Chapter: 4.5

4.4

It was around two in the morning when my roommate quietly woke up. Taking extreme consideration as to not wake the other three people in the room, Hirata slipped out of bed. Since students were required to sleep in their jerseys, he stole out of the room while still wearing it.

After I'd confirmed he wasn't going to the men's room, I grabbed my keycard and got out of bed myself. There was no guarantee he'd make a move today, but it seemed like my labors had begun to bear fruit. Once he realized that I was awake, we exchanged glances without speaking a word.

Without looking away, I told him there was something I needed to talk to him about. He said he'd be waiting in the hall. Then, he stepped out. I found him in the hallway, wearing a troubled look.

"Did I wake you? Or were you already awake?" he asked.

"The latter. I thought you might be leaving the room tonight," I said. "Why would you think that? This was the first time I've left the room

at night."

Trying to deceive him would have a detrimental effect, so I thought it best to just be honest. "Karuizawa contacted you, didn't she?"

Hirata seemed to understand what I was getting at, just as I'd expect.

His comprehension skills were flawless. "Do you happen to know something about it?" he asked.

"Well, I'm in her group. I don't know how much she's told you, but I get the situation."

Hirata waited for me to continue. Well, considering I'd chased him down in the middle of the night, it had to appear urgent.

"You said you wanted to act as a bridge between Horikita and the rest of the class, right? This has to do with that," I said.

"I see. So Horikita-san told you to talk to me, Ayanokouji-kun?"

He'd saved me a lot of trouble. Now I didn't have to bother with a lengthy explanation.

"She asked me to report on everything that happens in the Rabbit group, including Karuizawa's situation. Once I heard about what happened with Karuizawa, Horikita told me to keep an eye on you, too, Hirata. She told me to follow you. But you said you wanted to be a bridge for her, so I thought this might be the chance to finally make that happen."

"What kind of information does she want?" he asked.

"Everything you know about Karuizawa. Also, whatever it was you talked to her about."

Hirata probably didn't see why I needed information about Karuizawa.

However, he seemed to understand the impact this could potentially have.

"I don't know what I can tell you, honestly. I have to consider Karuizawa-san's feelings."

With that, Hirata started walking away. I decided to just follow him at a slow, unhurried pace.

Even though I'd been in bed for about two hours, I didn't have bedhead. I didn't really worry about personal grooming most of the time, but I knew I had to take it into consideration when I was with other people. I didn't want to make them uncomfortable when they looked at me.

"Ayanokouji-kun, I'm sure you won't say anything unnecessary, but what I'm about to tell you is extremely delicate. Also, Karuizawa-san might refuse to talk and head back to her room. Please understand that first," he said.

I could always eavesdrop on them, but Hirata probably wouldn't like that. Since this was something Karuizawa didn't want others to hear, she'd called for him in the middle of the night. He'd never approve of me listening in from the shadows. My best bet was to just give him a straight, honest answer.

The meeting place was in front of the vending machine near the second-level lounge area. Being in the center of the hallway, it was easy for people to see us, but its placement also meant that we could see them. Its location made eavesdropping difficult.

Karuizawa was already waiting for Hirata, clad in her jersey and sitting on the sofa. When Karuizawa saw Hirata coming, she instantly smiled, but

when she noticed me trailing slightly behind, her joy was replaced with anger. She stood and shouted at me.

"What're you doing here, Ayanokouji-kun?!" "I asked him to come," said Hirata.

"You did, Hirata-kun? Why? I told you I wanted to talk alone."

"I know. But Karuizawa-san, I was worried about what you told me earlier. That's why I thought it might be a good idea to bring Ayanokouji- kun, since he seems to understand the situation. I'm sorry for not telling you first."

Karuizawa looked upset, but it didn't seem like she'd snap at Hirata. "But…I said I wanted to talk alone, just the two of us," she repeated.

"If you want, we can be alone. But when we spoke earlier, you never said anything about it having to be just the two of us."

I already assumed this was related to the trouble she'd had with the Class C girls, but I wondered how Karuizawa would approach the topic. If she just wanted to vent her anger, there'd be no reason for it to be just the two of them. Karuizawa had wanted to talk about something without any third parties present. That meant she wouldn't talk about it if I were here.

Perhaps because he was impatient, or perhaps because he thought silence was pointless, Hirata started talking about their earlier phone call.

"You were telling me about a fight with Manabe-san from Class C. Is it true?" he asked.

Karuizawa opened her mouth slightly to answer, but said nothing, perhaps because she was still wary of my presence. Hirata once again broke the silence.

"Ayanokouji-kun, did you know about the fight with Manabe-san and the others?" he asked.

"Sort of."

Since this wasn't working, Hirata attempted to shift the conversation. It looked like he intended to ask me questions. Karuizawa seemed dissatisfied, but she continued to listen.

"From what Karuizawa-san has told me, it seems like the girls were

making false accusations. They took her to a deserted spot and started hounding her for answers. They were on the verge of using violence," Hirata said.

"Yeah. That's all true. I saw it myself. Yukimura saw it, too." "I see."

Hirata looked momentarily lost in thought and closed his eyes. I

wondered what he'd do. Would he call Manabe and her friends out and reprimand them? Or would he report them to the school?

"If Manabe-san and her friends got violent with you, we definitely need to take action. I absolutely cannot allow violence," he continued.

When Karuizawa heard Hirata's just words, she momentarily broke into a smile. But when she saw me looking at her, her expression changed back to anger.

"Karuizawa-san, they were so cruel that you were completely overwhelmed, and couldn't stand it. Right?" I asked.

"No."

Karuizawa tried to answer, but seemingly couldn't. She just glared at me without saying anything more. I couldn't lie, so I just told Hirata what I'd seen. Apparently, Karuizawa and some girl named Rika had some trouble in the past. Manabe and her friends wanted to make Karuizawa apologize. But then they'd almost gotten violent with Karuizawa. Hirata, after hearing the whole story, nodded as if I'd filled in some gaps.

"I see. So that's why you told me," he said. "Told you what?" I asked.

"Karuizawa-san asked me to take revenge on Manabe-san and her friends."

I hadn't expected such unsettling words. Then again, from the perspective of someone who'd been physically threatened, it must've looked like a kill-or-be-killed situation. After Hirata spoke, Karuizawa finally broke her silence.

"Why did you tell him?" she asked.

"Because this isn't like you, Karuizawa-san. You aren't a violent

person," Hirata answered.

"But your girlfriend's suffering, right? You should want to help me." "Yes, I do. But I don't believe in an eye for an eye. You know that,

don't you?"

Their core differences were starting to clash.

"Let's think this through. If possible, let's find a way to get along with Manabe-san and her friends," he said.

"That's impossible, isn't it? I mean, they absolutely hate me for practically no reason. Please, you have to understand!" she begged.

"No reason? Didn't this start because you had an issue with Morofuji- san, Karuizawa?"

Hirata said Morofuji, but he probably meant Rika. That must've been her last name. It was amazing how much information he had.

"But that's… I didn't have any choice! Shinohara and the others were there, and—"

"So because Shinohara was there, you had no choice? What does that mean?" I asked.

"You shut your mouth!" she screamed. Her voice carried all the way down the hallway.

"Please, I'm begging you. Help me. Hirata-kun. You said you'd protect me, didn't you?"

"Of course I'll protect you. But I can't just hurt Manabe-san and her friends for no real reason. Let's try to find a way to resolve things peacefully, through discussion."

"I'm telling you, it's not possible! If I could do that, I wouldn't need your help!"

What she said might have sounded absurd, but I understood how she felt. Karuizawa's position was more dangerous than I expected. Things might very well end violently. For example, students here weren't allowed to smoke, much like many other schools around the world. But there were many students worldwide who smoked and got away with it. Not everything could be bound by law or governed by rules, and bullying was one of those things.

Hirata did seem to be worried about Karuizawa, but he was also worried about Manabe and her friends. Hirata wanted to think of a way to resolve things peacefully for all parties. He wasn't treating Karuizawa like his treasured girlfriend, but as another friend.

"It doesn't matter what the reason is. I can't do what you want. You're one of my classmates, Karuizawa-san. If you're in trouble, I'll help you, protect you. But I can't hurt someone else to do that, even if they're from Class C," he said.

"You liar! You said you'd protect me!" she shouted.

"'Liar'? You've known this was my stance since the beginning." He stood up. The next words out of his mouth would've taken all the Class D students by surprise. "I've told you from the start that we aren't really boyfriend and girlfriend. I don't mind pretending to go out with you, but I definitely won't fight a war for you."

Apparently, their relationship was a huge lie.

"What?! Wh-why are you saying all of this now?!" Karuizawa was horrified by what she'd just heard.

I understood Hirata's intentions. He was using Karuizawa to extract information as a tribute to Horikita. That was what it looked like, anyway.

"Because we need a new option now. I want to help you," he said.

He wasn't abandoning Karuizawa at all. He was seriously trying to help her, in his own way. He approached Karuizawa, who now looked really upset, but didn't even try to touch her slender, delicate shoulder. I would've expected him to do that much.

"So are you saying…it's better for me to get violent with them?" she asked.

"That's not what I'm saying. I'll do what I can to help you. When morning comes, I intend to speak with Manabe-san and her friends. I'll tell them to stop harassing you, Karuizawa-san. You probably won't like this, but I'll tell them that you'll apologize."

"I don't want to!" Karuizawa had come to Hirata in order to take revenge on Manabe and her friends, and that spoke to her true personality— her real self. More than anything else, Karuizawa was afraid.

"If that's the case, then I can't help you. I'm sorry."

Hirata was calm. Even now, he was composed. But he was also extremely reliable, and for someone like Karuizawa who needed that reliability, losing it was basically a death sentence.

"Ayanokouji-kun, do you have any ideas?" asked Hirata. It seemed like he was trying to make me take a more active role in this.

"Whatever! If you're not going to listen to me, then I don't need you!" Karuizawa threw the can of juice she was holding down the hall. The contents spilled all over the place, and the sound echoed down the hall.

"Our relationship is over. It's over!" she shouted.

With that, Karuizawa abandoned us and fled. Hirata seemed annoyed not because the truth of their sham relationship had been revealed, but because he couldn't help her. He showed no signs of running after her. She wasn't his priority.

"Ayanokouji-kun. I have my limits. I can't do everything. Please understand that," he said.

I'd planned to use Hirata to extract information about Karuizawa.

However, it appeared that Hirata had used me instead, and used this opportunity to task me with saving Karuizawa from her troubles.

"You said that you wanted to be a bridge to connect people, but that's a lie, isn't it? You're everyone's ally."

"Yes. I'm Karuizawa-san's ally, and I'm your ally as well, Ayanokouji-kun. However, my priorities might change depending on the situation. You're far more capable than everyone thinks," Hirata observed.

"You think way too highly of me."

"Really? I'm good at reading other people. That's why I understand."

I wanted to ask more about this supposed skill but decided that we should resolve this problem first. "Your relationship with Karuizawa sounds like it was all for show. Is that really true?" I asked.

"When you put it that way, it sounds like you already suspected as much."

"You and Karuizawa have been dating for almost four months, but

your relationship with her hadn't progressed much. Of course, I considered the possibility that you were maintaining a pure and platonic kind of relationship, but even then, you've always kept yourself distant from her.

You still call each other by your last names."

Even if they hadn't gotten closer physically, they should've grown nearer emotionally. But Hirata and Karuizawa's relationship had showed absolutely no signs of change, for better or for worse. In a romantic relationship, such stagnation was exceptionally odd.

"You're exactly right. We weren't really dating. We were going out because we both felt that it was necessary. I suppose you consider that contradictory," he answered.

In other words, theirs had been a mutually beneficial relationship. In that case, which one of them had proposed the idea, and which had agreed to it? Well, I suppose that was obvious. Karuizawa had asked Hirata to pretend to go out with her, and Hirata had simply honored her request. With that in mind, her actions made more and more sense.

"The rumors started roughly three weeks after school began. From that point onward, Karuizawa's popularity soared by leaps and bounds," I observed.

A similar phenomenon had occurred in Rabbit Group. By attaching herself to Machida, Karuizawa could assert herself more aggressively than normal, and her level of influence had increased. To Karuizawa, Hirata was basically a host, and she was his parasite. He'd been a tool to enhance her social standing.

"You played the part of Karuizawa's boyfriend so that her social standing would improve."

I'd arrived at the truth. In response, Hirata simply smiled. I'd thought that was the entire truth, but then I realized that it didn't explain everything. Besides, Hirata hadn't admitted that I was right. Karuizawa had used Hirata and Machida to place herself at the top of the school's caste system? No, that alone wasn't enough.

After all, why would Hirata have accepted her request so easily? That was a tall order for him. Karuizawa's aggressive attitude was getting more and more out of hand every day. She was behaving more like a bully.

Why would Hirata approve of this and not criticize her at all? Besides, did Karuizawa really just want to use Hirata and the others to get to the top? I was doubtful. I couldn't say she'd used Machida just to increase her influence. If anything, she showed no interest in the group. More often than not, she just sat in silence. Maybe she hadn't planned to use Machida at first.

In that case, what had triggered her to establish contact with Machida?

I felt like I was starting to discover Karuizawa Kei's true self.

"It's to protect herself?" I asked. That was the only remaining answer.

There was no mistaking it.

"So, you understand. Honestly, when I heard you say it, I got goosebumps," Hirata said.

"I heard about it from Horikita; that's all. She said Karuizawa had her reasons for clinging to you and to others."

But Hirata wasn't simple enough to fall for my deception.

"Ayanokouji-kun. I have to be very honest, but… Well, this is going to sound very rude, but I honestly find you a little weird. You kind of creep me out.

I'm sorry if that offends you."

"Creep you out? Why do you think that?"

"I've been watching you since school started. The Ayanokouji-kun back then and the Ayanokouji-kun now are like two different people. Your presence, the words you use… It's like you have two different personalities."

Hirata was frighteningly observant. It was only natural that he would think something was off.

"I've already told you, it's all because of Horikita's advice. I already gave her a detailed report about my group. I'm only following her orders. It's just like back on the island. Horikita made the right calls and led Class D to victory. She's why we got so many points. I mean, that's good for me, too.

She's just so awful at communicating with others that she's afraid to try, you know? She told me to talk to you and report back."

I spent a lot of time with Horikita. Because of that, Hirata probably wouldn't doubt my words.

"Well. I suppose Horikita-san must've determined that saving Karuizawa-san will give our class a lead," he reasoned.

"Yeah."

"But I do think you're amazing, Ayanokouji-kun. You're different from Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun."

"I'm worse than them."

"Even if you're just following Horikita-san's orders, you're still the one talking to me right now, Ayanokouji-kun. It isn't as though Horikita gave you a list of prepared responses. I think that you show clear, well-reasoned logic. That's not something you can pretend to have."

Hirata was smarter than I'd imagined. Although I had some concerns about his desire to constantly save everyone, he had extraordinary abilities.

"You've already said as much, but I agreed to act like Karuizawa-san's boyfriend so she could protect herself. That's what she wanted. She said she wanted me to save her. It might be a little difficult for you to imagine, but throughout her elementary and junior high years, she was viciously bullied."

"Is that really the truth?" I asked.

So Karuizawa's hyperventilation had been triggered by memories of her past. If she had suffered such deep trauma, it explained why she couldn't shake off the earlier encounter.

"Of course, I only met Karuizawa-san after she started school here. But I understood. People who are bullied give off a unique vibe. That's why I agreed to go out with her. That way, Karuizawa-san would free herself from her past by using her position as my girlfriend. I don't think that Karuizawa- san has been showing us her real personality. I think she's just desperately trying to act tough."

That was why she couldn't control her emotions very well. Many people who've been bullied tended to have very meek and timid personalities, like Sakura. On the other hand, people who were confident, aggressive, and selfish—those who acted like Karuizawa—were typically the ones doing the bullying.

So Karuizawa's personality was a façade. A front. That's why she needed people like Hirata and Machida. With them, she was able to get that assertive personality.

"Wait a minute. What was in it for you?" I asked. High school is one of

the prime romantic times of a student's life. Hirata was popular with girls. If he pretended to go out with Karuizawa, he couldn't pursue a relationship with anyone else.

"What was in it for me? Karuizawa-san wasn't being bullied. That's all I needed."

It wasn't hypocrisy or love. He didn't have any selfish impulses. "I know you're not convinced, but that's the reason I did it," he

continued.

"I believe you. But is there some deeper reason as well?" I asked.

Hirata wouldn't hesitate to save a friend, but he considered Manabe and the others friends, too. His concern for others was downright pathological.

Since he'd told me this much, Hirata probably felt like he had to see the story through. He bought a couple of drinks from the vending machine and handed one to me, which I gratefully accepted.

"Until my second year of junior high I was, for lack of a better word, a nobody. I didn't stand out at all."

"You, Hirata? I have a hard time imagining that."

"Well, I wouldn't say that I was completely invisible. I did have friends. I had this one friend ever since I was little, a guy named Sugimura- kun. We were in the same class together for six years, throughout elementary school. We were neighbors, too. We walked to and from school together every day." Hirata spoke like he was recalling some fleeting memory.

"When we started junior high, we were put into separate classes for the first time. At first, we kept going to school together just like we always had. Gradually, we walked together less and less. I started to only hang out with other guys from my new class. That story probably sounds normal enough, I suppose."

It was perfectly normal to make new friends in a new environment.

Nothing odd about that.

"But you see, while I had my new friends, Sugimura-kun was getting bullied." Hirata squeezed the can he was holding. I understood where this was going. "Sugimura-kun sent me SOSs over and over. He'd show up with cuts on his face, or with bruises. But I cared more about hanging out with my

friends, and never took him seriously. Sugimura-kun was always headstrong, quick to get into fights. I didn't think too deeply about what was happening. But when we entered our second year, we reunited. By then, Sugimura-kun's spirit had shattered. His bright, cheerful personality was gone. That was only natural after being beaten down so much. He'd been punched and kicked so many times. They hounded him so much that he couldn't even go the bathroom; he ended up having accidents during class."

"So you saw that, and…"

"Yeah. I didn't do anything. I couldn't. I was afraid I'd become their next target. I was afraid that my new, fun life would be destroyed. So I pretended not to see Sugimura-kun, my oldest friend. I came up with convenient excuses for myself. I thought someday the bullies would just stop. Maybe once Sugimura-kun stopped going to school, they'd leave him alone. Or maybe someone else would step in to help him."

"So, what happened to Sugimura?"

"That day's burned into my memory, even now. After morning soccer practice, I returned to the classroom. When I got near the room, I saw that Sugimura-kun was already there, his face swollen. I decided to wait a bit before going in. To be honest, I felt uncomfortable. We'd been friends who played together ever since we were little, but right then, it felt like were complete strangers. I thought, 'If I get involved with him, I'll get bullied, too.' Perhaps Sugimura-kun saw how ugly my heart was. He didn't say a word, but it was almost like he was sending out a plea for help. That day, he jumped out of the classroom window," said Hirata.

"He jumped? Did he die?"

"He was declared brain dead. But even now, Sugimura-kun's parents believe he'll recover. They're waiting for him. That day was so surreal, I still wonder if it was a hallucination. I couldn't believe it. When Sugimura-kun jumped, I realized something. By selfishly focusing so much on my own desires, I helped drive a treasured friend to his death."

That incident had given birth to the man named Hirata Yousuke. "I don't think Sugimura-kun can be saved, but I wanted to atone. I

figure the only way for me to do that is to save others," Hirata said.

"I understand what you're feeling, but the world isn't that simple,

right? At this very moment, there's someone being bullied somewhere. And they might try to take their own life, just like Sugimura-kun. You can't stop them."

"Of course I know that. I'm not a hero or anything. But I want to save the people close to me, at the very least. I must help them. That's my penance for the sin I committed," he said.

"So what are you going to do, then? You want to save both Karuizawa and Manabe, but that's not possible."

"I understand that. It's probably why you're here with me right now," he answered.

Apparently, Hirata knew that he was abnormal himself. At any rate, he was a man on a mission.

"I never thought I'd ever tell this story to anyone. Nobody here knows the truth. That's why I chose this school," said Hirata. He tossed his empty juice can into the trash. "Will you and Horikita-san keep this confidential?" he asked.

"If you promise not to get yourself involved, I'm sure Horikita will stay silent," I answered.

"Then I'll believe in you two. Our philosophies are similar."

Hirata had pledged not to involve himself in the Karuizawa issue. From this point onward, Hirata would probably come to me for help whenever he was in trouble. I had successfully gained Hirata's cooperation, a power I'd always wanted. I'm sure he felt he'd gained something as well.

"Hirata. Since you have a large social network, I have a favor to ask." I handed Hirata a piece of paper. He read it and accepted my request without so much as a displeased look.

"Oh, Ayanokouji-kun. There is one more thing I've been hiding from you. I know the identity of the last VIP from Class D."

4.5

The next day, I decided to make a move, but rather unexpectedly, Sakura called for me. I decided to go talk to her.

"Looks like the test is over for the Cow group," I said. "Yeah…" she replied.

I checked the email that Sakura, along with the other students, had received from the school.

"The test has now ended for the Cow group. Those in the Cow group are no longer required to participate any further. Please be careful not to disturb the other students."

It was exactly the same kind of email we got after the Monkey group finished. It was a brief message, devoid of context. Sakura looked at me with unease in her eyes.

"Have I done something wrong?" she asked.

"No, you haven't. This just means that someone in the Cow group reported to the school who they think the VIP is."

Leaving aside the time Kouenji got carried away and ended the test for his group, right now it seemed that people were betraying each other for two very different reasons. They were either betraying with certainty, or betraying because they felt impatient.

"Sakura, were you the VIP? Or was it someone else?"

Sakura quickly shook her head. "No, I'm not the VIP. But I'm not sure about Sudou-kun or, um, the others," she answered. She didn't seem to have any idea whatsoever.

"Don't overthink it. I don't know the identity of the VIP in my group, either."

"Okay. Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun. I'm happy you told me that." "How are things with Class A? I heard rumors that none of them are

participating in the discussions."

"Yeah, it's just like what the others have been saying. None of them have talked at all," said Sakura.

Katsuragi had been rather thorough in carrying out his plan. If that was true, then Class C had to have been the ones to trigger this new turn of events. But I was still left with doubts. Ryuuen claimed he understood the school's rules, and I had my own ideas. However, it was still impossible to know whether I was correct or not.

If I accidentally misread the rules, the class would self-destruct and take massive damage as a result. So far, the test hadn't ended for anyone other than the Cow group—proof that Ryuuen still didn't have a sure answer either. As we neared the end of this mysterious exam, many students were probably feeling perplexed.

"If there's anything else, please let me know. You can talk to me anytime," I told Sakura.

"Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun. See you later."

I bid farewell to Sakura, who waved her hands adorably. Then I headed toward the ship's lower levels. I proceeded down to the lowest level, where people didn't generally go. Although we were prohibited from going there, the area wasn't locked. The crew was probably using it. Although people could enter areas like the switchboard room if it was necessary, generally speaking, no one went in there.

There was no one to come if you called, no matter how loud you shouted. Including the regular entrance, there were only two ways in or out of the room. The other way was a door that led to the emergency staircase, but the workers didn't appear to use that. Judging from the dust, I knew that it hadn't been used in a long time. If I just kept an eye on the regular entrance, I could monitor the situation completely.

Another convenient thing was that phones had almost no reception here. Though you could occasionally get a little signal, sending emails or chatting was a pain in the neck, and it was next to impossible to make a call.

"All the pieces are in place," I muttered.

All I had to do was make sure everything happened in the proper order.

First, I would contact Hirata, and then he would call Karuizawa. Since I wanted to postpone things a little bit, I'd probably need to have him call

Karuizawa an hour or so earlier. I returned to the upper decks to make the call.

After our conversation last night, I thought Hirata might be especially on his guard. But I knew if Hirata called Karuizawa and said he wanted to speak with her alone, she'd respond. Karuizawa had said she was breaking up with Hirata, but she'd be the one to suffer if that happened. With Manabe and her friends on the attack, Karuizawa absolutely needed Hirata to protect her at school.

I got a message from Hirata. I've promised to meet Karuizawa-san at 4:00 p.m. I'll send you Manabe-san's info.

As expected, Hirata had fulfilled his role admirably. As a bonus, he even had Manabe's contact information, never mind that she was from another class. If he hadn't known it, I would've had to risk asking Kushida. That saved me an extraordinary amount of trouble.

He sent me another message. I have to tell you, I don't want to make Karuizawa-san sad.

"You don't want to make her sad, huh?" If he knew what I was about to do, Hirata would've been furious. But that wasn't my problem. Even if she were to break here, I'd be fine so long as he didn't find out. This is a rather extreme example, but even if you committed murder, you couldn't be convicted without proof.

I quickly typed a message and hit send.

Hey, you got a minute?

The message was short and sweet, completely harmless. As a rule, chat apps are one account per phone. However, there was a way around that. By creating another primary SNS account, your device could hold another. Of course, not many students split their account into a main and a sub. The benefits of switching between accounts were marginal at best. However, by creating a new account, I was able to contact a third party without revealing my identity.

I needed to proceed delicately. If I didn't mess up, everything should be fine. Despite the fact that Manabe had received an anonymous message, she immediately responded.

Who is this?

Only natural she'd ask that question. Is there anyone with you right now? I'm alone, but who are you?

Don't show this to anyone. For your own sake. Look, who are you?

Let's just say that I hate the same person you do.

Although I saw that she'd read my message, Manabe took some time to respond. Do you have the wrong number?

This isn't a mistake, Manabe-san. I want to talk about Karuizawa-san, the person you hate. I thought I might be able to talk to you about it.

I don't know what you're talking about. Please stop sending me messages.

She seemed wary, as if she imagined I might be an enemy. That was natural. First, I needed to win her trust.

I'm a classmate of hers, and it's been difficult dealing with her for a long time now. I want to get revenge on her, so I thought we could work together. Since I'm in Class D with her, I can't go after Karuizawa-san directly. That's why I want your help.

I don't know what you're talking about. I'm going to ignore you.

Even though she was suspicious, she still hadn't cut off contact. That proved how much Karuizawa made her blood boil. That was why she wanted revenge on behalf of her friend, Rika. From the way Manabe had dragged Karuizawa into the emergency stairwell, her hatred was clear.

Rika-chan is still scared of Karuizawa-san, even now. Don't you want to help her? Your desire for revenge is written all over your face. But you couldn't do it even if you wanted to, right? Karuizawa-san is really cautious after what happened yesterday. I'm sure she won't leave Hirata-kun's or Machida-kun's side for a while. And she'll always be with other girls, so she won't be alone.

I don't need your help. I just need Karuizawa-san to talk to Rika. Then we'll know the truth.

I wonder if it'll be that simple, though? I can't imagine she'll admit that she lied. On the contrary, it would probably just hurt Rika-chan if Karuizawa-san says something awful. Oh, and that's not all. If Karuizawa- san's holding a grudge, she might bully Rika further.

What should I do? Are you saying there's a way?

Manabe's intense desire to settle things was evident.

If you and I work together, we can safely get our revenge.

What guarantee do I have? It feels like you're trying to lure me into a trap, and then you'll tattle to the school. This smells like a sub account.

If you think I'm trying to sell you out, Manabe-san, then go ahead and show this chat log to the teachers. You can only register accounts on school phones. I'm risking being identified by saying I want revenge on Karuizawa- san. I'm the one risking my neck here. Am I wrong?

I'm sure Manabe understood. Even a sub account wasn't perfectly safe.

If I were exposed, I would obviously receive the harshest punishment.

So if I show this chat log to the school, what then? It'll be all over for

you.

I don't think you're the kind of person to do that, Manabe-san. You

have to show trust to be trusted.

I understand. I'll hear you out, at least.

After that, I repeated some familiar-sounding stories. Stuff about how much I hated Karuizawa. How I wanted to do something about it but couldn't. How I'd heard about Manabe's confrontation with Karuizawa by chance, and that I'd tried to make contact. I played the victim thoroughly.

Once we returned to land, it would be difficult for me to contact Karuizawa directly. The school buildings and dorms were equipped with security cameras. Even if you tried to bring her into a private area, it was still highly likely that someone would spot you. This ship gave Manabe the perfect opportunity. I made her understand that revenge was only possible while they were here. I slowly but surely roused her anger.

So, what should I do?

Now that Manabe understood, I finally started to reveal my plan. I'll

call Karuizawa-san. Then, you take your time talking with her, and settle things.

After I sent that message, I followed it up by sending a map of the ship's lowest level.

Since you can't get any reception down there, she can't call for help.

No one comes down there.

I see, I see. So since you're her classmate, you can call Karuizawa-

san?

I'd like you to tell me right now if you're going along with my plan.

After I call Karuizawa-san, you can decide whether you'll take your revenge. There won't be any problems that way, right?

She took a long time to respond, the longest for any response thus far. Finally, I saw her response, and was sure that my plan would succeed. If my attempts to convince her via chat had failed, I had another plan prepared, just in case.

It would have been dangerous, but I would've made direct contact with Manabe in person. I had taken pictures when she was threatening Karuizawa in the emergency stairwell; I could've blackmailed her with those. However, the risks were great. I wanted to avoid drawing attention to myself as much as humanly possible.

"Now. Let's see what Manabe and her friends are capable of."

4.6

Sometimes a deep, heavy noise echoed throughout the dark level.

Perhaps it was the sound of the ship changing course, or maybe it was because the ship had bumped into something. I wasn't entirely sure. But a lone girl came here, a place where all you could hear was the sound of machines.

"What's going on? I can't connect to… There's no signal."

There were still over ten minutes left before her arranged meeting with Hirata. Maybe she'd arrived a little early to calm herself down. After she realized that she couldn't use her phone, she put it back in her pocket and leaned against the wall, apparently bored. She closed her eyes and opened her mouth slightly, muttering something to herself.

With how quietly she was muttering, I couldn't hear her at all. What was she talking about? Unfortunately, Hirata wasn't going to hear it. Once four o'clock rolled around, the door opened. I heard the dull sound of it.

Three girls from Class C stepped through—Manabe and her friends. Wait… there was one other person with them.

She seemed meek, rather like Sakura. This was probably Rika. "It's all right," said Manabe. Then she saw Karuizawa. Naturally, Karuizawa noticed them, too.

"Wh-what are you doing here?!" she asked, trembling.

The passageways inside the ship were narrow, so there weren't many escape routes. Running away would be difficult.

"I just happened to see you come in here, that's all. Well, I suppose this is the perfect opportunity. Let me introduce you. This is Rika. Do you remember her, Karuizawa-san?" asked Manabe.

Manabe grabbed Rika, who was hiding behind her, and pulled her forward. She and Karuizawa were now facing each other. Karuizawa averted her eyes, pretending like she didn't know her, but judging from her behavior it was obvious she remembered.

"Hey, Rika. Karuizawa-san was the one who shoved you, right?" asked

Manabe.

"Yeah, she's the one," said Rika.

After hearing such a clear answer, Manabe smiled, looking happy as could be. Karuizawa, on the other hand, appeared increasingly anxious and confused. All I could do now was stay quiet and observe the miserable events that were about to unfold. Even if Karuizawa were subjected to an even more wretched ordeal than I could imagine, I had no intention of saving her.

"Apologize to Rika," demanded Manabe.

"H-huh? Who's apologizing? I haven't done anything wrong," said Karuizawa.

"Still acting tough. You're a real piece of work, aren't you? But I think I understand now, more or less," snapped Manabe.

"Understand what?" asked Karuizawa.

"Your behavior. You're unusually fearful. Karuizawa-san, you were bullied, weren't you?"

"Wha—?!"

She had been trying to hide the truth, but her past had caught up with

her.

"I hit the nail on the head, didn't I? I knew it. I could feel it right from

the start," Manabe continued.

"No, you're wrong!" Karuizawa denied it, but her words were weak. Even if she'd been an excellent actress, there wasn't any point. It wasn't as though Manabe was highly perceptive or anything. She knew because I'd told her everything beforehand. I'd told her that Karuizawa had been cruelly bullied ever since childhood. That she harbored deep trauma.

"If you get down on your knees and beg right now, I might forgive you.

How about it? I mean, you're good at groveling, right? Being on your knees?" Manabe mocked Karuizawa.

"N-no, I won't! I've never done that kind of thing before!" Karuizawa shouted.

Karuizawa tried to slip past Manabe, but Manabe snatched her long hair and pulled her back, slamming her into the wall. Manabe was assured

that the stage had been set for her revenge, so I couldn't control her here. I'd only promised that she would "meet" with Karuizawa, after all.

She should have agonized over whether to use violence. However, when she finally had the chance to be alone with Karuizawa, she let go of all other concerns. Because her friends were expecting her to get back at Karuizawa, I couldn't imagine that this would end until Manabe had dished out a great deal of punishment. That's what I'd been aiming for, anyway.

It was like the Milgram experiment, a psychological study conducted in the 1960s. The test, also referred to as the Eichmann experiment, had been conducted by two groups of people in an isolated facility. Members of these two groups played the role of either the teacher or the student. First, the person playing the role of teacher—the subject of the experiment—would administer a low electric shock to the student so that they would remember the pain and fear associated with it. The student would be separated from the teacher and placed on the other side of the glass. Then a device was installed on the student's side, one that would transmit the electric shock, while the switch to administer the shock was entrusted to the teacher.

At that point, the proctor overseeing the experiment instructed the teacher to give the student a series of problems. If the student made a mistake, the teacher was instructed to turn on the electric current. The teacher was told to increase the voltage every time the student answered incorrectly. The switch could administer shocks exceeding 450 volts, powerful enough to prove fatal. On the other hand, though, the shock administered for the first wrong question was only forty-five volts, which amounted to mild itching.

The subject could hear the student's voice, which meant every time a shock was administered, the teacher could hear the student's agonizing screams. However, unknown to the subject, the electric shock device installed on the student's side was a fake. The student only pretended to be electrocuted. The teacher could hear the student's suffering, though. At first, there wasn't much of a reaction. As the voltage increased, the agonizing screams of the student grew louder. Eventually, the student fell silent.

The subject, the teacher, wasn't threatened. They were only told they'd be rewarded and were free to do as they liked. In other words, even if the teacher asked to quit the test, they would be fine. Despite that, nearly 66% of subjects increased the voltage until they administered electric shocks

powerful enough to kill someone. The experiment demonstrated that, depending on the circumstances, anyone was capable of incredible cruelty and brutality.

"Ow, ow! It hurts! Let me go!" screamed Karuizawa.

Karuizawa wept at having her hair pulled, and pleaded, but Manabe only laughed like she was enjoying it. Right now, they were on the lowest level of the ship, a closed environment. Manabe was the subject, and Karuizawa the student. I'd successfully set the stage for a situation like the Milgram experiment. Even though you could say the conditions weren't exactly the same, considering the relationship these two had cultivated, the situation was rather like the original experiment. Seeing Karuizawa suffer, especially after her proud behavior, probably felt great to them.

"Agh!" Karuizawa shouted.

"Whoa, Shiho. Don't you think you're hitting her a little too much?

Wow, you're harsh."

Manabe continued to drive her knee into Karuizawa's stomach. Of course, Manabe wasn't used to hitting someone like that, so her movements were sluggish. It shouldn't have hurt much. But Karuizawa's pain was Manabe's greatest reward.

Seemingly in a great mood, she invited Rika to join in. Rika had been standing some distance away, watching anxiously.

"Come on Rika. You give it a try, too," urged Manabe. "N-no. I'm okay," answered Rika.

"We're doing this for your sake, right? Come on, there's no one around," replied Manabe.

Rika wanted to refuse taking revenge, but that wasn't allowed right now. If your friend coaxed and cajoled you to join in the fun, it'd be difficult to keep refusing. Rika knew that if Manabe's anger were redirected at her, she could become the next victim.

"O-okay. I'll try."

There was the sound of a pathetically light slap. Pap. "L-Like that?" asked Rika.

this."

"No, no, that's no good at all. You need to put more force into it, like

Whap! The sound echoed through the room. Karuizawa looked like she

was in pain after that hit. Rika slapped Karuizawa again and again, just as she was instructed. Her slaps gradually grew more forceful.

"S-s-s-stop it!" pleaded Karuizawa. "Ha ha. This is fun! Ha ha!"

Well, maybe it was more appropriate to think of Rika as the subject of the Milgram experiment.

"Please, forgive me!" Karuizawa pleaded.

Seeing her like that must have felt euphoric for Manabe and the others.

Rika started to punch and kick rather strongly, to the point where I couldn't believe she'd ever been scared. Also, even though she left some marks on easy-to-spot places like Karuizawa's cheeks, Rika focused on hitting places you wouldn't be able to see normally, like under her uniform or beneath her hair.

Karuizawa collapsed in fear, tears streaming down her face. I moved without making a sound. I quietly opened the door, taking care that Manabe and her friends wouldn't see. They would all continue to take out their frustrations on Karuizawa a little longer. I didn't particularly mind.

After all, if something has been thoroughly destroyed, it saves me time and effort when I need to build it back up. I quietly closed the door and was no longer able to hear Karuizawa's screams.

4.7

After I confirmed that Manabe and her friends were gone, I entered the room. Karuizawa should've heard the door open, but she continued to cower and cry on the ground. Perhaps she didn't notice me coming in because she was so overcome by fear. So this was how the leader of the girls, so arrogant and headstrong, really was?

Perhaps thanks to the advice I'd given to Manabe and her friends, Karuizawa's uniform and the parts of her body that you could normally see appeared undamaged. If her uniform had been ripped, or if they'd cut her hair, it would've been difficult for the Class C girls to go unpunished. While bullying is common, our school's unique setup made bullying much more difficult to get away with.

If anything might have been a cause for concern, it was her cheeks, reddened from being slapped over and over. The marks would fade by tomorrow, though.

"Karuizawa."

When I called her, she finally noticed me. She lifted her head. "Wh- why are…" she stammered.

I wasn't supposed to be here. She panicked at being seen like that, but couldn't just stop crying and act as though nothing had happened.

She would eventually stop crying. She would eventually calm down. If I left right now, what I wanted to happen wouldn't take place. I continued to wait quietly, without trying to talk to her. After some time passed, Karuizawa gradually stopped bawling, and she started to calm down.

If two people were alone together in a dark, closed room, a sort of natural intimacy occurred. Even if the people normally hated each other, the psychological distance between them would lessen.

"Have you calmed down a bit?" "A little."

Karuizawa still didn't stand. She wiped the tears away with her

uniform sleeve. I reached out to help her up, but she didn't move to take my

hand.

"Where's Hirata-kun?" she asked.

"Sounds like he was supposed to meet you here. I would guess that a

teacher called him away. I just happened to be with him when he mentioned you, so I came here in his place."

That explanation should have been enough to satisfy her and save me the trouble of further questions. There wasn't any need to tell her the truth right now. First, I needed to get her to relax, and then fill in the cracks of her heart.

that."

"Why were you crying?" I asked.

"Manabe and her friends… I absolutely will not let them get away with

Karuizawa started trembling as she recalled what they'd done to her.

Even if she didn't want to reveal this pathetic side of herself, the trauma was buried so deep that her pain wasn't easily hidden.

"You have to keep this a secret. If anyone finds out, I'll never forgive you," she warned me.

Karuizawa's weakness was that she couldn't stand being seen as a victim by the rest of the school. If people found out that Manabe and her friends had used violence, then the school would inevitably expose the details of what had happened and why. To protect her social standing, Karuizawa couldn't afford to let that happen. That was why she'd planned to use Hirata to stop Manabe and her friends.

"You know, you could get back at Manabe and the others. Since they're girls, even someone like you could win," she suggested to me.

"That's an insane request," I answered flatly.

"What, are you scared of getting even with Manabe and her friends?

And you're supposed to be a guy," she chided.

"If you attack them, it'll all be over. You should know from what happened with Sudou that this isn't a simple matter. Don't you get it? An eye for an eye won't solve anything. Things will only get further out of hand. The school will carry out an investigation and conduct interviews. You don't want that, right, Karuizawa?"

"So you'll just lie down and take it?" she asked.

I knew how to respond, but decided to stay silent.

"But they would… They'll continue to do awful things to me," muttered Karuizawa.

She started shaking again. In truth, there was no guarantee that Manabe and her friends would stop. Karuizawa could find many ways to escape back at school, but she couldn't continue playing hide-and-seek with Manabe forever. Her classmates would eventually notice a change in Karuizawa's behavior.

Karuizawa desperately wanted to fix this situation. I'd been waiting for that desperation.

"It would be terrible if things went back to how they were back in the old days. I understand that you want to prevent it," I told her.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Karuizawa should be putting things together by now. Even if it was clear how I knew that Manabe and her friends had bullied her, she should wonder how I knew about her past.

"I meant exactly what I said. You've managed to escape by getting into this prestigious school and rising through the ranks to reign supreme at the head of Class D. But in the end, you haven't really changed at all. You're still that bullied little girl."

"Wh-who are you talking about?!" she shouted. "You, Karuizawa."

I grabbed her arm and forced her up. "H-hey, what are you doing?!"

I pinned her up against the wall and forced her to look me in the eye.

"Manabe tormented you just now, yes? She and her friends pulled your hair and slapped your face. They kicked you in the chest, in your stomach, didn't they? That's why you ended up like this: miserable, pathetic, crying on the ground."

"Wha—"

Our eyes met. We stared as if we were being sucked into one another.

Of course, there wasn't any hint of love there. Only darkness.

"You were bullied ever since you were little. You were a victim throughout elementary school and junior high. You wanted to act tough so you could stop being bullied. Am I right?"

"D-did you hear this…from Hirata-kun?"

"Hirata is everyone's ally, for better or worse. He'll help you, like he'll help anyone. Even if you got your position in Class D by pretending to be Hirata's girlfriend, he won't be of any use to you in situations like this. He isn't a good enough host for a parasite like you."

Karuizawa was much smarter than other people thought. She had taken care not to overdo it in the Rabbit group precisely because she understood Hirata's neutral stance. That was probably why she was so reserved at first.

However, as a display of her status, she'd started trouble with Rika, which led to this current predicament.

"What are you… Why are you doing this, huh?!"

"Why? It's obvious, isn't it? You need to understand your situation.

Don't you know who's standing in front of you right now? It's not Hirata; it's me. I know everything. I know about your past. I know about your fake relationship with Hirata. I even know that Manabe and her friends tortured you to the point where you started bawling."

I knew everything that Karuizawa Kei wanted to hide.

I had her heart in my hands. Right now, I would decide whether she lived or died.

"If you don't do as I say, I can expose you," I added.

Karuizawa understood better than anyone how terrifying that was. "D- don't screw with me! Who the hell do you think you are?!" she shouted.

"Someone who knows the truth. Nothing more, nothing less."

I moved in so close to her that our faces almost touched. When she turned her face away and tried to avert her eyes, I grabbed her chin and forced her to look at me. She wanted to look away, but with a man's strength

bearing down on her, she couldn't move. She closed her eyes, as if trying to escape my gaze.

"What, what do you want with me?! You're just after my body, aren't you?" she screamed.

"Your body, huh? You know, that doesn't sound too bad."

I ran my fingertips across Karuizawa's thighs. She felt so incredibly soft that I couldn't even imagine that she was a person like me. Her skin was silky smooth. The feel of it was incredibly different from my own.

"Eek!"

She tried to escape my touch. I held her tighter and forced her to look straight at me. "Don't run. If you try it again, I'll tell everyone at school what I know about you."

Those words were like a magic spell. She stiffened. "You… Grr…" She sputtered.

Rage, panic, fear, despair: How many negative feelings had Karuizawa

been carrying? She now realized that I was completely different from the meek person she knew from school. She probably found it terrifying.

"Spread your legs," I commanded.

Karuizawa slowly opened her legs, tears streaming down her face as she did so. Even if she knew that she was about to be violated, she still wanted to protect her position. The pain she felt from her years of being bullied had won out. I placed my hand on my belt buckle and pretended to rattle it. Even so, Karuizawa didn't run. She was trying to accept this. She looked at me with empty eyes.

There was no doubt about it. Karuizawa Kei had become a perfect tool for me. I didn't actually care about her body; I just needed to threaten her to see how far she was willing to go, how much she would do. She probably understood that.

Revealing my true self to her was a big risk. If Karuizawa reported me to the school, I'd be in enormous trouble. However, she feared her past and losing her current social status more than anything else. That was why she'd go so far as to offer up her body if someone requested it, if it would protect her secret.

"I'll never bow to you. I won't be bullied by the likes of you. You just want to mess with me! You think you can do whatever you want, you pervert?!" she shouted.

Karuizawa roared with anger, as if it was welling up from deep within her heart.

"Well, whatever. It's not like this is the first time someone's used force against me. So. Did you know about that, too? How do you think I should act in an impossible situation?" she asked. Still trembling, she gave a thin smile and looked at me with an intense darkness in her eyes.

"After a while, I gave up trying to resist. That's right; I was everyone's victim. I became cold, robotic. I could cry, scream, or thrash around, but it didn't matter. I couldn't do anything. All I could do was take it."

Karuizawa, as if accepting it all, lifted her skirt and touched her panties. I grabbed her slender arm and pushed her up against the wall.

"What happened to you?" I asked.

"What happened? All sorts of things. Everything and anything. They'd put tacks in my shoes or stuff my desk full of roadkill. When I went to the bathroom, I'd get splashed with dirty water. They wrote words like 'whore' on my uniform. They pulled my hair and punched and kicked me. Anything you could imagine, basically. I was bullied in every way. Countless times.

What I've just told you was just a fraction of what I've experienced. Those were the 'gentler' ways I've been bullied, too. It makes me want to laugh. So, why aren't you laughing? Why don't you laugh at the pitiful loser who's been bullied all her life?"

Even after everything she'd suffered, she still got back up. She seemed ready to fight again. Her resilience had motivated her to enroll in this school. Still…the experiences she'd recounted weren't enough to explain everything.

"What else have you suffered?" I asked. "Huh?"

"Have you told me the whole truth?"

I believed that something critical had shattered her spirit before this.

There had to be some other reason behind her abnormal fearfulness, something that Karuizawa wanted to hide so much that it was worth giving

up her body.

"What are you hiding?" "Wh-what?"

Karuizawa turned her head from me and lowered her eyes to look down

at her left side. I noticed that, of course. I reached over and touched that part of her body, over her uniform.

"S-stop!" she shouted.

Her shouts echoed within the enclosed walls of the room. I grabbed her uniform and pulled it up. There, on her beautiful skin, was an ugly scar. A deep scar, one that had been created by a sharp blade.

"This is it? This is your darkness?" "U-ugh!"

This wasn't the result of simple bullying. A serious scar like this had

come from a life-threatening attack. Even though she was burdened with that horrible past, she remained tough. She got back on her feet.

Over the past few days, I'd keenly observed Karuizawa Kei. To protect herself, she forced people to become her allies. She protected her status, even if that meant being disliked.

"Despair comes in many forms. And you've experienced despair.

Haven't you?" I asked.

Karuizawa's dark eyes met with mine. People who carry darkness within are attracted to one another. Slowly, they erode each other. Those who conceal a deep darkness will readily embrace the darkness of others.

"Wh-what are you…you…" she stammered.

If her past held her captive, then I had to forcefully free her from her shackles. Even if we weren't close, I could feel the darkness from her, through her skin. Yes.

There were profoundly dark things left in this world that even Karuizawa didn't yet know about.

"I promise you one thing. From now on, I will protect you from bullying. I will be much more reliable than Hirata or Machida," I told her.

"Wait. You meant that you can stop Manabe and her friends?" she asked.

"Right now, you should understand what I'm saying. If the wind blows, a tiny flame goes out. However, a larger flame only grows bigger. It becomes so strong that it won't go out, not even in the face of wild winds or pouring rain. You will help me, and I will help you. Kindness has nothing to do with it. Do you have any problems with this arrangement?"

"First things first. I'll get rid of your anxieties for you," I added. I pulled out my phone.

"I have a way to stop Manabe and her friends."

I showed her phone. On the screen was a photo of Karuizawa being bullied in the emergency stairway.

"That's—" she began.

"If I send this picture to them, they won't get carried away anymore. If they still decide to harass you, perhaps by spreading rumors, then I will step in and put a stop to it. With this."

As far as Manabe and her friends were concerned, this incident should have been enough to satisfy them. If they got carried away and tried to hurt Karuizawa further, they would end up causing trouble for Ryuuen. Then they would be in jeopardy themselves. I let go of Karuizawa's chin, and spoke in a flat, emotionless tone.

"All I want is for people to cooperate with me. I want you to assist me in the future, doing whatever I need."

"What? Assist? What do you want me to do?"

"If things continue as they are, Class D will never overtake Class A. While the individual students within Class D certainly aren't incapable, we lack a sense of unity. Our class is scattered. However, if you control the girls for me, the situation will gradually improve."

Her social pull made her an even more valuable ally than Horikita. "What are you trying to…"

Up until now, she'd only ever seen as me as a lowly, unobtrusive guy. Seeing my true self must've terrified her. But I was done explaining. Besides,

the less I talked, the more terrifying I would appear. The less she would resist.

"Now, the first thing I need. We must guide our group to victory in this exam."

"How am I supposed to help lead them to—" "You can, because you're… Right?"

Though I didn't articulate the key word in that sentence, Karuizawa seemed to know what it was. She looked me in the eyes. The truth resonated deep within her, in her heart.

She tried to look puzzled, but that was just an act. After all, a parasite couldn't live without a host. By finding a new host, Karuizawa only had one way to go on living: with me.