Chapter 1284. Crushing Negatives / Confession
For now, we’re below the library.
There are no people in the corridor, but…
If we go up to the first-floor library, then you see students coming in even before the school starts.
「 If I recall correctly… 」
I took out the key to the secret room that Katsuko-nee gave me.
The key has “43-b” embedded in it.
「 What’s up Yo-chan? Oh, 43-b 」
Nei looked at the key I’m holding.
Nei’s the only one who knows 43-b it seems.
「 If it’s 43-b, then just walk on the corridor further inside 」
Huh?
「 You see, 43-b is the room where we run into the library and get away from the enemy when they come to this area 」
Nei said.
「 I mean, it’s actually designed to check the surroundings, and 43-b is used to escape the school grounds we just came through if we’re in danger 」
Oh, I see.
That’s why there’s an emergency exit and escape route in the same corridor in the bas.e.m.e.nt of the library.
「 Then, let’s go with 43-b 」
Anya and the drill spear sisters should be hidden before the first cla.s.s starts.
It’ll take a bit of time before Kyouko-san’s actions attract the police back to the city.
「 Okay, come over here! 」
Nei takes the lead and we walked down the corridor.
I closed the door of the room that had the stairs leading to the exit and the door’s automatic lock did its thing.
「 Hurry, although I don’t think anyone’s coming 」
It’s troublesome to come up with an excuse if an ordinary student finds us.
Anya’s wearing a tiger wrestler mask then Dolly and Anna are holding a drill spear at hand.
If a pro wrestler lover student finds Grace Marinka-san, then they’ll make a fuss.
「 Over here 」
Following the bas.e.m.e.nt corridor further and turning two times, we reached one three-door warehouse-like structure.
「 The two doors are dummies. Only this door leads to a room 」
Nei said.
I put in the key to the keyhole.
This place doesn’t have PINs or electronic locks.
Well, of course, this is a room for emergency evacuation when an enemy attacks so you went to get in as soon as possible.
Maybe in case of emergencies, there will be some kind of defense system at each corner that we turned.
Pitfalls, barrier walls coming down, something that kind.
Click.
The lock is released with a heavy thud.
I pushed the door open. Wow, this door is thick too.
It sure is built to keep you protected from the enemy.
We use the switch on the wall to turn on the lights in the room.
Oh, there are monitors on the wall. Even a control panel.
This room can also use the surveillance system.
「 Well then, can you wait here, Anya? 」
I said.
「 I’ll go for the homeroom and come back. Then, we’ll move to the bakery 」
I looked at the clock.
「 I’ll be back in thirty minutes 」
Usually, I leave on the second period, but…
I can’t just leave them alone.
I’ll leave the room using some kind of reason.
「 Anyway, I’ll show up in my cla.s.sroom or Megu will worry that I didn’t come to school 」
Megu leaves the mansion earlier for her track-and-field training.
She doesn’t know about the drill spear sisters.
「 It’s also Tsukiko’s first day in school so you have to meet up with others, right? 」
The special cla.s.s, Nadeshiko department’s cla.s.ses starts today so she and Mitama have to meet with the prost.i.tute cadets.
「 Is that so? 」
Tsukiko seems worried about Dolly and Anna as well.
「 It’s okay. These girls and I were trained to wait in the same place for hours 」
Anya said.
In a.s.sa.s.sination missions, they wait for the perfect time to set up their targets.
「 If so, I’ll stay here Yo-chan 」
Nei said.
「 Huh, what about your cla.s.ses, Ya-chan? 」
「 I’ll just pa.s.s on it for now 」
You just told Kuromiya Motoko-san to not skip cla.s.ses, and yet…
「 Don’t mind it. It’s not like I can graduate either way 」
Nei doesn’t have any school records.
The reason was that Nei’s personal info can’t be on public records so she could escape Cesario Viola’s pursuit.
So Nei’s been missing in the US for a long time and had returned to j.a.pan with a fake pa.s.sport.
Since she’s not even officially enrolled in the school, she can’t even graduate.
「 But now you have your family register back, and even in school… 」
We went to America together during the summer vacation and the missing Najima Yasuko
Then, she’s adopted to the Kuromori house and her name on the census is Kuromori Yasuko.
If Kuromori Yasuko enrolls, then Nei can become a real student in this school.
「 No need. I’m going to America with Margo-oneechan soon enough. Well, when I’m in j.a.pan, I’m going to put on my uniform and go around the school with Yo-chan, but… 」
Nei smiles sadly.
「 I’d rather move on than regain the high-school life I lost. I want to be an adult soon, so… 」
She’s given up on getting a proper school registration and a diploma.
Nei moved to the control panel of the monitoring system.
「 Anyway, I’ll be using the monitoring system until Yo-chan returns and explain to the girls about our school 」
She turns on the system with her experienced hands.
The monitors on the wall immediately show the map of the high school and the video feed from the cameras in various places.
「 Wow! 」
「 Hoo 」
The drill spear sisters look at the monitors with interest.
「 Look, this is the grounds 」
Nei then changed the cameras.
From the main gate to the schoolyard, to the staffroom, and hallways.
Yeah, almost all the students are in school now.
Schoolboys and schoolgirls show up one after another.
「 What’s going on here? 」
Grace Marinka-san is surprised.
「 It’s already weird that there’s a secret entrance and exit here, but why does this secret room have this? 」
Oh, from Grace-san’s perspective, this is a bizarre view.
「 Well, that’s just another proof that we’re not normal 」
Edie told Grace-san with a smile.
「 Also, we’ll explain until Yo-chan returns! I’ll tell you why this school has this kind of monitoring system and what we are actually 」
Nei switches cameras again.
「 Mumi? 」
「 Hoa? 」
「 You have cameras in such places too? 」
Female lockers, shower rooms, toilets…
「 Well, don’t make such a face. Geez, Grace-san 」
Nei smiled wryly and changed the cameras again.
Hmm?
Isn’t this the corridor in front of our cla.s.sroom?
I don’t know why but it seems that people are gathering there.
Did something happen?
「 Ya-chan 」
「 Yeah 」
Nei changed to the camera closer to the crowd and closed up.
Hey now.
Isn’t that Megu in the middle?
「 Audio please 」
Nei unmutes the system.
『 Even if you tell me that, I’m troubled 』
Megu’s voice comes out of the speaker.
Who is she talking to?
『 Anyway, it’s just as I mentioned. Everyone here is my witnesses. Get it? 』
It’s a guy making a grin talking to Megu.
Oh, everyone around her isn’t from our cla.s.s.
They’re all seniors.
Why are the seniors gathering in the first year’s cla.s.sroom?
「 Ya-chan, who’s that? 」
Nei knows the seniors.
Nei’s a repeater so she’s in the second year of this school.
She knows the second and third-year students.
「 It’s Masakari Kusao, third year. I know his face but I don’t know much about him 」
Nei said and the grinning guy on the monitor.
『 It’s not like I’m asking for your response right away. I’m sure that you need some time to think, don’t you? 』
He makes a cool smiling face while looking at Megu.
『 But, I want to hear a good response if possible. Even I put up my courage so I want some kind of reward too. Oh, that doesn’t mean that I’m forcing you. These are just my honest feelings, yeah 』
『 Even if you say that, I… 』
Megu looks confused.
The grinning third-year looked at the time on the phone, and then…
『 Oh, it’s already this late, sorry for going in uninvited. Thanks for listening to me earnestly. That alone made me happy 』
What kind of serious talk was it?
I didn’t get what happened at all.
『 Then, see you later Yamamine-san 』
Masakari told Megu and left the place.
Then, the seniors who surrounded Megu also left.
『 Yamamine-san 』
『 Megumi-chan 』
Megu’s close friends come next to her.
Megu’s looking troubled.
「 What’s with that guy? What did he tell her? 」
I don’t know what’s going on.
「 Let’s rewind! We have seven days of video and audio recording 」
Nei said and opened the archives, but…
「 Nei, do that before we come back 」
Edie said.
「 Darling, it’s about time we go 」
Oh right.
I still have to check on the bakery.
「 Besides, Darling, you need to go to Megumi right now 」
Edie points at the monitor.
「 Megumi looks like she’s troubled. 」
Right…
It might be faster to ask Megu than to check the video archives.
「 Right… 」
「 I’ll go with Darling too. Nei, take care of this place 」
Huh?
Anya, Dolly, and Anna, then Grace-san.
Nei’s left to take care of them all?
「 I’m darling’s bodyguard. My strength might be needed 」
Edie’s violent power is needed?
「 Okay, Ya-chan, Anya, take care 」
I told the two.
「 I got this, I’ll look after these girls 」
Anya said with a smile.
「 I’m also a distant family of yours through Kyouko-sama and Cordelia-sama 」
「 Even if you don’t say that Anya’s our family already 」
I said.
「 Ufufu. Thanks, then I’ll give you plenty of service later 」
Service, more like juicing me through s.e.x. Something like that.
「 Jun, wait here. While at it, it helps if you ready yourself 」
Edie told Grace Marinka-san.
◇ ◇ ◇
Edie, Tsukiko, and I went up to the library.
Then outside.
「 Oh? 」
「 Ooh 」
The boys and girls noticed us.
It’s mostly because of the beauty of the unfamiliar student, Tsukiko.
I work at the bakery, and Edie’s the mysterious overseas students, but they know us already.
Tsukiko’s the only one who first attended school.
「 Darling? 」
「 Oh yeah, we’re going to check on the bakery first and then go to the cla.s.sroom for Megu 」
I said.
「 If that’s the case, we should go this way, Tsukiko, come with us 」
「 Yes 」
We left the library and walked down the green pathway towards the cafeteria.
「 Edi-san is being cruel sometimes 」
Tsukiko said.
「 Really? 」
「 Yes, were cruel to Kou-sama and Onoe Jun earlier 」
She did reveal that I killed Cesario Viola after all.
As for Grace Marinka-san, I don’t know much.
Tsukiko can read Edie’s mind after all.
I don’t know what’s inside Edie’s expectations are, but…
「 I’m just doing the best that I can. Just like Tsukiko 」
Edie replies while walking at a quick pace
「 Tsukiko, Edie probably has something in her mind too 」
「 But, Kou-sama 」
「 I trust Edie. I don’t think Edie will do anything unnecessary 」
Edie must have some objective with the drill spear sisters and Grace Marinka-san.
「 I understand 」
Tsukiko held her tongue.
「 We’ve been waiting 」
As we arrived at the bakery in the cafeteria.
Katsuko-nee’s van is at the delivery entrance, waiting for us.
「 How’s the unloading? 」
「 Already done. Mitama-chan and Kana-chan brought them over 」
Oh, great.
「 Oh, n.o.bu, you’re here. 」
「 Milord 」
「 Yoshida-kun 」
「 You’re late, idiot! What are you doing! 」
Kana-senpai, Mitama, Ai, and Yukino come out from the bakery.
「 How was it on your side? 」
Katsuko-nee asks me.
「 There should be no problem on our side for now. The guests are waiting in the room. Ya-chan’s with them. ‘m going back immediately after attending homeroom 」
「 I see. The bakery has no problems either. Oh right. I brought a bit more materials today 」
Katsuko-nee smiled.
「 As expected of Katsuko-nee, that helps 」
She’s already seen through my thoughts.
「 Then, I’ll bring Tsukiko-chan and Mitama-chan to Ojou-sama’s place 」
「 Minaho-neesan’s already here? 」
「 Yes. Currently, the girls are in the princ.i.p.al’s office 」
She’s brought the new students of the Nadeshiko department, the prost.i.tute cadets.
「 Then, I think we should get in the school building now 」
Kana-senpai said.
Yeah, we don’t have problems in the bakery prep anymore.
I should hurry and meet with Megu.
Then.
「 Oh, Yoshida. I knew that you were here! 」
My cla.s.smate, Tanaka came over.
「 I came here thinking that Yoshida’s preparing pastry for lunch and I was right 」
「 You went your way to here, did something happen? 」
I asked Tanaka.
「 Well, you see… There’s a huge fuss in our cla.s.sroom 」
I knew it. The event earlier was the cause
「 Yoshida, don’t be surprised. 」
「 O-Okay 」
「 Your Yamamine-chan…while everyone’s watching… 」
O-Okay?
「 Masakari, a third-year guy confessed to her? 」
Confessed?
「 He told her “I like you, please date me” 」
W-What?
M-Megu?
The whole school already knows that Megu and I are engaged and that we live together, and yet?
「 It’s really a huge fuss now. 」