"Sorry to keep you waiting, Kazunari."
"I just got here myself."
Once school let out, I met up with Hayato at our designated spot just as we had planned.
"Haha. Hearing a guy use that line feels pretty fresh," Hayato said, suddenly breaking into a laugh as if he’d found something hilarious.
"? Did I say something weird?"
"No, it’s just a classic line for a meeting. Hearing it come from you was funny, that's all. Don't mind me."
A classic line?
...Ah, the "I just got here" bit.
"Anyway, sorry. Let’s move somewhere else. Somewhere we won't be interrupted... the rooftop is close from here—"
"Yo, Takanashi, Yokokawa. What are two guys doing hanging out alone?"
This was unexpected.
It was the Idiot Duo from our class. They had been keeping a low profile lately, and I hadn't spoken to them in ages.
I wondered if I should point out that they were also two guys hanging out together...
"Well, I could say the same about you two," Hayato pointed out, beating me to it.
I wondered if they even realized he was mocking them.
"Oh, I guess so. Whatever, that doesn't matter."
"Hey, Takanashi, we need to talk. Come with us for a second. If I say the name 'Yamasaki,' does that ring a bell?"
I knew it.
I’d expected him to crawl out of the woodwork the moment Yuzuha got involved. But to think these two were connected to him... it really is a small world.
Then again, if the reason I had been suddenly targeted by rumors at this school was actually due to Yamasaki's cronies, it all felt strangely consistent—in a depressing sort of way.
What should I do? I was just about to talk to Hayato.
"Heh, sounds like an interesting conversation. Since you're starting this in front of me, I assume you're going to let me join in?" Hayato said, making a deliberate show of being interested.
He shot me a meaningful look. Right. If it’s Hayato, he’ll believe me. In that case, maybe I could turn the tables and use these guys to figure out what was going on.
What were they thinking? What was their plan?
I’d have to play it by ear. Besides, I had one weapon—even if it was a weak one.
It came from a conversation I’d had with Yuji the other day.
"I see. If you've made contact with Sasakawa, then Yamasaki might start moving too."
"You think so too?"
I had considered the possibility. There was no way he wouldn't realize I was at the same school as Hayato, and Yamasaki might act if Yuzuha asked him to.
"I don't know if it'll be useful, but you might be able to use it for something. I'll send you a photo."
The image Yuji sent via RAIN showed someone I didn't recognize being apprehended by the police.
"What's this?"
"Apparently, it's a photo of an Indecent Assaulter being caught. What's interesting is the guy standing behind the police officer in the background."
Behind the officer... Is that Yamasaki?
"I can only speculate as to why Yamasaki was at the scene of an arrest like that. Either way, the photo doesn't prove anything on its own. But..."
"But I can use it to craft a narrative? Give him a taste of his own medicine... is that what you mean?"
But without evidence, it would likely be dismissed as a desperate stretch.
"No, that would be tough. To be honest, I'm not sure how to use it either. But I'll send it just in case it helps."
"Thanks. But where did you get this?"
"You know I was looking into Yamasaki. During that process, I met a woman who was also investigating him... she gave it to me. But I didn't receive it until after you'd already moved away."
Well, even if I’d had it back then, they probably would have just called it a petty accusation and ignored it.
"That woman seemed to hold a massive grudge against Yamasaki; it was scary. I don't know what she's up to now, though."
Yamasaki really is the lowest of the low...
It wouldn't have helped back in Middle School, but what about with these guys? Even if it failed, I would just have to find a way to break through their narrative during the conversation.
"Fine. I'll listen to your 'interesting' story. In exchange, I'll show you this guy's true colors."
(I need to clear things up for Kazunari, and these guys are an eyesore, so I'll see them off. If they think I don't know they've been using my name to hit on girls, they're in for a surprise.)
"We're going to the rooftop. Follow me."
"Yeah, got it."
With this, I understood clearly that neither Yamasaki nor Yuzuha had any intention of leaving me alone.
Just as I suspected, Yuzuha's "apology" had been a total lie. However, it was a fact that she was planning something involving Hayato.
If that was the case, maybe I could use that to my advantage.
For now, I had to deal with these two. This time, things wouldn't go the same way they did in Middle School.
Clang.
I pushed open the heavy rooftop door, and we found we weren't alone.
"I’ve been waiting for you! You finally showed up, Takanashi!"
...Who is this?
I didn't recognize the face, but he was waiting for me? He was pointing at me while striking some bizarre pose.
Gross. Had he been watching too much anime?
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
The Idiot Duo behind me reacted first.
"Huh? Why is Tagami here?"
"What the hell are you doing?"
"I—I'm here to p-protect the Princess... f-from Takanashi!"
His attitude did a total 180 compared to when he addressed me; he suddenly became timid and started stuttering.
"Hah? What is wrong with you... whatever. Just shut up for a second."
Was he an accomplice? Or just a lackey? He was a weird guy. If he was waiting for me, had he been in contact with these two?
"Now then, Takanashi. We’ve heard all about you from Yamasaki. Apparently, you were quite the piece of work back in Middle School."
"Let's see... what was it? Stalker... assault... injury... threats. Man, you're a real menace."
He was reading it off his smartphone, so he must have been in contact via RAIN.
I decided to let them talk first. I’d struggled with evidence in Middle School, so this time I made sure I was recording everything.
"And if I told you those were all lies, what would you do?"
I glanced at Hayato, but he was just standing there with a smirk, looking perfectly relaxed. He'll be fine. I have to trust him.
"He says everyone in your Middle School class knows it's true. That makes it a fact, doesn't it? Well, Criminal Takanashi?"
"Those were lies spread by my Childhood Friend. I didn't do any of it."
I made sure to state that clearly, mostly so Hayato would understand my side of the story.
"Yeah, right. Not that we care. More importantly, do you have any idea what would happen if we spread this story around this school?"
Perfect. This was a lucky break. Based on the way the conversation was going, they were definitely planning to blackmail me. That meant I still had control over the situation.
"Who knows? Maybe no one would believe it."
"The people who hear it are the ones who get to decide that," the idiot said with a smug, self-satisfied look.
It occurred to me that I still didn't even know their names... whatever, "A" and "B" was good enough.
Time to get to the point.
"So, what do you want from me?"
"Introduce us to some girls. And obviously, we don't mean a normal introduction... you get what we're saying, right?"
Are you serious?
I could understand them saying that to Hayato, but there was no way I had girls to introduce them to. These guys were total morons.
...Well, whatever. I’ll play along for now.
"Hmm... and if I say no?"
"Then obviously, starting tomorrow, the school will be buzzing with rumors about you."
So cliché. They were way too simple-minded. Still, that was enough to record the blackmail.
I doubted that rumors from idiots like them would have any credibility anyway. And since they’d just told me their plan, the moment rumors did start, I’d know exactly who did it. I wondered if they had the brainpower to realize what would happen to them once the rumors were proven false.
Probably not.
Now then... what next? I decided to show them the photo as planned.
"By the way, you guys are tight with Yamasaki, right? Do you know anything about this?"
I showed them the photo Yuji had given me, watching for their reaction.
"Huh? What's thi— ...is..."
"Oh... for real...?"
Their demeanor shifted instantly. I hadn't expected such a visceral reaction.
I decided to keep pushing.
"This is a photo of an Indecent Assaulter being arrested. You can see Yamasaki in the background, right? Apparently, there are other photos, too. I can't believe he was an accomplice."
It was a total bluff. I only intended to see how they’d react, but they were visibly shaken. Did they actually know something?
"Yamasaki?... Whoa, he really is there."
"Even though Yamasaki kept saying he had nothing to do with Sagawa-senpai... Takanashi, where did you get this...?"
That was a strange response. Hadn't they noticed Yamasaki? Was that why they were acting so weird?
SLAM!!
The rooftop door swung open with a violent crash.
Startled, I spun around to see... Todo-san, Natsumi-senpai, and... Sara-san!?
Wait, why are they here...?