Even so, we are living in the present

Chapter 35 – Strategy Meeting

The following day after the discovery of the suspicious letter.

Before the commencement of morning homeroom, Kyosuke and Yuu visited the classroom of the first class together. At the entrance, a boy was having idle chat with his classmates when Kyosuke called out to him.

“Excuse me. Is Rindo here?”

“Oh, it’s Ichinose. Morning, Sonohara.”

“… Good morning.”

When the boys greeted each other in a lighthearted manner, Yuu returned the greeting in a mumbled way, gripping Kyosuke’s uniform as if to tell him not to separate from him.

“Hey! Rindo!”

The boys beckoned Ayana, who was conversing with other students in the back of the classroom, with their voices raised. Upon being called, she promptly came to Kyosuke and the others, and once seeing them, a cheery smile flashed across her face.

“Ah, Ichinose! Sonohara! Morning! What’s up?”

Asked in a clear, vivacious voice, Kyosuke silently beckoned her to step out into the hallway.

As if to indicate that he didn’t wish for others to be aware of his actions, Ayana gave a small nod and went out into the hallway. By the wall facing the classroom, Kyosuke opened the letter and presented it to her.

“Did you write this?”

Ayana held out her hand as if to say, “Wait a minute,” as she received the letter and read it.

“… It’s not me.”

“I see, thanks.”

No sooner had he heard the answer than Kyosuke snatched the letter from her in a flash and expressed his thanks.

“Wait… it’s not me, but this is Yuka’s handwriting.”

“… I knew it.”

When the letter was taken away from him, Kyosuke was somewhat startled and muttered with a sigh.

“‘I knew it’? What do you mean by that?”

Kyosuke explained the situation in a whisper as the other party, who did not miss a word and asked him with a serious expression on her face, folding her hands.

“I saw it. That Okino entered the interior of the school from the entrance of the elevator… She was sneaking around, and it was unnatural… So? Where is she?”

While running a hand comb through her long, beautiful blonde hair, Ayana pondered for a moment before she recalled and lifted her voice.

“Oh, Yuka, she’s late today.”

“Late?”

“She missed the train.”

A common reason, one might say. Not suspecting that much of the quirk, Kyosuke decided to bring up a suggestion.

“I see… well, there is one thing I want to request you to do.”

“Hmm, what?”

At the natural question mark, Kyosuke began to discuss the letter, suppressing his voice as he showed the correspondence.

“According to the letter, is it possible for her to be in the broadcast room before Yuu borrows the key?”

Ayana inclined her head and cast her gaze obliquely upwards at the serious look in his eyes, and worked her way through her thoughts.

“Well, I suppose it would be possible to lie and say that I locked the door when returning the key, and then lock myself in.”

Upon hearing the answer, Kyosuke proceeded to speak in an exceptionally sober manner.

“So, after that, Yuu can come over to borrow the key…”

“It is possible. Basically, anyone can borrow it as long as they inform the teacher present at the time of borrowing, albeit they have to write down their name when they borrow it. No one comes to the broadcast room after school, so it’s likely not a problem.”

“Can you lie in ambush with me?”

Once the other party finished his explanation, he instantly mentioned the details of his request. Not grasping what was going on, Ayana tossed a question mark back at him.

“Eh?”

It was no wonder that comprehension failed to keep pace with her. To make it easier for her to follow, Kyosuke began to explain the flow of events.

“Rindo and I will go into the broadcast room first, which is supposed to be locked. Of course, you’ll have to lie and say you locked the door when you return it. Then, following the instructions in the letter, Yuu would borrow the key. The sender of the letter should then show up at the broadcast room. It would be fine if it is just me… but it would be more reassuring if you, a member of the broadcasting committee, are present.”

“I understand.”

With a serious countenance, Ayana nodded broadly. Although she only possessed a degree of nervousness, such as the feeling that she was somewhat of a detective and was thrilled, she was nevertheless a grateful cooperator for Kyosuke.

“But… Yuka, what is she planning to do? Is it love at first sight for Sonohara?”

That was the doubt behind sending the letter to Yuu, even falsifying the sender. Kyosuke nodded his head in assent.

“Well, Yuu is beautiful and popular too, so it’s not impossible… but isn’t it strange for her to deliberately use Rindo’s name in the letter?”

“That’s true too!”

Yuu tugged at Kyosuke’s uniform with a sullen pout on his lips, embarrassed at shifted topic of whether or not he was popular while listening to their lively conversation.

“… Kyosuke, you idiot.”

After the sudden disparagement, he stroked his beautiful champagne-colored hair as if to appease him, but his gaze wandered to Ayana.

“Why are you mad? Well, for the time being, that’s what I’m going to request from you, Ayana.”

When the letter was put back in the white envelope, Ayana made a circle with her thumb and forefinger to confirm that it was time to return to the classroom.

“Yeah, I understand. Should I go to the second class?”

“No, let’s meet in the library. Please pretend you haven’t noticed Okino.”

“Okay, see you then.”

“Ah, thanks.”

And so the three returned to their respective classrooms. Throughout the entire conversation, Yuu listened to the conversation, clinging to Kyosuke’s uniform like a kitten and never separating from him. Even though the details regarding Kyosuke and Ayana’s lying in ambush were not quite clear to him, he understood the process of borrowing a key from the staff room for himself.

“Hey, Yuu.”

Once in his seat, Kyosuke drew up a chair and moved closer to Yuu as he called out.

“… What?”

As he asked in his typical flat tone of voice, the other person brought up the corner of one side of his mouth and smiled nastily.

“Are you lonely?”

Immediately, his beautiful expression was distorted into a scowl.

“… Not really.”

With a curt response, he turned his face and cheekbones away.

“Ah, I see.”

Leaving his mouth loose as he stared at the other’s back, Kyosuke let out a sigh of contentment in his heart, remarking “You’re still as cute as ever.”