Chapter Text
It was almost 7 p.m. on April 3rd, approaching the last day of spring break for the first-year students of Advanced Nurturing High School.
Karuizawa Kei was walking alone towards the theater building that had been provided, a few moments ago she and all the first year students were surprised by a message sent by the school to each of their smartphones.
The message stated that all first-year students were required to attend the theater building at 7 p.m.
Naturally, this caused quite a stir among the students. Given their experiences over the past year, a message sent by the school at such an unexpected time was not a good one.
They thought about the possibility that this was another special test or something.
Students experience a variety of reactions. Some are anxious, scared, excited, happy, and some are irritated. But regardless of their feelings, they have no choice but to follow school rules.
Karuizawa is one of the students irritated by this message. She's been in a bad mood lately, starting when she saw Ayanokouji Kiyotaka alone with a girl named Shiina Hiyori.
She knows that Ayanokouji is free to hang out with anyone he likes, but when she finds out that the boy she likes is with another girl, it makes her jealous.
Her thoughts stopped when she stood in front of the theater. She sighed and shook her head to clear her annoyance. After a moment, she opened the door and stepped inside.
Inside, she saw that almost all the students had arrived. The room was similar to a regular theater, only much larger, with 170 seats, enough to accommodate four classes.
Karuizawa also saw that the class leaders had arrived, such as Sakayanagi and Ichinose who were surrounded by their class members.
As for the leader of Class D, who would become Class C again in the second year, Ryuuen didn't even hide the fact that he was back as the ruler of his class, he casually sat down and stretched his legs out on the chair below him. The people sitting on his right and left were Ishizaki and Albert, Ibuki sat beside Ishizaki. That alone proved that Ryuuen was back.
For class C, Hirata and Kushida have arrived, but Horikita hasn't. There's still time before 7 o'clock, so Horikita will probably arrive soon.
“Karuizawa-san!!”
A girl's voice caught her attention, and she turned to see several girls approaching her. They were the girls in her group.
“Hello, everyone. Sorry I'm late,” she said as the girls approached.
“It’s okay, Karuizawa-san. By the way, do you know why we were summoned here?”
"Honestly, I don't know either. I'm as confused as you all are," Karuizawa replied.
“M-Maybe it's another special exam?” another girl said nervously.
“Isn’t that ridiculous!? We’ll be entering our second year in a few days, you know?” another girl retorted.
They all then discussed the possibility of what made them all be ordered to this theater building.
“What do you think, Karuizawa-san?” asked a girl in her group.
"I still don't know, but could this be an orientation? You know, like an introduction to our second-year activities?"
“I see, that's possible.”
“Yes, I guess that makes sense.”
The girls agreed with Karuizawa's words, but honestly none of them knew the real reason they were called here, that probably also applied to all the students in the room.
“A-Aaaahh!!”
Their discussion was interrupted when a surprised voice caught their attention, Karuizawa and her friends turned to the source of the voice and found the culprit to be Sudou Ken.
Sudou paid no attention to the commotion he was causing, his attention now focused on a girl who had just entered the room. That girl was Horikita Suzune.
Sudou's surprise was natural because he had always seen Horikita with long hair, but now the girl had cut her hair short, which made her the focus of attention of everyone in the room.
“S-Suzune, you… what happened to you?” Sudou asked in a panic.
“What do you mean by what happened to me?” Horikita answered Sudou’s question with a question, she didn’t understand why he was so panicked.
Before Sudou could reply, a girl who was just as surprised as Sudou approached them.
“Horikita-san, you cut your hair!? I was really surprised,” said Kushida Kikyou.
“Is it weird to change my hairstyle?”
“Well, that-”
“Ku ku ku, interesting changes you made there,” said a voice interrupting their conversation.
Horikita and the others turned to the source of the voice and saw Ryuuen Kakeru approaching them with his entourage behind him. He was grinning as usual, his eyes filled with amusement at Horikita's new style.
“Ryueen…” Sudou muttered warily.
“What do you want, Ryuuen-kun?” Horikita asked, crossing her arms.
“Well, nothing, I’m just interested. What, are you heartbroken or something?”
“That has nothing to do with you. Go away!” Sudou snapped.
“Isn’t that the same with you? Ah, I forgot you’re Suzune’s dog,” Ryuuen said, trying to provoke Sudou.
“You!!” Sudou growled, clenching his fists tightly, but he didn’t attack Ryuuen. If Sudou were himself a year ago, he would have attacked Ryuuen without a second thought. That proved Sudou’s rapid growth.
“Not attacking? Looks like you've tamed him, Suzune.”
“!!”
"Calm down, Sudou-kun. Don't fall for such cheap provocations," Horikita intervened before Sudou's patience could run out, turning to Ryuuen. "And to answer your question, you could say this is my determination to become strong."
Horikita's real reason for cutting her hair was because she had broken away from her past of following her older brother and was now trying to find her own path. She also began to develop a good relationship with her older brother, Horikita Manabu, who had recently graduated.
“Hoo. Looks like being dropped back to Class D didn’t break you,” Ryuuen said, slightly impressed.
"Of course. Just because our class are down doesn't mean we're weak," Horikita said firmly, causing some of her classmates to widen their eyes.
“Ku ku, interesting.”
"Putting aside my current situation, you seem more lively than the last time I saw you," Horikita said. She had been wary of Ryuuen since his survival in the In-Class Voting special exam, and suspected he wasn't finished yet. Her suspicions were confirmed when Ryuuen won against Class B in the end-of-year exam.
“Ha, I always look lively,” Ryuuen retorted.
“Last time you said you had no purpose in studying here,” Horikita said, her tone demanding the truth. “What made you come back?”
Ryuuen stared deeply into Horikita's eyes. He sensed a profound change in her, as if she had found her own path. Perhaps that was the reason she cut her hair. Therefore, Ryuuen gave an honest answer.
"You could say I've found a more interesting purpose in this school," Ryuuen said, then turned and left. He had rediscovered his purpose for staying at this school, which led him to return and become class leader. His goal was one and only: to have a rematch with a student named Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
“Huh? What do you mean?” Horikita asked, surprised when Ryuuen answered honestly.
“Let's enjoy our second year, Suzune.” With those parting words, Ryuuen and his group returned to their seats.
“Coming and going as he pleases, that bastard is such a jerk,” Sudou grumbled.
"Never mind that, let's sit down. It's almost time," Horikita said.
“Horikita-saaan!”
Just as Horikita was about to move, someone called out to her. This time, it was Ichinose Honami who approached her.
“What’s it, Ichinose-san?” Horikita asked.
“Umm, nothing really. It's just... Well, I really didn't expect you to cut your hair,” Ichinose replied.
“I already asked this, but is it really that weird if I cut my hair?” Horikita asked with a sigh.
“No, it's nothing strange. But I don't think you're that kind of person. Right, Kushida-san?”
“Eh? A-Ah, yes,” said Kushida, who had been contemplating, surprised by Ichinose’s question.
Horikita, who heard Ichinose's words, found something she didn't like about Ichinose's words.
“Ichinose-san, what do you mean by ‘not that kind of person’? Are you saying I’m not someone who cares about my appearance?” Horikita asked sharply.
“Eh?”
Ichinose's body stiffened, feeling like she had just stepped on a minefield. Then she realized the error of her previous words.
“Aaah, n-no, that’s not what I meant. I meant that… well… t-that…” Whatever Ichinose wanted to say got stuck in her throat, she frantically apologized to Horikita. “I’m sorry!!”
Horikita simply closed her eyes and sighed. She actually knew what Ichinose meant. Her stern and stern demeanor might make people think she wasn't someone who cared about things like beauty treatments. So she understood why Ichinose said that.
"Forget it. I don't really mind it," Horikita said. "Since I was little, I've preferred short hair to long hair. Since my hair was already long, I was thinking about cutting it."
“I see, it looks like it suits you,” Ichinose said with a smile.
"Thank you," replied Horikita.
“I see. Well then… I think I’ll try growing my hair out,” Kushida muttered quietly, but Horikita could hear her.
Even though Kushida said that in an innocent tone, Horikita knew what Kushida really meant.
Kushida Kikyou hated her. It was all because Horikita used to go to the same school as Kushida, where Kushida had caused a very serious incident in middle school. Kushida hated Horikita for knowing about the incident, even though it was only a one-sided claim from Kushida, but Horikita could no longer use that excuse, because Kushida had told the full details of her past to herself and Ayanokouji. Making them both the absolute target of Kushida's hatred.
Horikita gave a sour expression, wondering what else she could do to gain Kushida's trust. It wasn't that she wanted to be friends with her or anything, but it was really unpleasant having a classmate who harbored such a deep hatred for you. She couldn't even calmly discuss the special exam in class without risking betrayal.
She shook her head, banishing thoughts of Kushida. She then turned to Ichinose, she could clearly see the vast difference between the Ichinose she'd seen a few days ago and the Ichinose she'd seen now.
“Hm? What’s wrong, Horikita-san?” Ichinose asked, feeling Horikita’s gaze.
“Nothing, it's just that you seem a lot happier than the last time we met.”
“Ah, that… ha ha, how should I put it. Well, I had some help,” Ichinose said shyly.
“I understand. It’s good that you’re back to normal, but do you still remember what we talked about back then?”
A few days ago, Ichinose and Horikita had a meeting to discuss their class relationship, Horikita decided to end their partnership, which Ichinose accepted. But at that time, Ichinose was depressed after losing to Ryuuen, so Horikita didn't know if what Ichinose said was serious or not, so now she asked again to confirm Ichinose's decision.
"I understand, Horikita-san. And I accept your decision to end our relationship. My friends and I will continue to advance and reach Class A together, even if we have to fight against Sakayanagi-san, Ryuuen-kun, and you," Ichinose said seriously, this time with a firmness in her words.
Horikita watched Ichinose with a little surprise at her determination, then her expression returned to normal.
"I see, it seems you've truly made up your mind. Well then, I look forward to the day we fight," Horikita said.
“Me too,” Ichinose replied.
After the exchange, they dispersed and took their seats. It was five minutes to 7, and the students had already filled the theater.
After a while, the door opened and four adults entered the room. They were the homeroom teachers of the students present. They were Mashima-sensei, Hoshinomiya-sensei, Sakagami-sensei, and Chabasira-sensei.
The students assumed that whatever brought them here would be explained by the teachers, but they didn't expect to see the shocked faces of their homeroom teachers.
“All of you, what are you doing here?” Mashima asked.
Mashima's question confused the students. They thought the teachers knew why they were called here, but from Mashima's question, it seemed they didn't.
"Um, Sensei? Wasn't the school the one who sent us here?" Ichinose asked.
“The School? No, it shouldn’t be. During spring break, you have no schedules until the school year starts,” Mashima replied.
“What!? Then what does this message mean, sensei?” Ike shouted in disbelief as he raised his smartphone.
Mashima then asked Ike to show the contents of the message they received, Ike gave his smartphone to Mashima then the teacher read the message, after a while he also showed the contents of the message to another teacher.
“There’s no mistake, this is indeed a message from the school,” Sakagami said as he returned Ike’s smartphone.
"But why didn't they tell us? Since it concerns the students, they should have coordinated with the homeroom teacher first," Hoshinomiya said, confused.
It is true that anything that concerns students, such as special exams or other announcements, the school must coordinate with the teachers first.
"Mashima..." said Chabashira looking at Mashima.
Mashima stared back at Chabashira, he knew the meaning of that look and he was also thinking the same thing as Chabashira.
There is a possibility that Acting Director Tsukishiro was involved in this.
A few days ago, he was informed that Acting Director Tsukishiro had personally intervened to disrupt the first year's final exams, which caused a huge loss to the class Chabashira was in charge of.
While the teachers were discussing, a student approached them. It was Sakayanagi Arisu, the leader of Class A.
"Sorry to interrupt your discussion, sensei. I have a question. If the teachers weren't informed of the message we received, then why did you come here?" Sakayanagi spoke up.
“The same way as you, we also received a message saying that there would be a meeting held here,” Mashima replied.
"So the school gathered us here, but for a different reason. What's their goal?" Sakayanagi mused.
Although Mashima suspected Tsukishiro, one thing puzzled him: why do all this in such a flashy and roundabout way? He could have just used a normal method like a special exam. There was no reason for Tsukishiro to do this unless he wanted to expose himself.
Such thoughts confused him so much that he couldn't immediately conclude that this was Tsukishiro's doing.
While they were discussing, the clock finally struck 7 pm and that was when something happened.
The lights in the room suddenly went out, but only for a moment, as they quickly returned to the room. But it was enough to cause a commotion. Some students panicked and were afraid, while others remained calm, as if nothing had happened.
“Everyone, calm down,” Mashima said loudly, silencing the crowd. “I’ll try to contact the school about this.”
Mashima then took out his smartphone and called the school, but no matter how many times he called, it never connected.
“It’s not connected,” Mashima said, frowning.
“Mashima, the door is locked too!” said Sakagami who tried to open the entrance.
“What!? It can’t be,” Hoshinomiya shouted, then she tried to open the door herself and just as Sakagami said, the door wouldn’t open.
Sakagami tried to break it down but the door didn't budge at all, as if he was facing a solid wall.
“Mashima…” Chabashira called out in a worried tone.
“What actually happened…?” Mashima muttered anxiously.
Panic began to reach the teachers, making the students in the room increasingly worried about their fate.
But before panic erupts…
“Hi, Hi!! Hello, everyone!!
…a voice came from the speakers in this theater room.
Everyone fell silent when a cheerful voice came out of the speaker, judging from the voice it seemed like the owner was a woman.
They couldn't help but be suspicious of this cheerful voice. They had experienced mysterious events in such a short time. A mysterious message sent to students and teachers, a locked theater room, and now a mysterious voice coming from nowhere.
“Hm? What’s with this tense atmosphere?” The voice asked, not sensing the wariness of the room’s occupants.
Mashima decided to step forward, representing everyone. He then looked at the speaker because he didn't know where to look when his interlocutor wasn't there.
“I'm sorry, but who are you? Were you the one who sent us that message?” Mashima asked. He concluded that the mysterious message they received came from someone with this voice.
“As expected of Mashima-sensei, taking the initiative to make a move right away,” the voice replied.
"As long as it concerns my students' safety, I'll do anything," Mashima declared without hesitation. Many students were amazed when they heard him say that.
“How honored. To answer your question, yes, I was the one who sent the message and gathered you here.”
“For what? And who are you really?”
"Hmm, I suppose we should start with introductions. Have you ever considered that your daily lives—where you study, shop, exercise, and so on—are being watched by someone? Like a martial arts master watching his student train?"
“Huh!? You mean like a overseer?” Sudou asked, deciding to ask.
“Yup, like that. I am an entity whose role is to oversee the lives of all living beings, an Overseer. You can call me Eve.”
“…”
The answer was given but no one reacted, they all froze when they heard the nonsensical answer from the person who called herself Eve.
“Overseer of every life? Overseer? What nonsense are you talking about? This isn’t fantasy!!” Ishizaki shouted after a moment of silence.
“And that fantasy is now a reality.”
“…”
They fell silent again. They were all caught off guard by Eve's direct answer, as it didn't make sense to them.
But that didn't mean they all dismissed it as nonsense; some sharp-minded individuals found some truth in Eve's words. Sakayanagi, Ryuuen, Horikita, and Kouenji were able to deduce that what Eve said was the truth.
But even so, they still need proof.
“Okay then, Eve-san. You said you were an entity that watched over every living being, but by the word ‘entity,’ does that mean you’re not human?” Sakayanagi asked, trying to extract information and evidence from Eve’s words.
"That's right, I'm not human. I'm a higher entity than humans," Eve replied.
“Hoo, so you’re saying there are entities higher than perfect humans like me. Interesting. And how do you manage to keep an eye on these living beings?” Kouenji asked. He knew Sakayanagi was trying to pry, and he hadn’t intended to do anything, but that all changed when he heard Eve was a higher entity than humans.
“Of course with my power.”
"And what do you mean by your power? Are you saying it's supernatural or something? That doesn't make sense," Horikita said. She tried to take advantage of the opportunity Sakayanagi and Kouenji had created by forcing Eve to show proof.
"Hmm, I've already sent you a message via the school email, which is supposed to be off-limits to outsiders, and now you're locked in and can't leave. Does that still not convince you?"
"Ku ku, a hacker could have hacked into the school's data and used the school email to send us a message, and you could have had someone block the outside door. Your evidence is still inconclusive," Ryuuen said, becoming the final executioner.
Many didn't know what was going on, but some could feel the tension.
"What's with this sudden combination!? They managed to corner that person in an instant," thought Matsushita, observing their conversation.
“Oi oi, if they were in the same class and worked together, no one would be able to beat them,” Hashimoto thought.
Eve, of course, wasn't stupid. She knew the four of them already knew her words were true, so they cornered her to provide solid evidence to gain their trust.
"Fufu, what a terrifying combination. Very well, if you want proof, then I'll show you. I'll show you that what you thought was fantasy is reality."
After that, silence fell, and they could feel a change in the air around them. Then the room shook, sending its occupants into a panic.
“W-What happened!!?” Ike shouted in panic.
“I-I don’t know,” Sudou said, unable to contain his surprise.
“E-Earthquake!?” Miyamoto said in fear.
Seeing his classmates panicking and worried, Hirata decided to intervene.
"Everyone, stay calm. This is probably what Eve-san meant earlier," Hirata said loudly.
After hearing Hirata's words, some people began to calm down, thinking that Hirata had some truth in what he said. This was probably Eve's way of showing off her power.
Then like a cube whose sides had been dismantled, the walls and ceiling of the room changed and became a sight they would never have imagined.
A boundless sea of clouds stretched below them, and the night sky, dotted with stars above them, was the most beautiful sight they had ever seen. They were all speechless, having never experienced such a magnificent event in their lives.
“It’s so beautiful…” Ichinose said in awe.
“Yes…this is the first time I’ve seen such a beautiful view,” said Amikura, who was also fascinated.
“Is all this real?” Shibata said, stunned.
Ike approached cautiously the now transformed wall, a cool breeze hitting him as he approached.
“O-Oi, Kanji,” Sudou called.
“Th-This can’t be real, can it? Yes, this has to be a projection,” Ike assured himself. He then rested his hand on what should have been a wall, only to find nothing. His balance now shaken, Ike plummeted into the sea of clouds below.
“A-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”
Ike's terrified scream shocked everyone, especially when they saw Ike falling down.
“KANJI!!!”
“IKE!!!”
Sudou and Shinohara shouted at the same time, they then rushed to where Ike fell.
“No! Stop! You’ll fall too,” Mashima shouted, stopping them both.
“But, Ike…!!” Shinohara shouted anxiously.
Their anxiety was short-lived, as Ike appeared before them shortly afterward. His body froze in midair, motionless. Then, Ike's body slowly floated and landed near Sudou and Shinohara. Only when he landed could he move.
“Hah… hah… I-I thought I was going to die,” Ike said shakily, sweat pouring down his face.
“You idiot!!” Shinohara shouted as she hit Ike on the head.
“Ouch, hey that hurts-” Ike shouted, but he stopped when he saw Shinohara's face that was almost in tears.
“What did you do!? You could have died just now!” Shinohara shouted.
“I-I’m sorry,” Ike apologized weakly.
Everyone watched the scene in silence, speechless. Sudou breathed a sigh of relief knowing his friend was okay.
“Please be careful next time, because once you fall down there is no way back up,” said Eve’s voice echoing around them.
Then the room returned to its normal state, returning to its normal theater setting. Everyone could finally breathe a sigh of relief after the tense event.
“Now. Do you all believe me?” Eve asked.
No one now disputes Eve's words, the incident just now has proven her words. Everything they were experiencing right now was something that was impossible for humans to create.
“O-Okay, we believe you. So please don’t hurt the students anymore,” Mashima said nervously.
“…”
Eve fell silent upon hearing Mashima's words. She hadn't meant to hurt anyone at all. But it seemed the incident had had a profound impact on them.
"I'm sorry, it seems like that incident was too much for you. Honestly, I didn't mean to hurt you at all when I brought you here," Eve said.
“Just ignore their sentiments, quickly tell us why you brought us here,” said Ryuuen, completely unfazed by whatever was happening.
“Fufu, as expected of you, Ryuuen-kun. You’re always so fearless, aren’t you? Well, not everything.”
Ryuuen's eyebrows twitched at those last words, he was without a doubt certain that this being who called herself Overseer knew of his defeat to Ayanokouji.
“Well, the reason I brought you all here is because I want you to do something for me.”
“And if we refuse?” Horikita asked.
“You will be locked here until you all agree.”
“What!? Isn’t that too selfish? You brought us here by force and you want us to do something for you!? Why are you doing all that!?” Karuizawa shouted angrily, many people agreed with her words because what Eve said was so selfish.
“Well, if you ask me like that, then the answer is I'm bored.”
“Huh!?” Karuizawa was flabbergasted, as were the other students.
"I'm bored, you know. There's nothing else I can do but watch your lives, so I got bored and tried something else to alleviate my boredom. But I'm not neglecting my duties, okay?"
Almost everyone couldn't believe what they were hearing. A mysterious entity had forcibly brought them to this room and forced them to do things for it because it was bored.
A commotion erupted among the students, many angry and annoyed with Eve. They had completely forgotten how terrified they had been just moments before when she had displayed her powers.
“Don't joke with us!”
“Who do you think you are!”
“Give us back!”
The students shouted to show their frustration. If this continued, the situation would only get worse.
“We-”
TAK!!
Before the protest could continue, a loud bang echoed through the room and silenced everyone.
The perpetrator, Hashimoto, used Sakayanagi's cane and slammed it against the wooden floor. He then returned the cane to Sakayanagi, who appeared to have run out of patience.
"Can all of you stop having such silly conversations and whining? This is a complete waste of time," Sakayanagi said sternly.
Sakayanagi knew Eve wouldn't grant their request because she wanted to relieve her boredom. A person's strong desires can't be changed. Sakayanagi knew that very well, because she had also experienced the same thing as Eve.
She used to have a wish, a very strong wish and she would destroy anyone who prevented her wish from coming true.
Her wish was to fight a student named Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, and a few weeks ago her wish came true and she was very satisfied with the result.
None of them could reply to Sakayanagi's words, even though from the outside she was just a weak, disabled girl, but the intimidating aura she gave off was not that of an ordinary girl.
She is Sakayanagi Arisu, the leader of Class A. She is the person who stood at the top level for the first years.
Ryuuen was amused by the silence; to him, they were just weaklings who knew how to whine. Horikita sighed and crossed her arms, personally agreeing with Sakayanagi. Ichinose remained silent with her friends, deciding to trust Eve's words that she wouldn't hurt them.
“Eve-san, can you tell us what you want from us?” Sakayanagi asked, breaking the silence among the students.
"It's simple, we're in a theater. What else are we supposed to do?" Eve asked.
“You mean we watch?” Ibuki asked, feeling a little excited for some reason.
“Yup. I want you to see what I have in store for you.”
“What are you going to show? Is it a movie?” Ishizaki asked, not really interested.
“Fufu. No, it won’t be a movie, a documentary, or anything like that. What I’m going to show is something that will be very interesting even for Sakayanagi-chan and Ryuuen-kun.”
“Oh?” Sakayanagi said a little surprised.
“Hoo, I hope your words aren’t just empty talk,” Ryuuen said with a snort.
“Of course. So, what do you think? Do you agree?” Eve asked everyone.
“Class D agrees,” Ryuuen said without thinking about the approval of his classmates.
“Class A also agrees,” Sakayanagi said following suit.
Now it was just class B and C. Ichinose looked at her friends to discuss, after a while they finally came to a decision.
“Class B agrees,” said Ichinose.
For class C, everyone subconsciously looked towards Horikita. Horikita, who felt their gazes, then turned to Hirata.
“What do you think, Hirata-kun?” Horikita asked.
"I think we should agree, since we've already lost the vote. And personally, I'm also interested in what will be shown," Hirata said.
“I think so,” Horikita said, then she made up her mind, “Okay, class C agrees.”
“Very good. Now what about the teachers?” Eve asked the homeroom teachers, who had been silent.
Mashima looked at the other teachers, seeing there was no other way out of this so they also made a decision.
“Alright, we agree too,” Mashima said.
“It’s decided! Now please take your seats.”
Those still standing went to their respective seats according to their classes. Karuizawa and her group went to where Class C was sitting, discussing what was going to be shown.
“What do you think will be shown?” said one of the girls.
“I don’t know, but Eve-san thinks it’s something interesting even for Sakayanagi-san and Ryuuen-kun,” replied the other girl.
“I can't imagine what would interest them.”
“Me too. What do you think, Karuizawa-san?”
“Eh? A-Ah I don’t know either, ha ha.”
Karuizawa, who had been silent all this time, was taken aback by her friends' questions, causing her to stutter in her response. Her mind wasn't focused at the moment, and for some reason, she felt a bad feeling when she heard Eve's words about what the Overseer would broadcast. But above all else, there was one thing she was worried about.
“Where’s that idiot!? Where’s Kiyotaka!? I haven’t seen him at all!” Karuizawa screamed in her mind. She’d been checking everyone since she entered the room, but she hadn’t found Ayanokouji Kiyotaka at all.
Apparently, Karuizawa wasn't the only one who noticed Ayanokouji's absence. At the back of the line, Ayanokouji's group was also worried about the same thing.
“Hey, have any of you seen Kiyopon?” Hasebe asked worriedly.
“No, I’ve been watching all the students for a while but I didn’t see him at all,” Miyake replied, because they still hadn’t sat down so he could see everyone.
“Could it be that he still hasn’t come?” Sakura asked.
“That’s impossible. Eve said ‘everyone’ had arrived, so there’s no way Kiyotaka wouldn’t be there, unless he didn’t get the message,” Yukimura said, everyone finding Yukimura’s words plausible.
“Oh my gosh, where is he?” Hasebe said, crossing her arms.
"I'm here."
“Hwa!”
“Hya!”
Hasebe and Sakura both screamed when they heard a voice from behind them. They all immediately turned to the source of the sound and saw Ayanokouji standing behind them.
“What’s wrong?” Ayanokouji asked, confused by their reaction.
“K-Kiyotaka-kun!?” Sakura stuttered.
“K-K-Kiyopon!? Y-You…. Why did you do that? I almost had a heart attack just now,” Hasebe shouted in annoyance.
“That’s right, Kiyotaka. Gosh, I almost screamed too,” Akito said with a sigh.
“Sorry, I didn't mean to do that,” Ayanokouji apologized.
It took a while, but they finally calmed down after Ayanokouji's surprise earlier.
“Still, Kiyotaka, where have you been? I didn't see you at all,” Yukimura said, pushing up his glasses.
“Ah, about that. You see that corridor over there? I was a little interested, so I went to explore for a bit,” Ayanokouji said, pointing to a corridor.
This room is similar to a regular theater, only much larger and with more seating. The first seats are at the bottom and the last seats are at the top. Behind the last seats, right in the middle, in front of the stairs where people walk to their seats, is a wide corridor.
“You went exploring? That’s dangerous, Kiyopon! What if something happens to you!?” Hasebe asked, shocked.
“Haruka-chan is right, Kiyotaka-kun,” Sakura said worriedly.
"I'm fine, I won't do anything reckless. I don't want to end up like Ike," Ayanokouji said.
They all automatically looked at Ike who was currently talking to Sudou casually, it seemed like he had recovered from the previous events.
"A corridor, huh? This isn't the school theater anymore. I've been there once and don't remember any corridors," Miyake said, gazing up at the corridor.
“What’s it like there?” Yukimura asked. He meant what the corridor was like, and Ayanokouji understood that.
"It's like a normal corridor, along the corridor there are two doors on the left and right. At the end of the corridor there are four elevators, judging from the floor buttons on the elevators, it seems like the place we are currently in has 13 floors. Then to the right of the elevator, there is an automatic door but the door is locked so I don't know where it leads. But what interests me is the door in the hallway," explained Ayanokouji.
"Why is that?" Miyake asked.
"On each door in the corridor there is a nameplate, one of which reads 'Class A Meeting Room'. I saw the other nameplates also have the same name, only the class names are different: B, C, and D."
“I see. I guess whatever Eve broadcasts will get us discussing,” Yukimura said, touching his chin.
“I think so too,” said Ayanokouji.
It made them wonder what Eve would show, but that was a question that would be answered later so they ended the discussion.
"Well, the important thing is that you're here now, Kiyopon. With this, our group is complete," Hasebe said, pushing aside the complicated thoughts in her mind.
“Then let's sit down, we've wasted a lot of time,” Yukimura suggested.
With that, the group of five people sat at the back of the Class C row.
Karuizawa, who had been watching their conversation, finally breathed a sigh of relief. When she heard Ayanokouji's name, she turned her head around in lightning speed to look behind her. She nearly broke her neck.
But now her anxiety has gone so she can hang out with her friends calmly.
“Now, before we start there are a few things I need to tell you,” Eve said when she saw everyone was ready.
“What is that?” Mashima asked.
"First, what I'm about to show is so extensive that it will take you a long time to watch it all. This means you'll be here for days."
“WHAT!?” shouted the shocked students.
"Wait, days? We can't do that. The new school year is about to start. It would be dangerous for the students if they couldn't attend the first day," Mashima said.
It was true. The students in this room would be starting their second year of school in a few days. If they all failed to attend the first day of school, it would definitely shake the school and lead to a major investigation.
“There’s no problem with that, I already have a solution,” Eve said, answering Mashima’s concerns.
“What is that?” Mashima asked.
"Time stops in this place.. When you leave here and return to your normal lives, you'll only have one minute of time left. In other words, no matter how long you spend here, you'll be back at 7:01 PM on April 3rd. And don't worry about your lifespan; it won't last a single second."
Eve's lengthy explanation left everyone speechless. They were shocked to learn that no matter how much time they spent here, only a minute had passed in their world.
“I-Is that something that can be done with supernatural powers?” Shibata asked, stuttering.
“Yup. Supernatural powers are limitless, and this is one of them. You already know about that, right, Sotomura-kun?”
Sotomura, who was silent, was shocked when his name was mentioned, “R-Right. I did know a lot about supernatural powers from the anime I watched, but I didn’t know they were real.”
“Fufu. I hope you’re not surprised anymore when I do something. Now, let’s move on to your second notification, which is your needs.”
“Our needs?” said one of the class B students.
"Yes, your needs are to eat, drink, and sleep. I may have temporarily stopped your lifespan, but not your needs."
"H-How do we handle this?" Ike asked nervously. For some reason, since the incident, he'd become a bit more docile. Normally, he'd panic and cause a scene. Perhaps the incident had made him that way.
"There's no need to worry about that. I'll explain it to you when tonight's session is over. Now let's move on to the final announcement, which is about what I'm about to broadcast."
Everyone listened intently, they had previously discussed what Eve would show, but no one could come to a conclusion.
“What I’m going to show you is… the life you’ve lived over the past year while attending Advanced Nurturing High School.”
For the umpteenth time, silence fell. No one was able to speak. They were all too shocked to hear what Eve had said; none of them could have predicted that they would witness the turning of their lives.
“Our… lives?” Hirata said slowly.
“More precisely, you will look back on important events that happened during your first year, such as the island exam, the cruise, the sports festival, and so on.”
"What for? Don't we already know the outcome?" Ishizaki frowned. Some of the students agreed with him; they already knew the outcome of all the events Eve had mentioned. So they felt there was no need to look at it again, as it would just be a waste of time.
"Yes, you already know the results, but do you know the process? What happens during the exam?"
They couldn't answer. Eve was right, they knew the outcome but not the process.
"Also, this is good for you. This show can help you improve yourself. For example, if you made a bad decision during an exam, you can learn from your past and become a better person."
Eve's words started to make sense to them, especially since it could lead them to make better decisions from their past mistakes.
But while some were enthusiastic, others were also dissatisfied. Ryuuen was one of them.
“Wait, I don’t care about what you said about getting better, what’s more important is that I don’t see what’s interesting about this show at all,” Ryuuen said.
"Fufu, calm down. I'll get to that part. Since there are so many of you, it's impossible to watch it all at once, so I'll be making this video from just one person's perspective. Now, as for the perspective of the person we'll be watching, I'll leave it to you to choose."
“Huh!? Why do we have to choose?” Ibuki asked, crossing her arms.
"Yeah, why not just pick it randomly? The girls would definitely want a popular guy if we were the ones deciding," Ishizaki snorted.
The girls sent sharp glares at Ishizaki, but they didn't deny that the popular guy was the one they would choose.
“Well, I could do it randomly. But what if the person chosen turns out to be a pervert? Would you guys want to watch?”
“What!? Of course not! That’s disgusting,” Shinohara shouted, representing the feelings of all the girls.
“Haha, don't worry, the selection will be made by a class representative after discussing it with your classmates. And now what you're waiting for Ryuuen-kun, you're free to choose anyone in this room. Maybe there's someone who catches your eye? It's okay to choose that person. There won't be any problems, everything is allowed.”
Some people were displeased when they heard that their daily lives were being watched without their consent. But Ryuuen didn't care about those people. He focused on Eve's words, there was some emphasis in them that made him narrow his eyes. He thought for a moment, then widened his eyes.
“Ku ku ku… ku ku ha ha ha ha ha ha!!” Ryueen laughed loudly when he managed to summarize Eve’s words.
Everyone fell silent when they heard Ryuuen's laugh so freely, no one knew why the leader of class D was laughing.
“R-Ryuuen-san…?” Ishizaki said in surprise.
“Hey, what’s wrong with you, Ryuuen?” Ibuki asked. She knew that Ryuuen laughing wasn’t a good thing.
Not only Ryuuen, but there is one more student who has the same pleasure as him.
“Fu fu fu…” a muffled chuckle rang out. Sakayanagi Arisu covered her mouth with her hand as she concluded Eve’s words, her body trembling with joy.
“W-What’s wrong with this girl?” Kamuro thought, her expression grimacing. She had the same feeling as Ibuki, she knew that the pleasure this sadistic little girl was having wasn’t anything good.
“H-Hey, princess..? What’s wrong with you?” Hashimoto asked. He had no idea why these two famous class leaders were laughing, but he knew it had something to do with what Eve had said.
“Ku ku. I see. So that’s what you meant, now I’m really interested,” Ryueen said with his biggest grin.
“Fufu. It’s very interesting indeed,” Sakayanagi said with a smile.
Almost everyone couldn't follow what was going on, none of them knew why Ryuuen and Sakayangi were so interested in watching.
“I knew you would be interested. Now discuss it among your classmates, I’ll be waiting.”
“No need. I’ve already decided,” Ryuuen said, surprising everyone as they began to discuss.
"Fu fu. So hasty, isn't that right, Ryuuen-kun?" Sakayanagi said amusedly.
"Ha, there's no need for pointless discussion when I already know what I have to do. And what about you, you seem to have already made up your mind," Ryuuen said.
“Of course, I agree with you.”
Ryuuen's group, who had been silent all this time, finally broke out of their shock, Ibuki immediately shouted at Ryuuen.
"Hey, Ryuuen! Are you serious without discussing it first? This could be our chance to uncover the secrets of the other classes," Ibuki snapped.
Ibuki's words made sense. If they used this opportunity to see the viewpoints of important people in the enemy class then it would be to their advantage. But Ryuuen was only amused to hear Ibuki's words.
“Ku ku. Don’t you understand? That’s exactly what I’m doing right now,” Ryuuen said.
“Huh? What do you mean-,… Wait, don’t tell me you’re going to choose ‘him’?”
Ryuuen didn't reply, but his grin grew wider.
“Him? You mean ‘him’? Ohhhhh, I’m excited now!!” Ishizaki shouted when he realized what Ryuuen meant. Albert nodded several times, expressing the same feelings as Ishizaki.
“It seems like Class A and Class D have already decided. Okay, please name the person you want.”
After Eve's announcement, everyone's attention focused on the two of them. Silence fell, as the name of the person being mentioned would likely be a public spectacle.
Ryuuen and Sakayanagi opened their mouths simultaneously.
And the name they mentioned was…
“Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.”
“Ayanokouji Kiyotaka-kun.”
Everyone was silent, no one spoke as if time had frozen.
A name had been mentioned, and it was something they would never have imagined. Except for a few people.
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. A Class C student, many people don't know much about him. All they know is that he's a loner, not very good at school or sports, and some even think he's a pervert. In short, their impression of a student named Ayanokouji Kiyotaka is mediocre.
Now his name was mentioned by two people who were none other than the leaders of class A and D. They couldn't help but be surprised and wonder why they chose someone so ordinary like that.
But not everyone who does not understand the reason. There are some people who are suspicious and connect certain dots from what they know.
Horikita was one of them. She had a sour expression on her face, all her suspicions about Ayanokouji finally confirmed.
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka does a lot behind the scenes that even she doesn't know about. The proof is Ryuuen and Sakayanagi's strong interest in choosing him over everyone else.
Horikita now has an internal conflict. On one hand, she really wants to see what Ayanokouji is up to, especially since she wants to know just how great he really is that he's being praised by her older brother, Horikita Manabu. But on the other hand, she's a bit troubled. Ayanokouji really doesn't like talking about his past, and if Ayanokouji is chosen, many of the class' secrets will be revealed.
Horikita then turned to look behind her, where Ayanokouji and his friends were sitting. When she looked back, she was surprised to see Ayanokouji staring at her first, as if he had been waiting for Horikita to look at him.
No words were spoken; they both simply stared at each other, trying to understand each other. Then, Ayanokouji gave Horikita a small nod. Horikita's eyes widened at the sight, signaling that Ayanokouji had given Horikita permission to say his name.
She wondered why Ayanokouji allowed it, but then she dismissed the question. She knew Ayanokouji wasn't a fool who would let his life be watched by everyone for no reason, whatever reason Ayanokouji had didn't concern Horikita much. Since this might be her greatest chance to find out who the student named Ayanokouji Kiyotaka really was, she wouldn't waste it. With her decision made, Horikita hardened her expression.
Shortly after that everyone came out of their shock, of course a commotion ensued.
“Wait, wait, wait, Ayanokouji!? Are you guys crazy or something, he’s just a loner!” Ike shouted in surprise.
"That's right, he's just an ordinary person. There's nothing special about him," Shinohara said, following Ike.
“You should have chosen Suzune, she’s more important than Ayanokouji,” Sudou shouted.
The complaints continued, with many expressing their opposition to Sakayanagi and Ryuuen choosing Ayanokouji. But no matter how many people complained, the two class leaders ignored them.
“Fu fu, looks like you picked an interesting person, Ryuuen-kun,” Sakayanagi said amusedly.
"Of course. I'd rather die than watch boring people," Ryuuen snorted back.
“Huh? What does that mean?” Shinohara asked incredulously, but was ignored.
Everyone was getting more confused, especially class C, because they didn't understand the conversation between the two class leaders at all, how could a loner like Ayanokouji attract their attention like this.
“Classes A and D have already chosen Ayanokouji-kun, now it’s just classes B and C,” Eve said, snapping everyone out of their daze.
All the students of class C simultaneously looked at Horikita, as the leader of class C she was the one who would decide who would be chosen.
“Horikita-san, I think we should discuss this carefully,” Hirata said to Horikita.
“Horikita, I think we should choose someone outside of our class,” Yukimura said from behind Horikita.
“Huh? Why is that? Why not just choose Suzune?” Sudou asked in protest.
"That's just your personal preference, isn't it? Besides, we can't choose Horikita. She's an important figure in our class, and other classes would surely take advantage of this opportunity," Yukimura explained.
“That… well, I guess you’re right,” Sudou said concedingly.
“But who should we choose?” Kushida asked.
Horikita remained silent as she listened to her classmates' discussion. Honestly, she had already decided who she would choose, and it would probably conflict with her classmates, but she couldn't back down now that her curiosity was getting the better of her. This time, she had to be selfish.
“There’s no need to discuss, I already know who to choose,” Horikita said.
"Huh? Are you serious?" Asked a surprised Yukimura.
Horikita nodded before facing the speaker where Eve's voice was coming from.
“I will choose… Ayanokouji-kun.”
“WHAT!!” shouted almost everyone in class C.
Needless to say, a commotion ensued, especially for Yukimura.
“What are you saying, Horikita!! Didn’t I just say that we should choose someone outside our class, and why did you choose Kiyotaka!?” Yukimura shouted angrily.
“T-That’s right Suzune, why did you choose Ayanokouji!?” said Sudou who was a little impatient.
Horikita turned to Yukimura with a guilty expression.
"I'm sorry, Yukimura-kun. This was entirely my decision. If this negatively impacts the class, I will take full responsibility," Horikita said. Her eyes showed a strong determination as she stared at Yukimura, overwhelming him.
“Why… Why did you go that far?” Yukimura asked weakly.
“For my own selfishness, there is something I really want to know, therefore I have to choose Ayanokouji-kun.”
“Why did you choose Kiyotaka-kun?” Hirata asked.
“That… is probably something you should see for yourself.”
No one could go against Horikita's wishes, seeing Horikita so serious made them not know what to do.
“Okay, if that’s what you want, then I’ll go along with it,” Sudou said after seeing Horikita’s decision.
“Are you serious, Ken?” Ike asked in surprise.
“Yeah…” Sudou answered uncertainly. It seemed he was still unhappy with Horikita choosing Ayanokouji.
"Alright, Class C has decided, now 3 votes for Ayanokouji-kun. What about Class B? If you have any other choices, they will be considered," Eve asked, after confirming that Class C had made their choice.
“You mean, even though Ayanokouji has 3 votes, our votes still have an impact if we choose someone else?” Kanzaki asked.
“Yep. Like that.”
All the class B students began to gather around Ichinose to discuss their choices.
"Ichinose, I think we should choose Sakayanagi. If we want to get into Class A, we should choose Sakayanagi so we can see her class's strengths," Kanzaki said.
"I want us to choose Ryuuen. I was so upset when he beat us in the last exam. So I want to know all of Ryuuen's secrets so we don't have the same experience as before," Shibata said.
"Don't you want to vote for Horikita-san? Her class has the highest number of class points out of all the classes, maybe we can find out her secret," Amikura said, proposing another candidate.
While all her friends were discussing, Ichinose had a troubled expression on her face. Just like Horikita, she had actually already decided who she should choose.
She wanted to choose Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. She wanted to know more about Ayanokouji, there was something more to him than just a quiet and ordinary student.
The Ayanokouji she knew was much better than that, Ayanokouji understood people's feelings as he showed when he advised Ichinose not to fake a relationship. And Ayanokouji also helped Ichinose when Ichinose was at her worst.
But she couldn't just choose Ayanokouji, that was because if she chose Ayanokouji then it would mean she would be looking into the boy's privacy, which Ichinose considered rude.
Confused about what to do, Ichinose subconsciously looked at Ayanokouji. Sensing Ichinose's gaze, Ayanokouji turned to him, and then, as if understanding what Ichinose was going through, nodded his head in permission.
The moment Ichinose saw that, a powerful impulse swept away all her confusion. It was as if the dark clouds over her head had vanished and been replaced by clear weather, all her doubts no longer needed. When she saw Ayanokouji nod, she immediately made up her mind.
“Everyone,” Ichinose said to her friends who were discussing, her friends stopped and looked at Ichinose, “I know I’m asking too much of you, but can you let me make the decision?”
“Have you decided who to choose, Honami-chan?” Amikura asked. Ichinose nodded.
“That’s Ayanokouji, isn’t it?” Kanzaki asked, guessing perfectly, surprising Ichinose.
“Y-Yes,” said Ichinose.
“Ayanokouji again? Can you tell us why you chose him?” Shibata asked, completely confused by everything that had happened.
“I don’t know, but… for some reason, I have a strong feeling that we should choose Ayanokouji-kun,” Ichinose replied. But it seemed that reason still wasn’t enough to convince her friends.
“Honestly, I had the same feeling as you,” Kanzaki said, surprising Ichinose and the others. “Since Sakayanagi and Ryuuen chose Ayanokouji, I felt like there must be something going on that we don’t know about that made them choose Ayanokouji. Honestly, it makes me curious.”
“Come to think of it, you’re right, I felt strange about it too,” Shibata said.
“So, uhm, we… choose Ayanokouji-kun, then?” Amikura asked.
"I suppose so. It's a shame we couldn't take advantage of this opportunity to spy on Sakayanagi's class, but it can't be helped. We have to deal with this uncertainty first," Kanzaki said with a sigh.
“Well, at least he’s not in our class, so I guess it’s okay,” Shibata said.
Ichinose who was listening to their conversation was surprised to hear it.
“A-Are you sure?” she asked to make sure.
“This is your choice, isn’t it? Honestly, it’s rare for me to see you make your own choices seriously, so I’ll go along with it this time,” Kanzaki said.
“Yes, I agree too,” Shibata said following suit.
Then all of her friends nodded, agreeing with Ichinose's decision. She was very grateful that she had such great friends.
“Everyone… thank you.”
After a long discussion in class B, Ichinose stepped forward to name the person she would choose.
“I… will choose Ayanokouji Kiyotaka-kun.”
No one was surprised anymore when Ichinose mentioned Ayanokouji; if anything, it was only mild surprise. Everyone was tired of being constantly shocked by the news they received.
“It’s decided then, the point of view of the person we’ll be watching is Ayanokouji Kiyotaka from class C. The event will start at 8, there’s still half an hour left before the event starts, please make yourselves comfortable.”
After Eve's announcement, silence fell over the room. Everyone tried to make themselves comfortable, as Eve had said. But the shock of all the news they had just received still lingered.
“Even Ichinose chose Ayanokouji…” Ike said as he leaned back in the plush chair, then stood up and faced Ayanokouji, “Hey, Ayanokouji! What’s going on here? Why are they all choosing you? This doesn’t make any sense.”
Everyone agreed with Ike's question and looked at Ayanokouji. They had no idea what was happening. They wondered why someone as quiet as Ayanokouji was the center of attention this time.
“T-That’s right, Kiyopon. Can you explain what’s going on?” Hasebe asked.
With so much attention on him, Ayanokouji didn't say anything, just leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Then, a moment later, he got up from his chair and stood up.
“K-Kiyotaka-kun?” Sakura said nervously seeing Ayanokouji move suddenly.
Everyone fell silent as Ayanokouji stood up. They were silent not because they expected him to explain something, but because of the gaze he was giving them.
It wasn't a look you'd expect from a loner. The gaze Ayanokouji was giving them was cold, emotionless, and filled with darkness. All the questions they wanted to ask Ayanokouji were stuck in their throats. No one dared speak in the face of that gaze.
But there were some who weren't too affected because they had seen those eyes before. Hirata and Karuizawa had slightly troubled expressions and averted their gazes. Ryueen only grinned slightly, even though he had been crushed by that gaze before, but that wasn't his focus now, as he was more interested in what Ayanokouji was planning by completely exposing himself.
“Horikita,” Ayanokouji said. Horikita looked at Ayanokouji, curious about what he was going to say, but Ayanokouji didn’t stop there. “Kei, Yousuke, Airi, Akito, Haruka, and Keisei. Follow me, there’s something I want to talk to you about.”
Those whose names were mentioned stared at Ayanokouji with confused expressions. Ayanokouji then turned away, specifically towards another classroom.
“Ichinose and Hiyori, I want you to come too. And…” he paused before continuing. “Satou, Kushida, and Sudou. You too.”
After saying that, Ayanokouji turned and walked upstairs toward the hallway behind the theater. But he stopped when he reached the back row of teachers.
“I want you to come too, Chabashira-sensei.”
After saying that, he continued walking down the hallway and entered a room called ‘Class C Meeting Room’.
Silence fell after Ayanokouji left, but it didn't last long as the room immediately exploded.
“Fuck! What just happened!?” Ike shouted in confusion.
“I-I feel goosebumps, what the hell is that?” Miyamoto said trembling.
“S-Suzune, do you know what happened?” Sudou asked as he walked over to Horikita.
Horikita didn't answer, continuing to stare in the direction Ayanokouji had disappeared. Her gaze sharpened as she remembered his gaze—it was so cold and dark. She wondered what kind of life Ayanokouji had lived.
Horikita sighed. She put the question aside and thought about it later. She then stood up and started walking towards the room Ayanokouji had entered. Seeing Horikita leave, Sudou followed her with his friends.
Horikita turned around with a sharp gaze when she realized many uninvited people were following her.
“You stay,” she said firmly.
“Oh come on, we want to know too,” Ike whined.
“Yes, that's right,” said Miyamoto and was agreed by his friends.
From one look, Horikita knew that these idiots wouldn't listen to her, so she used her last card.
“Sudou-kun, chase them away,” Horikita said. She then turned and left.
Hearing Horikita's order, Sudou turned around and confronted Ike and his friends with a cruel grin.
"Sorry guys, but this is Suzune's order. Get back or you'll feel my fist," he said threateningly, cracking his fingers.
Seeing Sudou's threat, Ike and the others backed away in fear. Satisfied that his threat had worked, Sudou turned and followed Horikita.
After recovering from their confusion, the Ayanokouji Group got up and started to leave as well, along with Hirata and Kushida.
“Sorry everyone, I’m going now,” Ichinose said to her friends.
“Be careful, Ichinose,” Kanzaki said seriously. Ichinose nodded and left, on the way she was greeted by Shiina and they walked together.
Satou is flanked by her two friends, Matsushita and Shinohara. They ask her what's really going on.
“I-I swear, I have absolutely no idea what happened,” Satou said nervously when questioned.
“Well, I guess we can ask later when you get back,” Matsushita said with a sigh. She could tell from her reaction that Satou had no idea what was going on, meaning the direct source was Ayanokouji.
Matsushita's expectations of Ayanokouji were much higher than before. Previously, she had thought Ayanokouji was like herself, someone who held back.
But now she felt unsure about it, she felt that Ayanokouji was more than just holding back and the words Ayanokouji had said to her this afternoon were just the result of her being manipulated by Ayanokouji.
She sighed, she didn't need to think about that for now. She could see everything when the show started.
“I think so,” said Shinohara, agreeing with Matsushita.
Satou breathed a sigh of relief that they weren't pressing her anymore, but as she stared down the hallway where Ayanokouji had left, she felt nervous.
Satou didn't know why Ayanokouji had called her; they hadn't spoken since Christmas Eve. But when she thought about the look Ayanokouji had given everyone earlier, she steeled herself; she had to know what Ayanokouji wanted to tell her and the others.
“Okay, then I’ll go first,” Satou said after preparing herself.
“Yeah, be careful,” said Shinohara. Satou nods and leaves.
In Karuizawa's group, the girls were having a heated discussion. After Ayanokouji called out to Karuizawa, her friends gathered around to question her.
“Karuizawa-san, do you know what happened?”
“Why did he call you?”
“He also calls you by your first name.”
“Yes, I heard it too.”
Many girls bombarded her with questions, but Karuizawa remained silent. She froze, her gaze fixed on where Ayanokouji had gone.
Karuizawa had a lot of questions in her head right now, like why all the class leaders chose him, what he had done, and most importantly why Ayanokouji exposed their relationship so openly.
But all those questions died in her throat when she saw Ayanokouji's eyes. She knew those eyes all too well; they were the same ones that had intimidated her in the past. That cold, dark gaze was the true embodiment of Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's true personality.
Seeing Ayanokouji like that proved something serious was going on. So, whatever questions Karuizawa wanted to ask could be saved for later. Right now, she had things to do.
“Sorry everyone, I think I have to go first,” Karuizawa said to her friends.
“Are you serious, Karuizawa-san?”
“Yes, I'll be back later.”
Without waiting for her friend's response, Karuizawa walked away towards where Ayanokouji was.
Shortly after, Chabashira also followed after discussing with the other teachers.
With that, everyone Ayanokouji had mentioned went to the meeting room.
They had no idea… that the meeting would be the biggest change in their lives.