You don’t have to deny it so vehemently.
“Oh, is that so? Well then, Tohyama, does that mean you and Hotogi might get back together again?”
“Why do you keep making it sound like we’re a couple? Besides, Shiranui, there’s something funny about your story. When the warning bell rang this morning, I came across Shirayuki in the hallway on school grounds, and she ran into the girl’s restroom without so much as a ‘hello.’ That means whoever you saw, it wasn’t Shirayuki. Furthermore, I don’t recall asking for your personal opinion regarding whether I make up with Shirayuki or not.”
“Now that you mention it, I guess you didn’t. Sorry about that,” Shiranui apologized with the smile of a saint on his face and didn’t press the issue any further. Taking his gaze off me, he turned to Aria and whispered, “Tohyama’s in a bad mood, isn’t he.”
As for Muto ... he had a strange look on his face that suggested he had a question for me but wasn’t going to ask now. Muto’s face is always strange though.
“By the way, Shiranui ...”
I didn’t want to be grilled over the subject of Shirayuki anymore, so I decided to change the flow of the conversation.
“What are you going to do about the Adsiard? Weren’t you elected to be our school’s representative or something?”
The Adsiard is an international tournament in which various butei high schools participate once a year. In terms of sports, it’s like an interscholastic athletic meet or the Olympics. But unlike the Olympics, which is an event symbolizing peace, the Adsiard consists of nothing but questionable contests in which members of Assault and Snipe compete.
“I probably won’t be participating in any of the events. I’m a substitute.”
“So you’ll just be helping out with the events then? What are you gonna be doing? You have to help out in some way, right?”
“I haven’t decided yet. What to do, what to do?” said Shiranui with a listless sigh that could easily make any girl fall for him in a second.
On the other side of the table, Muto started to stuff his face wildly with a fried noodles sandwich. There was a noodle sticking out from the corner of his mouth.
“Are you gonna take part in the Adsiard, Aria?” I asked.
“I’m not participating in any of the events, either. I was chosen to be the representative for the shooting match but I declined.”
“Then you’re gonna be helping out too, I guess. Have you decided what you’re going to be helping out with?”
“I’ll be doing the cheerleading for the opening ceremony.”
“Cheerleading …? Oh, you’re talking about Ar-kata.”
Ar-kata is a butei term that comes from a combination of the Italian word for weapon, “arma,” and the Japanese word for form, “kata.” It’s a parade in which martial arts, knives, and guns are incorporated into a cheerleading routine. The girls at our school don’t think twice about simply calling it “cheerleading.” “Kinji, you should help out too. You are my partner. You don’t care what you help out with anyway, right?”
“I ... guess not ...”
The whole purpose of the show is to improve the image of this profession called “butei,” which isn’t exactly seen in the best light in the eyes of the public. As such, it’s probably wise to make it look as cute as possible, so girls in cheerleader uniforms are the only ones dancing around. Guys have the less ostentatious role of performing band music in the back.
“Music, huh? Well, I’m not particularly good or bad at it. I guess that’ll do.”
“Ah, if Tohyama’s going to be part of the band, then maybe I will too. Muto, why don’t you join the band with us?” suggested Shiranui, directing another smile at Muto and I that felt like a cool breeze.
Man, that’s a perfect set of teeth you got there.
“The band, huh? That could be pretty cool. Alright, I’m in.”
Muto’s coming along for the ride. These two sure do like to act on a whim. I’m not one to talk though.
“... But Kanzaki,” said Shiranui, “it was such a waste for you to turn down the offer of being a representative. It’s a pretty popular story so I’m sure you’ve heard, haven’t you? If you win a medal in the Adsiard, you’ll have a bright future ahead of you. You can get into Butei University solely on recommendation, and it’ll look great on your resume when you’re job hunting. Word is, you can land a job at the Bureau of Butei or even join a top-ranking, privately owned butei firm of your choosing.”
“I’m not concerned about stuff that far ahead in the future. There’s something I have to do at this very moment. I don’t have time to be training for a competition.”
“Something I have to do.” Judging from the determination I could hear in Aria’s voice, I was fairly certain she was referring to helping her mother, Kanae Kanzaki. In order to rescue her mother, who had been incarcerated for crimes she did not commit, Aria was destined to combat and arrest the hordes of criminals. Riko Mine Lupin the Fourth, the “butei killer” whom we fought with previously, is one of the criminals who are truly responsible for charges being held against Kanae. And the same thing applied to me, Aria’s partner. Riko, who barely escaped from us during the hijacking incident, was also responsible for the death of my older brother. At the very least, that case was one I’d have to see to the end eventually. There was also the fact that … Riko was speaking as if my brother, who died while on duty, were still alive. I wager it was just a lie she told to rile me up, but to be honest, it was still causing me a little concern.
“The Adsiard can wait,” continued Aria, crossing her arms and leaning her upper body backwards. I think she was trying to create a situation in which she could look down at me since I was so much taller. She was only one hundred and forty-two centimeters. “Kinji, I have to whip you into shape first.”
“... W-Whip? You guys better not be into any weird hardcore stuff ...” said Muto, his cheeks twitching as he looked at Aria and me.