9:15 PM
I leave the main building, feeling the icy night breeze dissipate my body heat. It looks like snow will start falling soon. I head toward Ailiss's hideout.
Still confused about our conflict with Mikoto, I enter the old block and descend the stairs to the basement, which appears increasingly chaotic with each visit.
I can't comprehend how she tolerates this mess. I used to think I was the most disorganized person I knew, but even I can't feel comfortable in such a cluttered space.
Somehow, she's managed to make an already junk-filled place even messier. Several bookshelves have toppled over, making movement more difficult. Perhaps she did this intentionally.
Navigating through the debris, I reach the open area where we usually stay and come face-to-face with a familiar scene I'd hoped never to relive: the barrel of a gun pressed to my head.
"Ailiss, calm down! It's me!" I exclaim.
"You startled me, Mistkerl. What are you doing here at this hour? I thought you were one of the president's lackeys," she says.
Did I startle her? She's the one pointing a gun at my head. Let's reassess who's scaring who here.
"I came here because if I stayed in any dormitory, I'd probably never wake up again. My situation is delicate—I'm linked to you, and Mikoto's presence there makes things worse."
Speaking of which, I suddenly recall Shou, Manabu, and Miyu's situation. I haven't seen them since I asked Keiko for help. Since Mikoto knows they're cooperating with us, they can't stay in the main building. I'll assume Keiko has found a way to put them somewhere safe.
I glance at Ailiss and see she's still staring at me with an annoyed expression.
"I get that, but you didn't answer my question," she retorts.
I didn't answer? What else does she want to know?
"Why did you come here specifically?" she clarifies, seeing my confused expression.
"Huh? Obviously, because I had no other place to stay. I already told you I couldn't stay in the dormitories. That left the gymnasium or the courtyard, but with tonight's freezing temperatures, those options are out. This hideout is the only viable choice."
"I understand your reasoning, but I don't recall giving you permission to sleep here," she says in her typically serious tone.
Is she really going to make an issue out of this? To me, it seems like a more strategic decision—we could even take turns standing guard. The only explanation for her unreasonable reaction is...
"This basement is huge. I'll sleep on the opposite side of you. What's the problem? I never imagined you'd be embarrassed to share this space with me."
"Embarrassed? Shut up," she says, narrowing her eyes. "It's just a matter of privacy. I prefer to have my own exclusive space when I sleep," she sighs. "But thinking it over, I guess I have no choice. Since you're also being hunted, you can stay."
That's a faster change of opinion than usual.
"Thank you for your generosity. I don't even know how to repay you."
"Whatever. Just go to your corner and don't bother me. Otherwise, you'll be sleeping under the snow."
Don't worry, I'll be completely silent. I'm the most prominent advocate of respecting bedtime.
"By the way, since I'm here, could you explain how you deduced that Mikoto was the mastermind behind Takashi?"
"The cowardly vice president was indeed a suspicious figure. As we confirmed, he was the one directly murdering students over the past few days. But something didn't add up. He didn't strike me as someone who knew how to use black magic. So, I began suspecting he was just a common killer taking advantage of this environment or perhaps working for the real player."
Could that be some sort of sensory ability?
"Are you able to identify black magic users?"
"More or less. It's not a magical skill; it's just intuition, which I've developed over years of hunting other users. Adding that to his relationship with the 'stuck-up president' and our earlier argument, I was fifty-fifty between either of them being the player. Honestly, I'd been suspicious of her for a while, which is why I avoided trying to talk to her."
At this moment, I'm reminded of the events from the afternoon and feel my face flush. Fortunately, she's not looking at me while she explains.
If she was split between the two, did she stop me from shooting Takashi because there was a fifty percent chance I'd die? That's too comforting a thought to be true; there must be a more plausible explanation.
"At that moment, did you stop my attack because, despite your intuition, you didn't want to risk Takashi being a player?"
"Didn't I tell you to forget that happened?" she says, giving me a deadly glare.
I didn't even bring up the specific incident. Just tangentially mentioning it makes her angry. Apparently, she has no fondness for me whatsoever.
"We don't need to get into how you stopped me, just your motivation. It's important for me to understand this from a technical perspective."
In truth, it's not essential; I'm just being reckless by insisting on this topic. It probably won't take much longer for her to strangle me.
"Alright, fine. I hope this makes you stop bothering me. The truth is, I just stopped you. It wasn't a rational decision. I acted without thinking. My legs just moved, and before I knew it, I was preventing you from shouting. Now, enough questions."
And what a way she stopped me... Could this be why she wants to avoid my presence? It's a rather awkward situation. In her place, I'd probably want to avoid the subject too.
"By the way, it was in a rather peculiar and painful manner. It's strange to think that my first time was so violent."
"Shut up. What did you expect? That I'd be gentle? Don't be such a wimp," she snaps, glaring at me angrily. "Not that I knew how to do it gently, either."
A few seconds would have been enough to muffle my shout. But that last comment of hers intrigues me.
"Could it be that it was your... Sorry, we agreed this was my last question about the matter. Forget it, please," I say, giving up on finishing my sentence.
My curiosity almost gets me killed again. That kind of question would definitely earn me a knockout. What was I thinking, assuming she'd answer?
"It was my first time too. Satisfied?" she says with her usual somber expression. "Now, forget about this crap."
Alright, I get the message.
It's hard to believe what all these hints suggest. My low self-esteem and pessimism can only assume it's a false positive. But the same thing happened later when she gave up disarming Mikoto for my safety.
With our conversation over, we each lie down in a debris-free corner of the floor to prepare for sleep. We need to rest for tomorrow's battle.
However, a snowstorm makes the already cold environment even more unbearable, forcing her to make an unwelcome proposal.
"Mistkerl, there are no more blankets here. You can use the other end of this one. If you wake up sick, you'll be even more useless than you already are."
The temperature really dropped with the storm.
She tosses a long blanket onto the ground. It's only big enough for one person if they wrap themselves in it. I imagine it'd be helpful for a mission in Siberia or Antarctica.
"No problem. It's just a matter of thermodynamics," I say as I cover myself.
We lie facing away from each other for a while in silence as I struggle to fall asleep. However, her presence slightly unnerves me, making it hard to concentrate.
"Can't sleep?" she asks.
She's trying to start a conversation? Out of nowhere? Is she sick? Or worse, was she abducted and replaced with a clone? Damn, in tense situations like this, I start thinking like those three idiots.
"It's hard not to feel nervous knowing tomorrow is our last chance. Honestly, I don't know what to expect..."
"You have me as an ally. There's no reason to be scared. I'll kick all their asses tomorrow."
"That's what I hoped would happen this afternoon. Why didn't you disarm Mikoto, then? We practically had the game won."
"I don't know. I wasn't reasoning at that moment. Honestly, I don't want to talk about it."
I figured she wouldn't open up and explain what's going on, but I expected her to respond more harshly.
"Alright."
"Considering how well-equipped you are, I was wondering... Have you operated in environments like this in your line of work?"
"Sometimes I had to endure extreme cold or heat. But I had a strict instructor who cared about my health, so I was always well-equipped. I think he'd like you; he always tried to rationalize everything, even magic."
"From what little you've described, he seemed like a sensible guy."
"On the other hand, he was just as annoying as you. But he had his qualities. Unfortunately, he's dead."
She's straightforward about such events. Maybe it's because she's accustomed to it; death surrounds her daily life, so the topic doesn't require euphemisms.
I don't know how to continue the conversation, so we fall silent again. I close my eyes and wait for the sleep I've been longing for.
Damn, I usually fall asleep early. Tonight, because she's by my side, I can't. Her presence makes me nervous and pensive. Despite her abrasive personality, she's undeniably beautiful.
"Hey, Mistkerl. Are you awake?" she whispers, surprising me.
"Yes, I am. What is it?"
What now? This is the second time she's initiated a conversation.
"Could you answer a question honestly?"
"Of course, go ahead," I say, turning toward her.
"Tell me, was it really that bad?" she asks, looking me in the eyes.
What? Is she really bringing this up again? I thought she declared the topic off-limits.
"Ailiss, why are you revisiting this? I thought you didn't want to talk about it anymore."
"Have you forgotten our agreement? The rules I set only apply to you. It wouldn't make sense for me to limit my own actions."
How should I respond? If I mention any negatives, she'll probably get angry. If I lie, she'll likely notice and get even more furious.
Given that she asked, I think I should be honest with her.
"The truth is, I have no basis for comparison since that was my only experience. Judging it as an isolated event, you seemed rather harsh."
"I see, so it really was bad," she replies expressionlessly.
Don't jump to conclusions like that.
However, she doesn't seem upset or angry in any way.
"That's not what I said."
"Then answer this: Ignoring the game's consequences, if you could choose whether or not I'd done it, what would you prefer?"
Despite her expression showing nothing, this seems to bother her genuinely. She's so engaged in this conversation.
"Given how antisocial I am, I probably wouldn't have experienced it otherwise. In any case, I'm glad it was with someone I admire, like you."
Why am I being so open? I want to hide in embarrassment. My mind must not be functioning correctly. I want to disappear...
She stands up, then approaches and sits on my torso, pinning my wrists to the floor, immobilizing me completely.
"Hey, let me go! What are you doing?! Have you gone crazy?!" I try to resist but can't.
"You know, I want to try again," she says, leaning closer to my face.
"Wait—" I try to protest.
With her long, light hair cascading over my face, Ailiss violently presses her lips to mine again.
Again? She's doing this to me again? Why?
Well, it doesn't matter...
Moments like this shouldn't be questioned.
I watch her sharp red eyes slowly close, and I mimic her to savor the experience fully. Once again, I surrender, deciding to enjoy this moment I thought would never happen again. At first, it's not much different from this afternoon—the aggression remains the same.
Gradually, the contact of our tongues becomes increasingly pleasurable. It's clear that we are still inexperienced; we should be learning slowly. Yet it feels more like I'm relearning something hidden in my mind, something we've been doing for millennia.
What's the genuine connection between us? It's a question I may never answer.
Her intense, aggressive way of kissing never ceases. I'm grateful this seems to be a part of her that won't fade because I'm loving this aspect.
I'm entirely consumed by her scent. The harmony is such that it feels like we were born solely for this moment. The déjà vu I felt when we met wasn't a result of this game; it was the universe telling me I'd found my purpose after years of aimlessness.
She releases one of my hands. Unlike her, I use it to caress her face and beautiful hair gently. With my heart pounding and my back arching in pleasure, I pull her closer to kiss her even more intensely.
At this moment, I'm absolutely sure of how special she is to me.
Ailiss lets go of my other hand, and we abruptly end the kiss.
I'm so out of breath I can barely speak. I just gaze at her face framed by her flowing hair. Equally breathless, she collapses to the side, resting her head on my right shoulder.
"Don't ask me to forget this. Because I definitely won't," I say.
"Yeah... You're right. I don't think I can forget this time, either."
Exhausted and unsure of what else to say, we embrace to keep warm. Her body heat alone is enough to keep me completely comfortable.
Finally, we close our eyes and fall asleep with our bodies and faces pressed against each other.