2.3
After the training, Watanabe and the others were all heading towards the beginner course, which had a gentle slope.
“Ayanokōji? You're not going?”
Watanabe, who had started walking away with his board, turned around and opened his mouth, curious.
“I think I'll ski somewhere else.”
“I see. I'll see you later.”
I watched his back as he walked away and decided to start moving on my own.
“Hey, Ayanokōji, you're on the beginner course over there, and this is the advanced course.”
Ryūen, who was about to head for the advanced course, pointed his finger at me in annoyance.
“No, that's okay. I'm going to give it a try anyway.”
“Oh? That's an unexpected line from the guy who was penguin-walking a moment ago.”
“I don't think you should, Ayanokōji-kun. I was a little scared too because about 70% of it was hard humps and steep slopes.” Kushida said.
Apparently both of them had skied down it once, so they warned me.
“Yes, that's true...”
I thought I should heed the warning, since it was sensible to do so, but then...
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Yamamura restlessly climbing onto the lift for advanced skiers.
It was hard to believe that she had consciously chosen the advanced course.
Perhaps it was the fact that she could see Kitō's back on the lift slightly ahead of her, or perhaps she got on by mistake without being stopped by anyone around her.
“I didn’t think she’d already be willing to try that.”
“Huh?”
“Yamamura, I don't think she knows it's an advanced course.”
She told me about Yamamura, who was sitting on the lift that would take her to the top.
“I guess I'd better go after her...”
With that, I got on a ski lift for the first time in my life and we headed up to the advanced course together.
Kushida and I got on the lift together, as it could seat up to two people.
The lift, which never stopped, gradually began to rise and my feet left the ground.
“Interesting ride, isn't it?”
“It's your first time riding it, right? Aren't you scared?”
“I'm not scared. We’re still at a relatively close height from the ground, so even if I fall, it won't hurt much.”
“Oh, that's the problem...?”
“Hmm? Isn't it the danger of falling that you're afraid of?”
“That's... Yeah. I guess that's what it's about.”
She looked puzzled–caught in her words–but I wasn’t sure why.
“Oh well. I've been thinking lately that it's useless to wonder about you.”
She exhaled, and a bit of Kushida's skin peeked out.
The distance between the lifts was relatively short, and the wind was blowing slightly, so she decided that the chit-chat wouldn’t be heard by Ryūen in front of us or those who were behind us.
“That's not a very nice thought.”
No one would be pleased to be told that it was useless to even think about them.
“I can't help it. I actually feel that way.”
After saying that, Kushida gazed at the mountains in the distance.
“I’m confident in my ability to read a person’s aura and understand what others are thinking. This applies to Horikita-san and Ryūen-kun as well. That said, there are times when I'm outperformed by other factors and lose.”
Even if you can read your opponent's thoughts, it doesn't mean you'll always win.
“As for you, Ayanokōji-kun, I thought I could read you before. But I was completely wrong. I've never met someone who‘s thoughts I’ve had no idea about until you.”
“As a reference, how does that make you feel?”
“What? You want to hear that?”
She didn’t look back, asking that with her head turned.
“I guess I shouldn't have asked after all.”
The atmosphere strongly suggested that she was unwilling to answer.
“By the way...”
Kushida clearly had something on her mind as she was trying to get the words out.
“This is important, so I need to confirm it here and now, but you're not trying to get me expelled, are you?”
“You're asking me very clearly.”
“As long as I can't read your thoughts, this is the only thing on my mind. If I were you, Ayanokōji-kun, what would I think and how would I act?”
“So you're saying that the conclusion you came to was that you're going to get expelled from school?”
Kushida nodded without hesitation and peered into my eyes.
She seemed to be trying to shake me up and draw out my true feelings.
I dared to avert my gaze and give the impression that I was trying to get her to drop out of school.
If you looked at it from a normal person's perspective, I was caught off-guard and upset, and then looked away.
I thought it would be interesting to see what Kushida would think.
“Are you kidding me?”
“I'm sorry...”
The darkness that had been hiding under her face revealed itself, and I immediately apologized, understanding that I was being glared at furiously even though she was still smiling.
“I mean, you're definitely making fun of me. Is that supposed to be funny?”
“No, it's not funny at all. I'm sorry.”
I'm sure she didn't like it, but it was a great way for Kushida to understand my thoughts.
“I have no intention of expelling you.”
“...Really?”
“As soon as Horikita decided to keep you, the line of me expelling you from the school disappeared. If I wanted to keep that possibility open even now, I would’ve told off Horikita.”
This may not have cleared Kushida's suspicions, but it was an indisputable fact.
“During the Unanimous Vote Special Exam...right?”
For her, that special exam must’ve been an unforgettable and humiliating time.
However, it was necessary that Kushida doesn’t repeat the same mistake in the future, though I don't need to go to the trouble of mentioning that here.
That was no longer a realistic possibility now that all of our classmates knew about it.
“Even if I can't expel all of them, there's still the possibility that I'll abandon this class. Perhaps I can get a class transfer ticket or save up the necessary private points. I could even escape that way. Can you close your eyes to such a risk?”
It's a funny thing to think that Kushida could call herself a risk.
“That's not treachery or anything, it's just a personal strategy. There’s nothing wrong with moving to a class where you can win as the school actually has that system in place. In fact, if you think your class doesn't have a chance to win, you should move on when the time is right.”
Who has the right to tell her that she should continue to sail on a sinking ship?
“I still can't read you, Ayanokōji-kun. I can't even tell if you’re really speaking from your heart at all.”
“Maybe I’m someone who doesn't show it on their face.”
“It's not at that level, but...”
Kushida turned her attention to the soon-to-be-approaching destination.
“I wonder why. My secret, which I absolutely wanted to keep hidden, has been exposed, and I'm so frustrated and bitter that I'm sure it doesn't matter anymore… But, I'm enjoying myself, coming on a school trip and skiing. And I even feel like it's not a bad thing.”
“School trips are fun events for a lot of students, right?”
“For a lot of people, yes. But for me, I've always found any event to be a hassle.”
The effort to keep pretending to be something you’re not.
That's what’s needed at events like this.
“Hey, can I ask you a few questions about... Yagami-kun and Amasawa-san?”
“They're both first-year students. I've tangled with Amasawa a bit, but I know very little about Yagami.”
I made sure to remind her like so, but Kushida may have just wanted to ask the questions she had been keeping inside.
“If Ayanokōji-kun doesn't know, then I don't think it can be helped.”
“It's fine. So? What's wrong with those two?”
“You know Yagami-kun was expelled from school, right?”
“I heard that it came to light that he was violent during the Uninhabited Island Exam. It serves to reason he’d be expelled from school. The most important thing to remember is that you can't just take a chance on a new person and expect them to be good.”
Yagami was a White Room student. In other words, there was no connection between Kushida and her past.
He probably faked it based on the information given to him by Tsukishiro, and it was likely he had Yagami pretend to be her junior in order to avoid the risk of learning about his past. However, there was no way for me, an outsider, to deduce this, so I had no choice but to give this answer.
“No, it's not that. Yagami-kun... Knew about my past. The only people who went to the same junior high school as me were the Horikita siblings.”
“Then how are you sure he knew about your past?”
“Because he told me directly. I naturally suspected Horikita-san and you. Ryūen-kun also knows my true nature, but he doesn't know about my past, so we can rule him out.”
Indeed, one's true nature and past were two completely different things.
“But it doesn't add up in Horikita-san's case, does it? There's no merit in talking about my past. If that's the case, then by process of elimination, you would be the only one. That's what's been bugging me.”
“I see.”
Indeed, I was one of the few students who knew about Kushida's past.
It was inevitable that the Unanimous Vote Special Exam would turn hostile, but one of them had a reason for me to suspect them. Moreover, it was obvious that Amasawa, who was also involved with Yagami, became even more suspicious.
Even if I simply denied it, the question of who told him would still haunt her. Whether the doubts will be dispelled is another matter.
“I don't care either way. I just want the truth.”
“Even if I was connected to Yagami, would you forgive me?”
“What? I don't think I would forgive you. It's just that I don't think I'm going to do anything to you just because I'm sure... If anything, I’m seen as someone who can’t be considered an enemy anymore.”
Her fangs were now quietly contained within. She said that she won’t be baring them again.
“I can't think of anyone else besides you, but when I think about it, it might not be you after all. Yagami wanted you expelled from school. He wasn't pretending, he was doing it from the bottom of his heart. It's a contradiction, isn't it?”
It also raised questions about the meaning of my connection to Yagami and the information I was passing on to him.
It was just a hassle to go to the trouble of cornering Kushida like that.
It might be a bit harsh to let her continue her school life with this question plaguing her.
That said, I couldn't talk about the specifics of the White Room.
“I used to know Yagami, even though we were in different... Schools. We used to live near each other.”
“What...?”
“And so did Amasawa. I think I gave those two the wrong impression, and they've been holding a grudge against me for a long time. I was able to clear up the misunderstanding with Amasawa, but not so with Yagami. I dealt with it by ignoring him, but I didn't realize he'd been in contact with you without my knowledge.”
“Wait, even if that's the case, it's weird. How could he know about me?”
“I don't know how he found out, but since you’re one of my classmates, he got your information. I think he was looking for an opportunity to get revenge on me. In other words, you were simply caught in the crossfire.”
I bowed my head and apologized to Kushida.
“Even though I didn't know, I'm sorry I got you involved.”
“...Ayanokōji-kun.”
I'm not saying it was going to clear everything up, but I think the revelation that those two and I had a connection in the past will help answer some of the questions in Kushida's mind.
“Could it be that Yagami-kun was expelled from school because of... you?”
“If left alone, there was a strong possibility that you, who chose to cooperate with the class, would be harmed again. The reason Amasawa was in contact with you was probably because she knew that Yagami would do something to you.”
I answered along the lines of an honest admission.
I had been in contact with Nagumo, Ryūen, and Horikita, several people who either knew of or suspected my involvement.
If the fact that I denied it came to light later, it would become even more troublesome.
“I left Amasawa in school, but as I said before, her misunderstanding has been cleared up. She shouldn’t interfere with you in the future. There may still be some problems with her behavior, though.”
An environment in which Kushida could maximize her abilities in school from here on out.
That could’ve been created from this unexpected discussion.
“I...”
A strong wind blew, and Kushida's white, knit hat was about to be blown off.
To prevent this, I reached out and held the hat in my palm.
At the same time, Kushida's hand came up to meet mine.
“Sorry, thanks...”
She could’ve prevented it from being blown away even if I hadn't helped her, but Kushida turned her face towards me and thanked me. Immediately afterwards, she stiffened up and kept staring into my eyes.
“What's wrong?”
“...Nothing, it's nothing.”
I didn't know what that expressionless face was thinking, but she shifted her gaze soon after.
The lift then reached its destination and we began to prepare to get off.
“Can you make it?”
“I think I can, somehow.”
I answered in the positive, but Kushida had gone down first as though she was illustrating how it's done, so I followed her example. After a long lift ride, we arrived at the advanced course.
As expected, there were fewer people on this course than the easier ones, but there was still a good number.
“This is pretty awesome, but isn't it steeper than you thought it would be?”
The slope looked more compact than the sight from below suggested, as Kushida pointed out.
“Are you sure you can handle it?”
“Well, I'll manage.”
“If it comes down to it, you might want to take off your skis and then walk down the side. It might not look good, though.”
Many were sliding down the slope, but no skiers appeared to be obvious beginners. Meanwhile, several men and women were gathered around Ryūen.
“Those are the students in Ryūen's class, right? I wonder if he’s surprisingly popular.”
“They don't look like they're talking happily, though.”
“Indeed.”
The gathered students were telling Ryūen something with rather serious expressions.
Ryūen, who was at the center of the circle, didn’t look at any particular student and seemed to be listening nonchalantly.
What was the point of gathering all the way at the advanced course, where there would be fewer people?
If he wanted to keep in touch with the class, he could just use his cell phone later.
Then I could only assume that they intentionally gathered here.
“Did they have something to report by any chance?”
“Looks like it.”
The gathered members were those who often received instructions from Ryūen, such as Kaneda, Ishizaki, and Chikon Todo.
“There she is, Ayanokōji-kun. Yamamura-san.”
Sure enough, in the direction Kushida was looking, was Yamamura.
Not slipping out, she was staring at Ryūen’s class and the others as they disbanded.
“Yama-”
I signaled to Kushida, who was about to call out in a loud voice, to be quiet with my finger and a glance.
“What? What's wrong?”
“Wait a minute.”
Yamamura's movement seemed a little puzzling. She knew she was making a mistake, but she quickly stepped into the advanced course, and then, as if to hide, she continued staying there, her own presence muted.
“What kind of student is Yamamura?”
“What kind of student? I don't really know either.”
“What kind of student do you, Kushida, the one who is familiar with the largest number of students, not know about?”
“It's true. I can understand a student who spontaneously engages in conversation with me, but Yamamura-san is different. She’s never approached me, and when I’ve approached her, she either responded with a short answer or a silent nod, and that's it. That's not a good way to get to know someone, is it?”
If she was closed-minded, then surely that was something even Kushida could do nothing about.
“Who are the students she gets along with in Class A?”
“I don't know that either. I can't picture her talking to anyone at all. She's very, very invisible, isn't she?”
Although the group had only just formed, she certainly didn't leave much of an impression.
Yamamura's OAA shows that she wasn’t physically strong, but she had high academic ability.
Soon after, the students who gathered around Ryūen scattered and returned to their own groups.
At the same time, Yamamura shifted her gaze from Ryūen and slowly began to move.
The two of us followed so as not to lose sight of Yamamura.
“Oh, I fell.”
Yamamura fell down on the spot, perhaps having been caught in the snow.
There seemed to be people around, but no one noticed or even pretended to help or care.
“It's not easy being in the shadows, is it?”
“So why are you looking at her?”
“Because she seems to lack presence.”
It's a sad aspect of life that can't be denied.
No matter how hard you work, it's not easy to progress in that area.
“By the way, what do you think of Yamamura's movements?”
“You ran away from the conversation.”
“I'm not running away.”
I denied it, but Kushida laughed in a funny way.
“Yamamura-san's action seems to be under the instructions of... Someone who wants to keep an eye on Ryūen-kun's movements?”
“That would be the most likely explanation. Although that someone is probably only one person.”
“Sakayanagi-san, right. But I don't think she has any connection with Yamamura.”
“That's why it's perfect, right? No one’s aware of their connection. If I hadn't been in the same group as Yamamura, I probably wouldn't have cared.”
The fact that we were in the same beginner group made me wonder what she was intending. If I had been an intermediate skier or higher, I wouldn't have continued caring and would’ve already begun skiing.
“If we don’t know whether or not they have a connection, we should make sure.”
“It could be important when we fight Sakayanagi in the future. We can't avoid identifying Sakayanagi’s important limbs.”
“I see.”
“Yamamura is on the move.”
We watched Yamamura.
She had taken off her skis and was walking down the steep slope along the edge.
“I'm going to go support her. Maybe we can get closer.”
Kushida made the decision to do what she had to and slid off the board.
“You move fast.”
She was quick-witted and smoothly understood my intentions.
Moreover, Kushida boasted strong interpersonal skills that allowed her to befriend most people.
She won’t cut corners if that was the way to survive in her class.
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