Chapter 105: The Mastermind
There were only a few days left until the summer vacation ended and we returned to our classrooms once again.
Therefore, the best way to say goodbye to the vacation and our days of rest was to spend some time outside by yourself.
I woke up early in the morning after getting enough rest following the cruise, put on some summer clothes, and headed toward Keyaki Mall, hoping to spend some quiet time before the students left their dormitories and the places I might visit became crowded with unwanted faces.
I decided that the first thing I should do before planning the rest of my day was to get some morning coffee with extra sugar, hoping it would clear the fog in my mind.
I felt as though there were some impurities stuck in there that I couldn't deal with.
Even ignoring them wasn't an option, so it was probably better not to say anything until the time came.
I got my coffee in a paper cup so I could drink it outside by myself, beneath the morning summer sky and the trees that blocked out the heat, which had yet to reach its peak.
There was no one in front of the shopping mall except me and a few passersby who entered from time to time.
Even so, there were far fewer visitors than usual. Perhaps because it was still early in the morning.
I began sipping my coffee in something resembling tranquility as I thought about what I might do with my day.
Perhaps visiting the library wouldn't be a bad idea. Maybe I'd find something interesting.
Well, that was probably my only option. I didn't think there was anything else that suited me.
So I decided to simply relax where I was.
I could visit the library anytime, after all. Its visitors wouldn't exceed the usual numbers.
I could deal with that.
"Hey, Student Council Secretary..."
While I was lost in my thoughts, a rough, annoying voice woke me from my daze as it approached from nearby.
Ryuuen was walking alone, wearing sunglasses as he headed toward me.
I gave him a sideways glance before returning my attention to my paper cup.
I didn't want to deal with him right now.
I wondered if ignoring him would make him give up and leave, or if he'd just keep bothering me.
Ryuuen approached close enough before sitting on the bench beside me, throwing his arms over the backrest as if he were showing off his muscles.
"What are you doing here...?" Ryuuen asked as he looked around, seemingly checking the area before taking off his sunglasses.
I reduced my answer to silence as I brought my lips closer to the paper cup.
I didn't think he cared about my answer anyway.
But I was interested in knowing when he would leave.
Ryuuen continued staring at me for a moment, as if checking whether something was wrong, before putting his little finger in his ear and clearing his throat as though he were about to begin.
"I heard you met some girls from my class..." Ryuuen said.
"Tch..."
What was he talking about this time?
Wasn't it normal for me to meet people from his class as long as I was walking around within the school's grounds?
"And what about it?" I asked, placing the paper cup beside my foot.
If he wanted to talk, he should get it over with and leave.
Yeah, I'd already given up.
This was my defeat.
"Did you insist on playing the hero in front of that girl from your class to the point of threatening those girls using my name?" Ryuuen asked, watching me from the corner of his eye.
"Huh...?"
I quickly turned toward him, my mind still processing his words before I could respond.
The only image that came to mind was that of the girls from his class bullying Karuizawa beneath the ship.
So he'd already heard about what happened.
But what was he trying to get at with this?
"So you know. Why are you interested in this now?" I asked, ignoring the whole hero part.
If I reacted to that, it would only prove that his cheap provocation had gotten to me.
Sorry, but no points for you today, little delinquent.
"Fufufu. I don't think you know that the girls from my class were lured there just like that Karuizawa girl was..." Ryuuen said with a mocking smile.
Without warning, Ryuuen began talking as though he had been involved in the entire incident.
The amount of detail he knew was considerable.
"Hmm... What do you mean?" I asked, trying to put at least a mildly interested expression on my face.
"A message was sent to Manabe telling her where Karuizawa was."
I stopped looking around for a moment after hearing his words.
So the incident had been planned from the beginning.
Perhaps someone had prepared the stage for Manabe so that she could break Karuizawa's spirit or something along those lines.
"You know a lot..." I said indifferently.
It seemed Ryuuen had investigated the matter thoroughly.
Perhaps he'd noticed something interesting from a distance.
"I told the students in my class that if they ran into you, they were to inform me immediately. Manabe resisted at first, but eventually gave in and told me what happened," Ryuuen said, clenching his fist as though remembering the incident.
I couldn't help but sigh helplessly as I listened to all this prejudice I was apparently subjected to by this guy.
Did I really have to report to him every time I spoke to someone from his class?
"I think there's a mastermind behind the scenes who planned all of this..."
I leaned back slightly as I looked at him.
Anyone who heard this story would realize that everything had been arranged by someone.
But seriously, had he come here to accuse me?
Especially since he'd brought up that ridiculous hero business.
"So am I the prime suspect?" I asked resignedly, stretching my back.
Ryuuen merely clicked his tongue and laughed before turning toward me.
"Under normal circumstances, and considering your timing back then, you should be the prime suspect. But I don't think that's the case. Someone else is trying to play this game..." he said, his eyes filled with certainty.
"Hmm. Really?"
Part of me felt relieved.
At least I wouldn't have to deal with his threats.
"Yeah. The stage had already been set, and you were the outsider who came in and ruined everything," Ryuuen said in his annoyingly confident tone.
I had no idea what kind of ridiculous fantasies were running through his head right now, but none of this had anything to do with me.
"You seem pretty confident that it wasn't me," I said, giving him a suspicious sideways glance.
Ryuuen's confident expression didn't change in the slightest.
"Fufufu. That's right. The mastermind seems to have been trying to provoke me into searching for him so he could confront me. But you don't seem like the type who needs to hide yourself before facing me..." Ryuuen said.
I froze for a moment as I listened to even more of his nonsense.
Seriously, what was going on inside his head?
"It seems there are things going on in your class that even you can't control..." Ryuuen said as he put his dark sunglasses back on.
"Tch. You seem to have a strange impression of me. What kind of person do you think I am?" I asked, trying to suppress my irritation and anger toward him.
Why did the morning I decided to enjoy myself have to turn into this?
"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry. Once I catch the mastermind from your class, I'll make sure to show him to you after I've broken him," Ryuuen said arrogantly.
"Why do you think he's from our class?" I asked through gritted teeth.
Even if the people involved were from our class, it was still possible that the mastermind behind this entire performance belonged to another class.
Though even I wasn't convinced by my own words.
The person who had led Karuizawa down that path knew more about her than an ordinary classmate would.
Perhaps his presence in the class was inevitable.
"Fufufu... Just wait where you are. I'll find the mastermind behind this and come back to crush you and your class..." Ryuuen said as he stood up to leave.
"That..."
I'd had enough of his usual nonsense.
It was as if the words themselves were trying to undermine me.
My irritation pushed my lips into speaking before I could stop myself.
"There he goes again. The stupid class leader who knows nothing except how to throw around empty threats," I said, looking straight ahead and ignoring Ryuuen's back as he walked away.
Ryuuen stopped for a moment before slowly turning toward me with an arrogant smile.
"What's wrong, Student Council Secretary? You don't seem like yourself. Usually, you'd pretend to listen while wearing that stupid sarcastic expression of yours..." Ryuuen said, his eyes examining me from head to toe.
My mind stopped for a moment, as though something were missing.
But I couldn't figure out what it was or how to think about it.
"Yeah. It's because I'm starting to get really bored. I wonder if you're capable of anything besides empty talk..." I said, glancing at him with disgust.
Ryuuen showed no obvious reaction, his smile remaining firmly in place.
"You stupid bear. Why don't you stay in hibernation until I come back for you?" Ryuuen said.
Without warning, he swung a powerful kick toward me.
I quickly stood from my seat, and before his kick could even reach me, I moved and positioned myself directly in front of him.
Ryuuen's leg struck the bench, producing a loud noise that echoed throughout the entire area.
"What is this? Did the angry gorilla decide to fight?" I said through gritted teeth, giving him a tired look with my equally tired eyes.
"Fufufu..."
Ryuuen took a step back, as though he'd decided that words were no longer going to be enough.
I remained where I was, waiting for his next move.
I didn't mind if this was going to be something other than words.
I'd already grown tired of talking.
"Guys, wait a second..."
Suddenly, a girl with long hair appeared between us, spreading her arms to separate us.
I couldn't even make out who the girl was.
My eyes never left the person in front of me as I waited to see what he intended to do.
Ryuuen stopped where he was, looked at me, then at the girl before giving a satisfied smile and stepping back.
"You've been saved. I'll find him first, then I'll come back for you," Ryuuen said as he walked away.
I remained standing there motionless until the girl stood directly in front of me, blocking my view of Ryuuen.
"Hikigaya-kun, what are you doing...?" Ichinose asked in a soft voice.
My eyes seemed to start working again.
I felt as though my entire body had been tensed up, and my hands were clenched tightly into fists.
What was this?
It was as though my body had been prepared to fight without even needing my permission.
"Hikigaya-kun, I didn't expect you to be the type to get into fights like this..." Ichinose said.
I threw myself back onto the bench, trying to calm myself down.
"Even I didn't expect it..." I said, carefully regulating my breathing.
This wasn't the right way to vent my anger, no matter what the reason was.
"Are you really okay?" Ichinose asked as she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
My eyes couldn't focus on one place.
They began wandering around until I noticed a group of girls standing some distance away, staring at us.
They seemed to be with Ichinose.
Oh, great.
We'd attracted unwanted attention.
There were even cameras all over the place.
Am I an idiot?
I quickly stood up, ready to leave.
I didn't want to stay here any longer.
I began walking away.
"Hikigaya-kun..."
I heard voices behind me, but to me they were nothing more than background noise.
I wasn't going to pay attention to them.
It seemed Ryuuen had found someone else to play with.
At least I wouldn't have to listen to his threats about crushing me anymore.
But the person who had orchestrated all of this seemed to have wanted to break Karuizawa while challenging Ryuuen at the same time.
If he really was from our class, I could only think of a few people who would be willing to stand against Ryuuen without backing down.
But as for who would go as far as doing something like this and manipulating people for their own purposes...
Perhaps the face of the light novel thief I saw behind that door wasn't a coincidence after all.