Chapter 67: Side Story - Suspense

Chapter 67: Chapter 67: Side Story - Suspense

Nanami’s monologue, POV

----------

?Inside the classroom, Kinko sat down beside me.

?He didn’t say anything, and neither did I.

?The teacher entered.

?This wasn’t the first time we were seeing him either; normally, teachers are rarely seen in classes, mostly appearing only for tests, exams, and competitive programs, which was considered normal for us schooling here at Karafuguru.

?Though this particular teacher was different.

?At the podium stood our teacher named Danzo Regulus. The architectural geometry was intentional, shifting the focus downward to the massive, slate-grey blackboard monitor that stretched across the lower wall.

?Danzo, our teacher, was a tall, well-built man with short black hair swept to the left, violet gradient eyes, and square-rimmed glasses. He was also the one who had announced the test.

?The classroom doors closed, and the atmosphere changed immediately. Students took their seats, and the room became quiet.

?"It seems the class is on best behavior. Good," he muttered, his voice heard by all in class.

?Kinko glanced at me. I gave the smallest nod, not noticeable by the others.

?"I’ll be taking your class personally today, so why don’t we start on—" He stopped, interrupted by Kinko, who proceeded to raise his hand.

?The teacher looked toward him. "Yes?"

?Kinko stood.

?"Sensei, may I ask something regarding the upcoming test?"

?Several students’ eyes turned to him.

?"You may," Danzo-sensei replied. Teachers are not allowed to go against the rules of the institute; hence, he was already anticipating the class to interrogate him or subtly extract info from him.

?Truthfully, it wouldn’t be easy. Danzo was an impenetrable wall; if he were to leak info on anything, you would know it was to his benefit.

?Or so that’s how I viewed him.

?Kinko looked toward the students of Faction C.

?"If the Tri-Factor Asymmetric Liquidation Test involves physical confrontation, would students be allowed to use protective equipment?" His voice remained soft.

?Several heads turned. The teacher seemed to consider the question before replying.

?"The regulations concerning equipment have not yet been released."

?Kinko nodded. "I understand."

?He sat down. Nothing happened, then Hayama muttered from across the room.

?"Obviously, they won’t ban protective equipment."

?The words were quiet, but the classroom was silent enough for several students to hear.

?Kinko turned. "You think so?"

?"If they wanted us unprotected, they’d say so." Hayama shrugged.

?Kinko smiled. "That makes sense."

?He paused. "Then your faction’s equipment should be fine, right?"

?Hayama’s eyes narrowed. "Why are you even asking?"

?"I’m just worried about mine." Kinko laughed nervously.

?"I don’t have anything." Hayama looked away.

?"We’ll see." The teacher resumed the lesson, and Kinko said nothing else.

?But I had already understood.

?The moment Hayama answered that question, it seemed the school was keeping a close eye on our direction, planning, and strategies toward the upcoming test.

?And more importantly, Hayama had spoken about the existence of equipment inside a designated academic zone.

?That was the pressure point.

?The next day, I sent a female student to make my move.

?She approached another member of Faction C, not Hayama—a student who had less reason to suspect her. There was a wall between factions after the test announcement, so being vigilant was key.

?The student she approached was named Hinoko. She didn’t have much of a presence in class either, it seemed.

?They were leaving a lecture hall when Ichika caught up to her.

?"Hinoko."

?She turned. "Ichika-san?"

?"I heard Faction C has been preparing protective equipment." Her expression barely changed.

?"hmmm....We’re prepared for several possibilities."

?Ichika smiled, hearing the response.

?"That’s sensible." She continued walking beside Hinoko. "Are you using impact plates or something lighter? We were planning on doing something similar ourselves"

?Hinoko hesitated, which Ichika noticed immediately. She didn’t press immediately; instead, she added casually, "I heard there were concerns about mobility too which could cause us a lot of problem."

?Hinoko nodded. "Yeah."

?"Because heavier equipment would slow people down?"

?"Exactly." She stopped.

?Ichika continued walking two steps before turning back. Hinoko had realized what she had done; she was already talking.

?"Then you’re using lighter equipment?"

?"We have options, c-can we stop here. It’s uncomfortable"

?"Kevlar?"

?"No." The answer came too quickly.

?Hinoko looked at her. Hinoko’s face tightened slightly before going back to normal.

?A faint tone sounded from the corridor terminal—not loud, just a brief electronic chime.

?Hinoko froze. Her wrist device displayed a notification. It was a warning from the Lex Veritas Protocol, the "Incompetence" Trigger: a statement where micro-expressions show contempt and heart rate spikes brought on by falsehood, causing the AI to flag it as "incongruent/deceptive".

?Obviously, this meant Hinoko was going to get punished.

?Ichika didn’t look at the screen because she didn’t need to; Hinoko’s face told her enough. The system had registered her statement. She had made a direct denial regarding equipment, and if that denial was false, the protocol had done exactly what Ichika expected.

?Hinoko stared at her screen, her expression slowly changing. "That’s..."

?She stopped herself.

?Ichika waited; she didn’t smile or react.

?Finally, Hinoko exhaled. "We have protective vests okay, so can you let me be. You’ve gotten what you wanted right, so..."

?Ichika nodded. "Understood."

?She walked away. That was all. She didn’t bother with options of confrontation, accusation, or visible triumph.

?By the time Ichika reached the end of the corridor, Reina was waiting.

?"Well?"

?Ichika looked at her. "Faction C has protective vests."

?"That’s it?"

?"No." Ichika glanced back toward Reina. "They’re worried about mobility."

?Reina understood. "And the plates?"

?"Still uncertain."

?She began walking. "We’ll get that later."

?Reina smiled faintly. "You really made them tell us."

?"Nahh." Ichika shook her head.

?She looked toward the enormous classroom where more than five hundred students were already gathering.

?Later on that day, the information on what had just happened was sent to me directly from Ichika.

?Between class breaks or hours when our teacher didn’t show up, classes went through the usual procedure of learning from the monitor. It would seem other classes were given the same conditioning, but their tests were different (both in name and nature). I continued to execute my other exercises.

?My layers for the past few weeks were simple, with Junpei being the secondary target.

?Guys are often hesitant to approach girls on campus because they fear rejection or find large groups of friends intimidating. If I want him to get the idea to approach me, I have to make it look safe for him to do so.

?For the first few weeks, I occasionally separated myself from the group, stood by the coffee counter alone, and sat at a study table by myself for a little while.

?While doing so, I kept my body language open, avoiding crossed arms or burying my face completely in a hoodie. This gave him a perfect, low-pressure window to walk up and say hello.

?The third layer involved constantly giving him a specific anchor to remember me by. This could be a unique style element, a specific fragrance like vanilla or sometimes subtle floral notes, paired always with a brightly colored notebook I always carried.

?When someone has a distinct visual or sensory anchor, he will instantly think of you whenever he spots that color or smells that scent on campus, keeping you on his mind even when you aren’t around.

------------

"Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself."

------------