings you here today?"
With him, no need for formal bullshit.
I tossed him a chilled free drink.
He snagged it cleanly and started pulling oden from the bag to devour.
"Obviously, I came to rag on your birthday."
"Then hand over those eggs. It's my birthday."
"Denied. This is my meal.
But don't worry. I properly bought you a birthday present."
Ryuuen-kun pulled something wrapped in red paper from the bag and flaunted it teasingly.
"What kind of sudden wind is blowing today? Planning on calling this payback just because my birthday got celebrated?"
"Idiot. Like hell I'm the type of guy who'd do that shit."
He said it while stuffing his mouth full of oden.
I decided to eat as well. At the same time, I needed to check the contents of the cardboard box and the blue box left at the entrance. I handled both simultaneously.
"What was inside?"
"This is… an enamel pot."
I opened the cardboard box first. Inside was an enamel pot along with a message card.
"'Happy Birthday. Use this to cook for me next time.' …From Kushida Kikyou."
The sender was Kushida Kikyou. The gift showed good taste. For someone like me who cooks often, this was genuinely appreciated.
"Kuku, when the hell did you get so close with Kikyou, huh?"
"It was only very recently. We reconciled."
"So you managed to corrupt that girl who was throwing pure hostility at you. What a player."
"I do possess the talent of a pickup artist, after all."
I do possess it, but of course I've never actually used that talent.
"Even so, she's really become quite bold, hasn't she?"
I never promised I'd actually cook for her. Yet it was clear she assumed I would. Frankly, I was a bit stunned that she'd give someone a present while still carrying debt.
"Show me that blue box too."
Ryuuen-kun, who had finished his oden at some point, was now watching the presents like an audience member.
I had no reason to refuse, so I unwrapped the blue box as well. Inside was a ladies' hand cream and yet another message card.
I read it out loud enough for Ryuuen to hear, all while feeling thoroughly fed up.
"'It's my favorite hand cream. Please do try using it.' …From Sakayanagi Arisu."
"Kuku, she's laying her desires bare, huh."
Sending hand cream means she wants me to take care of my hands. From there, it's easy to interpret hand cream from the opposite sex as a sign of romantic interest. Of course there are many theories, but there's no doubt Sakayanagi-san sent this half-jokingly.
"You really can handle the weird shit too, huh."
"Don't be ridiculous. I still have the right to choose."
"Oh? So Sakayanagi's scrawny little body isn't enough to satisfy you?"
"That's not what I meant at all."
Ryuuen-kun's extremely rude comment was cut down instantly.
The reason I find her troublesome is because she's a talent-obsessed maiden with a romance-obsessed brain. Against the girl who's probably the most infatuated in this entire school, I'd be at a disadvantage. I can only pray that Sakayanagi-san's attention shifts toward Ayanokouji-kun.
"Kuku, both presents have decent taste, but they're still far behind mine. Zero humor."
Ryuuen-kun changed the topic.
He acknowledged the two presents but was clearly competing against them. He seems incredibly confident.
"Then I'll look forward to it."
"Wait. Listen to what I have to say before you accept it."
Ryuuen-kun placed the present on the desk.
There was nothing strange about the sudden shift in atmosphere. He had probably come here intending to talk about this from the beginning.
I straightened my previously relaxed posture and faced him properly.
"Kamukura, ever since the rooftop incident ended, I've been thinking about how I should operate from now on. And I finally found my answer."
"And what is that answer?"
Ryuuen-kun answered slowly, almost as if in reflection.
"I got completely crushed by Ayanokouji, but I'm not letting it end like this. I need to repay that debt. And I'm going to do it without borrowing your power."
His face showed firm determination. His strong declaration and noble resolve hit hard.
"But with the way I am now, I can't beat Ayanokouji without your help. Since I was utterly defeated in both 'strategy' and 'violence'—my specialties—I need to find another way. However, it's hopeless. No matter how I simulate it, my current self still has nearly zero chance of winning against him. I hate it, but I've decided I need to change my perspective."
"Hmm, so you're throwing away your pride?"
"It's nothing new. As long as I win in the end, the process doesn't matter."
Ryuuen-kun laughed boldly. Then, after a pause, he declared:
"To defeat Ayanokouji, I'm going to step back and learn what I've been missing by watching from a distance. In short, I'm pulling back once and moving into a position like Ayanokouji or Sakayanagi."
From the front of the pack to the rear. From the majestic king charging at the forefront to the bold king commanding from behind. That was Ryuuen-kun's answer.
"So you're intentionally making your greatest specialty—'violence'—your final resort?"
Ryuuen Kakeru choosing to seal away violence. How utterly boring that would be. But he didn't say he wouldn't use it at all, just that it would be the last resort. He's stepping off the main stage temporarily to learn exactly when his power will be most effective. In other words, he's still trying to grow.
"However, simply studying Ayanokouji-kun and Sakayanagi-san won't allow you to surpass them."
"Kuku, idiot. I never said I'd do things exactly like them. I'm not copying those guys. Besides, I have zero intention of abandoning who I am."
Ryuuen-kun snorted through his nose. Then he pointed at me as if my point was completely off.
"You, Kamukura. The strategy of not letting the opponent do anything, and the power to lead a group as its leader. Show me that. There's no better textbook than you."
Ryuuen-kun declared it with powerful conviction. In other words—
"... So you want me to become king until you reclaim the throne?"
"Yeah, that's exactly what I said."
The sight of him throwing away his pride to seek guidance. How arrogant—to try and seize an opportunity for growth from someone like me.
"I understand your thinking. But are you sure? If I become the leader even temporarily, taking that seat back will be extremely difficult, you know?"
"Which means when I take it back, that's my win."
He seems fully aware. Yet he doesn't back down. No matter what, Ryuuen Kakeru remains Ryuuen Kakeru.
"Very well. I'll accept your request."
When I said that, Ryuuen-kun stood up with a satisfied expression. He left the present on the desk and walked out of my room.
"Now then, I wonder what he prepared for me."
I carefully unwrapped the red paper. And then—
"…Well, this is very much like him."
What emerged was——condoms.
Yes, it was definitely a present overflowing with Ryuuen-kun's unique style and crude humor. The fact that he even wrapped it shows a glimpse of his playful side.
Though his sense is still absolute zero, of course.
***
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