Class-E, The Experiments

Chapter XIX: Slow Tick

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"Oh, what a tangled web we weave...when first we practice to deceive."

-

Walter Scott

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Unknown POV

The rhythmic ticking of the old clock echoed through the barren space I called my dorm room. My foot tapped lightly against the floor in time with the sound, a steady beat filling the silence. I didn't regret spending points on it, it had a strangely calming effect... I suppose.

Leaning back, I let my chair creak under my weight, my gaze settling on the desk in front of me. Scattered across its surface were papers filled with notes on historical groups that had caught my interest. Studying them wasn't just a way to pass the time, it was a way to build knowledge, to understand patterns.

"Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it." That's what people always say. But I've found that even when people do know the past, they repeat it anyway.

The real value in history isn't in avoiding past mistakes. It's in learning how to use them.

As I pick up one of the papers, a document detailing the Cheka and its activities, I hear a knock at my door. Letting out a sigh, I reach for the cane resting against my armchair, pushing myself up with measured movements. Slowly, I make my way to the door, glancing through the peephole.

Of course. It had to be her.

Oh well.

"What do you want, Sakayanagi?" I ask, my voice laced with exhaustion, perfectly fitting the role of the ever-tired, unremarkable classmate she and her companion know me as.

I open the door, looking down at the petite girl standing before me. She doesn't seem fazed by my rudeness, offering a calm smile as she replies, "I simply wanted to properly meet one of my allies. Besides, you don't seem particularly busy. Am I wrong, Mesekkai Akifumi-kun?"

Really? Using my full name now?

"Just call me Mesekkai or Akifumi. It's just a name, and honestly, it's embarrassing to be spoken to so formally by someone half my size," I say, deliberately throwing in the height remark, knowing it'll irk her just a little.

And yet, she doesn't seem fazed by my remark, simply walking past me into my room without hesitation.

"My, my, what a dull room you have. It reminds me of a nursery home," she muses, her tone light but laced with amusement.

I glance at the person accompanying her, Kamuro, with her signature purple hair. She merely shrugs, already accustomed to Sakayanagi's antics.

Letting out a sigh, I turn around and address the unwelcome guest. "First of all, I don't recall inviting you in, so spare me the commentary. Secondly, if it weren't for the 'role' the school assigned me, I would've sided with Katsuragi without a second thought."

A blatant lie. And I think Sakayanagi knows it.

"Oh?" She tilts her head slightly, eyes gleaming with amusement. "But I think you wouldn't. You know..." Her smile widens just a fraction. "I've been watching you."

Creep.

"And, well, you don't seem like the type to make idiotic choices."

I raise an eyebrow. While I was aware of Hashimoto tailing me a few times, I don't recall doing anything that would lead her to such a conclusion.