"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh? Planning to deny it?"
"I'm not exactly planning to deny anything."
"Huh~ so that's how you're playing it?"
Jere flashed a grin, then slowly opened her mouth and enunciated each syllable deliberately as she spoke to me.
"I'd rather you resolve this barrier instead of just going by the note."
She heard it all, huh?
That means Jere was closer than I thought… and I didn't even notice.
Your ability to conceal your aura has improved further, Jere.
Though I really didn't want to realize that right now.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Oh? Captain, are you suffering from dementia—can't even remember your own words?"
"Dementia? That makes even less sense, Jere."
"Ha. So that's how you're going to play it?"
Saying that, Jere, as if amused, pulled her phone out of her pocket.
She turned the screen on and showed me the voice recording interface active on display.
I broke out in a cold sweat at the sight, but I gave no sign of it.
Since I didn't know whether my voice was actually recorded, any rash move now would only backfire.
"What were you recording?"
"…Even after going this far, you're going to deny it?"
Saying that, Jere stopped the recording and played back the audio she'd captured from the start.
"I'd rather you resolve this barrier instead of just going by the note."
Yeah, that was exactly what I'd just muttered.
…No way I can deny that now.
Honestly, at this point it's basically the same as saying I was tailing Kiana after I parted ways with her.
The moment she saw that note and locked eyes with me, she must've thought I was suspicious and started following me.
My own fault: I didn't expect Jere was roaming around separately.
c096VVl6dm9vU3RnVE04RFFKcWE1QXRIVHZyMlpwbFJqVXVMMk1ZaHpEVFk2UndOY1Y4Z3VoKzdXVFZWZGJNQQ
Although they can move separately, the two of them have often gone around as a pair, just like before.
After all, Jere herself had requested to roam separately.
Depending on the situation, or when they wanted to act on their own, they would spend time apart like this.
"I let my guard down."
"So now you're finally admitting it, huh."
No, to be precise, my lapse was not thinking they'd actually split up in a situation like this, contrary to what Jere assumed.
I figured that in a pinch, Jere's side could probably get by just by following the note.
Now that things have gone like this, I first brought Jere into my room.
Just in case someone else walked in and things got out of hand.
"So, what do you want to know, Jere?"
"About the contents of that note."
"Hmm, how about I grant you one favor and you just let it slide?"
"Sounds tempting, but honestly, my curiosity takes priority right now."
"So you're dead set on finding out, huh."
"I just have a feeling about it."
Saying that, Jere turned and took a few steps forward.
She laced her fingers behind her back, pivoted, leaned forward slightly at the waist, and stared at me with serious eyes as she spoke.
"That note will end up changing everyone's relationships completely, you know."
…That's sharp.
Jere's hunch isn't wrong.
If I were to interpret the note literally, it would be almost spot on.
"But judging by your reaction, Captain, it seems that feeling must be correct."
"Yeah, it'll probably be very different from the way things have been up until now."
"So what the hell is it?"
"Can we stop this conversation right here?"
"Of course not. Because with just that, I've almost pieced everything together."
…Already? You've finished deducing it?
"Well, I could be wrong, but I feel like I'm at least partly right."
"So, Captain, confirm if my deduction is correct."
Saying that, she gave me a smile I couldn't refuse.
She held her phone up to me as she spoke.
It's basically the same as forcing me to listen.
"First, the expression the Captain made when they saw the note."
"My expression?"
"That's right. Unlike everyone else, you, Captain, had a look as if you'd been startled."
"Startled?"
"Exactly. It was like you'd seen something impossible. But Bronie said this:
""At least these symbols are not characters from any script in our world, it seems.""
"If it wasn't that, then you said it's a cipher, but can someone decode any cipher instantly the moment they see it? Especially others, who've never seen such a cipher before."
"What if it was a cipher I already knew?"
"You really think the Captain has some secret cipher we don't know about?"
…What is this? Why do I feel like I can't deny that?
"And that, considering it's us who know about the February 29th folder?"
Damn it, that file…! I should've deleted it before I came out!
At this point, it's certain that everyone knows about my hidden files, just as I expected.
And since she said "we," it's fair to assume some of them are sharing information with each other.
Just look at Jere proudly claiming that everyone knows my secrets.
"Then what on earth did you see in those characters to react like that? Wouldn't it at least have been something you really couldn't do in this situation?"
Because then, the Captain said, "…It's difficult for me to interpret it without any conditions."
"If that had been a perfectly fine way to escape, you would've said it right away. Everyone would just have to do the same thing except for that part written on the note."
Exactly as she said.
If those characters hadn't been so bizarre, I would have said I'd interpret the note on the spot and gotten everyone to act accordingly.
"So then, whatever's written in those symbols must be some action or behavior that would put the Captain in an awkward position. Now, what is that? Thinking about that and studying you, I came to one realization."
"One realization?"
"It struck me that this situation is similar to something from a book Jere read before."
"A book Jere read?"
"…Well, she's old enough to have seen things like that."
What on earth did Jere read to call this situation similar?
"Anyway, in that book, when people couldn't escape an enclosure like this, they were told to do something."
With that, Jere moved steadily closer to me.
For some reason, I felt uneasy and began to step back—but I slipped and landed on my butt, slamming my back against the wall.
As I did, Jere grinned and straddled me, swiftly placing one hand on the wall next to my face to pin me in place.
Then she leaned in, pressing her lips against mine in a consuming kiss.
She explored my lips so fiercely that I was left gasping for breath. Then she pulled away, and with her free hand began undoing the top buttons of her shirt.
"So, this, right? What's written in those symbols we can't read. It's something that if done, the Captain will be in a bind, and it's a method you really don't want to use."
She continued unbuttoning her shirt more boldly, exposing the stark white expanse of skin beneath. In a voice brimming with conviction, Jere said to me:
"It's sex, right?"
I couldn't help but give a wry smile at that.
Seriously, impressive. To think she'd deduce that much from so little information.
If she hadn't suddenly straddled me and stared with a look like she was going to devour me, then undress me, I'd have honestly applauded her.
"Too bad, that's the wrong answer."
"…Huh?"
She said that as if truly regretful.
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