"In short, the plan is simple."
"We let that idiot Housen get his hands on the fruit knife—the one already covered in Akasaka-senpai's fingerprints—and then have him stab himself. That way, we create the perfect illusion that he's been assaulted."
"At least to any outsider, it'll look like Akasaka-senpai was the one who did it."
Ichika spoke those chilling words with a cute, innocent smile. Beside her, Yagami nodded in quiet satisfaction.
"A perfect plan. Truly airtight."
Ichika sat on the school park bench, her eyes dancing with mischief.
"In a moment, I'll need to stage another 'accidental run-in' with Akasaka-senpai."
"I have to find an opening to swap his keycard back. That way, even if he suspects I'm behind it, he'll have zero evidence. Besides, I've already wiped the prints off the card."
Ichika beamed, clearly proud of her handiwork. Meanwhile, Yagami felt a surge of internal triumph. Since this plan also targeted Ayanokouji—a fact Ichika remained blissfully unaware of—it gave him the perfect leverage to manipulate the situation.
"Could you leave this part of the plan to me?" Yagami asked her. "I'd like to be the one to meet and deal with Akasaka Ryunosuke."
(I want to test myself against Ayanokouji-senpai! I'll prove that I am the strongest to ever come out of the White Room.)
Ichika found the request a bit odd, but she didn't voice her thoughts. If someone else was willing to take over the tedious, dirty work, she was more than happy to sit back and relax. She gave Yagami the nod and handed the matter over to him.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
Ichika waited until 5:30 PM, the time Ryunosuke usually finished his duties as Student Council President.
As Ryunosuke stepped out of the office, Ichika—concealed in a blind spot—executed her "accidental" collision. She lunged from around the corner, slamming into him with enough force to knock him down, and promptly landed right on top of him. With practiced agility, she swapped the wiped keycard back into his possession while chirping a greeting.
"Good evening, Akasaka-senpai~!"
"Ow, ow, ow... Why do you keep tackling me?" Ryunosuke looked up at Ichika straddling him, feeling utterly defenseless against the girl's antics.
This little girl was constantly crashing into him. While the thought had crossed his mind that she might have a crush on him, Ryunosuke quickly dismissed it. Based on the original story, Ichika's devotion to Ayanokouji bordered on a romantic obsession.
Ryunosuke didn't think she would actually like him or have a change of heart—at least not this quickly. He didn't consider himself particularly charismatic, but then he remembered his thirteen girlfriends... and his confidence in denying his own charm wavered slightly.
He helped Ichika up, then stood and brushed off non-existent dust, speaking in a flat tone.
"Be careful next time. Don't be so clumsy."
"Right! There won't be a next time~" Ichika replied with a face of pure innocence. Inwardly, however, she added: (There won't be a tomorrow for you, Akasaka-senpai, because you're about to be expelled.)
Ichika skipped away, her heart light. She intended to find Ayanokouji to soothe the longing in her chest.
Ryunosuke felt a flicker of unease but didn't dwell on it; he had to wait for Suzune.
Suzune emerged from the office shortly after, closing the door behind her. The two began walking toward the supermarket to pick up groceries. Suzune was in charge of dinner, and they planned to have Ayanokouji over later.
Ayanokouji had already received the message and replied that he would be a little late. He sat on a park bench, waiting patiently. This was the one thing he looked forward to—the only hope of satisfying his appetite.
As an emotionless "Masterpiece," good food was one of the few things capable of stirring his feelings, aside from the potential assassins from the White Room.
With a characteristically blank expression, Ayanokouji watched as Ichika appeared before him.
Ichika clasped her hands behind her back, gazing at the senior she had admired from afar for so long. The corners of her mouth slowly curled into a strange, twisted arc.
The two had never met inside the White Room, so Ayanokouji had no idea this girl came from the same place. Ichika, however, knew him intimately. Ayanokouji was the undisputed number one; as the second-ranked student of the fifth generation, Ichika had heard his name countless times. It was the foundation of her borderline-insane adoration.
Ayanokouji, as the strongest, naturally had no reason to know those beneath him. He simply didn't bother remembering them.
Ichika stepped closer, her face flushing with excitement as she finally faced the person she had yearned to meet.
"I finally get to see you~ Ayanokouji-senpai~"
Suddenly, Ichika lunged. Her expression distorted slightly; she clearly intended to test his reflexes.
Ayanokouji stepped back to evade, then swiftly tilted his body, raising a hand for a precise strike to her neck to knock her unconscious.
With incredible grace, Ichika planted a hand on the ground and launched a rapid spinning kick. Her leg, clad in a long black sock, whipped toward Ayanokouji's face, forcing him to abort his counter-attack.
Ayanokouji retreated, granting her the distance she wanted. They stood five meters apart, eyes locked. Ichika was trembling slightly—not from cold, but from a brush with fear. There was no doubt; this was the Masterpiece of the White Room. She had nearly been caught just now.
(But you really are magnificent, Ayanokouji-senpai~ Since you're this amazing, I only adore you more~) Ichika cupped her cheeks with her hands, her gaze turning full yandere.
Ayanokouji, meanwhile, had already reached a conclusion: this girl was from the White Room. The fluid movements she had just displayed were techniques taught by the instructors there.
As the saying goes, students of the same master always leave a trail. For Ayanokouji, the Masterpiece, his eyes were sharp enough to distinguish exactly which instructor had taught her those moves. There were, after all, only a handful of trainers in that place.
Now certain his opponent was from the White Room, Ayanokouji's gaze shifted. His eyes turned cold, harboring a faint trace of killing intent. He only wanted to spend his three years of high school in peace. He wanted to be ordinary and had no intention of inheriting his father's legacy. Anyone who stood in the way of his quiet life would be dealt with.
Seeing his hostility, Ichika waved her hands frantically in explanation.
"You aren't our target, Ayanokouji-senpai!"
Ayanokouji immediately began deconstructing her words. Regardless of whether she was telling the truth, the phrase "Our target" confirmed she wasn't acting alone. His mind raced, calculating the variables until he hit upon the most logical answer.
(I see. Is it the new first-year students?)
(Are there others from the White Room hidden among them?)
Ayanokouji rubbed his chin. He suspected the White Room assassins were hiding in the freshman class for a simple reason: the entire second-year population had been so thoroughly dismantled by Ryunosuke that barely one class remained. An assassin wouldn't be there. If they were, they would have acted during the Nagumo incident to protect themselves.
As for the third-years, Ayanokouji had observed them for a full year and found no trace of the White Room. That left only the first-years, whose backgrounds were still a total mystery...
In the span of a few seconds, Ayanokouji had already mapped out the entire board.