Chapter 17: Silent Reasoning

Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Silent Reasoning

Mataguchi’s monologue, POV

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The sky over Tokyo had spent the afternoon curdling into a heavy, bruised violet. By the time the final bell rang, the rain clouds had effectively blotted out the remaining daylight, casting the empty clubroom into a premature twilight.

​Outside, a low, relentless wind rattled the window frames. It was cold and heavy.

The situation was of no surprise to me, I already knew she would show up with this in mind, it was a situation I had already deduced from the beginning.

Shion stood near the center aisle, her uniform blazer crisp despite the damp humidity clinging to the air. Her eyes, sharp and unblinking, were locked entirely on the boy standing before her.

The cold atmosphere blew past by constantly though the windows were locked the air remained cold.

I continued to look straight into her eyes, keeping my expression neutral.

She seemed surprised but her eyes mentioned otherwise, she must been having some serious calculations going on her head. Her eyes keep scanning for micro-expressions.

She let out a sharp, deliberate breath, leaning forward just enough to invade my personal space, a classic tactic to trigger a defensive physical adjustment. ℯℯ𝑙.

Isn’t she embarrassed from this much closure, a the girls around me sure do take me lightly.

"Wait... then you did nothing?" she uttered, letting her voice rise just a fraction. Her expression morphed into one of distinct annoyance, though she carefully kept her tone soft, ensuring it didn’t sound overheated or overly aggressive.

"Even when you said you would help me with it?"

I didn’t pull back from her sudden proximity. I merely turned a page of the book, the crisp rustle of paper loud in the silent room.

"Well, I did try to help in my own way," i responded. My voice remained perfectly level, maintaining a volume of absolute easiness that felt entirely unnatural given the accusation. "You can’t blame me if I was unable to do it."

She might not look it, but she’s thinking again. I wonder what Oota is doing right now?

"Ah, is that supposed to be an excuse?" Shion uttered, taking another step closer, her shoes clicking sharply against the linoleum floor. She crossed her arms, tilting her head. "I did all those errands for nothing, then."

​"I won’t say for nothing, actually," i replied, finally looking up from the text. My eyes met hers again.

"I will repay you back... well, if I can."

​Shion let out a long, theatrical sigh, rubbing her temple as if a headache were forming, though her eyes never left me. "What exactly do you mean by ’if I can’?"

​"Well-"

​"Then you owe me a favor," Shion interrupted smoothly, cutting off my explanation before i could formulate a logical caveat. She let her face soften into a tired, slightly relieved expression, letting her shoulders drop to signal that the confrontation was pivoting into a negotiation.

I stared at her for a beat, processing the trap she had just laid.

A favor is a dangerous currency, but prolonging this conversation in a freezing, dark classroom is clearly an inefficient use of my time.

"Yeah... I guess," i accepted. I didn’t argue. I had no desire to drag the topic any further or give her more data points to analyze.

​"Alright then," Shion said, her demeanor shifting instantly into practical efficiency. "Are you done? We should head home now. The weather is only getting worse."

​Without waiting for my answer, she reached down and took the heavy stack of documents right out from under my hand.

​Turning on her shoes, she walked over to the tall wooden shelves that lined the right and left walls of the classroom. Shion began methodically arranging the books and papers onto the shelves, her movements fluid and practiced.

For a moment i didn’t move. I stood up from my desk, but remained rooted to the spot, simply watching her, observed her while she worked, but behind my vacant stare, my mind was entirely detached from the room. I wasn’t thinking about the favor, or the rain, or the girl arranging books. My mind seemed clouded with thoughts vastly different from the current events thoughts heavy, structured, and dangerous.

What excuse should I tell when I get home? Does Shion like chasing boys she can’t get or she just loves the feeling of doing so?

Chocolate or Vanilla?

​"Don’t just stand there," Shion said without looking back, her voice echoing slightly in the hollow room. She slammed a thick binder into a tight slot on the shelf. "Help me out so we can head out quickly... it’s almost time for your curfew, isn’t it?"

I blinked, pulling myself out of the depths of my own mind. I looked at my watch, then back at Shion.

​"Right," i murmured.

​I moved forward, my steps silent, to help her lift the remaining heavy reference books from the desk.

​As i reached for a thick encyclopedia, my eyes shifted to Shion’s profile for a brief, fraction of a second, watching the calculated rhythm of her movements. A thought drifted through my mind, entirely separate from the mundane reality of after-school chores.

​There is nothing more false than an obvious fact...

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Two Months ago

July 17th, 2025. Thursday

Two days before first semester ends.

At the student council clubroom, the late afternoon sun bled through the classroom windows, casting long, distorted shadows across the empty desks. Shion stood trembling in the center of the room, she wore are usually school with her refined gal appearance. I had already told the others to leave us so we were alone.

"Please, Prez," she choked out, her voice cracking. "I’m begging you. You’re the only one who can talk to Oota. If you don’t help me fix this, I... I’ll lose him for good."

"N-no..I mean I mean ahhh...not like that I just.." her expression bashful upon realising how she sounded like in front of me who sat on my usual spot next to the window. I deadpan and didn’t speak. I simply let the silence stretch until it became an unbearable weight in the room. Her sweater was folded a bit revealing her wristband with unknown numbers, one every students were given and wore. A live tracking device from the school’s security team.

That attitude seems exhausting to put on everyday....i thought, my mind clouded as I watched Shion nervously stammering.

"I’m begging you!" Shion’s face flushed a deep crimson, that classic mix of bashful desperation and the stubborn pride of a tsundere pushed to her limit.

Honestly I wasn’t the type to actually listen to this kind of noise.

She bowed so low her forehead nearly touched the wood of my desk.

"I’ll do anything! Just tell me what you want!"

I finally blinked. It was a slow, mechanical movement. Inside, i felt a flicker of something not guilt, perhaps, but a acknowledgment. I can’t have her begging me like this, it’s so I don’t know, she’s causing a scene.

Though I wouldn’t say I wasn’t surprised by how far Shiwogata was willing to go, the reason was already clear but the outcome was a bit interesting on it’s own way...not to mention the cute scene I’m witnessing...

I thought watching Shion desperate act and seriousness, more or less a sight to see for me

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"All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near."

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