Chapter 51

2 The next day, Wednesday, January 6, 2020. Yoshiki High School in Saitama had slightly shorter winter vacations than average, so the third semester was already beginning. Norie was going back to work, too, so after Minoru’s usual morning run, he helped prepare breakfast and clean up after the meal before leaving for school. Like the day before, the weather was beautiful, but the northern breeze from the other side of the Arakawa River was getting cold. Pulling his scarf tighter, Minoru got onto his bicycle. The thought did occur to him to run the nearly four kilometers to school, but since he wasn’t even on the track-and-field team, doing something like that would probably attract more attention than he wanted to deal with. Speaking of things Minoru didn’t want to deal with, he really had to figure out what to do with the thick envelope he’d shoved into the drawer of the desk in his room. The envelope contained two hundred thirty-three 10,000-yen bills, four 1,000-yen bills, and two 100-yen coins. In other words, a total of ¥2,334,200, or about US$21,000. Of course, they weren’t forged or stolen bills. This was Minoru’s paycheck from the SFD for the month of December. According to SFD member standards, he’d received bonuses for neutralizing the Ruby Eyes Biter and Igniter, participating in the Syndicate hideout reconnaissance mission, and more, including a reward for retrieving the autonomous probe robot Muser from Reactor One at the Tokyo Bay Nuclear Power Plant. So his future pay envelopes were likely to be a lot thinner; still, his December pay alone was more than a high school first-year like Minoru could reasonably spend. Just leaving it in his room was stressful enough, so he wanted to put it into his bank account as soon as possible. But Norie would be more than alarmed if she caught a glimpse of his bankbook, and it would probably seem suspicious for a high school kid to bring more than two million yen to the bank in the first place. The Professor said they could make him a private bank account for direct deposit at the end of January, but he couldn’t bear to wait around that long. “But I don’t want to just blow it all, either…,” Minoru mumbled to himself as he pushed the pedals against the north wind. Yumiko had made the ridiculous suggestion that he buy a motorcycle for commuting to SFD Headquarters. To be fair, it would certainly be faster to take the highway from Sakura Ward in Saitama City where Minoru lived to Toyama Park in Shinjuku, the location of SFD Headquarters, rather than go through several train transfers. But Minoru, who above all else wanted to avoid standing out, couldn’t imagine himself riding a motorcycle. What if he happened to come across a classmate while cruising around? What do you think full-face helmets are for, hmm? Hearing Yumiko’s exasperated voice in the back of his mind, Minoru quickly shook his head. It’s to protect you in case of an accident, not to hide your face, he retorted to the imaginary voice, speeding up on his bike. As he crossed National Route 17, he glanced at the enormous shopping mall on his left as he headed east toward the New Urban Center area. There was a bike lane along the left side of the road here, so it was easy to traverse. Just as he began to catch a glimpse of the slanted roof of the Saitama Super Arena, where he’d once had a life-and-death battle against the Biter, someone called out to him. “Ah, Utsugi!” Hearing someone call out his name suddenly from the sidewalk, Minoru nearly squeezed the brakes. Instead, he made sure there were no other bikers behind him before he slowed down and pulled over. Running toward him with light footsteps was a student wearing a backpack and a pea-green windbreaker over a zip-up jersey. “Good morning!” She grinned and waved. “Good morning, Minowa.” He waved back timidly. Minoru had finally gotten to the point where he could speak calmly with Tomomi Minowa, who was a first-year in Class Eight at Yoshiki High, but he still couldn’t help being plagued by guilt when they approached each other like this. Just one month ago, Tomomi had been attacked by the Biter and rescued by Minoru, but she didn’t remember any of that now—not even her conversation with Minoru at the hospital the following day. Chief Himi had used his abilities to block off all her memories pertaining to the incident. Right before her memories were wiped, Tomomi had asked Minoru to please call out to her if he ever saw her on the banks of the Arakawa River again. And though it had happened on school grounds, not the riverbank, Minoru had kept his promise. Since then, he and Tomomi had continued to be jogging buddies. But even a month later, when the two of them were together, there were rare occasions when she would suddenly grimace, as if desperately trying to remember something that would never come back to her. Those side effects would probably wear off soon enough. But if the 3E Committee wasn’t so insistent on keeping information about the Third Eye incident a secret, they would never have had to seal off Tomomi’s memories in the first place. Surely, a strong girl like her would have been able to overcome the fear of her encounter with Biter on her own. After all these thoughts ran through his mind in an instant, Minoru offered, “Thank you for all the mochi from the other day. It was delicious.” “Really? You’re welcome to come over to eat again sometime if you want.” She smiled brightly, but then her expression changed to an apologetic one, and she clasped her hands together. “Anyway, I’m really sorry that I haven’t been able to run with you the last few mornings, Utsugi.” “Huh…? No, you don’t need to apologize for that at all. It’s not like we specifically promised to do it or anything…” Minoru flailed his hands anxiously. “I guess not, but still…” For some reason, Tomomi looked somewhat disgruntled. For a little while now, they’d had a mutual agreement to run together on the banks of the Arakawa if their schedules lined up. Minoru wasn’t really able to leave for his morning runs at a consistent time—especially on freezing-cold midwinter mornings—so it wasn’t a strict arrangement, and they usually ended up running together only once out of every three or four days. The last time he’d run along the riverbank with Tomomi had been January 3, and today was only the sixth. It had hardly been long enough that she should feel the need to apologize, as far as Minoru was concerned. But Tomomi’s face was still unusually sorrowful as she asked, “Do you mind if we walk together and talk for a little bit?” “Of course,” Minoru responded. Tomomi’s smile returned for just a moment, and she began to walk down the right side of the sidewalk. Minoru followed suit, pushing his bike along beside him. But for the next thirty seconds or so, Tomomi’s mouth stayed firmly shut. Minoru was conflicted over whether he should prompt her or simply wait for her to start speaking, but due to his overwhelming lack of social experience, he had no idea what would be best. If he had the Professor’s power, maybe he would be able to find the answer even without experience… Or maybe the power of speculation wasn’t quite that convenient. As he was mulling this over, Tomomi finally spoke up, albeit quietly. “It’s just… I don’t know. I’ve been feeling kind of strange lately.” “Strange?” Minoru repeated. Tomomi nodded, her short hair bobbing along. “Yeah… I mean, I love running, but for some reason…it’s like I don’t want to run anymore.” “Huh…?” Without thinking, Minoru glanced at her, but her face was too hidden by her bangs and collar for him to see her expression. He turned straight ahead again. “It didn’t look like that when we ran together on the third, though. You seemed like you were really enjoying yourself…” “Yeah, um… If I manage to run a mile or two, then I start feeling a lot better. That’s what happened that day, too.” As she responded, it sounded as if her usual cheerfulness had returned, but that was only for a moment. Then she sighed. “But it’s been really hard to start running,” she continued in a quiet, shaky voice. “When I’m changing my clothes, tying my shoes, leaving the house, and all that, everything just feels so heavy that I start to consider taking the day off. Yesterday, and the day before that, too, I wound up skipping my morning run…and even on the morning when we did meet up, I’d left late because I spent such a long time just sitting on the doorstep, trying to convince myself to move.” “I had no idea…” Minoru’s thoughts churned. He went running in the morning as a personal habit, not because he was on a team, and it still required a fair amount of resolve to get himself out on a run in the morning. The same was probably true of anyone who had an exercise routine. It was tough, after all, and it was a natural reaction to not want to do something tough. But for a great athlete like Tomomi, he had a feeling it was pretty unusual for her to avoid jogging, never mind to actually stop doing it. Normally, Minoru was able to overcome any reluctance by relying on his self-control, sense of duty, and most of all how good running actually felt. Surely it was usually the same way for Tomomi, too. “Um…are you maybe not feeling well? Does anything hurt, or…?” It was the first thing he could think to ask, but Tomomi quickly shook her head. “No, I’m totally healthy. And once I get started for a bit, running feels as good as it always has. Nothing hurts, and my time hasn’t really gone down, so I don’t know…” “Then…maybe you’re feeling the pressure from a tournament or something…?” “Mm…I don’t think that’s it, either. We don’t do long-distance relay races, so our next big event isn’t until April… Besides, I never really think about that stuff when I’m running.” “…I see.” Then what other reason could there be? Minoru mulled it over, but before he could make another guess, Tomomi lightly patted his hand as it gripped the bicycle handle. “Sorry to ask you about such a weird problem, Utsugi. I’m sure it’s just a little slump, so please don’t worry.” “O-okay…but I’m happy to listen if you ever want to talk about it. You can contact me any time at all.” When Minoru managed to summon up those words, Tomomi smiled and nodded. “Thanks! I think I should be fine tomorrow morning, so let’s run together if you can. In fact…maybe I’ll run the rest of the way to school! You can ride your bike.” “Erm…” Minoru hesitated for a moment, but it wouldn’t be easy to keep up with Tomomi’s speed while pushing his bike along. Reluctantly hopping onto the seat, he glanced over. Tomomi was still smiling as she started to run, so he rode alongside her on the right. It was technically illegal to ride a bike on the sidewalk, but if he was arrested, he could always get the 3E Committee to take care of it. But those thoughts were just in the background as he observed his friend’s running form. There was nothing stiff or awkward about her pace, and the sound of her shoes against the pavement was as light as ever. Just as she said herself, the problem must be mental, not physical, but he couldn’t figure it out by simply watching her. Maybe he should have pressed the matter more? But Minoru couldn’t help hesitating to let himself get any closer to Tomomi. It felt dishonest to deepen a friendship with someone who would eventually forget about him—no, be forced to forget. Filling his lungs with cold air to dispel the worries that haunted him, Minoru turned forward. In the distance, the clear morning light glinted as it bounced off the silver roof of the Super Arena. Parting ways with Tomomi once they’d passed through the gate, Minoru left his bike in the designated area and headed to first-year Class One, which was already full of twenty or so of his classmates. There were some students chatting in small groups, but most of them were at their desks quietly studying flash cards or workbooks. One of the things that had surprised Minoru most when he entered Yoshiki High School was that there were regular classes even on the first day of the semester. The first hour-long period was taken up by an opening ceremony and homeroom, but second and third periods were normal classes before they were released after lunch. Starting the following day, of course, they would be at the school until five o’clock. Minoru and the other first-years wouldn’t have to worry about college entrance exams for a while yet, but some of the nerves from the third-years who would be taking the National Center Test next week must have rubbed off on them, because even this classroom seemed a little tense. Of course, Minoru had always been one to study alone in the morning, so he went to his seat by the window and took out his flash cards right away. However, the first card he pulled out happened to be the idiom “once in a blue moon,” so he ended up thinking back to the study session from the night before. Yumiko had struggled considerably with the higher-degree equations, but she seemed to be quite good at English; “You should try watching Western TV shows with English subtitles or talking to native speakers. It’ll help you learn much faster than silly rote memorization,” she’d chided as she flipped through his handwritten flash cards. I don’t even know any native English speakers, Minoru grumbled in his mind as he flipped through the flash cards. But almost immediately, a new voice disrupted his focus again. This time, it was a real voice, not one from his memories: “Hey. Are you Utsugi?” “Hmm?” Minoru looked up to find a student standing in the aisle to his right. He was probably a bit taller than Minoru, with cool, sharp features, his slightly long hair parted in the center to show a great deal of forehead. He looked…familiar? Not? Minoru couldn’t quite tell. He hadn’t really mingled with the class at all, but since it was the third semester, he at least knew most of their names and faces, so this person was probably from another class. “…Um, yes?” Minoru nodded dubiously, and the male student tilted his handsome face to one side and stuck his hands in his pants pockets. “Hrmm” was all he said. What do you mean, “hrmm”? The only boy from another class who usually spoke to Minoru was Shouya Ogu from the track-and-field club, so what could Minoru have done to attract this one’s attention? Just then, a thought occurred to him, and his eyes widened. As discreetly as he could, he sucked in air through his nose. The classroom’s usual smell, a mix of floor wax and dust. The scent of perfume a few of the girls in class wore. The smell of the juice box a student was drinking nearby. That was it. There was no trace of that distinctive, animalistic smell. In other words, the boy in front of him wasn’t a Ruby Eye. The smell of the “Reds” was strongest when they were using their powers, but at this close range, he would be able to smell it regardless. Relaxing a little, Minoru released the breath he’d been holding. The boy with the center part in his hair, evidently misinterpreting Minoru’s reaction, smiled wanly. “Just wanted to get a look at your face. Sorry to interrupt your studies. Later.” He took his right hand out of his pocket, raising two fingers and giving them a jaunty flick next to his face. Then he strode across the classroom and vanished through the front door. “……” So who was that, exactly? As Minoru stared after him blankly, the answer came in an unexpected form: Two classmates trotted over to him, their eyes sparkling as they quizzed him in turn. “Utsugi, how do you know Hazama?!” “Are you friends?!” Flustered and overwhelmed, Minoru nevertheless managed a response. “N-no, we’ve never spoken before…” “Whaaat? Then why would he come to our classroom just to talk to you?” “That’s what I’d like to know.” As they conversed, he tried to remember the two girls’ names. If he recalled correctly, the one whose medium-length hair flipped outward at the ends was Kojima, and the one with a short bob that was blown out to one side with hair spray that teetered on a violation of the school rules was Tomioka…at least, he was pretty sure. For now, he looked up at Kojima. “What class is Hazama from?” “Right next door, in Class Two.” “He’s supersmart and great at English, and he even works as a mag model!” Tomioka elaborated immediately. Minoru didn’t have much interest in fashion, but even he knew that a “mag model” was an amateur model in fashion magazines. He didn’t really know the details, but it was safe to assume that the job just involved putting on stylish clothes and getting your picture taken. Each grade at Yoshiki High was divided into eight classes; Classes One and Two both specialized in math and science, while Classes Three through Eight were general education, so the former tended to have slightly higher standard scores on those subjects. It was difficult enough to keep up with the specialized classes as it was, so Minoru had to respect anyone who could work as a model on top of all that. “…So by supersmart, you mean…?” For some reason, Tomioka looked insulted by his hesitant question. “You really don’t know? His test scores are always in the top ten!” “And on top of that, he’s hot, too! Talk about being doubly blessed,” Kojima added dreamily. They were acting like a pair of smitten fangirls, but Minoru was pretty sure they both got better grades than he did. No matter how much Minoru studied, he usually ranked somewhere in the forties out of all his classmates—the math and science classes totaled eighty-six people, so he was pretty much average—while the two girls were generally in the thirties. It was hard to imagine being in the top ten. “…So why would someone like that come to get a look at my face…?” Minoru was mumbling to himself, but Tomioka, the one with the bob, pointed at him accusingly. “That’s what we’re asking you!” “I—I know, but…” As Minoru tried to figure out what to say, there came a divine intervention. “Hey, you girls, quit bothering Utsugi.” Minoru stood up from his seat when he heard the voice. Turning, he saw a boy whose signature traits were an undercut—no, more like a bowl cut, really—and some absurdly square glasses. Combined with his impressive physique, he gave off a very intense impression.