Liar, Liar - Volume 1 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Sharing the Front Lines

“…Ughh.”

Shortly after securing a dominant victory in my early-morning Game, I followed my device’s directions to get to Eimei School. Upon arriving, I discovered something that made me wince. A group of people wearing non-Eimei uniforms was gathered before the gate. There were seven of them, all girls, and each was beautiful enough to stop other students in their tracks.

The red-haired girl in the middle with her arms crossed was all too familiar to me.

“…So you’re finally here.”

Rina Akabane, aka Sarasa Saionji—the Empress and ex–Seven Star who, around half a day before, had revealed an earth-shattering lie to me after a chance encounter and a handful of misunderstandings.

Saionji (I’ll just call her that going forward to keep it clear) raised a hand to keep her entourage at bay as she stomped her way over to me, obviously trying to make her steps as loud as possible. She stopped only a few paces away, a mocking sort of smile on her face.

“Good morning, Shinohara. Sleep well last night?”

“Mmm… About the same as always. Do you need something?”

“Oh, nothing. I’m certainly not asking for an apology after I agonized over losing to you to the point that I got no rest.”

She wasn’t even trying to hide her distaste for me. Yet while her attitude was as prickly as I remembered, her manner of speaking had returned to little-rich-heiress mode. Unlike the day before, she played it cool.

I still had no idea where this was going, but I decided to play along.

“Ha… Like I care. You lost only because you’re weaker than me. Do I need to apologize for that? ‘Sorry that I have more talent than you’?”

“You…little…! Think you’re a big shot now, huh? I’m gonna make you regret those words.”

“Oh, really? Well, it’s the right of weak people everywhere to whine about stuff they can never accomplish, so…”

“We’ll see about that, won’t we? I always keep my word. And I don’t need some one-hit wonder like you acting like my equal.”

“What a coincidence. I don’t want to be grouped in with you, either.”

“…Tsk!”

Wow. This (pretend) little lady had just clicked her tongue at me. She’d started this whole argument. Geez. By the way, from what I picked up from the surrounding whispers, most onlookers were simply curious about us. The obvious assumption was that Saionji and I were enemies. For now, no one eyed us with suspicion.

The crowd’s discussion grew louder while Saionji tossed her luxuriant hair back with a practiced hand.

“Hmph… Well, fine. I’m only here to remind you that I’m not going to bow down to you. That’s all.”

“That’s all, huh?”

I tried to sound disappointed. But then, just as I began to relax a little, Saionji, arms still crossed, moved her ruby eyes slightly. She glanced at my uniform, as though searching for something.

“You are such a slob.”

She stepped closer to me. Whispers coursed through the crowd. When Saionji spoke again, she did so loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Your tie is crooked… Would you please stop denigrating the brand value of a Seven Star, please? I plan to retake the title with all due haste.”

A light smile crossed her lips as she reached out to my chest and deftly straightened my tie. A light aroma tickled my nose. Given the way we’d met, we couldn’t help but clash with each other, but seeing her like this reminded me how cute she was…

“Hmm. Maybe I ought to strangle you with this right now…”

“Hey.”

I take it back. Nothing about her (except her face) was cute at all. Even if she sent my heart racing, I’m sure it was out of fear, not excitement. A cardiopulmonary alert.

After fixing my tie, Saionji stepped back. “Okay,” she stated jovially. “I’ll see you soon. I can’t wait to see if you break the record for shortest stint as a Seven Star.”

Saionji was determined to goad me to the very end. Having finally said her fill, she left for the Third Ward. Her entourage followed a step behind, making sure to sneer at me in unison.

I breathed out, acting all cool now that Saionji was gone. However, when I idly glanced down, my eyes caught something out of place.

There’s a paper in my breast pocket… Did she put it in there?

The double-folded note was a little dog-eared at the corners from her stuffing it in. It only took a second to understand. All that business about my tie had just been a front so she could get this to me. Saionji and I garnered a lot of attention in public, and without each other’s contact information, we had no private communication method.

Later, upon checking the note, I found that it contained a set of coordinates and a…well, I suppose you’d call it an order.

Come here after school and don’t let anyone tail you. Okay? And don’t you dare be late!

“Okay! Okay, everyone, listen up! I know you’re all excited about your new grade and classmates, but we have other important things to talk about, all right? Focus on me, please!”

A loud voice carried over the soft roar of the classroom. From outside in the hallway, I heard quiet settle in. Bringing my right hand to my chest, I took a series of deep breaths.

Right after that verbal jousting with Saionji, I’d hurried into the school to attend the start-of-year ceremony. This only lasted around half an hour, and since no other classes were scheduled for the day, my only additional responsibility was to attend homeroom. I appreciated that, of course…but the moment coming up was one I absolutely had to nail.

Phew… Get it together. There are thirty or so students in this classroom—the students I’ll probably become the most involved with in my school career. That means there are pitfalls all over the place that could reveal my lie to everyone…

Given that a school’s rank was influenced by the total number of stars its student body possessed, students from the same school rarely challenged each other to Games. However, my lie could be revealed anywhere, not only during a match. I had to remain vigilant.

“…Right! That’s a lot better. Thank you. I’m very glad to be the homeroom teacher for all you excellent students in Class 2-A. I want all of you to keep up the good work and— Oh, wait! I have big news for you! Today, I have a new transfer student to introduce!”

“…”

“Oh? You already knew that, huh? Well, yeaaaah, I knoooow that and all, but I’m your teacher, and it’s my job to formally introduce him, okay? So! If you’re ready, come on in!”

The bright voice reached me beyond the door. I reached out for the handle, sliding the door open without hesitation. I kept my eyes focused straight ahead as I approached the teacher’s desk. Then, with an air of authority, I turned toward my classmates.

Ugh… I saw this coming, but look at how curious they are…

My thirty classmates were looking right at me. But unlike the gazes from yesterday or this morning, nearly all of these appeared friendly. There was a hint of respect, or perhaps envy or excitement, connected with being classmates of the lone Seven Star on the island. They’d judged me incorrectly, of course, but I accepted their kindness graciously.

“…Good morning. I think you already know me, but I’m Shinohara, and I transferred here for this school year. I’ve only been here two days, and I’m not used to everything yet, so I hope I can count on you all.”

While reciting the words I’d prepared in advance, I turned my eyes downward—my substitute for a physical bow. It was bold of me, but I was sure a lot of people here had heard my war declaration of a speech yesterday. I kept the intensity much lower for this intro, and it seemed to be received pretty normally.

“Thank you, Shinohara,” the teacher, a young woman, said while smiling from her podium. Her chestnut hair, cut short into a bob, had a fluffy wave applied to it, giving her a college-student kind of image. She turned toward her students, waving her pointer finger around.

“That’s right. Our new transfer student is Hiroto Shinohara, just as you expected. Shinohara, if you run into any problems, don’t be afraid to rely on us, all right? And…and… Ah, right! And don’t let his presence distract you all, okay? I want this to be an inspiration for both him and us as we bring Class 2-A to even greater heights! ‘Team’ on three. One, two, three…”

“““Team!”””

The teacher thrust her right hand high at the call-and-response. Not all the students played along, but a fair amount of them did, and I don’t think it was merely because of the moment’s excitement.

This was the second-year Class 2-A. Eimei School organized its classes by star count, and this one had the most talented students in our grade. According to Himeji’s research, the average star count for this class was 2.97. Given that nearly 60 percent of all students on the island were One or Two Stars, a mean that high was astonishing.

Which means that…well, normally, they’d all outrank me.

However, some of my peers eyed me with clear respect. Others gave off a mix of curiosity and competitiveness.

“…”

I braced myself for the year ahead. I had to avoid the worst case at all costs. Letting the lie fall apart and exposing myself to ridicule wasn’t an option.

The Academy differed from elsewhere in many ways, but this opening homeroom session proceeded as it would anywhere in Japan. We reviewed some relevant topics, received our class schedules, and spent some time introducing ourselves to one another. Once all that was taken care of, things got a bit different, though.

There was discussion about showing me, the new transfer, around the school. That much was typical, yet for some reason, the other students elected to hold a tournament, a series of pseudo-Games, to decide who’d get the honor. The entire rest of the class participated, including our teacher. Honestly, the scene was kind of off-putting (although I played it super cool, saying, “Let’s see who’s worthy of me”). An hour later, the tournament finally concluded.

“…Okay! Let me introduce myself again. My name’s Fuuka Tatara! I’m the president of Class 2-A, so feel free to just call me ‘President’ if you— Oh! Ohhh!! Wait, we haven’t picked a president for this school year yet! Okay, um… Future president, then, okay? If all goes well!”

“Ahh, it’s not like our class changed all that much. Besides, Tatara, you’re about the only person who wants to take on such an annoying job… But whatever. I’m Tsuji—Yuuki Tsuji. If you could stick to my last name, I’d appreciate it. With my first name alone, people mistake me for a girl sometimes…”

“Sure, I’ll keep that in mind.”

I took pains to memorize all this as these two classmates walked ahead of me in the hallway. Himeji had reminded me that I could look up the stats of anyone ranked lower than I. I’d have to study up on the other students or they’d question why a Seven Star didn’t know the basics about them.

Fuuka Tatara seemed like a cheerful enough sort of girl. She was energetic, bright, friendly, and cute. Smiles suited her perfectly. She didn’t seem shy about being expressive, because her ponytail regularly leaped up whenever she had a big reaction. Then there was Yuuki Tsuji, a handsome, androgynous young man. As I’m sure he knew, his face was so beautiful that he could easily be mistaken for female without his male uniform. He was also a little shorter than Tatara. I bet he was a hit with the older girls.

“Boy, I sure am glad, though,” Tatara said suddenly, happily clasping her hands behind her back. “Being president and all, I looked forward to teaching you all kinds of stuff since this morning, but everyone in class tried to horn in on my territory. I was shocked.”

“I wouldn’t call it horning in, really. He’s the guy who defeated Sarasa Saionji on his first day here. People assumed the Empress would stay unbeaten until graduation. It makes sense everyone’s interested in him.”

“…? You think? Well, maybe… I—I didn’t do anything bad, did I?”

“Why are you getting all down about it now? It’s fine. You beat everyone. We’ve got a duty to live up to Shinohara’s expectations.”

“…Yeah, that’s true. Okay! In that case, Shinohara, if you have any questions, we’re ready to answer them all!”

Tatara looked supremely confident as she crossed her arms around her well-developed breasts. That led my eyes down to her chest, and I hurriedly pulled them back up before I nodded.

“Okay. Um… Is it all right to get a rundown of the core basics here?”

“The core basics? Hmm… I know! Shinohara, when the galaxy was first created, it was really, really small…but then, out of nowhere, it exploded in size! That’s what people call the big bang, and—”

“Stop. Stop, Tatara. If you start at the creation of space, we won’t get home for days. What exactly do you want to know, Shinohara? Things about the school overall? Beyond where stuff is?”

“Yeah, that’d be helpful,” I replied.

Tsuji looked up, as though to recall something. “Hmm… Well, let’s start at the beginning. Eimei Private School is in the Fourth Ward of the Academy. It covers all grades from elementary to university age, and its total student body numbers around twenty thousand. Almost nine thousand of those are in high school. People say Eimei’s a pretty elite institution, and it’s remained in the top five of the rankings for the past few years. Even setting aside personal bias, it’s a prestigious place.”

“Wow… So is there anything unique about this school?”

“Well, I think the biggest thing is the provost’s drive to make Games within the school a regular, recommended thing. They’re all simulated Games, of course, nothing you make a formal request for on your device. Here at Eimei, we use Games to decide even the little stuff. It lets us test our Abilities and brush up on Game rules… You know, kind of constantly training.”

“Right, right! Exactly! And when lunch rolls around, you should see the scene around the school cafeteria. You have to win a Game just to get in line. And if you want to score our world-famous yakisoba bread, you gotta win a multiplayer Game the lunch ladies themselves invented!”

“…Whoa.”

I tensed up a bit as I pretended to listen calmly. I’d risk going hungry if I didn’t pack a lunch starting tomorrow.

Anyway, Tatara and Tsuji continued to outline things as we did a lap around the school grounds. They showed me pretty much everything we could think of: the first-through-third-year classrooms, the library and nurse’s office, the gym and schoolyard, and so on. By the time we were wrapping up, the topic of discussion had shifted over to me.

“…Hey, that Game yesterday was pretty amazing, huh?”

Tatara held her hands tightly against each other, pushing her face up close to mine in sheer excitement as she walked alongside me.

“I wasn’t there, so I only saw what was posted online, but…ohhh, it looked like a huge deal! Beating the Empress after five hours of intense combat, then making her get on her hands and knees and beg for forgiveness!”

Huh? What’s she talking about? What kind of monster would do that to…? Wait, does she mean me?!

“Yeah, I heard about it, too. You had another Game before school today, right? I heard about you using Invisible Arms to restrain the challenger from the Ninth Ward, practically pushing him up in the air… Scary!”

I agree! It’s scary how much the truth has been exaggerated!

They both gave me looks infused with equal parts fear and respect as I lamented internally. Well…if that’s what a Seven Star was in their minds, it’s not like I could readily deny anything. I opted for a vague response.

“Yeah, um, I guess…that happened. Oh, but where did you get all that news from? Not just word of mouth, right? On the island’s social network?”

“No, not exactly. I use STOC, too, but there’s an even better app for that!”

Tatara took out her device, unlocked it with a practiced motion, and tapped an icon with a little “LNN” logo on it.

“This is LNN—Librarian News Network. It’s the app for the official Academy news organization. It’s not updated on any set schedule, but it covers almost everything important on the island. They have articles on a lot of neat stuff, so it’s really popular.”

“Wow, I didn’t know that existed.”

Impressed, I looked at Tatara’s screen. It displayed a list of articles organized by date. The newest article went like this:

SHOCK! Empress DEMOLISHED in First Battle of the School Year by a Seven Star Transfer Student?!

Early in the morning of April 6, a climactic battle took place in the Academy’s Third Ward, rocking the history of the island. Ohga School’s Empress, Sarasa Saionji, had her winning streak brought to an end at the hands of a king for the next generation.

…It’s fair to say that nobody lucky enough to witness the event could fully comprehend exactly how the match unfolded. Such were the nimble, faster-than-light moves of Hiroto Shinohara as he cornered the Empress before snatching his victory. This reporter could hardly believe his own eyes at first. However, the tears that shone in the eyes of Sarasa Saionji as she crumpled to the ground told the entire story behind her defeat.

…But he hasn’t been resting on his laurels, defeating another student in a Game held early this morning. “I was so scared, it was like all my senses went numb,” the challenger (who asked not to be named) told LNN in an exclusive interview. “I literally couldn’t move; that’s how afraid I was. I couldn’t tell if I had my hand on my device or not.”

LNN is still receiving conflicting reports on this new transfer student. Some rumors indicate he’s the son of a family as illustrious as the Saionjis, while others claim he’s a spy sent by a foreign nation or a rogue who made his name in the “underground Games” of urban legend. Despite all this conjecture, much remains unknown about Shinohara. We will continue to investigate and report on this new, earth-shattering figure in the Academy scene.

“…”

I froze for a bit, staring at this beyond-sensational news article. Then I sighed and cursed myself.

This—this is insaaaaaaaane!

What the hell? Who was this article supposed to be describing?! There was so much exaggeration and dramatization to this piece that it didn’t even make sense. If people thought this told them everything they needed to know, it was no wonder Tatara and the others beheld me with so much awe.

However, when I thought about it…none of this was necessarily bad for me. It was a tailwind, if anything. All this aggrandizing would bring me even more attention, but it would do wonders for establishing me as the strongest on the island. So it was probably best to accept it.

I just sighed and shook my head slowly, hiding the swirl of complex emotions raging inside.

“You’d like to go offline for a little while?”

After school and the freewheeling tour Tsuji and Tatara gave me, I reached out to Himeji as I made my way to the Third Ward.

“Yeah. You’re still picking up all my audio, aren’t you?”

“That is correct, Master. I keep the connection live in case something happens to you. In fact, I’m by your side right now. I’m currently looking at your back.”

“Oh, okay, then that, too. Would you mind leaving me alone for a bit?”

“…”

Himeji fell silent. Honestly, it was beyond painful for me. She devoted so much of herself to this, and I ordered her to leave me alone. I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t have Himeji join the conversation I was about to take part in.

“Er…I’m really sorry! I can’t explain why in detail, but I promise I won’t do anything weird!”

“…All right. I suppose there’s nothing to do but accept.”

“Y-you’ll do it?!”

“I will. I am a perceptive maid, after all. But…well, as far as I am aware, you will not find any prostitutes in the Fourth Ward. For services along those lines, I would recommend the Fifth Ward, but if you’re simply looking for a cheap hotel, there should be some nearby—”

“That’s not what this is! Seriously. I’m not just denying it. This is nothing like that. Stop bullying me.”

“All right, then…”

“Sorry,” I said again, instinctively sensing Himeji pouting on the other end of the line. The word was greeted with a few silent breaths.

“Very well. I will do it for real this time. But please be careful, all right? You are detaching yourself from all available support.”

“Yes, of course. And you be careful on the way back, Himeji.”

A pause, perhaps indicative of surprise.

“Oh? Ah…right. Umm…thank you.”

Himeji hung up. I could only assume she stopped tailing me and listening in over the earpiece. I lacked any way to confirm that, but there was no reason to doubt Himeji.

After gathering myself, I launched the map on my device.

Finding the place Saionji had indicated in her note was difficult. The coordinates placed it close to the border between the Third and Fourth Wards, a remote part of the Academy with scarce public transit and even less foot traffic. The precise destination wasn’t even on a main road. I had to navigate back alleys, find a used bookstore in one of them, enter, and then descend a staircase hidden behind a bookshelf to reach the entrance. It was insane.

As I worked my way down the steps, I quickly began to regret ever accepting the invitation.

Crap… This might have been a mistake. I’m in enemy territory and was told to come with no eyes on me… It’s got to be a trap. All her friends are going to be there in the basement, aren’t they? Oh man, what am I going to do? Maybe I should send an SOS to Himeji… Or would running be better? But what if the guy behind the counter upstairs is in on this?

Useless thoughts turned around in my mind. Despite my reluctance, I wound up at the bottom of the stairs. A heavy, imposing door stood in the otherwise empty room. This had to be Saionji’s hideout.

Th-this is so creepy… But I’ve made it this far. I gotta go on.

I steeled my resolve and gingerly reached for the door. It opened with a loud click. Surprisingly, there was no grinning mob with lead pipes in their hands waiting to meet me.

“…Huh?”

It was a café. A pretty fancy-looking one. I hadn’t expected this at all.

Had the idea been to create a secret hideout café or something? The area was lit dimly, yet an array of colorful scented candles dotted the room, giving it a slightly sweet aroma that made all the nerves in my body relax. It was a really unique atmosphere that made me feel like I’d wandered into another world.

A young girl in a uniform, a server, appeared from the darkness.

“Hello! ☆ Are you by yourself today?”

“Um, no… I’m with someone, but I think she’s already here. Maybe.”

“Oh, I see! ☆ In that case, follow me, please!”

The server’s airy voice guided me deeper in. I never gave my name, but perhaps there was no need. It looked like there was only one other customer here anyway.

The server brought me to a table for two at the far end of the café. With a practiced bow, she said, “Enjoy! ☆” and left. My attention shifted from her to the girl sighing across from me.

“You’re late, you idiot.”

Sarasa Saionji sipped an iced coffee, looking very pouty.

For a while, we didn’t say anything. I faced her silently and peered down at my cup (I got some lemon tea). When I looked up, I saw Saionji using a finger to play with her straw.

“This place… There are no rank restrictions at the door, but it’s pretty much a secret hideout that nobody knows about… People won’t find us here, and the girl up front will tell us if someone shows up. Plus, devices don’t get service in here.”

“Yeah. I can see how that’s useful.”

“Right? It’s the perfect place for a secret meeting… Ahem!”

Saionji coughed, evidently preparing to say something. Or maybe she expected me to say something. I was confused, but decided to remain quiet. After our two encounters the day before and the verbal sparring that morning, our relationship was awkward at best. I’m sure she felt the same, hence why we were sitting here, silently probing each other.

We sat there for five minutes, occasionally stealing glances before looking away. Saionji wound up being the first to give in.

“Nngh… All right, why are you giving me the silent treatment, Shinohara?! I set up this whole thing for us! You should have the courtesy to go first!”

“H-huh? ‘Go first’ how? You’re the one who wanted to talk!”

“Why are you phrasing it like that? How dare you say that after leaving a girl to wait for so long!”

“‘So long’? Were you here for a while before I arrived? Er, sorry about—”

“Yes. You should apologize, all right? Making me wait seven and a half minutes is a serious crime!”

“Uh…that’s barely a blip. All you said was ‘after school.’ I think this kinda falls in the range of that still!”

“It obviously doesn’t! Besides, it’s your fault I got here late.”

“My fault…? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that I went through hell today, thanks to you. No matter where I went or who I saw, it was ‘Ohhh, you lost a star yesterday,’ ‘Ohhh, your first loss ever.’ Ugh, everyone’s just so stupid! All these people treat me like a toy!”

“Sorry about that…but I kind of went through the same thing, all right? My beating you made things tough in a lot of ways.”

“Tough? How tough? Because if you have it easier than me, I’ll be really angry.”

“I feel like trying to compete on how hard we have it is beyond a waste of time, but in terms of intensity, it’s making a serious mess out of my life.”

“Oh, sure, play it up… Although maybe it’s not an exaggeration. We’re talking about the Saionjis, after all… Sorry about that, I guess.”

“…I was kind of hoping you’d pretend it wasn’t that bad!”

After leaning in to argue, I slumped back in my chair.

I took a sip of my lemon tea to calm down. Saionji (who had nearly been off her chair a moment earlier, too) was seated, drinking her iced coffee with one hand and resting her head against the palm of the other, staring at me. It was no way for a proper young rich girl to act, but I guess she wasn’t in that mode right now. Her present drive to portray Sarasa Saionji was zip.

“Hahhh… Well, whatever.” She set her glass to the side with a sigh. “Let’s get down to business. You know, Shinohara, we promised that we’d talk to each other. How about you start by telling me what your deal is?”

“Huh? Fine… I honestly told you everything yesterday, though.”

“It’s fine. You can go over it again. I was far too worked up yesterday—my mind was a blank halfway through. So I’d appreciate it if you review it all.”

I nodded and recounted the events that had led me here: beating Saionji in a Game after a set of coincidences, using my red star to fake my rank to avoid expulsion, and playing the role of the Academy’s new Seven Star. Saionji listened silently, and when I was finished, she stared at the table without a word. Then she let out a deep sigh and gently shook her head.

“Boy…this sucks. Last night, I convinced myself this was all a dream, but I guess that was wrong.”

“No. It’s more like a nightmare for you… I was involuntarily dragged into this, just like you. I want to make sure that’s clear.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m not so mean that I’d doubt you after that story. That Game was an unfortunate accident for both of us, I think it’s fair to say. Right?”

“…Right.”

Saionji still looked miffed, but at least she’d accepted my side of the story. Her eyebrows drooped as she said, “Shinohara…why did you choose this option? If you apologized, you might’ve gotten off with an expulsion from the island. Pretending to be a Seven Star until you graduate… Frankly, it sounds ridiculous.”

“Umm… Well, yeah, but…”

Not that Saionji knew, but I wasn’t sure it would have stopped with my being kicked off the island. If the provost’s remarks were true, there had been no chance of my returning to a normal life regardless of the route I took. That wasn’t important, though. I had a reason for staying here.

“Hey, don’t tell this to anyone, okay, Saionji? To tell the truth…there’s someone I’m looking for. On this island.”

“Oh? You’re here to find this person?”

“Yeah. She’s an old childhood friend of mine, and we haven’t seen each other in years, but I’m certain I’ll find her here. That’s why I came to this island. I applied to a few of the high schools here, but I didn’t get into any. I managed to get picked up as a second-year, though, and I’m not returning to the mainland until I find her. That’s all, really. It’s nothing particularly incredible.”

“…If you really believed it wasn’t a big deal, you wouldn’t take on all this trouble.”

“True…”

Saionji turned those eyes on me again. She had a point. My childhood friend and I had been separated at a young age. Although I wanted to see her again, I only had a vague recollection of her name and appearance, but her presence was etched into my memory. So much so that I had been willing to tell a lie that risked making me an enemy of the entire Academy. I was prepared to cheat as much as I needed to.

“Unfortunately…I’m in no position to look for somebody right now, so…”

“I’m sure you’re not. You’ll be conspicuous no matter what you do for a while to come. You’re probably better off laying low for now. Since you were nice enough to tell me all that, let me clue you in on something in return. If you ever manage to become a real Seven Star, that’ll give you access to every single piece of data on the island. That includes the student database. Hee-hee… Then your search will be over instantly, won’t it?”

“A real one? Come on…”

I sighed, exasperated. I’d already tricked the system into thinking I was a Seven Star. No matter how much I won, I’d never gain any more stars. It was a total pie-in-the-sky theoretical. I’d keep it in mind just in case, though…

“Based on what you said yesterday, you’re actually Rina Akabane, not Sarasa Saionji, right? What’s that even mean?”

“What’s it mean? It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? I’m Rina Akabane, but in public, I’m Sarasa Saionji. I call myself Sarasa and pass as her around school, too.”

“Yeah, but why? And more importantly, how? Even if you used the red star to rewrite your data, replacing somebody can’t be easy.”

“Normally, no. But Sarasa’s a unique case. For generations, the Saionji family has kept its children away from the wider world. I don’t know if they want to keep them sheltered or whatever, but that’s the rule in that family.”

“It is?”

“Yup. And Sarasa’s no exception. She’s barely left the family premises…and only other Saionji family members know what she looks like. I’m talking a tiny handful of people. Her family, their closest servants, and the friend pool she’s been permitted.”

“Her ‘friend pool’? What’s that?”

The term was unfamiliar to me. Maybe it was something standard among the upper class.

“Mmm, I’m not exactly clear on it, either…but it’d be weird if they raised her with zero idea of how kids her age think and feel about stuff.”

“Oh… Yeah, I get what you mean.”

“You do? Great. So yeah, the Saionjis were looking for friends the same age as Sarasa, and I got selected. I was super exceptional, even back then. Hmph.”

She held her (not-too-ample) chest out as she boasted.

She went on to explain that she had been admitted to the Academy as an academic prodigy. With her brains, she’d already graduated from a normal high school during her elementary years. So instead of taking regular classes, she’d participated in a skills development program run online by a university in Ward Zero. She’d graduated valedictorian, too, claiming the maximum possible score at the age of ten and causing all her crestfallen peers in the program to delete their accounts. It had since become a legendary piece of Academy lore.

“Wow, that’s crazy…”

“Heh-heh! Isn’t it? You think so, too, right? I guess you have some awareness after all, Shinohara. You’re free to praise me more if you want. Don’t be shy.”

“No, it’s great, but the way you act so smug about it annoys me.”

“Oh… W-well, can you blame me? Typically, when people praise me, they’re talking about Sarasa. I’m hardly ever recognized for my own achievements anymore. Plus, I’ve been trained to be humble about it. ‘Oh, it’s nothing special,’ or ‘I’m just glad my effort paid off.’ All delivered with my trademark angelic smile, of course.”

“…Huh. I think I see why that would upset you.”

I was new at this. It was only my second day as a lying fraud. Yet between my persona during Games and how I acted around classmates, I had started feeling something like Saionji described. She seemed a lot more relatable than before, even sitting across from me pouting like she was. I shook my head before I got too off course.

“You said you were friends with the real Miss Sarasa Saionji, but how’d all this happen?”

“It’s simple. Nobody knows what Sarasa looks like. So anyone could claim to be her as long as the Saionji family plays along. I never went to a normal school before this, so hardly anyone knows Rina Akabane, either.”

“…Oh. Then I guess the next question is why? The Saionji family is on board with your lie, right? Why would they do all this?”

“Mm… Um, ah… Well…”

“…?”

It seemed like a perfectly valid inquiry, yet Saionji appeared oddly reluctant to answer. She stared down at her fingers, eyebrows bunched up as she worked out what to say. A few seconds later, her ruby eyes returned to me. Her reply almost knocked me out of my seat.

“The thing is…Sarasa’s been kidnapped.”

Her explanation, given in the gloomiest of tones, went like this:

The real Sarasa Saionji was missing. It had happened a little over a year before. The young lady had simply vanished. Upon realizing this, the servants banded together to look for her, yet there was no sign of the girl. According to the Saionji family’s investigators, she was most likely the victim of a kidnapping plot, but no criminal or group ever claimed responsibility or sent a ransom note, so the case quickly reached a dead end.

A few days after Sarasa Saionji disappeared—the day before the previous year’s new-student entrance ceremony—Rina Akabane made the following proposal to the head of the Saionji family (who was also the island’s grand headmaster).

“What do you think about me substituting for Sarasa?

“She’d never leave without saying anything to me. In all probability, we’re dealing with a kidnapping…but if the kidnappers take no action, there’s nothing we can do. So why don’t we take action to unnerve them?

“I will attend school as Sarasa. The Saionji family will keep its daughter’s disappearance a secret, and they’ll secure consensus for the deception across the Academy. No matter what they’re after, the kidnappers are bound to panic and make some kind of move.

“Please allow me to do this. I’m Sarasa’s best friend, after all.”

Rina delivered the proposal with a shaky voice, but her eyes and resolve were firm and clear. After considerable thought, Chairman Masamune Saionji accepted.

“…Unfortunately, it wound up not achieving very much. One year later, and there’s still no sign of Sarasa.”

That’s how Saionji, voice laced with ennui, finished the story. She put on a sardonic smile and peered at me, gauging my reaction.

“Well? That’s why I’ve been living a lie, and no one can find out. I share this deception with the Saionji family. If it’s ever revealed, my name and the Saionjis’ will be tarnished. Sarasa was kidnapped, and her family sat idle for over a year instead of trying to get her back… The Saionjis will be raked over the coals, I’m sure. Plus, we can’t forget that the Japanese government gives the Academy special self-rule status because the Saionjis wield enough power to make that work. If the family loses respect, it could endanger the entire island.”

“…”

“…Shinohara? Why aren’t you saying anything?” Saionji leaned in, sounding a little unnerved.

She watched me with obvious annoyance. I’m sure that after having revealed the backstory this whole meeting was meant to discuss, she expected me to act more surprised or sympathetic.

At the very least, I understood her motivation. It was more of a crisis than I’d thought. Now I felt awful for beating her in that Game. I truly did. However, I vocalized a completely different thought.

“…like you.”

“…What? Sorry, I couldn’t hear you. What did you say?”

“I said…, ‘It’s unlike you.’”

“Huh?!”

Saionji had definitely been expecting a different response, because my remark stunned her into silence.

“Well, hang on,” I said. “I’m not trying to provoke you. I’ve been wondering about your situation since yesterday, and honestly, I’m pretty freaked over how much worse it is than I imagined. But…”

“But?”

“But seeing you talk like this, all serious…it’s kind of weird, I guess.”

“Wh-what? You don’t even know me!”

She seemed on the verge of tearing up. I didn’t know her well, that was true. However, given that she’d acted worse after each encounter with me, I don’t think my reaction was unwarranted. Plus, her story led to more questions. Had she taken this role to lure the kidnappers out? Was any of it even true? This girl didn’t seem like the sort who’d do something so selfless.

I decided to put emotion aside for a moment. If I believed her version of events, then one year earlier, the Saionjis had made this girl a substitute for their missing daughter in hopes of rescuing her. It was a wild idea, one that worked only because of the Saionji family’s support and the red Unique Star. That explained why this Saionji had needed to protect her Seven Star status at all costs. If she lost a Game, after all, she’d lose that special star first. What’s more, whoever took the red star from you would learn about your lie. That was its downside. Basically, Saionji had fought for a year under the constant threat of being exposed.

“So you thought I knew your lie, came after me to keep me quiet, and then wound up revealing it all.”

“Ngh… I—I didn’t have a choice! Your speech at the welcome event sure didn’t sound like a performance to me! But here you are, this new guy who barely knows how to work his device… If I only knew that sooner, I never would’ve done any of that crap!”

Saionji took the straw from her glass and downed the remainder of her coffee.

“…Mmph! Koff, koff…”

Either the bitterness or the sheer volume of the coffee gave her a short coughing fit. I reluctantly offered her my half-consumed lemon tea.

“Huh?”

Saionji peered into my eyes, perplexed for a moment. She still took the glass, though. Replacing the straw in it with her own, she took a few sips, gaze now lowered to the table. By the time the amber liquid was gone, she was all better.

“Ah, umm… Th-thank you.”

“It’s…fine.”

And right after that exchange, we found ourselves in awkward waters again. If the goal of today’s meeting was to learn more about each other, then we’d already succeeded. Saionji gave no indication of leaving, but I thought it was about time to wrap up.

I decided to linger for a bit, however. I still wanted to know what she’d meant when she said, “Please don’t lose to anyone.” Admittedly, I had some inkling, but I wanted to be sure before we parted ways.

“Saionji…I think I’ve realized something.”

“You have? What?”

“You’ve lost the red star’s protection. If someone pulled up your profile, they’d learn you’re not Sarasa Saionji… However, you’re still a Six Star. The Academy’s star management system can’t be meddled with by external sources, and the only person who can see a Six Star’s personal info…is a Seven Star. Right now, I’m the only one. That’s why your cover hasn’t been blown. Am I right?”

“Not blown to anyone except you, but yeah.”

“Okay, so basically, you’re safe for now. Exposing you doesn’t do anything for me, and I have no reason to change my mind on that. However, if I lose to someone, and my lie is revealed, what will happen to you?”

“Oh, that… About time you caught on.” Saionji snorted a little. It was an odd sound that made her seem more exhausted with everything than resentful of me in particular. “Well, you’re right. When you lose Seven Star status, that red star will go to someone else, and they’ll learn the truth about both of us. That’s how the red star’s side effect—Coming Clean—works. It reveals every lie to its new owner.”

“I see… Man, that’s a harsh penalty.”

“That applies to you, too, you know. Do you really understand the stakes here, Shinohara? Because let me tell you, the opposite is true as well.”

“…The opposite?”

“Yeah. The opposite. Because if my lie gets outed, it doesn’t bode well for you. If the whole island finds out I’m not really the Saionji family’s daughter, then the provost of the Fourth Ward will have no reason to protect you. You need to remain a Seven Star because I’m Sarasa Saionji. Get it?”

“…?! You—you’re right.”

Provost Ichinose was more using and abusing me than protecting me. Either way, Saionji was correct. I only called myself a Seven Star to keep the Saionji family’s eyes off me. If that was no longer on the table, the provost would lack a reason to aid me.

“Hahhh… It’s just… Why?”

The resentment in Saionji’s voice as she rested her head against the table matched my thoughts perfectly. Our lies were now irrevocably tied to each other. If I went down, so did Saionji, and vice versa. That wasn’t the only reason for our frustrated expressions, though. No, we both knew full well how to best solve this crisis.

“So if we put all of this together…it’s pretty obvious, right? Things can’t get much worse for us, but we’re both still barely in this. By the skin of our teeth. We’ve both skirted the lethal blow.”

“You’re right. I think the Saionji family will keep its mouth shut while you’re a Seven Star. But if either of us loses a Game, we’re done. And that’s assuming our lies aren’t uncovered some other way. But most aggravating of all, our lies are connected to each other.”

“Looks that way, yeah. I can’t have my lie exposed…and I can’t have yours revealed, either.”

“Yeah, same here. If you get outed, it’s gonna be really difficult to keep my cover going.”

“So I guess there’s only one answer.”

“…Yeah. I hate to admit it. Frankly, it’s revolting. I don’t want to accept it, but I have to.”

Saionji agreed as passive-aggressively as possible, her expression clouded. I agreed. I hated this, too, but the only correct method for handling it all was to cooperate. I was faking my star count, Saionji was faking her very existence, and neither of us could afford to be revealed. That made us partners in crime. We weren’t friends or teammates, but we couldn’t afford to remain enemies. It was an alliance of absolute necessity.

““…””

I looked at Saionji defeatedly. She appeared to share the sentiment. We watched each other for ten seconds before Saionji let out a dejected sigh.

“Ugghh… None of this would’ve happened if you didn’t show up.”

“I could say the same to you. I wouldn’t be in this mess if I’d never met you.”

“Pff. Well, we can’t turn back time. Hey, Shinohara, why don’t we exchange contact info? It’ll be better if we can get in contact with each other.”

“Yeah, good point.”

We raised our devices to each other to trade info. With that, my business for today was over. Saionji still looked peeved, so it was probably best to get out while I could.

“…Oh.”

However, right when I got out of my seat, Saionji spoke up from hers.

“Mm…? Did you say something?”

“Um, it’s no big deal… There’s just something I feel obligated to say…”

“Yeah?”

“I’m…counting on you, okay?”

Her face was turned away from mine. The elbow of one arm rested against her knee, while the hand waved listlessly. It was a cute gesture, and I watched it for a moment before chuckling.

“Yeah… Same here.”

By the time I left Saionji and the bookstore, the sun was already setting.

I was right on the border of the Fourth Ward, but it was a decent trek back to my dorm, so I didn’t return until seven in the evening. Himeji, who (by some amazing coincidence) just happened to be cleaning around the front door when I showed up, gave me a relieved smile that almost had me mistake her for an angel.

After dinner, still awash in the joy of the excellent meal, I kicked back and relaxed. Himeji sat on a chair diagonally across from me in her maid outfit, reading some textbook. I was preoccupied with my device.

“Hmmm…”

“…Something the matter, Master? That ‘hmmm’ sounded like a plea for attention.”

“Huh? No, I didn’t mean it like that… I’m just trying to focus.”

“Focus? On what?”

Himeji’s voice was cold even as her silver hair stirred. I gave her a nod, suddenly nervous about continuing. I found my voice before long, though.

“I’m, uh…searching for myself online.”

The time-honored tradition of looking up your own name on the internet. That, your nickname, or titles ascribed to you. Creators and artists generally searched for themselves for advertising purposes or to gauge audience response. Neither of those purposes applied to me, but if I had to pick, my motivations were closer to the latter.

Initially, I was too nervous to look, but after a gulp, I finally got my eyes open. There were a seemingly infinite number of results beneath the search box with Hiroto Shinohara entered—2,471, to be exact. When I tried other keywords like Shinohara by itself or transfer student, the results quickly shot past ten thousand.

There was no way I was going to check every hit, but here are some excerpts from the text results:

Who’s that transfer student?! He’s working way too hard at the start of the semester! It’s insane!

This Hiroto Shinohara guy is way too much of an asshole. It’s not even funny. Who does he think he is?

Whoa! Did you hear? Did you hear?! Shinohara’s got his second win! Wow!

Suddenly, all the idiots saying Hiroto Shinohara’s a wimp have gone quiet. You all watching?

Whether he’s a wimp or the best out there, he still pisses me off…

The social media app was overflowing with opinions that ranged from glowing to hateful. My reason for searching myself was to gauge thoughts on me. I wanted the raw data that intellectual knowledge alone provides, and STOC was the best means of getting it.

Unfortunately…I could hide my emotions, but that ability wasn’t a superhuman mental fortitude that shielded me from everything hurtful.

“‘I forget his name, but I’m rooting for the new Seven Star. It’s such a video game story.’ That’s not too bad. ‘I hate how that Shinohara dude laughs like some cartoon villain. I gotta mute his name.’ Okay, that one…wasn’t great. ‘The new transfer’s got a real aura to him. I think he could conquer us all this year.’ ‘Hiroto Shinohara is so full of shit’?! That’s so mean! He bothered to remember my name, and that’s what he wrote?!”

“Ah, now I get what you’re doing, Master. I understand why you’d want to get a handle on your public image. We’ll see to manipulating popular opinion of you later… Oh, there’s a poll. ‘Who’s a better fit as a Seven Star—Hiroto Shinohara or Sarasa Saionji?’”

“Oh! What’re the results?!”

“Um… Oh. I’m sorry, Master. I should have looked at them first before telling you.”

“Damn it!”

Himeji softly averted her eyes and apologized while I yelled at the ceiling.

You know…not to make excuses or anything, but the Empress did spend an entire year at the top without a single loss. She was a subject of respect and admiration across the island. I was sure she’d enjoy a ton of support no matter what I did. Even on my timeline, some of the more unhinged posters wrote things like How dare he disgrace my goddess? and Defeat is simply unbecoming of her and so on. Clearly, Saionji was a popular girl, although this stalker-like posting was scary.

“Ignoring that poll for the moment, it looks like people’s opinions of me are pretty evenly split, huh?”

“It would appear that way, yes… Um, you don’t look too happy about it, though.”

“Ahh… It’s always the negative stuff that sticks in the mind. It’s all so much more strongly worded.”

“…Hmm. Maybe you shouldn’t have looked, then.”

Perhaps Himeji was trying to look out for me. Or maybe she’d grown tired of this topic. I appreciated her words either way, but still shook my head.

“Nah, I’m sure that I’ll keep receiving at least this much criticism going forward. I want to get used to it as soon as I can. I can’t run from it forever.”

“Ah… Yes. All right, then. I didn’t realize you were such a masochist, Master.”

“Don’t phrase it that way! I’m not actively trying to cause myself emotional distress. This is a critical source of information.”

“I understand that, certainly…” Himeji gave a light, charming sigh. “All right. I didn’t realize you were so studious.”

Himeji looked down at her device. Whatever she’d been studying before had been set aside. Now she was more interested in browsing the net to find dirt on me.

“…Oh,” she said abruptly. “Master, there’s a post I think you’ll want to see here.”

She presented her device to me. The screen was pretty much identical to mine, although some of the design details were different. For one, hers had an icon on the upper left that mine lacked.

“This is the app for the ‘after dark’ version of STOC. It’s an officially sanctioned program, but you can’t access it if you’re a Three Star or below. Between that and the anonymity of its users, there’s a lot more of a ‘we’re the chosen ones’ atmosphere to it. It’s infuriating, honestly… To be more charitable, I suppose I could say it attracts the kind of people seeking to aggressively claw their way to the top.”

“Ah, I see… But you have to be at least a Four Star to download it, right? Does that mean you’re…?”

“Oh, did that vixen not tell you? I am presently a Four Star.”

“F-Four…”

I couldn’t stop myself from repeating it. That was…pretty high. I was trying to pass as a Seven Star, so it hadn’t really occurred to me until now, but being a Four Star put Himeji among the top 10 percent of Academy students. Anyway, if low-ranked students couldn’t get on the dark STOC, then there was nothing I could do. I sat up a bit to inspect Himeji’s screen more closely.

“Hmm…”

“Right here. The one posted about an hour ago. I’ll read it for you. ‘But What’s-His-Name Shinohara only beat a Two Star this morning. People are freaking out about him, but that’s a totally average performance. Besides, what kind of freak gets off on beating up total wimps? At best, he’s a bully—at worst, he’s a piece of garbage.’”

“…?! Oh…”

Himeji, eyes deadly cold, got really into bad-mouthing me. Her expression didn’t change much, yet something about that made the damage far worse. I shook a little, hand clutching my heart, while Himeji bowed her head in apology.

“I’m sorry, Master. I went overboard on the acting there, so please stop looking like you want me to bully you more. If you don’t, this might become my new hobby.”

“Please just stop…”

“Just kidding. But my point is that posts like these are dangerous for you. If you gain a reputation as this Seven Star who goes after nothing but small fry, it might complicate things.”

“I see… You’ve got a point.”

Himeji’s sudden transformation from maid to S&M mistress scared me momentarily. After a sigh of relief, I reread the post. Yeah, I’d won in a grand fashion, but this morning’s opponent had stood far below me. If I kept defeating low-ranked opponents, it would undoubtedly stir up criticism, and there was no guarantee it wouldn’t lead to suspicion.

“For reference, what sort of ranks did Saionji play against last year?”

“The Empress? Um, in terms of what’s publicly known…her average opponent was at least a Four Star.”

“Uh…Four Star?! You’re kidding!”

“I know how you feel, but that’s the truth. One and Two Star students never stood a chance against her. And a lot of her higher-ranked opponents challenged her just to say they could rather than because they entertained the idea of winning. That’s what I think, anyway. Some rumors claimed losing to Sarasa Saionji gave you good luck, and people actually believed it.”

“Wow. Scary.”

It was almost like she was worshipped as some kind of living deity. And…well, yeah, I’m sure her cute face helped with that. Plus, when she acted like a proper lady, her personality framed her looks perfectly. No wonder people went gaga over her.

“…Phew. At any rate…”

While I marveled at the legend of Saionji, Himeji returned to her chair and exhaled. She turned her head toward me, that almost transparent silver hair flowing after the gesture, and fixed me with her blue eyes.

“…It’s safe to assume that all of the Empress’s stats will look like errors to you for how absurd they are. She far surpassed every Seven Star before her… However, there’s no need to feel like you have to follow her lead, Master. Sprinkle in a Game with a Four Star or higher every now and then. That should be enough.”

“You think? But wouldn’t that look kind of disappointing?”

“Pardon?”

“You’ve seen the comments on STOC. I’m going to be compared to the Empress whether I like it or not. You say that I shouldn’t worry about it, but you know people are going to bring up stats when they talk about me. If I can’t match Saionji in quality, then I’ll make up for it with quantity instead. So, if it’s all right with you, Himeji, how about I accept another Game for tomorrow?”

“Hee-hee… Hee-hee-hee! I’m very glad to hear that, Master. I never thought you’d suggest that tactic. I think it’s a fine idea. Landing on this island and immediately scoring three wins in three days will greatly impact people. It’d definitely put you in step with the Empress. Give me one moment, please. I’ll select a Game for you right now.”

Himeji visibly relaxed as she spoke. This was unusually proactive behavior for her. I’d noticed it the night before as well, but whenever the topic turned to a Game, she got excited. Or maybe the right word was tense—that S&M mistress side of her, you could say. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciated her help, but…

“Hmm hm hmmmm… ♪”

Now she’s humming?! Like, unconsciously? Wow, this is getting a little frightening… I’ll just pretend I didn’t notice. Besides, it’s kind of cute.

First, she just sat there, calmly looking at her device. The next moment, she wriggled around in her frilly maid outfit, moving to a rhythm only she knew. It was silly, but she was having fun, and that was all that mattered.

After I accepted the Game Himeji found for me, we decided to save the details (including our strategy meeting) for the next day.

Later that night, my mind wandered while I was in bed.

“A lot happened today…”

My Game early in the morning, the run-in with Saionji, going to school and meeting my classmates, the little meeting in that mysterious café, the torture of reading social media posts about me, selecting a Game—tons of stuff. What stuck with me the most was my interactions with Saionji.

“I feel like she’s still hiding something…and now we’re coconspirators, huh?”

I sighed, eyes closed. It was—how to put it?—a very delicate relationship. Saionji, the girl who had dominated all last year, and I, the new strongest student on the island who had beaten her so handily. We had to be bitter rivals in public, sparks flying between us. However, in private, we needed to work together to keep each other’s lies a secret.

“Ugh… Oh, right.”

I sat back up with a sigh. It occurred to me that although Saionji and I had traded contact info, I had yet to send her a message. There was no immediate reason to, but she was going to be my ally (more or less), so there was no harm in reaching out a bit.

Hi, it’s Shinohara. Just saying hello. By the way, how free are we to talk on here?

I added a question to flesh out the message. Then, thinking that was too plain by itself, I considered sending a sticker, too. A check mark appeared by my text, indicating Saionji had read it.

“…Oh?”

I blinked, a bit surprised. A moment later, I received Saionji’s response.

About damn time! What have you been doing?! After getting my info, it’s only common sense that you’d contact me right when you get home! I swear… Also, you don’t need to worry about using this app. The system protects all the records, and this is just a dummy account anyway. But try to avoid using my name, all right? Just ‘you’ or whatever is fine.

Okay. So why are you so angry? It doesn’t matter when I contact you.

It DOES matter! I spent all night fretting over when you’d finally contact me! I waited for so long!

Huh? Waiting? Why? Is there some kind of urgent business?

Wait, no! Forget about that! I take it back! Um… No, I was watching a movie, and just kind of waiting for you on the side. Way, way, way on the side.

That’s still no reason to get so angry at me… Should you even be up this late anyway? You can’t play the spoiled rich girl if you’re late for school.

Oh, it’s fine. I’ve been doing this for a year now. Shouldn’t you be going to bed early, though? As I told you, if you get exposed, so do I.

That’s what I’m worried about with you. You ratted yourself out to me with zero hesitation.

If something that unlucky happens again, I’m going to a temple to get purified. And I’ll make you come along, too.

Heh, good idea. If our cover isn’t blown by then. By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask you. I was looking at STOC earlier and saw posts calling you a goddess and stuff. Do you get that a lot?

Goddess?! Oh, Kugasaki probably posted that, right? In that case, then yeah, all the time.

Isn’t that dangerous?

Dangerous? Are you asking if he’s a stalker? Nah, it’s nothing like that. He follows me a lot and acts annoying, but it’s all about Games with him, nothing else. Are you worried about me? Ha-ha. I bet you are! I totally get why you’re concerned about someone as cute as me!

Wrong. I’d just feel bad for all your rabid fans if they found out what you’re really like.

Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?

I think it’s pretty clear. Okay, I’m going to bed. Don’t stay up too late.

Huh? All right. I’m getting sleepy, too. Sweet dreams, Shinohara.

Saionji added a sticker after her last message and then went silent. I tossed my device aside, sighed, and brought my hand to my forehead. Phew.

“It’s like trench warfare, a million people against two… I hope it works out.”

It was a useless thought, but it served to keep me occupied until I fell asleep.