Epilogue
0 / C
I don’t even want to remember the details, but…
Back in middle school, there was a time when a semi-delinquent (or whatever they’re called) crime group became a hot topic in my hometown. Call them whatever—they were just a bunch of people running scams and fraud in groups.
The real problem was that several kids from my class got roped into working for them under the guise of “part-time jobs.” Middle schoolers legally can’t even work part-time, so it was obviously shady from the start—but I guess they were blinded by the promise of easy cash.
Money mules, phone operators, office lookouts… The ones who took on these small-time roles for pocket change soon found themselves trapped. Once they were in, their involvement in crime was used as leverage to force them into bigger roles.
A modern-day slave system, plain and simple.
There was an idiot who spouted idealistic nonsense about quitting and going to the police.
What happened to him? Simple. He ran around trying to help his “friends,” one of whom snitched on him to the gang, and—to put it nicely—he got beaten to a pulp.
I don’t know how far those thugs would’ve gone, but if my sister hadn’t stepped in, I might’ve died.
Even for an idiot like me, that was enough of a wake-up call.
—Because it was my fault. I gained nothing, just spouted empty ideals, and paid the price.
To me, it was worth it. But to them? I wasn’t worth risking their lives for. I was drunk on some naive belief in one-sided trust, in a dreamlike kind of goodwill.
I was the only one who wasn’t calculating.
That’s why the relationships I built were so unbalanced.
And the worst part? The reason I was like that was just some childish aversion to the idea of adults who measured others with cold calculation. It wasn’t even my own natural kindness—just borrowed ideals.
Nothing more than an excuse for my own laziness.
—That’s why I decided to change everything. To live by calculation instead.
Sure, my mental image of that was “being rich,” and choosing a school full of wealthy kids might’ve been a dumb idea. But in the end, it worked.
I don’t want something as naive as “youth” anymore.
Living as a proper student is hard.
Friends, lovers—if I’m going to connect with anyone, I want it to be transactional.
Otherwise, I can’t trust it.
The fear of being betrayed again never fades.
—At least, that’s what I thought…
1
To thank Isago and Minase for their help, I headed to the Second Literary Club room.
As usual, the two of them were there. I stepped inside and bowed my head.
“Hey. Thanks, both of you. Because of you, things worked out—for now, at least.”
“Weh-hehehehehehehhehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe…”
—Ugh, creepy.
I almost blurted it out as Isago suddenly burst into laughter but managed to stop myself at the last second.
“Wh… What’s up, Isago? Something funny?”
“Fuehehe~. Nah, nah, it’s fine, Kage-kun! If a friend asks for help, I’ll always come through for ya!”
Her smile was cute, but her eyes were empty, which made it kind of terrifying.
“Uh, yeah… Anyway, at least let me say thanks.”
“No need! Ehehe, you’re so proper, Kage-kun. I’d never turn you down, no matter what! And I mean it—ask me for anything, anytime!”
“Please spare me.”
“Why are you apologizing!?”
Probably because I can’t handle the sheer weight of what I’m getting into here…
I could only force a strained smile as Isago leaned right into my face.
“Hey hey, Kage-kun! What else? What else can I do for you?”
“N-No, I’m good—”
“Anything! Oh, want me to get you a drink? You came all this way, so I gotta be a proper host, right? Though with my stamina, it might take a while… Maybe something else? Hmm, hmm… Should I order Uber Eats or something!?”
“Seriously, I’m fine. For real.”
“Really? Oh… So there’s nothing? Yeah, of course… There’s nothing I can even—”
“—Actually, I just remembered something I do need!”
“Really!?”
What what what!?
Her eyes glittered as she pressed in closer.
What do I do? She’s scaring me… It’s like being clung to by a giant dog, but comparing her to a dog feels like it’d break some kind of law…
Trying to salvage the situation, I spoke up.
“Hey, Isago. See that chair over there?”
“Yep!”
“Could you sit there for me?”
“Okay!”
With a bright smile, she plopped down onto the chair.
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“Thanks. That’s all I needed.”
I told her, watching her beam at me.
Technically, I’d just told her to “sit,” but if I thought too hard about it, I’d lose.
Minase, who had been silently watching this exchange, finally spoke in a soft, almost careless tone.
“Well, to begin with, Isa and I didn’t really do much beyond handing out pointless tickets.”
“Oh, right! That’s true…”
—Oi, don’t add unnecessary details.
I shot Minase a pleading look. She stuck out her tongue expressionlessly and lightly bonked her own head.
“I’ll beat you up.”
“Wow, Kageyuki-san, I didn’t know you were into rough play.”
“Not like that!”
“Really? But you were just doing a ‘good boy’ routine with Isa.”
“No, I wasn’t!?”
Why did coming here to say thanks turn into this?
I let out a deep sigh, then pulled myself together and gave them the update.
“…Anyway, for now, I’ve settled things with Kimiya. That’s what I came to tell you.”
“Oooh~. I see, I see! That’s a relief!”
Isago nodded cheerfully. I gave a small nod back.
“Yeah, that’s the gist of it. As for what comes next, we’ll figure it out later.”
“Nahaha~. You’re always busy, huh, Kage-kun?”
“Yeah, seriously. Work never ends, I guess.”
“Work?”
Isago tilted her head in confusion. I shrugged.
“I’ve got a lot of irons in the fire. But hey, having work is a blessing—”
“—Come to think of it, Kage-kun, why are you doing ‘work’ at this school?”
Casually, as if it were nothing, she asked the question.
“Ah. That’s… hard to explain straight up.”
If I had to put it into words, it was just training in calculation—turning the results of that into something visible.
After middle school, I made sure there was always a price. Whether using or being used, everything had to be a clear, agreed-upon transaction. That’s all.
But explaining that to Isago would be pointless. In this school, the only ones who know my past are Kimiya and—well, Minase, who keeps her mouth shut.
“Let’s just say… unpaid goodwill isn’t very convenient. Something like that.”
So I brushed it off with a vague answer.
But… I was the only one who thought that would be the end of it.
Isago spoke again.
“Hmm… So to you, Shiranui-san is special, huh?”
“Huh? …Nah, that’s not—”
I stopped mid-sentence.
No matter how I rationalized it to myself, from the outside, it must’ve looked exactly like that.
—Was I really okay with that?
The doubt flickered in my mind, even though it was all over now.
Special. That’s what Isago had said.
Was it true? Did I see Shiranui as special?
Looking back, I’d spent middle school—and even now—trying not to make anyone “special.” Whether it was emotions or transactions, I treated everyone the same.
Or… had I been treating someone as special without realizing it?
Kimiya never said anything.
But maybe she’d been thinking the same thing.
Were my actions this time really any different from middle school?
—I didn’t know.
2
“Ah, Kageyuki! How’d it go?”
When I arrived at the usual cabin, Shiranui’s face lit up as she ran over to me.
For some reason, the mental image of a puppy wagging its tail popped into my head—way too rude to say out loud. Instead, I just raised a hand in greeting.
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