Volume 2 - CH 3

Sunday arrived, giving us one day off school. It was currently noon as Kurumi and I were eating, so I decided to tell Kurumi about what I had seen from Nanaougi the other day. Namely, she took our abuse payment statement and showed it to a teacher, actively obstructing our terrorism. And considering that she even cleaned up our beheaded head terrorism, this was pretty bad news.

“Mnn…I wonder what she’s thinking?”

Sitting across from me, Kurumi stuffed her cheeks as she responded in that fashion. Today’s lunch was her homemade clubhouse sandwiches. She munched away at it without losing even a crumb while still showing me a complicated expression.

“But she did say she’d cause terrorism that surpassed even that of our own, right? I see no signs of that, so I can’t help but wonder what she’s even doing.”

“No clue. I don’t think we’ll figure it out even if we think about it.”

Thinking about it, it’s a mystery why she removed our beheaded head terrorism. Wasn’t she planning on becoming our ally? Why would she then recover the heads and clean up the blackboards? It contradicts the actions we’ve known so far. All she’s done so far is get in our way.

“Mhm…Maybe she’s trying to get us prosecuted?”

“I wonder…Considering everything that’s happened, that’s hard to believe…”

If she really wanted to rat us out to the school, she could have just used the picture she got of us. I don’t see any reason why she would erase our writings or show our payment statement to the teachers. Maybe she’s scared of the recording I took, so she’s trying to get good girl points from the teachers? No, that wouldn’t make much sense. That recording never could work as an actual threat. Even if it revealed her intention of joining our ranks, she can just say that she had no other option and she’ll be innocent. Someone as clever as Nanaougi would not miss out on that, and I don’t think she’s that scared of it, either. If there’s one possible reason…

“She might have realized what we were planning and is trying to stop us from executing our terrorism?”

“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.”

Basically, if she can prevent us from committing any kind of terrorism, it would lower the bar of her own terrorism. And that way, she’ll have it easier to join our allies. Or, is it? Judging from her personality, she seems like her pride wouldn’t allow her to go the easy way out, so it’s hard to believe she would obstruct our terrorism just to join us. It would fit her a lot more if she tried to overcome us with her own skill. What a bummer. Our plan worked out just fine, but thanks to Nanaougi, I don’t get any rush at all. We continued munching on the sandwiches when Kurumi spoke up like she remembered something.

“Oh yeah, which teacher entered the student guidance room with her? Maybe we could find a hint there.”

“Yeah. Um, who was it again…” I tried to remember the scene from yesterday.

Luckily, the teacher had a distinct feature about her, so I could remember easily.

“It’s Ookuma Kanae. She’s teaching world history in the second year.”

“Ookuma from the second year…I think I know her.”

Well, I bet you would. She’s barely 150 cm tall. She’s got the outer appearance of an elementary student, yet wearing a suit. And despite that, she has long brown hair, which made her stand out even more.

“Maybe she’s Nanaougi-senpai’s homeroom teacher?”

“No, I don’t think so. She only joined Saigou High this year. I think she’s just 23.”

“So a complete newbie, is it? Hm, that doesn’t explain much…”

Yeah, that one doesn’t really add up much either. It’s rare to see a regular teacher and student using the student guidance room. What connection do these two even have to begin with? Unless I’m remembering wrong, Teacher Ookuma shouldn’t be teaching the higher-ranking classes. And since Nanaougi is not part of any club or committee, that falls flat, too. What a blunder, I can’t see the connection between these two whatsoever. Of course, they might know each other in private…but I didn’t hear any rumors about that, either. I could feel my brain slowly beginning to overheat, so I gulped down some orange juice. And this actually allowed me to remember something.

“Hold on. When she cleaned up the beheaded heads we created, she also told Teacher Ookuma that there was something she wanted to talk about with her after class.”

“So maybe Nanaougi-senpai does know Teacher Ookuma, right?”

“Probably…But it was way after we had already left, so I have no idea of what she’s saying.”

Maybe she had already told Teacher Ookuma about our terrorism at that point. But, this is not good enough. This isn’t a hint, it just brings up a greater mystery. We continued munching on our sandwiches when Kurumi spoke up.

“Maybe we’re just thinking about it too much? She could have just asked her for advice on something.”

“Probably, yeah.”

So I said, but I don’t see this being a mere coincidence. Not with Nanaougi, at least. Not like it would change our approach, but we should probably continue to watch over her. And ironically enough, the chance to get in contact with Nanaougi came much sooner than expected.

*

Saigou High might be an absolute hell of a school, but it’s not like we never have any days off. With Obon in the middle of summer break, we received a week break from Saigou High’s summer supplementary classes. And each year, during Obon, I would do a grave visit, bringing my older sister flowers and incense.

As the bright sun was sizzling down from the sky, I left Kurumi’s home and made my way through the rural area alone for the first time in a while. A twenty-minute walk away from the train station, I arrived at a small temple with a graveyard right next to it. Since I didn’t come during the busiest day, there were only a few scattered people here and there. I borrowed a bucket and filled it with water, then headed down the sandy path to the deepest row of gravestones. I poured some water on the flowers while looking at the name shining on the stone—’Shinohara Family Grave.’

“…I came again this year.”

I put the flowers I bought into a small vase, placed the incense on the ground, and lit it up. Crouching down, I put my hands together and offered a prayer to Shinohara Shion—previously Natsume Shion. She was my older sister, four years older than me, who passed away four years ago. The cause of death—was suicide because she jumped in front of a train. The motive seems to have been trouble in her life and relationships, but I don’t know the exact details…Or rather, I was never particularly told of them.

Because our parents had gotten divorced, Sis and I started living apart around eight years ago. And as we were still young back then, neither of us was particularly adamant about keeping in touch. And even when she was still alive, those four years between us created a rupture. Sis stayed with our mother, who went back to her relatives. But to me, they all became something akin to strangers. That’s why I was never told more than the bare minimum. And I don’t feel all too bothered by this. I know this is something out of my control. No matter what I do, it won’t bring her back.

“…”

I closed my eyes and remained silent for a moment. I just took in the distinct scent of lavender. The reason I still come to visit her grave each year is because I clearly remember how she’d look after me. When our parents fought a lot before their divorce, she’d often stay with me. She didn’t do anything special, but that’s exactly what helped me. Knowing that someone with a similar face as mine went through a similar pain helped me realize that I was not alone. And from this came my decision to at least visit her grave every year. Plus, I highly doubt my insensitive old man would bother showing up. If I don’t show up once in a while, people might just forget about her, and it scared me.

After I finished my silent prayer that lasted a minute, I stood up again. I cleaned up the incense and returned the bucket and everything else to the place I grabbed it from. On the way, I also cleaned up my hands with the pleasantly cold water. I clapped my hands up and down to dry them, as I took out a handkerchief from my pocket. I decided to head home since my work was done, but the second I raised my head, a translucent rainbow-colored object floated past me.

“Whoa?!”

I jumped back in shock as I let out a surprised voice. Getting a closer look, it was a soap bubble. A graveyard and soap bubbles…Maybe a child came here with its parents? I looked for the direction where the bubble came from, but when I found the very origin, I was baffled even further. Understandably so, because this unexpected matchup left me bewildered. Nanaougi Nana sat on the stone stairs leading down to the graveyard, holding a blue cup in her hand, with a yellow pipe in the other. The one who had sent these soap bubbles flying—was Nanaougi.

“…Nanaougi?” I called out to her, to which she raised her head and looked at me.

She smiled happily, like she experienced a joyful coincidence, waving her hand at me.

“Yaho! If it isn’t Ren-kun. Great weather we’re having, huh?”

The gravestone close to where Nanaougi said had ‘Nanaougi Family Grave’ written on it. Even in terms of the whole country, the very name of “Nanaougi” was definitely a rarity, so I was somewhat forced to accept that this was her family’s grave, too. And since we’re attending the same school, it wasn’t weird to assume that she lived close by. Pushed against the wall, I shrugged my shoulders and threw another comment at her.

“You’ve got some nerve to be blowing soap bubbles at a graveyard.”

“Hm? What’s it matter, I’m being careful that I don’t bother the other graves.”

“It matters a lot. It’s nonsensical.”

“Yeah, yeah, you say that…But when I played with my soap bubbles here, there was an old lady watching over me a long time ago, so I wanted to show her,” Nanaougi said with a complicated expression, silencing me in an instant.

How am I supposed to respond to that? Of course, she might just be lying to get out clean, but I don’t see any other reason why she’d be blowing soap bubbles at a graveyard. I should calm down a bit. I’m not even trying to hide my disdain for her, but if I keep doubting her every move, it’ll turn me into the bad guy instead. I don’t like the idea of it, but I should probably take the step and apologize.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have been so insensitive.”

“It’s fine. I’ll forgive you with just a kiss.”

“…”

“Haha, I’m just kidding. No need to give me that look.” Nanaougi narrowed her eyes with a smile, as she sent another soap bubble flying.

I mean, can you blame me? That did not sound like a joke at all…Oh well. Unlike that time she pretended to hit on me, this encounter seems to be a genuine coincidence. And in a sense, this might be good timing, too. There’s no people around, so this is the perfect time to ask about the payment statement she took with her to the student guidance office. I’d rather not pry into private affairs, but it’s better than being more doubtful of her than necessary. Keeping my distance from her, I voiced my question.

“Nanaougi, you took our payment statement to the student guidance office the other day, right?”

“Ah, yeah. I remember running into you.”

“What was that about?”

“Hm? What do you mean?” Nanaougi tilted her head, almost like she was urging me to voice my complaint.

Returning a question with another question is just nasty.

“…You told the teacher about our payment statement, right? We were trying to keep this a secret from the teachers, so why did you go out of your way to show them?”

“Because I happened to find it, I guess? I figured it’d be better to tell a teacher.”

“That explains nothing. So you just did it to get in our way?”

“Of course not. I didn’t rat you guys out, either. Plus, you were already done with your terrorism at that time, right? There shouldn’t be any problem with showing the teacher. If I actually wanted to obstruct you two, I would have chosen a different method.”

That might be true, but even so…

“But then why? Can you get to the point already without beating around the bush?”

“What’s it matter? You don’t have to worry about it—Just yet, that is.”

Once again, a profound way of phrasing things. But at the very least, it didn’t seem like she was willing to talk any more than this. She tore her gaze from me and looked in the direction the soap bubbles flew off. God damn it, there’s no point getting pissed now. I knew this would happen. I gave up and decided to take the conversation in a different direction.

“Nanaougi, are you serious about joining us?”

“Of course. Why do you have to ask that now?”

Nanaougi glanced over at me, as she responded bluntly.

“I want you to make me one of yours. Right now, if possible.”

“Sure doesn’t look that way to me. You don’t look like you’re plotting anything, and I haven’t the foggiest what you’re thinking. I don’t see any reason to trust you for now.”

“Now now, don’t be getting so angry. I’ve got my own thoughts.” Nanaougi grinned and went back to blowing her soap bubbles.

She really wants to keep things in the dark, huh? Yeah, I don’t think I can squeeze any more out of her. This feels like a waste of time…Like it’s slowly chipping away at my mental strength. To Kurumi and me, Nanaougi is nothing more than a bother. A roadblock, even. Whether or not she’s an enemy or ally, we can’t even tell, but that’s also why we wouldn’t want her to join us.

“Just please, don’t get in our way.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

Once again, I had absolutely no basis for putting my trust in her, so I decided to leave it at that and head home. However, right as I turned around—

“Oh, Nanaougi? We actually ran into you…So you’re here again this year?”

I heard this voice and stopped in my tracks. At the entrance of the shrine, I spotted three girls looking over in our direction. They seemed confident and boastful, but not to the point they were gals. They all had black hair and stylish looks that wouldn’t embarrass them in public…Wait, hold on? I feel like I’ve seen those girls before…I can’t remember. Maybe it’s just my imagination…? At the very least, they seem to know Nanaougi.

“Nanaougi, are they…” I turned around to ask the girl, but stopped mid-sentence.

She had a calm expression on her face but glared at the girls as if they had murdered her parents. Judging from that, it’s safe to assume they weren’t on the best of terms.

“So you’re with your boyfriend this year? Is he your bodyguard or something?”

“Dragging him to the graveyard of all places? Don’t you feel bad for him?”

“It’s fine. Someone who’s going out with a genius like Nanaougi has to be messed up in the head himself.”

The three girls said as much as they wanted without giving Nanaougi a moment to speak.

“We’re about to be examinees, remember? Should you really be fooling around with your boyfriend?”

“Make sure not to lose your talent, okay? Well, it might already be too late.”

They left these words behind and then disappeared down the path…Now that was just nasty. The hell was their problem? Just talking to them made me feel like throwing up. When silence returned to the graveyard, Nanaougo sighed.

“…I really was hoping I’d miss them by coming on a different day.” She muttered and then turned toward me. “Sorry about them, Ren-kun. They must have been a pain to listen to.”

“…Who were they? Someone you know?”

“Sadly so, yeah. I’ve known them since elementary school, but for the most part, we were attending the same cram school,” Nanaougi shook her head, which made her long hair sway. “They’ve been like this since we enrolled at Saigou High. Why are they so obsessed with me, I wonder?”

“Oh, they’re also from Saigou?”

“That’s right. The student council, no less. It’s ridiculous how people like that can represent all students, right?”

“…Ah, I see.”

I finally remembered. These three are part of Saigou High’s student council. I remember them giving a speech at the election. I was wondering why they looked so familiar. But truthfully, what a horrible bunch of people. Nanaougi is absolutely right. It shows how rotten of a school Saigou High is.

“…Are you sure you should just let them say whatever they want?”

Honestly, I expected a response along the lines of “Just let them talk,” but no matter how long I waited, no answer came.

“Nanaougi?”

I grew curious and turned around, when I saw Nanaougi with a similarly cold and distant expression as before. Realizing that I was staring at her, she took a deep breath. And then, she responded with a fierce tone.

“Of course not.”

The voice sounded like it came from the deepest part of an ice-filled cave. It was white, cold, and lacked any human warmth. What is this feeling…Her voice, her expression, her glare…and this atmosphere, it gave me an odd sense of deja-vu. And after tracing my memories, I quickly realized why—It’s because I had seen the same sight from Kurumi. Right now, Nanaougi Nana looks like Hoshimiya Kurumi.

‘All that I have left is revenge.’

When Kurumi uttered these words, bristling with emotion, it remained in my mind. And now, Nanaougi resembles Kurumi in that. Why are they the same? Why did I see them as the same? Is that because…

“…Just kidding.”

Seeing that I had gone silent, Nanaougi let out another giggle.

“It didn’t just start now, and it’s not just them, either. I really don’t care.”

“…Is that how you really feel?”

“Of course I do. Like I said, I was joking, so don’t give me that look.”

Even if you say that, I’m not so dense I can say “Right-o” and move on. That being said, I shouldn’t try to dig deeper, either. Not like she’d give me any genuine answer. So I gave up, striking up another topic.

“That whole boyfriend thing, shouldn’t you at least have denied that?”

“I don’t mind having them misunderstand if it’s you. And the thought of stealing you from Kurumi-chan does get me a bit excited.”

“…You know, maybe those girls weren’t too far off when they said you were pretty gross.”

“What feels best is cheating…And eating your family’s pudding in silence.”

“Shut up. I hate that you speak with nuances.”

I decided to cut off the conversation and made my way home. Walking down the sandy path, I went for the exit of the graveyard as I looked at the gravestones to the left and right. But right before I left, I turned around again. Nanaougi continued to create soap bubbles and blew them across the area. These rainbow-colored bubbles headed high up into the summer sky, eventually dispersing. And although many mysteries remained, one thing I was very certain of—The way Nanaougi blew these bubbles into the air was almost identical to me smoking cigarettes on the rooftop.

*

The same day of the grave visit, after we finished eating dinner and cleaned the dishes, Kurumi was sipping on some tea across from me, when she spoke up.

“Oh, Senpai. Did you bring what I asked you to?”

“Bring what…Oh, that? Yeah, wait a second.”

I headed to the entrance and grabbed the plastic bag I kept there since I got home. Inside were documents and texts for our summer supplementary classes, as well as question sheets for the second term…All of them from last year. These were the objects Kurumi asked me to bring her in case I found them at home before I headed off for the grave visit. Taking them out from the bag, I lined them up on the table.

“This is math, this is English…Oh, you actually found all the subjects?”

“Sure did. I don’t think I forgot any.”

“As expected of Senpai! You’re all so reliable.”

Well, of course I’d still have all of them because I just stuffed them into my drawer without organizing anything. But being praised by Kurumi felt pretty good, so I kept that part a secret.

“What are we gonna do with this now? Preparing for the exams?”

“Haha! Of course not! You’re so funny, Senpai.”

“I don’t think I asked anything weird.”

“Now, now. To us, it was definitely weird.”

Well, that’s also true. We are the same people who burned our summer homework, so what’s the point of preparing for exams? What a weird way to look at things, that is. Kurumi looked away from me and my bitter smile and glanced over last year’s supplementary class documents.

“Good, good. And, I also heard some more of the dark side of the classes.”

“I really think that these supplementary classes at our shit school only have dark sides to them if you ask me.”

“That’s also true. But it’s something we could use for our terrorism.”

“…Meaning?”

Kurumi put one finger on her lip like she was choosing her words and then bluntly said.

“The questions for the summer supplementary classes usually appear on next term’s exams pretty much 1-to-1.”

“…Say what now?”

“Oh my. Judging from that experience, you probably don’t know,” Kurumi said and then showed me the documents and exam sheets. “Have a look at this. This question Nr.2 for math. It’s the exact same as this part here in the worksheets of the class. The only thing that changed was the phrasing.”

“Oh, you’re right. I had no idea.”

Checking over it, I realized the shocking truth. Just as Kurumi stated, the questions for the exams were the exact ones from the documents and worksheets we had. And none of them seemed like mere references or anything. The numbers, and formulas, they were all exactly the same, not altered in the slightest. As long as you memorize all questions from the worksheet and workbooks, you’ll be able to score high without understanding the way to solve them. The summer supplementary classes also act as revision for the upcoming second term, so naturally, the texts and questions we study now will be crucial for the next term.

“Hey, Senpai, since you had all these documents with you at home, that means you must have taken part in last year’s summer supplementary classes, right? How did you not realize this today?”

“Because I studied blindly last summer break. I just worked on them normally, so I wouldn’t know.”

“Hm, well, with no friends, it makes sense you wouldn’t.”

She didn’t have to say that, but she’s also not wrong because I didn’t have a single friend.

“That reminds me, I think the teachers kept on saying things like ‘If you just do your revision properly, you’ll have no problems for the exams,’ but I guess this is what they meant.”

“Ah, they said that to us, too. Maybe they’re letting us know in a roundabout way.”

During class, they’d always emphasize the parts that appear in the exams, too. They’re indirectly stating it, but also not really…What cowards. But at the same time, what a nasty practice this is. You’re basically handing all participants of the supplementary classes the key to high grades for the next exams. The school pressed the superiority of those with better grades, and yet they were doing this in the shadows. They still weren’t thinking of their students. Why were the teachers so obstinate about telling us to study? To raise the evaluation of the school and their average score.

The better the average score for a private school, the more applicants. It all connects back to profit. All they care about is the earnings from the students, and the right of the gifted was also more like a focus on profit. Participating in the summer supplementary classes would allow you to raise your grades for the next exams, which in return also would make more people apply for next year’s classes because they made it look so successful. And the more Kurumi looked through the documents, the angrier she visibly got.

“I really don’t like this system. Some students can’t participate in the supplementary classes for money reasons, so you’re basically throwing them under the bus with this.”

“Yeah, I can only agree.”

If you want to have a shot at actually improving your grades, albeit through immoral ways, you just have to cough up the money. They really only see us students as money bags.

“Yeah, the more I think about it, the more grotesque it gets.”

“Right? So, how about we use this?”

“Sounds good. No complaints from me.”

“Gotcha. Then it’s decided!” Kurumi snapped her fingers and I nodded. I do think that supplementary classes and regular classes should be properly separated, and revealing this fact would greatly help our terrorism.

“What should we do with this, then? Do you have any ideas?” I asked Kurumi.

“I gave it some thought, and I was thinking that we could maybe create questions and tasks that resemble the workbook and such? And then, we could distribute them to the students for free.”

“Free distribution? But even if we did that, they’d just change the questions for the actual exam, no?”

“But isn’t that just fine? If they’re actually holding supplementary classes that have a positive impact, the students should have no problem actually solving those questions, right? I see no problem here.” Kurumi showed me a mischievous smirk.

If the school doesn’t act against that, then they will arrive at an equal world where you can’t buy grades with money. And if they do, then the contents of the exams will be a blurry mess. That’s the kind of cynical idea this terrorism has incorporated…and it’s the absolute best. Though, there’s one thing that’s bothering me.

“If we’re sending out the questions, it doesn’t really feel like much of a terrorism, right? It’s more like we’re good Samaritans.”

“That is also true. It feels more like satire. I understand, then how about we add a text along the lines of ‘Reveal of the 2nd term exam questions?!’ while we put out the questions?”

“Reveal? But we’re the ones who create the questions, right?”

“We’re going to add a question mark, so it’s fine. We’re not lying.”

That’s some top-class clickbait you’d see in articles and videos.

“What else…Ah, I know. We could also add a text like ‘Asking the pros and cons of the supplementary classes’ below our questions. That makes it easier to show what exactly we’re angry at.”

“I see, I see. So we’re throwing a question at the reader while adding the exam tasks in the same strike.”

If we strengthen our message like that, it will definitely be impactful terrorism.

“Yeah, that sounds good. And in your words, it would be sensational.”

“Hmmm? Are you making fun of me now?”

“Not at all, not at all.”

Kurumi laughed and rammed her elbow into my side.

“You definitely are!”

But at the very least, we finally found a direction for our terrorism.

“Now we just have to figure out the day we do it, as well as a way to deliver this to the students who don’t participate in the classes.”

“I’ve got an idea of my own, so don’t worry about it,” Kurumi said. “After Obon ends, we have a regular day for all students, right? We’ll put it up then.”

“Oh, good idea. With the terrorism this time, it’d probably be best to make it public for everyone.”

With that decided, there was nothing else to say. We just have to prepare for the day of our execution.

“All right, then let’s get to creating the tasks based on last year’s exams!”

“Got it. I’ll grab this year’s documents, then.”

Following that, we worked late into the night to create the tasks and questions. And after we reached the middle of the night, right when I saw the date change, I thought to myself—Aren’t we pretty much studying for exams right now?

*

During our time off for Obon, we properly finished preparing all questions and tasks. We mostly focused on first-year and second-year English and Math. We couldn’t get our hands on the third-year goodies, sadly, so they will have to watch this time’s terrorism from afar. As for other subjects, they didn’t have as much value to add in terms of remembering and memorizing by heart, and we also didn’t have unlimited time of amount to prepare. But the results that came from it were a sight. Using last year’s tasks as a reference, the ones we made most definitely looked like ones you’d see in an exam. Well, all we did was copy the questions from the workbook and other worksheets, so it’s nothing to really boast about.

And once we were done preparing, we worked on the printing. We adjusted the layout on PC, gathering them up into smaller types of workbooks, printing what we could with the lowest budget. We may be working with two subjects for two years, but there’s no reason to make it into a genuine workbook. By keeping the writing and paper size smaller, we could save a lot of money. And now that the goods were prepared, we finally arrived at the regular school day, a day set up where all students have to come to school, where we executed our terrorism.

Continuing from last time, the teachers were cautious of our acts in the shadows. We weren’t allowed to make any mistakes. We had to proceed in secret. If we went around to each class each year to put down the exam question book in each classroom and that also raises the risk of us being spotted.

For starters, we thought of a method to distribute our work. We rolled them up with small rubber, throwing them inside the classrooms. That way, we could work efficiently. Next, the order…The first-year and second-year buildings were quite a distance away, so we had to decide in which order we’d run around. So while adding context of students coming to school early or just as self-study, we created a route where we wouldn’t be seen. And we kept the paths our teachers were patrolling in mind, too.

Finally, we also chose a few places where we could hide in case we ran into a teacher. If we felt like we ran the danger of being spotted, we could secure an escape there. Using this whenever necessary, we should be fine. And to ensure that even the non-participants of the supplementary classes get a bit of relief, we wanted to do an equal work for all classes. It was hard. During the execution of our terrorism, we ran into a few happenings, but safely made it through them. After we were done, we pretended to head to school regularly and spent the day there.

The exam question books were already a topic amongst the students who arrived early. On the final homeroom of the day, after the students learned that the worksheets and final exams were pretty much the exact same, a lot of them argued about things like “If I could make something like that, I shouldn’t have come to these lessons anyway.” And the students who didn’t participate in the supplementary classes were genuinely thankful, too. This eliminated the superiority of the students who participated in the supplementary classes. All that’s left was to see if this reached the teachers and how they would respond. The next mid-term exams were up in September, so we’d have to wait until then.

*

After successfully ending our terrorism, I added another operation after that. Namely, I’d be observing Nanaougi’s movement. Distributing the questions like that resembled our payment statement terrorism from before. It’d be easy to assume that maybe Nanaougi would be acting in the shadows again. For some reason, I felt the urge to find out more about her. What’s her true goal? What was that cold expression of hers about when we ran into each other at the graveyard? A part inside of me felt the desire to figure out what she was thinking. So after our terrorism ended, I watched over Nanaougi in secret. I’d pretend to be heading off to the toilet only to pass by class 1, or act like I was on my way back from the staff office as I walked past the student guidance room. And on that day, when I decided to make my way home, the expected happened.

I spotted Nanaougi walking around with the exam question book we had created. And this time, she had two teachers with her. One was Teacher Ookuma, continuing from before, and the second was the head teacher of the student year. Judging from the situation, this was probably a reaction to our terrorism. I think it’d be important to make a distinction soon if she’s a friend or foe. I should follow her to find out what she’s plotting. I pretended to be another student on his way home as I traced after the group. Close enough that I wouldn’t lose them but not close enough that I would get found out.

Luckily, they went a path with a lot of corners so I could keep myself hidden. Slowly but surely, we moved away from the general noise of the students. A few minutes later, Nanaougi and the others—didn’t enter the student guidance room. Rather, they headed inside an empty classroom that wasn’t even being used for supplementary classes. If they had something crucial to discuss, they would use the student guidance room, so why would they head all the way out there? Probably to ensure that no other people would hear them. And with two teachers, it must be something very important.

This is what I was waiting for. I bet that this will allow me to figure out what exactly Nanaougi has been planning behind the scenes. And why she got in touch with us. I entered the preparatory room right next to the one Nanaougi and the two teachers had entered. Since we were a good way from the crowd of students, it was fairly quiet over here, so I could pick up on what they were saying. But just to make sure, I also took out my phone and recorded everything.

“Sensei, will you finally give it a rest already?”

The first thing I heard was a voice of contempt, belonging to Nanaougi.

“This is what happens if you continue using the same questions every single year.”

I could hear the sound of paper being crunched together. It must be the exam question book we created.

“I borrowed the exam sheet from a senior, but this is the exact same! How could you use the questions from the supplementary classes for your actual exams?”

“I know where you’re coming from, but even so…”

Another voice spoke up, and judging from the tone, it must be Teacher Ookuma. “Giving the students who participate in the supplementary classes a bonus like this has been a tradition at our school. We can’t just abolish it.”

“It’s because you keep abiding by some rotten tradition such that we have students actively working to worsen the school’s image. How do you not grasp this fact already?”

“We do, we do…So we’re trying to work against them causing another ruckus…”

“But you’re not improving anything.”

“…Well.”

Teacher Ookuma gave a vague response, but Nanaougi wasn’t quite done yet.

“Can’t you simply stop with the tradition the coming term? That way, you’ll improve the perception of the students and they will stop causing trouble around the school. It could be so simple.”

“But the students already believe that the questions from the workbook will appear in the exams one to one…”

“You can just tell them that exams will be more difficult this year. What’s the big issue?”

“Ah, yeah, you might be right…”

Even as I was eavesdropping, I could clearly pick up on the tense silence that reigned in the room.

“Why are you even so angry at all of this, Nanaougi? You’ve got better grades than anybody else. Why would you care about the exams being like this?”

“I told you before, I don’t like to see the school falling into chaos. And I wouldn’t want my own grades to drop just because other students copy-pasted the answers.”

“I…guess so.” Teacher Ookuma seemingly tried to deflect the topic, but Nanaougi wouldn’t let up.

“Anyway, you have to make your exams this year properly, okay?”

“Well, um…My subject uses a different type of exam compared to last year…”

“Why is that, Ookuma-sensei? All subjects should follow that example.”

“Huh? But…I don’t have control over all subjects.”

“And I’m supposed to care about that?”

Following another of Nanaougi’s harsh remarks, a long silence ensued. And after that passed, I heard the deep voice of a man. This was the person who had remained silent for most of this discussion, belonging to the head of the student year.

“Nanaougi-san, the teachers, and the rest of the faculty will be dealing with this matter appropriately, so for now just…”

“I’m relying on Ookuma-sensei, since she’s closer to my age. I wasn’t speaking to you.”

“I-I understand…Please talk this out with Ookuma-sensei another time. So for today, at least…” The head of the student year almost sounded like he was trying to calm down Nanaougi.

They exchanged a few words after this, but it just ended up sounding like a Karen complaining to an innocent employee. After another brief silence, I could hear the door opening. Nanaougi left behind a brief “If you’ll excuse me,” which informed me of the fact that the conversation had ended. But…what was that even about? I really thought I’d be privy to something a lot more pivotal to the situation. But as it turns out, I wasn’t any wiser in the situation than before.

She doesn’t like the school falling into chaos, nor does she entertain the thought of her grades dropping because of other people copy-pasting answers. That’s all that Nanaougi just said…but is that really how she feels? I don’t think that’s particularly it. She can blow past anybody without much effort, so I don’t see her being bothered by grades. I’m almost certain there’s something going on behind the scenes. Just now, she also mentioned that she and Teacher Ookuma weren’t too far apart in terms of age. Maybe some discussion like this happened the last time she reported on our terrorism? But there’s such a lack of information I really can’t make out anything. But right as I was lost in thought about what I had just heard—

“…?!”

Right next to the door where I was hiding, a shadow appeared. Terrified of being found out, I almost let out a voice of shock. But even as I managed to keep myself in check, it was already too late. The backlight showed me someone had appeared—Nanaougi. She narrowed her eyes as she looked at me, flashing a devious smile, as she whispered these words into my ear.

“Hy there, Ren-kun.”

Yeah, she definitely knows. Or rather, she probably had me figured out from the very beginning. But since when? I thought I did just fine tailing her…

“Did you know I was listening and that’s why—”

Before I could finish my sentence, Nanaougi swiftly lowered her upper body to quietly approach me. She completely ignored my personal space. And her eyes were now right in front of me. What is this? Did she grab my collar or something? Since I was seated, I couldn’t get away in time. And right as I prepared myself for the impact—

“…Mmm?! Mnnn?!”

Paired with a sweet scent, a soft sensation was pressed onto my lips. Wait. Wait, wait, wait. The same again? I didn’t even consider this possibility…Also, I thought she was joking back at the graveyard. Nothing of this makes sense, except the act that she was doing—She was kissing me, as she grabbed my head.

“Stop…Mnn…!”

“Mnn…Shut up…Mnn…”

She used her tongue in a rough way as she stimulated every area in my mouth. It was a mysterious feeling, like I was being sucked into the abyss. Even though we were just sharing a kiss, it was like she took complete control over me. I tried to fight back, but her tongue robbed me of all my strength. I’m sure that the teachers should still be inside the classroom next to this, so I’d rather not make too much noise…and even so, the tension and pleasure proceeded to melt my brain away. Nanaougi’s breath hitting me was far too hot.

“Mhm…Pah!”

After a while, the sucking feeling clinging onto my lips finally disappeared. The kiss lasted for a few seconds, leaving my mind hazy.

“…Phew, that felt good, right?”

And then, she leaned against me as if we were indulging in a passionate hug. Her voluptuous chest was pressed against me, sending shivers of danger down my spine.

“…What was that for?”

I lacked all the strength to push her away, so I could merely complain with my words.

“Because you were so loud.”

Nanaougi pushed her upper body away and put one finger on her lips to signal me to stay quiet. So she kissed me to silence me? Just use your damn words…And then, she clung to me once more, whispering into my ear.

“Don’t you worry, Ren-kun. Everything I told those teachers was nothing more than a lie.”

“…A lie? That makes even less sense.”

“Now, now, you’ll find out soon enough. I just don’t want you treating me like the bad guy.”

It’s true that I was still doubting her, but I never actively saw her as the villain. It just made us wonder if she tried to get in my and Kurumi’s way. And since I don’t know a damn thing, I don’t know how to interact around her. Though I bet she won’t give me any resemblance of an answer even if I asked.

“Hup. Anyway, I should head home now. Wouldn’t want them to get suspicious.” Nanaougi got up and moved away, brushing the dust off her skirt.

“Oh, yeah. You should probably stay here a bit longer, Ren-kun.”

“…Huh? Why would I?”

“Bad question. Just, guessing from the faces those teachers had earlier, you might be able to get to listen to something juicy.”

She left these words behind, turned around, and then walked away. Juicy? What exactly? Can you not leave me hanging like this? It really feels like I’m dancing to her tune. But if I left one, I might run into the teachers, so it’s probably better to stay here until the coast is clear. Listening in on the room once more, I could hear the same two voices from earlier.

“…I swear. Ookuma-sensei, Nanaougi is one of our most prestigious honor students. And we receive a lot of financial support from her parents. How many more times must I warn you to treat her with respect?”

“I believe I’ve been doing just that…”

“Not at all. Nanaougi is a student who could get accepted wherever she applied. What if this shows at her entrance exams? You have to be more careful with her.”

The head of the student year retained a calm voice, but you could feel the pressure from it.

“Even if it’s mere pretending, I need you to offer yourself to her. How could you speak to her in such a way? Do you also use that kind of tone when you’re speaking with a royal lady or something?”

“But…Changing how I treat my students just because of her situation is…”

“Tch…I’m tired of it. Are you still half-asleep?”

Right after the head of the year clicked his tongue, the tongue of his voice grew freezingly cold.

“We’re a private school, remember? Depending on the grades and success of our students, our whole evaluation tips. Treating particular students in a different way because they bring greater profit to our school is the most basic of basics. You don’t even understand that?”

“…”

“Nanaougi is a special case. That’s why we don’t mind the fact that she dyes her hair blue, and if she has a problem, even someone like me has to stand by and listen to her complaints. Got it?”

“…I’m sorry,” Teacher Ookuma responded with a faint voice I could barely hear.

But right as I thought she’d given up, she continued with a quivering voice.

“U-Um…But…didn’t this whole thing escalate because we’ve been copy-pasting the tasks from our summer supplementary classes into our regular term exams? If we had refrained from that, none of this chaos would have ensued, and we wouldn’t have made Nanaougi react that way…”

“Ahhh, you’re pissing me off…You don’t get it all, do you?”

“Meaning…?”

“The students participate in the supplementary classes because they prove worthwhile for the exams. You’ll be forced to study even if you want to or not. That’s plenty, right? Or am I saying something wrong?”

“Ah, well…”

Once again, Teacher Ookuma’s voice went quiet to the point it almost vanished.

“Some nasty mannequins, a monetary statement simply for abuse, and now it’s a copy-paste answer to all the questions of the exams…It’s too much trouble. How many times must I tell you to clean up after you? You’re the representative for the supplementary classes of the second year, right? Get it together.”

“I’ll do it! I even set up times for the teacher to patrol!”

“And there were still mountains of problems caused by those students! I’m telling you to take care of that already! Not try, but do! How long do you plan on acting like a student!”

“I…I’m sorry…”

“In reality, students should even have to question the existence of supplementary classes. We just have to make them pay the money and not think. We have to control the students.”

Listening to all that, I really struggled to control my urge to smash my fist into the wall. What do you even think of us students? A teacher preparing the youth of today shouldn’t ever say these things.

“Ookuma-sensei, you have to hurry and get this under control. Either you completely change the layout of the upcoming midterm exams, or you manage to convince Nanaougi. You decide, but do it quick.”

“I decide…? But what am I supposed to do…?”

“Think about it yourself, damn it. This is why you only managed to graduate from a third-rate university, you moron.”

I heard the sound of the door opening, followed by a heavy slam. One pair of footsteps gradually headed down the hallway, moving away. I’m guessing the head of the student year was making his way back to the staff office…So this is what Nanaougi was talking about? I would rather have not listened to this. I feel like throwing up. If possible, I wanted to go meet Kurumi right away…But how do I do this? With Teacher Ookuma still present in the room, the risk of me being spotted by getting out of the room was too high. Fine then, I guess I just have to wait a bit longer. And then, I heard another voice from the room. It was so quiet, I could barely hear it, but it soon became louder.

“Ugh…Sniff…Hicc…”

Someone was…groaning? No, I can tell the difference.

“Ugh…Sniff…Ah…Aaaaah…”

A crying voice…Teacher Ookuma was crying.

“Ah…Aaaah…”

She tried hard to hold it back, but it became louder the longer it continued. Following that, I heard the sound of paper falling to the ground and a desk being slammed. Even stomping on the ground was part of it.

“Who’s the one fooling around all day, huh…?!”

She continued to cry for a while. I could hear her weeping for another few minutes. To be fair, I don’t know the last thing about her. But, I could easily imagine her current face, dirty with tears and snot. That’s how painful her screams sounded. Eventually, the door opened, and a pair of weak footsteps gradually walked down the hallway.

“…”

Subconsciously, I peeked out from the corner to look at her. Inside the tall hallway, a small back slowly distanced itself. Covering most of the suit she wore was her long brown hair. She was just a regular human being. I felt embarrassed to have called her a small teacher before. She was just a person trying to care. And I realized that she was not the enemy we should be latching out on. She’s the same type of existence as we are, hating the same thing as us.

“…What the hell?”

After Teacher Ookuma left my sight, there were finally no more people around. At long last, I was free to go home, and yet I was still sitting on my chair. My feet felt heavy, my heart too. It’s like I was sitting in the middle of a muddy lake. I felt disgusted. Did he really have to say all that? Yeah, I really hate to hear adults crying. It reminds me of my mother when my parents got divorced eight years ago. I know how heavy the tears of adults are. When adults cry, it means they have definitely reached their limit. Just like when they decide to get divorced and stop caring about their children.

And who was it that cornered Teacher Ookuma to such a level? It was us. Because we wanted to execute terrorism bigger than what Nanaougi could come up with, Kurumi and I have been extra aggressive this summer break. We’ve been showing our discontent with Saigou High’s worthless supplementary classes. As a result of that, Teacher Ookuma was backed into a corner like that. All she could do was cry. We brought her to the limit. I know…I know that the school is at fault and that I should laugh at it because she clearly deserves it.

We swore to get revenge on this school because of our personal grudge and twisted justice, just acting as we pleased. I still don’t think that what we’ve been doing is wrong. Teacher Ookuma also spewed insults at the students. She was the one who acted evil first. Even if there are tears being shed, it’s not something that would make us hesitate. We don’t have to falter because of that…But, I still don’t like this. What we’re doing probably isn’t some poetic justice. I should have known better to run after Nanaougi to listen in on her plans, only to end up feeling like this. This is the worst. I’m still as weak as before. My mind is filled with the desire to meet Kurumi and kiss her right away.

“…Guess I’ll go home.”

I slowly stood up and took a deep breath. On my feet, I stepped out of the room. Only then did I realize something like a boo had fallen to the ground at my feet. I grabbed it and picked it up. At first glance, it looked like a regular memo book you could buy in stores. Why is this here? Maybe someone dropped it? I’m pretty sure there should be a name on it somewhere. It won’t take much work, so I might as well return it—I turned over the first page only to instantly regret it.

“This is…”

A shiver ran down my spine. I shouldn’t have picked this up after all. Because now that I’ve seen this, I can’t just ignore it. Some memo book? Not at all—It was like I picked up the person known as Kanae Ookuma.

*

Against my better judgment, I took the memo book home with me and planned to show it to Kurumi. I wanted to tell her about what I had witnessed earlier today, and this memo book turned into the best possible proof I could need. Stepping out of the school, I headed to the train station. Mixing in with the crowd, I got off at the first stop and switched to the following train. Another ten minutes passed until I reached the worn-down train station.

The sun had already begun to set as I walked through the grassy path, past the brick-built homes, looking away from the sunflowers when the path split. Shortly after, I arrived at the old home with its lights on. Entering inside, I was immediately greeted with the scent of miso soup, paired with the rhythmical tune of a kitchen knife cutting up ingredients. This familiar environment allowed me to find relief.

“Ah, Senpai? Welcome back. Took you rather long today.”

The moment I went inside the living room, I saw black and ashen-gray hair swaying. Kurumi wore an apron above her uniform, glancing at me from the kitchen.

“…Yeah, I had something to take care of. Sorry we couldn’t go home together.”

“You are forgiven. Also, today’s dinner is roasted beef. It’ll be done in a bit, so just wait. Though I’d be happy if you could wash the bath in the meantime.”

“Yeah, sounds good.”

“Thanks so much!”

“Likewise, thanks for always cooking such delicious food.”

Kurumi smiled and responded with a gleeful “No problem!” in return. How do I say this? I feel bad for ruining her mood soon enough, because what we need to talk about will be rather heavy. I placed my belongings down and then took a seat. I took a deep breath and swallowed my desire to just keep quiet, as I called out to Kurumi right as she was going back to cooking.

“Hey, Kurumi? Can we talk for a second?”

Right as Kurumi was about to disappear in the kitchen, she stopped. She turned her head like a broken robot, looking at me with open eyes. Did she…figure out what I was going to say? That’s to be expected. Kurumi’s small body began shaking as she spoke up with a quivering voice.

“A-Are you saying…we should break up…?”

“…Say what? Why would you think that?”

“Because it sure sounded like you were about to say that.”

Really? I have no experience with that sort of thing, so I wouldn’t know…Also, we’re not even dating…But denying it here would complicate things. Not to mention that our relationship is a bit too complicated to categorize it. And this wasn’t what was important right now. For both me and Kurumi.

“Well…I wanted to talk about our terrorism. Something to ask you.”

“It…doesn’t seem like you came up with a new plan. Judging from the way you act, at least.”

“Yeah, it’s a bit serious. Do you have time right now? I know you’re in the middle of cooking.”

“I have to wait for the meat to be done, so it’s okay. I just have to turn off the fire,” she said and quickly headed to the kitchen, returning a few seconds later.

She took off her apron and placed it on the table, sitting down on a chair facing me. Even though the atmosphere was heavy, we sat at the table like we’d be eating dinner.

“So…What did you want to talk about?”

“Well…Where do I even start?”

I decided to tell her from the very beginning. That I started going after Nanaougi to figure out her motive, that she told the teachers to handle our terrorism, and that she didn’t drop our names. Also, I added all the lies she told the teachers about not wanting the school to fall into chaos. The only thing I didn’t tell her about was the kiss, because that wasn’t important. Kurumi rested her head on her palm with her elbow on the table, as she listened to me.

“So that’s why you ended up coming home late, I see. You could have just told me.”

“I’m sorry about that. Just didn’t find the right timing. And I didn’t think I’d have to.”

“Well, that’s fine. You sometimes act like that, after all,” Kurumi pouted with a sour expression.

Yeah, this might be a fact that I have to reflect on.

“So?” Kurumi said, urging me to continue. “You’re saying that tailing Nanaougi-senpai didn’t bear much fruit?”

“Not exactly. This is where it gets important.”

To be honest, Nanaougi didn’t even matter right now. We had to think about something else instead. It’s something we have to face now. I controlled my desire to sigh out loud and continued.

“While I was listening in, I could hear Teacher Ookuma crying.”

“Huh? She…was crying?”

“Yeah. And probably because of us, no less.”

What we had to think about was Teacher Ookuma, and not Nanaougi.

“Judging from the conversation, Teacher Ookuma was tasked with the summer supplementary classes. And since we were going around causing trouble, it came back to bite her instead.”

“Ah…So her superior teacher is telling her to deal with our terrorism?”

“Exactly. And then she started crying, complaining.”

“Is that so…” Kurumi muttered as she showed a conflicted expression.

But surely, I must have had a similar look on my face. A few moments of silence followed and Kurumi must have gotten her thoughts organized as she started talking.

“I see…I understand what you’re trying to tell me. I do sympathize with Teacher Ookuma for crying like that.”

“…Yeah.”

“But, is that all? It’s not like she’s a good samaritan either, right? She’s participating in the messed-up teaching methods of this school. I can’t see any reason to care about her being punished like the rest.”

That’s it. I was thinking the exact same thing and tried to satisfy myself with that…But, I can no longer do that. Because I now know the circumstances she’s in.

“…Kurumi, could you take a look at this?”

I took out the object I picked up a few hours earlier.

“What is that?”

“A memo book. And Teacher Ookuma’s, no less. Happened to find it on my way home.”

“And what’s so special about that?”

“Just look at the last few pages.”

Kurumi accepted the memo book and flipped through the pages when she suddenly stopped. I could practically see the moment she forgot to breathe. And I don’t blame her. There’s a bit of space in the back of the memo book right after the calendar. In there, you could find the origin of the discrimination law of Saigou High—And the pain of a single person who can’t deal with this rotten system.

*

Memo for my first year—

Regarding school life:

– Always show pressure toward the student. Don’t act friendly.

– Scold and insult those who don’t have satisfactory grades. Having bad grades is bad.

– Be polite and mindful with the students of higher-ranking classes. They are crucial to keeping our standard high.

– Control the students who try to gun for exams in a straight way.

– Club activities are an unnecessary pleasure. Contact the advisors of those club members with bad grades and urge them to leave the club. (And use failing grades during argument)

– Confiscate any smartphone you see being used in class. Force them to pick it up later and make them apologize.

Regarding classes:

– Control the atmosphere in class by constantly scolding the students. Don’t give them a moment to speak back.

– Put the names of those who have received failing grades on the blackboard. (Make them panic at the thought of failing exams)

– Give harsh punishment to those who happen to fall asleep in class.

Regarding homework:

– Use the beginning of the class to confirm the progress of homework. Make the people who have yet to hand it in stand.

– Any who have handed in less than 50% of their homework get a personal mention (with their full name).

– Those who have done less than 25% are to stand at the front of the classroom.

– Those close to 0% get a special warning, and if there’re more than two, then use the student guidance room.

Regarding summer supplementary classes:

– The homeroom teacher is to gather as many participants as possible (with the norma being 85%).

– Put the names of those not participating on the blackboard. Every year.

– Make them anxious that they’ll fail if they don’t participate.

– The more participants, the better the teacher’s reputation.

– Those responsible for supplementary classes are to report back to their respective student year teacher.

…This makes no sense. I don’t want to insult my students. But if I don’t, then I’ll get scolded by the head of the student year. Is this the norm for any private high school? I don’t know, but I can’t take it. I want to quit…But I can’t now that I actually found a job. Being yelled at by the head of the student year, yelling at my students…What am I even? I don’t know. I don’t want this. Just please leave me alone. Don’t push your values and your responsibilities on me. I don’t want to tell my students they should die. I don’t want to be told that, either. I want to die. I’m the one who wants to die.

*

“…”

Kurumi kept the book in her hands, absolutely silent. She wasn’t reading it anymore, but she also hadn’t finished going through everything. She just went over the same page again and again, her eyes wandering up and down. Seeing her react this way, I was relieved. Surely, she must be feeling the same way that I was. I was certain that the same misunderstanding from last time won’t happen again. And that I was grateful for. So, I decided to tell Kurumi about the thoughts that plagued me all the way back here. And I remained careful to not give her the wrong idea.

“Hey, Kurumi…Rather than showing our disdain for these summer classes or creating a terrorism much bigger than anything Nanaougi could do…Wasn’t our goal to make sure no other person like us would appear at this school?”

“…That’s true.”

“At the festival…I mistook all the people in the lower classes as those people, and ended up hurting you by saying we should stop our plan that time.”

“…Yes.”

“So, Kurumi. I don’t want to repeat the same mistake again, so please hear me out.”

“…”

“Bound by the rules of Saigou High, insulted and abused by their superiors…Aren’t the teachers suffering because of this rotten school part of the ‘people like us’?”

Kurumi looked directly at me, her mouth opening and closing a few times. There’s something she wants to say, but she can’t properly put it into words. But she also can’t swallow those words, either. And after a bit of time had passed, Kurumi relaxed her shoulders like she had given up on something. She showed a self-deprecating smile and uttered the following words.

“Yes…You’re right. I think you’ve got a point now.”

“…I figured.”

We never realized. Or rather, we actively looked away from it. We always saw the teachers as worthless existences whose only goal was to hurt us. But, reality isn’t always that simple. Looking at the rules written in the memo book, there must be teachers who are forced to abide by the rules the school had set. And even though they follow those rules unwillingly, they still get insulted and patronized by their superiors. And as they were cornered between work and beliefs, we only made their situation worse with our terrorism.

I don’t regret it, of course. I don’t think we’ve done anything bad. We are not wrong, but…There is one fact that we can’t just ignore anymore. Teachers like Ookuma Kane are, in the truest sense, victims of our terrorism. We didn’t know the weight of our terrorism, not aware of the pain it could bring. But now that I’ve grasped this reality, it brought great pain to us.

“The part where you can’t make a clear distinction between black and white is just the worst.”

Kurumi placed the memo book down and sighed.

“Just who is our true enemy, I wonder. I don’t think it’s Teacher Ookuma, but I don’t think it’s the head of the student year, either. If anything…it’s probably this whole school’s existence.”

“…Yeah, I agree.”

“But then, what would be the right thing for us to do?”

I painfully understood the words coming out of her mouth. Because when we jumped off the roof, we gave up on relying on any cheap terrorism. But even so, we find ourselves sympathizing with people like Teacher Ookuma. The pain of being caught in a hard place, the unbalance of right and wrong was utterly repulsive. We shouldn’t be hurting the people who are in the same position as us. The problem we put on the backburner all that time ago now came back to bite us. We can’t just be looking at Nanaougi. Rather, we have to figure out how we interact with a teacher, who also wishes to die because of this environment.