At 2:17 p.m., Haneoka Private High School.
There was still over an hour left before classes ended.
But Saijo Mari was not in the classroom.
Instead, she was in the courtyard, wearing the boys' school uniform.
Her neatly trimmed short hair was also put up and covered with a baseball cap, and a black mask concealed the lower half of her face, making her look androgynous, unrecognizable even to acquaintances.
She sat on a bench, listlessly playing with her phone as if waiting for something.
Suddenly, her phone rang—a call.
Saijo Mari pressed the answer button.
"Hello."
"Ayakoji Chiyoko is with me, she won't be returning, commence."
"Understood."
After hanging up, Saijo Mari looked around, making sure no one was there, and quickly headed towards the old school building.
Since it wasn't dismissal time yet, the old school building, usually bustling with club activities, was as quiet as a mortuary, utterly devoid of students.
