I think 2009 is much more sensible than 1998. Year 2009 requires a much smaller leap in logic. It has more baseline technology to work with. And most importantly, Year 2009 will not contradict Ayanokouji's dialogue in Year 2, Volume 4.5. If he is standing on a boat in 2010, predicting smartphone rates for 2020 makes absolute, perfect sense.
I smile, staring at the dark screen of the phone resting by my knee.
I guess we have a winner. The math aligns. The quotes align. The lore aligns with a slight tech adjustment. It is 2009.
Right?
Not so fast. My smile fades instantly.
Let's put the year 2009 through the ultimate stress test. I need to check the remaining critical dates against the school's basic premise.
April 1st of Year 1 is a Wednesday. It is a weekday. It passes Premise One.
May 1st of Year 1 is a Friday. Weekday. Passed.
April 1st of Year 2 is a Thursday. Weekday. Passed.
May 1st of Year 2.
If April 1st is Thursday, April has thirty days. Thirty divided by seven leaves a remainder of two. Thursday plus two days is Saturday.
May 1st of Year 2 falls on a Saturday.
Failed. It failed Premise One entirely. The school does not hold regular classes on weekends.
How about the Premise Two exception? Is there a special exam running through that weekend?
No. It is not covered by the Premise Two exception.
The fatal contradiction lies in Chapter 8 of Year 2, Volume 1. In Ayanokouji's monologue, he says: "And then... We arrived at this day. The first of May. The day we'd find out the results of the special exam, which would be announced during sixth period, the final class period of the day."
He states that the first of May is the day they find out the results. It means the special exam is already over on May 1st of Year 2. They are just waiting for scores.
And if this day is a Saturday, the clause "during sixth period, the final class period of the day" would not make any sense whatsoever.
Sixth period? That is the strict definition of a regular class schedule. You do not have a regular sixth period on a Saturday weekend.
Okay.
If 2009 is not the correct year, then absolutely nothing will work mathematically. Every single candidate year possesses a fatal flaw. The Novel's internal calendar is an irredeemable mess.
I stare at the blank white ceiling tiles. The silence in the room feels heavy.
I should just turn a blind eye to this huge logical gap on May 1st in the second year.
Maybe, in the second year, during the month of May, the administration decides to make that specific Saturday a regular class schedule just to mess with the students. This is the Advanced Nurturing High School after all. They change the rules constantly. Anything could happen.
That's right. I will accept that excuse.
I will take note of this huge contradiction. I will find out for myself once I survive freshman year and become a second-year student. I will definitely observe May 1st and check the school announcements to see if Saturday magically becomes a regular class day with a sixth period.
Okay. The math is finally clear.
The deductive reasoning points directly to 2009, with one minor, excusable flaw.
I look at the dark phone resting on the blanket.
It is time to see the truth. What year is today? What day is April 1st?
I reach out and pick up the plastic device. My thumb finds the power button on the side. I press down. A small vibration hums against my skin.
The screen lights up brilliantly, flashing the school logo before transitioning to the main home screen. The digital clock displays the time in sharp, bright numbers.
Just above the time sits the official date.
I stare at the bright pixels. I read the day of the week. I read the year.
I look at my phone for a long, quiet moment.
Then, I sigh.