[Hikigaya Hachiman, 19th June, 0700 hours]
I waited for Hayama to cool down for a few weeks or so before contacting him again; making him betray his significant other (or is he just keeping her around to drive the other girls away?) probably had an extremely detrimental impact on his mental state. At this point, the Service Club has been indulging in laziness and stagnation, courtesy of having absolutely nothing to do, and I'm dying to make my next attack.
After long hours of contemplation, I have finally realised what I had been doing wrong all along. I had originally planned to use members of the student body and the filth in their hearts to make the Service Club see how futile their efforts truly were, but given Yukinoshita's and Yuigahama's knack for bringing out the best in people, these cesspools would always flaunt the gold that floated to their surfaces.
But what if said individuals purposely made an effort to withhold the gems hidden in the crevices of their hearts? What if there was no room for anomalies or lucky chances? I have decided that this round would be a match of logic and cold, hard capability.
And this time, I'll win.
[Yukinoshita Yukino, 19th June, 1300 hours]
Hikigaya-kun came in fifteen minutes early. I am not such a shallow person as to believe in omens, but he would only arrive fifteen minutes early when a challenge was about to be presented to our club. Did he manage to subconsciously predict the events that would follow? He truly never ceased to amaze me.
Hikigaya-kun sat down at his usual spot across the table and procured a book from his bag, proceeding to peruse it with the most enthusiasm I had ever seen him regard literature with. His hands trembled slightly and his foot tapped the floor incessantly.
"Good afternoon, Hikigaya-kun. You seem energetic today."
"Do I?" He looked up with just the right amount of surprise on his face. Interacting with Hikigaya-kun was like playing against a Chess Grandmaster: even the slightest of movements would seep into your psyche and influence your subconscious if you weren't careful. Although I was slightly hurt that he took that attitude with me, as if I was an enemy to be cautious of, I had gotten used to his eccentricities long ago.
Now he tilted his head inquisitively and gave me a puzzled smile, which looked decently boyish despite his dead fish eyes. "It's an interesting book."
Annoyance welled up inside me. "You're holding it upside down."
"...Oh."
I waited for him to correct his blunder before continuing: "Did something happen? You're not always this agitated."
He looked palpably nervous. Perhaps the nervousness was genuine, but with Hikigaya-kun you just couldn't tell. "Nothing's happened, not really... but I feel that something big is about to happen, that's all."
"What nonsense. You're obviously hiding something from me," I snapped.
He flinched.
"Do you think I'm not qualified to know?" I pressed on. "Or do you not trust me enough?"
It was only when he cast his gaze downward with a saddened glint in his eyes that I realised the extent of my mistake.
How could I have said that? Even though I was used to his evasive behaviour, my emotions had gotten the better of me momentarily. In the first place, why was I so irked by the fact that he didn't trust me enough? Hikigaya-kun's general distrust of the people around him was one of the reasons why I trusted him so much...
"That's really just how it is," he rasped, sounding the saddest I'd ever heard him. "I may not show it, but I... I trust you, Yukinoshita."
"R-right," I stammered, inwardly cursing the twinge of guilt that surfaced at the sight of his face. "I apologise for my behaviour as well."
I understood that Hikigaya-kun was my most trusted teammate. I understood that trusting him was crucial for our cooperation. What I did not understand, however, was the light, strangely euphoric sensation I felt in my chest at the sight of his ever-so-slight smile.
[Hikigaya Hachiman, 19th June, 1330 hours]
Back in middle school, when my eyes had begun to harden into cynical chips of diamond, I had discovered that they were extremely reflective, and that by controlling the amount of light forming the gleam in my eyes and adjusting my facial expressions accordingly I could display any form of emotion.
Hence Crocodile Tears (rated 44 out of 108) was born. Yukinoshita wasn't the type to get swayed by emotional displays, but I was desperate and it had worked well enough.
Following that successful interaction, Yukinoshita was in a better mood than usual. Perhaps it was the fact that our relationship had reached a new level, or the gentle afternoon breeze that wafted in through the window; whatever it was, it made the clubroom seem more like a sanctuary than a base of operations. Warm sunlight spilled onto the floor in wavering patches. Two students sat in silence, contentedly perusing pure Japanese Literature...
Then Yuigahama walked in, followed by Hayama Hayato.
In that moment, the room froze and crystallised into a battleground. Yuigahama stood, unmoving, as Hayama smiled disarmingly behind her. Yukinoshita tensed in her seat, poised to strike . Every movement, every breath, even every twitch of the eye seemed to match the ticking of the clock. The tension in the room grew almost tangible.
A moment formed by virtue of my orchestration. If only it could last forever... nevertheless, I burned its image into my mind before raising my hand casually in greeting.
"Yo. You need something?"
The remaining three occupants of the room snapped out of their trance. Being the first to recover, Yuigahama laughed nervously. "Hayato-kun asked me if he could see us, but I don't exactly know what he intended to do..." As she spoke, I noticed that she casually moved to place her hand on the handle of the sliding door, no doubt to use the force of a hundred-kilo wooden weight on the sole occupant of the doorway if things got ugly.
Man, girls are scary.
Unaware of his impending bodily destruction, Hayama chuckled, purposefully injecting lightheartedness into his voice. "It's nothing much, really. I just have something to discuss with this club."
As Hayama stepped forward slowly but deliberately, Yukinoshita's hand slid inconspicuously into her pocket. Oi, what exactly do you plan to do after you knock him out? Don't solve everything with violence!
As if mocking us, our greatest named adversary halted his footsteps just millimetres away from the edge of Yukinoshita's attacking range and stood ramrod still, locking his gaze with ours. Tension reached breaking point...
Then he executed a perfect ninety-degree bow. "I need your help."
...
...
Yukinoshita's eyes narrowed. "Absolutely no- ow!"
"Absolutely," I repeated, withdrawing my foot and gesturing to the chair we reserved for clients. "Have a seat."
The almighty figurehead of Sobu High tentatively complied. I leaned forward onto the desk, steepling my fingers and gazing dispassionately at him until he began to fidget nervously in his seat. The art of negotiation had been a crucial skill to master for my previous conquests, and it demanded instant domination of your opponent's subconscious. This was where "Politician's Desk" (rated 47 out of 108) had been extremely useful.
"Your problem," I prompted. He jolted awake.
"Ah, r-right! It's about the nasty chain-mail that's been going around recently. About my friends. You've read it, right?"
Yukinoshita tilted her head inquisitively. "A recent chain-mail? I haven't heard of it."
"Neither have I," I confirmed.
"You haven't? But it was circulated throughout the student body, probably with the exception of Group F... ah, right. Sorry." he laughed nervously at the sight of our blank stares. "Basically someone's wrote that email with the intention of slandering three of my close friends. I initially wanted to let school administration handle this problem, but I'd prefer it if the investigation were kept under wraps, so-"
"I see, now," hissed Yukinoshita. "You are looking down on us, correct? In your eyes we are nothing but an insignificant organisation that completes the tasks that the school management will never do."
I get what you're trying to say, but isn't that exactly what we are? Also...
Hayama watched as the Service Club's high and mighty club president squeaked and clutched her shin for the second time that day, something akin to concern in his eyes. He knew how much my kicks hurt, after all.
I leaned back, grinning internally when Hayama instinctively relaxed. "So basically you want us to smoke this guy out?"
"Yes, please," he replied. His voice retained its cheerfulness, but all of a sudden it had a malicious undertone to it. "And don't worry about what happens afterward. My friends and I will handle the rest."
Yuigahama shivered and Yukinoshita tensed instinctively, both of them wholly convinced that some unlucky chap had pissed off the great Hayama Hayato and was going to pay the price for it.
Unfortunately for them, this person didn't exist. Everything was going according to plan.
[Hikigaya Hachiman, 19th June, 1400 hours]
In my battle against the Service Club so far, they had always won by unexpected means. It had not taken me much contemplation to find the source of this irregularity.
The human heart.
The one thing I had never been able to fit into my calculations, the one thing I had been suppressing my means of hard control and domination, and the one source of my defeat. Human emotion was truly unpredictable, and the Service Club had utilized it to turn the tables against me in mere moments. In retrospect that was to be expected; all our clients were individuals with desires of their own. The moment we gave them the ability to fulfil these desires, they would naturally jump at the chance to solve their own problems.
However, this would not happen today. Hayama had no desires of his own that pertained to his request. In fact, the very basis of his request was fictional. As per my instruction he had fabricated this scenario, most likely circulating the chainmail himself, all just to give the Service Club a task that they wouldn't be able to accomplish.
Even so, why did he choose to write an email concerning the members of Group S? Those were the students that Yukinoshita would be the least willing to help...
Oh, right. I haven't told him that we're a rebellious organisation.
Yukinoshita, Yuigahama, prepare yourselves! Out of nowhere, you've been given an impossible task by Hayama Hayato himself, and you know what happens to those who fail him... Now let's see, how will you act in the face of extreme pressure?
[Hikigaya Hachiman, 19th June, 1405 hours]
"Let's get started, then," announced Yukinoshita. "Hikigaya-kun, would you happen to know which three friends Hayama-kun was referring to?"
"Um... I'm still here, you know. You could have asked me-"
"Tobe-kun, Yamato-kun and Ooka-kun!" Yuigahama chimed in, fully aware that Yukinoshita was prepared to ignore her unless she made herself useful.
"All from Group S, I see. So it was likely to be one of the three who wrote that email, in order to slander the other two and elevate his own social status."
Correction: Yukinoshita was prepared to ignore her even if she made herself useful.
"Hikigaya-kun," Yukinoshita continued, whipping out a clipboard. "Give me a brief breakdown of their personalities so that we can identify a main suspect."
"Um... their closest friend is right here, you know. Why don't you ask me-"
"Tobe-kun is cheerful and talkative, Yamato-kun is quiet but reliable, and Ooka-kun only speaks at crucial moments!" Yuigahama interjected, unfazed. Why does your personality analysis only involve the way they behave in conversations? You don't really interact with them much, do you?
"Loud and abrasive, silent and withdrawn, cold and calculative..." Yukinoshita mumbled, scribbling furiously. Oi, that sounds a little different from what she said!
Hayama seemed to be at a loss for words. He'd spent ages dealing with Group F students and interacting with Yuigahama, but this was probably a new experience for him.
Yukinoshita sighed and set her clipboard down. "Honestly speaking, any of them could be the culprit. Looks like we'll have to interrogate them individually, then. Hikigaya-kun, take the minutes."
"Right!" cheered Yuigahama. "Let's go- hey, wait up!"
Ironically, this club probably would probably ruin itself without my interference, I thought as I trudged through the door Hayama was holding open for me. Looks like it's going to be a long day...
[Interrogation Minutes of Kakeru Tobe, 19th June, 1415 hours]
Yukinoshita: Good afternoon. If we may have a moment of your time?
Tobe: Hey Irohasu, you listenin' to me or what? Like I said, I had this really cool-
Unknown Girl: I knooooow, Tobe-senpai. You've told me about it already.
Yukinoshita: Excuse me-
Tobe: Huh? When?
Unknown Girl: Half a minute ago, Tobe-senpai. You've been telling it to everyone you see.
Yukinoshita [more than a little annoyed]: Can you-
Tobe: Anyway, let's swing by Lion Sports laters! I need some badminton equipment, chop-chop!
Unknown Girl [sighs]: We're in the football team, Tobe-senpai.
Hayama [whispering]: Hang on, Tobe-kun. I told you to make it hard for them, but you can't just ignore them completely!
Unknown Girl [brightening up immediately]: Oh, Hayama-senpai! What brings you here?
Hayama [laughing nervously]: Ah, nothing much. We're just here to ask if Tobe-kun has any idea about who could have written the chainmail that's been going around recently...
Unknown Girl: You heard that, Tobe-senpai? Now hurry up and speak, maggot!
Tobe: Owowow okay okay I'll talk!
Yuigahama [mumbling]: What a day...
***Note: The rest of this interrogation consists of pointless blabbering and does not need to be recorded***
[Interrogation Minutes of Ooka, 19th June, 1430 hours]
Yukinoshita: That was a disaster. So our next target is...
Ooka: HuuuuuUUUH? Whaddya want?
Hayama [massaging his temples]: They haven't even approached you yet...
Yukinoshita: I wasn't talking to you, but perfect timing. Would you mind-
Ooka [trying and failing to distort his face]: HuuuuuUUUH? What was that? Speak louder, bitc... ugh, this is hard.
Yuigahama: Ooka-kun, if you don't mind me asking... what exactly are you trying to do?
Ooka: Didn't you know? Hayama gave us these new orde- mppphhhhh!
Hachiman [mumbling]: So much for waiting for the right time to speak.
[Hayama pulls Ooka aside. Hushed conversation ensues.]
Ooka [Barely audible]: ...oh. What's my character supposed to be like, then?
[Hushed conversation ends after 2 lengthy minutes of discussion]
Ooka: Uh... right, okay. Ask away, then.
Yukinoshita: Wonderful. Now, I'm sure you are aware of a chain email that has been sent to a great portion of the student body, slandering you and your two friends?
Ooka: ...
Yukinoshita: I'll take that as a yes. It pains me to inform you that you are under suspicion for being its source. Do you have anything to say for yourself?
Ooka: ...
Yukinoshita: Any defensive protests? Any ideas on who to shift the blame to? Perhaps a confession?
Ooka: ...
[Hayama pulls Ooka aside. Hushed conversation ensues.]
Ooka [barely audible]: I dunno! What is the "crucial moment" for me to speak anyway?
[Hushed conversation continues]
Ooka [slightly more audible]: That's not even part of my character! Who said that about me?
[Hushed conversation continues for approximately 15 seconds]
Ooka: Yui, you've known me for like, what, a year? I can't believe you've done this.
Yuigahama [sheepishly]: Eheheh...
Ooka: Anyway, I didn't do it. That's all I know.
Yukinoshita [sighing]: That took ten minutes. Let's move on...
[Interrogation Minutes of Yamato, 19th June, 1445 hours]
Yukinoshita: Pardon me, we're from the Service Club and we're conducting an investigation concerning the slanderous chainmail that was circulated last week.
Yamato: ...
Yuigahama: Yamato-kun?
Yamato: ...
Yukinoshita: Alright, Enough is Enough! Why is it that every single one of you vermin refuses to aid an investigation that concerns all of you? I've just had enough of your degenerate, elitist ways-
Hayama: I think he's sleeping, Yukinoshita-san.
[Silence for about 10 seconds]
Yukinoshita: What, with his eyes open?
Yuigahama: That's so cool! Let me try!
Hayama: Yeah... he does that sometimes. Mostly during Japanese Literature.
Hachiman: That's pretty relatable, actually. Hiratsuka-sensei is the easiest teacher to fall asleep to.
Hayama: No, I meant that he has to sleep with his eyes open because Hiratsuka-sensei is the only teacher who would punch him if he sleeps with his eyes closed.
Hachiman: That's pretty relatable too.
Yukinoshita: Could you wake him up? Our investigation is crucial.
Hayama: Sorry. Once he's in this state, he's gone until the next period.
Yukinoshita [sighing]: I guess we'll have no progress with him either, then. Let's go, Hikigaya-kun.
Hayama: What about Yui? Come on Yui, let's go.
Yukinoshita [hopefully]: Is she incapacitated?
Hachiman: Oh. She's done it.
Hayama: What? What's going on? She's not responding at all...
Hachiman: She's sleeping with her eyes open.
Yukinoshita [mildly impressed]: She learned it in such a short time?
Hachiman: Such is the mark of a genius. If only she applied that to her cooking...
[Hikigaya Hachiman, 19th June, 1430 hours]
"That was a disaster," declared Yukinoshita. "I'll be retiring for the day. Hikigaya-kun, think of how we can further our investigation and tell me tomorrow. Don't disappoint me, now." With that unreasonable request, she swept out of the classroom. The door clicked shut.
Hayama waited until her footsteps in the hallway faded before turning to me. "I'm sorry."
"What for?"
"My friends and I put up a pretty dismal performance today which probably went against your objective."
My right eyebrow arched upwards. "And what did you think my objective was?"
"Some stimulation for your club, I guess. To see how they would react."
I hummed. "Correct, but not quite. Hey, Hayama."
"Yes?" Ever the loyal subordinate. It's so hard to tell what you're thinking sometimes.
"What do you think about this? Me suddenly joining a club and doing all sorts of meaningless things."
Hayama chose his words carefully, watching my expression for the slightest reaction. "I would think... that you are trying to establish another hierarchy, starting from the bottom of the social ladder."
I smirked. "Good idea, but it's a little simpler than that."
I was expecting puzzlement. Perhaps a polite question or two. But all Hayama did was lower his head in acceptance. "Whatever it is, I'll support you."
Control was power. Nobody in this rotten school knew that better than me. And yet, even being regarded with this unwavering loyalty, what was this hollow emptiness that I felt in my heart?
[Hikigaya Hachiman, 19th June, 1500 hours]
As soon as the sound of Hayama's footsteps in the hallway faded, Yukinoshita entered the clubroom.
Through the window.
I knew that you'd go to great lengths to achieve your goals, but... "What the hell, Yukinoshita."
She shot me a partly annoyed, partly inquisitive look. "This was the most effective way to avoid contact with our enemies completely. I couldn't let them see our equipment, after all."
"Equipment?" But Yukinoshita was already setting up a laptop and a hard drive on the desk. "Wait... you have hacking equipment?"
"Naturally. How else would one track down the origin of a chain mail?" As she spoke, she lifted one of the floorboards to reveal a pile of miscellaneous equipment and procured a disc labelled 'VIRUSES [Electronic]' and set it on the table as well.
What... what the hell. This day can't get any stranger, can it?
I watched as Yukinoshita booted up her laptop and started up a disruptive software, the gears in my head spinning wildly. At this rate, Yukinoshita was going to track down the origin of the message, which was most likely Hayama's phone. And although Hayama had a few talented hackers at his disposal, there was no way he could have anticipated this development and prepared against it accordingly. Were my plans about to come to naught?
No. Focus. To begin with, what would happen if Yukinoshita realised the chain mail was created by Hayama himself? She would know that this entire request was a setup, and that Hayama had purposely risked the reputation of his comrades to challenge the Service Club. Nevertheless, discovering that fact would not do her any good; in fact, it was safe to assume that she had been expecting it already. If anything, the knowledge that there was no true solution to this problem would double the pressure placed on her shoulders.
Not the win I would have wanted, but this works too. I watched as Yukinoshita's fingers flew over the keyboard. Thousands of digits seemed to converge into eight, forming a lone phone number on the screen...
"Wait a sec. That's not Hayama's number!"
"So you were thinking the same thing? I'm just as surprised as you are," Yukinoshita mused, sinking back into her chair. "Perhaps he sent the chain mail from a different phone so we wouldn't be able to track him down."
So he did anticipate this development, after all. Over the sound of Yukinoshita's furious typing I said "We can't do anything about it, then. We only know the phone number, but we can't track its owner down."
"On the contrary," Yukinoshita said, "This phone appears to have a GPS." A overhead map of the school appeared on the screen, the location of the perpetrator's phone marked by a glowing red dot.
I felt a momentary pang of unease. I had specifically instructed Hayama to give the Service Club an unsolvable task, so why was he going out of his way just to drop so many hints?
"Right. I'll go smoke the culprit out. Hikigaya-kun, you can stay here and inform me if he moves." From underneath the loose floorboard, Yukinoshita took two walkie-talkies and tossed one to me. Just how prepared is this woman?
Nonetheless, the discomfort I felt was hard to shake. "Hey, Yukinoshita. I don't think you should."
Two puzzled cerulean eyes turned to face me. "Why not?"
"It could be a trap." Not that I was worried for her safety or anything, of course. But it would be a pity if my rival was put out of commission this early in the game.
Yukinoshita exhaled, making a sound somewhere between a sigh and a giggle. "Despite its connections to the underground, this is a school, Hikigaya-kun. The things they could do to me are limited to deconstruction of my social status, and I have none to speak of. I'll be just fine."
She has a point there... I don't think Hayama will do anything serious to her, anyway.
I dipped my head in acknowledgement. "Fine. Just... be careful, okay?"
She coughed. "R-right." Her cheeks seemed to gain a red tint, but I knew better; no girl had ever reacted to anything I said in that way, and no girl ever would.
[Yukinoshita Yukino, 19th June, 1530 hours]
I slipped through the shadows, avoiding contact with any teacher or student. My enemies could be anywhere, and underestimating the influence of Group S would certainly spell doom for the club.
"How's the target? Any movement?"
"None," Hikigaya-kun's reply came with a crackle of static. "He's still at the same place behind the gym."
For my target to conveniently leave his phone's GPS on and stay at such a secluded location, this was definitely a trap. But if I wanted information or any sort of leverage against Hayama Hayato, walking straight into this pitfall was a small price to pay.
Upon reaching the specified location, I slid behind a pillar and peered cautiously. Sure enough, a cellphone lay inconspicuously on the ground and I could sense four people concealing themselves in the surrounding area. They appeared to be performing a sort of chant, their mumbling a low buzz that barely reached my ears.
Now, what to do? These individuals were clearly planning to ambush me the moment I approached the phone. Even if I subdued them, the chance to obtain information would be lost.
"I've located the phone," I mumbled. "It appears I've found some undesirable company as well, however."
"Yeah, I can hear them from here," Hikigaya-kun hissed back. "Are they saying something?"
I heightened my senses. Even then the chanting was barely audible, but I could make out the words.
"...For Ou-sama. For our Kingdom. We will do anything it takes."
"They appear to be some sort of cult," I mumbled. "They're saying something about a king. I don't really know what's going on either..."
There was silence on the other end of the communication line, then Hikigaya-kun spoke up in a hushed yet frantic tone. "I don't like this, Yukinoshita. Get out of there as fast as you ca-"
"No."
"Huh? Are you crazy? Get out of there before they see you!"
"It's a little too late for that, don't you think, honey?" I whipped around. Standing before me was a thin and wiry boy, his face framed by chestnut bangs and obscured by a baseball cap. His uniform was unkempt and his posture lax, an indication of the identity of a delinquent. An abnormally large metal baseball bat was slung over his shoulder. "Now turn off that walkie-talkie if you know what's good for ya."
How did he get behind me without me noticing? He would have to conceal his presence perfectly! This was clearly not an ordinary student. Hesitantly, I deactivated the device.
The boy studied me carefully, face hidden by shadows. "Ou-sama told me that one of Hayama's lackeys would show up, but I've never seen your face before. You from Group F or something?"
Information exchange is a give-and-take process. I twisted my face into a slight smile. "Yes. You're awfully perceptive. I'm afraid didn't catch your name, though."
His face inclined upwards, revealing a mouth full of shark-like teeth. "I didn't throw it, darlin'. So you're not working for Group S, huh..." His grip around the bat tightened.
This was it. It was unlikely that I would get any information out of him, and he had proved himself to be hostile and dangerous. I had no choice but to incapacitate him...
"Fine, fine. You want info? I'll give you my name, then." I started. How did he do that? It was almost as if he read my mind. "I used to be a lowly student from Group C, but Ou-sama made me into the man I am today. Now I'm Rook, Ou-sama's strongest powerhouse. Nice to meet ya!" He held his hand out in greeting.
My eyes narrowed. "How useful do you expect that information to be? It's just an alias!"
"Never said I'd give you my real name," he pouted. "Fine, fine. I'll let you ask one question."
"You didn't say you were going to answer it, did you?"
He threw his head back and laughed, a wheedling, high-pitched noise that sounded like the static from my transceiver. "Damn straight! I guess you'll be asking me a rhetorical question now, sweetheart?"
I smirked, sliding my hand into my pocket. Two could play at this game. "Just one question, then. Do you know what chloroform smells like?"
I lunged. His laughter was the last thing I heard.
[Hikigaya Hachiman, 19th June, 1545 hours]
I watched the red blip on the screen disappear unassumingly, resisting the urge to hyperventilate.
Yukinoshita was taken. Yukinoshita was taken by a bunch of guys who weren't Hayama's goons. Yukinoshita was taken and it was all my fault.
What the hell is going on? No, wait. Calm down. Panicking isn't going to get you anywhere. Why are you so concerned about her safety in the first place, anyway? Think. A group completely unrelated to Hayama: from what I heard it seemed to be some sort of cult. They somehow seemed to know where the origin of the chain mail was. Why is that?
...
Furious, I whipped out my phone.
Hayama picked up after two rings this time, which meant he definitely did not want to speak to me. This did not help the raging emotions in my chest.
"Explain yourself," I snapped, before he could get a single word in.
"R-right. As you might have figured out, I wasn't the one who sent that chain mail."
"Then who did?"
"I don't know either! We've been investigating it since it appeared, but for some reason our hacker Yamato started sleeping way more regularly so we made minimal progress..."
Ah, that guy who was sleeping with his eyes open. "I don't care about that," I hissed. "I told you to give the Service Club an unsolvable problem. One of your own orchestration."
"It was, in a way..." he ventured meekly. "I planned to take your club on a wild goose chase investigating my friends while finishing up the actual investigation on my own."
A feral growl tore its way out of my chest. "And look how well that went. Yukinoshita found the perpetrators before you!"
"What? But we've been trying to track them down for days!"
In retrospect, there was no way that our investigation should have been that simple. If these people were capable of nullifying the efforts of Group S's hacker, the fact that Yukinoshita had found them meant that they had deliberately created an opening in their defenses. No doubt they had been expecting minions of the school administration to come knocking on their door. Instead, they had caught one Yukinoshita Yukino.
No matter how you look at it, this situation is problematic for me. I should have seen this coming...
I inhaled deeply. "Yukinoshita was taken at the area behind the gym, so she's being held either at the gym or the storeroom. Send your goons to subdue those guys. I don't want a single one of them to escape."
"Yes, sir."
"And run a detailed background check on every one of your subordinates. Especially your most trusted ones."
Thick silence reigned on the other end of the line. Hayama was pissed. "You call the loyalty of my friends into question?"
"These guys have managed to stay off your radar for a significant period of time, haven't they? There's only one logical explanation for that."
"...yes, sir."
"Especially that Yamato guy. I find it highly suspicious that he would mysteriously contract insomnia right when your investigation started."
"Yes, sir."
I ended the call and straightened up. I had some beating-down to do.
[Yuigahama Yui, 19th June, 1600 hours]
Tobe-kun regarded my prone form when he walked into the classroom with no small amount of surprise; clearly he hadn't expected me to be there. AFter reaching the conclusion that I was asleep, he crept past me towards Yamato-kun's sleeping figure.
"Tobe-kun? What're you doing to Yamato-kun?"
As expected, he yelped and jolted in response to my seemingly harmless question. "Yui? Nothing much, really. Hayato-kun instructed me to move this lug to class 2-E, that's all."
"Oh. That's it?"
His breathing stabilised. "Yeah. That's it. You should come with us too, actually. Hayato-kun's running a background check on every one of us."
I blinked. "Did something happen?"
His nervousness was palpable, not that I could blame him. "Y-yeah, apparently he thinks there's a mole in our group." He grunted as he lifted Yamato-kun's body and settled the weight on his shoulder.
That would be me, actually... but I don't think I'm the only one. Neither do I think I'm the one that Hayato-kun is searching for this time.
"I see. By the way, Tobe-kun."
"Yeah?"
"Why do you have a taser in your pocket?"
Time froze. I gripped the table leg that I had extracted earlier. I wouldn't be able to beat Tobe-kun (or any boy, actually) in a physical confrontation, but now his hands were full with Yamato. I had him just where I wanted him.
A nervous chuckle. "Yui? What's with that scary tone? You know I always carry it around, right? For self defense and all that."
I smiled slightly. "How about the sleeping pills that you've been adding to Yamato-kun's bento recently? Do you carry those around for self defense too?"
Yamato-kun's sleeping form slid to the ground. "I see," mumbled Tobe-kun. "You're the one who ratted me out, eh?"
"I could have, but I didn't," I replied as his hand slid into his pocket. "I don't know why you're doing all this, but please stop it. This isn't like you, Tobe-kun."
Tobe-kun let out a bark of laughter as he drew his taser out. "You don't know why I'm doing this? Well, I'll tell you. Ou-sama wants to build a new kingdom atop the ashes of this rotten school. And to do that, we'll start by devastating all the members of Group S. That includes you, Yui!"
Clenching the table leg, I rushed forward to meet him as he lunged.
Ou-sama? Who's that? Well, I'll worry about that later. For now, focus on getting the taser out of his hand! If I can just land one hit on his wrist, he won't be able to use the taser anymore and I should be able to hit the back of his head-
But the taser was no longer in Tobe-kun's hand. As it clattered to the floor, two hands fastened themselves around my neck.
"This isn't like me? How dare you say that," he snarled as black spots swam before my eyes. "How would you know what I'm really like, anyway? If not for Ou-sama I would just be another worthless Group C student!"
Tobe-kun's eyes burned with a calm yet raging flame, the kind that I would see in Yukinoshita-san's eyes when she was cornered. More than Yukinoshita-san's hatred for the school administration, this was his strong, blind faith in this Ou-sama person. If that was the case, trying to convince him was probably not going to work. That didn't mean I was going to stop trying, though.
"Tobe...kun," I croaked. "The one I know... is not like this..."
"The Kakeru Tobe you knew never existed," he said, as my vision slowly faded to black. "My name is Knight."
Author's note: uh... It's been a while, huh?