1.3

When lunch break came, I headed to have lunch with Kei, as was usual.

But, unlike usual, there are numerous guests.

"This is like some double date, huh, Ayanokouji-kun?"

With a hint of embarrassment, Satou muttered so while standing by me.

"Hey, hey, Maya-chan! That's not something to say to Kyotaka, is it?"

We walked as the girls were in a conversation that could be considered both a fight and a friendly chat.

"It's my first time in Hokkaidou, you know. Kiyotaka, have you been there before?"

"No, I haven't."

For someone like me who's been in the White Room, it's not a territory I have experience on.

I have been to a variety of locations and had some experiences, but Hokkaidou is not among them.

The only things I know about that world is the fact that it's extremely cold and the stuff I've seen on television or in textbooks.

The conversation ended up being focused on the school trip, after all.

"Anyway, are high school school trips really this free? Don't we have too much freedom?"

"I was surprised too. I thought that we would be granted maybe an hour or two of free conduct at most."

"Isn't it good to have a lot of free time? I think it's definitely better than wasting time in museums or sitting around listening to people talk."

Yousuke laughed at that reaction, and Satou also nodded strongly to show her agreement.

As for me... Spending my days in an orthodox way like that wouldn't be so bad either, but...

If we have too much freedom, things will deviate away from the form of a school trip.

"I am a bit worried about the groups, I think. I welcome the direction to get along well with other classes, but I can't help but feel like there's gonna be something else ahead of that."

"After you start getting along well?"

Yousuke nodded, and looked at me as if expecting an answer.

"As long as we are fighting over the one and only Class A, feelings like pity will only hold us back."

"I'm sure a lot of people think like that after all."

For Yousuke who feels this direction strongly already, this might feel complicated.

The danger of becoming too close is always entangled with the desire to become friends with someone.

"I'm a bit scared. I'm scared of meeting people from other classes who absolutely have to graduate in Class A for some reason, getting to know their circumstances, and becoming close with them."

"Hmm... I see. I think I kind of understand what you're saying too, Hirata-kun. It's empathetic."

I think Satou also used her imagination, and she was a little convinced.

"I don't really think that way though, you know? I mean, it's more important that I rise up to Class A myself... Am I a cold person?"

Kei denied such feelings straight up.

This wasn't being cold, it was the majority's real opinion.

"No one can see a person's true feelings. This is just the way I think, but, people can easily get along with others on a superficial level, if it's limited to a certain place and time. Furthermore, people hate letting others see their unpleasant feelings."

Feelings of love and hate are such a burden.

"Let's say that there are students who have to graduate in Class A. If they don't get into Class A, they may even lose their lives."

"Huh? That's a bit too grand..."

"It is an exaggeration, of course. However, the reality is that it could be true."

No one knows where the limits of someone's feelings lie other than that person themselves.

"Let's say that you know the situation, and possess more than 20,000,000 private points as a class. However, you also have to use the points to protect your own classmates. You can fight without it,  but it's an important insurance. What if someone in that situation, like you, says that they want to do anything they can to save the students whose life might be on the line ?"

"Eh... That's..."

"What if the class ended up in a place where the students are willing to say that they are willing to help the class, while inwardly thinking "no way" and being secretly against it? Wouldn't it create a possibility of students just pretending to help on a surface level?"

If they opposed, they would be looked down upon for taking people's lives lightly.

The reality is, I don't know what even the people I scorn are thinking on the inside.

"I continued exaggerating a bit, but knowing your enemy is also a disadvantage."

"Then why is the school trying to make us friendly with each other?"

As if she said all of her points, Kei's words came to a halt.

"Somehow, in the future... It may be related to some special exam or something, maybe..?"

"I guess I can't deny that."

As we are now, at least, among most of the students from the other classes, we wouldn't pay attention to who gets expelled.

If the people we aren't close with disappear, then we get closer to Class A.

"That list, and the school trip, these may just be the stage setting with the end term test being the main thing."

"In that case, it may become troublesome... That's genuinely scary for me."

"I feel the same. This feels bad, somehow."

Both Yousuke and Satou moved through the conversation and started understanding the fear for the future.

At this stage, we can't know if expulsion will be involved or not, but it will certainly be harder than last year.