The Last Task with Horikita Manabu
That night, after finishing my final business with Manabu, I made a call to a certain person.
"Hello, this is Sakayanagi."
A calm, mature voice answered.
That's right—I was calling Sakayanagi-sensei, who was currently serving as acting chairman due to Tsukishiro's schemes.
"I apologize for calling so late, Sakayanagi-sensei."
"That voice... Hachiman-kun?"
"I'm sorry for contacting you out of the blue."
"Ah, it's fine. I admit I'm surprised, but you don't need to be so formal."
Even though he responded casually, this call was essentially me imposing on him. I didn't want to be careless.
"You got my number from Arisu, didn't you?"
"Yes. I asked her after the exam yesterday."
After the final exams, Arisu had stayed overnight in my room. That's when I'd gotten his contact information.
"I figured. Though, for the record, I never actually gave Arisu my number."
I had assumed he'd given it to his daughter, but apparently not.
"She probably memorized it on her own, anticipating that you'd need it. My number as chairman is listed in official documents distributed to relevant parties, after all."
I see. If it was in official documents, obtaining it wouldn't have been too difficult. Either way, I had Arisu to thank.
"Then I owe her my gratitude."
"Hah, that girl is too clever for her own good."
Even through the phone, I could practically see him rubbing his temples in exasperation.
"So, what's the occasion? Did something happen?"
Realizing he was shifting the conversation, I grew slightly more serious.
"First, let me say this outright—I know the allegations of misconduct against you aren't true."
"...I'm sorry, but I can't confirm or deny that. You're smart enough to understand why, right?"
"I know. Because it's not something you can discuss with a student, correct?"
Sakayanagi-sensei's current situation and position were things that should never involve a student in the first place. As someone who valued fairness, it was only natural he'd refuse to discuss it with me.
"That's right. This has nothing to do with you."
"Yes, I understand. So let me just say this is purely my personal belief—I don't believe for a second that you'd ever commit misconduct. Can we proceed under that assumption?"
The moment I said that, I heard a faint sound of surprise from Sakayanagi-sensei.
"...I'm a little taken aback. I didn't expect you to say something so abstract."
"It's not abstract. If you were the kind of person who'd resort to underhanded methods... I wouldn't even be at this school anymore."
Everything I knew about him—his actions, his principles—led me to that conclusion.
If there was one person in this school I trusted the most, it was probably Sakayanagi-sensei.
At the very least, this should be enough to move the conversation forward.
"Hearing you say that makes me genuinely happy. But from the perspective of a chairman and a student, it doesn't change anything."
"Of course. I'm not trying to appeal to your emotions. The real reason I called is about the 'impurity' between you and me."
That single word must have clued him in.
He now understood why I had called.
"I see... You're talking about Tsukishiro-kun."
Sakayanagi-sensei skipped right to the heart of the matter.
"...You got straight to the point faster than I expected. I thought it'd take longer to get there."
"That's just how much I trust you. So, what exactly do you want to say?"
His tone shifted slightly.
Now that he understood the real topic, he was choosing his words carefully.
"This school is a place where students compete and grow stronger. Right?"
"Exactly. You're not wrong."
"During a crucial exam where students were meant to test their abilities, Acting Chairman Tsukishiro interfered for personal reasons. You weren't aware of that, were you?"
"I can't see the full picture here. What exactly are you referring to...?"
He was still pretending not to know.
"The allegations against you were also Tsukishiro's doing. He saw you as an obstacle because of your commitment to fairness."
This was treading into White Room territory.
Sakayanagi-sensei understood perfectly.
But unless there was concrete harm, he couldn't act.
"That's a serious accusation if you don't have proof."
"True. But it doesn't matter. That man will use any means necessary to achieve his goals."
Sakayanagi-sensei knew exactly how Tsukishiro thought.
If our relationship had been superficial, this conversation wouldn't have been possible. But because he understood both my perspective and Ayanokouji's, we could speak frankly.
"So, you're saying you need backing in case something unexpected happens?"
"Exactly."
Tsukishiro might not be the only one working against us. The odds were already stacked against us. If this ever went to a formal hearing, we'd need someone on the school's side who could ensure the truth came out.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
To fight the school, we needed someone from within.
"Then first... there's Chabashira-sensei. I assume Ayanokouji-kun has already told you about her?"
"To some extent."
Chabashira, the homeroom teacher for Class D, had a surprising level of understanding when it came to these unrealistic situations. She had initially tried to use Ayanokouji to climb to Class A, but from what I heard, she was now the one being pressured instead.
The second person Sakayanagi-sensei suggested was Mashima-sensei, the homeroom teacher for Class A. His reasoning was that Mashima wouldn't bow to authority and would stick to his principles. Plus, he had been involved in the first-year exams.
From there, we decided to slip away during the graduation afterparty and arrange a meeting with both teachers.
"Thank you. Really."
"Don't mention it. Oh—one last thing I wanted to ask you."
"Ask me?"
"This might be unnecessary, but... have you thought about what you'll do after graduation? What you want to do, where you want to go?"
This was Sakayanagi-sensei's way of being kind.
If he knew my plans now, he could prepare connections to help me in the future.
That was just the kind of person he was.
"I haven't thought about the future. Where I'm going... is already decided."
But I couldn't let him go that far for me.
I couldn't burden him like that.
"You mean...?"
"After graduation—no, probably Ayanokouji too—we'll be taken back to the White Room. We'll be molded into whatever they want us to be. That man raised me for that purpose alone."
Once I left this school, there would be no protection left. Taking me back would be trivial.
"Hachiman-kun... are you really okay with that? If you tell me now, I might be able to change that future. You could live the way you want."
I could tell he meant it.
But I couldn't let him shoulder that responsibility for me.
"You're still young. You still have the freedom to choose. If you ever want to talk—about anything—call me again."
"...Thank you."
Grateful for the lifeline he'd thrown me, I ended the call.
.......
Graduation Day
When I woke up and checked my phone, the date read March 24th—graduation day. The event marking the end of the third-years' journey, the day they would finally set off into the world.
For students who didn't interact much with upperclassmen, it was just another routine event. But for me, it was something a little more intriguing.
Simply put, I was curious about what a graduation ceremony would be like. Whether it was the opening or closing ceremony, experiencing something for the first time naturally made my heart race.
As the time to leave for school approached, I locked my room and headed out.
"Ah… G-good morning, Hachiman-kun."
"...Morning."
"Morning. Hiyori, Ibuki."
Yawning, I stepped into the elevator and found two of my classmates, Hiyori and Ibuki, already inside. We exchanged brief morning greetings.
Normally, the conversation would have flowed naturally from there, but today, for some reason, they seemed distant—or rather, they were looking at me with suspicious eyes.
Since we'd run into each other, the three of us walked to school together, but the strange tension never faded.
"Hey, what's up with you two? You're acting weird today."
Confused, I finally asked. Both of them hesitated, but Ibuki was the first to speak up, her voice heavy.
"So… you're into guys?"
"——Huh?"
The words that came out of Ibuki's mouth left me dumbfounded.
Me? Into guys?
"Wait, hold on. Where the hell did that come from?"
I had no idea what was going on. What kind of misinformation had been spreading to lead to this?
"Yesterday, Ryūen sent us a photo. After seeing it, we just… wondered."
"Me too."
They both pulled out their phones and showed me the same picture at the same time.
When I saw what was displayed—
"............Oh."
The photo was—a snapshot of me being fed pasta by Horikita Manabu the day before.
"Not that… I care if you're into guys or whatever. Really, it doesn't matter to me."
"B-but, Hachiman-kun… you really… like boys? I-I'm a girl, but if you got to know me better…"
Ibuki turned her face away, while Hiyori's eyes glistened with uncertainty as she asked.
*Ryūen, you bastard… I'll remember this.*
Wait, was he even at that restaurant yesterday? With everything that happened, I hadn't noticed.
I'd deal with Ryūen later. Right now, I had to clear up this misunderstanding. I couldn't let them think I was into guys.
"Hold on, this is a misunderstanding. I'm not into guys."
"Then what's this? Something guys normally do together?"
Ibuki glared slightly as she shoved the photo in my face. Sure, taken out of context, it might look that way—but I was straight.
"Look, yesterday—"
I struggled to explain, detailing my relationship with Horikita Manabu and everything that had happened the day before. Eventually, they seemed convinced.
"So, you're a normal guy who likes girls."
"Obviously. I want to date girls, not guys."
Not that there was anything wrong with people who preferred the same gender—but that wasn't me.
"I'm so glad… I was worried you might not be interested in girls at all."
"Tch… Don't scare me like that."
Hiyori sighed in relief, while Ibuki clicked her tongue, though she also seemed to relax.
I thought I heard Ibuki mutter something under her breath, but since it was clearly meant to be private, I decided to ignore it.
With the misunderstanding cleared up, we resumed walking—but then Ibuki suddenly spoke up again.
"Hey… you really do like girls, right?"
"I've said it multiple times. I'm normal."
"...Then prove it."
"Prove it?"
The moment I asked, Ibuki hooked her finger around mine.
I was startled, but Hiyori, walking beside me, twitched even more noticeably.
"J-just until we get to school. It's just one finger, so it's fine, right?"
"...How is this supposed to prove anything?"
"...Whether or not you react to a girl."
Ibuki, who had been looking me in the eye this whole time, suddenly averted her gaze, embarrassed.
"Does this even count as proof?"
"Shut up. If you don't want me doubting you, just go with it. Or do you still want me to think you're into guys?"
"...Fine."
It felt like flawed logic, but if this would finally put an end to their suspicions, I'd play along.
Her finger curled snugly around mine. Even though we weren't technically holding hands, it was oddly nerve-wracking.
"Th-then… I want to test you too."
Hiyori, who had been listening quietly, tugged at my sleeve with a timid voice.
Then, without warning, she pressed herself against my arm.
Her slender, fair-skinned arm wrapped tightly around mine, and the soft sensation of her body against me was unmistakable.
"Why are *you* doing this too…?"
"W-well… when I thought you might like boys, I got really worried. So… I want to do this too, as a test."
"But Ibuki's already—"
Honestly, just being seen like this with Ibuki was bad enough. Adding Hiyori to the mix made it a full-blown crisis.
I scrambled for a way to refuse, but—
"...Is it not okay?"
…Damn it. A beautiful girl looking up at you like that was just unfair. And with Hiyori's eyes slightly glistening, her charm was overwhelming.
No guy could possibly say no to this.
"If Hiyori's fine with it…"
"! Thank you!"
I didn't really get her logic, but Hiyori seemed satisfied.
Just as I felt her grip tighten, Ibuki pinched my side from the other direction.
"Ibuki, that hurts."
"Shut up."
Though I found her sudden irritation unreasonable, we kept walking. Thankfully, neither of them seemed willing to keep this up once we reached school, and I finally let out a sigh of relief.
Since the graduation ceremony required us to gather in the classroom first before moving to the gym, I changed my shoes and headed there.
When we arrived, Hiyori and Ibuki went to their seats—but Ishizaki and Komiya immediately swaggered over.
"Hey hey, Hikitani!"
"Walking to school with two beauties? Living the high life, huh~!"
They slung their arms around my shoulders, their thick accents dripping with amusement.
Lately, this kind of teasing had become routine, but every time they did it, Ibuki glared at *me* instead of them.
"Hey, you're in the way."
As Ishizaki and Komiya kept pestering me, a sharp, heavy voice cut in from behind.
I turned to see Okabe standing there, glaring at me with unmistakable hostility.
"Ah, sorry."
"Tch."
I apologized and stepped aside, but Okabe clicked his tongue and stalked off to his seat.
"What's his problem? He was totally giving you the stink eye."
Ishizaki narrowed his eyes as he watched Okabe leave.
Yeah, that had been blatant. He'd gone out of his way to come over just to glare at me.
"Ah. That's what's up."
Komiya muttered as if he'd just figured something out.
"What? You know something about Okabe?"
"Nah, just heard something recently…"
Komiya leaned in and lowered his voice. Apparently, this wasn't something to say out loud.
"Okabe's got his eyes on Ibuki and Shiina, apparently."
"So he's jealous 'cause Hikitani walked in with both of 'em?"
"Probably. But honestly… he's got no shot."
Komiya glanced at me before giving Okabe a pitying look.
Ibuki aside, Hiyori definitely didn't have a good impression of Okabe. I knew that much from when I stopped him from harassing her before.
"Wait, is it even okay to like two girls at once? A man should stay loyal, right?"
"Nah, nah, these days, some guys juggle multiple girls. Like, y'know, the prime example right in front of us?"
Komiya and Ishizaki both turned to look at me.
I had no idea what kind of image they had of me, but I sincerely wished they'd stop giving me those weird, overly familiar looks.
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