Chapitre 49: Chapter 49: Secret You Shouldn’t Know
".... Should I cut my hair?"
Sometimes, perhaps due to my appearance, I'm treated with caution by other students just by passing them printouts. As I heard from Asahina-Senpai before, with my bright hair color and pierced ears, I've been labeled as quite intimidating, almost delinquent-like. Before becoming a second-year student, I decided to change myself, so here I stand in front of the door of a beauty salon.
The retro bell rings, signaling my entrance into the shop. A young woman welcomes me as I step inside.
"Do you have a reservation?"
"No, it's sudden, but could I get a haircut?"
"Please, this way."
Prompted by her, I take a seat in a slightly elevated chair. It seems there's another customer beside me, probably a fellow student from the same school. I glance over and recognize a familiar face.
"....Horikita?!"
"Horagasaki-kun?"
""What are you doing?""
Inadvertently, we harmonize and make eye contact. It seems she's here to get her hair cut as well. Could she be getting a short cut? From her long black hair?
"Huh, getting a haircut, huh?"
"That's none of your business. It seems you're also here to trim that unruly hair of yours."
"It's none of your business."
I retort what Horikita said back to her, and she retaliates by digging her nails into my arm with a glare. That's why it hurts!
"Okay, okay, I got it. Ouch, it hurts!"
"Really..."
"Sorry, I came here normally, but it seems my appearance causes misunderstandings."
"Don't get too cocky. How much does your face matter?"
"Huh, why? It's not about that."
"It's not because you're handsome?"
"Why are you such a narcissist? I meant it as if you look like you're just playing around."
"The point is you're easily perceived that way, and your face is handsome, so I understand."
"...Hmph."
"You're not denying it... But I think it's okay to admit it. You're handsome."
I feel like she's saying something very sarcastic, but...
"It's really irritating."
"But in reality, you're still a playboy."
"Horikita..."
Just then, a female employee approaches me from behind and asks about my desired haircut. Since I'm not sure, I say, "Please make it easy for everyone to talk to me," and the cutting begins.
"By the way, you, the flash arithmetic in the last exam. It troubled me even from the 7th question onwards. How could you easily get all the answers correct?"
"Even if you ask me, I wanna know too. Maybe I was just good at it?"
Seemingly dissatisfied, Horikita frowns and stares at me, then suddenly recalls something.
"But when Ayanokoji-kun joined in as a command tower during the mission, there was a lag in the orders from the computer, which should have been instructed. But does that have any relevance?"
That's probably it. At that time, Kiyotaka had a strange expression. Was it just a malfunction, or was someone deliberately interfering? Well, I don't understand that, so I'll end that conversation.
Just as I'm thinking that my bangs feel even, I feel a sense of unease. Huh?
"Um... What are you doing?"
"Huh, I'm cutting your hair."
"Oh, I see..."
It's strange, so I tilt my head in confusion, and Horikita beside me bursts out laughing.
"Heh... You... Your hair is strangely neat... Haha..."
"....Huh?"
I turn my gaze from the magazine I was reading to the mirror in front, and lo and behold, my hair is more menacing than Kaneda Hair.
"Um, Miss? What's going on?"
"It's okay, I'll be right back."
"Uh, um, okay."
I didn't quite understand what was happening, so I followed the advice of the staff and stayed quiet. It seems Horikita next to me has finished her cut, and when I look, she's got a short hairstyle.
"Wow, it's cute."
As I say this, she blushes and turns away. When our eyes meet again, for some reason, she looks away and starts shaking.
"Heh... Even though you say that with that head... Heh..."
Yeah, it's annoying. I guess because my head looks like Kaneda's right now, her laughing doesn't stop. Horikita shakes as she rings the bell in the shop and leaves.
"Well then, see you at school... Heh..."
Seriously, unforgivable. I felt a little uneasy about my hair, so I asked the staff.
"Is this head really okay?"
"Yes, you'll look very cool."
Feeling relieved, after Horikita left the shop, I paid and left the store. My current hairstyle is still the same as before, a high-tone silver, but it's not a straight wolf, it's a medium hair. The slightly longer nape has been cut off, and now I feel a bit more confident, as it might be easier for others to talk to me. I still have my piercings, only on my left ear, but compared to my previous hairstyle, it feels a bit cleaner.
Good, I've finally gotten rid of the Kaneda-kun Hair.
...…
After that, I went shopping at Keyaki Mall, and as I left the facility, there was the former student council president, Manabu Horikita. I never expected to meet both Horikita siblings in one day...
But honestly, I've only talked to him a few times. As we passed each other, he didn't seem to notice my change in hairstyle, so I decided to speak up.
"Horikita-senpai!"
He stops walking and turns around. He seems to scrutinize me a bit, almost like asking, 'Who are you?'
"Uh, I'm Horagasaki Jin."
With that, he chuckles and shows a smile, as if he remembered something.
"Like Ayanokoji, an unfathomable student."
"Well, I do have my limits, but I just don't do things I don't want to... By the way, what are you doing alone?"
I asked because he was walking alone. If someone with such a dangerous aura was walking alone in Keyaki Mall, even the security guards would run away.
"I was just taking a look at the facility. Even I have moments when I reminisce about this school. What about you?"
I see, that makes sense.
"I was just going to buy some discounted sashimi at this hour."
"I see."
"By the way, senpai, when are you leaving here?"
"Tomorrow afternoon. We probably won't meet 'again,' and this will be the first and last time we'll talk properly. But I believe that with Horagasaki and Ayanokoji around, Suzune can aim for Class A with peace of mind."
Tomorrow, huh? But we probably won't meet again after today. This must be the most heartbreaking for Horikita, but he's a solid person. He'll become a famous figure in society before long.
"Thank you, and take care in the future."
"You too."
With that, we parted ways, and as I headed back, I saw Kiyotaka. He didn't seem to notice me, so I stealthily approached him, and his gaze shifted to someone approaching him.
Isn't that... the new acting director?
…..
I hide behind a wall to eavesdrop on the conversation. It's fragmented, but I manage to catch some of it in whispers. They seem quite friendly, but this guy is probably an enemy. He's likely the one who disrupted the chess game.
"How about it? Returning to your father's side for spring break?"
The man claps his hands and turns to Kiyotaka, talking about his father? What's going on?
"Interim Director Tsukishiro, unfortunately, I have no intention of voluntarily withdrawing from school."
I see, this guy is the current interim director in place of Sakayanagi's father... From the conversation, it seems like he's trying to get Kiyotaka expelled. As an interim director, Kiyotaka is probably his weak point... Thinking about it that way, he utters something incredibly strange.
"Do you dislike returning to the White Room that much?"
"I like this school. I have the desire to graduate as a student."
"I've reviewed your performance in the White Room. I certainly acknowledge your extraordinary abilities, but at just over 16 years old, you possess abilities that could be considered abnormal. Your intellect, physical abilities, everything far surpasses that of an average adult. Somehow, you've managed to spend a year here safely. Won't you consider striking a deal?"
I knew Kiyotaka was dangerous, but this guy is even more cunning.
"I'm still a child. I have no intention of striking a deal."
"Within this school, you're not the number one, you're a later entrant, a White Room student, in other words, your junior, there are already students like Ayanokoji with equal or even greater abilities. You should realize that you're just one of many mass-produced individuals."
"If that's the case, then there's no need to pay attention to me anymore, right?"
"If it weren't for his son, that would be the case. He hopes you'll be a good example and lead the White Room."
White Room... it sounds like some sort of gifted education facility. Kiyotaka was born and raised there, and the founder is Kiyotaka's father, that bastard. From what I gather, no decent human would grow up in such a place.
Ah, this is bad. It's hitting too close to home. I'm feeling incredibly angry.
"Interim Director Tsukishiro, what are your thoughts on the White Room?"
"I don't need to answer that."
"If I hear your answer, my response might change."
"If that will change Ayanokoji-kun's feelings, it's worth it. If we're talking about that facility, it was created about 20 years ago. You're aware of that, right?"
"Of course, I'm a '4th-term' student."
So that means there are 5th-term students included among those who enter in April. It must have been tough growing up there for Kiyotaka too.
"Every child shows some growth up to a certain level, but surpassing that is not easy. In the end, not a single child has been born who has achieved the goals we set. Except you. Well, that's just up until two years ago."
I wonder if it's okay for me to delve into this. Apparently, there were several of Kiyotaka's peers, but except for him, they all dropped out. After that, it seems that most of the children couldn't endure the environment and either had their minds broken or became worthless. Among them, Kiyotaka is considered the greatest masterpiece of the White Room.
"Would you like to play a game that's biased in your favor?"
"A game?"
"Yes, when the new semester starts, one White Room student will be called in as a new student."
"Is it okay for you to tell me that?"
"That's fine, you'll see that future when you realize who they are."
"How does that game lead to anything?"
"There are 160 new students. If you can identify the White Room student among them by the end of April, I won't interfere anymore."
"I find that hard to believe."
"Can't you just take it as a half-serious offer?"
"Understood, I'll at least accept it on the surface. You seem quite confident about this White Room student, but I have one thing I'm confident about too."
"Oh? What is it?"
"While there may naturally be someone better than me, it's different in the White Room."
Those eyes... It's like he has absolute confidence that there's no one superior to him, and with those dark eyes seemingly seeing through everything, I've stumbled onto something terrible. It feels sickening to continue listening. I do my best to fade away from their senses and leave the area.
But what's clear is that when I become a second-year student, something incredible is going to happen.
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