"With that, this concludes homeroom. Even during winter break, remember that you are students of this school and conduct yourselves with proper moderation each day."
Class C's homeroom teacher, Sakagami, wraps up the final homeroom before winter break with those appreciated words.
The day to launch the plan has finally arrived.
Today is the closing ceremony for the second semester, so all events finish in the morning.
After school, all club activities are on break, and it's a day when the school urges students to head home early.
In short, hardly any students will remain on campus.
It's the perfect day, with every condition in place for a public execution.
"You seem excited."
The talent-obsessed idiot says this while swaying his usual annoying long hair.
"Yeah, I couldn't be more thrilled. I've been waiting eagerly for a day like today."
It's finally time to truly devour X—Ayanokouji.
The prep work has been more than enough.
Just like pounding meat to break down its fibers and tenderize it, I've completed the preparations to eat my prey in the most delicious way possible.
Up until today, I've positioned guys from Class C to monitor alongside the D Class crowd, continuously inflicting the stress of being targeted on him.
This method is ideal for the guy who's been hiding his identity using Suzune as a smokescreen.
For someone terrified of his behind-the-scenes manipulation being exposed, it must have been a spine-chilling experience.
I've kept feeding him the terror that his stubbornly concealed true self might be known, cornering him.
I've inflicted mental damage bit by bit, slowly strangling him with a silk cord.
Being under constant surveillance is far more exhausting than imagined.
The guy forced to endure it every day must be in a state of total confusion by now.
He must be plagued by paranoia, agonizing over how much of his identity I've uncovered.
And today... has become the best day to capture him after he's fallen into panic.
"Ryuuen-kun."
While the class was heading out, Hiyori, perhaps noticing I wasn't moving, came up beside me and spoke.
"What do you want?"
"You seem quite on edge today."
She said so and looked around the area.
The remaining students were only those moving around me.
Kamukura, Albert, and Ishizaki, whom I'd brought along for today's operation.
And Hiyori, with Ibuki standing next to her like a bodyguard.
"It's time to face the existence that's entertained me for the past few months. You coming too?"
"No, I'll refrain. It doesn't look very enjoyable..."
She added, "Besides..."
"Do you really need to corner him so thoroughly?"
A faint shadow flickers in Hiyori's eyes, which rarely show emotion outside of books.
As expected, Hiyori may be sharp, but she's useless in these kinds of conflicts.
Her personality that dislikes strife is the polar opposite of mine.
"It's useless to say anything, Shiina. That's the kind of guy he is."
"That's how it is, Hiyori. ...So, you understand, right, Ibuki?"
Originally, I hadn't invited Ibuki to today's operation.
It's not because she's useless.
Unlike Hiyori, she enjoys conflict and follows me despite the displeased look, proving useful.
But for today's plan, I've given Ibuki a different role.
"Yeah. I heard the entire plan from Kamukura. I get it, and I'll accept that role properly."
"Kuku, you've gotten pretty sharp lately, Ibuki."
"Thanks."
An upgrade in my pieces' capabilities. A welcome miscalculation.
Perhaps because this lone wolf now has people she can call friends, her perspective has widened?
"For the time being, I'll be at the library with Shiina. If you run into trouble, I can lend a hand?"
"No need."
This provocative statement is welcome.
If Ibuki had Hiyori's smarts along with that personality, I would've obtained her by any means necessary.
"It's time, Ryuuen-san."
Ishizaki and Albert gather as well.
They were probably looking forward to today as much as I was.
I rarely feel empathy, but right now I did.
Ishizaki and Albert both looked somewhat unsettled.
And Kamukura, expressionless yet somehow appearing to enjoy himself.
In the end, the only freaks here were me and Kamukura, huh.
"Kuku..."
I'm feeling the same kind of excitement as when I first confronted Kamukura.
Ibuki looks at me with cold eyes like she's seeing some weirdo.
She's probably thinking the same thing she asked me before.
Why bother taking risks to search for X when finding him means nothing.
Indeed, even if I identify him, there's no next step. I've already seen through his identity, and if he were just some clever bastard, that would be the end.
But Ayanokouji was no ordinary person.
Through the special exams, I understood it whether I liked it or not. Ayanokouji possesses a way of thinking similar to mine.
I'd never encountered someone like myself before.
That's why my interest surges uncontrollably toward the existence of this fellow abnormality.
"Follow me."
Ishizaki still doesn't seem to have his feet on the ground.
I stand up and toss him the bag, laughing to share this pleasant feeling with him.
Ishizaki holds the bag carefully and tilts his head at the indispensable items inside for what comes next.
Those things don't belong in this well-mannered school at all.
...
After finishing the move from the classroom, we arrive near the destination.
Our current location is in front of the door leading to the rooftop—a massive door that doesn't allow even a draft through.
The rooftop of this school is open year-round, which is rare these days. However, this spot is unpopular.
The reason is that surveillance cameras are always installed there.
In other words, actions can be recorded.
Naturally, students can only use the rooftop obediently and can't engage in dangerous or shady behavior.
And this school has many popular spots like cafes and the mall that offer flexibility despite the surveillance.
Not many people would come all the way to this rooftop.
That's precisely why I investigated this place thoroughly.
"Ishizaki, bring out the spray."
I instruct Ishizaki to take out the black spray can.
I open the door by myself.
The winter wind nearing evening sends a shiver across my skin.
The weather is overcast. Dark clouds hide the sun, amplifying the cold.
Ignoring the familiar chill, I take a step onto the rooftop.
On this outer section of the rooftop, only one surveillance camera is installed here.
There are no audio cameras. I know they're only set up in management rooms like the staff office or other high-importance areas.
I walk right beneath that surveillance camera and spray the can in my hand.
It's a vandal dome camera. The steel body with a powerful polycarbonate lens cover is strong against vandalism.
But you don't always need to destroy a security camera to disable it.
In the blink of an eye, the camera cover turns completely black, eliminating its monitoring function.
Now the video feed won't reach them.
"You painted over the camera. Punishment is guaranteed now.
If you'd told me, I could've done a little hacking for you."
My subordinates trail after me one by one.
As usual, this idiot's thinking is on another level.
"Kuku, it's not much of a punishment. Plus, hacking is too uncertain for me. Even if you pull it off perfectly."
I also have basis for why the punishment would be light.
Previously, I painted over a surveillance camera in a different spot the same way and voluntarily reported it to Sakagami.
The outcome was just having points deducted for the camera's cleaning and repair costs along with a warning.
During that time, I also got information on the existence of constantly monitoring cameras and audio cameras.
"Shouldn't you explain things to them about now?"
Glancing at the fidgety Ishizaki, Kamukura requests an explanation of what we'll be doing today.
Albert and Ishizaki quickly turned their faces toward me.
"True. It's about time I explain what we're doing today to you guys.
You stay on watch at the door, just in case."
Following orders, Kamukura heads toward the door.
He's being quite faithful today.
That just shows how much he's anticipating today's events.
"Today, I've summoned Karuizawa to the rooftop. I'll force her to spit out X's true identity and plan to call X here as well."
I won't reveal everything about today's plan. Albert wouldn't be an issue, but if I explained it to Ishizaki, he might let something slip.
"...Is Karuizawa really going to show up?"
"She'll definitely come. I wrote that if she doesn't, I'd spread her past all over the school."
The fact that she was bullied in the past is a miserable history that a top-tier girl in the caste wants to discard and forget. To maintain her current position, she has no choice but to come, even at the risk of danger.
"I see. But do you think she'll spill X's identity that easily?"
"Well, she won't do it willingly."
X must have promised Karuizawa protection from external threats, including Manabe and the others. In exchange, Karuizawa has been working herself to the bone for him.
"Then I'll just have to do something out of the ordinary. By any means necessary."
"...Any means necessary. Meaning..."
"You got it, Ishizaki."
When I laugh, Ishizaki shudders. I've gotten somewhat closer to this guy, but he still properly fears me.
That's right. Today, I'm going to crush Karuizawa, his pawn. I sent that kind of email to the address X used when he contacted Manabe.
"B-But what if Karuizawa rats us out to the school with the email?"
"She can't. If she does that, we'll just expose her past to the entire school. No matter what method she uses, Karuizawa alone can't suppress us."
If there were any countermeasure, it would probably be either Karuizawa or Ayanokouji persuading me. The worst case is if neither shows up on the rooftop, but I've prepared for that too. Karuizawa, with her bullying past exposed, will break. She'll be removed from X's pieces, weakening his forces. After that, I can simply shift the target to Hirata and do the same thing. Creating a weakness for Hirata seems easy enough.
"Alright, Albert, you wait a bit further down. Let Karuizawa through when she arrives. If anyone else comes, contact me on your phone immediately."
Albert nods silently and heads toward the door. Having a lookout just in case will let us handle any unforeseen situations. Kamukura returns, switching places with him.
"I've done what I can. Now we just wait."
"Yes, let's wait with anticipation."
He said it with an expressionless face. But his words and actions are those of someone who's truly enjoying this.
"... An unpredictable future."
Compared to when he first enrolled, he's become quite a bit more human. Whether that's good or bad, I don't know, but that's what I thought.
...
A few minutes before the promised time, the rooftop door opens and one student appears. The star of today's show flinches slightly as the bone-chilling winter wind hits her body.
"I've been waiting, Karuizawa."
I pocket my phone and stand up to greet her. My two subordinates also turn to face Karuizawa. Ishizaki looks somewhat tense, while Kamukura remains calm, as if he'd known she would come. If asked which one is scarier, the answer is obvious. Indeed, Karuizawa chooses correctly and glares at me. But when I take one more step forward, her wariness shifts to me.
"...What did that email you sent me this morning mean?"
"Exactly what it said. I heard everything about your past from Manabe. If you didn't want it spread around, I figured I'd call you here so you'd listen to a few of my orders."
No change in her expression. Even after digging up a past she doesn't want to see, if this is her reaction, her mental fortitude seems decent.
"However, you're really alone. I was betting on the long shot that X would show up at this point."
"You told me to come alone..."
There's no way Ayanokouji, who's been desperately hiding his identity, would carelessly appear. If it were me, I'd show up even if not called and cause a scene, but just because our thinking is similar doesn't mean our personalities are the same.
"So, what exactly are these orders? I don't understand at all... It's cold, so can you hurry up and finish this?"
Karuizawa rubs both arms with her palms. Her act of pretending she doesn't know anything is pointless.
"Then why did you come here? If you really didn't understand, ignoring it would've been an option. Despite that, you showed up. Or did you come to tell me that what Manabe said is completely baseless?"
"...That's right. Misunderstandings should be cleared up, right?"
"Yeah, if it were a misunderstanding. But they also say where there's smoke, there's fire. Kuku, everyone here already knows you were a bullying victim before."
The spirit in her glaring eyes fades, and she bites her lip in frustration. Her fragile bluff falls apart the moment it's pointed out.
"Stop playing dumb, Karuizawa. I want to get straight to the point."
"...What's your goal?"
Her weak affirmation makes my lips curve into a smile. The moment the strong defeats the weak is an upset. In other words, a pleasurable time where I can savor the unknown. I'll admit that's interesting. I can understand why Kamukura chases after the unknown. But the miserable moment when the weak admits defeat—this too feels like a pleasurable time to me.
"Tell me the identity of the person behind you... X. If you do, I'll keep your entire past quiet."
Karuizawa probably understood from that simple answer. Now then, how to make her spill it from here—that's where the fun begins.
"There is no such person."
"I see. Then first, let's verify what X has done."
I glance at Kamukura for a moment. He looks bored, as if he's about to say this is dull. Beside him, Ishizaki is still tense.
"After the cruise ship exam ended, X created a weakness by filming the scene where Manabe and the others were bullying you. Using that evidence as leverage, you cooperated with X. Is that wrong?"
"...It's wrong."
Her eyes dart around in a very obvious way. It seems she correctly knows the method X used to silence Manabe.
"During the sports festival, X used that video to threaten Manabe instead and made her betray Class C. As a result, Manabe and the others provided information as spies and crushed one of my objectives. How about it? Did you know about this? That X used the video of you being bullied as material."
"...Th-That..."
Her expression stiffens. It looks like she didn't know about this. Regardless, it's clear she has a strong connection to X. And sure enough, X is treating Karuizawa like a disposable pawn.
"Wait, hold on. X? I don't know who you're talking about."
Even at this point, Karuizawa tries to divert the conversation again. I take another step closer. Karuizawa steps back half a pace, but that's all. She doesn't show any posture of fleeing like a scared rabbit.
"If you do anything to me... I'll tell the school."
Karuizawa puts on a brave front with a strained expression. She still doesn't realize what's about to happen to her. Even knowing my reputation, she probably assumes nothing will happen because there are surveillance cameras in this school. Well, whatever.
Both her and Ayanokouji need to learn how terrifying it is to oppose me.
"...!?"
I kick Karuizawa in her defenseless side. The violence I haven't used in a while feels incredibly satisfying. After spinning twice, Karuizawa spits out saliva several times while catching her breath and holding her stomach. I grab her blonde hair and force her upper body up.
"Hey, I told you to stop playing dumb, Karuizawa. Answer only what I ask. You're wasting time."
The color of her utterly terrified eyes. Her body trembling violently, on the verge of losing control. It doesn't seem exaggerated that she suffered quite severe bullying in the past.
"Who is X, Karuizawa?"
"...I-I don't know."
She narrows her eyes again and denies it. Her mental strength to keep up the act even while feeling terror is remarkable.
"I see. So you're protecting X. Then I guess I don't mind spreading your past throughout the entire school."
"..."
It's meaningless resistance. When attacked, she can only fall silent. The stage where she could handle this alone has long passed.
"Don't bother wracking your useless brain. You're way past the point where thinking will get you anywhere. Your choices are already limited. And I've already presented the most correct option."
In other words, revealing X's identity. If she does that, Karuizawa's past will be protected. With the situation this desperate, it should inevitably occur to her that abandoning X is the only way to save herself.
"...If, if this X person you're talking about really exists, and I told you who it is right now, would you even believe me?"
「Sure, but how exactly are you planning to verify it, Ryuuen-san?」
Ishizaki must have caught onto that point too, because he jumps into the conversation. If Ishizaki sticks his neck out right now, it'll give Karuizawa an escape route. I was about to signal him to shut up, but before I could, Kamukura's glare makes him shrink back. He closes his mouth apologetically.
"If I find out you lied, I'll expose everything immediately."
Karuizawa brushes off the threat and fires back defiantly, eyes narrowing.
"…That's a lie, right? You think someone's behind me. But you couldn't get close to a solid identity, so you reached out to me instead. I don't buy that you'd throw away a chance like this so easily."
"And? According to your prediction, what do I do next?"
"You'll squeeze every last drop out of me… You plan to keep asking until I spit out the information, don't you? But I'm not stupid. Since there's no way for you to tell truth from lie right now, I'm not about to let you use me whenever you feel like it."
"Then what will you do?"
"I won't answer anything. There's no way for you to confirm whatever I say anyway."
"I'll expose you even if you stay quiet."
"If I just sit here and let your fake information slide, won't that cause you a lot of extra hassle too? …Before you can keep using me over and over, if I decide to spread all that made-up crap myself, it becomes a pain in the ass for you."
"Kuku. If I expose your past, you lose any reason to talk. I lose the benefit of using you. But that's nothing but stalling. Even if I can't hear it from your mouth, I'll slowly track down the real identity."
"But that means you'll keep setting traps from now on, right? What if you investigate too much and this X guy decides I'm not worth it and disappears completely? Wouldn't that defeat the whole point?"
She's a clever woman. Even with her back against the wall, her mind is spinning this fast. She can talk this smoothly only because she understands her own value perfectly. If Karuizawa stops caring about her past being exposed, we lose one lead on X and have to start the search all over again. If that happens repeatedly, X will cut Karuizawa loose and hide his identity for real. Then my goal becomes impossible to achieve.
I see. She came here alone after carefully thinking up ways to defend herself. In that case, letting her go without pushing too far is one option. But it's not the best one.
"In the end, you're the one who's been closest to X. Since we've confirmed that much, the surest way is still to hear it from you."
"…I thought I made it clear that threats won't make me talk."
"Kuku, we'll see about that. If negotiation won't loosen your lips, I guess I'll have to get a little rough."
I release her well-groomed blonde hair. With the sudden loss of support, Karuizawa's face drops under gravity and smashes into the ground. She writhes, clutching her nose with both hands.
"Let me give you one hypothetical. You seem to think I don't know X's identity, but what if I actually already have a pretty good guess?"
Her trembling stops. Karuizawa lifts her head and looks at me. Her face twists with pain and shock, on the verge of despair.
"…What are you talking about? You're doing all this horrible stuff because you want to find out who X is from me, right?"
"Why are you so sure? Everything I've said today could be a lie."
"Th-Then why are you doing this to me?"
"Because you know X's identity and you're the closest person to him. So even if today's goal wasn't learning who X is, but instead crushing one of X's pawns for sure… there'd be nothing strange about that, would there?"
As the reality I'm laying out sinks in, Karuizawa's expression distorts more and more. Just imagining what's about to happen to her must be stirring up her trauma.
"Ishizaki, go down one floor and fill two cleaning buckets with water. There should be two of them. Bring two full ones for now."
"Huh? Water? What for?"
"Hurry up. You planning to defy me?"
"N-No! I'll get them right away!"
Ishizaki rushes off, passing beside Kamukura in a panic. In that brief moment when my eyes flick away, Karuizawa forces her shaking legs to move and tries to stand.
"You seem to understand what's coming. So, what exactly were you planning to do by getting up?"
There are only two possibilities. Either run away from here with everything she has, or take all four of us down and then run. But from the way she's clutching her side—the source of the pain—the only realistic choice is the first. Just as I expected, Karuizawa braces herself and stares toward the door. But she never gets to take that first step.
"Where exactly do you think you can run?"
In a movement so fast it doesn't even look like a preliminary motion, Kamukura slips behind her, grabs her left wrist, and twists it behind her back. His emotionless voice whispers right into her ear.
"There's nowhere to run, is there? If you run now, your past gets exposed, your status and friends in class vanish, and your connection to X—the one who protects you—disappears too. Then you, who ruled the upper caste with that arrogant attitude, will become perfect prey for all the lower-ranked people you looked down on. Where in that future is there any escape?"
Karuizawa freezes solid. The tragic resolve vanishes from her face, replaced by an expression of even deeper despair than when I hit her.
"Kuku. But I already prepared a way for you to avoid that future, didn't I?"
"…I tell you about the person behind me."
"That's right. Then you won't have to dig up your trauma."
Karuizawa's body shakes, probably from a flashback. She presses her free right hand against her left chest, but the trembling won't stop.
"You don't want to throw away the status, friends, and boyfriend you gained at this school, do you?"
If someone has a miserable past, it's only natural they never want to return to it. Karuizawa hangs her head and places her right hand on her forehead. It could look like she's desperately thinking, or like she's fighting off another flashback.
"Who is X, Karuizawa? If you tell me…"
"... I don't know."
The trembling suddenly stops. Then, mustering every ounce of defiance she has left, she glares and shouts,
"…I don't know anyone like that!"
She's fighting back against the fear. Honestly, I'm impressed. What incredible mental strength. She was on the verge of breaking just moments ago—what memory could give her the power to roar this loudly? It actually sparks my curiosity.
"S-Sorry to keep you waiting."
Ishizaki returns at the perfect moment, carrying two buckets filled about eighty percent with water. I give him a look. His slightly tense face shows he understands exactly what I'm ordering.
"Too bad, Karuizawa."
Kamukura pushes her forward and steps back. Following my signal, Ishizaki dumps the bucket of water straight over Karuizawa's head.
"!?"
A silent scream escapes as she clutches her body with both arms this time, desperately trying to keep the cold from reaching her core, from reaching her heart.
"Does it bring it back? That past you hate so much?"
"N-No…!"
Karuizawa collapses silently onto the floor. She covers her ears and begins escaping into denial.
"You made the choice, Karuizawa. So take the consequences like you mean it."
I'm crushing Karuizawa for my own pleasure. Now, let's see how far her mind can hold out. I'll enjoy this to the fullest.
***
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