12:32 PM, Keyaki Mall.
"Oh, Kiyotaka."
When I got to our meeting spot, Akito was already there, waiting.
"Sorry for making you wait," I said.
"Nah, I just got here."
For some reason, I felt like I was Akito's girlfriend with those words.
"Oh, look. It's Airi and Haruka."
"Hey, you two!" Haruka called out to us.
Haruka and Airi looked very attractive in their casual outfits. From an outsider's perspective, it must've looked like we were on a double date. Or at least, that's what my delusional, single self wants to say.
"Good afternoon, Akito-kun, Kiyotaka-kun," Airi greeted us with a timid voice.
Unfortunately, Ken was doing club stuff today, so he couldn't come with us. Even if it was a Sunday, he still works hard on basketball, probably to make up for the lost time.
After a short while, the four of us settled down to eat lunch in a sushi restaurant.
"Fuuu~! These are delicious. Kencchin is missing out!" commented Haruka.
"Oh, speaking of Ken, didn't he almost fight the guys from Class D?" Akito asked, looking at Airi for confirmation.
A fight?
"Ah... Yes, I was there when it almost happened the day before yesterday," she replied.
"Ken was prattling about how he could beat the three of them. He said he wouldn't be in trouble since they threw the first punch," he shrugged.
"Ehh, what Kencchin-thing to do and say."
"You stopped them, Airi?" I asked.
"I-I didn't really stop them... I just called out to Ken-kun and the three boys from Class D just left." Airi then proceeded to tell the story in detail.
I see... Komiya Kyogo, Kondou Reo, and Ishizaki Daichi, huh? According to Airi, it seems like a beef between club rivals...
Wait, they stopped after seeing Airi...?
"You were all in the special building, right?"
"Yes..." she nodded. "I was trying to take some pictures when I heard them."
"Ah! So you got new ones, Airi? Show them to me later!" Haruka leaned in cheerfully.
"Seriously, that idiot. He might be good at fighting, but Ishizaki can probably hold his own with two other goons behind him," said Akito.
It sounds like Akito knows who Ishizaki Daichi is.
Of course, everyone in the Ayanokouji Group knows about Airi's hobby. That's also why Ken wasn't too shocked when he saw her there.
Anyway, it was a three-on-one. It happened in the special building. They panicked when they saw Airi instead of making fun of Ken or targeting her instead. They also left even with Ken provoking them on the way out. Something's odd here.
I needed that one detail before I could confirm my hunch.
"But still, isn't it amazing that Kencchin might be a regular?! He's just a first-year!" Haruka exclaimed.
"Yeah, whenever I catch him on the court, even I can tell that his skills are top-notch." Akito nodded in agreement.
Well, Ken is quite talented when it comes to sports, especially basketball.
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After eating, the four of us watched a movie. Most of them were screenings of movies from four years ago, though.
We saw an interesting superhero movie that involved epic adventures in outer space and other planets. I'm glad I watched its prequel because the movie we watched was the second one. The Japanese dub wasn't available in theaters, so I spent our remaining hang-out time explaining the things that my three friends didn't fully understand.
"The Japanese subtitles were a bit scuffed on that part. Can you explain it to me, Kiyopon?" Haruka asked while indulging in her ice cream.
"Ah, the villain revealed that he was also the cause of the protagonist's mother's brain tumor. He was the one who planted it in her head," I said.
"I knew it! And I almost forgot that his mother died of cancer!"
"Ohh, b-but what about on the part where-" Airi also had her questions.
I explained some more things to them before we finally ran out of snacks to munch on.
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"I'm sure the subtitles will be updated soon. It's just the first day, after all," said Akito.
"Hehe~. Good thing we had an English genius like Kiyopon for clarifications!" Haruka said with a smirk.
"Isn't Kiyotaka-kun a genius in everything, though?" Airi added.
"Ahaha! That's true!"
"Now, I'm not that worried about the final exams this month," Akito shrugged with a grin.
"Don't slack off on your studies now," I said.
"Hahaha! Of course, we won't~!"
I checked the clock the moment our plans were finished. It was already 3:43 PM.
"Airi, is it alright if you come with me after this? I want your help with something?" I asked.
"Eh? Me...? For what?" Of course, Airi got confused.
"We'll head to the special building," I answered.
Haruka and Akito instantly got interested.
"Oh, is our Kiyopon planning something?" Haruka grinned.
"I don't exactly know why you wanna go there all of a sudden, Kiyotaka, but it's about Ken's fight, isn't it?" Akito asked.
I nodded.
And with that, the four of us headed to the special building.
"This is the place?" I asked.
"Uhm, yes. This is it. I was initially hiding in that corner over there," answered Airi.
"Hmm... I see... I think I understand what's going on here."
"W-What you are thinking about, Detective Ayanokouji?" Haruka acted like a nervous news reporter, miming a mic near my mouth.
"Ken's encounter with those guys was deliberate and planned," I replied. "In other words, we're being attacked by Class D."
"Eh-?! So it wasn't just a normal brawl between meatheads, after all-?!" Haruka asked in surprise.
"Hmm... I think I can get where you're coming from, but can you explain how you concluded it, Kiyotaka?" Akito thought of something on his own, but couldn't quite put everything together.
"Then before that, can you tell me anything about Ishizaki? You know who he is, right?" I asked.
"Ah, yeah. That guy was a troublemaker around our area back in middle school," he answered.
"I see... Then I guess everything fits," I nodded before trying to explain. "Firstly, there were three of them. Komiya and Kondou knew about Ken's nature— being clubmates and all. They brought Ishizaki to spur Ken into fight mode."
The three listened intently.
"According to Airi, Komiya charged in first to punch Ken. But something was odd about that. If they really wanted to teach Ken a lesson, they should've hounded him at the same," I explained before looking at Airi.
"So you're saying that they didn't intend to 'beat him up'?" Akito tilted his head skeptically.
"Yes, it's weak evidence on its own, but we'll return to it later. The next thing that I found strange was their reaction to Airi's presence. Normally, they'd use Airi to provoke him even more. But instead of doing that, they just left," I added.
"A-Ah, yes! That's what I thought back then, too! I thought they were going to make fun of us when they asked if I was Ken-kun's girlfriend... But their faces were full of concern," Airi nodded strongly.
"The last piece of evidence that I needed was the location itself. Come with me." I began walking towards the Chemistry Laboratory and other utility rooms.
"Every room on the first and second floors is equipped with security cameras. But, here, on the third floor, only a handful of rooms have them. And as you can see, none of them can be found in the hallways," I said, pointing up at some parts of the ceiling with unused power outlets.
I continued talking while the three of them looked up to check every inch of the ceiling.
"If you haven't noticed it yet, our rooms are also equipped with security cameras. They wouldn't be able to accurately assess our behaviors if there weren't any. The teachers can't do that while discussing the lessons."
"S-So that's why our points still drop by a lot..." Haruka said.
"You're guilty, aren't you?" Akito asked with a smug smirk.
"I-I can't help it sometimes! My brain shuts off during language subjects." Haruka replied with a guilty expression.
To be honest, I was surprised by our 26-point decrease in June, and it's not too good this time, either. Our class average during the exam was approximately 88 points. I don't know the exact metrics for the conversation, but if Class A only had 85 points, then the deductions were obviously the reason why we only had a 1-point lead during the additions.
According to Chabashira-sensei, each class gained at least a hundred class points before the deductions were applied. In other words, our deductions for this month were way more than last month.
"But going back to your investigation, Kiyotaka-kun... What was Ishizaki-san and his friends' goal?" Airi asked.
"Well, this is just my speculation, but if you add everything together... They called Ken to an inconspicuous place and tried to 'fight' him. They deliberately tried to throw the fight, letting Ken beat them up. Since there were no security cameras around, they could report what happened to the teachers and claim to be the victims even if they threw the first punch. Of course, it wouldn't work because Airi was there and she saw everything happen. She could counteract as Ken's witness. That's why they left instead of doing anything else," I said.
Airi and Haruka had perplexed expressions.
"The sanctions for violence should be heavy, right? Are they trying to get Ken expelled or something?" Haruka asked nervously.
"I wouldn't say expelled, but they might suspend Ken. It would also cut his chances to play as a regular."
"T-That would be bad! Ken-kun really wanted that spot, and if I remember correctly, our class points might be affected by a student's suspension or expulsion, right?" said Airi.
When I nodded in response, Akito tapped my shoulder.
"Wait a minute, Kiyotaka. As much as how amazing your deduction sounds, aren't you just being a bit paranoid? I don't know about Komiya and Kondou, but Ishizaki's an idiot. I doubt they could come up with such a convoluted and well-prepared plan just to mess with Ken," he said.
"That's what's even more dangerous."
"What do you mean...?" Akito narrowed his eyes.
"I told you before, right? Class D is attacking us, not just those three... In other words, they're under someone's orders, and that someone leads the whole class."
At that moment, Akito gave us a vexed sigh.
"Ryuuen, huh?" he said.
"Ryuuen?" asked Haruka.
The two girls became confused upon hearing an unfamiliar name.
"So you know him, too?" I asked.
"Well, his middle school was right next to mine. He's the leader there. Like Ishizaki, that guy is trouble, as well— just a lot worse."
"E-Eh..." Haruka was creeped out by his words.
"I already had a bad premonition when I saw his face at the entrance ceremony..." Akito furrowed his brows. "So he chose to cause trouble in high school too, huh?"
"I get that you knew him from back then, Miyacchi, but how about you, Kiyopon? How'd you find out that this Ryuuen is the leader of Class D?"
"Kikyou told me about it. She said that one of her friends from Class D talked about Ryuuen ruling their class," I explained.
"Kikyou?" Haruka and Airi muttered at the same time.
"So the reason why they left, even if Ken was grilling them verbally, was because their boss told them not do anything reckless. Damn... I guess what you're saying makes sense now, Kiyotaka... But I still find it hard to believe."
"Don't worry, I'm the same. Frankly, we have no concrete evidence to back up this claim apart from a few clues here and there. And it wouldn't make too much sense for Class D to attack us when Class C is the more obvious target," I said.
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking." As Akito nodded in agreement, I grabbed my phone from my pocket.
"That's why I'll try to confirm if we're really the only class that's getting targeted," I said.
"Eh?"
When I found her number, I immediately pressed the call button. The other end picked up quickly. I put the call on speaker.
"Hello, Ayanokouji-kun?"
"Ah, Ichinose, sorry for the sudden call."
The three watched in silence, with surprise and confusion all over their faces.
"Oh, it's fine. I'm just hanging out with a bunch of my female classmates in Mako-chan's room."
Since I couldn't hear anyone, she must've excused herself to receive the call.
"I see, then I'll make this quick. Did anybody from Class D cause trouble for you guys?"
"Eh-? Where did that come from?"
"Well, I noticed that you guys suffered quite a bit in June, so I thought something might've happened. And now, I just found out that some Class D boys almost tried to fight with my friend," I explained. "I was curious about whether they're causing trouble for you, too."
"A fight? It seems like you guys have to deal with your own problems too, huh? You're right though. We lost 77 class points last month, after all," she sighed. "I won't go into the specifics, but what they did almost split the class. Thankfully, a lot of my classmates worked together with me to bring everyone back together. To be honest, I think I should be thankful for that 'trouble'. Our class has become more united than it has ever been!"
"I see, thanks for telling me. If there's any trouble I can help you with, feel free to give me or Kikyou a call. Goodbye, Ichinose."
"Okay~! I'll be counting on you, Ayanokouji-kun. Bye!" I proceeded to press the end-call button.
That confirms our suspicions then.
"It seems like we weren't the only class that was targeted."
"T-That was Ichinose Honami-san from Class C, right?" asked Airi.
I wonder how Class D moved against Class A, or if they even did something with Class A at all? It's too bad that I don't have any deep connections with anyone there.
"You know her, Airi?"
"Everyone in our year knows her, Kiyopon! She's, like, the most popular first-year girl!"
"I'd argue that Kushida-san from our class is the same, but Ichinose has a different type of charisma," added Akito.
Oh... So that's their impression of Ichinose, huh?
"You're close with her, Kiyotaka-kun?" asked Airi.
"I wouldn't say 'close', but I guess you can call us friends. Some coincidences led to it," I replied.
"Wait, wait. Ichinose-san aside, you sound like you've anticipated this from the start, Kiyotaka." Akito was more interested in the contents of our call.
"Eh? You mean how Kiyopon mentioned their class points in June, right?"
"Yeah, I did," I answered. "When I saw their class points drop like that in June, I figured that Class D must've begun to move. I wasn't sure until now, though. It seems like we're on Class D's radar too. Of course, that's only if my theories about Ken's conflict were all true."
When everything came to light, Haruka and Akito just shook their head in submission.
"You never fail to amaze me, Kiyotaka..." Akito said.
"Kiyopon's smarts are on a different level..."
"Thanks for the compliment, but wasn't Airi the real MVP here?" I said.
"E-Eh?" Airi slightly flinched in surprise.
"Oh, that's right. If it weren't for Airi, Ken might've been in big trouble right now." Akito smiled at her.
Haruka snuggled close to her before asking the most vital question in this situation.
"But Kiyopon, wouldn't they just change targets then?"
"You're right... That's exactly what worries me..."
"Yeah... Kiyotaka's amazing, but in the end, he's still just one person. Ken almost got in trouble under our watch," Akito said before looking at me. "Of course, I'm not saying that it's your responsibility if Ken got in trouble."
No, it should be my responsibility. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that I let my guard down.
Setting the negatives aside, however... Really, who would've thought? I intended to make Ken and Airi interact because their flaws complement each other... A wild boy and a timid girl— I got curious about how their natures would blend.
But, if they hadn't become friends, our situation right now would've been completely different.
"Well, there's no point in staying around in this place anymore. We got what we need," I said.
And with that, our group left the building.
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Finally, I was in my room. I felt my phone vibrate from the inside of my pocket.
(16:12) [Kiyopon, are you free right now?]
It was Haruka. I had one last plan with Horikita, but that's a bit later, around eight in the evening. Since it wasn't even six, I guess I can say I'm free.
(16:12) [Yeah.]
(16:12) [What's up?]
(16:12) [Can I come to your room?]
(16:12) [Sure, but why?]
(16:12) [Ah...]
(16:13) [I just wanted to hang out, I guess! ᕙ(＠°▽°＠)ᕗ]
(16:13) [I see.]
(16:13) [I'll be waiting then.]
After a good ten minutes or so, I heard a knock on my door.
"Yo! Kiyopon!"
Her energy wasn't drained in the least.
She was wearing new clothes, something that was more casual than what she wore earlier. A white t-shirt under her red jersey jacket with a light-green silk skirt... It suddenly dawned on me that Haruka was the type of girl who looked very attractive no matter the type of clothes she wore.
"I have a few chips stocked in here. Wanna watch a movie or something?" I asked.
"W-Woah! You're quite the hospitable host when there's only one guest, huh? That's surprising..."
"What? I thought you wanted to hang out?" Of course, her comment left me confused.
"Ah— Hahaha... Well, the thing that was on my mind was just talking and stuff," she said.
"Oh... I see. That's alright. What did you want to talk about?"
As I was saying that, Haruka made herself comfortable and lay on my bed. Don't roll around like that when you're wearing a skirt.
"Wanna lay down beside me~?" she asked, patting the unoccupied area of the bed.
"Stop teasing me, it won't work," I shrugged, before sitting down on a chair.
"Ehhh? Well, I guess that's something Kiyopon would say~."
"So? Why'd decide to drop by?"
"Hmm... I think I just wanted to talk?" So she wasn't even sure...
I guess shaking my head was an appropriate reaction, so I did. With a curious expression, Haruka sat up and faced me in response.
"Kiyopon... You're not normal, are you?"