2.4
I waited at a certain location inside Keyaki Mall for my classmate to arrive.
About 15 minutes after making the call, Matsushita appeared around the corner.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Ayanokōji-kun. Karuizawa-san told me to contact you... What did you want to talk about?”
Caught off guard by the unusual situation, Matsushita approached me.
“Is this okay with your friend?”
“Yes, she said I could step out for about 30 minutes. That’s enough, right?”
“Plenty.”
“So... what’s the topic?”
It was normal to be cautious when asked to meet alone for a conversation.
Matsushita’s expression was unchanged, but she probably wasn’t feeling calm on the inside.
“Do you know why I chose this place to meet?”
“What do you mean? Is there a reason other than me already being at Keyaki Mall?”
Indeed, I’d immediately learned from Kei that Matsushita was at Keyaki Mall, so it was natural to think that I was waiting in the same mall.
“Last year, you were following me. This location should be where we stopped to talk.”
“Ah... now that you mention it, it might have been here. Yes, this is the place.”
She seemed to recall the position where she had hidden herself as she looked around and at the pillars again.
I had been questioned about things like my relationship with the acting chairman and my flash mental calculation skills.
“You told me at that time that you wanted to know my true abilities.”
“Yeah. I feel like you dodged the question somewhat though.”
“Nearly a year has passed since then. Have you found the answer?”
“I wonder. You’ve started to take more actions than in our first year, but... I still feel like you’re not showing real effort.”
“I see.”
Unlike mere superficial evaluations, Matsushita had an eye for discerning individual abilities better than other classmates.
“If you’d cooperate, Matsushita, maybe I could show a bit more of my abilities.”
“What do you mean?”
Here, I piqued Matsushita’s interest while progressing the conversation based on information I had obtained from Yamamura. Matsushita seemed unable to hide her surprise after hearing what I had to say.
“Indeed, there was such a thing, but at this point… Who told you about it?”
It might just be a memory, but Matsushita’s expression told a different story.
“It’s been nearly three months since then. Was there something that bothered you?”
“Well... yes.”
While admitting it, Matsushita seemed very curious about where I had gotten the information.
“Sorry, but I can’t reveal my source. I’ll just say it’s not a classmate.”
Pointlessly suspecting classmates would not be beneficial for the future, so I only revealed that much.
“So, what do you want to know about that matter? I hope I remember the details.”
“There’s no need to go over the content of the conversation. I’ve got it covered.”
As I named everyone involved, Matsushita, who had been maintaining her composure, finally stumbled over her words.
“Uh, yes... that’s everyone. But then, what do you want to ask me?”
“I thought that if it’s you, Matsushita, something might have struck you during that discussion.”
I had two reasons for calling Matsushita out. One was to confirm the accuracy of the information from Yamamura, which I could judge as correct since the names of the classmates matched. The other was to see if Matsushita was a student worthy of recognition. This also served as a test.
Sorting out the reasons for being called out, Matsushita sighed and muttered.
“It feels like I’m being tested.”
“Maybe.”
With a softened expression, Matsushita smiled.
“Since I’m supposedly being tested, I’ll answer seriously. I remember that time well. Indeed, there were things that bothered me. The topics of the discussion and the members felt off.”
As she dug up her memories and began to speak about that time, I listened until the consistency was confirmed, then I interrupted her.
“That’s enough.”
“You said you’d show your abilities, but what do you plan to do?”
“If there’s a chance in the next special exam, I intend to show the results as expected.”
“That’s good. If I have your approval, I can feel secure about this special exam.”
“But from here on, it’s not just me. The entire class needs to grow.”
“I understand. But if our class comes together one day, we probably won’t lose to anyone.”
Taking today’s events into account, Matsushita said this with a smile.
“For now, let’s pretend today’s meeting didn’t happen. Contact me anytime.”
It was a small thing, but being able to show such consideration on her own was also an important element.
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