4.3

"Good morning, Ayanokōji-kun."

After finishing my meal and passing through the lobby, I found Sakayanagi sitting alone on a sofa.

"Good morning. You look a bit sleepy."

She seemed to be a bit out of it, so I probed her. She nodded without denying it.

"Yes. It seems I'm not good at sharing a room, so I couldn't sleep well. I decided to take a short break after I had a light meal."

Even if she wasn't exactly dozing off, closing her eyes might've had some effect.

"I see. There's no guarantee that you'll be able to relax even if you return to your shared room."

"Usually, I get eight hours of sleep a day. It seems I'll struggle for a few days."

Considering her personality, it was possible that she slept exactly eight hours.

"Did you get along with your group members?"

"I don't think there's a need to get used to them, but I'm in charge of Class A. Without me doing anything, they approach me, so I'm not having trouble getting into conversations with them."

It seemed she wasn't having any problems in that regard, so that was good.

"How about you? Are you having any problems with sharing a room with unfamiliar people?"

"Well, I'm having a good time."

"Ayanokōji-kun, you're in the same group as Hashimoto-kun and Morishita-san. How is Hashimoto-kun doing?"

"He's acting as usual, but he seemed to be scared of something."

"Speaking of him, there's a strange rumor going around. Something about him betraying the class. I'd appreciate it if you could warn him to be careful."

"I don't think a warning would help."

"Hehe."

Sakayanagi laughed a little, but she didn't seem as confident or relaxed as usual.

"Are you getting along with your group?"

"This isn't a special exam, just an exchange meeting, so I'm not doing anything special."

"That's a bit different from the information I got. Hashimoto said you'd aim to win in any way."

"You're not usually one to take things at face value, Ayanokōji-kun. It's probably just one of the excuses he used to have you scout me."

Hashimoto's statement might have been a bit exaggerated, but it wasn't completely off the mark.

"Certainly, right after Masumi-san left, there was unexpected damage. You know that too, Ayanokōji-kun. But, I won't dwell on it for long."

Sakayanagi answered with such composure.

"If there's a reason why I didn't do anything at this exchange meeting, it might be because I'm focusing on identifying someone who can become my new hands and feet."

Indeed, Kamuro had been a significant presence as an assistant until recently.

It was certain that her absence would make it difficult to move.

"The person I keep close to me must be someone I can trust as much as possible."

"What about Kitō?"

"His loyalty is unmatched in the class, but naturally, I'm reluctant to involve someone of the opposite sex. Yet, even among the girls, no suitable candidate has emerged."

The only girls in Class A that I interacted with were Yamamura and Morishita. Both of them had their strengths, but they weren't suitable for taking care of Sakayanagi.

"Have you decided on a successor?"

"Not yet. So I'm expecting to be on my own for a while. I am prepared to accept this as a consequence of my own misjudgment."

It seemed more like she wasn't seriously looking for a replacement, rather than that she couldn't find one.

It might've been an exaggeration to call it a punishment for losing Kamuro, but she seemed to be choosing to live a life of inconvenience for a while.

That was also Sakayanagi's choice, but there was another problem that needed to be resolved.

Suddenly, I felt a presence behind me and turned around to see Kitō approaching with a scary (as usual?) look on his face.

"Good morning."

"...There doesn't seem to be any problems."

Ignoring my greeting, Kitō spoke those words to Sakayanagi.

"There is no problem at all. Thank you for your concern."

Watching their exchange, I understood that Kitō had approached Sakayanagi out of concern for her.

At a time when she was unstable after losing Kamuro, not only would it be reasonable to be sensitive to contact from Hashimoto, but from foreign existences outside the class as well.

"Don't take it the wrong way, Ayanokōji-kun."

"I understand. It's probably best to be suspicious right now."

"Good morning!"

As I was confronting Sakayanagi and Kitō, Amasawa slid into the gap between us.

"Good morning, Amasawa-san. You seem to be in good spirits this morning."

"Being energetic is one of my strengths, you know."

Kitō stepped back from Sakayanagi a bit, but kept his mouth shut so as not to interrupt the conversation.

"I thought I'd give you a little encouragement before the second day of the exchange meeting starts. It seems like Ayanokōji-senpai has been winning all along, but... you lost three times on the first day, Arisu-senpai. I'm worried that you might be in a pinch already."

"Unfortunately, I am not in command this time. I have left it all to the third-year."

"Hmm? So if you lose, it can't be helped? I was hoping for a little bit of interaction with other years this time, as it's a valuable opportunity."

"There's no need to set limitations within constraints. If you wish to challenge me, I am always ready to accept, so please rest assured."

Ignoring the exchange meeting, Sakayanagi conveyed that she was ready to take on any challenge at any time.

However, upon hearing this, Amasawa laughed it off instead of getting excited.

"You're bluffing. I've heard that you lost in the previous special exam and ended up at the bottom."

She seemed to have thoroughly collected information about the second-year students and confronted Sakayanagi without hesitation.

And then, the moment Amasawa tried to touch Sakayanagi as if to tease her, Kitō grabbed her wrist mercilessly, demonstrating his role as a shield.

"What are you doing, Kitō-senpai? Isn't this something you should do to Ryūen-senpai or someone?"

She portrayed herself as a weak woman, but Kitō didn't loosen his grip.

"Whether it's Ryūen or anyone else, I'll act if necessary. Of course, I won't choose the means to do so. Be prepared for that."

Kitō made such a statement against Amasawa, who was smiling but showing hostility.

"You're like a knight protecting a princess, but it's interesting. I don't mind even if you're violent against a girl... Maybe I went too far with my joke."

Amasawa apologized, indicating that she had no real intention of doing anything. As soon as Kitō loosened his grip, she backed away.

"I'll play with you again next time. Please be ready to give it your all, Arisu-senpai!"

Amasawa hopped away, turning around and waving her hand several times.

"The calm atmosphere has been ruined."

"Maybe so."

After a little bit of that exchange, I decided to leave.

I didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to Sakayanagi by hanging around too much.