With that resolved, we reconvened in the classroom during our lunch to discuss strategy. Horikita had been reluctant to participate, but thanks to Kushida's persuasive tears, she agreed to join. As for the person of interest, even if Sudou said he didn't care and compromised, he could easily become stubborn in critical situations. While thinking about how it could become difficult at any moment, I kept silent.
"Can we really prove Sudou's innocence tomorrow?" Kushida asked.
"Your class has no choice but to prove it." Shibata looked at them with pity.
"Of course we will. It's obvious that I was set up. I'm definitely innocent. Right?" Sudo said.
Why do you ask them if you are innocent or not? You yourself must know the truth. But of course, proving that without proper evidence is difficult." Katsuragi stated.
"Which makes me wonder, how did you test it?" Nishikawa asked.
"It will probably show up later." Hirata said.
"Oh, okay."
Isn't it already obvious though?'
They simultaneously looked at Horikita for her opinion. Horikita simply ate her bread in silence, either because she couldn't answer or because she found the argument annoying.
"Hey, Horikita. What do you think?" Sudou, clearly unable to read the room, approached Horikita.
"Don't bring your dirty face so close to me."
'Oh.'
"HA HA HA HA mate, your face must have been so dirty that Horikita didn't want it anywhere near hers." Ike laughed at Sudo, who glared at him.
"N-It's not dirty." Sudou was trembling. Perhaps he was injured by that unexpected blow?
I can't help but be taken aback by your belief that your innocence can be easily proven. Although he has obtained evidence that works in his favor, he is still at a very disadvantageous situation."
"But we have a witness who knows I'm innocent, and the other guys were real jerks back in the day. That should be enough, right? Those guys are bad news." Sudou, completely blind to his own shortcomings, haughtily crossed his legs and nodded his head.
"I know, I know. Having Sakura as a witness didn't really make a difference since she's in our class." sweat complained. The students who opened their mouths closed it again.
"Who are you and what have you done to Ken?" Yamauchi asked.
"Huh?! Hey, I'm Ken. What the hell are you talking about?!" Sudo yelled.
"Stop talking! Some of us are trying to look in peace, you know that?" snapped Karuizawa.
"I'm sorry."
"Ah hey, wait a second! I'm still reading that! Put it back!"
"Okay, isn't it? Anyway, I paid half of it. I'll pay you back later."
Ike and Yamauchi flipped through a weekly manga magazine. I guess they had been quietly reading manga while we had our important meeting. Considering their bitter tears at having no points at all, it seemed incredible to me that they still managed to buy a magazine every week.
Ike and Yamauchi smiled sheepishly.
"He he".
"You class D really surprised me every time." Ryuuen laughed.
"How much is it worth to hire you?" Sakayanagi asked the two.
Hey? What do you mean? Hire-what?" Ike asked confused.
Sakayanagi smiled, "To rent you and your friend of course. I want to provide good entertainment for my class who have done a wonderful job and of course celebrate Katsuragi-kun's defeat."
Hey...?" Ike, no, all the students and teachers looked at her in shock. Some found it amusing and chuckled, while others sent pitying glances at the other Class A representative.
Katsuragi just looked at the girl. No doubt in her mind that she sabotaged it.
"What's the face for, Katsuragi-kun? Your loss in the recent exam wasn't my fault." Sakayanagi laughed.
"You are disgusting. Stop laughing." Kamuro snaps irritably.
"What do you mean, Masumi-san?"
Meanwhile, Hirata tried to comfort the two 'depressed' students to the best of his ability.
"Hey?" Kushida, sitting next to me as the Ike/Yamauchi show was going on, seemed deep in thought. "Maybe..." she murmured.
"What's happening?" I asked.
"Ah, nothing. It's nothing. There was just something on my mind."
I didn't understand what she meant, but Kushida took out her phone and started looking for something.
After returning to my bedroom, I lay on my bed and absentmindedly watched TV. My mind went blank as I allowed myself to relax. Then, I received an email from Sakura.
"If I were absent from school tomorrow, what do you think would happen?"
"Hmm, so you're the type to run away or retreat every time a problem arises?" Ibuki said.
Airi shuddered in embarrassment. She lowered his head and avoided looking at anyone. Haruka frowned. She didn't like this one bit.
"Then what? People like Sakura-san are only expected to be shy when talking to a group of people. An uptight and important one at that." Haruka stood up for the timid and shy girl.
"Just say." Ibuki shrugged.
Airi looked at Haruka and smiled gratefully.
"No problem!" Haruka mouthed back. Maybe she made a new friend. Smiling at the thought, he looked back at the screen and kept watching.
"What do you mean?"
Although my answer had been short, I waited for a while for his answer.
"What are you doing right now?"
That was her answer. I replied that I was alone in my room.
"If it's okay with you, could we meet right now? I'm in room 1106."
If you could keep this a secret from everyone... That would really help me."
"A date with a girl this late? Ayanokoji, you bastard." Ike stared at him.
"We didn't do anything wrong." Ayanokoji said. 'And it's not like I was the one who wanted to meet in the first place.'
Airi blushed at the implications.
I received two messages from her in quick succession. It was more like texting than email. What exactly was I getting to? I wondered. I thought about asking her why, but then I stopped writing. If she messed up, she could still text me, but it would probably be harder to pay him a visit. I had a feeling it would be better if we met directly, so I started to rewrite my answer.
"I'll go there in about five minutes."
After submitting my reply, I reached for my coat, but stopped. Since we were in the same dorm, going out in just a t-shirt was probably fine. I headed to Sakura's room. The upper level... in other words, where the girls lived. This was the first time I set foot there. The school did not necessarily prohibit the entry of children. Even if someone saw me go there, it wouldn't be a problem. In fact, the popular kids often headed there to hang out and have fun.
"S-sorry for the trouble, Ayanokoji-kun." Airi bowed apologizing for causing trouble for the boy.
"Okay. At least you got your answer in the end." Ayanokoji said nonchalantly.
Horikita's eyes widened as she realized that was where she found him waiting for the elevator.
"Huh. Maybe you are a decent boy after all." Horikita said. "And here I thought you'd be fantasizing about Sakura-san, which is why you're so involved in this case."
"I told you, didn't I?" Ayanokoji sighed.
Ichinose paused, "Horikita-san thought Ayanokoji-kun was fantasizing about Sakura-san...?" SHe let Horikita's comment sink into his brain. "Hey?!"
"That's not nice, Horikita-san." Matsushita said. "Ayanokoji-kun didn't seem like that kind of person."
Although we were allowed a relative degree of freedom, entry was prohibited after 8:00 p.m. Naturally, it was forbidden to go to the girls' flat in the middle of the night.
I pushed the elevator call button. When the doors opened, Horikita was standing there. What a horrendous moment.For some reason, I was completely unable to move. I stayed there. Was this good luck or bad luck? In the case of bumping into an acquaintance, I had to ask myself.
"Bad luck, man." Hashimoto laughed. "That's why she thought so. Especially seeing you sneaking up to Sakura-san's room like that."
"What? Aren't you getting on?" she asked.
Looking at me, she tried to close the doors.
"Oh yeah. I'm getting…"
While I felt this was probably a bad idea, I jumped up and hit the button for the eleventh floor. I saw that the button for the thirteenth floor was also on. That must have been Horikita's floor. For some reason, I had the strange feeling that she was watching me from behind."You're going to...go home late tonight, huh?" I asked without looking at her. The silence was unbearable.
"I was shopping. Didn't you see it?"
I heard the rustle of the vinyl bags.
"That reminds me. You cook for yourself, don't you?"
"Eh, really? I don't consider you the type to cook your own food." Karuizawa said.
"I'm just saving my money. Plus, it's healthier and cheaper compared to buying it at the coffee shop or convenience store." Horikita said.
"Heh. I don't know how to cook though. It must be nice to cook your own food." Karuizawa puffed out her cheeks.
It seemed that the elevator was going slower than usual. We were still on the sixth floor. Being sneakily invited by a girl was a stressful situation. My restlessness meant that I had to say something.
"For someone who doesn't like trouble, you've been extremely proactive in getting involved in this case. Or maybe you have ulterior motives?"
As you probably know by now, I don't.” Ayanokoji shook her head.
Sudo seemed particularly moved. "Oh thanks man! You're a great friend as opposed to someone." He subtly hits his other two friends, which are Ike and Yamauchi. He's grateful that Ayanokoji helped him because they're friends and all, with no ulterior motives.
""Hey, what do you mean by that?" Ike yelled in outrage.
"Yes! We help you, you know!" Yamauchi seconded.
Ike looked at Sudo, "Have you forgotten that
Shall we help find the witness?"
"Yes? And after that?" sweat replied.
"It's what I thought."
Horikita was clearly probing.
"If you have something to say, why not go out and say it?"
"You're going to meet Sakura-san, right?" she asked
"No I'm not." I immediately denied it, but I wondered if Horikita could see the truth.
"Well. I guess where you go is none of my business."
In that case, don't ask me about it! Well, that was what I wanted to say, but I uttered the words only in my head.
"How many and what things have you thought of me differently than what comes out of your mouth, I wonder?" Horikita said sarcastically.
Ayanokoji opened her mouth, but stopped momentarily. "Probably a lot."
"That was sarcasm".
"I know."
After a long time, we finally reached the eleventh floor in complete silence. I got out of the elevator, trying to stay calm. I didn't look back.
"Forgive me for intruding..." I said at Sakura's door.
"Come on." She greeted me dressed in casual clothes.
"So. What did you need from me?"
"Umm... Ayanokouji-kun, do you remember what you said earlier? You said that I wasn't required to come forward even if I was the witness. You also said that there was no point in forcing me to testify."
"Well..." Katsuragi thinks hard. "If only the witness was in a different class, then that may affect the case differently. You're also shy and shy from what I gathered, so speaking in front of an audience must terrify you."
That was when I met Sakura by accident. I nodded slightly.
"I… I just don't have any self-confidence after all."
"Is it about talking in front of other people?"
"I've been terrible at it for so long...I'm not good at speaking in front of others. If I'm asked to testify in front of the teachers tomorrow, I don't think I'd have the confidence to do it." answer correctly.
So...""Which is essential. Your confidence to answer those questions is the credibility of your role as a witness and what comes out of your mouth." Ichinose nodded in understanding.
So if Sakura-san didn't answer clearly or confidently, will the credibility of her statements be questioned?" Sato asked.
Hirata nodded in confirmation. "It will come out because she was forced to testify against class C because they are classmates. It can even be interpreted as a script or a lie to save Sudo, a classmate."
The students who were confused nodded in understanding.
"So you're considering taking the day off from school?"
Sakura nodded slightly before collapsing and putting her forehead on the table.
"Ahhhhh. God, why am I so completely useless?!" She shrank in on herself, clearly embarrassed. It was the first time he had seen her like this.
"You don't need to degrade yourself,
Sakura-san!" Haruka smiled.
Miyake agreed, "Yes. Being the witness and knowing that you control a student's future at school is hard after all, especially since Sudo-kun is a classmate."
"The important thing is that you are doing your best for Sudo-kun." Yukimura added.
"Sakura, you're surprisingly nervous, huh?"
I felt the gap between the person I was seeing now and her usual behavior, and was a bit taken aback. Or rather, I was surprised.
"Huh?!"
,Sakura, realizing that she had let me see this side of her, blushed and shook her head.
"N-no! I'm not like that at all."
So that she could be encouraged. I had no idea, considering his usually depressed look.
"Hey, can I just ask you one thing? Why did you call me?"
Kushida or someone else would have been friendlier, easier to talk to.
"That's because I'm not afraid of your eyes, Ayanokouji-kun..."
"His eyes?"
The students looked confused.
"What does that have to do with
nothing?" Kamuro asked.
"Uh...a...well-" Airi stammered. "I can tell if someone has an ulterior motive or if they are a good person or not." He explained quietly.
"Oh.."
"What a great skill!"
"I wish I could do that too." Yume pouted.
Airi breathes in relief.
Hey? What did that mean? He certainly didn't have scary eyes or anything, but…
"If you're looking for someone to talk to, Kushida is a much warmer and more outgoing person. She also has a lot of friends."
"Oh no. I don't mean the eyes you've seen me with. I mean the pupils, way back in the eyes... If you look deep into someone's eyes, you'll understand. I'm sorry, I really can't explain it well."
So, it like an insight into a person's true self? When someone looked at me, would they see that I am insubstantial and lacking in ambition? This was a bit tricky.
"Seriously, what a useful skill." Amikura sighed.
"I know right?" Sato agreed.
Karuizawa pouted, her fingers playing with her hair. "I want that too. It must be cool to know if someone like you knows evil and stuff."
"Well, it's just that…When I see a man…even if he seems nice…I'm suddenly scared."
Maybe that came from a woman's point of view. It might have been natural for her to feel uncomfortable around men, but Sakura had an unnaturally terrified expression on her face. Speaking of which, I remembered the day we went to repair his digital camera...
"Ugh! Don't remind me." Karuizawa shuddered in disgust.
The girls agreed with her.
He's so honestly creepy," said Nishikawa.
"Especially the way he was looking at Sakura-san." Himeno said.
The boys slowly moved away as some of the girls looked at them suspiciously.
It was certainly true that men and women generally differed in physical strength and stamina. However, some girls were all too aware of that fact and lived in abnormal degrees of fear. I wondered if something had happened in Sakura's past that caused her intense fear in men.
Why the hell was I arbitrarily analyzing her? I felt a little disgusted with myself, as usual.
"It's alright, Ayanokoji-kun." Airi smiled.
"It's not." Katsuragi disagreed.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Sato asked.
Before Katsuragi could reply, Ryuuen intervened. "It means that analyzing a person so deeply is not normal."
"Isn't it normal for people to analyze a person based on their actions and what they're showing? Is it?" Amikura said.
This time, Sakayanagi shook her head. "It's perfectly normal for humans to analyze a person based on what you said. But what Ryuuen-kun and Katsuragi-kun are saying is that, analyzing a person so deeply: the cause of their origin, thoughts, and the way they What the person sees others is not normal. Also, for Ayanokoji-kun, it seemed to be something subconscious that he does on a daily basis that people don't do."
The students looked at her before moving their gaze to the boy.
I thought you had my back? Traitor.' Ayanokoji sighed, knowing that she had to give a good explanation.
"My father taught me that. As a company heir, you must be cautious and quick to make a deduction in a matter of moments. He taught me how to use it to my advantage. I apologize if I made you uncomfortable, Sakura Practicing certain skills multiple times It must have made me do it unconsciously." Ayanokoji explained and apologized.
Airi just smiled and assured her that she didn't, it made her uncomfortable anyway.
"Hmm, you're right, Ayanokoji-kun." Sakayanagi agreed for the sake of his reputation. Katsuragi, on the other hand, looked at him deeply in thought.
It's true that having that ability is important, but in that department? It's creepy and disturbing for him to know that someone is going through him in great detail.
"Uh, that must suck." Karuizawa played along.
"Yes," Sato agreed. She sent a pitying look at Ayanokoji.
"Your father seemed to be strict,
Ayanokoji-kun." Miyake commented.
"He is." Ayanokoji nodded, "I follow his every order. I even let him take control of my own life."
In that place, at least.
"I know it would be nice to just say what I saw. But no matter what I do, I can't seem to imagine it... How can I say that assertively?"
She was so worried that she had asked a student like me for help. She had probably been agonizing over it for the past few days. Even with a helping hand from me, she seemed to be in pain.
"If you want to quit, do you want me to talk?""You will not be mad?"
"I told you before, didn't I? If we force you to testify, it wouldn't make sense."
Sakura was an invaluable witness, but her evidence wasn't automatically reliable. She might not have any influence on the outcome. However, if she was absent, Sudou might get angry. He should probably try to persuade her to participate, but he had no idea how to do it.
I won't!" Sudo spluttered. He waved his arms around.
Airi just nodded at him.
"Really Ken?" Ike joked.
"I thought you were mad at the witness for not coming here sooner?" Yamauchi also scoffs.
"Wh-what! Having a witness especially in our class is pointless!" sweat said.
"But that's not what you said that time." Ike and Yamauchi laughed at him.
"Umm... what do you think would be better?"
What should I do, Ayanokouji-kun?"
"I think you should do what you want, Sakura."
I probably wanted a more concrete guide, but unfortunately this was the best I could do. I was not an outstanding person, and certainly not qualified to guide anyone. I was not suitable for that job.
"Even being resourceful and cunning, you have little self-confidence, huh?" Ichinose said.
"And you seemed like a great person to ask for advice. The advice you have, Ichinose-san, was perfect after all." Hiyori said. Chihiro blushed when she remembered her failed confession.
I see. Well, I guess it's probably annoying to ask you for help like that... I'm just no good. That's probably why I can't even make a single friend."
'Then why am I here? To be a decoration? Ike, Yamauchi and Sudo thought.
Sakura shrugged and smiled wryly. She seemed disgusted with herself.
"Sakura, I think you'll be able to make friends with someone in no time."
"I'm sorry. I don't know how best to say what I feel... You seem to get along very well with a lot of people, Ayanokouji-kun. I'm a little envious."
"No, i do not do it".
Apparently, Sakura believed that I had a lot of friends and a lot of fun.
"Well, looking at someone else's perspective, it seems like you have a lot of friends and you always hang out with them after class." Ichinose said.
"It may be presumptuous of me to say this, but I think we're like friends. We are," I said.
Sakura and I stared at each other.
"Are we friends? Really?" she whispered.
"If you don't believe it, Sakura, then that's different."
"No…it makes me happy…to hear you say that," Sakura replied, still looking somewhat puzzled.
"If that's the case, then Miyachii and I will be your friends too!" Haruka smiled and said brightly to Airi, who just looked at her in surprise.
"Count me in, Sakura-san!"
"Me too!"
The girls in different classes, mostly from class B and class D gaveThe girls in different classes, mostly from Class B and Class D, said.
Airi's eyes glazed over. ", thank you all." she whispered, truly touched.
I started to realize that if people didn't talk face to face, they wouldn't have an idea of what the other person was really like. I was surprised to discover the unexpected side of Sakura. If she let this part of her out more, she'd probably make friends right away. Honestly, even a little tweaking would do wonders. But for her, I figured making even a small adjustment would be difficult. What may seem trivial to one person may be quite difficult for another, depending on their problems.
"Thank you for coming to see me today," Sakura said.
"It's not a big deal. You can call me at any time."
If I could ease Sakura's burdens even a little, then it was worth it. He would let Sakura decide herself whether or not she would come to school tomorrow. Thinking our conversation was over, I stood up and started to leave, but it seemed like Sakura still wasn't feeling well.
"Do you have any plans for tonight? For now?" I asked.
?" Yamauchi and Ike stopped cheering. They slowly turned to look at
Ayanokoji. "Bastard! You invited to
Sakura-chan to go out?!"
"I didn't. I just asked her out to think more clearly."
"¿S-sakura-chan...?"
"Right now? No, I don't have anything planned. Or rather, I didn't make any plans."
Hmm. I even felt a little sad when I heard someone say that.
""Well, why don't you hang out with me for a bit? If it's not a bother, of course."
I decided to be bold and invite Sakura. She stiffened, almost as if she'd forgotten the time, and realized she had to be somewhere important. It seemed that she couldn't understand what he had meant. Then, without hesitation, she got up from his seat.
"Heh !" Jumping up, she hit her knees on the table and doubled over in pain. His glasses flew from his face.
"Oh."
"Oh."
Multiple students flinched, they know the pain when you bump into hard, sharp objects.
"How clumsy." Ryuuen sneered.
"Shut up!"
"It seemed like it really hurt just now. Are you alright?" I asked.
"I… I'm perfectly fine!"
She wasn't very convincing; the pain was so intense that she was on the verge of tears. I took his glasses. Just as he had thought, there were no glasses. I returned the glasses. Her hands trembled as he took them, and she thanked me. Sakura struggled with her pain for about a minute before she finally settled down and settled down.
"W-where do you want to go?" she asked.
She was on guard, but I didn't understand why. Maybe she thought I was some kind of seductress trying to talk her down softly. If that was the case, it was wrong.
"I'm sorry." Airi apologizes meekly and timidly. She turned red with embarrassment because she actually thought of that.
'She really thought that? That hurts.' Ayanokoji felt a pang in her heart."
I haven't really decided. I just felt like wandering around, you know? Ah, but I hate being in hot places…"
Sakura responded cautiously, as if worried about what to say. "If you don't mind… there's a place I'd like to go to. Is that alright?"
"Huh? Yeah sure, I don't mind. Please lead the way."
I didn't really care for the location; I just wanted a change of scenery and talk. If Sakura had a preferred location, then everything would go according to plan.
"So, you have a plan for that day." Horikita said.
Ayanokoji shook her head. "More like a quick and completely unexpected plan."
Sakura took me to the place I wanted to visit. I must admit I was not expecting the location. We went to a part of the building used specifically for club activities, located away from the school. She led me through a building that had a pronounced Japanese style, one that housed things like the archery club and the tea ceremony club. From a short distance, we could hear the sound of arrows being fired.
"Where were you in the club that day?" Haruka asked Miyake curiously.
He shook his head, "I was in my room resting after class."
"Heh. Who was that, I wonder?" She
smiled.
"You are curious, aren't you?" Miyake laughed. "Just look."
"Just asking!"
"You're not doing any club activities, are you?"
"I'm not, but I've wanted to come here at least once. I'd stand out if I came alone, so…"
"You really hate standing out,
eh". Matsushita dijo.
"Not just me, I can tell."
"Not all people like to stand out, Matsushita-san." Kanzaki said.
Ryuuen smiled, "Yeah, look at Vice President-kun for example."
"Huh?! Are you saying something-!" Nagumo was interrupted as Manabu glared at him, forcing him to bite his tongue and scowl at the boy.
If you were to walk around here alone, people would think you were interested in joining their club. However, if a couple got together, then people would just assume they were on a date.
"Why did you ask me out, anyway?" she asked.
"Hmm? Why? It's a bit hard to answer when you ask me like that." I was worried about how everything would go tomorrow. But even if I said something, I would still feel uncomfortable. "I asked you because I thought it would be nice for a change of scenery, I guess. I mean, I'm a bit of a loner, so I usually stay in my room. I tend to stay behind all the time." time."
Sakura seemed somewhat unconvinced by my roundabout answer.
"Ayanokouji-kun, don't you have many friends?"
"Yes? Like who?"
"Horikita-san, Kushida-san, Ike-kun, Sudou-kun, Yamauchi-kun..."
He listed their names as he counted them off on his fingers.
Well, they're just for show. No, you're right, a friend is a friend. I guess what I mean is that I feel like that's all we are as a group and looking in. Do you think we get along, Sakura? ?
"I understand you". Miyake, Haruka, Yukimura, Nishikawa and the other students said who is a loner.
"Just for show?" Ike, Yamauchi, and Sudo stared.
"I don't count you as a friend, and don't
misunderstand." Horikita looked at him
"I know. That's why I said that." Ayanokoji raised her arms in mock defense.
Sakura nodded without hesitation. If she said so, maybe it was true. I guess I didn't understand myself.
"How can someone not understand himself?" Yume asked in confusion.
"A baby who is still developing his persona." Sakayanagi said."
But Ayanokoji-kun is ateenager?" Sato asked.
"Some are still developing even in our era, Sato-san." Katsuragi said.
"I don't know how to make friends at all. I'm envious. You were the first person to call me a friend."
"What about Kushida? Wasn't she the first person to ask you out?"
Shyly, Sakura gave a self-deprecating smile. "Yes. I should apologize to Kushida-san at some point. She was the first to call me and ask me out, because I didn't have the courage... In fact, I wanted to hang out with her. I just couldn't answer her, no matter what. I did. I'm so pathetic."
If you were good at conversing with other people, it would be easier for you. I was once again impressed by Horikita's ability to tease Ike and Yamauchi while naturally dealing with complete strangers. That was a splendid talent.
"Can I give you a little tip for tomorrow?"
She didn't mean to give him an empty breath like "do your best." Sakura should face tomorrow completely as herself.
"For Sudou. For Kushida. For your classmates. Throw away all those thoughts."
"Huh?"
"Throw it all?"The students asked in confusion.
"Huh? Throw them... all?"
"When you testify tomorrow, speak for yourself. As someone who tells the truth of what you saw, as a witness."
It was good for a self-sufficient person to try to do something for other people. However, Sakura still couldn't take proper care of herself. She had a tendency to wrap herself up and endure pain, sadness, and suffering alone. If you weren't happy yourself, you couldn't make others happy either.
"That makes sense." Ichinose said.
It's really simple. How can you make someone happy and love if you can't even do it yourself? Be happy for yourself, love yourself. All those are the first step before giving it to someone else.
How can you testify as a witness if you don't have the confidence to speak in front of an audience that expects people to believe yourHow can you testify as a witness if you don't have the confidence to speak in front of an audience that expects people to believe your statements? Nobody. So, to make others believe you and your statements. First of all, you have to believe in yourself and have the confidence to deliver your speech perfectly in front of them. After all, no one will believe a person who has low expectations and low self-confidence.
"Tell the truth for your own good. Do that, and Sudou will be saved. That's enough."
I didn't know how effective my advice would be. It was probably just pointless nonsense, actually. But maybe it was right to encourage Sakura to speak for herself. Maybe I did it because I understood how it feels to be loved. Because I needed someone to know that I understood the pain and anguish of fighting loneliness.
Sakayanagi smiled sadly.
The person, who was called as the masterpiece, all the survivor of the 4th Generation must have been sad.The person, who was called as the masterpiece, all the survivor of the 4th Generation must have been sad and lonely for him. To fight alone, to watch his comrades get rid of one by one until he was the only one left. Sharing his pain, suffering, loneliness, and burden with no one but himself. Even as the proclaimed masterpiece, it must have reached its mental limit.
"Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun."
Hopefully, my words had found support somewhere in Sakura's heart.
That night, under Kushida's orders, everyone except Sudou gathered in my room. Apparently, Kushida had even invited Horikita, but it seemed like she didn't want to join us.
"So. Has there been any progress, Kushida-chan?"
"There has been progress, yes, but I've also noticed something incredible. Ayanokouji-kun, can I borrow your computer for a minute?"
"Sure," I replied with a nod. Kushida went to my desktop computer, turned it on, and opened the Internet browser.
"Okay. Take a look at this!"
Kushida accessed what appeared to be someone's blog. It was also quite elaborate. Unlike a normal person's website, it had the shine and shine of a full-fledged business.
Huh?!" Airi gasped in shock, Haruka and the others turned to her.
"Are you alright, Sakura-chan?" Haruka asked worriedly.
Airi can only nod before looking back at the screen.
Did you find my blog?'
""Wait, is that a picture of Shizuku?"
";Shizuku?"
"Shizuku?"
"Who is that?"
"Huh? You guys don't know her?" asked Ike surprised.
"She's a gravure idol. She just appeared in a young men's magazine."
There were many photos of her. I certainly couldn't complain about her looks or proportions.
"An idol?!" Shibata yelled.
"Hey, isn't that... Sakura-san?" Matsushita asked uncertainly.
Ibuki, Amikura, Yume, Sato, Shinohara's eyes widened.
"Do we have an idol in our school-class?!" Sato yelled.
"P-please give me your hand!
"I signed my face!"
"Please marry me!"
"You're so cute, Sakura-chan!"
"Oh..."
"Do you recognize her?" Kushida asked.
"Am I supposed to acknowledge her?"
"Look closely."
Kushida clicked on a photo of Shizuku's face.
Ike looked at her for a long time and then...
"She is cute."
"No, not that! This is Sakura-san, isn't it?"
"Kushida-chan, who are you talking about?"
"Sakura-san, from our class."
"Huh? No way, no way. Sakura-san? No, no, no, there's no way that's true." Ike laughed, but Yamauchi's expression stiffened.
"What do you mean? She looks exactly the same without the glasses and with a different hairstyle!" Yume said excitedly.
"Hey, Ike... You know, when I look at her closely, I think... she probably looks a bit like Sakura."
"But she doesn't wear glasses, right? And her hair is different."
“Those are simplistic ways of identifying someone…”
Although I hadn't made the connection at first, I realized that it was definitely Sakura. However, it seemed that Ike still couldn't believe it. He was still struggling from the confusion as he stared at the screen.
"So Sakura is Shizuku? That's a lie, right? I mean, sure, there's a slight resemblance, but they're different people. I mean, look how insanely bright and happy Shizuku is. Right? Come on, Ayanokouji."
"Why are you so intent on denying it? It's so obvious you're being annoying." Shinohara asked annoyed.
"Who asked your opinion?!" Ike stared at her.
"Huh? Are you saying something?!" Shinohara told himreturned the look.
Hirata stepped between them, "Fighting is neither good nor necessary. Let's calm down, okay?"
All the photos she had uploaded were cute, so she seemed used to taking selfies. However, I caught a glimpse of an incontrovertible piece of evidence proving that Sakura and idol Shizuku were one and the same.
"No, Kushida is definitely right. That's Sakura. Here."I pointed to one of the pictures.
"You can barely see it, but her bedroom door is in this photo."
"Uh, now that you said that." Ichinose narrowed her eyes at the screen. Despite knowing it already, she is still dizzy from meeting and shaking hands with an idol.
"It looks like the gates of
our bedroom."
In other words, it was likely that she had taken that photo at school.
"Okay, so Sakura is Shizuku after all... I still don't get the point."
"Me neither".
"Do you have to? She's an idol!"
"Huh?! That's beside the point!"
"Stop arguing with me!"
"For!"
"Good job noticing this,"Good job noticing this, Kushida." I meant it. Although there was a clear resemblance, I wouldn't have noticed it without Kushida bringing it to our attention."
"When I saw Ike-kun reading that weekly magazine, I remembered something. I had a feeling that I had seen Sakura somewhere before," Kushida said.
"OMG, there's a gravure idol in our class! I'm so excited!" Ike exclaimed excitedly, unable to hide his excitement. After such an undignified reaction, I imagined that Kushida would want to get away from him. Although he was kind to an almost reckless degree, she couldn't feel that kind of acceptance from him now.
"But just when Shizuku started to become very popular, she suddenly disappeared."
She lived a double life as a coin and as a quiet and discreet student in our school. Why had he wanted to create another life? It was like a coin with two very different sides.
"Everyone has a side they don't want others to see." Sakayanagi said, smiling at Ayanokoji in particular.
Ayanokoji narrowed her eyes, 'How much exactly does she know about me and that place? When did you meet me? I don't remember her.
"I'm wrong?" She asked after everyone stared at her.
"No, no. You're right, Sakayanagi-san." Matsushita said.
"Hmm? Do you belong in that category, Matsushita-san?" Sakayanagi asked innocently.
Matsushita tensed, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Is that so? What a pity."