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The sports festival was a month away, and every class in every grade had already begun preparing for the event. Because of that, the teachers announced that students could use the weekly two-hour period freely to prepare.
Class D also began their preparations.
There were two things they needed to decide before the actual event: their arrangement for the all-participant competitions, and their players for the recommended-participant events. These two choices would play a major role in whether they won.
Hirata, who was the closest thing they had to a social leader, took the initiative to start the discussion.
Chabashira-sensei moved to the back of the classroom and stayed silent. She probably intended to observe.
For some reason, Kumagawa picked up his chair, brought it to the back, and placed it near Chabashira-sensei. After sitting down, he pulled out a Shounen Jump magazine, handling it with a strange sense of fondness and care.
Naturally, this action did not escape the attention of Class D. Several students stared at him with puzzled expressions.
"...What are you doing here, Kumagawa? Shouldn't you be discussing the strategy with everyone?"
『Mm.... 』he said, looking at Chabashira lazily.
It was not the kind of reaction a student should give their homeroom teacher. It felt like even if a stray dog wandered into the room, he would react the same way.
『Um... who was it again? 』
"Kumagawa....."
Chabashira's expression soured instantly.
It was rare for a student to forget the name of their homeroom teacher, so it was obvious that Kumagawa did it intentionally.
『Oh! Right, Chabashira Sae-chan sensei. 』
"..."
Was it truly intentional? Even so, Kumagawa showed no sign of correcting himself, and simply continued reading the Shounen Jump in his hands. Chabashira seemed to have given up and watched him with an unpleasant expression.
"Kumagawa, why don't you explain why you are sitting here beside me? You should answer my question if you don't want a penalty," Chabashira asked. Her threat sounded rather hollow. "Shouldn't you be discussing the strategy with everyone? Look, Hirata is already doing his best over there."
『Chabashira-sensei, you don't have to threaten me for me to understand. What is this, are you harassing me? Even though I don't hate it, it still puts me in a tight spot. After all, I am the vice president of the student council. If I were to do as you say, then I would be too ashamed to live. Why would you say something like that? 』
"..."
Chabashira's already unpleasant expression twisted even further.
Hirata, who had taken the initiative, could only offer an awkward smile.
"Ahaha... It's fine, Chabashira-sensei. As long as Kumagawa-kun is listening, it's fine." He then turned to the rest of the class. "Before we start practicing, we need to decide the order we'll participate in, and who will enter the recommended-participant events. I've been thinking about this for a while."
Hirata took a piece of chalk and began writing on the blackboard as he spoke. He seemed to be good at this sort of thing. He wrote two headings on the board: 'Raising Hands' and 'Ability', then explained what they meant while adding brief notes beneath each.
"This is a rough outline, but I think everything boils down to these two approaches. The 'raising-hands' system lets people nominate themselves to participate in competitions. The 'ability' system identifies everyone's individual strengths and assigns them to maximize efficiency."
Hirata continued, "Both approaches have their pros and cons. With the raising-hands system, everyone can voice their wishes. But if people's choices conflict, not everyone will get what they want. That's the downside."
Hirata concluded his explanation. Even the least attentive student could understand the pros and cons written on the board. The class seemed ready to follow Hirata, since no one else had offered a different proposal.
"We should obviously decide based on ability, right? I mean, the only one who knows a person best is himself," said Sudou.
It sounded like he had no intention of choosing anything else.
"If I win, then it's more likely our class wins. That puts us ahead."
"Well, it makes me kind of mad, but I guess you're right," a girl muttered in agreement.
The boys also murmured in agreement with Sudou.
"If everyone agrees, then the recommended participant in each category will be—"
"Wait." Horikita cut in just before Hirata could finalize the decision. "I have a supplementary proposal."
The other students turned to look at her.
At this point in the school year, even though Horikita was hard to approach due to her cold personality, she was considered one of Class D's leaders alongside Hirata.
"If we have to choose between these two approaches, then I agree we should go with the ability system. However, that alone does not guarantee victory," Horikita explained.
"Sure, that's true," said Hirata.
"I agree that the most athletic students should enter the recommended-participant events. But even in the all-participant competitions, we should group together the people who have the highest chance of winning. That way, we maximize our performance. Put simply, the strongest and fastest students should compete together whenever possible," Horikita said.
She was suggesting that if both Hirata and Sudou were fast, they should be paired in the same event. It was a winning strategy, but it would be ruthless to cut out all the weaker students.
"Hold on a minute. Won't that leave slower people high and dry?" Shinohara was the first to object. "I don't agree with it. If you don't excel at sports, then you're doomed. Privileges only go down to third place. I don't want to throw away my chance."
To aim for the top, strong students would face weaker ones. But the reverse would also be true, leaving the weaker students at a major disadvantage.
"I understand your desire. However, your logic confuses me. If you simply studied before an exam, you wouldn't need to rely on those privileges," Horikita said. "Besides, you probably wouldn't win anything anyway. With your poor athletic ability, you won't place in the top three."
Neither showed any sign of backing down. They continued arguing, with Horikita wielding logic like a weapon as she pressed forward.
"Hey, excuse me? I object to this too. You're okay with sentencing the unathletic students to lose, like Shinohara said? You think we can all come together in a situation like this?" Karuizawa spoke up, stepping in on Shinohara's side. She shot a glare at Horikita.
"I've said as much. Do you understand my logic?"
"No. I don't get it at all. Hey, what do you think, Kushida-san?" asked Karuizawa.
Kushida, who had remained quiet until now, looked slightly surprised. After a moment of thought, she spoke. "It's tough. I've been thinking about how both sides feel. Like Horikita-san, I want us to succeed as a class. But, just like Shinohara-san said, everyone should have a chance to win. If there were a middle-ground solution, that would be ideal. A strategy everyone could agree on, no matter their situation."
"Of course. I have a compromise that should be agreeable to both sides," Horikita replied. "Students who place at the top, and don't need the score privileges, will use their private points to support the students who place at the bottom. The entire class will share the gains and losses from the festival. I trust there will be no complaints?"
"But that's just about points. We're still losing out on chances to win the big prize. What does everyone think about that?" Karuizawa shot back. She looked toward the group of girls behind her.
"If Karuizawa-san objects, then so do I, I guess." One after another, the girls followed her lead.
The atmosphere grew tense. For students who desperately needed points and the privileges attached, the temptation was too strong.
The chaotic classroom became something to watch for Chabashira and Kumagawa, who were not involved in the discussion.
"It's chaotic," said Chabashira, glancing at the boy sitting beside her.
Kumagawa seemed completely uninterested, flipping through his Shounen Jump without looking up. Chabashira thought it would be nice if he would participate just a little, but in the end, it was up to the students themselves.
"What do you think?" She asked.
『Hmm? It doesn't matter to me how they decide who enters which event. They can choose based on friendships, or they can drag someone completely unrelated into it, as long as everyone manages to agree on the terms. 』 said Kumagawa.
His eyes still did not leave the magazine.
"Terms?"
『The class keeps talking about what's best for the group, but individuals don't think that way. Especially the weaker ones. For students with poor athletic ability, the penalty for participating is heavier than the reward for contributing to the class. Of course the incentive to refuse is stronger. 』
He flipped a page, not paying attention to Class D's discussion that was happening in front of him. Looking at his current posture, people might mistake Kumagawa as a rather pretentious person.
『After all, going for the top means the strong students get weaker opponents, but it also means the weaker students end up facing someone completely out of their league. Why would they ever nod and agree to that kind of unfair treatment? 』
Then he continued.
『But even if they don't agree, it's not really a problem. In the end, everything can be erased as if it never happened with one simple step. 』
"And what would that be?"
『A vote. 』
Immediately, amidst the argument between Horikita and Karuizawa, who was backed by her friends, Hirata stepped in, trying to smooth things over between them.
"Both of you, calm down. If we can't come to an agreement, then we'll have to settle it with a majority vote."
It felt like an inevitable conclusion.
"A vote will make the decision much clearer and fairer for everyone," Hirata added, trying to ease the tension.
"If Yousuke-kun says so, then I agree," said Karuizawa.
"Fine. This isn't the time to fight among ourselves. At any rate, I've offered my opinion. I hope you'll all make the right decision," said Horikita.
Horikita then sat down in frustration and glared at Ayanokouji.
"Ayanokouji-kun, can't you tell Karuizawa-san to shut up?" she huffed.
"Uh, no. There's no way I could do that," he said.
"You've been talking to her lately, right? Isn't that why she's getting carried away?"
"No. Karuizawa's always been like that," he replied.
"That's certainly true," Horikita muttered. She couldn't hide her irritation toward Karuizawa, whose opinion lacked logic, or toward the girls who followed her without thinking.
"Now then," said Hirata. "We have Horikita's proposal, which focuses on ability, and Karuizawa-san's, which prioritizes the individual. How about we decide which plan we prefer by a show of hands? If anyone finds choosing a side difficult, they can abstain."
Horikita wanted to prioritize the athletes to secure victory, while Karuizawa wanted everyone to feel valued. The class's future would depend on whether people relied on reason or emotion. Class interest or individual interest.
"All right. All those in favor of Horikita-san's plan?"
"Yeah. I agree with Horikita's plan, of course," said Sudou. "It's about winning. When winners win, we all win. That's a good thing, right?"
Sudou raised his hand. Those who had absolutely no confidence in their athletic ability, like Yukimura and Inogashira, followed his lead. But the more capable students, along with Karuizawa's group, did not raise their hands.
"Sixteen votes, then. Thank you. You can put your hands down."
Whether that number was big or small would depend on how many people chose not to vote.
"Wait a minute, Ayanokouji-kun. Don't tell me you agree with Karuizawa-san's plan?" said Horikita, noticing that Ayanokouji beside her hadn't raised his hand.
"Relax. It's my policy to abstain from voting."
"In that case, you could just have voted for my plan," she growled.
"Your plan isn't necessarily right, is it?"
"I can't understand you. Giving the class the best possible chance of winning will result in earning a lot of private points. Even if we only win here and there, the points are significant. If you say that's wrong, can you give me a clear reason why?"
"I didn't say you were wrong. I'm just saying it's not the only answer," Ayanokouji replied.
The students used as sacrificial pieces, sent out to be crushed by strong opponents, would finish the sports festival without earning anything. Horikita was aware of that much. From the class perspective, her reasoning was correct, but Ayanokouji decided to point out the core issue.
"The other students aren't all as ambitious as you. Not everyone is willing to be sacrificed," he told her.
".... Tsk."
"All right. Next, we have Karuizawa-san's plan. Anyone in favor of this plan, to win when we need to and have fun when we want to, please raise your hand," said Hirata, drawing everyone's attention again.
Along with Karuizawa's group, other students began to vote. Most of the girls and several boys raised their hands.
"And the results of the majority vote are... sixteen votes for Horikita-san's plan, and thirteen votes for Karuizawa-san's. It's safe to say that everyone else abstained from voting?"
The totals were accepted without objection. Karuizawa hadn't won her votes through a convincing explanation. She relied on her influence and the support of her group. Apparently, most students believed Horikita's plan was more realistic and efficient. Class D's strategy would be to compete as a class, not as individuals.
In the end, the majority won against the minority.
『See, Chabashira-sensei? The majority always wins. Even if one or two people hate the decision, even if it is for the greater good, even if you have zero percent approval in a student council election, as long as the majority decides it, those messy arguments, personal feelings, and personal intentions will vanish as if they never existed. They are reduced to nothing. 』
Kumagawa's voice caught her attention as she watched the class resolve the conflict. She turned her gaze to the boy beside her.
He was grinning, or perhaps smiling.
But it was difficult to say whether he was truly smiling or not.
The boy smiled as he looked directly into her eyes.
『Isn't that convenient? 』
She still had no idea how she was supposed to deal with this particular student of hers.
Just then, another voice drew her attention. This time it was Sudou, who was glaring fiercely at a certain student. Ever since the sports festival had been announced, his temper had been constantly unstable.
"Hey, Kouenji. Aren't you gonna cooperate? You didn't even raise your hand earlier," said Sudou, firing daggers at him for staying silent. Sudou likely understood that Kouenji had potential equal to, if not greater than, his own. If Kouenji were serious, he could easily take first place in the individual competitions.
"I have no interest in this. You people may do what you like."
"Stop screwing around, you idiot."
"I assure you, I am not 'screwing around.' Whatever authority you think you have, I have no reason to let you force me into anything. Besides, I am not the only one uninterested in this event. I bet he cares even less than I do," replied Kouenji.
Although Kouenji showed no interest in either the discussion or the sports festival itself, there was someone in the room who cared even less about the entire ordeal.
While Kouenji did not specifically mention the name, the entire class, even the slow ones , knew exactly who the "he" Kouenji was referring to, and they all turned toward that person at the same time.
"Kumagawa..." Sudou growled.
『What is it, Sudou-kun? 』
Sudou slammed his fist onto his desk, standing up with the posture of someone who had already lost his patience.
"Quit acting like this has nothing to do with you! Are you seriously messing with us?!"
『Ahaha. Perhaps. 』
Although Kumagawa nodded along, it hardly seemed sincere. Or rather, he didn't seem sincere at all. In fact, it was doubtful whether he even acknowledged the accusation.
"Do you think that's funny?! Keep messing around and I swear you'll regret it later!"
『... 』
For the first time since the meeting began, Kumagawa slowly raised his head from the Shounen Jump manga in his hands and met Sudou's glare head-on.
『Regret it? 』
This was probably his first sign of direct participation or rather, acknowledgement—since the discussion started. Up until now, he had acted as if the whole discussion about the Sports Festival in front of him didn't even exist, focusing solely on the magazine in his hands.
Ayanokouji, noticing the change in the atmosphere surrounding Kumagawa, felt a wave of curiosity and apprehension rise within him.
『I wonder. 』
He said.
『I wonder what I would regret for not participating in the event. What would you do? Tell me, Sudou-kun. What would you do to me? What would make me regret it? 』
"..."
The change in atmosphere was palpable. Kumagawa's entire aura twisted into something more repulsive and unsettling. It was so uncomfortable that Sudou felt cold sweat run down his back, and he instinctively stepped away.
And it wasn't just Sudou. Everyone in the class, even Kouenji, now had their full attention fixed on Kumagawa. Chabashira, who had been sitting beside him until now, looked extremely uncomfortable.
Most of the students in Class D knew what kind of person Kumagawa was, but they did not know who Kumagawa was.
They hadn't been aware.
Despite sharing the same classroom, they knew nothing about him.
Not an inkling.
They—had known nothing.
Whether it was Ayanokouji.
Horikita.
Kouenji.
Chabashira.
Or even Kushida.
Kushida especially. For the first time, she saw a new side of the boy she had always labeled as troublesome, a burden, a pain in the ass, and perhaps even a friend. This was probably the first time in her life she could proudly say that someone was truly repulsive.
But for some reason...
She also felt a strange sense of validation.
She didn't know where this feeling came from. As absurd as it was, seeing Kumagawa filled her with a storm of contradicting emotions.
Because of that, this sudden shift in Kumagawa came as a shock, not only to Kushida but to the entire Class D. Since they knew nothing about the boy, none of them had expected this situation.
『Why don't you tell me Sudou-kun? 』
His tone was like that of a nightmare.
『』『』『』『』『』
After class finished for the day, Ayanokouji remained in the classroom alone.
After the whole debacle involving Kumagawa, Hirata had decided to end the discussion early, telling everyone to organize their thoughts for the next discussion.
Outside the window, he could hear students engaged in their club activities. With the sports festival drawing near, everyone was in high spirits. No one slacked in their daily training.
Ayanokouji pulled out his phone, plugged in his earphones, and opened the file he had received earlier.
"I see..."
What he had just received was information related to the sports festival. After listening it, he basically had a good grasp of the situation. He had initially thought he would need to set a few traps, but it seemed that wouldn't be necessary.
He checked the time and decided he still had some free time. Before heading back to the dorm, he planned to contact a certain person. As he stood up, he exchanged looks with someone sitting at the very back of the room.
Though technically he wasn't alone right now, Ayanokouji liked to think that he was. Acknowledging the presence in the back of the classroom after the incident earlier felt distasteful even to him.
Nothing particularly dramatic had happened, but the atmosphere itself had been unpleasant.
And now that they had exchanged glances, Ayanokouji had no choice but to acknowledge his presence.
"Are you not going back, Student Council Vice President, Kumagawa?"
Kumagawa Misogi.
Ayanokouji could still vividly remember their first meeting on the bus that day.
Most of the time, your impression of someone is decided within the first few seconds of meeting them. Their face, their voice, the way they stand, the way they move, even something meaningless like the color of their shirt.
Human minds work in a strange way.
There is a psychological phenomenon known as thin-slice judgment.
It's when, within a few seconds of meeting someone, your mind forms an impression before you even realize it. Your brain is not trying to read their entire life story, but for some reason, it cannot help but decide something about them.
Even though you barely exchange a word, you feel like you understand them.
Even though the encounter is brief, you sense what kind of person they might be.
Even though it lasts only a moment, you already have a picture in your head. That is thin-slice judgment.
It was hard to understand, but for Ayanokouji, his first impression of Kumagawa was that he could not form a first impression at all.
Truthfully, it was perplexing. At the height of perplexity.
At that time, he looked at the boy in front of him with no idea what emotions he should be feeling. He could not begin to guess, and that was something he had never experienced once in his seventeen years of life.
For someone who had always longed for something new, meeting Kumagawa was a new experience. But he did not like that feeling, even though it was new. So the only label that came to mind was:
Enigma.
For lack of a better word, that was the first thing he thought.
But even then, it was still not enough to explain him.
『No need to be so formal, Ayanokouji-kun, 』he laughed lightly.
『Though I may be the Student Council Vice President, it is really the President who handles all the practical affairs, and the one who holds the real power. Normally, I am not someone who deserves your respect in the slightest. 』
Even remembering it now, he had a rather mysterious way of speaking.
『Well, you certainly are not that kind of person, but this time I will let it slide since it is part of my student council duties. 』
"Part of your student council duties?" Ayanokouji tilted his head.
He wanted to say that such duties did not exist in the student council, but decided against it. No matter what answer he gave, it would only feed into Kumagawa's impertinent nature.
『You can see it that way, but... what are you still doing here? I find it hard to believe that Ayanokouji Kiyotaka is someone who would break the school rules as he pleases. 』
"What rules?"
『It is already closing time for the school, isn't it? So why are you still here? 』
Ayanokouji did not expect him to care about something like school closing hours, but surprisingly, much like a Student Council Vice President, Kumagawa seemed to follow the rules properly in that regard.
『Well, since circumstances are what they are, it looks like I will have to expel you if you do not leave within my sight in the next twenty seconds. 』
"..."
The conversation had change from school rules to expulsion in a matter of seconds.
Ayanokouji did not understand how the topic had taken such a turn, but since expulsion was involved, even if it was meant as a joke, it was something he could not simply tolerate.
If it had been someone else, maybe he could treat it as a joke. Maybe he could ignore it entirely. But not with Kumagawa. He could not take that risk.
It was impossible to tell whether he was joking or serious.
"...Are you serious?" asked Ayanokouji, his voice a little cold and slightly grating.
Kumagawa just shrugged in response.
While he knew perfectly well that Kumagawa had no grounds to expel him, it was still unpleasant to hear those words from him. Unpleasant, and at the same time, worrying.
It had been a long time since he felt something like this. Considering his situation, it should have been good news to feel anything at all, but right now, everything about this was simply unpleasant.
After thinking for a moment, Ayanokouji decided to test the waters. He was fairly confident that staying in the school after closing hours wouldn't warrant an expulsion. If anything, that would be an obvious abuse of authority.
1... 2... 3...
Ayanokouji found himself staring directly into Kumagawa's eyes.
8... 9... 10...
Neither of them looked away.
17... 18... 19...
Suddenly, Kumagawa turned and walked toward the door, breaking eye contact only at the very last moment.
『Ahaha, how naive, Ayanokouji-kun. But that kind of naivety... I don't hate it.』
He said it rather impertinently.
『Don't worry. Even though I'm the Student Council Vice President, I don't have that kind of power. You could even say I'm completely powerless! 』
He continued walking straight ahead and slid the door open without looking back.
『Then, see you tomorrow. 』
Pak!
The door closed.
"..."
For some reason, Ayanokouji experienced what people usually refer to as vertigo—though it was probably just his imagination.
It was completely unpredictable when Kumagawa would follow the rules and when he would break them, or when he would keep his word and when he would throw it away. Because his actions were impossible to read, taking him on as an opponent directly would likely become even more troublesome.
While Kumagawa was probably returning to the dorm, Ayanokouji remained in the classroom for a moment, trying to settle his thoughts.
The room was quiet. Since it was already closing time, even the sounds of students outside the window were gradually fading. Ayanokouji let out a small breath and closed his eyes for a few seconds, organizing everything in his mind.
Once he was done, he left the classroom immedietly.
He walked toward the designated place. He had called someone earlier, and there was a high chance that person had already been waiting for quite some time.
『』『』『』『』『』
After walking for a while, Kumagawa arrived at the dorm building.
The sports festival was approaching. Although there was still a month left, the school already had a festive atmosphere in preparation for it.
A month's time. Naturally, many students would continue training during this important period, especially the more athletic ones, since they were essentially the backbone of the class at times like this.
『Kushida-chan? What are you doing there? 』
Right in front of the dorm entrance, he saw Kushida sitting on a bench, playing with her phone. At the sound of his voice, she looked up, her usual warm 'fake smile' appearing instantly.
To anyone else, it would have looked genuine. But Kushida knew better. She had become much more skilled at masking her true emotions. She knew exactly why.
『Ahaha, what a cute hollow smile you just made. It could make any boy fall head over heels for you. 』
"..."
Kushida's expression did not change in the slightest.
Moments like this were the reason her façade had grown so strong. Maintaining her act around Kumagawa used to take far more effort, but lately, it took much less.
That did not mean she wasn't frustrated.
『Hm? You suddenly turned quiet. What's the matter, Fake-chan? I mean, Kushida-chan? 』
"..."
This guy was seriously fucking annoying.
Ignoring his words, Kushida spoke calmly, "Kumagawa-kun, do you have time? I was waiting here for a little while, and I was hoping to talk to you."
『Of course I have time! Even if you didn't wait for me, I would have waited for you. But thank you for waiting. If you hadn't, I would have had to wait for you instead. 』
"...I-is that so?"
『Mm. 』
A faint chill ran down Kushida's spine.
It was as if he had already known she would be here.
"A-anyway, if you're free," she continued, trying to maintain her composure, "let's walk and talk somewhere quieter. I don't want anyone overhearing."
『Okay, then let's go to your room.』
Without hesitation, Kumagawa turned and casually started walking toward the entrance of the dormitory.
"..."
He took three steps before noticing she hadn't moved.
『Hmm? What's wrong, Kushida-chan?』
Of course she didn't follow him.
There was no way she could, not after he said something so casually disturbing.
"I might have misheard you, but I'm pretty sure I heard something extremely disturbing just now. And honestly, it sounded way too surreal.... My room? Are you implying something?" Kushida took a cautious step back,.
『Nah, not really. You don't need to read into every little thing I say, Kushida-chan. Even in this prestigious academy, I've never visited your room, not even once. I want to at least visit it once. 』
"Visit..."
He was talking like this was just some sort of trip.
"Kumagawa-kun, I'll say this with all the politeness I can muster: there is no scenario, now or ever, where that would be remotely acceptable." Still smiling sweetly, she added, "So please don't make such jokes. It's embarrassing."
Kushida bluntly rejected his suggestion.
After all, a girl's room was her sanctuary, and letting Kumagawa inside would definitely taint that sanctuary.
『...Ok fine, Kushida-chan, I've lost to you. 』
In the end, instead of Kushida's room, the two of them went to Kumagawa's room.
They walked through the quiet hallway, eventually stopping in front of room 421. Kumagawa opened the door and stepped inside first, with Kushida following shortly after. Her expression had been tense the entire way, though to any outsider she still appeared just like the usual Kushida.
Only after the door closed behind them did her expression finally change, and she reverted to her true personality.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!"
『Eh? Why did you suddenly start saying something awful to me? 』
"Can you at least hold back from making remarks that questionable? It's not easy for me to keep my composure all the time, you know."
『Let's set aside your complaint first. 』
"Don't just set it aside."
Ignoring her entirely, Kumagawa continued speaking at his own pace.
『What do you want to talk to me about? Just so you know, if it's some sort of request from you, I'm the type of person who is very easy to move around according to someone else's will. Especially if it's a girl asking. 』
"What's that...? It's disgusting," Kushida muttered, her true thoughts slipping out. She made no effort to take them back.
『So, what do you want from me, Kushida-chan? 』 asked Kumagawa.
He walked over to the bed and sat down, casually picking up the Shounen Jump magazine lying there and flipping it open.
Kushida, meanwhile, went to the small refrigerator, opened it, and took out two cold drinks. After handing one to him, she sat down on a floor cushion across from the bed.
"It's about the sports festival. The others—"
『Don't wanna. 』 He cut her off before she could even finish her sentence.
"I thought you would say that," Kushida replied with a sigh, "but didn't you just say you're the type that moves to others' will? So aren't you supposed to move according to mine?"
『Of course a loser like me can never follow my own will. I've never been able to move properly and I always end up doing the opposite of what I want. But it's pointless to force people to do their best if they don't want to. 』
"You're contradicting yourself."
The more she looked at the boy sitting in front of her, the more incomprehensible he became.
『Besides, it's not as if this is your request, right? 』
"....How do you know?"
『Well, the Kushida I know isn't someone who follows other people's wills. Especially if it interferes with her interests. She's the type who would do her best to screw things up if she could. How despicable, ahaha. 』
"How annoying." Kushida scratched her head.
"Anyway, do you even know what I'm asking? You rejected it so confidently before I even finished. Did you already guess what the request was?"
『It's something about taking the sports Festival seriously, right? I guess Hirata asked you to tell me to put in some effort. At least a little effort. 』
"Hirata...?"
『That's right. Aside from him, the only one who would make such a request for the sake of the class is Horikita. And considering your relationship with her, you would rather let me squeeze your boobs than be moved by her will, right?』
"....I think you should use a better analogy next time."
Kushida would have been genuinely impressed by his deduction if not for the questionable last part. At least it was better than him actually trying to squeeze her boobs.
But in any case, Kumagawa's guess was spot on.
Before class ended today, Hirata had asked her to somehow convince Kumagawa to put in at least a little effort during the Sports Festival.
Because of what happened earlier, Hirata didn't dare approach Kumagawa directly. He looked awkward, but it was clear he was simply avoiding him. Considering the situation, it was understandable. Anyone would want to avoid Kumagawa right now.
Even Sudou, after the whole incident, had gone silent. He avoided eye contact and sat still, as if trying not to be conscious of Kumagawa's presence.
Of course, after cornering Sudou with his awful personality, Kumagawa immediately sat back down in the back beside Chabashira-sensei as if nothing had happened.
Kushida, who watched the entire scene unfold at that time, glanced around the classroom. Everyone had the same uneasy expression when looking at Kumagawa.
His aura, for lack of a better word, was disgusting.
It was the kind of presence that made your skin crawl.
And because of that, Kushida now harbored a certain doubt toward Kumagawa.
Of course, it wasn't the usual kind of doubt someone would feel toward another person. Since Kumagawa's entire existence was dubious, it was only natural for everyone to feel uneasy around him.
Instead, Kushida was worried about what Kumagawa would do during the Sports Festival.
While she had her own plan prepared, she couldn't be sure if Kumagawa would destroy everything just for entertainment. Considering his nature, it was perfectly reasonable to assume he might do something like that.
His actions were so unpredictable that they were truly dubious.
"Are you really, really, really not planning to do anything at all?"
『Ahaha, Kushida-chan, are you really that worried that I'll mess with whatever you're planning for the sports Festival? 』
"...."
Kushida's silence was taken as confirmation by Kumagawa.
『Hey, Kushida-chan. What do you think of the phrase, it's better to regret what you've done than what you haven't? 』 He asked with his usual hollow smile. It was hard to define his smile as anything but hollow, even if it was genuine.
"Huh? I don't understand the intention behind those words... but still. If it's a matter of acting without restraint, then rather than regretting it afterward, I believe it's better not to do it in the first place."
It was a normal opinion. Yet for some reason, that normal perspective felt strangely wrong coming from her.
『That's a good thing to say, Kushida-chan, but I couldn't care less about what you think or what you believe in. In fact, I care so little that I might be experiencing vertigo. 』
"Uh-huh..."
After hearing that, there was nothing more she could say.
However, even though she had nothing to reply with, that didn't mean the conversation ended there. Needless to say, Kumagawa was someone who loved to chatter endlessly.
『You see, 』
Rather than stopping, he continued speaking, as if generously offering the exact reason why he "couldn't care less" and why he "might be experiencing vertigo." A gesture so generous it was almost repulsive.
『In the case of "It's better to regret what you've done than what you haven't," humanity has never actually encountered such a situation. It's a scenario with an encounter rate of zero percent. A one-or-the-other choice that doesn't exist. That's why it's ultimately just a thought experiment—the questioner is simply asking whether the respondent has the motivation or not.』
"I see..."
It was a very clear assertion.
In that sense, when she said something along the lines of "If you're going to regret losing, then don't participate," those words could actually be interpreted as the words of a coward.
"In that case, Kumagawa-kun, is there a one-or-the-other choice that does exist?"
『Well, as a thought experiment, it might be a bit harsh to point this out, but it's extremely realistic, you can apply it directly to your own life. Let's say you're deciding whether or not to perform a specific action, it doesn't matter what it is. Whether to do your homework, whether to go to your job as my personal assistant in the student council, whether to follow through with whatever you're planning for the Sports Festival—whatever works. 』
"Uh-huh..."
Even though his words reached her clearly, she couldn't grasp what he was trying to say.
Unable to predict the direction of his thoughts, Kushida simply listened. No, she didn't even attempt to predict it in the first place. It was easy to imagine that doing so would be completely pointless.
『Putting aside the case where you choose to do it, let's talk about when you choose not to. That's the point where "regretting not having done it" would supposedly apply. But, Kushida-chan—"not doing something" isn't the same as "doing nothing," right? If you don't do your homework, you'd probably play games or do something else. 』
Kumagawa grinned.
And then continued.
『That's right. In the end, "not doing something" is the same as "doing something different." So the situation of "regretting not having done it" is impossible, because people will always have done something else in its place. Which means that if you choose to do something, you'll end up regretting not having done another thing instead. 』
Even though the conversation itself wasn't uncomfortable, his tone was like that of a demon.
『For people like us, "Which one do I want to regret doing?" is a pointless question. Because at the very least, we don't normally think that way. If we regret which one we will regret, then all the bad things would be reduced to nothing. 』
He paused for a moment.
『So the real question isn't "Which one should I choose?" If I were to reword it, it would be this—"Which one do I want to regret doing?" 』
"Which one do I want to regret doing....?"
『Kushida-chan. As for you, which one do you want to regret doing? 』
"..."
Regret, choices, doing something instead of not doing it.
It was a simple yet strangely complex concept.
And with his wording, he effortlessly slipped between the gaps of meaning, flipping the perspective as if leveraging a fulcrum, playing with the ideas as if they were toys.
Still, she found herself thinking about his point without meaning to. People always choose something, even when they choose "nothing." There were things she avoided, things she forced herself to do, and things she wished she could regret not doing.
What kind of regret did she fear the most?
It did not take long before Kushida found her answer.
In fact, it was a simple conclusion—one that should not have even been an option to begin with.
Arriving at her answer, Kushida looked directly at Kumagawa.
"Then, Kumagawa-kun. Instead of regretting something I didn't do, would you please not interfere with what I'm planning during the festival? Regardless of the outcome?"
The answer was obvious.
She would rather regret not doing it than doing it.
『Didn't I tell you, Kushida-chan? I'm the type of person who is very easy to move around according to someone else's will. Especially if it's a girl asking.』
In other words, Kumagawa was the type of person who would willingly become a slave to someone else's desires.
『So don't worry, and do as you will. 』
Said Kumagawa Misogi. With something like a smile on his face.
『』『』『』『』『』
『END』