In about 15 minutes, the opponents for the third day's first exchange meeting would be announced.
The game was 'shogi.'
The participants Kiryūin chose were me, Morishita, Hashimoto, Hiyori, and Tsubaki.
Despite this, the group was about to face this match one member short.
"Where the hell did Morishita go? It's her turn next..."
"The call doesn't seem to be connecting."
Hiyori, holding her phone to her ear, informed me that she couldn't reach her.
"When was the last time you saw Morishita?"
"The last time I saw her was at breakfast. She left with you, right?"
Since we finished eating at the same time, I remembered leaving the dining hall at the same time.
It was over 30 minutes ago, but she said she was going for a walk.
Could she still be on her walk, or did she get lost?
Normally, she wouldn't lose her way, but if she had forced herself to go into the mountain path, it would be a different story.
Given Morishita's personality, it wasn't impossible.
"She was saying that she was absolutely confident in shogi..."
"She said she had trained with online matches."
"That's honestly suspicious..."
Kiryūin had chosen her based on that statement and confidence.
She must've wanted to redeem her disgrace in archery.
"If Morishita is out, we'll have to find a substitute. We still have a little time, so I'll go look outside. Hashimoto, can you check inside?"
"Okay. I'll contact you if I find her."
I eagerly set out to search and found Morishita in just a few seconds. She didn't seem lost.
Before calling out to her, I sent a message to Hashimoto that I had found Morishita.
After that, I approached her.
"It's almost time for the exchange meeting."
Despite my call, Morishita didn't respond.
She was just quietly touching a tree.
She isn't asleep while standing up, so what's she doing?
"Morishita?"
"Could you please be quiet? I was listening to the voice of the forest."
Morishita quietly murmured.
"...Huh?"
However, I couldn't process her words in my head and inadvertently asked her again.
"The voice of the forest? What is that?"
"Don't you understand? The forest is alive. If you touch a large tree like this, close your eyes, calm your mind, and listen, then you might understand what I'm saying."
<Illustration>
"...I see?"
So far, I hadn't been able to understand what Morishita was saying at all.
It might be a good idea to try doing it.
I stood next to Morishita and pressed my hand against the tree in the same manner.
Then, I closed my eyes.
All I had to do was calm my mind and listen.
"Do you hear it? The voice of the forest."
"No..."
"Then maybe you're still distracted by something."
Distractions. Unfortunately, I was emptying my emotions.
There was no way such a thing could be mixed in...
As I thought so, I couldn't hear anything at all. There was no way I could.
"Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth."
But Morishita still insisted.
"Does that make any sense?"
"Well, when I had a cold before, I was instructed to breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth at the otolaryngologist's office."
"Isn't that how you use a nebulizer…?"
In a way, I was forcibly filled with distractions.
Anyway, I couldn't hear the voice of the forest.
"What are you doing?"
When I opened my eyes and looked at Morishita, she was pointing her cell phone camera at me.
"I was recording Ayanokōji Kiyotaka being fooled by my lies in high definition."
"Hey..."
"There's no way you can hear the voice of the forest. You've watched too many dramas and movies."
"You're the one who started it. You seemed to be practicing it."
"Don't be shy. I'll keep it a secret that you were trying to listen to the voice of the forest."
I wished she wouldn't record me and leave evidence like that.
"But I didn't know that the aspiration machine in the hospital is called a nebulizer. I've learned some useless knowledge. Thank you."
The fact that she called it useless knowledge meant that she wasn't really grateful.
"Ayanokōji Kiyotaka, you're an interesting person."
I wonder if I was the only one who thought Morishita was overwhelmingly more interesting.
"By the way, do you need something from me?"
"I came to look for you because you didn't show up when it was time to gather."
"Now that you mention it, I feel like I might've been at fault."
Upon giving a statement that seemed somewhat like an apology, Morishita stepped away from the tree.
She started walking towards the building where Kiryūin was waiting.
"Can I ask you something?"
I turned my gaze towards Morishita, silently urging her to speak.
"What do you think about Hashimoto Masayoshi?"
"That's a pretty loaded question."
"I thought I needed to ask. I've been looking for an opportunity several times, but I couldn't find the right time."
"Did you think I would come looking for you because you were with the trees?"
"I did think you would come looking for me on your own."
She had a strange personality, but she was a strategist.
"What do you think of him as a fellow Class A student?"
"I thought you'd ask. Of course, I think we should unite as a class and exclude him."
She decisively called Hashimoto a nuisance.
"What if I were on Hashimoto's side? Wouldn't that be a slip of the tongue?"
"I thought if I lied, I would only be lied to in return. So I thought being honest was the best choice here."
She understood negotiation well.
If she had hinted at supporting Hashimoto with just some poor excuse and got caught, she wouldn't be able to earn my trust.
Her judgment was quick and sharp, and she didn't mince her words.
Among the students I had seen within the second-years, she was quite exceptional in this area.
Indeed, you couldn't understand such a personality unless you met and talked face-to-face.
"I intend to respond to your honesty, but frankly, since I'm from another class, I don't think it's a problem that has anything to do with me. Whether Sakayanagi tries to exclude Hashimoto in the future, or Hashimoto tries to exclude Sakayanagi, they can do as they please."
"So you're saying you have no intention of siding with Hashimoto Masayoshi?"
"None."
I nodded without hesitation, strongly appealing that this was the truth.
She might've doubted it, but in fact, I was speaking the truth. It wasn't a lie.
"Of course, as a member of the same group now, I will maintain an appropriate distance and a cooperative relationship."
"Is that so? I feel a little relieved."
It might've been closer to saying I was anti-Hashimoto rather than aligning with Sakayanagi's faction.
"I just want to ask for reference, but would it be a problem if I sided with Hashimoto?"
"It would be, yes. I think Sakayanagi Arisu would win nine out of ten times, but if Ayanokōji Kiyotaka were to side with Hashimoto Masayoshi, that might be in jeopardy."
Apparently, Morishita seemed to value my existence more than I had imagined.
"Is it strange? That I highly value you, Ayanokōji Kiyotaka."
"I didn't feel that way when we first talked."
Of course, I understood that I was being watched, but not to this extent.
"Usually, there's a difference between expectation and reality. It's typically disappointing, so I had lowered the hurdle, but looking at the reactions and gazes around me, it doesn't seem to be the case."
It seemed to be more of a gut feeling than something she had directly seen or heard.
An evaluation based on her high intelligence and senses.
A female version of Kōenji—it would be rude to call Morishita that, but in terms of archetype, they might be a little similar. Like subtracting the eccentricity and adding more reasoning...
No, no matter how I expressed it, it wasn't right to compare her to Kōenji.
"Then, is there a possibility that you will side with Sakayanagi Arisu?"
"None. Rather, she's not someone I should interfere with."
Originally, Hashimoto was a much weaker opponent for Sakayanagi. It wasn't a situation where I should lend a hand.
"But..."
"But?"
"I do think that both Hashimoto and Sakayanagi should fight without holding back. It's best to decide the winner after they both exert all they're able to. That's just my opinion though."
Hashimoto was still charging ahead alone without the leisure to observe his surroundings. And since his betrayal dragged Kamuro along with it, Sakayanagi might be hindered from exerting her full capabilities.
If I could eliminate the problems they each had, I would like to do so before the match.
"I understand your thoughts well, Ayanokōji Kiyotaka. Thank you."
Perhaps having cleared something in her mind, Morishita slightly smiled and bowed her head.
"I hope this problem will be resolved as soon as possible. If the infighting continues for half a year, or even a whole year, it will only be a detriment for Class A."
"That's true."
If that was the problem, Morishita's fears were unfounded.
The problem between Sakayanagi and Hashimoto was already set to end soon.
Morishita started walking away from under the tree.
"Well, let's get going. Don't play in the forest forever. You're such a child."
"You're the one who was playing..."
I was just a victim who got dragged into this.
To add, Morishita was as good at shogi as she boasted.
Her skills, honed through daily online matches, were not just for show.