Monday

My arms feel like they're burning.

With my legs wedged between two branches, I climb out the bark and finally reach the cover of the tree's leaves. It took far too many attempts to get up here, but now I've got myself in a good spot at the very top.

Kizana said she's planning on baiting my Senpai into loving her on Friday, I've been in a race against time to stop her, but to do that I need information.

I've found out that she loves to sit down at this one tree outside the school building when she's by herself, which isn't often. There was no cover around the damn thing, so in the end I've been forced to climb it.

I can already feel my muscles start to ache, and my left leg is having a little spasm out of pain, but I cannot let go. She'll be here at any moment and I'll be able to see everything that she's trying to hide from others.

There has to be a reason for her to hide under this tree every now and then, and I will find out what.

I have to watch her like a hawk until Friday. I will not allow her out of my sight, not even for a second.

Info-chan let me know where she lives too, which will prove helpful, I'm sure. I'm not going to be a fool and kill her in her own home, like I did with Hanako, but having constant surveillance on her works heavily in my favour.

I haven't seen Yakunan in a while, and I'm not sure if that pleases me or worries me. Recently that new girl has been stuck to me by the hip, but she's disappeared for a day or two. That girl is a strange one, so if she's finally keeping a distance, that works just fine for me. She was simply an annoyance.

I hear sounds, though through the thickness of the leaves I can't see much. I try to tilt my head at different angles, but I've got myself a spot in the tree where I cannot see anything down below. That's troublesome.

But it's okay. I can still hear everything, and I hear footsteps walking in my direction. It's Kizana, can't be anyone else.

I take deep breaths and try to preserve as much strength into my arms and legs as possible. If I fell, it probably wouldn't be a very soft landing.

The footsteps are so close now that I'm sure the person is standing right beside the tree. What a fool Kizana is. I'm observing her from above and she doesn't even know it.

"Ayano Aishi?"

I almost fall from the shock, but grab a piece of bark with my right hand and hold on. I sit back and calm myself, despite being unable to see the person who spoke, I know exactly whose voice that is.

"The hell are you doing here, Yakunan?!" I hiss, my face burning red.

I can almost imagine her face as she mumbles emotionlessly. "I was looking for you. You were not anywhere to be found."

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe I didn't want to be found?!"

"Why is that? Because you're spying on Kizana?"

"Yakunan. Beat it."

"But I want to help. I think you need my help."

"I don't anything from you. Why can't you just disappear?"

"I can't." she commented, then paused for a moment. "I must get you to trust me."

Huh?

She wants my trust?

I haven't given her any reason to want that, yet she's willing to follow me around everywhere in order to get that.

She really doesn't make any sense.

"I'll deal with you another time, okay? I'm doing something busy right now." I growl. But…something suddenly hits me. "Wait, how did you know I was up here?"

"Your left foot. It's sticking out from the leaves."

I grumble and pull my foot up into cover. I hadn't even noticed. "But…how did you know it was me?"

"Who else would be climbing trees?"

Who else…?

Why does she talk about me like she knows me? She doesn't know me. She doesn't know me at all. We're still complete strangers to each other, how would she know of the strange activities I participate in?

I'm missing something. I must being overlooking something. There has to be an explanation behind this weird girl.

"Is there space up there?" she asks after some silence.

"Space?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Let me climb up there too. We can spy on Kizana together."

Here she goes again with the 'charity work' for me.

"Go. Away."

Eventually, as though a blessing from above, she gives quick nod and walks away. I hear her footsteps get quieter and quieter until I'm certain that she's run off somewhere.

Thank god. It took a long time to get the message into that thick skull of hers, but it seems she finally understood.

That girl isn't right. While I'm waiting for Kizana to show up here, I'll have to make a call.

I carefully let go of one of the branches with my weaker hand and reach into my pocket. With some difficulty, I slip my phone out, go to my contacts, and call the one person that can shed some light into the subject.

Ring. Ring. Ri-

She picks up almost immediately, which is expected of her at this point.

"Info-chan."

"Yes?" she answers, her voice a little distorted. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Kurai Yakunan. An exchange student in my class. I need a background check on her."

For a while, the line goes completely silent. She doesn't say a word and I begin to wonder if I'm experiencing connection issues.

"Hold up," she finally speaks again. "Why do you want to know about some exchange student? I thought you were going after Kizana Sunobu."

"I am, but Yakunan is different. She's been lurking around me like a pest lately, and acts like she knows me well."

"…maybe she just wants to be friends?"

"I don't want a friend."

I hear Info-chan snicker through the phone, obviously highly amused. "Heh, alright, I'll give her a search and see what I find."

I put the phone down to my side and wait. Kizana still hasn't arrived and Info-chan is taking a while.

A minute passes.

Two minutes.

Three minutes.

"Uh…Aishi?" the phone buzzes.

I hold it back up to my ear. "What took you so long? I don't have all day."

"You might not believe what I'm about to tell you."

I scoff. "Just tell me."

"She's no one."

"Huh?"

"She's off the grid. I can't find a single person in Japan with that name."

"Just check school records, she's an exchange student." I suggest with a frown.

"There aren't any records, Aishi. If there were, I would've found them in no time flat."

I remain mostly puzzled. "So…what does that mean?"

After another moment of silence, she speaks again, but her tone of voice changes. She becomes surprising sincere for a second.

"I don't know. This is the first time this had happened. It's like she doesn't even exist."

"Then what do I-?"

"Just keep a close eye on that girl. I'll keep doing my research, see what I can find." she says almost frantically. "I'm intrigued now. Give me some time to look further into this."

"Alright."

The line goes dead.

My growing suspicion that something is up with that Yakunan has probably grown tenfold now.

A girl that doesn't have any records of existence anywhere? No birth certificate? No school logs?

She's an anomaly. A complete, utter anomaly. I'm beginning to hope that Info-chan finds something in her 'search', since that…girl is really starting to worry me. She's someone that just popped out of nowhere and is now refusing to get out of my life.

I'd love to analyse her myself, but I have more important things to do. I simply don't have the time to deal with her right now, maybe at some other point.

More rustling breaks out. I fall straight out of my worry and begin focusing again.

You're here to watch Kizana. Remember that. Focus.

From the rustling, just a little bit of footsteps can be heard. The steps are extremely quiet, slow-paced, and are seemingly treading carefully. This person doesn't want to be seen next to this tree.

Bingo. It's her.

Cursing all the leaves obstructing my view, I hold my breath and try to listen for more sounds instead. There's a small thump that echoes every time she takes another step forward towards the tree, though it can barely be heard. She must be carrying something with her, something either heavy or something she's struggling to lift.

Her schoolbag?

No. I doubt any bag, regardless of its weight, makes a noise quite like what I'm hearing.

From the sound of a patch of grass being sat on, I understand that she's sitting down now, probably leaning her back to the tree.

Is it her? It has to be her, right?

"Urgh, school is such a drag." I hear her groan.

That irritating, stuck-up voice…it's her.

As much as I'd have to imagine ripping her toenails out one by one, I focus on staying up in the tree. My entire body is starting to ache, but I can't suddenly just reveal myself. One way or another, I've got to hold on.

"Bet Pippi thinks she's so clever." Kizana mutters to herself, with the sound of her writing something in the background.

Pippi?

Pippi Osu?

"Saying Budo is out of my league…" she mumbles. "Let's see how smug you look when you find out I stole your underwear in swim class."

Her threat is quickly followed by a giggle, and most definitely not a pleasant one.

"That'll show her." she speaks more quietly this time, then pauses. Probably checking if anyone could hear her talking to herself, and then continues. "I don't even want Budo, that ship has long since sailed. Yamada is the guy I'm going to get…so take that."

With my right hand, I punch the branch I'm holding onto, then freeze as I realize she could've heard it.

But nothing. She didn't hear.

Don't be such an idiot, Ayano. You don't need to lose your temper right now, that can come later.

"Like, who does she even think she is?! I'm, like, her only friend! She should be thankful that I even paid attention to a girl that just sits down at the computer all day!"

And you should be thankful there are Delinquents around that won't let me come down there and strangle you to death.

She eventually takes a break from talking to herself and focuses on whatever it is she's writing. Though she could be writing a script, I doubt that Kizana is much of the literature type, so now I wonder what it is she's scribbling down.

Keeping watch over her, I can see that she hasn't been sticking around Senpai at all. Ever since I first saw her talk to him, she hasn't gone close to him, probably having their next meeting for her plan on Friday. Instead, she's been coming here under this tree every day to…write?

More rustling, but it's not coming from Kizana's direction, but in the complete opposite one.

I pause. The sound of Kizana writing something pauses. We're both cautious.

I hear something walk out from behind the tree and walk over to Kizana, but I have to wait until they talk before I know what's going on.

"W-Who the hell are you?" Kizana welps, getting up.

Now I'm getting more curious. Who suddenly appeared?

"Hello, Kizana. I am Kurai Yakunan."

Oh dear god

Please, no.

Kizana sounds distressed. "Did…did you listen to me talk?"

"Would it make you feel any better if I said no?"

"S-So you did!"

"Indeed."

"If you tell anyone…" Kizana begins to threaten Yakunan, making me wish I could see them. "I'll destroy your reputation, got that?"

"I do not really have a reputation, but okay." Yakunan says in that drone-like voice of hers. "I need you to do something for me."

"H-Huh?"

"It would help my friend out a lot."

"W-what is it?"

"Stay away from Taro Yamada."

You imbecile.

You don't just approach people like that and just tell them what you want them to do! Is she absolutely insane? Is there not even the slightest shred of a brain inside of that girl's head?!

You're ruining everything.

"Just…get away…you creep!" Kizana finally shouts out, obviously not wanting to try and understand the strange person.

I hear her run off. I hear myself breathe heavily as I picture myself beating Yakunan to a bloody pulp for ruining everything.

Bugging me is one thing. Foiling my plans by 'helping' is another.

"Are you mad?!" I screech once I'm sure that Kizana has left.

There's silence. "I was trying to help."

"Where did you even hide?"

"Behind the tree."

Wait.

I could've just hidden myself there? Instead I climbed this tree like a damn monkey…?

There's only annoyance after annoyance.

Knowing that there's no way Kizana is coming back here with this freak around, I slowly start to come down from the tree. I didn't consider how I was going to come back down, and now I'm wobbling on the rough, jagged bark as I slide down the first half. The second half isn't that much, but from my perspective I'm pretty high up.

I take an immediate leap of faith and jump down the rest of the way, my back crashing onto the grass below. I growl as Yakunan simply watches with a deadpan expression.

Brushing off a leaf on my shoulder, I get to my feet and prepare myself to scream at her in a way that no one has done before. Not only do I still know nothing about her, but now I want her to just stop existing completely.

But as I get all riled up, I notice something on the ground. For a moment I'm distracted as I see a small notebook lying down in the area that Kizana was sitting.

Blue, strapped. Dozens of notes inside.

Choosing to ignore Yakunan for a second, I rush over to the notebook and start skimming through it.

It's a diary. Kizana's diary. There are notes of what happened at school, about who is dating who and what she ate for lunch today. Just piles of information scribbled down on a single page.

Kizana must've dropped it while getting away from Yakunan, and considered the fact that she hasn't come back to get it, there's a good chance she hasn't realized she's lost it yet.

This is perfect. Surely she's written something about Senpai here. Something I can use to my advantage. This is exactly what I need right now.

But my happiness and excitement is quickly cut off as someone leans their head closer to mine with an emotionless face but curious eyes.

"What's that you got there?"

Everything is going great, except for her.

She is an issue.

And she causes my pleased smile to immediately disappear.

Tuesday

"What do you want, punk?"

While trying to get into the girls' bathroom, I'm suddenly stopped by a Delinquent. Girl, medium height, scar just above her right eye, bandana across her mouth.

"I just want to use the toilet." I answer back, unsure if there really needs to be security at a place like this.

"Uh-huh, just remember I got my eye on you. You got five minutes and not a second more," she grumbles, her voice surprisingly gruff for a girl's. "Starting…now, go."

How bothersome. All these thugs roaming around school like guards is nothing but annoying.

I walk past the Delinquent and step into the bathroom.

This is the place where I killed for the first time, with my first victim being Mei Mio. I still remember it like yesterday, and the sensation of my hands strangling her throat is still very much vivid. That was one incredibly stressful day, especially considering that Mei wasn't even one of my targets. She was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time, and she needed to be silenced.

It's admittedly very nostalgic. It feels so recent yet so long ago.

With a spring in my step, I go and lock myself in one of the stalls. I turn to the toilet, put its lid down, and step on top of it so I'm standing. Thanks to the texture of the toilet, I almost slip off of it a few times, but use my balance to stay standing.

I do this to make sure that my feet cannot be seen from outside the stall. That is very important.

With one hand, I open my schoolbag and pull out Kizana's diary. I acquired it yesterday out of complete blind luck, and I've read each and every single page thoroughly.

According to everything she's written, she likes being in the Drama Club but wants to aim for something higher. She cares a lot about what people think about her, and thinks reputation is far more important than other things like grades. Because of this, she wants a boyfriend to make herself look better, and maybe even get him in the Drama Club with her.

But the diary says that she originally planned for that man to be Budo Masuta. She only changed her mind because of Budo's relatively high popularity. She fears if he rejects her, she'll be completely ruined.

So, to fix this, the diary says she wants to go for someone less noticeable. Someone that she can easily leave a stronger impression on them, hence her deciding to get her thieving claws on Senpai.

She also sketched out the pink blossom tree where she plans on 'confessing' to Senpai, but I tore out that page a long time ago.

But thanks to the notes in this book where she describes her regular routine, I know exactly where she'll usually be and when, which works for me.

In fact, any second now…

Click.

The doors to the bathrooms open, and two girls enter. This time, I know who they are without fail.

"These idiots walking around with their baseball bats are so…stupid." Kizana huffs as her friend listens. They walk over to the sinks and look at themselves in the mirror.

I watch from the small crack of the stall, just barely seeing them.

There's a blonde girl accompanying her, Yuna Hina. The two of them admire their reflections before pulling out a bag of different products, and I see a pile of lipsticks in there.

"I dunno," Yuna answers while applying a light-pink colour to her lips. "After all the shit that's happened here at school, I'm glad we got people on patrol."

"Yeah, but they're, like, so rude!" Kizana grumbles. "They keep berating me wherever I go, who do they think they are?"

Yuna giggled. "They're the law now. Everyone'll get used to it soon."

"Not me."

There's a short pause. Kizana starts applying eye shadow carefully once she's done with her lipstick, decorating her face for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

"So, any advances on Taro?" Yuna breaks the silence.

I breathe irregularly, waiting for Kizana to respond.

"Not yet." she sighs. "I told you, Friday's the day for that. If I hang around him before then, he might get tired of me quickly."

"I have to admit, after paying him a little attention, he's actually kind of cute."

My teeth clench and grit.

"I know, right?" Kizana laughs in delight. "He's definitely not manly, but that timid side of him is pretty appealing."

I've been watching Kizana every chance I get, but I was still worried that she somehow managed to talk to him. It's good to know she plans to not interact with him until Friday. That gives me more time to think of something.

As the two girls start gossiping about other students, I back on the toilet and begin to rack my brain around everything.

Too many Delinquents to deal with her at school, every room in the entire building has at least one Delinquent roaming around. No matter what plan I brew up there'll always be a good chance of being seen.

And remembering what happened the last time I killed someone at my own home…well…that's not a good idea either.

Also, considering how people seem to always be flocking around Kizana due to her popularity, she'll never be alone in the first place.

"Psst…Ayano…" a whisper suddenly emits.

With a quiet gasp, I freeze on the spot and feel my heart race. There's only one person that emotionless voice could belong to.

I begin looking around my stall, searching for Yakunan. I search below me, to my left, to my right, and even the ceiling.

"Over…here…" the whisper continues.

I glance down, get off the toilet, and stare beneath the small gaps of the stall. On the other side of the wall there's someone watching me, her eyes poking out at the very bottom where I can see them, the eyes gazing lifelessly.

I can't believe it. Yakunan is in the stall next to mine.

"I am going to kill you." I hiss, then lower the volume of my voice, fearing Kizana and Yuna outside might hear us.

I do not need Yakunan blowing my cover.

"You seem angry."

"Of course I'm angry!"

"Why? I am helping."

My whisper almost becomes a shout, but I manage to just barely hold it in. "You are not helping."

"That's strange. I thought you would appreciate some assistance."

"Look, you are the exact opposite of assistance. I am trying to listen in on important things that Kizana might say, and you are nothing but a distraction, so-" I pause, then finish the sentence in the harshest tone I can make. "Leave."

Yakunan's eyes don't show any reaction, or any signs of defeat, but she gives a small nod.

"Okay, I will leave."

I breathe a sigh of relief.

She won't be able to trick me this time. If she doesn't actually leave I'll know, so now she just has to wait until Kizana isn't paying attention to exit the bathrooms and-

The stall doors unclick, my heart stops, and Yakunan walks straight out of her stall and reveals herself completely to Kizana and her friend.

"What the-?!" Kizana almost screams as she sees the robot-like girl step out.

I slip off the toilet and press my ear against the stall door, listening as Yakunan idiotically tries to leave while also revealing that she's been here the whole time.

"Sorry for the intrusion," Yakunan mutters, not sounding sorry at all. "I will be leaving now."

"Hold on, I checked all the stalls for feet! There wasn't anyone in them!" Kizana growls angrily, as frustrated about Yakunan as I am.

"I hid my feet by standing on the toilet."

"You sneaky little-!" Kizana hissed as she grabbed her makeup bag and turned to Yuna. "C'mon, we don't need to be around this freak!"

In a hurry, both the girls rush outside with their makeovers still half undone. They didn't want to even be around that girl, and neither do I.

Yakunan leaves quickly after them and I'm left there, sitting on the toilet, staring into space blankly.

That girl is honestly beyond me. Somehow, no matter how careful I try to be, she always figures out a way to indirectly ruin it all. It's like she doesn't have any brain whatsoever, but is still a mastermind when it comes to foiling everything I come up with. Any chance I've had of eavesdropping on Kizana and keeping close surveillance has been almost immediately squandered by her.

That girl is the most clumsy person I've ever met. How can someone ruin so many things by accident…?

As I groan weakly and gently bang my head against the stall door, frustration and confusion are the only things that can enter my head.

This girl needs to get out of my life. She's only been bad news since she's entered it.

For the love of god, just make her go away.

Night fell and the sound of a keyboard being used excessively echoed in a bedroom.

A red-haired girl's eyes were plastered to the screen of her computer. She had been working restlessly for hours now, tracing through different nodes and servers to find something that simply couldn't be found.

Info-chan, after so many failed attempts, finally took her hands off the keyboard and started to rest her fingers. She comfortably leaned back in her chair and sighed heavily in exhaustion. She had been worked down to the bone, and with absolutely nothing to show for it.

She had always been obsessed with information. Wherever there was information to be gained, she'd quickly flock to it at a moment's notice. She believed that information was power. Nothing else in the world could rival the amount of danger and influence certain kinds of information could hold. It had been her mind-set for a very long time, and she hardly remembered what she was like before that.

Yet, she had reached a complete roadblock.

Info-chan glared down at the notes on her desk. There was one slip of paper, with a name written down carefully.

Kurai Yakunan.

No matter who it was on the planet, there was always a trace of them. In a world where technology was expanding, it was practically impossible to make it seem like you didn't even exist.

But somehow, that was the case with Kurai Yakunan.

As a girl going to school, and being an exchange student, there had to be records of her around. Even at a shady school like Akademi High, there was no way they could've hid something from Info-chan. She knew all of the school's dirty little secrets.

But despite this, no matter how hard Info-chan searched, there wasn't even a hint of a trace for Yakunan's actual existence. No school records acknowledged her, no girls with that name were ever known to be attending Akademi High, and Info-chan couldn't even figure out where Yakunan had come from. She didn't which country Yakunan was in before, when she came to Japan, who she came with, nothing.

It would be simple to just write the situation off and say that perhaps Yakunan's parents have some sort of 'under-the-table' deal with the Government and don't want any records of themselves, Info-chan had seen such circumstances in the past firsthand.

But she couldn't just dismiss it. It was biting away at her. It worried her. There was a sneaking suspicion in her mind that there was something about Yakunan that she needed to be afraid of.

Info-chan had absolutely no reason to be afraid of Yakunan. They hadn't even met each other yet.

Yet…still…

Info-chan was worried sick. Her gut was telling her that something just wasn't right.

Something wasn't right at all.