Kaga Kusha is a damn genius.
No question or doubt about it. Love him or hate him, he'll always be smarter than anyone in this school. And then one day he'll have it – world domination.
But one step at a time, it's only Tuesday.
One of those steps to get through is this Nemesis problem.
It's one thing for Ayano Aishi to kill his projects but for this organization to steal and study his work?
No.
No.
This cannot happen.
He tried to call Midori when he saw the real Ayano but nothing happened. Later, his computer only confirmed his worries when it shows that Midori's phone signal had died out and her tracking chip beeped off the moment she was out of campus.
They have her. They have his work and it's only a matter of time before-
"No!" Kaga stood up from his seat, slamming his hands on the console and glaring at the monitors that read of Midori's untraceable chip.
"They have her," the next Midori said, "Her chip wasn't terminated. It was turned off."
"No," he repeated softly and sunk back down in his chair. "They have her for proximity sixteen hours. That's not enough to figure out her biology, I made sure of it. Her identity on the other hand is much more fragile."
Midori kicked the floor lightly and sighed, "I get it, no school for me today."
"Right, Midori, I need time to figure this out."
"You don't have a lot of time though. It's almost been seventeen hours." Midori then walked out of Kaga's computer room, "I'll just go through my chores and the usual testing procedures."
His laugh was small, short, and tired, "You hate chores."
"Just say thank you, Mr. Brain!"
He called out exactly that and returned his attention to the monitors.
Yesterday was going all smoothly until he sent the hit on Ayano. His fist balled up. He kept a close eye on this Nemesis persons and he thought that if provoking Ayano again would lead them to find her as a distraction from their true goal. But no, things weren't going according to plan.
He and Info-chan found out about the Nemesis hit team from once again hacking into the emails of a certain CEO. Or, at least, his anonymous email account for his ties to the dark web. From that the name of Nemesis came to knowledge, promising to send a single, disguised agent to find the hacker and following the request to kill them.
Said hackers with targets on their backs tried to find anything they could learn about Nemesis. Info says that she found vague files about their existence and honestly he truly doesn't doubt that she's withholding information.
Him on the other hand, well, he is guilty of hiding one of his findings. Kaga knows about Ayano's recent misadventure with a traumatized Musume Ronshaku but on Monday, the Social Butter was true to her status, all smiles and sunshine. A quick recon from Midori reported that the daughter of the loan shark was currently sobbing and hyperventilating at home.
So imagine his surprise when the agent switched her disguise.
Kaga pressed his fingers together, staring at the monitors again. A few screens were a map of the whole town reading no trace to the missing Midori, the same thing applies to another screen's global map. Most of the others displayed the diagnoses of his current projects in alpha and beta testing. The one right in front of him was the home screen desktop, waiting to be used.
Class is about to start but he won't he late. He was almost out the door when a notification popped up on the screen.
…Oh, he thought as he read it and the gears in his head began to whirl.
This might be perfect.
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BA-DING
"Attention students and staff," the loud speaker buzzes to life. "This is your principal speaking. Yesterday after school there was an incident leading to a window on the second floor to be broken. Please steer clear of that area for the time being before and when the window gets repairs."
Instantly, the classrooms were filled with chatter, wondering what supposedly happened to the window. The ideal reason would be that a stray ball hit it but the President of the Sports Club, Asu Rito, says that she double checked on the storage units. Nothing was out of place nor was anything missing. Also Asu was leading a small team of runners around the track at that time. They were the first ones to find the broken glass and some blood there too.
The teachers told them that everything will be taken cared of so Asu assumed that surely the police will be involved but no authorities came by that afternoon or this morning. The athletes that were with Asu all shared their worries to the rest of the student body, wondering where were the police and whose blood is it.
Even throughout class, it was all on the students' mind, barely focusing on their lessons (something that the teachers were already used to). So many questions and so little answers, everyone was clueless with the small evidence they had.
Not even Info-chan had a clear idea on what happened.
She theorized it with Ayano after their first class, sending facts of Midori being absence and that if the police aren't involved maybe the Nemesis group has interfered in some fashion.
Ayano Aishi just sent an emoji with its lips as a straight line.
Great, this is the person she entrusted her life to, a socially stunted teenaged murderer.
Has she gone desperate?
Oh, most certainly not.
Desperation is working with Kaga Kusha and his… atrocious plans. She's done her background check on Kaga before he got her on his leash and she's read his notes. It's all an abstract concept for now but if he was able to play God by creating the Midori clones then it is only a matter of time and resources before…
No, Info had a tight hold on her phone, thinking about the missing link of Kaga's plan. She knows that the link will not cooperate with the likes of him.
But she's been wrong before.
And she cooperated with the likes of him.
If she was dragged down into this mess then it probably that Kaga will do the same with other for his benefit in the long run.
…She needs to stay calm and think.
Around her is her classmates, listening or not to their teacher but there's that undeniable nervousness in the air. The principal's announcement and Asu's account made everyone jumpy or freaked a bit out. Some rumored that it was all the delinquents' fault but that was quickly stomped out by them and their Leader, glaring at anyone who dares accuses them for something so little. Everyone knew they were telling the truth, the delinquents always prided and credited their destruction.
Her gut is telling her that it was Midori who encountered Nemesis at the broken window and it's the only logical conclusion. She checked the data bases of the police station and there was no recent blood check or even official report of an officer checking out the school.
As for the record of Midori's body, well she'll wait for Kaga to confirm her thoughts, let him crawl to her.
"Good morning Info-chan," the fiend texts her in the middle of her second class.
Now, she wouldn't have the title of Info-chan, the mysterious info broker that keeps that anonymous nature if she doesn't know how to text in class would she? It helps throw off people's guesses on whether or not she's a student with her sometimes texting large amounts of information during class time.
Currently her teacher is droning on about the subject, spending her time reading from the textbook or the board, giving the students the occasionally glance apparently after finishing a passage from the book. Info's got her window.
"Kaga, I have only you to think of during the principal's announcement."
"Oh woe is me. I am not the one to blame." He added another text, "Well, not completely."
The teacher looked back to the students, giving another example and this time from memory. That's cute. Info made sure to act the part of an awake and alert student while her hands typed. "Get to the point Kaga, what can I help you with? Covering up for you again?"
"Well you did such a brilliant job last time," Info almost cringed at that, "making sure that our trace wasn't obtainable from our target but behold, there's an assassin in our midst."
"An assassin you say. I hope it was their blood that was found at the scene."
Kaga didn't reply that immediate. "There's an unscheduled student council meeting set for the ending half of lunch. Want to know what's being discussed?"
That wasn't meant as a question or an invitation. Info knows this is a demand.
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So Midori is gone for the day, Info still doesn't have a plan to stop Kaga, Osana is still questioningly tolerable, and Saki was not subtle when telling Kokona and the other two girls that she and her best friend are off having a private lunch.
That leaves Ayano Aishi having lunch with Osana Najime.
Of course it felt like Saki was tormenting her by dragging Kokona, the person Ayano verbally talks to the most without any malice, away when she and Osana meet up with them for lunch. It was like Kokona was adopting stray, badly communicating kittens and Saki went 'nope, time for us now'.
"Nope, time for us now," Saki literally says and grabs Kokona's hand, walking her away from their spot by the main fountain.
Ayano glanced over to Osana and she returned the look.
Things weren't as horrible as Ayano had thought.
Initially, she felt some pleasure knowing that Osana is no longer a rival. It was fun, poking at her soreness over losing Senpai. Oddly, that feeling didn't last too long. A rival for Senpai's heart is eliminated but it wasn't by Ayano's doing.
Hmm, maybe that's why Ayano stopped feeling smug.
Like she told Budo, it felt meaningless to add to Osana's misery. There was no guilt, that's true, and it was more like there was no gain from bullying her because she's no longer that significant. Significant either to Osana or to Taro, she didn't know the answer.
Ayano thought back to the first time she killed Midori. There was an adrenaline rush and the satisfaction of killing Midori for being merely talking to Taro. But for Osana, well the sabotage did nothing at all to them. It was like Osana's and Taro's life can just move on without her. Almost as if anything Ayano does to affect Taro's life is meaningless and that he doesn't need her.
"Hey," Osana interrupts her thoughts, "Stop spacing out and ignoring me." She shoves a bento box into Ayano's lap. It's the same spare bento box once meant for Taro. Maybe this time there's poisen here. When Ayano stared questionably at Osana, she points chopsticks at her, "Look, I just need someone here to tell Kokona that I am a good cook."
Ayano took a bite of the food, "It tastes a little bit worse than last time."
"I know you're lying! You like my cooking, just admit it!"
"Nah," she continues to eat the lunch, denying the weird warm feeling in her gut and believing it's just from the warm rice. Huh, no poisen at all, just some regular food. "I just so happen to not have lunch today."
"That is so irresponsible of you. Since you joined the Martial Arts Club, you should take better care of your body. Otherwise, you'll just collapse during a match or whatever."
"Are you really concern over me?"
Osana fiddled with her chopsticks while Ayano continued eating, "I'm just so used to reminded people to take care of their selves, like the Yamada siblings. And also there's you, some makeup job from Kokona may trick people from afar but up close, I saw that black eye."
"Don't you dare pity me," is her instant response.
"Not in the slightest," Osana says, repeating Ayano's own words in a poor, lazy imitation. "So I might care a little bit about you. That can't be so hard to comprehend."
The old fantasies of her killing Osana popped into Ayano's mind. "Kind of." She looked down at the lunch Osana made just for her, "You didn't seem like the person to quickly be nice to me."
She stared at Ayano, narrowing her eyes but it wasn't harsh. "Well, you seem quick to judge me. Sure I kind of get that you picked Taro's side after seeing our fight but you're quite defensive over someone you've never talked to."
"We, Senpai and I, me and Senpai," Ayano flustered over her words, "He talked to me once and he was really nice and, and." Her face burned which was different. Usually, she was light-headed and her heartbeat was loud and fast, numbing out any or all noise that could have distracted her thoughts of Taro. But now, Osana's stare was uncomfortable and unavoidable and someone you've never talked to-
Does Sepai not act like he knew her?
Does Senpai not remember how they met?
Does Senpai not notice her existence?
Does Senpai not need her like how she desperately craves his existence and how he's the first one who gave her all this warmth and emotions?
Does Senpai… Does Taro Yamada not-
"Okay Ayano I think I get it," Osana, again, snaps her out of her thoughts and the girl looks more concerned. "Taro makes a great first impression and is a generally good guy. That's what makes him instantly likable."
"Yeah…" She continued eating, just to avoid talking not because the food is good. They stayed quiet for a bit since talking about Taro is awkward for the both of them for similar yet contrasting reasons.
Eventually, Osana asks, "So how did you get that black eye?"
"A bitch punched me. She was stronger than I thought."
"You joined the club just to fight her again."
She sighed, "Don't tell Budo but I think I'll end up fighting her again."
"Okay," Osana promises, "I'll be rooting for you when you fight."
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Establishing connection…
…Connecting…
Connected
Live Feed: Recording Start – [00:00:01]
The meeting began when the President of the Student Council took a deep breath and opened the video call.
"Hello everyone," Megami Saikou sits straight in her chair, looking at the anxious faces beyond the camera. "I have called this emergency meeting today to inform you all of… recent changes within the school."
That response didn't calm the student council that well. They looked at each other nervously before one decided to be their lead voice.
"Megami, what changes are you talking about? We thought that this is about the broken window and the blood there."
"I'll try to explain what I know," their president said, "When I heard the news of this incident I wanted at least the police force to do an investigation but my father has restricted me to do so. I was able to persuade him otherwise but he has taken things a step further than I expected." She looked away from the camera, distracted, but then focused. "He has assigned a professional investigation team to be in the school."
The council, again, was confused, saying how no such team has even arrived on campus.
Megami frowned, "Yes, that's what I thought too but he assured me that an investigation has already begun, even as we speak."
"Wait this doesn't make any sense," another student council member said. "The principal didn't tell us this and we as the students should know that this is happening."
"That's exactly why I called this meeting," Megami said. "The principal wants this all under wraps so that the student population won't panic. While I disagree with the need for secrecy, I will support whatever method there is to keep everyone safe."
The council member that first spoken asks, "But we are safe right? It was just a broken window, why is there a secret investigation going on?"
For the first time ever, the council sees their president clearly distressed. She again looked away, biting her lip. A gloved hand kept fidgeting, clenching and unclenching. "I don't know," she admits, "I believe that the school is safe but for the reason of this investigation, I don't know."
It was dead silent in the council room.
ALERT
[1] Unknown signal detected
…Tracing now…
The meeting continued uneasily. "Can you tell your father to call off the investigation?"
"Like I said, I will support the operation to keep the school safe but I will ask him and the principal to report their presence."
"And if that doesn't work… What next? They'll just leave right?"
Megami nodded, "Yes, I'll make sure of it."
"Cool, cool, so we got a secret investigation going on and we have no voice about it," says one council member, growing agitated. "Megami, no offense but I will not stand for this."
"This is for safety," she reasons but is cut off by a different student.
"You're the one who's safe! We on the other hand are here in this school and getting investigated!"
The person next to the frantic student raises a brow and side-glances. "There's nothing to be scared of if you don't have anything to hide."
That student settles down quietly.
COMPLETE
[1] Unknown signal has been traced
Location traced: AKADEMI HIGH SCHOOL
[USER COMMAND]: launch [PROGRAM SMOKE TRAIL 5704] at [1]
…Launching [PROGRAM SMOKE TRAIL 5704] at [1] Unknown signal…
A calmer council member chimes in, "I believe that this is the reason why the principal failed to enlighten us about the investigation. We all have something to hide and if someone acts out of character to protect their secret it will bring suspension to that person.
"Ya, better not act out of character," the student on the other side of the guilt ridden member says smugly and elbows the friend.
"S-shut up!"
COMPLETE
[PROGRAM SMOKE TRAIL 5704] has been successfully launched at [1] Unknown signal
"Ignoring that," the same calm student continues, "I have to ask. Why are you telling this to us?"
Everyone stared at Megami, questioning, worrying, doubting. She cleared her throat, likely gulping, "I want the people I trust to be aware of the situation."
"We're aware of very little," one grumbles.
"But you now know about the existence of the investigation at the very least. Don't let the principal catch on but please, do whatever you think you should do to keep the school safe. A panic might start if the students know so I do think that keeping this meeting, and what we know, as a secret is the best course of action."
The council looks amongst them, expressing a range of emotions that made Megami visibly nervous. A few even glared at her or looked sadly at the camera. Eventually, to her relief, they reached a conclusion. They all agreed, to some varying degree, that they will follow her request.
Megami said her thanks, clarified discretion, and clicked the end call button. She slouched over her desk, sighing.
Live Feed: Recording End – [00:05:49]
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It is a part of Ayano's daily routine to stalk Senpai home.
She just watches him and noting out of the ordinary happens. In fact, there's no other amusement from doing this, it was just too easy. Taro walks without any thought that he would ever be stalked or followed. He never carried a suspension that something bad was about to happen to him if he's all alone.
Kokona once said in passing that she always had a small paranoia that a guy would follow her home. At first Ayano shrugged it off and agreed to her fear, chalking it up to a girl thing. If Ayano continues this line of thought, there will be some social-psychology-gender-whatever lecture and analysis in her head. So that quickly fades away in favor of focusing on Senpai.
Taro Yamada, her senpai, is currently walking home from school with some brown haired girl, her newest rival.
Ayano is pissed.
The girl is easily recognized as the President of the Cooking Club, evidentially talking to Taro about said club and its activities. As they walk together, they look happy and Ayano is even more pissed.
It has been months since Ayano first met Taro and her only progress in getting into a relationship with him is by preventing any other girl from getting what she wants. But that's all for naught if she has no real conversation with him.
And look at this, some girl that barely knew Senpai is now clingy on him the moment Osana left his side.
Her earlier thoughts with Osana echoed. Ayano's life revolves around Taro but he has no idea of this. But when they finally get together he must care about her right? Just look at him, he's the most caring person in the whole school.
Surely he'll grow to love her.
He has to love her back (right?)
He is Ayano's answer for the meaning and purpose of life; the first and only person in her life that gave it meaning.
He… he is… Taro Yamada is…
Senpai will be a part of her life.
She continues to stalk them until they split off to different neighborhoods. She follows Senpai. He looks happy.
Usually, Ayano leaves him be when Senpai arrives home but today, she stays perched in some tree and watches him through the window. He's just a regular guy and yet he's the one who she would kill for.
From the day they met, the moment where these benevolent emotions first awaken, Ayano has decided that Taro is hers to have- hers to need.
It was sunset when Ayano walked back to her house.
At her doorstep, someone rustled out of the flower bush. "About time you came home." The person had their head downcast with a black hoodie pulled over to obscure their face.
"Who the fuck are you?"
"Didn't you get my note in your shoe locker?"
Ayano briefly remembered finding a handwritten note there but then she saw Senpai walking out of the building with the cooking girl. Obviously, she was distracted.
"I didn't read it."
"Oh my fucking god," the hooded figure muttered, slapping a hand to their face. "Ayano it's me, Info-chan."
Without missing a beat, Ayano says, "No, she would never do this. Go away."
The figure groaned and pointed at her, "The first girl you killed on campus, you had no idea on what to do or how to handle the consequences. I found and contacted you because on your phone, you typed into the search engine on how to get away with murder like the idiot you are. I gave you the information on how to get rid of the body, the blood, and the rest of the evidence and asked for nothing in return. It was all free; a demonstration of my capability."
"Huh, I guess it really is you," Ayano gave her a look over and shrugged. "Okay so what are you doing here?"
"Let's talk inside, please." At her insistence, Ayano let them inside. She sat on the couch while Info quickly pulled the curtains of the windows close. "He did it. Kaga used me as a scapegoat and I let him. I fucking did what he said and Nemesis launched a virus at me." Info sank into the couch with her hands covering, likely, her eyes but her hood is big enough for Ayano to not get a good look.
"And you're here why?"
"The virus destroyed everything on my laptop and my phone. It's all gone all my data and programs. To make things worst it's tracking all my cybernetic routes and connections to my home systems so it's only a matter of time before my house gets located. I've already checked on my computers there and from what I understand, the information is already being whipped but no one physically has broken into my place."
Ayano nodded her head, not that Info saw that. "I am not getting all this hacking shit."
"If you read my note, you would have known that I need a safe house!"
She blinked. "So you came here."
Info groaned again, louder. "Maybe I am desperate. Look Ayano, I need your help and I trust you because you have never doubted me and you're here now, willing to help and trust me."
She takes off her hood and reveals that she is a girl with red hair and black glasses.
They're both eerily silent, just staring at each other.
"I have no idea who you are," Ayano said.
Info's eye twitch, "What?"
"Okay, I get that this is a big moment here, like you're revealing your secret identity but I just have no idea who you are."
Info grinded her teeth angrily but took a deep breath, "You know what? That makes sense, all you ever payed attention to is Taro."
"That doesn't insult me one bit, you would now that."
There's a third, loud groan again. "You know what? I'm not even going to tell you my real name. Because who cares about my identity. I'm just a regular school girl with hidden agendas that no one will bother to care about! But the one person who does care about my secret is the smartest psychotic freak in the school and he's feeding me to the wolves!"
Ayano clicked her tongue, "Alright, I'm going to preheat some dinner."
"Fuck you!"
She sighs, "I'll preheat dinner for the both of us."
Woohoo! We are diving into plot stuff! I kind of tired and a little panicking on how I will be able to pull this off! Like, I freaking know I'll be able to do this but at the same time there's always procrastination and writer's block and general Life that doesn't give me time to write. This me blatantly saying how I'm oh so awaiting the break after the next interlude.
There has been a minor edit regrading the secret-secret stuff going on during that student council meeting. Yeah, that awkward spacing in the [PROGRAM] part, I tried typing it without the spacing but that didn't work so it looks like that.
Edit: Fixed the [PROGRAM] thing. Added small details to some scenes.
Anyway thanks for reading! I'm excited to share this arc with y'all because things are happening.
Next Chapter: Offerings
