CH 98

Chapter 98. [Meeting On The Dance Floor]

A few days later.

After a long time, I returned to middle school and was bombarded with questions from my classmates.

“Hey, Irohagami, you went to America, right?”

“Irohagami, how was it there with the nuclear fallout?”

“Irohagami, did you experience it in real time?”

Oh, my gosh, that’s right!

I hadn’t been talking much lately, so I had forgotten, but these guys are like that!

“Um, well, compared to here, it was quite chaotic.”

I answered somewhat hesitantly.

Or rather, wouldn’t it be strange if there were no riots in Japan in a situation like that?

……… Hmmm!

Wait a minute!

“How do you guys know that I was in America!?”

I’m sure I didn’t tell anyone at school.

Could it be!?

“Huh? Well…”

“Oh, yeah! The teacher mentioned it!”

The classroom fell silent.

A strange tension filled the room.

“Oh, I see! That’s what it is!”

“””Huh…”””

Indeed, I had briefly explained to the teacher that I would be absent from school due to work.

So that’s it?

Someone must have asked the teacher about it amid this commotion.

It’s understandable if a classmate didn’t show up for several days during this turmoil, it would raise suspicions.

“Hahaha…”

Please, let it be that way!

I hope everyone averting their gaze is just my imagination!

I can’t hear voices like “Phew, glad it didn’t come out,” “That’s manners, right?” or “If you say something careless, you’ll get banned from our class”!

If I can’t hear it, I can’t hear it!

Then, my smartphone vibrated.

It’s not a message, but a phone call? It’s unusual for this time.

I said, “Excuse me for a moment,” and stepped out of the group.

It’s not like I couldn’t bear the atmosphere and ran away!

On the stairs, I tapped on [Answer].

<<What’s wrong?>>

As soon as I asked, sobbing could be heard from the other end of the phone.

Her voice was trembling. She was crying

<<Iroha, mama is…! But I can’t do anything. What should I do, Iroha!?>>

<<I understand.>>

I didn’t ask for the reason or the details.

I only had a sense that “[the time to act has come].”.

<<I told you, I’m on your side, right?>>

<<~~~~! Thank you, Iroha! Actually, —-. >>

Angu Ogu told me about what happened in the U.S. after I returned home.

It happened immediately after an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

The discussions attended by ambassadors from various countries ultimately devolved into arguments.

Although the U.S. attempted relief activities in the affected areas of Ukraine to gloss over the situation, it didn’t work out as planned.

The current president’s intentions probably played a part in that.

He wanted to resolve things peacefully, or so it seemed.

However, a male presidential candidate, who conflicted with Angu Ogu’s mother, took advantage of the situation.

He said, <<When I become president, I will thoroughly denounce Russia!>>.

<<You’re weak!>>At that moment, the current president was under fire from all over the U.S..

Angu Ogu’s mother, who belongs to the same political party as the current president, was completely taken advantage of.

<<Have you forgotten what NATO believes in? “Attack on One, Attack on All”! Ukraine is already one of us! We will never abandon small and medium-sized countries!!!>>

His bullish statement was well received by small and medium-sized countries and those from them, including those in the U.S.

The battle between the two major political parties, which should have been close, suddenly tilted.

The U.S. has the largest percentage of foreigners in the world.

The number of foreigners in the U.S. is as high as 16%.

Naturally, this is reflected in the large number of Americans who have friends and acquaintances who are foreign nationals.

That’s a difference that could affect the outcome of the election.

<<We think we should retaliate against Russia in equal measure!>>

The male candidate hinted at the use of nuclear weapons, yes.

His party had originally taken an aggressive stance against Russia.

While his statement was a step in the right direction, it was an extension of his previous activities.

But …….

<<Oh, so Angu’s Mama doesn’t like that.>>

<<That’s right. She immediately released a statement, ‘We should impose strict economic sanctions on Russia and take other measures.’ But she’s always been a moderate.>>

She’s moderate.

She couldn’t say anything too strong like <<Fire our weapons.>>, and it was a late response.

She ended up being completely overshadowed.

She and the former president were slammed together as <<Weak-minded!>>.

<<Although she acts composed in front of the TV, she’s been losing sleep. She told me when I went to her room. She muttered things like ‘If things continue like this, a world war will break out’ and ‘They’re deliberately trying to start a war.’.>>

I was digesting Annguogu’s words in my mind.

In other words…

If Annguogu’s mother loses the election, will it lead to World War III?

Can something like that happen…?

And I asked the question that had been bothering me.

<<Wait, they’re still having elections in America even in this situation!?>>

<<You’re asking that now!?!>>

I could tell from the other end of the phone that Angu Ogu was dumbfounded.