Just Getting Started 2.

"We can talk this out while walking." said Aki while he was walking towards the exit. Naomi quickly left the room while walking behind Aki.

As Aki continued the conversation while walking alongside Naomi, he said, "It's simple, really. It was never about what you chose. Since both of the syringes contained the same thing, it was about how you chose—more specifically, the timing of your choice."

"I already know that much," Naomi interrupted, her tone sharper now. "You started giving hints the moment I went in for the first syringe. What I'm asking is—how did you figure it out?"

"As I said before, it's pretty easy if you don't get caught up in the panic of the situation," Aki explained. "The moment the guy held out the syringes, the clock struck. I figured your choice depended on the exact second you picked up the syringe. I thought hinting at the second syringe would be easier to understand than the first, so I went wi—"

"Wait, what?!" Masahi interrupted suddenly, who was walking right before them. "So you went all in on that hunch? You didn't doubt yourself for even a second?" Masahi questioned.

"Not really," Aki admitted, though there was a hint of fear in his voice—perhaps from realizing just how close he had come to a disastrous mistake if his hunch had been wrong.

"So, do you have any idea what the decision was actually based on?" Naomi asked in a curious tone.

Masahi adjusted his glasses slightly, as if gathering his thoughts. "He's the same person who ran the game in our class. If you'd noticed, his right arm has a band with a serial number—most likely his designated code. And there's also a barely noticeable tear on the outer side of his left calf. The guy handing you the syringes had those exact same features. Meaning he must have memorized your pattern from the previous game. The first syringe corresponded to your first language, and the second syringe to your second language. By that logic, you had to pick the right syringe at the right ti—"

"Wait... so, did you memorize the entire pattern?" Naomi interrupted again, her focus shifting to Masahi now.

"No. I didn't," Masahi replied, his tone quieter this time.

Naomi raised an eyebrow, a hint of sarcasm mingling with her curiosity. "So, your hunch is just as baseless as his?"

"I guess you could say that." Masahi admitted, embarrassment creeping onto his face as he adjusted his glasses again.

Silence lingered for quite a while.

"Well, as they say, all's well that ends well, right? There's no point in fretting over the situation now. What truly matters is that, in the end, Furukawa senpai saved her," Aki said, his voice gentle yet firm. He broke the lingering awkward silence, hoping to lift the spirits of those around him and offer some emotional reassurance.

In response, Naomi gave a gentle sound with a small nod of agreement, while the Morioka let out a soft, affirmative hum. With that, the three of them continued walking, the earlier tension easing slightly as a sense of quiet relief settled in.

The entire group kept walking—some quietly talking with their classmates, others trying to forge new connections, while a few, including myself, walked in plain white silence. That is, until—

A girl walked up to me, her expression a mix of gratitude and hesitation. "Thank you for carrying me back then," she said. It was none other than Kaede.

"Don't mention it," I replied. "Any idea why you had those sleeping pills?"

"Not really," she said, shaking her head.

"Well, what about that classmate of yours—Jin Fumi or something?" I asked.

"You mean Jin Umi, she's in the clear, as far as I know or from what I've gathered. She's in the clear," Kaede replied firmly.

"What makes you say that? She seemed to know about you taking those pills," I pressed.

Kaede sighed, frustration creeping into her voice. "She tried to stop me from going to the washroom because, apparently, she wanted to warn me. She'd heard someone wanted to drug me, and one of them might've already messed with my pills as a 'prank' or something. But I didn't give her the chance to explain—I just ran off to the washroom, and everything spiraled from there, leading to that moment back there." She paused, then lightly hit her forehead with her fist. "Aagh! I should've thanked Furukawa-senpai first. Please don't take this the wrong way—"

"I won't," I said, keeping my tone calm.

"Anyway," I continued, "you should go and thank senpai right away. We can talk about this later."

Kaede nodded, determination flickering in her eyes. "Yes, senpai. But before that, may I know your name?"

"Name's Kyousuke Murata," I said simply.

With that, Kaede turned and walked away, her steps more purposeful now as she headed toward Furukawa-senpai.

"Ooo, look who's got girls all over him," Nishi said with a smug grin.

"Shut the fuck up. Seriously? In this situation? Are you for real?" I shot back, glaring at him.

"What the hell am I supposed to do, man? Gloom over the fact I might die? If I'm going out, I might as well go out laughing," Nishi said with a chuckle, pulling me into a playful arm hold.

I sighed, shaking my head as my face squished in his arm hold. "You got a point, I guess."

We walked for a while, the weight of a lingering suspicion building in my mind until I couldn't hold it in any longer. I finally let it out to Nishi.

"Do you really think what Jin Umi said to Kaede is true?" I asked, my tone tinged with curiosity and doubt.

"I know, right?" Nishi replied, shaking his head in disbelief. "The idea that someone was planning to drug her and then decided to stay silent about it—like, not even bothering to bring it up first thing in the morning—it's just plain weird."

As we approached the assembly, a girl called out my name, her voice sharp and curious. "What do you think he meant by the forsaken one?" she asked.

The girl questioning me was none other than my classmate, Akagi Eri. She's been trying to get closer to me, but not for the reasons most would think. It's pretty clear to everyone—she's only doing it so she can shoot her shot with Nishi. The funny thing is, she's so caught up in her own little world that she doesn't even realize the whole class knows she's got a thing for him. Even Nishi knows she's been trying to cozy up to him.

"No, I got no clue, sorry~ But Nishi here was just about to talk to me about that matter, right, Nishi?" I said, quickly leaving them to themselves, skillfully evading her attention.

She's such a pain in the ass; always leaning on me instead of taking the initiative herself to handle things with him at her own pace. And Nishi? He couldn't care less about her. His focus is entirely on Furukawa-senpai, and honestly, he's remarkably adept at making girls lose interest in him—something he's well aware of and even seems to employ intentionally when the mood strikes. It's almost like he has this uncanny knack for pushing people away whenever he wants, and Akagi Eri? She's no exception to that rule.

"I think I might know who the forsaken one is," Nishi said suddenly, forwarded the conversation. "It's probably someone from the class who didn't have anyone pass. You know, the kind of person who ended up isolating themselves—or maybe they were the ones the class chose to isolate. That's why they're called the forsaken one."

Yet for all Nishi's skill at turning women down, there's one anomaly—he just can't seem to turn down Eri. She's hopelessly entrenched in her own little world, far too immersed in her obsession with him and his talks.

We finally reached the assembly hall; they opened the doors for us.

The site was undeniably intriguing—a hall stretched before us, lined with 14 desks in a 1 by 7 horizontal to the hall, each meticulously set with its own monitor. Around each desk, six cushioned stools, which look like they are from a cafe whose menu items are outrageously expensive just because they own those stools, neatly arranged, accompanied by six pairs of headphones, which are neatly placed on the cushions. The symmetry of the setup, coupled with the quiet anticipation that hung in the air, added an unspoken weight to the environment.

"Welcome to your side quest, where you will be selecting the candidates to complete the century!" Mr. 144 exclaimed with infectiously uncanny enthusiasm, his voice reverberating through the hall. With an air of childlike joy, he became the first to burst into the room, his frolicky movements radiating energy and lighting up the atmosphere.

"What do you mean by 'to complete the century,' huh?!" Isa growled, his rough tone sharp and dripping with hostility. He leaned forward, his gaze like a piercing blade aimed straight at Mr. 144. "You better spill it before you guys ripped to shreds!"

Mr. 144 remained unfazed, his calm demeanor almost mocking Isa's aggression. With a smug smile, he spoke smoothly, the hint of superiority in his tone. "Now, now," he began, deliberately slow. "You're just 84 members—a number that's hardly complete, wouldn't you agree? Not exactly... 'neat' as you guys would say."