บท 283: Chapter 4 Part I
There's barely anyone left inside the school building thirty minutes after our homeroom ended given that our winter vacation's just begun.
Just like they did during our summer vacation, all the students left straight away. Barely anyone noticed us since they were all busy leaving.
"So.....where are we going? Just tell us what we're going to do already."
I didn't speak a word of our current plan to anyone, including Ibuki. Ibuki and the others only know that I had instructed Ishizaki's group to keep an eye on Miyake and his ilk.
That's why they had no idea why exactly I approached Kouenji. The reason I kept my silence on this is because I wanted to avoid spies within Class C getting involved like Manabe and her group did.
There's no doubt that person's also doing everything they can to keep their identity hidden. And so I kept quiet about my actual plan in order to corner X with certainty.
"Are you curious, Ibuki?"
"You're always dragging me around. And I'm always on edge because of your reckless actions."
Ishizaki also followed suit and approached me. Perhaps he's also curious about my true intentions.
"You remember what I told you about Karuizawa, right? She's the woman who started the chain of events leading up to Manabe and her group becoming spies."
"You're talking about that noisy woman from Class D, right? I know that much, at least."
Since Ibuki infiltrated Class D during the island exam, she probably knows best.
"I'm calling Karuizawa out to the rooftop today. I got Karuizawa's mail address from a woman who exchanged numbers with her. Of course, I made sure she knew I'm the one who sent her that mail."
A woman who exchanged numbers with her.....I didn't go as far as to say that woman's name. Because I decided there's still no need for me to tell anyone about 'Kushida'.
"Huh? Rooftop? There's no way Karuizawa would come if you're the one calling."
"She will definitely come. If she doesn't, I told her I'd expose her past."
If the pathetic fact that she got bullied in the past were to come to light, it'll cause a huge ruckus. If she understands that this could put her current social status at risk, then she has no choice but to accept the danger and come anyways.
"Even if Karuizawa comes, do you think she'll tell you X's identity?"
"I suppose she wouldn't do so normally."
X surely promised to protect Karuizawa from her enemies, including Manabe and her group.
"I sent a mail to X too. I told them that I'd call Karuizawa out today and drag their identity out of her. That I'd use any means available to do that. By doing that, I'm not only threatening Karuizawa but also X at the same time."
"But...that mail threat you sent reached Karuizawa, right? What are you going to do if she just reports that to the school? X may suggest she do just that."
Are you thinking that far ahead? Ibuki glared at me as though trying to provoke me with that.
"She won't do it. If she does it, then all I have to do is reveal Karuizawa's past. No matter what she chooses to do, Karuizawa has no way of turning the tables on us."
The only countermeasure they can take is for either Karuizawa or X to directly confront me and persuade me to stop.
"The worst case scenario would be X showing up instead of Karuizawa. But that's also exciting in and of itself. To see what Karuizawa will do."
"I don't think the risk is worth it though..."
"No such thing. Destroying Karuizawa means destroying one of X's pawns. Because it looks like he's been putting Karuizawa to good use in his crafty plans."
"How can you tell? I get it that X threatened Manabe and her group to protect Karuizawa but..."
Even I only realized that Karuizawa's a pawn not too long ago. I only got to that conclusion because I realized how baffling certain aspects of the Paper Shuffle were.
"Kuku. Anyways, look forward to it. X aside, you'll definitely get to see Karuizawa terrified at the prospect of her past being revealed."
"If Karuizawa does show up on the rooftop like you said...what exactly are we going to do to her? Like I said earlier, what if we can't drag X's identity out of her?"
Both Ibuki and Ishizaki seem to be worried about that but...
"According to Manabe and her group, Karuizawa got bullied rather severely in the past. People who have suffered severe trauma tend to lose all grip on their rationality when placed again in a similar situation. In that case, why don't we just reproduce that sort of scenario for her? Let's go all out and make her feel welcome. And we'll keep pressuring her until she gives us X's name."
"No way...are we actually going to do something to Karuizawa? This is insane."
"This is too much, Ryuuen-san. We already got into trouble during the case with Sudou so if we gang up to bully a girl...I mean, there are cameras on the rooftop and all!"
"I am fully aware of that. Which is why I've thought of a countermeasure for that."
I climbed the stairs leading up to the rooftop. Halfway through that, I looked back at Ibuki and Ishizaki who were a few steps behind me.
"Feel free to run if you're against it."
"I-I won't run. I'll follow you, Ryuuen-san."
"What about you, Ibuki?"
"I'll go along with your strategy from this point onwards. But if I ever feel it's getting dangerous, I'll step down."
After all, she's also been curious about X for a while now too.
I had Ibuki and Ishizaki stand by at the door leading to the rooftop and took the bag from Ishizaki. I retrieved the tools I needed from inside the bag and handed it back to Ishizaki.
"This is.....!?"
"Just wait."
I opened the door to the rooftop.
There aren't that many schools where the rooftop is accessible all year round but there's a reason for that here. Not only is there proper fencing installed here but there are also surveillance cameras set up. If anyone engages in problematic behavior here, it'll definitely be recorded.
Of course, students are keenly aware of this which is why they behave themselves on the rooftop. However, every year this rooftop fails to become a popular attraction. This school has its own cafes and malls as well as a variety of other popular attractions.
I'm pretty much the only one who'd go out of their way to come here. But there's a limit to the number of places where they can set up cameras. Above the door leading to the rooftop. That's about it.
Because there aren't many blind spots on the rooftop, one's more than enough. But this means if that camera were to stop functioning, we'd be free of any surveillance.
I stood directly underneath the surveillance camera and looked straight into the lens of the camera. I then pointed a black spray can I had prepared beforehand at the surveillance camera and shot the spray at it.
The camera on the rooftop is the same type of camera as the ones inside the school building. A vandal dome camera. A resilient polycarbonate lens cover and a steel body will protect it against acts of violence.
But violence isn't the only way to disable a security camera. One spray can is more than enough. The spray will adhere to the surface of the camera and obscure its field of vision. No matter how shock resistant the camera may be, you still won't be able to see anything through it.
"Now there's nothing watching us."
I had conducted research in advance regarding what sort of monitoring system that school has set up.
Out of the hundreds of cameras installed inside the school, only a few of those installed in vital locations display footage in real time. There's no way they could possibly wise up to this abnormal situation right away.
I had already painted over a surveillance camera somewhere else a while ago and reported it to Sakagami myself and got penalized for it.
As a result, I had points deducted to pay for the cost of cleaning the camera and received a warning. I had asked then whether or not the footage is constantly being observed.
Especially on a day like this where all the students have pretty much left. The school is bound to let its guard down.
"Albert. You stand by a bit below us. Let Karuizawa pass when she comes. And if anyone unexpected...like teachers come, then call my phone right away."
Albert nodded silently and went down the stairs.
I had him stand guard just in case so I'd be able to respond to any unforeseen developments.
"So you painted over the cameras...isn't that grounds for punishment?"
"Just a prank. No big deal."
"I just hope Karuizawa will come like you said she would."
"She will come. It's a matter of life or death for her. She definitely won't leave it to chance."
Now we just have to wait until it's time.
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