Even while preparing himself for the worst and accepting his fate, at the very last moment, he would search for a means of escape. It was just the same Hashimoto Masayoshi that I’d analyzed thus far.
“Then, at the very least, don’t lie to yourself. That’s the least you can do,” I told him.
I watched Hashimoto’s back until the door closed behind him and he disappeared beyond the entranceway. It would depend on the rules of this special exam, but if Hashimoto wasn’t careful, this might be the last time that I would see him. That thought on my mind, I decided to get ready for bed.
3.6
IT WAS SUNDAY MORNING. When I had arrived at my destination ten minutes before the appointed time, I saw that the person I was going to meet was already waiting for me, sitting on a bench.
“Morning.”
When I called out to her, her beautiful side profile turned toward me, and she gave me a lovely smile.
“Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun. Are you sure this is all right? For you to call out to me in a place like this?” asked Ichinose.
“What do you mean?” I asked in return.
“Well, there are people coming and going. Won’t people get the wrong idea if someone in the area were to see us? Someone like Karuizawa-san?” she asked.
“Don’t worry, I’ve already told Kei about today. A mysterious secret or a bad lie would only be a hindrance in maintaining a relationship,” I replied.
“Yeah, lying would probably be a bad idea,” she responded affirmatively before continuing on to ask, “Ayanokouji-kun, what…are you planning to do about the special exam?”
Perhaps she was hoping to learn which side I would be on during the exam, how I’d be taking part in it.
“I currently have no plans to take part in the special exam as a representative,” I told her.
I decided to answer just like that. I told her a lie right after telling her how lies would be a hindrance on a relationship. Unfortunately, it wasn’t even a lie that was necessary in order to deceive Ichinose’s class, as I had told Horikita. The reason I told this lie was because the strategy that I had relayed to Horikita was itself a lie, and it wasn’t important.
“I see. Well, I guess that’s good news for us, then,” said Ichinose.
Ichinose accepted what I said without question, and seemed somewhat relieved. From her behavior, she didn’t appear to distrust me in any way. I could take this to mean that she almost certainly did not know that I would be enlisted as a representative in this exam.
“That’s the way things are for now, anyway. There’s a chance that Horikita might request that I join as a representative. If that happens, please go easy on me,” I told her.
“I should be the one asking you that! Because, if at all possible, I don’t want to fight you, Ayanokouji-kun,” said Ichinose. Then, almost immediately, she amended her previous statement. “I don’t want to fight, but I don’t have much choice. It’s inevitable that our classes are going to face off against each other.” After saying that, Ichinose immediately attempted to steer us away from the topic, saying, “I don’t think we should talk about the End-of-Year Special Exam anymore.”
“Because we’re going to be facing off against each other directly after all. It’s best not to discuss either the good or the bad in depth,” I replied, since it sounded like she didn’t want to engage in awkwardly sniffing around each other for information.
“Yes, I agree.”
“The reason I called you here today, Ichinose, is because our promised time is drawing close. You remember that?”
“There’s no way I could forget. You mean about what we talked about in your room last year, right, Ayanokouji-kun?” said Ichinose.
I nodded, and then Ichinose nodded in return.
“I want to meet just like we are now, one year from today.”
“Just the two of us. You and me, Ichinose.”
“Don’t get trapped by hesitation this coming year. Meet with me again. Can you promise me that?”
All of that was what I had told Ichinose last year.
“If we both make it through this special exam without getting expelled, when we get there, make time for it,” I told her.
What words would we hear then? Ichinose probably had no idea either. With a mixture of anticipation and anxiety, she answered me clearly.
“Definitely,” said Ichinose.
I nodded and stood up, lifting myself up off the bench. We hadn’t spoken for very long at all, but in light of tomorrow, that was probably okay.
“Now I’m going to pop in to the gym for a minute. What about you, Ichinose?” I asked.
“I have plans to meet with my classmates today, so I’ll stop by there another time,” she replied.
Yeah, that made sense—with the End-of-Year Special Exam just around the corner, it wasn’t time to be working up a sweat in the gym. It sounded like she was meeting up with friends, like she said. Ichinose, still sitting down on the bench, saw me off, and then I decided to head on over to Keyaki Mall. With this meeting, that made three people. Now all I had to do was talk to Sakayanagi, and all of the things I had to do would be finished.
3.7
AFTER PARTING WAYS with Ichinose, I spent an hour in the gym working up a sweat. Once I was done, I noticed a single student standing near the entrance to the gym. This didn’t seem like a mere chance encounter.
“How unusual to see you in a place like this, Kanzaki,” I remarked.
“…Yeah,” he gave a brief response and then casually looked between myself and the gym.
“If you want to join the gym, I can give you an introduction,” I offered.
“No, that’s not why I’m here. I heard that you went to the gym, and I was waiting for you.”
In that case, it seemed likely that his information came from Ichinose.
“Is this about something that is talked about in person, face to face, and not over the phone?” I asked.