Chapter 1: Active in The Dark

THE RAIN WAS GETTING STRONGER, and the fog was getting thicker. Now that my vision and hearing are reduced, I feel the nasty scent of someone approaching from behind. The sound of mud and water splashing on the ground rang out as if this person was deliberately trying to get our attention.

Nanase also seems to have quickly noticed this unusual sound and scent. I look back to see the red hair of a student swaying around.

"It seems like it's going to rain heavily senpai." The person who had appeared out of the mist and rain was Ichika Amasawa of the 1st year A class. Although I already knew that she was following a similar path as Nanase and me, I really didn't think that it was a coincidence that we met here. It didn't look like there were any other students in proximity to us, nor did it look like she was carrying a backpack or a tablet. How did she manage to find us? I assume she probably hid her belongings somewhere around here to reduce strain and then quietly followed us. Or perhaps she never had any luggage to begin with and was following us from the start. Maybe, someone searched for us through the GPS and transmitted our location through a wireless transceiver. Whatever the case may be, we can rule out the possibility that it was due to chance.

Whatever her method to find us was, she certainly wasn't a welcoming presence. Amasawa wasn't empty-handed. In her left hand is a thick wooden stick. The type that's perfect to beat people up with.

I would assume Amasawa would take us by surprise; considering the weather conditions at the moment, it would have been relatively easy to hide until the time is right. In such dire situations, an undetected attack could be devastating. "Senpai, please get behind me."

While I was thinking about the reason for Amasawa's appearance, Nanase, who was clearly physically exhausted, stood next to me. Nanase stared at Amawawa without hiding her wariness.

"Hmm? Wasn't I supposed to be welcomed by Nanase? Look at this, my own comrade abandoning me. Or did you see me with this thing and found me intimidating?"

Amasawa gently tossed the thick wooden stick towards her feet, declaring herself non-threatening. But Nanase didn't even show a slight change in her defensive posture.

"You are not trustworthy at all."

"Fufufu, you're really too much, why would you say that? I'm so cute!"

I don't think that trust can be linked to cuteness at all, but that doesn't matter.

"What's going on Nanase?" I ask her as she continuously stares down Amasawa.

Amasawa had a side to her that no one could understand. To say that she was someone who had exceptional acting skills, as well as the ability to execute complex plans, would not be an exaggeration. It's only natural to be wary; I've always done that. But there is no way to explain this unusual vigilance of Nanase. However, it should be natural to have such a reaction on occasions like these. You could assume Nanase was exaggerating because she is now on my side...

"I'm not a bad person, am I, Ayanokōji-senpai? So how about we just talk things over."

"Please don't listen to her senpai, she's dangerous." To Amasawa, who isn't showing any hostility, Nanase is displaying staggering amounts of determination. Although Nanase's statements seemed like unwarranted criticism, Amasawa didn't seem to show any dissatisfaction.

"Senpai, I must confess something to you. The slope where Shinoharasenpai's group was attacked, you and Ike-senpai went up the same slope together right? The slope that caused Komiya-senpai and Kinoshita-senpai to withdraw." Having heard Shinohara's voice call out, Ike had rushed up blindly. I followed him, seeing as it was quite dangerous to go up that slope alone. "During that incident, I sensed someone approach us and I chased after them." Nanase added.

"Is that why you weren't with Sudō and the others when we returned after finding Shinohara?" I asked.

Nanase nodded quietly.

"And then what?"

"Although I didn't catch up with the person who ran away, I still managed to catch a glimpse of that unique hair." Saying so, Nanase slowly pointed towards Amasawa.

"At that time, the person who was watching us was you, wasn't it Amasawa-san?"

"Fufu... oops! So, you saw me?"

Rather than deny it, Amasawa simply confessed with a smile.

There was no wavering in Amasawa's attitude, nor was there surprise that she had been discovered. The person who was secretly watching us at the time was none other than Amasawa.

"Did you hurt Komiya-senpai and the others?" asked Nanase abruptly.

"Hmm? That's too one sided, isn't it? Maybe I just happened to be there."

"In that case, there was no need to run away, right?"

"Wouldn't you run away when someone who has a terrifying look on their face chases you? I didn't want them to suspect me." Amasawa replied.

"I can't believe it."

"So you're trying to make me out to be the one who attacked the seniors, Nanase-sama?"

"I am sure you are. It's almost impossible for me to be wrong here...."

"You're soooo sure, but you also feel the need to add the word "almost." You don't know the truth, do you?"

It was a deadlock between the two girls from the same group. They held each other in check with words.

"Then can you swear that you're not the one who attacked senpai and the others?"

"I can promise, but whether that promise is the truth or not is none of your business, Nanase." Amasawa simply said there was no point in doing such a thing.

"And even if it really was me who did that, then what would you do?"

Instead of trying to get out of Nanase's pursuit, it seems she keeps diving deeper and deeper. Although Nanase seemed to be overwhelmed by Amasawa's aura, she continued on in order to pursue the truth.

"Alright in that case, tell me why are you doing this? No, before that, explain how you were able to hide yourself from the GPS positioning system." To be perfectly honest, there was no need to confirm that last point with Amasawa.

"It's not difficult to eliminate the GPS itself, just destroy the watch no?" Amasawa happily showed us the watch on her right hand.

"That's right~ Whether it's intentional or not, a malfunction is a malfunction and I can just get a new one from the school for free."

"But if you break your watch, shouldn't the school find out?" Nanase questioned.

"That's true but until they find me, it is very difficult for them to determine the cause of the malfunction. Until then, I can do anything I want." There are more than 400 GPS signals on this island. The disappearance of one or two signals would not be detected for a short time. Furthermore, the teacher's priority was to ensure the safety of the students and not continually monitor the number of signals.

"But the school will definitely trace it after a while, right? It's only a matter of time before they find out."

After Shinohara explained how she was attacked, the school would definitely get involved in the investigation. In the process, only Amasawa's GPS signal had disappeared, making it highly likely that she was the culprit.

But therein lies the problem.

"If only Amasawa's GPS signal disappeared when Komiya and the others were attacked, suspicion from the school is inevitable. However, it would be nothing more than just a suspicion as there is no other evidence to prove it. As long as there is no more direct evidence, it cannot be concluded that the culprit is her." I inform Nanase.

"That—"

From Nanase's point of view, she had seen Amasawa directly, so it would be correct to assume the culprit was Amasawa. However, to prove a crime is much harder than just making an assumption. The school absolutely had to avoid a lawsuit that would cause Amasawa to drop out of the school due to a wrongful conviction.

Initially, the watch was given to all the students in the uninhabited island exam to ensure everyone complies with the rules and so the school can maintain order. If it was easy to use, the purpose of the watch would fail.

To avoid trouble, the watch had to be strictly regulated. Watch changes caused by breakdowns could only be done once, with each breakdown consuming points. Too many malfunctions can lead to forced removal, etc.

But the stricter the regulations, the more likely a loophole will be found and exploited. For example, playing tricks on the enemy's watch to damage it accidentally. Moreover, if there is really an accident or any other situation on the schools' part that leads to expulsion, it would be unacceptable. This is something that must be avoided.

"It's customary that you try and poke holes in the rules, and if the school can't find any evidence, anything is fine." Even if this argument was wild, what Amasawa said was correct.

"That may be true, however, if there is no evidence I will act as a witness and prove that Amasawa was there." Counters Nanase.

"The end result would be the same. A simple GPS malfunction and being present at the scene of the incident alone will only end in suspicion."

If a violent person like Sudō or Ryūen had been involved with this kind of disturbance, the school would be more suspicious. But the girl standing in front of me was nothing more than a harmless-looking first-year high school girl. With such insignificant evidence, the school authorities would not have deep suspicions. Not to mention, there was no testimony from Komiya and Kinoshita that they had been attacked. Shinohara could only give an ambiguous answer like, "I was attacked by someone but I don't know who it was." This is the same nature of the testimony, "Nanase saw Amasawa."

If there was no conclusive evidence, it would be impossible for the school to punish Amasawa. "And there it is Nanase."

That said, I still don't know what the reason is for Amasawa's presence here. The atmosphere is merely filled with Nanase's pursuing questions and Amasawa's teasing words, and I don't see any progress at all. The idea of going to do something productive... seems to have become a luxury. As for whether or not Amasawa was the one who hurt Komiya and the others, we'll put it aside for now. To advance the stalemate, I'll ask the next question.

"What are you doing here, no, how did you find us?"

At this point, we were drenched in the rain. Considering we had to continue the exam tomorrow, standing in the rain any longer should be avoided. I wish I could set up my tent right now and get out of the rain.

"Don't be so anxious, Ayanokōji-senpai. Aren't you happy we met in the middle of an uninhabited island in such circumstances?"

"I'm sorry, but it's raining a lot more than I would like, so let's get this over with."

"Then, how about we set up the tent together and the two of us will spend a wonderful night here?" The fact that men and women can't sleep inside the same tent is something the school emphasized, and there's no way she didn't know that.

What a meaningless conversation. Was she stalling for time?

"There's no need to worry senpai. It's no problem, even the school can't monitor everything."

Just as Amasawa was about to step closer to me, Nanase immediately moved to grab her arm.

"What are you doing with that hand?"

"You're not planning to throw yourself at Ayanokōji-senpai, are you?"

"When did Nanase become Ayanokōji-senpai's knight? Didn't you once plan with Hōsen-kun to make Ayanokōji-senpai drop out of school?"

Amasawa responded with a hint of annoyance.

"That... has nothing to do with you. What did you come here for?"

"I came here because I was lost and I needed help."

She's already telling unadulterated lies. Could it be that she came to see the duel between Nanase and I and the result afterwards? From Nanase's attitude, I think Amasawa could tell that Nanase had completely fallen to me. No, if that was the case, there was no point in her nonsensical small talk.

"I have something to say to Ayanokōji-senpai. Can you please move aside.

"Can't you just tell me right here?" I question the meaning of Amasawa's statement.

"No, because it is about the White Room."

Perhaps thinking that there was no point in her hiding identity any longer, Amasawa just revealed herself.

Nanase looked at me with a surprised look.

Throughout the first semester, I had been aware of the existence of another White Room student, a White Room "enforcer", but I had never been able to confirm this enforcer's true identity.

I certainly didn't think it would be in the form of "confession" that I would find out about her existence.

"Do you understand now? Irrelevant student~" Amasawa giggled while looking at Nanase.

If Amasawa is really a White Room student, then Nanase is indeed considered an irrelevant person in this situation.

"Let go of her hand, Nanase." I tell her.

Despite her dissatisfaction, Nanase obeyed my instructions and released her hand.

"That's a good girl, Nanase. I don't hate this kind of loyal dog feeling~" Saying that Amasawa slowly approached me.

I think we can finally make some progress in this conversation.

"I'm sorry, but with just Nanase as a precedent, I'm not going to confirm your existence as one from the White Room just by hearing the word "White Room."

"Okay I can prove it to you if you want. But... it would be a bad for Nanase to hear it. You understand, right?" It's the usual little devilish smile that looks at me.

I wave my hand slightly at Nanase and give her the command for her to stay away. Although Nanase felt very resistant to the fact that Amasawa was getting closer to me, she obeyed my instructions. With the rain falling heavier and heavier, whispering a few meters away should not be heard by her. Standing on the muddy ground, Amasawa came close enough that I could practically touch her without fully extending my hand.

"So where should I start?" Amasawa looked thoughtful as if she was saying to me, "You can understand right?"

But her sudden appearance this time around was truly incomprehensible. The White Room enforcer had been lurking until today, working on getting me expelled. However, the Amasawa in front of me exposed herself without taking any action. Most importantly, it was strange that she was hesitant to say anything until now. I can only assume that she's trying to stall for time.

Just when I was debating whether I should open the conversation by opening my mouth, Amasawa spoke up.

"The curriculum you received when you were ten years old was on the base 5 construction theorem. When you were eleven years old, you learned about the theory of relativity. I did the exam twice, so I remember it well."

As if to show that we learned in the same classroom, she told me details about my past.

"Whether it was the interior or the hallway, or the room where we sleeped, everything was white in that world."

It seemed that Amasawa knew the White Room much better than Nanase. It was also unlikely that she would find out about this from Tsukishiro. You can't reveal anything about the White Room to people who have nothing to do with it. Even he knows that. In other words, it's basically concluded that Amasawa was the enforcer. From the content of the conversation to her words and actions, all of them are in line with the aesthetics of a White Room student.

"What is the advantage of revealing your identity by making a deliberate appearance?"

"I suppose there is none, but I don't care about that. I just wanted to show you that I'm not your enemy senpai."

"That is contradictory. The students in the White Room are enforcers sent to this school to have me expelled. It is inconsistent to say that someone like you is not my enemy. It doesn't make sense." Although Amasawa was drenched in water, she continued to speak.

"The generations after the fourth generation harboured intense jealousy for you senpai. They thought if they used these White Room students with strong jealousy, it would be possible to make Ayanokōji-senpai drop out of school and there was nothing wrong with that. The superiors simply chose the wrong person. They did not see that I was just a young girl who had a longing to be with Ayanokōji-senpai."

"Is that why you took the initiative to reveal your identity?"

Amasawa nodded.

"Then wouldn't it have been better if you came and told me directly after entering school? You even managed to sneak into my room, so there were many opportunities to reveal your identity."

"That may be true; however, no matter how much I longed for you before I saw you, it was just my self-imagination. It takes a certain amount of time to meet directly, talk, and come to a conclusion that, "Ahhh, it's great to long for this person."

In other words, if I'm not the ideal person that Amasawa thought I was, she would reject me. As the conversation progressed, this reason was tentatively established.

"Do you understand now?"

"Yes. The only people who can talk about the White Room in detail are the ones who lived there."

"Yup that's it. It feels amazing, to be an ordinary high school student who lives like this. I feel privileged to have experienced this special feeling until now. But I am more interested in allowing the other students in the White Room to have this same experience."

"If you feel the same way as I do, you should also be aware of how interesting this place is...."

"I understand exactly what you're trying to say senpai. I've wondered many times if I could be like a normal student and living a fun student life. I'm not good at making friends, and I don't have that many people to talk to." Amasawa replied with a twinge of sadness in her voice.

How do I put it? It's really very similar to what I think.

Although I had talked to Horikita, Ike, and others, there was still kind of a distance between us. I remembered a certain period when I couldn't even consider them "friends" honestly. "But I don't lack the communication skills like my predecessors." Amasawa said as if reading my thoughts.

"Basically, I learned the same curriculums as my senpais. But on the other hand, I also learned exclusive things for the fifth generation."

Seeing as I didn't intend to intervene, Amasawa continued on.

"That is, communication and collaboration skills. Until the fourth generation, due to the culture of individualism, the children who failed came out of there broken. And it was impossible for them to communicate with children with poor grades. They are excellent and, of course, they have only been allowed to interact with people with the same excellence."

If this is true, it explains why it is not difficult to understand why she can make emotional expressions. In my case, I can play specific acting roles for a short period. However, it was difficult to break the habit of living without emotion most of the time.

"Still don't trust me?"

"I believe your origins, but I cannot accept the reason why you would tell me your identity."

"As expected of a White Room student, you really are calm and collected. Don't you think I would threaten you, senpai?"

Seeing that I couldn't answer that question, Amasawa laughed it off.

"Fufu, so, I've said everything I wanted to say. I'll be taking my leave now, okay?" Amasawa turned around.

It seemed her visit was to let me know that she was a White Room student.

"What are you thinking, Amasawa?"

"Didn't I already say? I'm longing for you Ayanokōji-senpai."

She turned around and caressed my cheek with the tips of her wet fingers.

"So, senpai is not allowed to be defeated without my permission." She whispered into my ear.

Saying that she took her finger away from my face and started to walk away.

Not allowed to be defeated? By who? Tsukishiro? Or perhaps the group of first-years who were given a 20 million bounty? Or is it...

"Ayanokōji-senpai, are you okay? Did something happen to you?" Nanase walked back up to me with a concerned look in her eyes.

I told the worried Nanase that she had nothing to be concerned about and looked at my backpack.

"We'd better hurry and set the tent, we need to get out of this rain." I told her.

Although I would like to organize all the information I just learned, there was a priority. "Well then, let's work together and set up these tents quickly." Nanase said as she started to get to work.

"Yes, let's hurry."

I answered that, but there was just one thing I had to confirm first. I had to confirm the footprints of the departing Amasawa.

"Senpai...?" Nanase called out to me.

"If I don't hurry the rain will wash away the tracks." I say this as I can already see the footprints start to lose their shape.

"Footprints? What about Amasawa's footprint?" Nanase asked.

"When Komiya and the others were injured, there were tracks left at the scene. Now I know they were the same size as Amasawa's."

In other words, just like Nanase witnessed, Amasawa had been there.

"She really wasn't there by coincidence, she really was the one who pushed them down right?"

"I can't say for sure. At that time, Amasawa was simply watching you and Sudō. There still isn't any proof she was the attacker,"

Nanase didn't seem to immediately understand what I was trying to say.

"Perhaps there is no definitive evidence but I think it should be possible to directly infer that she is the culprit, right?"

"From the information we have now, Amasawa would indeed seem to be the culprit."

"I think so, too. Although I've said it several times, I did see Amasawasan."

Of course, I didn't doubt that.

"But you didn't see her pushing them down."

"That... well, but just now she confessed."

"Whether that can be called a confession is still difficult to say at this stage. In the end, Amasawa simply said, "If I am the attacker." She never said directly confessed by implying that she was speaking hypothetically."

"Perhaps she was afraid of being recorded?" "With this rain, and catching us off guard like this, do you think it's necessary for her to be very alert?"

A quick glance shows that this is not a recordable environment at all.

"Even so, it is not absolute. Especially since she is also the object of Ayanokōji-senpai's vigilance, it would be appropriate for her to consider the highest level of caution."

"The victims were two students. If they are deliberately injured and as a result of that they're placed in danger, the attacker must quickly escape after committing the crime. Why should the attacker go back to the scene and let someone see themselves?"

Nanase retrieved her backpack while thinking.

"Then... maybe she was worried about the injuries of Komiya-senpai and the others. I think this is the same psychology of how arsonists return to the scene of the crime."

Indeed, it is said that arsonists will return to the scene. There are various explanations for this mentality, but it can't simply be applied to this incident. If you look at Amasawa as the culprit in this way, you will only see the surface of the incident.

"It is impossible for the White Room student sent by Tsukishiro to make this kind of mistake without being aware that, whatever happens, you do not run the risk of returning to the scene and the corresponding measures that surround it. In fact, Amasawa knew that Nanase would discover her at that time."

To not miss anything, I continued to trace the tracks that were about to be destroyed.

"Why would she give away her whereabouts even though she was being chased?"

"I think she thought that since she couldn't hide the fact you saw her, she came to contact us on her own initiative. If we report it to the school, even if we can't prove it, it will be a problem for the school. And if we entrust the matter to Acting Director Tsukishiro, it will become dangerous.

"Regarding this logic, it also contradicts her return to the scene of the crime." "Can't it just be pinned on her careless nature?" "Impossible."

Perhaps Amasawa had deliberately let Nanase discover her for some reason. With that, I managed to get a new hint from the tracks that I followed.

"Sure enough, there are some points of Amasawa's actions that can't be ignored."

"Something that can't be ignored?"

I followed her tracks that were about to be washed away by the rain.

"It seems to be perfectly close towards my back, so if I trace it from there...." I mutter in my breath.

"Hey, senpai."

At this moment, Nanase also noticed a peculiar change for the first time.

"There are someone else's footprints."

"Yes."

These footprints were slightly larger than Amasawa's. But because it had been completely deformed at this point due to the rain, the exact size can't be determined.

"This person got very close to us at one point, and that's where the footsteps are ruined. This is where that person's footsteps converged with those of Amasawa. Then, from here, those enigmatic footsteps started to turn back.

"In other words, before Amasawa contacted us, there was another...." Nanase realized that another mysterious individual had been following us.

Whether it was a student or someone from the school, it would be impossible to determine it from the information we have at the moment.

"Can you go get the thick wooden stick that Amasawa left behind?" I ask Nanase.

"Yes, okay." Nanase brings me the stick that Amasawa had dropped.

Looking at the stick, I finally got an answer to one of my speculations.

"Did you find anything?"

"Have I found something? I can tell this stick would inflict reasonable amounts of damage to whoever got hit by it."

Nanase takes the stick from my hands and studies it for a while until she notices something.

"I don't think she picked up this stick from around here."

"Look. In order to make this stick a better weapon, excess parts were cut off. The current state of this wooden stick is too unnatural."

"Did she intend to use this stick as a weapon to attack Ayanokōjisenpai?"

"If Amasawa wanted to attack me, she would launch a surprise attack from the shadows. However, even though she had this weapon, she didn't show any hints of hostility towards me. Not only that, she deliberately tried to get me to notice her."

More can be inferred from these statements.

"In other words, she did not plan to attack me from the very beginning. It wasn't Amasawa who held the stick at first, but the person who was about to leave, right?" Nanase asked me.

The tracks approached us at a slow pace but then grew faster and faster as it turned backwards. Was the person avoiding detection, or were they running away?

"But what's the reason for this?" Nanase continued to ask.

"According to Amasawa, I am the existence she longs for. That's why it seems reasonable to think that she stopped this planned assault on me." "Isn't it too dangerous to consider her our ally just by that...?" Nanase did not seem to be sold on the fact Amasawa may be on our side.

"Of course. But I can't imagine who could be the owner of these tracks and they would want to attack me."

"Maybe... is it someone related to the school or something?"

"That is possible, since I am a hanging bounty."

I fully considered if this footprint belonged to one of the students who was looking for that reward. It was entirely conceivable that someone would take that risk to force me out of school.

"Oh yeah!" Nanase seemed to have a thought of something and raised her voice.

"Senpai, let's do a GPS search now! It hasn't been long since Amasawa-sans departure. Even if there was someone running at full speed, in this bad weather, they couldn't get too, far right?"

In fact, if we were to use the GPS search now, as long as there was an answer in the vicinity, all the suspects could be discovered at once. The answer could be close to us; we just need to find out who it is by examining all the possibilities in order.

"Ah, but if that person destroys the watch like Amasawa-san, we won't be able to find out right?" Nanase seemed to doubt her previous thought.

"No, that is not the case. If you damage the watch, the GPS signal will disappear. What if there is another GPS signal other than Amasawa that disappears if I searched?

"...Then we'll be able to determine that person is the culprit."

"Then, the person who wanted to attack me would definitely not break their watch."

"In that case, wouldn't it be a good idea to pay an extra point for the scan?"

It had only been fifteen minutes since Amasawa had spoken to me. Not only do they need to escape the scene, but they also need to do whatever they can to get out of the area. With a little bit of luck, we might be able to find a slight trace of that person. Because of this, if I follow Nanase's suggestion to do a GPS search now...

"Do not use a GPS search."

"Ah, why?" Nanase asks, confused.

"No matter who the other party is, it is not surprising to develop a plan that allows us to use GPS scanning to locate them. There is a chance that a complete outsider may show up on the scan."

They are likely to use an insignificant person to lure us into pursuing in the wrong direction. Like the incident where Amasawa's figure was witnessed by Nanase and the appearance of Amasawa here, we should be wary of being unilaterally fed information by the enemy.

"It feels like such a waste."

"If it were me, I wouldn't be stupid enough to be seen. If this person forgot to consider a GPS search, then I don't need to be afraid of this person at all."

Nanase didn't seem to understand, but she obeyed my decision. In any case, even after organizing my thoughts, I could not continue in this situation.I stopped the conversation and decided to quickly pitch the tent with Nanase.

It had now changed from light rain to heavy rain.

Nanase and I put our tents together face to face after we finally set them up, and we fled inside our tents to get away from the rain. We took off our wet sportswear uniforms, jackets, underwear and I wiped my body with a towel. I changed into reserve clothes and opened the zipper of the tent to look outside. Although it was just early in the morning, the surrounding area was as dark as night. It would be challenging to move at least for one day.

As the raindrops barged unceremoniously into the tent, I had to zipper up, lie down, and start thinking quietly. I learned Nanase's past and established the fact that Amasawa was a White Room student. However, not all the secrets hidden in the darkness have come to light.