potato6

1

As soon as I saw the counseling room, Chabashira-sensei, who was

standing in front of the door, noticed me.

There were about five minutes left until the conference time, but that man

was nowhere to be seen.

"My father doesn't seem to have arrived. Is he absent?"

"No, I haven't received any notification on that end."

From what it seemed, I wouldn't get the answer I was anticipating.

However, he definitely hadn't arrived yet, and Chabashira-sensei appeared a bit

anxious about whether he would really come.

As a homeroom teacher, she also had an overall schedule to consider.

Since we could only wait, we stared down the hallway as a heavy period

passed.

Perhaps disliking the atmosphere, Chabashira-sensei brought up a different

topic.

"About Chie—have you met her since then?"

"No, I haven't contacted her yet."

"I see. Well, I know it's not something that I should be expecting from a

student but..."

"It'll take some time, but as I mentioned the other day, I'll manage

something during spring break."

"You say that, but what exactly do you plan to do? Chie seemed determined

to bring me down. She hardly seems like she could be persuaded."

"I understand what you want to say, but if that's the case, would you go so

far as to step down as the class homeroom teacher?"

If Chabashira-sensei surrendered, Hoshinomiya-sensei would be satisfied.

She would spend the next year without straying from her path as a teacher.

"That's... something I cannot do. I have a duty to watch over you all as a

class."

"Then it's also important to wait patiently. Chabashira-sensei, you

shouldn't act recklessly."

Chabashira-sensei needed patience and the courage to wait now.

I had no choice but to make her understand that simply continuing to

observe was the best option.

"...Understood. But if anything happens, contact me immediately."

"I understand. Besides, I do trust and rely on you, Chabasira-sensei."

Being told that by a student, she probably couldn't argue back.

Now, would that man come or not?

Looking down the hallway, I heard faint footsteps.As the appointed time drew closer and closer, that man appeared, looking

no different from last year.

He seemed to immediately notice us but closed the distance without

showing any reaction.

"I've been waiting for you. I'm the homeroom teacher, Chabashira."

"I'm Ayanokōji. Thank you for today."

He answered with a stern, serious expression. Then, he briefly glanced over

at me.

"It's been a while, Kiyotaka. Good to see you're doing well. Is school life

going smoothly?"

I almost mistook his behavior as a joke, but it seemed he intended to play

the father role in front of my homeroom teacher.

If that was the case, it'd be easier for me to play along to some extent.

For the time being, I would strongly perceive this man as a 'father.'

"Guess so. I've managed to make some good friends."

"Ah, that's good to hear."

Neither of us truly meant what we were saying, but Chabashira-sensei

continued.

"Please, come inside."

She smiled, opened the door, and ushered the two of us into the counseling

room.

As we sat side by side on the arranged chairs, Chabashira-sensei closed the

door and sat down in front of us.

"First, though it'll be brief, I would like to report on Ayanokōji Kiyotaka-

kun's grades and school life over the past two years."

Saying that, she slid two copies of my documents she prepared in advance

across the desk. My father picked up one of them to review the contents. I

followed suit and began to look through it.

"While you go through them, I would appreciate it if you could listen as I

explain. Regarding his attitude towards daily life and his approach during

classes, he has very few problematic behaviors and he's very responsible, so

please rest assured."

Two years of school life had passed. There were written and special exams

conducted, and the results were recorded.

The school had evaluated the students, noting their strengths and

weaknesses.

"May I ask a question?"

"Yes, of course. What is it?"

"What is this OAA?"

While pretending to be a normal father interested in his child's growth, he

pointed at the document."This is a new system introduced in our school. You can consider it a

simplified report card of the student's performance. It is reviewed monthly, and

the evaluation fluctuates based on the overall capabilities at that time."

"That's an interesting initiative."

It wasn't very easy to grasp everything at a glance, even if all the year's

performances were written in detail. However, looking at the OAA allowed you

to conveniently check a student's general capabilities.

As of the end of March this year, my OAA seemed to be as follows.

Ayanokōji Kiyotaka:

Academic Ability A (87)

Physical Ability B (73)

Adaptability C (54)

Social Contribution B (70)

Overall Ability B (71)

"Could you tell me how this compares to the typical student?"

"He is within the top 5% among the second-year students. I believe this is

enough for him to be considered a model student—no, perhaps even something

above that. The OAA computes the average of all of a student's results from

these past two years, but within the last six months, he has shown a top-class

level of growth."

At this time last year, my overall ability was 51. When you thought about it

that way, it certainly felt like it had gone up quite a bit.

"That's good to hear. As a parent, this reassures me that I can watch his

growth with peace of mind."

My father said this and nodded strongly toward Chabashira-sensei.

The conversation between teacher and parent continued without any issues.

I listened silently during this time, nodding and responding as needed.

After explaining the documents, Chabashira-sensei switched to the next

topic.

"So, Ayanokōji-san, what are your thoughts on Kiyotaka-kun's future

path?"

"What do you mean?"

"With his academic abilities, I think that he should aim for a higher-level

university. Academics are not everything in life. However, in my opinion,

providing an environment where he can fully utilize his abilities would be the

best choice if it's within reach."

"Most certainly. As a parent, I'd be happy if my child goes to a good

university. However, the most important thing is what my son himself thinks. Ifhe has no intention to pursue further studies, there's no point in discussing it

here."

Chabashira-sensei seemed satisfied with my father's response and then

turned her gaze toward me.

It appears that a model answer was expected from me here.

"If my parents allow it, I think pursuing further studies wouldn't be a bad

choice."

"Is that so? Of course, I have no reason to oppose it. Do you have any

preferred university?"

"I'm interested in the university where my senpai who took care of me here

has gone."

"The senpai that took care of you? Are you talking about Horikita and

Nagumo?"

"Yes, Chabashira-sensei."

"That's a good idea. The hurdles you'd have to overcome aren't low, but

there's definitely a possibility."

Chabashira-sensei, pleased as if it were her own matter, mentioned the

name of the university and explained it to my father.

"I see. The big three national universities, huh…"

My father showed an exaggerated act, appearing impressed.

"If you wish for it, you should definitely aim for it."

"That's great. If your family says that, I think it's very reassuring."

"Yes, it is."

"But Kiyotaka, while I don't oppose you aiming for university, what do you

see beyond that?"

What kind of turn of events was this? My father sought my opinion.

Would this farce of an act continue all the way until the end of the three-

way meeting?

The meeting didn't necessarily have to use up all the allotted time.

Since about half the time had already passed, it'd be fine to wrap it up

soon.

Continuing a conversation he wasn't interested in just to appear like a good

father probably wasn't his intention.

So, there was a proper meaning behind this prolongation.

"What comes after university, you ask?"

While pretending to think, I reevaluated my father's intentions. He

prolonged a meeting that could've ended in five or ten minutes, using the time to

see what changes it might bring.

What would happen if the meeting went over time? Naturally, the impact

would be one thing. The next three-way meeting with Kōenji's family might face

issues.In other words, he was trying to create a pretext to make contact under the

guise of coincidence.

"That's right. Going to a prestigious university is wonderful, but what's the

purpose of going to university, and what are the prospects? I want to hear this

before deciding on a course."

Chabashira-sensei, unaware of my father's scheming, happily listened to

the parent-child conversation.

"I'm sorry, I haven't decided anything yet. Would it be too late to decide

during university?"

"No, if nothing is decided, that's fine. However, if you're considering

university just to appease your parents and drifting away from what you truly

want to pursue, then that's a problem."

"If I say I want to work, will you accept that, Father?"

"As a parent, that's only natural."

"Thank you."

It was easy to just go along, but the atmosphere was far from comfortable.

Even if it was an act, watching my father up close was not a pleasant

experience.

Afterward, my father continued to engage in meaningless conversation

with Chabashira-sensei, ultimately using up all of the allotted time and even

going a bit over.2

The tormenting three-way meeting ended, and the three of us stood up.

It had been a painfully long 15 minutes.

"Thank you for today."

My father bowed politely to Chabashira-sensei, who hurriedly took a deep

bow in return.

"No, thank you for coming despite your busy schedule."

With this, his role was over. Such hopeful thoughts vanished in an instant.

"By the way, Sensei. This has nothing to do with my son, but may I have

another moment with you?"

Right after leaving the counseling room, my father spoke to Chabashira-

sensei, who was about to see us off.

"Of course. Is there something on your mind?"

Truthfully, she would've wanted to contact Kōenji next, but since she

couldn't dismiss him outright, she continued to respond earnestly without

showing any reluctance.

Fortunately, the conversation that started had nothing to do with me, so I

listened passively, emptying my mind.

Looking out the window, I just wanted to go home. I couldn't use my

phone, so I didn't know the exact time, but they probably talked for about five

minutes.

Just as impatience began to show on Chabashira-sensei's face, my father

gave a big nod.

"You've answered my questions."

"That's good to hear."

This period, mixed with tension and relaxation, came to an end as

Chabashira-sensei let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you for taking the time today."

"Thank you as well for coming all the way to the school. I think Kiyotaka-

kun is also pleased."

No, I'm not pleased at all.

However… to show a mature response, I gave a firm nod.

My father thanked Chabashira-sensei once again, and at the very end, he

looked over to me.

"Take care not to overdo it for your remaining school life."

"Yeah..."

Though there was a delay, a completely normal three-way meeting had

ended.Without lingering any longer, my father quickly turned his back and walked

away.

"He seems like a good father. Quite different from what I imagined."

As expected, Chabashira-sensei saw us as just a normal parent and child.

"That might be true."

There was absolutely no point in explaining otherwise to Chabashira-

sensei.

"Well… one hurdle's crossed, but there's one more to go. Once that's over,

I can also relax."

"Kōenji, was it? I hope it ends without trouble, just like ours."

"Exactly. You were obedient, but it's hard to imagine what will happen with

Kōenji."

She probably wanted him to act meek like a borrowed cat in front of his

parents, but that was unlikely.

(TL Note: The Japanese idiom "借りてきた猫" (borrowed cat) refers to

someone acting unusually quiet and well-behaved - like how a cat might act

timid in a new environment.)

Suddenly, Chabashira-sensei looked down the hallway.

Following her gaze, I saw that my father had stopped and was staring at us.

Seems like he's waiting for me...

"Your father is waiting. You should talk about whatever you want to talk

about now, while you have the chance."

"I'll go do that."

There's no way we haven't spoken enough. Is he planning to extend this

delay tactic just between the two of us?

Or is he about to take some kind of action against me now?

Either way, it was impossible to avoid. I just had to get through it.

I bowed my head and left, and Chabashira-sensei quickly returned to the

counseling room.

Reluctantly, I slowly walked towards my father... no, that man.

I stopped beside him, but that man didn't proceed to speak.

"There was no need for you to wait, right?"

I could ignore him, but I decided to speak to find out the reason.

Even if there was an expected goal, it wouldn't be easy to get him to talk

about it.

"We are father and son, after all. I thought we should at least have a light

conversation."

"Father and son, huh? Unfortunately, I've never thought of it that way."

"I suppose not."

One thing was for certain, I didn't particularly have any grudges against

this man.Our relationship was closer to that of a teacher and student than that of a

parent and child.

No, even that expression might be incorrect.

It was a more distant, insurmountable hierarchical relationship.

"For the past year, I've been racking my brain over what course of action to

take with you after your graduation."

"You don't need to explain—I understand. And I have no intention of

opposing it."

"I will appoint you as the White Room's new leader and create the next

generation that will surpass you."

I said I understood, but the man deliberately mentioned it.

"If you're looking at the long run, that would be the safest choice. If you

become the leader and manage the White Room, in 20 years, I might have the

highest quality personnel I desire."

Imagining that future, the man spoke indifferently.

"But that safe choice is a tremendously distant future, and frankly, it's a

dreamless tale. Just like the world's situation changes moment by moment, my

environment has changed quite a bit in just one year."

"I'm not interested in your environment."

"I don't care about your interests either. What's important is how to use that

talent."

"What do you want me to do?"

"You probably have some idea, don't you?"

His gaze clung to me. Whether it was this man's intuition or something

else, he was skillfully casting doubt on my hidden inner thoughts.

"Who knows."

"Either way, preparation will take time. You should do as you like for

another year. I won't interfere at all."

From what it seemed, my remaining school life was guaranteed, but I had

no trust in him. It wouldn't have surprised me if he changed his mind tomorrow

and shamelessly sent another assassin.

"Have you not considered that I might change my mind during that time

and oppose you?"

"Oppose? That's unlikely. You should be able to understand everything. To

fully demonstrate your value and purpose, my cooperation is essential. But if, by

any chance, you decide to confront me… there would only be one outcome."

It wasn't just about freedom or lack thereof. It was a matter of life or death.

Whether I was his real child or not—it was completely irrelevant to this

man.

"No matter how confident you are in your physical strength, an unexpected

stray bullet can end it all."24 hours a day, 365 days a year; there's no way to completely protect

oneself.

In fact, in the White Room, I've been killed numerous times in simulations.

Attacks during sleep. Shots from blind spots. Or traps in food.

Although I've been trained to sharpen my mind to the utmost degree and

increase my survival rate, I've also been thoroughly taught that life isn't

absolute.

"Don't think about anything unnecessary, Kiyotaka."

Anything unnecessary, including the nonsense about further studies we

talked about earlier.

"If you wish so, you need to keep convincing me that you are beneficial to

me."

"Ho? Then, do you have any desires?"

He spoke as if he couldn't imagine me having any desires.

Indeed, I had no materialistic desires.

"What happened to Yagami, who was sent to expel me—no, to check my

status?"

"Is that what you want to know?"

Honestly, it didn't matter to me. However, it wasn't the same for Amasawa.

"Of course, I disposed of him. Well, that's what I would've said up until

last year."

The man paused for a moment, maintaining an unreadable expression, and

continued.

"Even so, he was one of the more outstanding students in the White Room.

Now, he's being re-educated."

"Re-education, huh?"

"Unlike you, I gave him too much emotion. You can also call it a test to

remove that."

"Then, will Amasawa eventually follow in Yagami's footsteps?"

"That's right. But I will leave her as is for another two years. After

graduation or expulsion, I'll retrieve her and examine the differences with

Yagami."

"I hope she'll do as she's told obediently."

"We train them to do as they're told. Just like how you, despite your talent,

can't easily rebel against me. If by some chance she won't obey, we'll deal with

her accordingly."

Normally, it wasn't so simple to easily influence how someone else would

live their life, or whether they'd live or die, but this man could do it. At least for

the children who were destined to enter the White Room even before they were

born, he must've known their detailed backgrounds. Even if she developed arebellious spirit during her school life, ultimately, using Yagami as a shield

would be enough.

Amasawa couldn't abandon Yagami.

It was precisely because she was planted with so many emotions that it

would end up backfiring.

No, regardless of the emotions' presence, the outcome might be the same.

Objectively, it seemed that Amasawa could easily ignore this man's orders.

Unless the opponent was an exceptionally skilled pursuer, she would

handle it.

It was also possible to expose the White Room to the public and forcibly

disrupt the plan.

Though, I don't think Amasawa would do such a thing. At the moment,

even I hadn't considered it.

It would be better to say it was unthinkable.

The education from a young age was deeply ingrained, too deep to wash

away.

"You care about Yagami and Amasawa, huh?"

"Even though I didn't know them personally, they are like younger siblings

to me."

"It's amusing. Seems like these past two years spent as a normal student

definitely left a mark on you."

There was absolutely no fun involved in the White Room's education.

"To you, is this change in me welcomed? Or is it the opposite?"

"If anything, it's welcomed. You were a complete machine in the White

Room, for better or worse. The fact that even a semblance of humanity has

emerged will be an asset later on."

If he could ultimately control it, it wasn't something to worry about.

"You should be done checking up on me already. Can I go back now?"

"Don't rush. Opportunities to talk with me aren't frequent."

"It's not that I want them anyway."

Disturbingly, the man continued to linger.

"Just now, your homeroom teacher mentioned in the conversation that the

class has grown thanks to your efforts. It's just a small world of a classroom, but

promoting it to Class A isn't bad. Well done."

"It's surprising that you'd praise such a trivial matter."

"Considering your abilities, moving up shouldn't be an issue. I praised you

not for that, but for your attitude to take the top spot. Before entering this school,

you wouldn't have cared about such things."

"Maybe. But if that's the case, your hopes are misguided. I'm not doing

this to take the top. As proof, I'm planning to move to a lower class afterward.""Ho? You're deliberately going down again? Pulling a class up to the top

and then dragging it down from the bottom?"

"Who knows? That might be it, or it might not be."

Regarding that, I myself hold the view of letting things go in whichever

direction the wind blows.

By deliberately not looking at the results, I think it makes things more

enjoyable.

"That in and of itself is an interesting sign."

I had no intention of wasting time chatting here, but he still didn't seem to

be letting me go.

"Your aim is—"

I'd had enough, so I was about to speak up directly when I heard footsteps

coming up the stairs. It was about time for the Kōenji family to arrive.

The moment the owner of the footsteps appeared, that man's expression

changed drastically.

It was Kōenji's father. He was tall and quite well-built. Spotting us standing

still at the end of his gaze, Kōenji's father finished climbing the stairs and then

stopped for a moment.

Seizing the timing, that man started moving and spoke.

"Could it be Company President Kōenji?"

The man who forcefully blocked the path and stepped forward feigned

surprise and bowed his head.

At the location for the three-way meeting, an encounter with some fathers

and sons had indeed been staged as a coincidence.

The other party stared down at the man without uttering a word. His

presence and intimidating aura were quite something.

"Excuse me for asking, but who might you be?"

He immediately took out a business card and handed it to Kōenji's father.

"I apologize for the late introduction. I am Ayanokōji Atsuomi, a member

of the Kyōei Party. I have long wished to meet Company President Kōenji. To

think that I'd meet you here at your son's meeting... Coincidences can be quite

unthinkable sometimes."

"It's my principle to decline unnecessary business cards."

"Is that so? Then I will strive to make it acceptable to you, and if possible,

could I have a little of your time after the meeting with your son? I promise you

won't regret it."

The man bowed again. I didn't know why he was interested in Kōenji's

father, nor did I care, but I wanted him to handle the hassle on his own.

"I'm sorry, but I have an appointment after the three-way meeting. I'll have

to decline."The man had approached under the guise of coincidence, but it seemed that

Kōenji's father had seen through him.

It was unlikely that he'd back down easily, but it remained to be seen how

he'd respond.

"...I see. I'm very interested in this appointment that you're mentioning,

Company President Kōenji."

That man spoke as he raised his face, seeming to have already done his

research and grasped the internal situation, making a veiled threat.

By now, the supposedly coincidental meeting was practically exposed as a

lie. He knew full well that this wouldn't leave a good impression. If he could

force a conversation, he believed he could drag it onto his own grounds.

"Looks like it's time, so if you'll excuse me."

As Kōenji's father said this, that man slowly made way.

As they passed each other, for a moment, my eyes met with Kōenji's

father's.

The sharpness and intensity of his gaze were even stronger than Ayanokōji

Atsuomi's. You could say that it was a manifestation of confidence emanating

from a perfected physique, not just mere status or title.

Though he should be past his physical prime in his 40s or 50s, I could

sense that he was an immeasurably formidable person. Kōenji's talent was

undoubtedly inherited from this man.

"For a child, you seem—"

It seemed like he was about to say something to me, but he didn't continue.

Without stopping, he headed straight to the counseling room down the hall.

"It won't be easy to catch hold of him. Well, it shouldn't be."

"I knew from the start that you weren't interested in my three-way meeting,

but it looks like your goal was to meet Kōenji's father."

Having noticed that my name was scheduled next to Kōenji's, he decided to

come to school on short notice.

The timing of the meeting had shifted, though it was unlikely due to this

man's instructions. However, if the date or time of Kōenji's three-way meeting

had been significantly different, he might not have come.

"That man is arguably the biggest supporter of the Citizen's Party. He

doesn't show his face or speak out, but he contributes money. He's a major client

for the Citizen's Party."

This meant that, for that man, he was supporting an enemy.

"If we could get him to switch sides, the situation would change

significantly."

"Then it wouldn't have to be at a school, right?""That wouldn't work. His private life is shrouded in secrecy, and he spends

most of his time abroad. Even if someone really tried to catch hold of him, it

couldn't easily be done."

So that's why he came flying. He knew this elusive man would show up

here.

"Still, he brushed me off pretty easily."

That man seemed unconcerned and took a call.

"...Yes. I'll adjust to that."

He finished a brief exchange and hung up.

Then, without saying anything to me, he started descending the stairs.

Having successfully made contact, it was evident that any more time spent

with me had now become nothing but a waste.

I had no intention of walking down the stairs by his side, so I just watched

him go.