Amasawa Ichika. Kitagawa Ryo wasn't unfamiliar with the name.
She was the mysterious girl from Class 1-D who had caught his attention on the very first day of school. Though the butterfly effect was always a possibility, the appearance of Yagami Takuya had already confirmed for Ryo that the White Room had planted multiple agents within the school. And of all potential candidates, Amasawa Ichika was the most likely.
Yet over the past month, Amasawa had made barely any impression. Despite being a notably pretty girl, in a class where many girls had high appearances, she wasn't particularly special. With a quiet, solitary demeanor, she didn't stand out. Besides ranking in the top ten during a recent quiz, there was nothing remarkable about her.
Ryo gently tapped his fingers against the desk as he shifted his gaze to the club application she had submitted, searching for any clues.
From her age, hometown, and reason for joining—everything looked perfectly normal. Nothing suspicious, yet nothing particularly noteworthy either.
In the end, deciding to get a better feel through direct interaction, Ryo approved her initial application.
"Amasawa-san, even though we're both in Class 1-D, this might be our first time speaking."
Ryo placed a freshly brewed cup of tea in front of her and took a seat opposite.
"That's right," she replied with a playful smile. "But don't worry, Kitagawa-kun. This is also my first time talking to any of our classmates. So, you're the first~"
Despite her words, Amasawa showed no signs of nervousness—no typical anxiety from a girl alone with a boy, nor from being interviewed. She was completely at ease.
Ryo's first impression of Amasawa Ichika was striking. She was the first girl he'd met who wore traditional twin-tails. Though Sakura Airi occasionally wore her hair in that style, hers were either low or high pigtails. Amasawa's were the classic type he was more familiar with.
Twin-tails often gave off an immature vibe. If it didn't suit the person, it could come off as trying too hard to look cute. But on Amasawa, it was a perfect match—natural and fitting.
"Amasawa-san, you almost look like a middle schooler," he remarked, testing the waters.
"Ara~ Should I take that as a compliment, Kitagawa-kun?"
"Just my first impression."
Ryo glanced at her outfit—the standard red school jacket aside, her choice of an orange-red inner shirt was rare. Combined with her fiery red hair and deep burgundy jacket, the ensemble was bold and eye-catching.
And in the midst of those rich tones, her glowing yellow eyes stood out. The exact same shade as his sister's—and the cat, Hotaru, currently curled up in his dorm.
"On your application, you wrote your reason for joining as: 'I have ideas to help the drama club grow.' What exactly do you mean by that?"
Breaking eye contact, Ryo returned to the matter at hand.
"Just what it says," Amasawa said, resting her chin on her hand and playfully tilting her head. "Actually, I thought of it back at the start of the month when your club went out to compete. Unlike athletic clubs that only get to leave campus for the summer tournaments, your drama club seems to have more freedom to move around."
"In this near-closed environment of Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High, that's a privilege. And if we use it creatively..."
She left the sentence hanging and instead changed her tone to a mock complaint.
"Class D's point total is going to stay at zero for a while, right? For a girl, personal points are kind of essential to daily life. Don't you agree, Kitagawa-kun?"
Ryo narrowed his eyes, choosing not to respond right away. That hesitation made Amasawa's expression shift subtly. Pretending to be surprised, she covered her mouth and exclaimed:
"Wait... don't tell me you've already started?"
"I thought I could use that suggestion to get into the club... but it seems I'm a bit late."
She looked genuinely frustrated.
"I mean, you already have Karuizawa from Class B, and Horikita from our class who's also on the student council. That should make approvals and checks pretty convenient."
"I heard Horikita Suzune's brother is the student council president and the leader of 3-A. Perfect for collaborating, right? I'm sure lots of third-years need this kind of service. Some still want to fight for Class A, but most probably just want to graduate peacefully."
Amasawa rattled off her points like someone who had planned all this thoroughly, sipping her tea only after unloading the long explanation.
"Looking at it another way, I guess you've proven this plan is one hundred percent viable, haven't you? Looks like you'll be the richest person in our class soon, Kitagawa-kun."
Putting her hands together in a pleading gesture, she looked up at him with mock sorrow.
"If I beg you later, for old times' sake, you'll lend me a few points to get by, right?"
Following her hands upward, Ryo couldn't help but notice how her well-developed figure contrasted with her youthful hairstyle and face.
"No problem at all."
"This interview? You've passed."
With a small smile, Ryo extended his hand.
"Welcome to the drama club."
"From now on, that makes us accomplices."
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Kitagawa Ryo leaned back in his chair, dialing a number on his phone.
"Kei, help me check something. The first batch of requests we completed—can you tell me which classes the applicants were from, who they were, and the details of their requests?"
On the other end, Karuizawa Kei answered immediately. She was in her dorm room, and the urgency in Ryo's voice—a rare thing for him—made her skip any questions and move quickly. She pulled up a confidential file on her personal laptop, reading off the screen as she spoke:
"Because of Nagumo Miyabi's influence, we haven't contacted any second-years directly. We only took requests from third-year students. Through Horikita-san's connections, we got three requests from 3-A and one from 3-C."
"I remember you said not to touch the second-year classes or 3-B."
"Yeah. Second-years because of Nagumo, and 3-B because of Ishikura. He's the leader of 3-B, which is still aiming for Class A and has close ties to Nagumo."
After quickly explaining the reason, Ryo continued, "Check the request from 3-C."
"...Let me see. It was from a student named Ninomiya from 3-C. He asked us to deliver a letter and a stuffed toy to his family. Supposedly for his sister's birthday. We handed them over to Izaki-san, and everything went smoothly. That's about it."
"Got it. I think there's something off with that request. I'll contact Izaki right away. You go find Suzune and have her watch out for any anonymous tips to the student council or strange moves by Vice President Nagumo."
"Ehh—Okay."
After hanging up, Ryo logged into a secret social media channel he'd set up with Izaki before enrollment—a one-way communication method for discreet updates.
Thanks to Amasawa's earlier warning, Ryo realized something he'd overlooked: Ayanokouji Kiyotaka had also made contact with students before enrollment. The key link between them was an event two years ago—the school culture festival.
Back then, Ryo had helped Horikita Suzune support her brother Horikita Manabu, then in 1-A. The current third-years were first-years at the time.
Katsuragi Kouhei was Ayanokouji's first open move. But Yagami Takuya was not a hidden move. He was bait—a decoy.
Ayanokouji's first real move... was here.
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"Ninomiya-senpai."
"Ayanokouji-kun... It's been two years. I didn't expect you to really come to this school."
Ninomiya from 3-C stared at the calm expression of Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. Though the boy was only a first-year, he didn't underestimate him for a second.
They had met two years ago during the culture festival. Ayanokouji had shared a plan to boost class revenue, and Ninomiya had traded school intel for it. Though Ninomiya fumbled the execution, Ayanokouji's sharp mind had left a deep impression on him.
After the festival, Ninomiya received a note from school staff, allegedly from an outside child who enjoyed their performance. That note was Ayanokouji's subtle follow-up.
"I've done what you asked and submitted a request to the drama club."
Compared to the composed Ayanokouji, Ninomiya—two years his senior—looked visibly anxious.
"That should prove my willingness to cooperate, right?"
"Of course. If Class 3-C follows my instructions, there's a real chance for you to reach Class A before graduation."
Reassured, Ninomiya relaxed slightly, then hesitantly asked, "That request... there won't be any trouble, will there?"
There was no real letter. No sister. Both the letter and stuffed animal were fabricated by Ayanokouji.
"If Kitagawa accepted the job, it means his channels are secure. There shouldn't be any issues."
"But what did you write in that letter?"
Ninomiya knew this wasn't some innocent birthday note.
"Don't you wonder, Ninomiya-senpai? About this school? About Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High?"
"What do you mean?"
"Every freshman realizes something's off. They promise a 100% graduation and employment rate—but only for Class A. That's misdirection."
He stirred his drink absentmindedly. Ice clinked against the cup.
"This school's been around over a decade. Thousands of graduates. If only Class A students truly benefitted, wouldn't someone have exposed the lie by now?"
"Yet outside, the school's reputation is flawless. Every middle schooler dreams of getting in. Doesn't that seem odd? Where did all the B, C, and D class graduates go?"
"Maybe they signed NDAs?"
"NDAs don't stop people from discovering where you work."
Ayanokouji leaned forward.
"Say you graduate from Class C. What job do you think you'd end up with?"
"...Go back home, get a normal job. Delivery driver or something."
"Exactly. That's the truth."
He walked to a vending machine. All drinks required points—except bottled water.
"The school gives bare essentials to those with no points."
"Graduates from Classes B through D get free water too."
Ninomiya's worldview was unraveling.
"They won't tell you this until graduation."
He lifted his drink.
"They need you. It's like raising poisonous insects in a jar. Create an idol. Bait the masses. Sharpen the chosen few."
Facing Ninomiya again, Ayanokouji continued:
"In the end, it's just a high school. Class A might look like the only path, but maybe it isn't."
"If that letter gets exposed, you'll be expelled."
He stepped close, speaking softly by Ninomiya's ear.
"But I believe you're willing to take that risk."
He pressed the cold drink into Ninomiya's trembling hand.
"It tastes better than the school's free water."
With the sunset behind him, Ayanokouji turned and walked away.
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