2.chapter

Year 3 Volume 1 Chapter 2: "Clarification"

Anime TVApril 11, 2025

Introduction

Full-fledged classes would only begin tomorrow, so by 11 a.m., we were already free.

Time flew by unnoticed.

My mind was completely occupied with the fact of Ayanokoji-kun's transfer.

I didn't believe it then, and I don't want to believe it now.

This shouldn't be happening.

This cannot be happening.

In my thoughts, I kept repeating the same thing, as if trying to will it into reality.

But…

This is neither a misunderstanding nor a dream.

It is really happening. The undeniable reality.

I want to see him.

But at the same time, I don't.

To be honest, the upcoming meeting scares me.

I'm afraid, and I can't do anything about it.

As I struggle against my pounding heartbeat, I look at my palms.

They are trembling.

My whole body is trembling.

I try to stop thinking about it and calm myself down, but nothing works.

And yet… I must find out Ayanokoji-kun's true intentions.

I cannot allow myself to back down.

I still haven't heard his own words.

That means it's too soon to judge anything.

Maybe there's something involved that no one else should know about.

And I need to clarify that.

At this moment, I must focus only on that.

— Horikita-san.

Hirata-kun approached me, while Sudō-kun and the others watched us from a distance.

— Sorry, but this is urgent. I have to go.

Right now, I can't afford to waste precious minutes on idle chatter.

I stepped out into the hallway without my bag, carrying only my phone.

Enough time had passed since the end of class that many students had already started scattering in different directions.

However, that didn't stop me from sensing the strange atmosphere lingering in the other classrooms.

I don't know how homeroom went for the others, but right now, they all know about Ayanokoji-kun's transfer.

Even the curious glances directed at me spoke of it.

Of course, everyone is free to interpret the situation in their own way.

Some think he was sent to another class as a spy.

Some believe he was expelled from our class.

And, of course, there are thoughts of betrayal.

Maybe all these theories are baseless, but for now, people have nothing but their own assumptions.

Right now, only Ayanokoji-kun's thoughts truly matter.

Without any hesitation, I flung open the door to Class C's classroom.

Maybe he's still here.

Just as I thought…

Scanning the room for his face, I mentally counted the desks.

Even though Sakayanagi-san had left the school, the total number of desks hadn't decreased.

However, only a few boys and girls remained in the classroom.

Ayanokoji-kun was not among them.

— Tsukasaki-kun.

I immediately addressed Tsukasaki-kun, who was the closest to me.

— How can I help you?

— You already know. Where is Ayanokoji-kun?

— He left the classroom a few minutes ago. I think he was planning to go to the Keyaki Mall.

— Got it. Thanks.

There was no point in staying here any longer.

As I left the classroom, I encountered the smirks of students from other classes.

Of course, it was unpleasant, but there were more pressing matters right now.

Walking down the hallway, I tried calling Ayanokoji-kun.

But no matter how many rings there were, he never picked up.

Do you not hear it, or do you not want to?

— Horikita-san.

As I reached the stairs, Matsushita-san approached me.

— I'm sorry, but I'm in a hurry.

— I know. You're going to talk to Ayanokoji-kun, right? Let me come with you.

Matsushita-san fell in step beside me, matching my pace.

— But why?

— Because I want to know the reason for Ayanokoji-kun's transfer. Don't you have any guesses, Horikita-san?

— No, none. It would have made much more sense for him to transfer to Ryuen-kun's class. But now that Sakayanagi-san has

left Class C… transferring there is just meaningless.

— Exactly. Which means Ayanokoji-kun's actions are beyond basic comprehension.

— I don't know what to say. He was probably threatened.

Otherwise, where would such a large sum of money come from?

Logically, my brain understands that Ayanokoji-kun isn't the type to be lured by money or succumb to blackmail.

But I don't want to think about that.

In other words, Ayanokoji-kun's transfer was a deliberate decision.

The worst assumption is most likely the correct one.

— Right now… I don't want to think about anything until I hear everything from him personally.

— I also want to hear his reasoning in person. I hope it will be convincing enough.

That's true.

I also want to hear something convincing.

He once told me that he doesn't care much about his surroundings, which might make some people see him as a reclusive loner.

But that's not the case at all.

He extended a helping hand to me and supported our class.

So I am absolutely certain that every action he takes has some meaning.

Maybe he felt that Sakayanagi-san's class needed support, just like ours once did.

Or maybe there's something else behind it. Something much bigger.

That's why he decided to handle everything alone, without telling anyone anything.

Just like the hero of some movie.

Of course, I wanted to think that way.

But that wasn't the only thing that troubled me.

I wish he had discussed it with me.

No matter how strange the reason for the transfer might be.

Leaving the class without telling anyone anything is… it's…

— Ayanokoji-kun, why…

So, I'm not someone he can rely on?

— Nonsense…

Although, of course, that's exactly how it is.

Deep down, I understand.

A child who cannot be spoken to as an equal.

Someone who cannot be relied upon.

— D-damn…

I glanced anxiously at Matsushita-san.

Had my thoughts escaped my lips?

— In the end, this is Ayanokoji-kun we're talking about.

His transfer had already been officially confirmed.

But the possibility that this transfer happened without his consent still remains.

And if that's the case, we must do everything we can to bring him back.

Not just me. Our whole class should gather personal points for him.

Year 3 Volume 1 Chapter 2: "Clarification"Anime TVApril 11, 2025Part 1Following Tsukasaki-kun's words, we arrived at Keyaki Mall.

I overheard a snippet of a conversation, according to which they were supposed to meet at a cafe.

If the information is correct, then Ayanokoji-kun should be here.

How do you look right now?

What expression do you have on your face?

And what are you thinking about?

Suppressing my impatience, we arrived at the designated place.

Deep inside the cafe, I spotted Ayanokoji-kun, Hashimoto-kun,

Morishita-san from Class C, and Ichinose-san from Class D.

— Yes…

From the outside, he looks completely ordinary.

— It feels like he's not even thinking about the transfer.

This happened just an hour ago.

— In any case, we need to talk. Otherwise, we won't get anywhere.

I was climbing the stairs, but each step felt heavier than the last.

But just as I stepped toward their table, Hashimoto-kun ran up to us.

— Horikita-san in person. We're having a strategic meeting right now. How can I help you?

For some reason, an obstacle appeared before us.

However, the only person I want to talk to right now is Ayanokoji-kun.

— I want to talk to Ayanokoji-kun.

— If you want to chat with our candidate for leader, then you'll

have to talk to me first.

— Candidate for leader? That's… unexpected…

— It's not "unexpected" at all. I've been waiting for this for a very long time. Right, Ayanokoji?

Hashimoto-kun laughs and looks to Ayanokoji-kun for confirmation.

I can't lose my composure now, but the situation is pushing me in the opposite direction.

I can't even look him in the eye.

But his next words shock me:

— I can't deny it. Given the situation with Sakayanagi, it would be logical to expect the rise of a new leader.

I don't want to hear those words, so I ignore them and continue:

— So, what are you going to do? Why did you transfer?

— There could be problems if you try to speak with him directly.

— Sorry, but I want you to be quiet. As the class leader, I need to understand what's going on.

— Oh right, you are the leader of the class that just lost a student.

But what does that have to do with us? Your problems only work in our favor.

Hashimoto-kun is right. The current situation benefits them.

— Just don't look at me like that. By the way, what brings Matsushita-san here?

Hashimoto-kun turned his gaze to Matsushita-san.

For him, it was no trouble at all to point out the weak spot.

I did my best not to fall for his provocation.

But how do I even continue the negotiations?

Just as I thought about it, Matsushita-san herself joined the conversation.

— I'm just an escort. In other words, I represent the interests of ordinary students, not the leaders. Horikita-san seems to have a personal interest in Ayanokoji-kun, so an objective perspective is necessary.

I gave a brief nod.

— I see. It must be hard for you to understand why Ayanokoji transferred to a lower-ranked class. And, more importantly, why he was the one who chose to transfer.

That's true. There probably aren't many people who could even suspect the true strength of the person named Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

And Matsushita-san is likely one of those who don't know.

Ayanokoji-kun looked at us and then shifted his gaze back to Hashimoto:

— Matsushita's words about being an escort are most likely just a pretext.

— A pretext? But it seems to have convinced Horikita-san to bring her along.

— It's all about perception. To Horikita, Matsushita is just another classmate. But in reality, she's a master of deception. That means Matsushita might actually value my abilities even more than

Horikita herself.

Hearing Ayanokoji-kun's words, I looked at Matsushita-san.

Although she did her best to appear calm, I could still see her unease.

Based on Ayanokoji-kun's words, she had realized his abilities earlier than I had. And perhaps, she even knows more.

— I think she just didn't want to leave all the negotiations to Horikita. Judging solely by OAA, Matsushita looks like an ordinary

student who doesn't stand out, but in reality, she is probably one of the smartest students in Horikita's class. She usually

conserves her strength and operates behind the scenes. That's why, in this situation, she's able to analyze things far more calmly

and rationally than Horikita.

— Ayanokoji-kun, you're overestimating me.

Matsushita-san tried to deny his words, but Ayanokoji-kun continued:

— That's certainly not the case. Every time I asked you for help, you carried out the tasks flawlessly. You even played a part in

Maezono's expulsion. So my assessment of you is completely justified.

That was Ayanokoji-kun's response.

Matsushita-san could no longer hide her unease.

Apparently, some sort of connection had been established between Ayanokoji-kun and Matsushita-san without my knowledge.

And now he had revealed it so casually in front of students from other classes.

All to make it clear. He was no longer on our side.

Though, for him, this might not have even been a revelation. Just another fact among the many he knew.

Ichinose-san, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, rested her chin on her hands:

— I never knew Matsushita-san was like that. I still don't know much about Horikita-san's classmates. Well, I suppose I'll have to be more careful with her from now on. Who would have thought things would turn out this way?

Matsushita and I were practically under attack from students of other classes.

— Trying to figure out why I transferred is pointless. It all comes down to the fact that I didn't tell Horikita or Matsushita. I didn't tell

anyone in your class. But as you can see, neither Morishita, nor Hashimoto, nor Ichinose are surprised by my transfer. Do you understand what I'm getting at?

— You… could have just told them now.

— In that case, ask any student from Class C and then compare their answers with your own classmates'.

I was speechless.

My brain refused to process what had been said.

— Yeah, Horikita. It's scary when your students leave for another class, isn't it? When Katsuragi left, Ryuen gained some of our secrets, but since no one really trusted him, we didn't lose anything too important. But with Ayanokoji, it's different, right? He was the core of your class, so if we question him a bit longer, I'm sure he'll happily share your secrets. Secrets far more valuable than his connection to Matsushita.

Hashimoto lightly tapped the table.

— Any closer and… I just want to talk to you. Preferably the three of us.

— As you can see, I'm talking to Hashimoto and the others right now. So if you want to talk, do it in their presence.

— This isn't something I can discuss here and now… If you're busy, we could move the conversation to the evening or… maybe tomorrow.

— Sorry, I have my own plans.

No matter how many times he tries to brush me off, I have to keep pushing forward.

Right now, the cafe is full of customers, including many of our classmates.

If I embarrass myself here, it could negatively impact the future of our class.

— In that case, let's talk like this. I came to find out your true intentions.

— Do you really want to know the reason for my transfer?

— Yes. What did you do it for?

Is it my fault?

Or did something happen that made you change your mind?

I kept these questions to myself.

Right now, I'm desperately trying to suppress my emotions so I don't start yelling.

— Sorry, but I don't really feel like answering. The only thing you need to know is that I really did transfer to Class C. This isn't a dream, but reality.

Saying that, he turned away from me.

— Unfortunately, I have nothing more to say to you.

— You won't answer, Ayanokoji-kun? But then people will see you as a traitor.

Matsushita-san tried to push the topic further.

— Don't you already see me that way?

The person in front of me doesn't care how others perceive him.

Other people's opinions don't interest him in the slightest.

— Khm…

At this point, our persistence won't lead to any results.

Any further actions will only put my pathetic self on display.

No… I knew from the very beginning that this is how it would turn out.

I should have thought it through from the start. I could have waited for him at the dormitory, for example.

I knew that's what I should have done, but my emotions got the better of me.

— Let's go, Matsushita-san. He's our enemy now. No need to confirm it any further.

I turned my back on him and walked away.

The only thing I felt was an uncontrollable nausea that squeezed my whole body, right up to a pounding headache.

Report content on this page