Volume 2 - CH 1

I, Natsume Ren, could never stand the cicadas chirping during the summer. As for my reason…Well, it’s an unjustified resentment. The flapping noises of their wings, each time I focused on the cicadas and not the sounds of summer itself, I was assaulted with a sense of stagnation with something. No friends to spend time with during summer break, the summer homework shows no signs of ending, no ice cream in the fridge, no family to talk to…This having been a standard for my summer break in my younger years, I eventually came to focus more on the chirping of the cicadas. Because there was nothing else to put my attention to. That’s why I can’t deal with them.

“We’re skipping this question in my class, so make sure to check it for yourselves. Turn the page.”

Sitting in the back of the classroom, next to the window, I gazed outside in a daze. I heard the noises from outside. Bells ringing filled my ears—Which, of course, was a lie. It was the chirping of cicadas as always. For the first time this year, I was forced to become aware of this.

“Then for this question…Ogino, give me an answer.”

The sun stood tall in the sky, almost dazzling. The sky was clear blue, as the planes drew lines through the sky ocean, a few isolated clouds here and there. The rainy season has ended, bringing us to the genuine summer. And summer break has ended…or, it should have.

“You don’t get it? Are you kidding me? I’m calling you guys based on seat number, so be prepared.”

And yet, here at Saigou High, nothing has changed.

“Don’t relax! You’re here for summer supplementary classes, so you don’t have any right for summer break!”

BANG, a loud sound ran through the classroom. I directed my gaze to the front of the classroom, where I saw what looked like a handprint in the middle of the blackboard. This sound just now must have been from our female teacher having slammed her hand on the blackboard.

“Listen up. Anybody who can’t solve this problem is better off dead! You have no value in being alive!”

So even people with no respect for other people and life can become teachers nowadays, huh? Seriously, there’s no saving this school. This world is done for. I rested my cheek on my palm and covered one ear with my fingers. Of course, I don’t expect to protect myself from all this abuse, but I just wanted to momentarily forget I was existing in this rotten space. I wanted this time to end as quickly as possible.

I once again tore my gaze away from the classroom, gazing outside the window. It was bright outside, contrasting the gloomy atmosphere in the classroom. And although I couldn’t see them. I could faintly hear the cicadas.

“…Hey! You! Pay attention, damn it!”

“…”

“I’m talking to you, Natsume! Listen to me, you human garbage!”

I didn’t want to pick a fight so I decided against audibly clicking my tongue. While keeping my gaze still outside the window, I responded.

“…I am listening.”

But in my mind, I cursed—Shut up, you moron. Don’t you dare talk to me.

*

Classes are finally over, so I quickly ran away to the usual club room. During Saigou High’s summer break, all club activity was put on hold so that it wouldn’t get in the way of supplementary classes. Of course, if a teacher happened to find you on your way, you’d get an earful from them, which is why I had to be extra careful today.

Stepping out of the main school building, I headed to the old club room building instead. Down the dimly lit hallway packed with heat, I aimed for the back. Walking beneath the various plates hanging above the doors, I reached the back end of the hallway, stopping in front of the final door. Checking that nobody was around to see me, I looked up at the door plate—Astronomy Club.

Just as it had been written there, this was the club room for the astronomy club—although the majority of its members were simply registered at it so it wouldn’t get abolished. No regular club activity was even being held here. Thus, we could use this secluded space to plot our terrorism—our attempt to change this rotten school. I took a deep breath and then opened the door. Today was another day for us planning our next operation.

“Sorry it took me so long,” I said and opened the door to enter, where I found a girl reading a paperback book, now raising her head to look at me.

Her eyes shone bright like black gemstones, matching her black-brownish and short bob-cut hairstyle. She wore a newsboy cap on her head with cat ears attached to it, not hiding her ash-gray inner hair. Hosmiya Kurumi was in her usual revenge mode, as she grinned with a devilish smile.

“Geez, you’re late. Thanks to that, I almost reached the part where the memories of the romance came back to the protagonist.”

“Huh? Ah, you’re talking about the book. I said I’m sorry, it took some time to get here without being spotted.”

“Really now…Well, I will let it slide. Thanks for making it, Senpai.”

“Right back at you, Kurumi,” I said and grabbed a nearby chair to sit down next to her.

The shelves were empty, as the west sun entered the room through a single window, as the room barely amassed a size of a few square meters. Sitting in this familiar room, I felt my body relax. After this long day, I was finally at peace.

“Senpai, are you okay? You seem genuinely exhausted.”

Kurumi closed her book and looked at me with an anxious gaze as I leaned against the back of the chair.

“Is this summer fatigue at work? Should we do our strategy meeting another day?”

“No, it’s fine. I’m okay…Well, I might not be totally okay.” I fixed my posture and gave a genuine answer.

I wouldn’t want her to worry about me, and I knew that playing tough in front of her wouldn’t do me any favors.

“The teachers’ attitude has gone back to normal, so I’m a bit bummed out.”

“Oh, wow. I guess the teachers for the second-years have reverted back themselves.”

From the sounds of it, I could assume that the same was the case for the first-year teachers. Right before the beginning of summer break, we played a recording of the abuse the teachers did on the daily during a live broadcast. This act definitely left its marks, because all teachers ceased their previously regular abuse, and there was even talk of the committee of education being on the move, firing people. Undoubtedly, our mission was a success—or, it should have been. Yet not even a few days later, Saigou High School had returned back to how it was before.

Important to what makes you a human are grades, studying, and university entrance exams. Summer was the training ground for that—So some prank that some loser caused was quickly disregarded and nobody cared anymore. That’s the attitude the teachers have toward us students, and the students in return accept this. So of course, the teachers soon began insulting their students again. This change happened as naturally as the festival ended. And as a result, the absolute power and influence of grades remained at this school.

With the beginning of summer supplementary classes, everyone was too busy studying that they all forgot. Saigou High once again could not be changed. It reminded us that values deeply engraved in a system like this could not be changed so soon.

“Not like it matters. I didn’t think we could change the school from the ground up with just that,” I said and Kurumi nodded.

“That’s absolutely right. And thanks to that, we managed to lessen the number of applicants for the next school year. We’re still waiting to see the results, so let’s look forward to it and wait.”

“So once the results are there, you’re going to quit school?”

“Huuuh? Senpai, are you saying that you want me to stay?” She asked with a provocative tone.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

“Wh-What are you even…” Kurumi looked at me in shock and blushed.

You’re way too naive, Kurumi. I’ve prepared myself to be with you until the bitter end. I’ve got no remorse in saying any of that stuff—though it’s not any less embarrassing. Kurumi cleared her throat once and then tried to get a grip of this awkward atmosphere.

“Well, as I said, I won’t drop out of school immediately. Once we’ve managed to change this school’s rotten justice and I feel satisfied with my revenge against those teachers, making the students change their way of thinking, I can comfortably drop out.”

“Yeah, and we’ve only just begun. Let’s change our school together.”

“Hehehe…I’ll get my hopes up, then. Let’s do our best, Senpai!” Kurumi rubbed her nose and fixed her cap to then reach into the bag at her feet.

She took out a yellow notebook, flipped through the pages, and opened a white empty one. This was her revenge note. All ideas and plans on how to get revenge on the school were and will be written there. She grabbed a pen and tapped on the note as she thought about something.

“And about that…How should we proceed from now on?”

“How? Isn’t our regular work not good enough?”

“Not necessarily, but with the festival over and summer break with us, I’d like to start working toward a particular kind of goal.”

So it’s a problem of her feelings then? I guess that makes sense.

“So basically, a new goal during summer break…I wonder.”

Both Kurumi and I are participating in Saigou High’s summer supplementary classes. This indirectly gives us the right to attend school even during summer break, so we have to use this chance. After thinking about it for a moment, Kurumi raised her head and looked at me.

“Oh yeah, you are taking part in the supplementary classes too, right Senpai? I didn’t expect that.”

“I’m not here because I want to. My old man just forced me to. Just like last year.”

“Oh my. I had no idea. That must be very annoying.” Kurumi flashed a wry smile as she rubbed my head.

What am I, a dog? That’s so embarrassing.

“And are you one to talk? You planned to drop out, so how come you’re now sitting here with me?”

“…Ah, about that. I actually didn’t have any intention of attending the supplementary classes, but when I said I was going to hold off on dropping out, my mother sent me here…Hehe, I guess we’re the same, Senpai?” Kurumi grinned as she took my right hand with her left one, intertwining our fingers.

She then put pressure on my hands, as I responded in unison. It felt like we were a couple holding hands. Looking up, Kurumi was gently smiling at me, too. Once again, this is quite embarrassing. But at the same time, it feels relaxing. I didn’t hate it at all. And after we both basked in each other’s warmth for a while, I voiced a thought that came to my mind.

“Maybe we could destroy their summer supplementary classes? We’re both unwilling participants, after all.”

“Oho? I see, I see…But that’s a big one to start things, huh?”

“Well, even if we don’t manage to completely bring down the supplementary classes, I think it’d be good to at least target them.”

Saigou High’s summer supplementary classes were a hell that began almost immediately after the cultural festival on the 23rd of June. It was basically a school day cutting homeroom and any active subjects to squeeze five hours of studying into a regular day, with three hours of special lessons on Saturday. And the contents were about the same, too. It was the same garbage day they had to suffer through, with the same abuse and insults. Sometimes, teachers would even boycott. And these special few hours were filled with dry classes—This was the average style of Saigou High’s supplementary classes.

Even a first-year like Kurumi seemed to understand how grotesque this system was. She nodded several times and showed a mischievous grin on her face.

“Hm…Rebelling against these garbage classes…Sounds good, very good. I’m honestly very pissed off at these lessons myself. They’re worth absolutely nothing.”

“Absolutely. It’s the exact same as last year, too.”

“Waaah, for real? I can’t believe it!” Kurumi said as she used her open right hand to write in the Revenge Note. “Then let’s make this summer’s supplementary lessons our target, yes?”

“Sounds good. The best would be ruining them, but we’ll go as far as we can.”

The main motive of our terrorism is to clear up our resentment and to change this school by causing chaos. If we don’t target something with a lot of attention, there’s no way we could cause any trouble.

“With the target decided…what exactly should we do? I’ve run out of ideas for any terrorism myself, so do you have any thoughts?”

“Well…I think it’d be better to focus on the irony of the supplementary classes.”

“True…Regular classes are full of abuse and insults anyway, so it’d be pointless to complain about that again. Though, it’s not like I’m forgiving their abusive language or anything.”

“Yeah, I know,” I nodded.

It’s not like she’s satisfied with what we’ve done against the abuse, it’s more like this timing of summer supplementary classes should have some special focus. Is there…anything? We both went silent and lost ourselves in our thoughts, to the point we even forgot we were still holding hands, but still ended with emptiness.

“The supplementary classes have just started, so maybe we should just keep watching for a while.”

“That sounds good. If we find anything else highly displeasing, we could use that, too.”

“Then we’re done for today, right? Let’s talk later to decide on the next time we meet.”

“Okaaay! I’ll contact you.”

Kurumi closed her Revenge Note and declared today’s strategy meeting over. We stopped holding hands, and I grabbed my bag to head for the door.

“Ah, wait a moment, Senpai.”

“Hm? Sorry, was there anything else you wanted to talk about?”

“No, not exactly—Kiss.”

Something soft and warm touched my lip. Right as I was about to stand up, Kurumi used this chance to kiss me.

“…That surprised me. What was that about?”

I touched my own lips and asked in an attempt to keep my calm. Kurumi licked her tongue and then showed a nefarious grin.

“Hehe! It’s nothing at all! Let’s go home!”

Kurumi gathered up her belongings, hiding her inner hair, and headed out of the room. But seriously, why did she do that? For no reason? I thought a kiss was supposed to be an instrument to be mischievous and relieve us from our stress. Well, I shouldn’t give it too much thought. Wouldn’t want to invite any weird misunderstanding.

*

Classes at our school were utter garbage, constantly consisting of verbal abuse and denying the students’ rights as human beings. With insults and rage from the teachers, we made no progress whatsoever. And as if that wasn’t enough, the summer supplementary classes had an extra taste of evil to them—To everyone’s shock, you had to pay for these classes. Even though those classes were utterly pointless and bore no fruit to anything, you had to actually give those shitty teachers even more money. There’s no saving this rotten place. They were looking down on us students in every meaning of the way.

“How did you even get this wrong? Do we have to send you back to middle school?”

The following day after Kurumi and I decided to destroy the summer supplementary classes, more roars of anger from the teachers filled our classroom, as a chair was kicked over. The nefarious classes continued as they had the day before. And even though they were as utterly worthless as always, you’d see a lot of people registering for them. Even though the value of these classes was questionable, the majority of students at Saigou High applied—For the sole reason that university entrance exams were slowly approaching. And because summer break was the perfect time to study. Of course, a lot of students must have positive aspirations from this…but the majority still registered for these classes for other reasons that weren’t as voluntary.

“You sure you’re not just being lazy because it’s summer break? You’re at least better than the guys on here, so why not use this chance?” The teacher walked to the side of the classroom, slapping their hand on the second blackboard. Written there were six names, as well as the words ‘Supplementary Classes Non-Participants.’ This was the main reason so many students registered for the summer supplementary classes. All students who didn’t participate had their names written on the blackboards across the school—No matter the year, no matter the class. This was a tradition that always began in around the middle of May. Handing in your registration for the supplementary classes allowed you to erase your name from this list.

To put this into words was simple. It got very close—to coercion. Those students not participating in the summer supplementary classes, to make the punishment as worse as possible, were made exemplary to the whole school by having their names displayed for everyone to see. If you write ‘Supplementary Classes Non-Participants’ on the board, it will spark conversations within the classes. And as long as you don’t have an iron will, the group pressure will eventually get to you as you end up registering anyway. This system managed to win over most students every year, and everything worked out for the school.

“Those who have their names written on here must be extremely busy and can’t make it to these classes, but you people are different, right? Pull yourselves together,” the teacher explained with clear irony in their voice, as they went back to the front of the class.

Such a system was yet another type of garbage the school tormented its students with, but the part that annoyed me the most it made me furious…was the fact that the teachers kept notes of the students who didn’t participate in the classes. No matter how you try to defend this, this system is done with nothing but evil in mind. And yet, they’re actually putting the names down for everyone to see without any actual abuse is nothing short of being cowards.

At least go all the way if you’re gonna be blatantly evil. Because then I can actually hit you back. Don’t go living your lives thinking you’re doing nothing wrong. But as I was boiling internally, I was reminded of yesterday’s strategy meeting. If we focus on this unfair treatment, maybe we could do something about this supplementary class nonsense. I quietly took out my phone beneath the desk and sent Kurumi a message.

‘Why don’t we do something about this whole name-dropping system the teachers invented?’

Even though Kurumi must be in the middle of class herself, she sent me a response right away.

‘I thought of something, too—The Beheaded Painting Head.’

I don’t have the slightest idea as to what that’s supposed to mean. What’s her plan? And the name is…as lame as always. And when I wanted to ask for details, she already sent back the details. Using magic pens and paint, we could sneak into the classrooms to write over the names of the students and write ‘Live Beheading’ over it. It would make the teachers realize they were basically doing the same as enacting a live execution. It was one way of showing the teachers our frustration. And I think it’s great.

‘Let’s go with that.’

I swiftly responded and returned my gaze to the blackboard. And with our plan of terrorism decided, we now had to make up a date for when we execute this. We should probably check our schedule ahead for that. Also, we have to decide on the thickness of the letters and color. Better to keep it consistent. And while I was lost in thought about that, Kurumi sent me another message.

‘I just thought of this, but why don’t we put this up alongside the writing?’

Looking at the picture she added, I almost burst out. It looked like a genuine head created from a mannequin. Its hair was ruffled up and messy, its eyes were white and carved out, and blood dripped from its neck. It’s so scary…How did she even find this?

‘This is the best. Let’s put that up, too.’

‘So we stop by the 100-yen store on the way home?’

That means we’ll have to make these heads ourselves, too? We haven’t focused on any homemade work like this since we made our initial eraser stamps. I kinda hope I won’t be as useless as I was back then, but I won’t hold my breath. And as I was thinking, I received yet another message on my phone—However, it didn’t come from Kurumi this time. I swiped my screen to the side and saw that the sender was actually Tanaka-san, the girl sitting next to me.

‘If you stare at your phone any more than this, the teacher’s gonna get angry at you.’

Looking over, I met eyes with Tanaka-san. She showed a faint smile in response…What a saint in every regard. She could just leave me alone. I sent a brief response back.

‘Thanks for the warning.’

Reading my message, she smiled once again. It’s been a month and a half since the two of us had been talking, and I finally realized that this was the perfect distance between us.

*

Two days later, Kurumi and I finished our preparations for our next terrorism. Living through another hellish day of supplementary classes, we met up at the usual club room after school to hold another strategy meeting. We decided to discuss the day we would put our next operation into action—which turned out to be Saturday morning. We chose that day on purpose because we only had classes in the morning, which meant there would be fewer teachers present, making the execution of our crime easier. And we could act out our terrorism early in the morning by mixing in with the students who wanted to get some extra practice in before classes. With the content, the steps, the day and time, and everything else decided, our planning was complete. The only problem left had been the creation of the actual heads, but Kurumi saw no struggle with that and handled everything at home. As expected, you could say, since I definitely wouldn’t be of much help.

And finally, the day of the execution drew near. Taking the early train, Kurumi and I made our way to school, the mannequin heads stuffed in a bag, as we took the secret back entrance. We entered the astronomy club room to check everything one last time.

“The mannequin heads are here. Senpai, did you buy everything I asked you to?”

“Yeah. A 30cm ruler and water-roof magic pens. In white, too.”

“Nice, nice. With the blackboard, this was the best choice.”

“And to be prepared for the worst-case scenario, I bought two for each of us.”

“Okay. Seems like we’re prepared.”

Kurumi and I stood next to each other, breathing out once.

“Okay, Senpai…Let’s start our enjoyable terrorism.”

We looked each other in the eyes, exchanged a faint kiss, and then stepped out of the room. It was time to begin. Kurumi and I split up to write over any blackboard we could find, using the ruler and magic pen to write ‘Live Beheading’ on them. As for the mannequin heads, we hung them down on several blackboards. Since we had a limited number, we couldn’t place them everywhere, but there were still plenty. Not getting caught always took utmost priority, so just the bare minimum was good enough. And without any major incidents, our terrorism ended. We used the veranda and emergency stairs to escape from the place of the crime.

We spent some time separated at the toilets, waiting for things to get noisy to head to our classrooms like nothing had happened. In each room with a hanging head and writing, there was a crowd of people wondering what had happened. That said, nobody had anything to say about having witnessed anything, making our first act of terrorism this summer break a perfect crime.

*

During summer supplementary classes, we had no regular homeroom classes. For that reason, the first period ended up a discussion time that was caused by our terrorism.

“…I’m gonna ask this anyway, but does anybody know who could have done this?”

Right after class started, our small female teacher asked all of class 2-5.

“It can be anything. Maybe someone talked about something weird.”

The students all looked at each other, none of them raising their hands. And since I remained silent, there was nothing but silence answering the teacher’s question.

“God damn it…Nobody? After the whole ordeal at the cultural festival, we’re still looking for information. Whoever did all this won’t get away easily. We won’t forgive any of that.”

I wonder…what is she talking about? The ones doing something unforgivable are you bastards.

“If you remember anything of value, out with it. You can also come to us individually.”

“…”

“The hell? At least respond.”

The students wait a brief moment to respond with “Yes” in unison. Once again, Kurumi and I managed to pull off our terrorism without anyone suspecting us. No doubt, our classmates must be unsure of what to say since they don’t know a damn thing.

“Seriously…What even is this…” The teacher sighed once and then headed to the second blackboard to grab the severed head and grumble to herself. “What even…”

You know exactly what this is, so don’t play dumb. At least accept it as what it is.

“…Sensei, isn’t there something written on the back of the mannequin?”

One classmate raised their voice amidst this tense atmosphere. Oh, realized it already? As the creator, that does make me happy.

“Huh? Where?”

“Right here. At the head’s nape, it looks like some sort of exam question.”

“Oh, this? It’s…a code? No, a Math II question? Not that hard to solve, though.”

Just as the teacher stated, the various mannequins had a code engraved in them using a math problem. Using calculus and sinus/ko sinus, solve the question and…would you look at that, you get an answer…you realize that it has no meaning whatsoever. Basically, this whole code was just a way to waste time. It shows that no matter how much you study, you won’t always find the answer simply based on that. It might look like we’re challenging those who excel at studying, but that’s not it. The beheaded head has no direct connection to our terrorism at all. It’s just a bit of cynical bullying.

“Anybody here who can solve this? You’re in your second year already, so you should have learned about this.”

“I’d like to try it. Can I have a look?”

“You’re not even doing your homework, how can I expect you to solve this…Though, the answer seems to be right.”

Looking at the teacher and classmate pondering his mathematical question, I was trying hard to control my laughter. In the meantime, the other classmates struck up conversations in the back. Everyone thought this class would end without them solving the question, but out of nowhere, there was a knock on the door.

“Ah, hello? Sorry, I’m coming in.”

With this voice together, the door opened immediately after. Surely, I wasn’t the only one who looked at the person in shock. This sudden visitor was actually a bit of a celebrity. With almond eyes, dignified facial features, and a relatively tall height and well-endowed chest, possessing the body of a model. Her blue-shaded hair she had tied up in a ponytail, creating a line hanging down her neck—Class 2-1. Nanaougi Nana. She is the head student in the second year and across the school. From the day she enrolled to today, she always kept her top rank during every exam. She’s the existence governing the higher-ranking classes. After a brief silence, I could hear people mumbling. Even the teacher was somewhat bewildered at Nanaougi’s appearance.

“Nanaougi? Why are you here? We’re in the middle of class right now.”

“Sorry, sorry. I know you are.” Nanaougi spoke with the teacher like they were friends, showing no respect whatsoever. “The thing is, I wanted to clean up the mess here if you’d let me.”

“Clean up…? What do you mean?”

“This,” Nanaougi responded and shook the bottle she held in her hand.

“The hell is that?”

“Dehydrated ethanol. I borrowed it from the chemistry room.”

“Why’d you bring that all the way here?”

“Removing water-proof writing like that is easiest by using dehydrated ethanol. I’ll go ahead and borrow the blackboard,” she said and stood in front of the blackboard with ‘Live Beheading’ on it.

She put some ethanol on a dust cloth and started wiping the blackboard.

“Nanaougi…Can you actually get rid of it?”

“I already went to the other classes, so it should be fine. Just watch.”

Just as Nanaougi stated, the white writing slowly began to fade. It would probably need some extra cleaning but the ‘Live Beheading’ started to disappear.

“See? It’s mostly gone now.”

“You’re right…As expected of our master representative. You really helped me out.” The teacher thanked Nanougi, who showed a confident smile.

“You’re welcome. Also, I’m going to take this mannequin head with me while I’m at it.”

“Hold on, we’re trying to decipher the mystery of this math question. It might be a message from the perpetrator. Oh yeah, did you manage to solve it yet? I’d like to borrow your wisdom here…”

“I don’t think there’s any particular message hidden in there. You can find an answer to the question, but you probably won’t get some elaborate answer or hint.”

“Huh? Oh, really?”

“It’s pointless to even think about it. I suggest stopping before you lose yourself in your thoughts.” Nanaougi bluntly declared and took the mannequin head from our teacher.

She then threw it into a plastic bag outside the classroom. I’m guessing she went around collecting these, as the bag was full of the heads Kurumi worked so hard to make.

“That’s how it is, so I’m moving on now.”

“Y-Yeah. Thanks a bunch, Nanaougi.”

“Don’t worry about it. Though, I was hoping I could ask you something after class later, Ookuma-sensei.”

“Huh? Me? Is it about classes?”

“Well, something like that. I’ll leave the details for later. Good luck with your class, everyone.” Nanaougi excused herself with a charming wink.

I’m sure this wink was supposed to be directed at the whole class…and yet for a split second, it felt like our eyes met. But since we have no connection whatsoever, it was probably just a coincidence. Although it did sound a lot more profound than what I assumed. But even more than that…I can’t stand her for cleaning up after our perfect terrorism.

*

Whenever our terrorism works out, Kurumi and I celebrate our success at the clubroom. However, not on the same day. The risk was too high to be doing that while the school was still in disarray. If a teacher happened to find us, they might just get suspicious that we were the ones who caused the whole chaos. With that being the case, on the day of the mannequin terrorism, Kurumi and I planned to head home separately and pretend like nothing happened. With the bag on my shoulder, I changed into my outdoor shoes and stepped out of the building.

As we only had classes in the morning, it was still bright outside. The sun gave off a white radiance, shining right above my head. I don’t feel too hungry today, so I’m just gonna eat some cold noodles at home. My head could only focus on this one thought when a voice suddenly called out to me right as I passed the school gate.

“Hey. Hey, you! Wait a second!”

The voice sounded dignified, overflowing with confidence. It sounded familiar, too. Or rather, I just heard it this morning—from Nanaougi Nana. Is she…talking to me? I moved just my eyes to look around me, spotting no other person but me. A lot of people decided to eat lunch at the cafeteria, so some left sooner, some later. In other words, the chance of her calling out to me was quite high. No clue what exactly she would want from me, but I’m honestly too scared to just ignore her. I guess I can hear her out.

“Oh, finally caught on? Yahoo.”

Turning around, the first sight that caught my attention was her blue hair, sparkling from the sunlight raining down on it. Nanaougi showed me a confident grin as she greeted me.

“Hello there. You’re a student from class 2-5, right?”

“That I am…But did you need something from me?”

“Hm… Not really. I just thought you looked pretty cool when I saw you this morning in the classroom, so I thought I’d call out to you,” Nanaougi explained with seemingly no evil intent.

I didn’t exactly understand what this was about, so I voiced the first question that came to my mind.

“What is this about? Are you hitting on me?”

“Well, yeah, you could see it that way.”

The hell? For real? I had no idea Nanaougi was such an assertive type of girl. That’s what this morning’s gaze was about? A cute girl like her hit on me by saying that I’m cool. What a dream-like situation to be in—and yet, I didn’t feel happy in the slightest. Nanaougi’s at the top even within the higher-ranking classes, and she’s basically a king considering the discrimination against the lower-ranking classes. She’s like an existence from a different world if you compare her to Kurumi and me. I’d rather not get involved with her. I kept my cool and just shrugged once.

“Sorry, but I can’t respond to your feelings. I’ve got someone already.”

“Oh, really? What a shame…But hey, it wouldn’t hurt to spend some time with me, right?”

“No thanks. No clue what she’ll say if she sees us together.”

“Your girlfriend’s a feisty one, huh? Just forget about her and let’s go on a date right now?”

With Nanaougi taking half a step forward, I was forced to lean back and click my tongue. Sometimes there are really people like this, huh? They think they can just make other people their own because they are part of the higher-ranking classes. They see other people as nothing but an outlet for whatever they’re feeling, and it’s absolutely disgusting sight to see. Though throwing this disgruntlement at them isn’t going to change their views either way.

“Haha, don’t give me that scary look. I was just kidding.”

Once I glared at her in silence, she just said so with a smile.

“…Stop with the nasty jokes. What if I took you seriously?”

“Ah, no, wait. I do think you’re pretty cool, but I was just joking about the date. I went with the flow of this whole hitting on thing.”

Like I give a crap. There’s no big difference in that. I glared at her once more, but she still didn’t seem bothered in the slightest and just continued.

“So listen to me. I actually would have wanted to go on a date with you, but I’ve got something else to take care of.”

“…Which is.”

“I have to throw away this garbage here. Look.” She said and showed me the large bag she had kept at her side all this time.

It was a transparent bag with all of the mannequin heads that Kurumi previously made inside. These must be all the ones she gathered up this morning—and she’s gonna throw them away…So what we’re doing looks like garbage to the higher-ranking classes.

“Huh? Come on, you gotta react, too! It’s like I’m just talking to myself.” Nanaougi narrowed her eyes as she looked at my face.

I really can’t stand the thought of her treating Kurumi’s hard work this way, but if I react in any suspicious manner, it might only come back to hurt us. I looked away from the bag and gave a random response.

“Yeah, yeah, must be rough. Can’t believe they would push that on the higher-ranking classes, boo-hoo.”

“Actually, nobody pushed this onto me. I’m doing this out of my own free will.”

So she’s trying to earn bonus points with the teachers. That is even worse, to be honest.

“Oh, I know! Why don’t you help me out, then? A date might be too much, but helping me throw away trash shouldn’t get you in trouble, right? Not like you’re cheating or anything.”

“No thanks. Sorry, but I’m busy, so could you just let me go?” I said and turned around.

I don’t have anywhere to go, but I don’t want to get any more involved with Nanaougi than necessary.

“Ahh, okay. You made plans to meet up with your girlfriend, right?”

And yet, she wouldn’t let me go as she lined up next to me.

“You don’t give up, do you? Just leave me be.”

“If you’re gonna meet up with a girl, you have to look the part. Your back’s all dusty,” she said and slapped me on the back a few times.

What is this even about?

“Give it a rest already,” I grumbled and pushed away her hand, speeding up as I made my way home.

*

“Okaaay, Senpai! To celebrate the success of our most recent terrorism…Cheers!”

Two days after the beheaded head terrorism, we met up on a Monday afternoon at the astronomy club to celebrate. Lined up on the table were chips, cookies, chocolate, and a six-pack of 1-liter orange juice, paired with two plastic cups. It was the usual lineup.

“I’m glad everything worked out,” Kurumi grabbed the package of cookies as she removed the plastic in a great mood.

“That’s right. But then again, we’re pretty much used to it at this point.”

“No, no, no. Not at all. In fact, it’s been so long since we did a terrorism like that, I was feeling a bit nervous.”

“I see. Yeah, I guess it’s been since the abuse stamps since we did something practical like this.”

“Right?” Kurumi said as she laughed and chomped on her cookies. “Hmn…I really liked your idea of using the veranda to escape. Thanks to that, nobody spotted us. As you would expect of Senpai!”

“We probably would have been fine either way since it was early in the morning.”

“That’s easy to say now that we made it through. Just accept my compliment, okay?”

That’s true. I guess being unable to accept any sort of praise and compliment might be a bad habit of mine. I don’t dislike being praised, and I’m happy about it, but I just don’t know how to react. Feeling awkward, I reached for a cookie myself. Kurumi just so happened to reach for the same one, as our hands touched. We both looked at each other, and I wanted to pull my hand back in reflex, yet Kurumi wouldn’t allow that. She grabbed my hand, interlocked my fingers with hers, and tightly grasped it. And then, she showed a satisfied smile.

“…What?”

“Hm? Nothing much?” She said as she pulled on my hand. I was flustered thinking about what she was planning when she moved my hand on her cheek. It was squished between her soft cheek and her ash-gray hair. My palm felt squishy, the back of my hand like I was touching feathers. It was a mixture between a ticklish and a warm sensation.

“You’re gonna get your face all dirty from the sweets I ate.”

“It’s fine, you’ve only been eating things from the individual wrappings so far.”

That may be true, and I’ve known about this myself…am I aware of what embarrassing nonsense I’m saying? Kurumi simply rubbed her head against my hand with a lovestruck expression. And during that entire time, she kept her gaze glued to me. This seductive and bewitching silence continued for a few seconds when Kurumi suddenly let go of my hand to shoot up from her chair. She moved next to me and then said the following with a sweet voice.

“…Hey, Senpai? Can we kiss?”

I looked up, her eyes burning with passion as she gazed down at me.

“…Can we? Say something, please.”

“I mean, I don’t have a problem with it, but…”

Kurumi reached out for me with her hand. And just like she wished to make her way to the place she belonged, my heart felt the same way. I was seeking out Kurumi, too. I can’t say no to this. I don’t want to say no. I had completely given in to the atmosphere.

“Senpai…Let’s kiss…?”

“…Okay. Sure.”

I moved back to the chair I was sitting on as Kurumi approached me. She sat on my lap like I was giving her a princess carry, twisting her body as she wrapped her arms around me. In this position, I was basically looking down on her. She took off her cap and placed it on the table, putting her hair behind her ears. And then, with a somewhat bashful smile, she proceeded to wrap her hands around the back of my head.

“Then, here I go…”

“…Feel free to start whenever.”

I offered my face without much hesitation, to which she began pressing her lips onto mine.

“Mnn…Nnn…Bleh…Senpai…”

How many times have we kissed like this? At this point, we both had lost our hesitation completely. The moment our lips overlapped, our tongues intertwined. We entered each other’s mouths, looking for the best possible position. But we didn’t stay there, as our tongues moved on and on, seeking out a different spot, a different stimulus, as our tongues fought like warriors on a battlefield. It was a long, passionate, and licentious kiss—something only lovers would do.

The longer the kiss continued, the more my thoughts melted away. Reason, instinct, world peace, the meaning of our kiss, it all became blurry and entangled, pushed into the depths of my mind. My worries and thoughts were simplified and organized. And eventually, everything that weighed down on my mind was turned into liquid saliva that filled our mouths.

“Pwah…This feels good, right Senpai? Huff…Nn…Nnn…” Kurumi continued to press her lips onto me with strength, so I responded in unison as I moved my tongue.

But even amidst this blurry mess, I could tell that Kurumi was smiling.

“Mnm…Bleh…Senpai, I swear…”

Breathing in what came out of her mouth, I thought to myself…So what? I love the time I get to spend with Kurumi, too.

*

But then, she arrived at the astronomy club room. Kurumi and I were still embracing each other, gasping for air. One kiss ended and we moved our lips apart, as our noses still touched, breathing in each other’s air, when I heard footsteps approaching the room. These footsteps were filled with confidence, and although I had no basis for that, I was almost certain this person was heading our way.

“Kurumi, wait. You should get away.”

“Huh? Why?”

Kurumi’s face was still melted in pleasure, as she asked one final question with a thread of reason. But, it was too late. Everything was just a step too late. By the time Kurumi attempted to raise her body from my hips, the door of the room had opened already. The fact that Kurumi sat on my lap and the line of saliva connecting our lips was seen—by a single female student. And after she entered the room without even so much of a knock, she greeted us like nothing was out of the ordinary.

“Hello there, you two. Sorry to interrupt you like this.”

I didn’t even have to guess who it was. Because this was our third chance encounter in the past few days. Her smile was bristling with confidence, as she—Nanaougi Nana—looked around inside the astronomy club room. This…couldn’t have gone any worse. But, why? Why is Nanaouigi here? Did she come here to meet me after her failed pick-up attempt the other day? But if so, how did she figure out this room? I’ve been careful to not be seen by any teachers to come here. I’d know if she followed me, and I don’t think I was using a route where somebody would even stalk me.

No, that’s not the problem here. How she found her way here isn’t the crux of the problem. She saw us using a clubroom during summer break, paired with the engagement in an illicit relationship. That’s the biggest issue. No idea how we could get out of this.

“…We were careless!”

It was too late to get a grip now. Kurumi still sat on my lap and glared at Nanaougi without trying to hide her discontent.

“What is going on? Who are you?”

“She’s Nanaougi Nana, class 2-1,” I answered Kurumi’s question, as she looked at me in shock. “Huh? Who? You know her? How?”

“We’re not necessarily acquainted. She’s just a celebrity amongst the second-year students,” I explained to Kurumi in brief detail.

Of course, leaving out the fact that she supposedly hit on me, because that would only complicate things. But it was also the truth that every second-year student knew her name. Because ever since she enrolled at this school, which prioritized results over everything else, she’s been keeping her rank as the top student. In a way, she feels like some study beast. She blew past everybody, be it literature, physics, regular exams, or mock exams. Even if all students of the higher-ranking classes combined, they wouldn’t have a chance against her.

Additionally, she also excelled at sports and the arts, which only amplifies her status as the elite of the second-years. Even at the body measurements and stamina exams, she blows past everybody else, and I’ve heard she won piano and art competitions in the past. And I’m pretty sure she got awarded for that last year, so it’s not like the rumors are falsely hyping her up. She’s what you’d call a perfect beauty, invoking jealousy and resentment in many.

“…So, this genius came here because she had something to do with us?”

“That I don’t know. She’ll know best about that.”

I glanced at Nanaougi to throw her the ball, to which she grinned.

“Thanks for the introduction. Having other people know about my achievements like this does make me feel like a bit of a celebrity,” she said with a composed voice, which made me feel like the bad guy in this situation.

Did she really come all this way here just to see me? I can’t read what she’s thinking, and it terrifies me. I’ve got a really bad feeling about this for some reason. But as I was lost in thought, Kurumi got off my lap and walked toward Nanaougi. She had both hands on her hips, treating her like an invader.

“This is the astronomy club’s clubroom. Any non-club participants should leave.”

“Oh? You were indulging in indecent activity, and yet you’re using this very club as your shield?”

“Ugh…That’s…” Kurumi was silenced in an instant.

This one was to be expected. She caught us right in the act. Not only that, but she must have also seen Kurumi’s inner hair color while she was at it. Clearly, we don’t have any ground in this conversation. Have to get out of this without getting her angry. I got up from my seat and stood between Nanaougi and Kurumi.

“…Nanaougi, what did you come here for?”

“Hey there, big boy. As handsome as always. Though the look in your eyes is as nasty as always.”

I controlled myself from clicking my tongue and threw another question at her.

“What do you want? Can you just come clean already?”

“I don’t feel too welcome here. You don’t have to be so cautious of me.”

“I’m not cautious at all, so if you want something from me, I’ll hear you out outside,” I said and suggested we’d step out, but Nanaougi didn’t show any signs of moving.

She just kept on smiling and continued.

“Ah, don’t tell me…you thought this was about a few days ago? I’m sorry about that, but I didn’t come here to hit on you. It’s something a bit more important.”

“…Then what is it?”

“What a nice reaction. Actually, I came here to talk to the both of you.”

Not just me…? Now that gives me an even worse feeling.

Judging from their conversation earlier, it was hard to assume Kurumi and Nanaougi shared some kind of connection. She’s probably not another ghost member of the club like Tanaka-san, so what could she possibly…No, that can’t be, right? I glared at her with my caution at max level, to which Nanaougi faintly shrugged her shoulders.

“Since you seem so bewildered, let me get right to the point. Or rather, let me be straight with my question…” She said and crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes.

Now, what is she gonna throw at us? I had prepared to get an earful about the illicit relationship Kurumi and I shared, but what came out of her mouth…was the one question I’d rather not have heard at that moment.

“…It’s you two who have been pulling pranks on the school, right?”

I could feel Kurumi behind me jump in shock. Even I was flabbergasted, as the inside of my throat tensed up. I had wished that my deadly premonition ended as just that—a premonition, but I wasn’t granted that relief. So this really is what she came here for? Well, I had a feeling, to be honest. The astronomy club room only exists because of the many ghost members, so it’s hard to assume she came here to apply to join. Additionally, I never heard any stories of her being a part of a club, so she shouldn’t care about anything related to a club.

This only leaves the possibility that she came here for a reason entirely unrelated to our club. On top of that, she wanted to talk with not only me but also Kurumi. With all that put into consideration, there’s only one possible explanation…Namely, she came here to talk about the acts of terrorism we’ve been committing. I can’t believe that my premonition warned me of the worst-case scenario.

“…Senpai,” Kurumi uttered with a worried voice, grabbing my shirt.

Yeah, I get it. I’ll talk to her. But, what even is there to talk about? I don’t know how much she knows, or what our intentions are. If I had to guess, that attempt of her hitting on me was just an attempt to figure me out. Because she had a hunch we were the ones who caused the beheaded head incident. Why? I don’t know. I don’t know where to begin, even. How much did she figure out? That we were only involved with the recent one, or that we caused all of the previous ones, too. I don’t know, so I have to figure that out without being careless.

“No idea what you’re talking about. Maybe you have the wrong people?”

“Feigning innocence? Well, as I’d expect. I knew I wouldn’t get you to confess this easily.” Nanaougi laughed, sounding like she was sure she had the criminals in her hands.

But, not yet. I’m not gonna falter. I can still play this off. Until she gets us for good, I have to look for an opening.

“Could you not accuse me out of the blue? You don’t have any proof, right?”

“So you’d think, but of course I do.”

…No way. I was absolutely certain that we pulled off our crime perfectly. We made sure to not leave behind anything that could be taken in as proof. We even wrote the ‘Live Beheading’ in block letters to make sure our handwriting couldn’t be traced back…No, it’s fine. It must be some vague proof, I’m sure. I straightened my back and faced her once more. Yet, she kept her smile perfect, as she looked directly at me.

“Even if I showed you my proof now, it’d be pretty boring, don’t you think? So at the very least, let me explain the hard work I went through in order to figure you out.” She snorted once and proudly declared.

I’d love to just chase her out…but without knowing how much she figured out, I want to keep her contained. I signaled Kurumi with a gaze and decided to hear out Nanaougi.

“I first found out about you from the eraser stamps. It’s the one where you copied a teacher’s abusive stamps and put them onto the high-ranking classes’ answer sheets, right? I’ve been interested in you since then.”

That was our very first act of terrorism. And I’m pretty sure we used the answer sheets for class 2-1. I guess we involved her class, then.

“Since you were copying Furukawa-sensei’s writing, I figured you must be one of the lower-ranking classes, probably 4 or 5, who has him in math class.”

“…So?”

“From then on, I investigated each incident that happened. Since the higher-ranking classes were always part of the target, I was relatively sure it must be a lower-ranking student. And since that threatening letter that was put up some time ago showed up less the closer you got to the first-year students’ building, I figured someone from that year must be helping out in all of this.”

“And that’s how you arrived at us?”

“Nope, I didn’t know the details yet. I couldn’t accurately mark you down.”

Well, duh. There’s no proof at all from what I can see.

“I continued to investigate these events when the change I had hoped for arrived. It’s the abuse broadcast that happened at the cultural festival the other day. You finally showed me your tail then,” Nanaougi narrowed her eyes in an uncanny fashion. “Listening to the cobbled-together audio of the abuse, I was sure…You had a bias against the teacher who you were exposing. So, it had to be someone from class 2-5, who are both taught by Furukawa-sensei in math, and Shimizu-sensei in modern literature. If I saw someone from that class running away from the broadcasting room, I’d find my target.”

So she used the voices to figure out the teacher and then traced it back to the class by analyzing the used data. It absolutely grossed me out how she even figured out the grudges we had toward the teachers. Also, her deductive ability and obsession with us were genuinely terrifying.

“As a route of escape, I kept the emergency stairs in check. Because there’s no way you’d easily get out of school after causing a ruckus like that. So when the broadcast started playing, I hid at the upper stairs.”

It’s odd how she managed to act this quickly, but considering the fact that she kept investigating our work, paired with her cleverness and physical abilities, it definitely wasn’t impossible.

“And then…Bingo! A student from class 2-5 and one student from the first year were running around near the broadcast room.” Nanaougi sighed once more like she was laughing. “Though I didn’t expect you to jump down the roof.”

No way…She even saw us then? This is the exact opposite of what I expected. She had already set her eyes on us even before summer break started. And then she probably assumed that this whole beheaded head terrorism was another act we committed…Right, yeah, this is pretty bad. I can’t figure out a way to talk our way out of this. Every counterargument would sound like I’m making excuses. And the more I thought about it, the more my heart began to race faster. This one’s done for. I can’t find a way out of this. Can’t think of any excuse. She’s figured us out. No other choice but to accept it.

“And as for my proof, I have a picture I took near the broadcasting room.” Nanaougi showed a single picture.

It depicted Kurumi in her revenge mode, pulled along by me as we ran down the hallway. It even had the time and date on it in the corner.

“After that, I found out your names and where your hideout was. It’s been a long journey, but I finally caught up with you…Class 2-5 Natsume Ren-kun, class 1-6 Hoshimiya Kurumi-chan.”

“…”

“Just accept it. Then I’ll keep quiet about the two of you making out here, about Kurumi-chan’s dyed hair, and the fact that you are behind all this rebellious work.”

Turning around, Kurumi still held onto my shirt, her eyes lowered with an anxious gaze. I guess she’s got nothing to say to herself. We’ve…lost this one. Can’t even argue against it anymore. There’s only one option left…I looked back at Nanaougi and raised both my hands to admit defeat.

“…Okay. I admit it. We were the ones behind all those terrorist activities lately.”

“…S-Senpai!”

“Relax, Kurumi. She’s got us cornered, we just have to admit it.”

No use in hiding it now. Granted, this picture she determined as proof we could still get away with my calling it a coincidence…But the real problem is Kurumi’s revenge mode and her dyed hair. Now that she’s decided to stay at school, we can’t let people find out about that. We were careless.

“…So?” I glared at Nanaougi.

The biggest problem was what happened after this. From the sounds of it, she hasn’t reported us to the teachers yet. If that’s the case, she must have some sort of goal or intention of confronting us here. I still had to find out why she was so obsessed with us. I kept my calm and faced her once more.

“What’s your goal, Nanaougi? Did you come here just to play detective?” Nanaougi looked at me in bewilderment and then burst out laughing.

“Now that’s a funny one. But, of course not.”

“I know that. So out with it already.”

“Hee hee, finally made it here.” Nanaougi narrowed her eyes in a provocative manner as she laughed.

Now, what’s she gonna ask for? That the two of us start dating…No, I doubt it. That whole pick-up attempt of hers probably held no deeper meaning than her trying to get in touch with me. So, maybe she wants us to purposely mess up during the next exams? No, there’d be no reason for that considering we’re in completely different classes. Money? Maybe she wants to get revenge on a teacher, too? Whatever request it may be, I’d prefer to decline it and find a way out of it…

“Let me join your ranks.”

But when she dropped that bomb, the whole room went quiet…Okay, pause. What? Did I just mishear things? No way, right?

“Nanaougi, you’re saying you want to join our terrorist acts?”

“That’s absolutely what I said. I want to join you and help you with whatever you’re plotting.”

Kurumi took a step forward to stand next to me.

“…Why?”

“Because it seems fun.”

“…”

“…”

The moment she said that, Kurumi and I gave each other troubled looks. We were probably thinking the same thing—”Don’t screw with me.” We’re not doing all of this just to have fun. It might look like we’re fooling around, but we’re genuinely trying to change this school. We could never accept someone who had no actual grudge against this school. Even more so if she’s a higher-ranking student who’s living the easy life here. Seriously, this is even worse than threatening us for money.

“We decline.” Kurumi took a step forward and spoke with a fierce tone.

I could clearly see the fury boiling in her eyes.

“Wait, for real? That’s…a shock. I considered myself to be rather famous, after all.”

“That does not matter in the slightest.”

“But I’ll do my best to help you?”

“Still doesn’t matter. We don’t choose people based on how talented or helpful they may be.”

Nanaougi seemed genuinely bewildered, but Kurumi kept her calm. But, she’s absolutely right. That is the faith we have that we move upon. Talent does not matter to us. I was hoping she’d just give up and let us be, but…as far as things look, it didn’t seem like Nanaougi was willing to understand.

“Hm, what to do…” Nanaougi went quiet for a moment, putting one hand on her hip as she started thinking.

Following that, she looked at me, at Kurumi, and then back at me. She nodded to herself as she thought of something.

“Got it. I’ll show you my sincerity, then.”

“Say what? Sincerity?” Kurumi returned the question, only to be ignored.

She lowered her head—or made it look like that, only to take a step, entering my personal space. And then right after, her white hand reached for my head.

“Ren-kun, please show me the ropes.”

“Huh? What are you—Wait, Nanaougi, sto—Mnn?!”

She suddenly pulled me closer to her, and although I tried to brace myself, I couldn’t put much strength into my legs—And not shortly after, my ability to breathe was sealed. With incredible momentum, no less. I was completely bewildered, but the explanation for all this was incredibly simple—Nanaougi was kissing me.

“Nnn?! Puah…What…what are you…Mnn?!”

“Pah…Sorry, sorry, I guess my teeth must have hit you. I’ll get better with time, so…Bleh…”

“Hey, wait…That’s not what I…Mnn…!”

I tried to get away, but it was impossible. Nanaougi had grabbed my head and wouldn’t let me go. And while I was unable to escape, she continued to devour my lips and tongue. That kiss with her…was something else. Right when I wanted to breathe in, she used that opening to ram her tongue inside. My lips, the inside of my cheek, the back of my tongue, she reached all the stimulating places and played with them using the tip of her tongue. It was different from the refreshing yet repulsive kiss Kurumi and I would share. She had absolute control over me, like she was just playing.

“Mnn…Haha, your eyes are looking a bit drowsy there. Ren-kun…you’re actually pretty cute…Hmmm…Heh…Nmm…”

“Pah! Hey…What are you…Stop! Get away from…”

I attempted to push her way, but my hands just slid off her shoulders. Because of all this stimulation, I couldn’t put any strength into my body. And even during all that, Nanaougi continued to pleasure me. Why am I just being treated like her toy right now? What is even going on? I looked at Kurumi in an attempt to request help. She stood still and frozen but finally recognized what I asked her to do and shook her head.

“H-Hold on! What are you doing?! Get away! Get away from him!” She forcefully pushed herself between Nanaougi and me.

A lewd and wet sound rang out, as our long kiss finally ended. A long thread of saliva ran between our lips until it finally vanished into the air. Thank god… I was finally freed. The inside of my mouth feels hot. What an experience that was…

“Nanaougi…senpai, was it? What was that for?!”

“I mean…I said I was going to show you my sincerity.”

“I don’t know which plan you are from, but we don’t show our sincerity by kissing other people!” Kurumi revolted, but Nanaougi looked even more confused than before.

“I thought you could only get into this group as long as you kiss Ren-kun?”

“How did you even cook up a misunderstanding like that?! Of course not! How indecent!”

Not like we’ve got any room to argue about that…But, I’ll just keep quiet about that now. I wiped my mouth and then made Kurumi step back. She reminded me of a cat with a curled back. I think it’s better if I do the talking from now on. Kurumi is lacking rationality even more than me right now.

“Nanaougi…I’m sorry, but I can’t let you join. We’re not doing this just to be assholes. We have firm beliefs that push us to these extremes.”

“I know that. I’ve been watching your work for the longest time now.”

“Then you should understand our reason for rejecting you. Having fun isn’t our goal here.”

“Huuuh? But I also hate this school, and you still won’t let me join you?”

“That’s a bit hard to believe, considering you’re in the higher-ranking classes,” Kurumi grumbled next to me.

Though, I had to agree. Nanaougi looked at us and our stern expressions and let out another sigh.

“I see, I see. It seems I must show my sincerity once more?”

“…There won’t be a second time.” Kurumi got between me and Nanaougi just to make sure, but it seemed like Nanaougi had something else in mind.

She crossed her arms and showed a provocative smirk.

“Okay, okay…Then, let’s do a wager—No, a contract.”

“…Say what?”

Nanaougi paused once and then continued explaining her ridiculous idea.

“This summer break, I will also set up my own acts of terrorism against this school. I’ll show you my kind of terrorism…and if I manage to show you something outstanding, then you’ll accept my sincerity and let me join you.”

“Say what…? Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’m not trying to be. In fact, I’m saying this to show that I take this very seriously.”

Silence followed. Kurumi’s sharp glare and Nanaougi’s cold gaze mixed. I see, I see. She’s trying to win our trust by conducting her own terrorism. And in that sense, that kiss just now was a different way of showing her determination…

“What are you even thinking will happen? No matter what you do, we just have to say that we’re not impressed, right?”

“You’re free to do that. I’ll just have to show you something that’ll knock your socks off.” Nanaougi narrowed her eyes and spoke with a provocative tone.

How can she be so confident about this? Is it her reassurance that she’ll nail her terrorism, or is this just her personality showing? I had no way of knowing.

“If I can show you an amazing act of terrorism, I can show my hatred for the school, right?”

“…”

Kurumi and I looked at each other, lowering our faces. Thinking about it for a while, we looked at Nanaougi and nodded.

“…Okay, we’ll take you up on that. But, we have a condition. This needs to stay a secret from others. So if you fail to convince us by the end of summer break, you are to delete all proof you have of us and you won’t ever get in touch with us again. Promise us that.”

“Mhm, sounds good. But if I succeed, then you better make me one of you, okay?”

“Yes, yes, of course.”

Since Nanaougi agreed, our contract was established. Personally, I have no objections with Kurumi’s conditions. Everything gets resolved as long as we don’t accept her. No idea what she’s plotting on doing, but we don’t have to bother with that. And since she still has the upper hand, it’s important that we keep her tied down…Well, it won’t hurt to warn her about that.

“With that decided, I hope you look forward to what I’m cooking up, Ren-kun, Kurumi-chan.”

“Now hold on, Nanaougi.”

Nanaougi waved her hand and was about to leave, but I called out to her. I took out my smartphone and showed her a recording app.

“I recorded our conversation just now. So make sure not to leak any information. Because you’ll fall down with us.”

“You’re worried about me making this public? Oh, please. I never intended to do that. I won’t try to hurt your hard work, so don’t worry.”

So losing us…would rob her of her fun? I see, that’s why she never threatened to leak anything. But Nanaougi threw another surprise at me.

“You never let up, do you, Ren-kun? You know, I actually like that about you.”

“Like…?! Geez, stop it already! Get out! Out!”

“I was talking to Ren-kun, though? Ah, stop pushing me, Kurumi-chan…”

Nanaougi got chased out of the room by Kurumi. Seriously, she never lets up, huh? I still can’t read that girl whatsoever.