ichi

After asking, Ichinose smiled for the first time today and shook her head

in denial.

Then she proposed a path that was not a path, one that she had conceived

in her own mind.

She suggested a method to achieve equilibrium among the four classes,

using her own thinking.

"Is this... the answer you want to give?"

"Maybe I answered incorrectly."

"——No."

I was speechless, unable to continue immediately.

My classmates who admire Ichinose and want to aim for Class A with

her.

The only possibility is for all of them to graduate without exception.

The missing element as a leader is now held in her own hands.

Speaking only of Ichinose's potential, it may be higher than Horikita or

Ryuuen.

If she can completely overcome her huge weakness of mental fragility

and then discard that naivety, it's truly unknown what kind of waves she

can make in the coming year.

I approached Ichinose and extended my hand to her.

"To realize this choice, it's necessary to maintain an appropriate distance

from each other. If we don't, we won't be able to start. Of course, it's fine

to use hatred as a driving force. There's no need to like me at all—"

"That's not it, Ayanokouji-kun."

Ichinose, who pulled my hand while standing up, immediately denied it.

"I shut myself in my room and tried to hate Ayanokouji-kun over and

over again. But I couldn't. I also understand that I'm being stupid, but I

can't change my feelings of liking you. And today, no matter how cruel

words Ayanokouji-kun said, nothing changed."

From her silky hair, a citrus-like fragrance wafted.

From Ichinose, who had been confined to her room, came such a scent.

In the darkness, I noticed her brightly colored hair.

Could it be that I had a big misunderstanding?

I simply assumed that everything today was initiated by me and guided

by me.

But in reality...

"Did you know I would come?"

"Yes, I knew. Ayanokouji-kun would definitely come to confirm what

state I was in and what kind of feelings I had. You couldn't suppress that

urge."

Ichinose was certain that on this day, no matter how late, I would come

to visit.

The emotionless text messages. The unlocked door.

The tidy room and the appearance that had been tidied up to meet

someone.

In other words, everything was prepared.

Of course, my proposal should not have been anticipated.

No, that's not clear either.

Even if Ichinose didn't know the whole picture, the possibility that she

noticed was definitely not low.

"The curfew is already over. If you leave your room now, someone

might see you. If that happens, it might hinder our plan."

"That's true—"

"...So, let's make Ayanokouji-kun an accomplice...?"

Not once, but twice, it exceeded my expectations.

As expected, Ichinose is excellent.

"How do we become accomplices?"

"There's no more hiding anything between you and me. I don't want

there to be."

Ichinose grabbed my hand.

Without saying a word, she pulled me forcefully.

Then when I was about to pull back, she pushed me down onto the bed

again this time.

"Sit on the bed," I felt her meaning and sat down. No, I was made to sit

down.

Ichinose, who was standing in front of me, looked down at me.

"I think I understand everything about what happened to Kei."

"...What do you mean?"

"She must have been touched by Ayanokouji-kun's dark side, saved, and

then seen hell. Ayanokouji-kun believes that these were necessary for

Kei."

"Perhaps."

"That's really too much. Even if you eventually saved her, I can hardly

call it the right thing to do. Because you're casually hurting, destroying,

and correcting the other person."

Ichinose didn't know that I had broken up with Kei.

However, she could understand from various signs that I was going to

deliberately break up with her.

"The same goes for me, right? Like Kei—no, like the other students. I'm

being played with by Ayanokouji-kun."

Ichinose's eyes were beautiful and clear, but they also had a sharp

darkness that waxed and waned.

In her ever-changing eyes, a powerful light now flickered.

It exceeded my calculations, a color that could not be judged as black or

white.

"You—"

Grabbing my shoulders, she pushed me back with her weight.

"Just as Ayanokouji-kun used me, I'm also using you. I have the right to

do so, don't I?"

"I don't have the right to deny it."

"I won't change my feelings of liking Ayanokouji-kun. I can't forget

them. In fact, I can't stop thinking about seeing you. More than any

classmate, more than any family member, all I think about is you, and

only you. But Ayanokouji-kun isn't like that. You're not looking at me.

Your vision is broader, and you only consider yourself."

Ichinose smiled, seeing through my true feelings.

"I think that's fine. But I can't forgive you. Just as Ayanokouji-kun

casually left a mark on my heart, I want to leave a deep mark on

Ayanokouji-kun's heart as I wish."

Ichinose supported herself on the bed with both hands, making a

creaking sound.

Grabbing my hand, she moved it.

Her heartbeat, which I had never heard directly until now, was

transmitted through my hand.

My heart was beating very fast, definitely not calm, and I knew she was

extremely nervous.

Outside the window, the pouring rain collided with the window, and

raindrops splashed and thunder roared.

"You did something very wrong to Kei. If she found out—you would be

very troubled, right?"

"I'm sorry, but I already broke up with Kei before coming here. After all,

visiting a girl's room at night involves certain risk management

procedures."

However, my initial concern was that I might be lured into a trap out of

hatred.

"Is that so? I've been cooped up in my room lately, so I didn't know."

No wonder. This didn't happen last week or yesterday.

But today—March 30th.

"So even if you did something like this, it wouldn't be usable as a

threat."

My vision was completely obscured by Ichinose's presence, everything

plunged into darkness.

"I didn't mean to threaten you."

Ichinose breathed softly into my ear, her cheeks turning red, but she still

maintained a feverish posture.

She pressed her lips against mine.

The forceful attack caused our teeth to clash, and Ichinose was startled

slightly.

"Sorry, I didn't do it well. Because, this is my first kiss—."

Saying so, this time she slowly and gently pressed her lips against mine.

"Is this right...?

"Yeah..."

"You're not going to run away...?

"There's no such option. Forcing my way out of here would be even

riskier."

Ichinose had made up her mind, she wouldn't let me escape.

If I used brute force to pull her away, at worst we might end up fighting.

For a guy who had entered a girls' dormitory at night, that would be a

dead end.

It couldn't be solved with a simple warning.

Ichinose's determination was that high.

So, I must respond to that determination.

I reached for Ichinose's clothes, preparing to take them off.

In an instant, she hesitated, her body stiffening. But she soon relaxed and

took off her own shirt.

This was already beyond the realm of reason.

I was trapped.

From the moment I stepped into this room, there was no turning back.

But at the same time, I was deeply attracted to the unknown charm she

possessed.

I thought the necessary learning was over.

But perhaps this was just the beginning.

In this room where only the two of us were, darkness encroached on

every corner.

This was not a ceremony to become lovers.

If it were, it wouldn't have been valid from the beginning.

This was an absolute contract, a mutual need between us.

Then, together with the contract, we united to the deepest depths.

Desperately, we devoured each other.