Arisu Sakayanagi. One of the leading figures in Class A.
I'd seen her around school plenty of times, but it had been a while since we'd actually spoken like this.
Behind her, I could also spot the student everyone called Masumi-san, so the two of them had probably come together for a fortune-telling session.
"So, Izuru-kun, who might that person be?"
Her smile vanished, replaced by the unchanging expression of a Western porcelain doll and cold eyes fixed on the upperclassman.
Their gazes locked. Eyes of contrasting colors clashed against each other. Just as I thought the staring contest would drag on, the balance suddenly broke.
The upperclassman let go of my hand and raised both of hers.
"Please don't look at me with such scary eyes."
Despite her words, the upperclassman wore a perfectly composed expression.
It went without saying that her confident demeanor showed she wasn't frightened in the least.
She turned back to me with casual ease and gave a faint smile, as though conceding.
"Well, fine. My junior looked reluctant anyway, so let's end it here for today."
"If you could tell he looked reluctant, then please give up immediately."
"Conversation is an important opportunity to learn about someone. Cutting short the time I spend exploring what kind of person you are would be a little wasteful."
Exploring. In my terms, that would be analysis. Quite a grandiose way of putting it.
"We'll meet again sometime. When we do, I'll explore you even more, Kamukura."
"Please go easy on me."
Maintaining her haughty attitude to the very end, Senior Kiryūin turned and left.
As I'd thought, she was very similar to Kouenji-kun.
In other words, the female version of Rokusuke Kouenji. I'd remember her as an unpredictable individual and look forward to whatever unknowns might remain for our next encounter.
Now then,
"Thank you. Thanks to you, one annoyance has been taken care of."
When I offered my gratitude, Sakayanagi-san smiled faintly.
From that devilish little smile, I could guess she was already scheming something.
"I'd like to say 'don't mention it,' but how about we call it one favor owed instead?"
"That's fine."
"Fufu, then may I use that favor right away?"
Sakayanagi-san held up her left index finger to indicate "one" and continued.
"Would you like to hang out for a while after this?"
Another invitation.
My original plan to spend the day leisurely on my own had already fallen apart.
Still, owing her a debt could become troublesome later, so refusing wasn't the best option.
However,
"Didn't the two of you come here for fortune-telling?"
I glanced briefly at Masumi-san to confirm.
"Yes. But we can come for fortune-telling anytime during summer vacation, so please don't worry about it."
"Hey, don't just decide that on your own."
Masumi-san grimaced at Sakayanagi-san's instant decision.
She joined the conversation without bothering to hide her displeasure.
"Oh my, is that not all right? You weren't exactly enthusiastic about coming here in the first place, were you?"
"I only feel that way because we've already come this far. Put yourself in my shoes—I've been dragged along since early morning."
"Please don't say that. For those fifteen days of the special exam, I was all alone in my room, feeling quite lonely. Masumi-san, please indulge a little of my selfishness."
"…You're always selfish."
"Did you say something?"
Masumi-san had muttered a complaint under her breath, but Sakayanagi-san caught it and immediately pressed her.
The hierarchy between them was clear. Yet beyond that, their friendship seemed genuinely solid.
"If we're not doing the fortune-telling, then can I go home?"
"No, you may not. You have a role to fulfill, after all."
Sakayanagi-san spoke words that gave away none of her intent.
"…I'm not even wearing proper makeup."
"That's your own fault, Masumi-san. A woman must always keep herself presentable, no matter the occasion."
Sakayanagi-san readjusted her hat as she said this.
A white flare-cut dress as the base, paired with a white UV-protection hat wrapped in a black ribbon.
White mules to match—a perfectly coordinated outfit.
Despite her small stature, she pulled it off beautifully, giving her an undeniably cute aura.
Masumi-san, by contrast, wore a simple white T-shirt with casual denim jeans.
Beige sandals and a black shoulder bag—straightforward and suited her well.
Her mature air, unusual for a high school student, was quite different from Sakayanagi-san's.
Compared to my own clothes, chosen purely for comfort, both of them clearly put effort into their appearance.
"…Fine, I get it."
Masumi-san let out a sigh of resignation.
She looked and sounded utterly fed up.
Still, a decision had been reached. We started walking and began our shopping trip.
"Are you interested in fortune-telling as well, Izuru-kun?"
Sakayanagi-san seemed curious about why I'd been in that area earlier.
"I only stopped by. I have no interest in fortune-telling."
"I see. So you dislike anything unscientific?"
"I neither like nor dislike it. If anything, you seem like the type who wouldn't care for unscientific things."
"…I'm still a maiden at heart. I enjoy romantic fortune-telling, and I get scared of ominous occult things like tenchūsatsu."
"How pure-hearted."
Pointing out her obvious lie would only mean playing into her rhythm, so I let it pass.
We continued with similar light conversation as we stopped at the first store.
While shopping, I casually brought up the same sort of fortune-telling topics I'd discussed with Ibuki-san before, keeping the conversation flowing without interruption.
After about thirty minutes, the two of them were satisfied, so we headed to a rest area afterward.
"I'm sorry for going at my own pace."
Sakayanagi-san apologized after sitting down.
She only offered the apology because it was me; combined with the surprised look on Masumi-san's face, I gathered that she normally moved at whatever pace suited her, dragging everyone else along as if it were perfectly natural.
"It's fine."
"You're as kind as ever."
"I'm not kind. No matter who I'm dealing with, I simply adjust to their level."
"Fufu, this is the first time I've been so blatantly looked down on—and the first time I haven't felt genuine anger at the sarcasm."
Sakayanagi-san sounded almost impressed, even as a spark of hostility flickered in her eyes.
Standing beside us, Masumi-san glanced back and forth between me and Sakayanagi-san before pulling a withdrawn expression toward both of us.
In truth, Sakayanagi-san's health condition required frequent breaks.
We were moving at her walking speed, which was slower than usual, yet she still tired easily.
That said, it allowed us to examine each store more carefully, so I had no real complaints.
"…Come to think of it, Izuru-kun, you also possess the talent of a fortune-teller."
"As I said earlier, it isn't that difficult. With your observational skills and conversational technique, you could manage it too—even if not to my level of accuracy."
"Perhaps. After all, it's merely an application of cold reading. …What other talents do you have?"
She gave a bored scoff through her nose before changing the subject.
Sakayanagi-san, who adored talent, had the eyes of a child discovering something new and exciting.
"If you request it, I'll show you."
"…Very well. Then let me see that rumored talent of a con artist."
Her smile shifted instantly. The confident expression now radiated overwhelming analytical power, as if testing me.
Her current standing in class was precarious. The results of the uninhabited island exam and the onboard exam had allowed the Katsuragi faction to rise, forcing her into a tighter corner.
Even so, she wasn't short on information.
Though distanced from direct class control, she was still gathering intelligence both inside and outside the class.
And the one primarily responsible for collecting that intelligence was undoubtedly the girl standing right in front of me—Masumi-san.
"To think you're still gathering capable people so effectively despite your position… You really are excellent, Masumi-san…"
Both of their eyes widened.
Sakayanagi-san froze as if time itself had stopped, while Masumi-san wore the most shocked expression she'd shown all day.
"…You scared me. Don't suddenly call me by my first name."
"Name… Ah, my apologies. I assumed that was your surname."
"My surname is Kamuro. Masumi Kamuro."
"Understood. And I apologize for the overfamiliarity."
"I don't mind how you call me. If it's easier, just keep it the same."
"Then I will."
"...Wait just a moment."
Uncharacteristically, Sakayanagi-san raised her voice to halt the conversation.
She gripped her cane so tightly it seemed it might snap, glaring at Masumi-san with eyes full of resentment.
"Masumi-san, that's a little unfair. Why does only you get called by your first name? When we first spoke, I asked to be called by mine and you refused."
"I-I don't know anything about that…"
"Izuru-kun, why do you call her Masumi-san? Don't tell me… your type is women like Masumi-san?"
"No. There's no particular reason."
Sulking like a spoiled sheltered princess, Sakayanagi-san grew openly displeased and began throwing her whims around without restraint.
Her striking blue eyes narrowed into a sanpaku glare, staring at me intently while waiting for my reaction.
"Then it's fine for you to call me by my first name too, right?"
"I can identify someone by either surname or first name, but unless there's a reason, I don't call someone of the opposite sex by their first name."
"…So there really isn't some special reason for Masumi-san after all."
"Since I can identify her either way, changing it would just be troublesome."
"No, Izuru-kun is a genius. Something like that would be easy for you. So please call me by my first name. It's unfair."
Sakayanagi-san, already veering out of control, rattled the words off rapid-fire.
A maiden's heart. It seemed to exist even inside her, despite how grown-up she tried to act.
Since she called me a "true" genius, that feeling was closer to admiration—no, something nearer to adoration.
For someone with her high pride, it was intolerable to see the object of such feelings treat anyone else specially.
What a troublesome emotion.
"…Hey, actually, just go back to calling me Kamuro. I'm starting to feel resistant."
Noticing how complicated the situation was getting, Kamuro-san threw me a lifeline.
It was the perfect move to resolve things, so I naturally seized it.
"Understood. From now on, I'll call you Kamuro-san. …Now then, shall we end our break here?"
I successfully dodged the crisis and forcibly cut off the conversation.
Kamuro-san picked up on it immediately and stood up.
"…You're that much of a pain, huh?"
Yet Sakayanagi-san pursed her lips in dissatisfaction and refused to rise.
Kamuro-san's honest remark was completely fair. Seeing Sakayanagi-san show this much of her real self had briefly relieved my boredom, but this was its own kind of hassle.
The two of us coaxed the pouting child.
A few minutes later, I deployed the Ultimate Child Caregiver talent and somehow managed to get her moving.
In the end, I didn't change how I addressed her, but buying her lunch restored her good mood.
...
The time had passed one in the afternoon.
Crowds were growing thicker, and this was prime earning time for the restaurants.
Having finished an early lunch, we were now in the middle of browsing clothes.
We'd entered our second store, but the two of them had only been trying things on—so far, they hadn't bought a single item.
"Kamukura, could you grab a different size of this one?"
Kamuro-san stuck one hand out from the fitting room, holding a black blouse.
I took it and checked the size.
"While I'm at it, would you like to try other colors too? Something with a bit more color might suit your hair better."
"I prefer monochrome over bright stuff. Colorful things don't suit me anyway."
"It's worth a try. In your case, a slightly more cheerful vibe would work well. Let's at least try them on."
"…Fine. Nothing too flashy, okay?"
She closed the curtain as she spoke.
I quickly brought back some options that weren't overly bold, just as she'd asked.
"…That's flashy."
"It's your imagination. Please try it on."
I was using my Ultimate Coordinator talent to give them advice.
Kamuro-san, with her pale purple hair, had perfectly proportioned features—eyes, nose, everything—and a cool facial structure.
Just her hair and face alone already carried strong impact. Wearing bold clothing would amplify the lively impression, but it could also make her seem somewhat restless.
Her personality was quiet. If she wanted to give that impression, darker clothes would be better.
Still, that would be a bit of a waste. Her figure was excellent.
With her tall height and long legs, if she smiled, her whole aura would transform.
Even setting aside what truly suited her best, the range of clothes she could wear would expand considerably.
"…How is it?"
She opened the curtain and showed her full outfit.
A slightly deep purple blouse paired with light blue denim pants. The sizing was perfect all around.
"It suits you, but try relaxing your expression a little more."
"…Impossible. Acting bright is exhausting for me."
"I see. Then the standard approach—sticking to purple and monochrome—would probably be best."
I'd recommend a long purple skirt, but beyond that I held back out of respect for her preferences.
"My, it looks wonderful on you, Masumi-san."
Sakayanagi-san emerged from the neighboring fitting room, having changed back into her original clothes.
I'd had almost nothing to say to her. With her super analytical ability, she already understood perfectly how to dress to highlight herself.
In fact, every outfit that played to her petite stature looked excellent on her.
"You should thank Izuru-kun for helping you."
"…Well, I am grateful."
Kamuro-san had initially hesitated to let a boy choose her clothes, but she'd accepted it as a chance to get a male perspective.
She thanked me, a little awkwardly. She must have sensed there was no deception in my responses.
"You were enjoyable to style, so I wasn't bored either."
It was the perfect way to kill time, and that was no lie. I'd even put serious thought into accessory choices.
I handed Masumi-san the black cap I'd brought along.
She put it on, tucking the price tag inside.
"It would probably suit you with the brim turned backward too."
"…Stop staring like that, both of you. You've both got intense eyes."
Masumi-san stepped back as if annoyed.
Being scrutinized by two people with super analytical ability certainly wouldn't feel pleasant.
"Shall we keep looking?"
When I checked, both of them shook their heads.
"Then let's check out."
"We're not checking out yet. Next it's your turn, Izuru-kun."
Sakayanagi-san stated it as if it were obvious.
"I possess the Ultimate Coordinator talent, so I can choose on my own. I'll come back alone another time."
"That's no fun. I wanted to repay you for helping us choose."
Sakayanagi-san smiled happily.
Kamuro-san followed, lightly tapping the hat she'd taken off.
"Well, it's irritating to be the only dress-up doll, so you get to be one too."
"Most of what you're wearing now was chosen for comfort, right? Since we're here, let's make you fashionable today."
"…Fine. Do whatever you like."
After that, I became a mannequin.
The two of them pictured outfits in their heads, then split off to search.
I stayed inside the fitting room with the curtain fully open to reserve it.
This store's curtains covered everything down to the floor, so you couldn't see feet.
The only way to tell if someone was inside was whether the curtain was closed, so I'd left it open to avoid unnecessary trouble.
It was past two in the afternoon, and the store was gradually getting busier. As expected, more and more people were gathering near the fitting rooms.
"…Hey."
Kamuro-san returned first.
She called out curtly, empty-handed.
"…Here, take this."
She pulled something from her pouch and tossed it toward me.
"A hair tie?"
"With that, the creepiness and suspicious vibe should disappear, right?"
I caught it, respected her kindness, and tied my hair back.
I gathered it high enough to expose my nape, forming a ponytail.
"Yeah, that looks better."
Tying it up had probably erased the usual ominous aura.
As a bonus, the air conditioning reached my neck and felt cool.
"So why did you come back without any clothes?"
"…Oh, right. Tell me your height, chest measurement, and waist."
I asked to confirm it wasn't just about the hair tie, and she remembered her actual errand.
She'd been looking at me earlier to estimate those measurements.
Since it was only to get sizing references and held no ulterior motive, I told her without hesitation.
"I'm 179 cm tall, chest 91 cm, waist around 73 to 74 cm."
Kamuro-san narrowed her eyes at my answer.
"…What's with those numbers? Are you a model or something?"
"I do possess that talent."
Having gotten rough measurements, she went back to search for clothes again.
Sakayanagi-san would take longer because of her cane.
I decided to wait patiently—but that turned out to be unnecessary.
Another presence approached the fitting room I was in.
"Hey, you. Is this fitting room in use?"
I turned my gaze toward the voice.
A girl with a cheerful aura. Light orange hair and a sunflower hairpin—distinctive features that stuck in the memory.
She directed an open, carefree smile at me. I met her eyes and instantly analyzed her intent.
"I'm sorry. I'm waiting for my companions to finish choosing clothes."
"I see. The others are full too, so I guess I'll just have to wait."
She glanced around before saying that.
A female student I didn't know—likely an upperclassman.
"You're Kamukura-kun from Class 1-C, right? Want to chat a bit until your friends are done? My friends are still picking stuff out too, so I'm free."
An efficient use of time. A natural way to start conversation.
The lack of any awkwardness suggested high communication skills.
"That's fine."
I agreed, but I didn't let my guard down.
Because the way she looked at me was, for some reason, the observant gaze of someone analyzing my every move.
Unlike Senior Kiryūin, she had come in with the intent to analyze from the start. It was obvious her goal was to size me up.
Whether it was personal interest or someone else's orders, I didn't know—but analysis without super analytical ability was nothing more than child's play.
"I'm Nazuna Asahina. Second year! Nice to meet you!"
She placed her left hand on her hip, held her right hand out sideways, and flashed a peace sign.
Today really seems to be a day full of women with strong personalities approaching me.
***
Hi everyone, I hope you're all doing well. I just wanted to let you know that right now I'm working on a really good and promising fate fanfic. If you're interested in reading it, feel free to give it a try:
[Fate/Max Level Returner]
Synopsis:
What if you took your max-level account and replayed the entire story from the beginning?
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